This Totally Bites! (9 page)

“I’m so sorry!” Gabby burst out, and I patted her wings. “I’m sorry that I didn’t believe you. I was a terrible best friend.” She stepped back and swiped at her eyes, getting gold sparkles on her fingers.

“It’s okay,” I said, meaning it. I dabbed at my eyes with the back of my hand, hoping my mascara wasn’t running. “I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have gotten so mad at you. It’s just that there was so much going on, both with the dance and —”

“I know!” Gabby cried. “I think you’re amazing for doing the decorations. And you were right. I guess I
was
a little jealous that you were getting all this attention.” She shook her head, looking remorseful. “But I’m over it. I hope you know I really
am
happy for you, Em.”

Em.
Hearing that name again lifted my spirits. “I know you are,” I said quietly.

Gabby sniffled and adjusted her antennae. “And I feel really bad that I didn’t listen to you about that
other
stuff.” She lowered her voice, even though it was just us in the gym. “After we fought, I Googled vampires and Transylvania and I have to say, a lot of it
does
make sense. I even wanted to send you some links but I was too stubborn.”

“I wanted to e-mail you, too,” I said. “I think we’re
both
too stubborn. Maybe that’s why we’re BFF.”

Gabby and I grinned at each other. Even though I knew I had a big, scary night ahead of me, right then all I wanted to do was jump for joy.

“Okay, you need to update me,” Gabby whispered, her eyes sparkling. “Any Great-aunt Margo news? I’ve been dying to know.”

“There’s some news, all right,” I said, feeling butterflies swarm my stomach. As Gabby and I began taking the decorations from the bags, I told her all the latest, from what Henry and I discovered in the library to my secret mission tonight. Not once did Gabby roll her eyes. Instead, she listened carefully and gasped at the right places.

“So
that’s
what you and Henry were talking about yesterday!” Gabby exclaimed when I was finished.
“Em, I can’t believe you’re
friends
with him now! You know what I think?” she added, smiling excitedly. “I think he likes you!”

My cheeks burned. “What? No. He’s just into vampire stuff. That’s why he helped me out at the library.”

Gabby shook her head emphatically, her antennae wiggling. “Please. It’s
so
obvious. Why do you think he teases you all the time? He’s
crushing
on you.”

“No way,” I said firmly. “Trust me, Gab. Henry Green does not —”

Before I could finish, the gym doors swung open and a boy’s voice echoed through the big empty space.

“Did you know there’s a skeleton in the hallway?” asked Henry.

Gabby and I glanced at each other in horror. Had he heard us?

“I — yeah —” I stammered, caught off guard. I lowered my head so Henry couldn’t see me blush. “I was supposed to bring that in.”

“I’ll get it,” Henry said. He turned to go, his vampire cape trailing behind him. Then he glanced back
at us. “Why are you guys just standing around talking?” he asked. “You haven’t started putting up anything yet!”

“OMG, he’s right!” Gabby gasped, glancing at the windows above the bleachers. The sky was dimming. “We have to finish in time so you can leave for the gala.” She shot a meaningful look at Henry, who raised his eyebrows at her. “Yes, I know
everything,”
she said, putting her hands on her hips. “I’m her best friend.”

I smiled at Gabby, then reached down to tear open a bag of balloons while Henry darted back into the hallway to collect the skeleton and the rest of the decorations.

“Okay,” Gabby said, pulling out the black streamers. “Operation Hollywood Halloween is in effect.”

The three of us moved like a whirlwind through the gym. While Henry rolled out the red carpet and set up the spooky-sounds iPod, Gabby and I blew up balloons, hung streamers, and stuck on wall decals. Within an hour, the gym had been completely transformed. We stepped back to admire our work.

The gym now looked like the coolest haunted house ever. The smoke machine filled the air with fog, and the cackle of a zombie drifted out from the
iPod’s speakers. The walls were covered with sparkly decals of skulls, ghosts, and cobwebs, and on the far wall was a decal of the Hollywood sign, written out in creepy lettering. Black and orange balloons, with matching streamers, dangled from the ceiling and brushed the head of our skeleton, which stood by the entrance to greet people.

“I think it’s perfect,” Gabby declared, straightening out the edge of the red carpet with her toe. “All thanks to you, Em!” She applauded, which made me embarrassed.

“I couldn’t have done it without you guys,” I said truthfully. “And Zora, Janie, and Matt,” I added.

“Maybe,” Henry said, smiling. “But you’re the genius who came up with it all.”

I felt another blush start to take over my face, but just then Eve Epstein marched into the gym.

“Who’s
a genius?” she demanded, fixing her halo.

“Not you,” Gabby muttered, and I covered my mouth to keep from giggling.

