The Dead Girls Dance Page 0,15

best time to say, Hey, man, you using now? Or something like that.

He didnt need to ask, as it turned out. Shane answered anyway. But I kicked it, and Dad sobered up, and we planned this out. Thing is, even though we remembered a lot of stuff, the personal stuff, we couldnt remember things about how to find vamps, or the layout of the town, or even who we were looking for. So that was my job. Come back, scout it out, find out where the vamps hide during the day. Report back. It wasnt supposed to take this long, and I wasnt supposed toget tangled up.

With us, Eve supplied softly. Right? He didnt want you to have any friends.

Friends get you killed in Morganville.

No. Eve put a pale hand on his knee. Shane, honey, in Morganville, friends are the only things that keep you alive.

Chapter Seven

Claire couldnt believe how much had poured out of Shaneall that grief and horror and bitterness and anger. Hed always seemed sort of, well, normal, and it was a shock to see all the emotional bloodshedand a shock to hear him talk so much, about things so personal. Shane wasnt a talker.

She collected the dishes and did them alone, comforted by hot water and the fizz of soap on her hands; she cleaned up pots and pans and splashes of red sauce, and thought about Shane finding his mom dead in a bloody bathtub. I wasnt in a real good place, Shane had said. The master of understatement. Claire wasnt so sure that shed ever have been able to smile again, laugh again, function again, if that had happened to her, especially after losing a sister and winning the Drunk-Asshole Lottery with Dad. How did he do it? How did he keep it together, and stay sobrave?

She wanted to cry for him, but she was almost sure that hed have been embarrassed, so she kept the misery inside, and scrubbed dishes clean. He doesnt deserve this. Why dont they all just leave him alone? Why does he have to be the one everybody beats on?

Maybe just because hed shown he could take it, and make himself stronger for it.

The kitchen door swung open, and she jumped, expected Shane, but it was Michael. He walked over to the sink, ran some cold water in his hands, and splashed it over his face and the back of his neck.

Bad night, Claire said.

Tell me about it. He cut a sideways look toward her.

Do you think hes right? About them, you know, killing his mother?

I think Shanes carrying around a load of guilt the size of TrumpTower. And I think it helps him to be angry. Michael shrugged. I dont know. Its possible. But I dont think we can know one way or the other.

That feltsick, somehow. No wonder Shane was so reluctant to talk about it. She tried to imagine living with that kind of uncertainty, those memories, and failed.

She was glad she did.

So, Michael said. Ive got about three hours until morning. We need to make some plans about what were going to do, and what were not going to do.

Claire nodded and set a plate aside to dry.

First thing is, none of you leave the house, Michael said. Got it? No school, no work. You stay indoors. I cant protect you if you go outside.

We cant just hide!

We can for a while, and we will. Look, Shanes dad cant run around out there forever. Its a temporary problem. Someones going to find him. The unspoken subject of what would happen to Shanes dad after he was caught was a whole other issue. As long as we dont do anything directly that ties us to whatever his dad does, were okay. Amelies word is good for that.

Youre putting a lot of trust in

A vampire, yeah, I know. Michael shrugged and leaned a hip against the counter, looking down on her. What choices do we have?

Not too many, I guess. Claire studied him more closely. He looked tired. Michael? Are you okay?

Now he looked surprised. Sure. Shanes the one whos got issues. Not me.

No, Michael was all good. Killed, dismembered, buried, rebornyeah, just another day in the life. Claire sighed. Guys, she said mournfully. Michael, Ill stay home today, but I really do have to go to school, you know. Really. Because her missing school was like a caffeine addict going without a daily jolt.

Your education or your life, Claire. Id rather you be