Royal Blood(15)

We got in the elevator and made our way floor by floor, office by office. "Did a couple come in here last evening dressed like me?" I'd ask, and each receptionist would gawk at me and respond similarly, "No. I think I'd remember."

The last office was Berkley Realtors.

"I'm tired. Please, let's go home" Becky pleaded.

"But we only have one more togo "

"I'm leaving," Becky said, exhausted.

My feet hurt, too. And who knew, maybe one of these receptionists we spoke with wasn't working yesterday.

"All right," I said, guiding my weary friend into the elevator. "Enough parent hunting for today..."

"Tomorrow," Becky said as the elevator doors closed, "you can take the bus."

Chapter 9 In the Dark

Guess who my dad and I saw last night when we were out to dinner atBrios ?" Trevor asked me the following day before class as I opened my locker.

"A cheerleader?Ashopgirl ?Or a teacher?You'll have to narrow it down. I can't keep up with who you are dating."

"TheSterling ghosts."

"No way."I dropped my backpack and faced him squarely. "You saw who?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Death.You'd better tell those morbid mannequins to go back to the dungeon they crawled out of. I was so repulsed I lost my appetite."

"Funny, you have the same effect on me."

"They're even freakier than you are. Are you sure you aren't their spawn, too?"

"What did they do? Who were they with?" I asked.

"Haven't you met them yet?" Trevor seemed as surprised as I had been.

"Of course.Several times."I picked up my backpack and began shoving textbooks into my locker.

"You haven't, have you? I guess I'm not the only one who thinks you are weird. Alexander does, too."

His comments were like a stake in my heart.

"They met someone," he continued. "Mr. Berkley came over to their table. I thought he might faint, but he didn't.

"Mr. Berkley ofBerkley Realtors?"I then realized that his was the last suite in the Emerson building left to investigate.

"RumorIs that they want to buy the cemetery and move in."

I was fuming. Trevor had seen theSterlings before I had. Plus, I was angered that he was ridiculing Alexander's mother and father.

"Maybe they want to buy your house and use your room for landfill," I countered.

My mind raced as to how theSterlings were acquainted with Mr. Berkley. Was he who they really saw at the Emerson building? Were they planning on buying Jameson his own place now that they were home? I'm sure there was a plausible explanation for their encounter.

"Could you hear what they said?" I inquired.

"I think it was 'Can I borrow your blood?' How do I know what they said? So... when are we going to start our essays?"

When I see my boyfriend's parents,I wanted to say. Instead I slammed my locker shut and stormed off.