shave her head while she's sleeping."
"That's not what I meant. Mike?"
"School," Michael said instantly. "That's what she was like in school when she was coming on to you."
"Speaking of school . . ." Eve said. "What the hell was this about the closet makeout session?"
"Nothing."
"Did you seriously tongue-wrestle Monica in the--"
"Eve, shut up."
"No, seriously, I have to know this. Were you high? Because that is honestly the only excuse I can think of."
"It wasn't my fault. She grabbed me and pulled me in." Shane got that flush in his cheeks again. "Once. It was once. And I told her to fuck off the next day." Shane's eyes widened, and Claire saw his expression change. "The next day. That was the day she . . . the day she told me she'd make me sorry."
"Oh, man," Michael said. "It was only a couple of weeks before--"
Shane shut his eyes again. "Don't want to talk about it."
Even Eve let that one go, because what was going unsaid was that two weeks later, the fire had started at Shane's house, and Monica had been to blame. Maybe.
And Shane's sister had died.
"She didn't even look at me," Claire said. "She always looks at me."
"What?" Michael asked, distracted.
"Monica. She never lets a chance go by to say something rude to me. But she didn't. It was like she didn't even know I existed."
That was why Monica had ignored her, Claire realized. She wasn't her enemy. She didn't even know her. Monica was mentally back in . . . What had it been, tenth grade? Before Shane's house had burned, and his family had left town.
Monica thought they were all still in high school.
"Creepy," Claire said.
Shane swallowed. "You have no idea. Monica used to follow me everywhere. Send me porn notes and texts. She told people she was my girlfriend. She beat up any girl I talked to. It was miserable."
Wow. Monica had been Shane's stalker. That put a whole different light on things. "How long did that go on?"
"I guess about three months, maybe. Michael?"
"Yeah, that sounds right. It was after she decided I was off-limits." He shook his head when Claire opened her mouth. "Don't ask. She was a serial stalker. Worked her way through most of the jocks, but I don't know why she picked on the two of us."
"Well, how about you're adorably cute and talented?" Eve said. "I crushed all over you, too. Not you, Collins. You, Glass."
The doctor came in around then, and expelled them while Shane got stitches. Claire was happy enough to miss that part. Stitches were painful; she knew that from experience.
Monica and Gina were sipping cans of cola from straws and giggling while they checked out the butts on the interns and doctors. It was so . . . not them. And yet, it was, at the same time. Monica kept looking toward the curtain that hid Shane from view with hungry, fascinated eyes, and that made Claire feel hot and furious and filthy.
Monica still thought Shane was interested in her. All evidence to the contrary.
"This isn't right," Michael said, looking around. "It just doesn't feel right. You know? It's like everything's just . . . out of tune. I don't know if you feel it the way I do. Vampires sense things differently."
"That may be why some get violent," Claire said. "We have to fix it. Somehow. It can only get worse."
"Well, you can't go back to Myrnin. Not after--"
"Michael, I have to! This thing comes and goes, right? People snap out of it. He'll come back, and when he does I have to be there and find out what to do." She took a deep breath. "Or, like Shane said, we have to pull the plug. That's the only other solution."
"Nuke the site from orbit," Eve said. "It's the only way to be sure."
"Do not quote Aliens at me; I'm freaked-out enough already!"
"Sorry. But it's always good advice."
"It actually is good advice," Michael said. "I can go pull the plug. Myrnin won't come after me--"
"He would," Claire said. "Myrnin used to bite other vamps, too, in case you forgot. You can't assume just being in the blood club is going to get you through. And he's strong, and really fast. Don't. Make Amelie go, or Oliver. I don't think he'd bite them."
"You don't think?"
She shrugged unhappily. "I don't know him anymore when he's like this. I don't know what he's going to do."
"We are so screwed," Eve said. "What about Amelie? What's she doing?"
That