“Emma-Rose,” Henry announced. “She did all this,” he added, sweeping his arm to indicate the gym.

Eve looked impressed, but then she seemed to remember herself and tossed her hair over her
shoulder. “It’s nice enough,” she said snippily. She pulled her cell phone out of the pocket of her white dress. “I’ll text Ashlee and tell her it’s approved.”

“Where
is
Ashlee?” I asked, reaching for scissors to cut off a piece of tape.

“She had to be somewhere important,” Eve replied, texting away. “She’ll be arriving at the dance fashionably late.”

“Really?” I asked, irritated. Ashlee had
demanded
that I show up early, and she couldn’t be bothered to come? How selfish … and typical.

“Em,” Gabby whispered, sidling up to me and touching my shoulder. She tapped her watch. “It’s getting to be that time.”

My heart flipped over in my chest. This was it.

“Okay,” I said, putting down the scissors. “Let me just go wash off my makeup.” The gala was not a costume party, and I needed to look somewhat presentable.

Gabby nodded. “Henry and I will meet you outside.”

“Wait — what?” I sputtered, glancing from my best friend to Henry. “You guys are coming
with
me?”

“Of course we are,” Henry said as Eve trotted off
to inspect the smoke machine. “We have to make sure you at least get inside the museum okay.”

Gratitude welled up in me. I’d never known how important good friends could be. Before I could thank them, though, the gym doors banged open, and Zora, Janie, and Matt flooded inside — along with all the volunteer paparazzi, wielding cameras.

“Sorry we’re late!” Zora cried, running toward me. “It looks
incredible
!”

“No, you’re right on time,” I said, handing her the scissors and tape. “I have to take off now, but I’ll be back later.”

I didn’t mention that I might be coming back as a bat.

The full moon hung low in the starry sky as Gabby, Henry, and I speed-walked the two blocks to the museum.
A blood moon,
I thought, seeing its faint reddish glow. The night had a bite of cold to it. A few of the trees in Central Park had shed their leaves, and their naked branches stretched up like skeleton arms. I shivered, wishing I’d worn a cardigan over my ruffle-front blouse.

The museum, a grand building with marble columns, looked even grander tonight. It was lit from below by floodlights, and an orange-and-black banner reading
CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
rippled down over the entrance. Sleek black limousines were parked out front, and women in shimmering dresses
and men in tuxedoes climbed the sweeping staircase to show their invitations to the security guards.

I realized that Gabby, Henry, and I must have made a strange sight as we walked up the steps together: a handsome boy vampire, a pretty golden faerie, and a pale, trembling girl. The three of us stopped in front of the large bronze statue of Theodore Roosevelt on his horse.

“Here,” Gabby said, handing me her small black purse. “I put your cell phone inside this. Call or text me if you need
anything.”

“I don’t think a bat can send texts,” I said, my teeth chattering.

“All right, then call us when the ritual’s over,” Henry whispered. “We’ll come back and get you.”

I felt my stomach drop out from under me. “Wait — you mean you guys won’t be waiting out here?”

Gabby and Henry shook their heads, looking sorry. “We need to go back to the dance for a little bit,” Henry explained. “Otherwise it might look suspicious if all three of us are gone.”

“And I, um …” Gabby fiddled with one of her
antennae, smiling sheepishly. “I need to meet Milo at the school. I think he’s there already.”

For a second, I forgot all about the Nocturne Ritual. “Milo from ballet?” I squealed. “He’s going to the dance?”

Gabby nodded, grinning and blushing. “On Wednesday, I went up to him after ballet class and asked if he wanted to come to West Side Prep’s Halloween dance. And he said yes! You were right, Em. I just needed to be brave.”

“Oh, Gab,” I cried, excited for my friend. I gave her a quick hug, and Henry rolled his eyes at us, but he was smiling.

“Okay, you guys go have fun at Hollywood Halloween,” I said, waving Gabby and Henry off. “Maybe I’ll see you later … or not.” I had no idea what the future held for me. As a full-fledged vampire, would I still be able to lead my old life? Go to school? Keep my friends?

“We
will
see you,” Gabby said firmly, giving me another hug. “We’ll stand by you no matter what happens.”

Henry looked a bit embarrassed by this statement, but he nodded all the same, his green eyes holding my gaze.

“And just remember to be brave,” Gabby whispered to me with a smile.

Wishing me luck, Gabby and Henry headed down the steps. Then, my heart hammering, I walked toward the museum’s entrance. A fancy-looking couple ahead of me flashed the security guards their ivory-colored invitations. I didn’t have an invitation, but I knew getting past the guards would be the easiest part of the night.

The guards on duty were Timothy, who used to give me lollipops when I was little, and Erica, who was very no-nonsense. As I approached them, I heard Timothy saying to Erica, “… and they still haven’t figured out how those bat cages got open every night.”

