Alex Duval - [Vampire Beach 02] Page 2

  "Yeah, and the rule is that Mom has to be completely freaking out for the entire week before Thanksgiving," Dani put in from her perch on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. "Why are you home so early?" she asked Jason.

  "No swim practice today," he replied, reaching over his mom's head and pulling down a stack of china plates. "Sorry I forgot to tell you. I would've given you a ride, but you were already gone."

  "Maria drove Kristy and me home. She got her license last weekend," Danielle said. "Isn't that awesome?”

  "Sure. It means less time as the Danielle taxi service for me." Jason took down the gravy boat and handed it to his mother.

  Dani ignored him. "Anyway, on the way home we stopped at Peet's Coffee and ran into Maggie Roy. She said Zach Lafrenière is having a huge party Friday night. It's his eighteenth birthday."

  "Huh," Jason said. He realized that that was probably what Zach and Brad had been talking about at school. He had to smile, thinking how he'd assumed some top-secret, hush-hush vampire business was going down when they were really just planning a party.

  "You're going, right?" Dani asked.

  "I guess. First I've heard about it," Jason said.

  "Well, Jason might be going, but you aren't," his mother told Dani.

  Danielle's mouth dropped open. "You are not going to keep me away from the best party of the entire year!”

  "Oh yes, I am," Mrs. Freeman replied. "You know how I feel about DeVere Heights parties. The kids here seem to have a new one every week, and you tell me every time that it's going to be the best party ever."

  "Yeah, but this one really will be," Dani argued. "Tell her, Jason."

  Jason shrugged. "Zach is the most popular guy at school," he told his mom.

  "Then I'm sure he won't miss you at his birthday party," Mrs. Freeman said. "He'll have plenty of friends to help him celebrate."

  "But - "

  "No, Danielle. It scares me too much. I don't even really like Jason going," Mrs. Freeman said. "Not since that yacht incident."

  Dani fell silent for a moment. Jason knew she'd been as freaked out as he was by what happened at Belle Rèmy's yacht party a few months back. A girl, Carrie, had fallen overboard and washed up on the beach the next day, dead. Jason remembered it all too well - he'd been the one to find the body.

  Mrs. Freeman had pretty much changed her party-going rules a minute later. And she didn't even know the truth about what had happened at the yacht party. If she did, she wouldn't have stopped at keeping Dani home from the parties, Jason thought. Even locking Dani in her room for a few years wouldn't be enough - she'd probably drag the whole family back to Michigan without second thought. Because the dead girl hadn't drowned the way everybody thought: Carrie had been the rogue vampire's unfortunate victim.

  That was Jason's introduction to the vampires - a murderer on the loose, filled with a bloodlust that drove him mad. Sienna had told Jason that the vampire community strictly forbade its members to take the life of a human. And Zach had ended up killing the rogue to stop him from murdering again. Jason had believed them when they said there would be no more murders, when they said the DeVere Heights vampires only took a little blood from their human friends.

  But that didn't mean he was okay with it.

  Every party he'd gone to in DeVere Heights had hosted an orgy of vampire feeding. The vampires supplied plenty of alcohol and some seriously upscale surroundings. And then they seduced their human peers with their glamour and charisma. In the process, the vampires drank human blood. But the humans never remembered. They barely even noticed. All they knew was that they'd had an amazing time-partying.

  Jason knew how it felt - he'd been bitten by a vampire. It hadn't hurt, and he'd been deliriously happy for hours afterward. A little chemical bonus. If that feeling could be put into pill form, the world would be addicted. He also knew that the vampires had to feed in order to live. He understood all of it. But he still didn't want to be a vampire's dinner, and he didn't want his sister to be either.

  "Jason, are you going to help me out here?" Danielle asked, breaking into his thoughts.

  "Uh ... no," he said. "Sorry. Those parties do get wild." And you might get bitten, he added silently.

  Dani rolled her eyes. "I can't believe this. You've all turned into a bunch of conservative little grannies."

  "Well, that doesn't sound like much fun," said a gravelly voice from the hallway. Jason turned to see his aunt Bianca pulling a rolling suitcase in from the front door.

  "Bee!" Mrs. Freeman squealed, sounding just like Dani when she greeted one of her friends. She ran over and threw her arms around her sister.

