"TheSterlings have come to town!" the guests cheered.
I froze, staring at my parents. This isn't what they had wanted for me-much less for themselves. And it was now too late, for all of us.
I awoke to glares from my classmates. I must have dozed off in English class. Mrs.Naper was tapping her pointer on her desk. "That makes the third time this week, Raven. I'll have to talk to your parents about your sleeping habits."
Trevor glanced back from the front row. He gave me a sexy grin and shook his head. For the first time, I was happy to see him. It was less disturbing to see my nemesis as a nightmare ofrny reality than to see my parents as vampires in a dream.
Chapter 18 Cocktail Party
Afew hours before our cocktail party at theSterlings ', I found my mom tossing dresses on her bed. She was as anxious as I had been when I was first invited to the Mansion.
"What do I wear?" she asked.
"Whatever you want."
Since my mother wasn't going to paint her nails black and wear a corset over the top of a camisole, I didn't think it really mattered what her attire was. However, she didn't feel the same.
"Should I wear this-or this?" she asked, holding up the same blouse, one in white, and one in red. "Mrs. Sterling is so stylish. Not that it's my style, but nevertheless it's bold. I don't want to offend her by appearing too conservative."
"Are you kidding?" All of a sudden my mother cared about what the neighbors thought?
I think she was as taken by Mrs. Sterling as I was- just for different reasons. I wanted to be like Cassandra, a beautiful royal-bloodedvampiress with a gorgeous vampire family, residing in an eerie mansion. But to my mom, Cassandra was exotic, unique, and worldly. Different, like my mom had been in her pre-corporate days. "Mom, you are fine just the way you are." "You're only saying that because you want me to hurry up."
"No, I mean it. I don't think eyebrow piercings and spidertatts will go with your Donna Karan blouses."
"You're right. I'll just be me-plain old boring me," my mother said, folding her arms.
"You are far from boring."
"I guess I just wanted you to think your mom was cool."
"You're not supposed to be cool to me. You're my mom. Do you think Grandma is cool?"
"I see your point. I didn't do too bad a job raising you after all, did I?"
"Well, if you must know, you could raise my allowance."
It was a moment I was excited about and dreaded at the same time.My parents visiting the Mansion. What would they say? What would they do? How would they respond tobloodred smoothies?
My dad inched his SUV up the Mansion's drive. Fog hovered over the bushes and candles flickered inside the Mansion.
"It looks haunted," my mom mumbled to my father. "I know why you like coming here," she said to me. "It's very... mysterious."
"I'm anxious to see what it looks like inside. I feel very privileged. Like Charlie getting a chance to see the inside of the chocolate factory," my dad said.
"Promise me you both will behave. They have very different tastes. Please don't say anything rude," I said.
I walked up the uneven cracked front steps, my parents following close behind.
I knocked on the serpent knocker.
"That is quite... unusual," my mom remarked.
"Shhh!"I said. "You promised."
The oak door squeaked open and Jameson appeared in the entrance,
"Welcome, Miss Raven, and Mr. and Mrs. Madison. Shall I take your things?"