“I’m telling you, there is something weird about those bats,” Erica replied.

I froze, my blood running cold. Erica didn’t know how right she was. Part of me wanted to tell her and Timothy everything — to warn them about the upcoming ritual. Then Timothy spotted me and he beamed.

“Emma-Rose?” he called. “My goodness, you’ve grown! You haven’t been by the museum in a long time.”

He looked so happy to see me that I couldn’t bear to tell him the truth. Instead, I tried to play it cool.

“Hi, Timothy!” I said. “Are my parents inside already? I was supposed to come with them, but I got stuck at school.”

“They are indeed,” Timothy said, motioning for me to pass him. “So is your great-aunt. She’s
quite
a lady.”

“There’s something weird about her,” Erica said under her breath. But when I glanced at her, she gave me a big smile. “Hey there, Emma-Rose!”

I nodded and stepped past her into the soaring lobby.

The gala was in full swing. People dressed in their finest stood chattering and sipping from champagne flutes. Classical music was playing, silver twinkle lights were twined around the columns, and waiters were carrying trays of salmon puffs and spring rolls. I spotted three movie stars and the mayor. For a moment, I let myself relax and take in the glamour of it all.

Suddenly, I caught sight of my parents, standing a few feet away. I backed up and hid behind a
column. I couldn’t let Mom and Dad know I was here — that would lead to too many questions. From my secret spot, I saw that Mom looked beautiful in a light green gown, and Dad looked dashing in his tux. They were nibbling on spring rolls and talking to someone I couldn’t see. When the waiter blocking my view moved, I saw that that someone was Great-aunt Margo.

She was wearing a black floor-length dress with a lacy black shawl, black silk gloves, and a ruby necklace. She was laughing at something Dad was saying, as calm as the night sky outside.
So the ritual hasn’t started yet,
I thought. Would there be some sort of sign when it did?

Mom began clinking a fork against her glass, calling for people to gather around. The classical music stopped playing, and a hush fell over the great hall. I stayed behind my column, praying my parents wouldn’t see me.

“Good evening,” Mom called. “My name is Lillian Paley, and I’m honored to welcome you to the opening of Creatures of the Night. Many people assisted in making this exhibit as informative and exciting as it could be. I’d like to acknowledge them all tonight.
First, I’m thrilled to introduce Margaret Romanescu, one of the world’s leading experts on bats and taxidermy. She also happens to be my aunt!”

The crowd laughed and applauded as Great-aunt Margo came to Mom’s side.

“Greetings,” my great-aunt said in her thick accent. “I must say that my niece, Lilly, is a vonderful curator. Ven I suggested to her the idea for this exhibit, she took it and ran vit it.”

Of course it was all Great-aunt Margo’s idea!
I thought, shuddering.

“You must excuse me now as I go put some finishing touches on the exhibit,” Great-aunt Margo said with a small bow. “Ve vant it to be perfect. Good night!”

With that, she turned and walked past the empty ticket booths and into the heart of the museum.

My stomach jumped.
She was leaving the gala.
This was the sign. The Nocturne Ritual was going to start! And now, I knew for sure where it would be held.

I inched slowly out from behind my column, just as Mom was introducing a gray-haired man whom she called the world’s leading expert on rats.
Everyone was so busy applauding that they didn’t seem to see me slipping through the crowd.

I held my breath as I made my way past the ticket booths. Then I heard someone call out, “Miss?”

Oh no.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw one of the waiters watching me. “Where are you going?” he asked in the suspicious tone adults sometimes use with kids.

I thought fast. “To the bathroom,” I mouthed. Then, before he could ask another question, I turned and sprinted away.

There were signs along the hall indicating where the Creatures of the Night exhibit was, and I followed them. I could only hope that there were no guards patrolling this part of the museum, and that no one but the waiter had seen me come this way.

I raced through the darkened rooms full of animal dioramas. Tonight, the stuffed wolves, bears, deer, and antelope looked menacing behind their glass panes. I dashed into one of the dinosaur rooms, where the skeletons seemed to glow like pale ghosts. I passed through the cafeteria, and finally, I reached
an arched entryway with a sign that read:
CREATURES OF THE NIGHT EXHIBIT STARTS HERE.

There was no turning back now.

I tiptoed through the archway, my heart pounding. The room I entered was pitch-black and ice-cold. The silence seemed to swallow me. Taking a deep breath, I wiped my clammy palms against my satin skirt and peered through the darkness. Fear snaked down my spine, but I made myself move forward. I had to do this.

And that was when it hit me:

I was living out my nightmare.

This — this very moment — was the terrifying dream I’d been having for the past month! Had the dream, in a way, also been my summoning?