  Dani laughed, and Jason knew why: Aunt Bianca was definitely not a "Bee." Bee was a cute little girl with pigtails. And Aunt Bianca was, well, stunning. Tall and slim, she had straight dark hair that hung down her back, and big, deep blue eyes. While Jason thought his mom was pretty - in an all-American-mom sort of way - he knew Bianca was the real beauty of the family. Her all-black designer outfit with a knee-length trench coat and high-heeled black boots didn't hurt. She looked like she'd stepped out of a fashion magazine. Maybe if his mom put on those boots ... but Jason couldn't even imagine it.

  "Hey, big sis," Bianca said, hugging Mrs. Freeman. She pulled away and looked her up and down. "You look exacdy the same." Bianca glanced over at Jason and Dani and gave them a grin. "But these two have gone California on us! Jason, I've never seen your hair

  He went over to kiss her hello. "It's the sun," he said. "It's always sunny here." "So you like Malibu?" she asked. "Definitely."

  "He fits right in," Danielle added, coming to greet Bianca. "He's already learning to surf."

  Bianca laughed. "And how about you?" she asked Danielle. "Are you adjusting?"

  Dani shrugged. "I have a few friends."

  "You have about twenty friends," Jason corrected her.

  "Yeah, but who knows how long I'll be able to keep them if I'm never allowed to leave the house!" Danielle replied, with a pointed look at their mother.

  Bianca raised her eyebrows. "Does this have anything to do with the old-grannies comment?"

  "You showed up in the middle of a battle. Clash of the generations," Mrs. Freeman explained.

  "She won’t let me go to a party - ," Dani began.

  "But we're not going to bore you with the details,"

  Mrs. Freeman interrupted. She turned back to Bianca. "How long are you in town?"

  "A week or two," Bianca replied, taking a seat at the breakfast bar.

  "Are you going to see any movie stars?" Dani asked. Aunt Bianca worked as a casting director and frequently dealt with big-name actors. Even though she lived in New York City, her job required her to fly back and forth to Los Angeles several times a year. She kept an office in L.A.

  "I might," Bianca said, her eyes twinkling. "In fact, it would be helpful if you could come along and act as my assistant at some of the meetings."

  "Oh, my God! I would love to," Dani cried. "Thank you." She threw her arms around Aunt Bianca, and Jason felt himself relax a little. Two minutes with Bianca, and Dani's foul mood had evaporated. Jason was glad their aunt would be with them all weekend - it might even mean he would manage to get to Zach's party without a major scene from his sister.

  "So when do I get the grand tour?" Bianca asked when Dani released her. "I hope you guys like the house. Stefan always said DeVere Heights was the only place to live in Malibu."

  Mrs. Freeman smiled sympathetically. "It's your first Thanksgiving without him," she said softly. "How are you holding up?"

  Jason knew that Bianca and Stefan had fallen in love pretty much at first sight. Even though Stefan had been a good twenty years older than Bianca, she had been completely and genuinely devoted to him. Jason had to admit that the few times he had met Stefan, the guy certainly hadn't behaved like a sixty - something. He was handsome, intelligent, and witty, and Bianca had taken his death - in a nasty traffic accident - pretty hard.

  Bianc
a's smile faltered. "It's tough, Tania," she admitted. "But being here with all of you really helps."

  Mrs. Freeman nodded. "Well, let's show you around, then."

  Jason grabbed his aunt's suitcase. "I'll put this up in the guest room," he said. "I don't need the tour." What I need is some time to get over my idiotic behavior - with Sienna, he thought as he headed for the stairs. He had a feeling it wouldn't be easy. He might have to start with a nice lobotomy.

  "I'm going to start you off with the worst one, just to get it over with," Adam said after school the next day. "Now I want you to be prepared. It's bad. It's very, very bad."

  "Then why do I have to see it at all?" Jason asked. He swung his locker door shut and took a moment to silently appreciate the lack of textbooks to drag home.

  Thanksgiving weekend equaled no homework. Nothing but relaxation for the next four days. And food.

  "Even the worst Kubrick is better than ninety percent of the crap that most people like," Adam replied. "Besides, there's an orgy in Eyes Wide Shut."

