"I'll start working on the holy water tomorrow after school." Carmine told the group. There were a few things she'd have to get tonight. "By the way, none of you guys are going to the woods tonight, are you?" she asked Conner.
"Uh, no. We went last night, remember?" he said, obviously confused. He looked at her for a second, as if daring her to remember all that it took to get him there. Carmine blushed a little and looked away – she couldn't afford to have the whole group asking her what was going on.
"I know. I was just double-checking." she told him, still looking at the carpet. She just hoped everyone else thought she was feeling self-conscious about asking a stupid question.
"Why?" Zev asked. Carmine was glad it was someone other than Conner who'd asked the question.
"Because I'm going to have to go to the creek, and I don't want to run into anybody out there." Her life was complicated enough as it was.
"No, you'll be fine." Luke told her.
"Good." she said. Then, a thought struck her. "Any of you boys want to help me make it?"
Everyone looked at her blankly for a minute, like they couldn't figure out why she'd need an assistant. After a few minutes of everyone staring at her, Carmine felt the need to explain.
"I'm not sure I really want to touch the stuff." she said finally. She remembered what happened the first time she and her friends had used it. Carmine didn't think she'd ever forget those screams.
"Wait – it works on vampires?" Zev asked, interested. The girls nodded.
"Of course." Carmine told him matter-of-factly.
"And you used it anyway?"
"We didn't exactly have a lot of options." Mia told him briskly, closing the subject.
"So any volunteers?" Carmine asked, trying to get them back on track.
"I'll go." Conner said.
"Me." Zev said at the same time. Carmine just stared at him.
"What?" he asked. "I want to see this. Is that so weird?"
"Fine." Carmine said. "So you both coming over after school?"
"Yeah." Conner told her.
"Tell Coach Danby I have a doctor's appointment?" Carmine asked Luke. She'd missed kind of a lot of practice lately, and the coach was starting to get annoyed. Maybe having an excused absence would help.
"Sure." Luke told her.
"Meet us after art – room 212A." she told Zev. Cleanup always seemed to take forever – he'd probably be there before they were even done.
"Will do."
▼△▼△▼△▼
Carmine had been right. She was still drying out brushes when Zev walked into the room.
"You guys ready?" he asked.
"Almost." Carmine told him.
"Just let me use the sink real quick." Conner said. He washed his hands, while Carmine put her things away, and the three of them headed out.
"So where'd you park?" Zev asked as they made their way outside.
"In the back." Carmine nodded towards one of the final rows.
YOU ARE READING
Blood Relatives
VampireThat showdown in the woods last year really got to Carmine. She doesn't want to admit it, but she hasn't been the same since. She's been looking over her shoulder, waiting for something to lunge at her from the shadows. But just when she thinks she...
