CHAPTER 38 THE PARTY IS OVER

“Come on,” Diana urged, dragging Billy into the Pizza Cove.

It was nearly ten o’clock, and the place was still packed. Kids were talking and laughing and gobbling down pizza. Billy spotted an empty booth in the corner, and they slid into it.

Billy felt upset because Jay was still so weak. Jay’s parents had taken him home so the family doctor could examine him.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen to him,” Billy told Diana. “Kylie never finished turning him into a vampire. But he’s so weak. And he never seems to get any better.”

“Jay will get well,” Diana assured him, as she studied the menu. “Now that he’s away from here.”

“I hope you’re right,” Billy told her.

“Cheer up,” Diana said brightly. “We did it. We destroyed the vampires. We won!”

“We only destroyed two of them,” Billy replied glumly.

“I can’t believe you’re acting like this,” Diana scolded.

He managed a laugh. “You’re right. I should be happy. What kind of pizza do you want?”

“Pepperoni with lots of green peppers.”

They ordered it.

Billy watched the waiters scurry back and forth, taking orders and delivering steaming pizzas.

The tangy aroma of baking pizzas from the big ovens in back filled the restaurant.

Finally the waiter delivered their order. “Enjoy,” he told them, as he set down the steaming pie and two plates.

“Give me your plate,” Diana told him. “You get the honor of having the first slice.”

Billy didn’t want any pizza, but he handed her his plate.

“Uh-oh,” Diana complained. “They didn’t cut it all the way through.” She fumbled with a slice of pizza, twisting it this way and that, but it refused to come loose.

“Let me,” Billy offered. He picked up a knife from the table.

He pulled the pizza over to his side of the table. Inserted the blade into the pie, and pulled the knife toward him.

“Oww.” The blade slid off the pan—and sliced into Billy’s finger.

A bad cut. A deep one. Billy tried to hide it.

Too late. Diana had seen it.

She stared at him, her mouth open, eyes wide. “Billy—no blood,” she cried. “Such a deep cut, and there was no blood.”

“I’m sorry you saw that,” Billy told her.

Diana leapt up with a startled cry.

But Billy grabbed her wrist. He pulled her back down into her seat.

“Let me explain,” he pleaded, not letting go of Diana. “I lied about working on a charter boat. During the day, I’m asleep in my coffin. Direct sunlight will kill me. I can go out in daylight only if it’s dark and cloudy—like when we went to the island and killed Kylie and Irene.”

Diana stared at him in silent horror.

“I missed a whole year of school,” Billy explained. “My friends all thought I was in the hospital. But I had to sleep in my coffin every day.”

“A vampire,” Diana whispered. “You’re a vampire.”

“It happened here in Sandy Hollow last summer,” Billy explained. His voice cracked with emotion. “Last summer. That’s when they turned me into a vampire.”

“If you’re a vampire,” Diana demanded, “why did you help me kill two others?”

“To pay back the vampires. To pay them back for turning me into one of them. I hate them for making me crave the nectar. I killed Mae-Linn. For the nectar. I needed it so badly. I couldn’t help myself. And I killed that guy Rick, too. I was so hungry!”

Diana shook her head. “It can’t be,” she whispered. “It can’t be!”

“Now you know everything, Diana,” Billy whispered. “Now I have no secrets. And I’m so hungry. So terribly hungry.”

Diana cried out.

Too late.

Billy pulled her close. He sank his fangs deep into her throat.

Screams of terror filled the restaurant.

Billy barely heard them.

He was so hungry.

So terribly hungry.

Date: 2015-04-20; view: 704