Shadow Lake Vampire Society - Wendi Wilson Page 0,64
but it didn’t stick, so now they’re bringing you into it.”
“Oh, that’s awful.” Mom gripped her purse in her lap, looking fragile.
I put my hand on her wrist. “It’s okay, Mom. Really. I’m doing well here. I have my new friend, True.”
And Levi, I thought.
I wondered, in passing, if he’d heard any of this conversation, though he was preoccupied with his own dorm. They were doing some sort of video game skit and had roped him into it as well. It was one of the things I’d been looking forward to before this happened.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” Mom said, finally. “But you can come home if you need to. I can take you right now. We’ll explain it to the dean.”
I shook my head. “I’m fine. Really. I promise.”
She released the lip she was biting and nodded. “Okay, bug.”
“Do you want to stay and watch the talent show before you drive back? I feel bad that you came all this way.” I held up the unicorn onesie, making it dance a little to lighten the mood.
She smiled. “I’d like that. I’ve really missed you.” She hooked an arm around me and pulled me in, kissing the top of my head.
I leaned into her. “Sorry I haven’t called. Now you know why.”
Guilt leached into me as we sat on the bench together. I’d left her alone and hadn’t thought about her much until she showed up here. If I’d been talking to her regularly, she would have known I wasn’t suicidal. Sure, my phone was gone, but I could have at least emailed her.
I thought about Coco, too. We hadn’t had a single correspondence since I’d gotten here. I wondered how she was. Damn, I needed to get that phone back. I thought about asking Mom about Coco, but I’d already put her through enough. I could ask her about my friend later.
Focusing on the here and now, I slipped an arm around Mom. “You’re going to love the talent show. I get to be a frolicking unicorn while the girls do some pretty ridiculous dances.”
Mom chuckled. “I can’t wait to see it.”
Footsteps behind us made me whirl. Levi ran up, stopping just before the bench with fear in his features.
Geez. Everyone spent way too much time worried about me.
“Everything’s okay,” I said when our eyes met. “My mom is here.”
His eyebrows went up as Mom turned around. “Oh, hi.”
“Mom, this is Levi.” I didn’t add he’s my boyfriend because he wasn’t, technically. Instead, I bit my lip and gave him a one shouldered shrug as she appraised him.
“Levi, so nice to meet you.” She got up, extending her hand, which he took in his.
“Very nice to meet you, Ms. Williams. Piper says only good things.”
She blushed. Apparently, he had that effect on all women, even my mother. Gag.
“What a gentleman. Are you taking good care of Piper here?” Her eyes shot back to me, and his followed.
I felt my cheeks burn bright red, but he nodded and answered simply. “Of course.”
“Good. Now, what’s this I hear about a talent show?”
The night was hilarious.
Our dance was both ridiculous and the most fun I’d had in a long time. True and I did line kicks in our onesies to uproarious applause. I caught Levi’s eye in the audience, and he was laughing, honest to God laughing with his mouth open.
His skit was just as funny. The boys took cardboard boxes from the cafeteria and made Minecraft heads. Someone in their dorm was a comic genius because they had five minutes of computer jokes followed by a skit that sent everyone rolling.
Even Sarah and the other vamps participated, though Micah acted like she was too cool to be bothered and Sarah took the role of MC. Either way, their sour faces couldn’t spoil my night. Seeing Mom in the audience sitting next to Dean Purty was the cherry on top.
Sweaty and exhausted, True and I ran back to our dorm to change before I would walk Mom back to her car. I was a bit worried about her driving home so late, but she’d insisted. Plus, it was only ten o’clock. With the two hour drive, she’d be back by midnight. True had agreed to wrangle the girls and attempt to get them into bed while I said goodbye.
As I was stepping out of the cabin, a figure appeared out of the darkness. Familiar arms wrapped around me and pulled me in close. “You may be the only girl in the world who