Blood Relatives

26. Hungry Heart

 Carmine was the first one out for lunch, so she grabbed a table and waited. She really hoped the next people out wouldn't be either Luke or Zev. Since that night at the mall last week, she really didn't have anything to say to them. The only reason she was even eating with them at all today was because Anna and Mia had practically begged her.

Normally, Carmine couldn't have cared less – just because they wanted her to hang out with someone didn't mean Carmine would actually do it. That just wasn't the type of girl she was. But these were her two best friends, and she could see how they'd really want her to get along with their boyfriends. So, against her better judgment, she was here.

In order to distract herself from those types of thoughts, Carmine found herself glancing around at the people already seated in the courtyard. Of course, the person who caught her attention was Adam. Great, she thought. Definitely not the kind of distraction she'd been hoping for.

He was sitting with a girl, and Carmine couldn't help noticing it wasn't Kate Marzan. Whoever it was had hair much too light to be Kate's. Had he moved on from her already? Maybe she wasn't a good host. But what would make a bad host? Wasn't a pulse the only thing he required? Adam shifted in his seat, and Carmine could finally see the girl's face. She let out an involuntary gasp; it was Sharon Lebrune.

Sharon had been Carmine's best friend all through elementary school. It wasn't until their freshman year that the two had stopped talking. Carmine had insisted there were vampires running around their town, and Sharon hadn't wanted to hear it. She'd always thought Carmine's preoccupation with the supernatural was childish, but her announcement that vampires could actually be living next door had been the last straw for Sharon.

Sharon had told Carmine at lunch that her obsession was unhealthy and she wouldn't be friends with someone who was delusional. And that had been the end of that friendship. Carmine hadn't even bothered to tell Sharon that she'd been right all along; by the time she knew that for sure, she'd figured out it had been two of her friends who'd been partly responsible. Carmine still researched supernatural things in the library at times, but she was much less vocal about her findings after that.

"Hi." Anna said brightly, sitting down next to Carmine.

"Hey." Carmine said absentmindedly. Anna followed Carmine's gaze.

"Is that Sharon with Adam?" she asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah." Carmine said.

"I didn't know she was talking to him." Anna said, chewing her lip.

Carmine raised her eyebrows.

"I mean, she hasn't said anything." Anna added, as if that would help.

"You talk to Sharon still?" Carmine asked.

"Sometimes." Anna admitted. "What do you think they're talking about?"

"I don't know." Carmine had already tried listening in, but they were too far away, and the noise from the other students was getting in the way.

"Should we go talk to her?"

"And say what?" Carmine asked. That she shouldn't talk to the cute new guy because of another one of Carmine's monster theories?

"We should warn her at least."

"I really don't think she'd listen."

"Who wouldn't listen?" someone cut in.

Carmine tore her eyes away from Sharon and Adam. Luke was looking at her. He plopped down on the seat next to Anna, Zev right behind him. Great. Just when she thought lunch couldn't get any worse.