  "Why didn't you just say so?" Jason joked. "There's no such thing as a bad orgy." He led the way out to the front courtyard. A few guys were playing Frisbee on the lawn, and a mini traffic jam choked the road near the gates from the parking lot. Everybody wanted to get out of school and start enjoying the holiday weekend.

  "Freeman!" Michael Van Dyke came charging past, smacking Jason on the shoulder as he ran. "See you Friday.”

  "Zach's birthday soirée?" Adam asked, watching Van Dyke sprint for his Hummer. "You going?"

  "I guess," Jason replied. "Brad and Sienna both told me I had to go." In fact, that was the only thing Sienna had said to him at all today. She hadn't exactly avoided him, but she also hadn't made eye contact even once. Was she thinking about their near-kiss from yesterday? Was she relieved that it hadn't happened - or disappointed? He couldn't tell. But if he went to Zach's party, at least he'd have another chance to talk to her.

  "You think it'll be a typical vampire-fest?" Adam asked, lowering his voice.

  "I'm expecting a little more from Lafrenière."

  "Fair enough." Adam grinned. "But I don't need anything fancy. Cold beer and hot girls, that's it!"

  Jason knew the vampire parties could be relied upon to provide all that in style. And this being Zach's eighteenth birthday bash, who knew what other amusements might be served up?

  Although, Jason reflected, he'd be even more psyched for the party if he didn't know that the humans would be part of the buffet. He still found it unsettling. Even with the whole no-harm-no-foul setup. And even though Sienna and Zach had assured him that no other vampires would succumb to bloodlust, he had a hard time letting go of his suspicion. Who knew what made a vampire cross the line? Maybe it was like becoming an alcoholic. One day a couple of drinks just weren't enough. One day just a taste of blood would lead to more and more and -

  "Jason, look out!" Adam cried.

  A strong arm wrapped itself around Jason's neck.

  THREE

  Instinctively, Jason grabbed the guy's forearm, yanked it down, and threw his own weight forward. The guy stumbled to the side, releasing Jason to regain his own balance.

  Jason crouched, prepared to fight. He remembered all too well what it was like to fight a vampire with superhuman strength. He had to be ready....

  "Dude, chill!" his opponent cried.

  Jason squinted into the bright sunshine, trying to make out the guy's face. "Tyler?"

  "This how you say hello in California?" Tyler laughed, holding up his hand for a high five.

  Jason laughed in amazement to see his old friend standing there. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded, slapping Tyler's hand.

  "Visiting. Duh," Tyler said cheerfully.

  Jason shook off his surprise and reached out to hug his friend. He hadn't seen Tyler in months.

  "Somebody want to explain all this male bonding?" Adam asked.

  Jason stepped back and grinned. "Adam Turnball, Tyler Deegan."

  Adam held out a hand. "First friend in Malibu," he said.

  Tyler shook. "First friend in kindergarten," he replied.

  Adam whistled. "You totally win. Although Jason and I don't throw down every time we see each other."

  "Yeah, what was that about?" Tyler asked, rubbing his arm as he turned back to Jason. "You're pretty jumpy for a mellow California dude."

  "Sorry," Jason said. "I was just thinking... well, I, uh, got into a fight a while ago, and when you grabbed me…”

  "Say no more. I will not try the sneak-attack hello on you ever again." Tyler glanced around, his brown eyes wide. "The guy in the 7-Eleven gave me directions to the school, but I thought he must be wrong. This place is awesome!"

  "You're not kidding," Jason agreed. "The cafeteria has an ocean-view terrace.”

  "You mean you don't have that in Michigan?" Adam teased. "Do you at least have a glacier-view terrace?”

  Tyler snorted. "It's cold, but it's not that cold. Can't compete with this, though." He glanced around again, and Jason took the opportunity to check out Tyler's jeans and well-worn Detroit Pistons T-shirt. He had a dark blue hoodie tied around his waist, and his curly dark hair was longer than Jason had ever seen it. He also had at least three days worth of stubble on his chin.

  He looks like crap, Jason thought with a twinge of concern for his old friend.

  Tyler turned and caught him staring. "Admiring my new tat?" he asked, lifting his arm to show off a fake tattoo of Tweety Bird in garish yellow.

  Adam laughed. "What'd you do, hit the gumball machine jackpot?"