Slowly, my eyes adjusted to the darkness around me. I saw the big placard on the wall that read:
BATS.
Sure enough, the open-topped glass cases around me contained Great-aunt Margo’s “stuffed” bats. They were, once again, hanging upside down, their eyes squeezed shut, as if sleeping.

Then, one by one, the bats’ eyes started to open. And, just like in my dream, they glowed bright red. Small red bat eyes. Evil eyes. Staring right at me.

One of the books I’d read in the library said that
hungry vampire bats tended to have red eyes. I started to shake uncontrollably. These bats must have been starving, but they wouldn’t attack me, would they? I was one of them, or I would be soon enough.

The bats began to lift their wings, and then, as one unit, they all rose up out of their glass cases. Their black wings beat the air and their crimson eyes shone. I bit my lip to keep myself from shrieking.

I watched as the bats made a swooping turn before flying deeper into the exhibit. I knew I had no choice but to stumble after them, passing through rooms full of stuffed rats, possums, koalas, and other nocturnal creatures.

I heard faint voices coming from one of the rooms up ahead. The voices soon grew louder, and I realized that I was hearing the murmurings of people.

I stepped into the final room of the exhibit. Here, the walls were lined with posters that listed scientific facts about the creatures of the night. But the rest of the room was bare — except for the group of kids huddled in the indent, all of them clutching small red cards and looking terrified.

Twelve-year-olds
, I understood in a heartbeat, my eyes skimming over the ashen faces.
Fledglings. Like me.
I wasn’t sure any of them saw me, though. Their gazes were fixed on the bats that had settled into the eaves of the ceiling.

One bat — the glossy, graceful bat I had seen transform into Great-aunt Margo last week — hovered in midair, facing the trembling group of fledglings. I was trembling, too, and my mouth had gone completely dry. I wondered if I should move my numb feet forward and join the group.

But before I could, the hovering bat began to morph into her human form. Her wings became arms, her claws turned into legs and feet, her ears shrunk, and her face became the face I knew so well.

And, I noticed with a lurch, there was not only one bat transforming in the room. All the other bats began to drop down from the eaves. Then, just like Great-aunt Margo, each bat grew arms, legs, hands, and feet. Bat ears became human ears, snoutlike noses became human noses, and beady red eyes became larger red eyes, until the space around the fledglings was packed with normal-size adults.

The fledglings gasped and screamed, but my own scream seemed to stick in my throat. I could only stare, gape-jawed, at the vampires before me.

They, like the fledglings, came in all shapes, colors, and sizes. There were male and female vampires; tall, skinny vampires; and short, pudgy vampires. There were vampires with fair complexions, and vampires with skin the color of cocoa. There were cruel-looking vampires who hissed and snapped at the fledglings, and there were kind-looking vampires who waved and blew kisses. Some were dressed in black, some in red, and others in yellow, orange, green, or pink. There seemed to be no single vampire look. Maybe my pale skin and my love for dark colors was just a coincidence.

But the vampires had one feature in common — they all had very long, very sharp, bright-white fangs.

I heard the sound of my own ragged breathing. Since I hadn’t read more of
The Vampyre,
I had no idea what the steps of the Nocturne Ritual were. I wondered if it involved each of the fledglings being bitten by the vampires. I put my hands up to my throat, shrinking deeper into the shadows.

When all the bats had morphed into people, Great-aunt Margo clapped her hands and in a clear, booming voice, began to speak.

“As the Empress of Vampires, I am delighted to velcome you one and all to the five-hundred-and-eightieth annual Nocturne Ritual!”

I gasped.
My
great-aunt Margo was the Empress? I wasn’t sure whether to feel proud or terrified.

The full-fledged vampires clapped politely, and the fledglings moved in tighter together, embracing one another.

“Do not be frightened, my dah-links!” Great-aunt Margo bellowed. “This ancient rite marks the most important moment in your young lives as creatures of the night. You have been summoned from all over the vorld to this great city to become full-fledged. May I add that it is a pleasure to return to New York after thirteen long years. Last year, the Nocturne Ritual was held in Paris, and it vas, my dah-links, an absolute mess, for reasons I vill not go into here.”

The full-fledged vampires nodded and grumbled among themselves, clearly remembering Paris.

“And now!” Great-aunt Margo clapped her hands. “I vill recite the incantation.”

“Most excellent,” murmured a female vampire, pressing her hands together excitedly. “I cannot wait to begin the hunt tonight.”

I felt sick. So when we all became bats, we’d fly off to hunt? Would I be prepared?

Great-aunt Margo raised her arms over her head, and there was a tense silence. Then she pronounced a long string of words in a melodic-sounding foreign language that I guessed was Romanian. The only word I recognized was
nosferatu.

Vampire.