  "You know it," Tyler said. "This was my prize. And there was a little kid watching, so I had to put it on." He rubbed at the temporary tattoo with his finger. Tweety's face didn't budge. "I can't get the damn thing off."

  Jason had been friends with Tyler long enough to know when he was putting on an act. And right now, he going all out for an Oscar in "funny and normal." But the stubble and the long hair and the showing up randomly in California - not so normal.

  "Where's your gear? Let's get it in my car. Or did you drive out here?"

  Tyler held out his thumb.

  "You hitched?" Adam yelped. "All the way from Michigan?"

  "Yep. I caught a ride with this one dude I know who took me through three states - a trucker," Tyler said. "Then I just hitched the rest of the way. I'm short on cash, so no first - class flights for me."

  "You're here. That's what matters," Jason answered.

  "I figured I'd crash your Thanksgiving. I couldn't stop thinking about your mom's pumpkin pie. It's like I could smell it from home and it just lured me out here. Think your parents will mind?"

  "They'll probably kick me out of my room and give you my bed!" Jason said, slapping Tyler on the back. "They love your ass." Jason knew why Tyler didn't want to do the holiday thing in Michigan. His parents had gone through a nasty divorce a year or so before. Now it was just Tyler and his dad in the house, and Jason knew things weren't too happy. No pie there, to say the least. "There's plenty of room," Jason added. "Our new place is pretty big."

  "Understatement. His house is ginormous," Adam volunteered. "He's just being modest."

  "That's my boy," Tyler replied. "Freeman has always been impressively self-deprecating."

  Adam waved his hand dismissively. "It's all an act," he joked. "What I find impressive is thumbing your way across half the country. That's a lost art, my man. Very Kerouac of you."

  Tyler shot Jason a questioning look, and Jason laughed. "Pay no attention to the Adam-isms. Half the time nobody really knows what he's talking about.”

  "And that's just the way I like it," Adam agreed. "It keeps people off-guard. So listen, Jason and I were heading to my place for a movie-viewing- plus-pizza-snarfing party. You in?"

  "Sounds good," Tyler said. He clapped Jason on the back and headed off with Adam as if they'd been friends for years.

  It's good to see him, Jason thought, smiling as he watched his o
ld friend. He realized Tyler hadn't said anything about gear. He didn't even seem to have a backpack. Jason figured he must have left in a hurry. He hoped it wasn't because things were bad - well, worse than usual - at home.

  "You wanna tell me what the hell that movie was supposed to be?" Tyler asked on the way home from Adam's that evening.

  "Who knows?" Jason replied. "Adam says Stanley Kubrick is the greatest director of all time and that his movies are required viewing, even the bad ones."

  "Huh." Tyler thought about it for a moment. "People in L.A. are clearly bizarre."

  "Can't argue with that," Jason agreed. And you don't know the best part, he thought ruefully. The image of Sienna's face leaped into Jason's mind, and he shoved it away. He'd gotten used to doing that since he'd met her. But it was harder than usual today, because of the memory of the kiss that didn't happen. "Hey, when did you leave Michigan?" he asked, forcing his mind away from Sienna. "Why didn't you call me before you came?”

  "I did," Tyler said. "I thought you Californians all had your cell phones surgically attached to your ears, but you didn't even pick up."

  Jason took the turn through the tall iron gates of DeVere Heights. "When did you call?"

  "Just yesterday," Tyler said. "Thought I'd give you a heads up, but when you didn't answer, I figured I'd just surprise you."

  I can't believe it, Jason thought. Tyler is the one who called when I was about to kiss Sienna. Somehow, everything seemed to come back to Sienna. "I didn't get to my cell in time, sorry," he said. "And I didn't recognize the number. It wasn't the Eraser area code."

  "Yeah, I got a new cell," Tyler told him. "It's from where my mom lives now, in Chicago."

  "You've been staying with your mom?" Jason asked, surprised.

  "Nah. I went to see her a couple of months ago, but she was mostly busy with her new boyfriend." Tyler drummed his fingers nervously on his lap, and Jason could hear the bitterness in his voice. Tyler still hadn't forgiven his mom for leaving. "But hey, she sprang for a brand-new phone and I don't have to pay the bills. So it's all good."