"When you stopped being my dad. Then again, you never really were, were you? So tell your council that I'll obey their rules. But if they want reports on how I'm doing, they'll have to settle for getting them from Nanna or Mom. Because I don't want to talk to you anymore."
I hung up the phone, my whole body shaking. And then I burst into tears.
A few minutes later, Mom called on her way home from a meeting with a customer. "Did you just tell your father that you refuse to speak to him ever again?"
"Yes."
"Hon, I know you're upset about giving up dancing for the council, but-"
"No, not for the council, Mom. For you and Nanna. They threatened you guys, and he passed on the message for them! A real dad would never do that. He's not my father anymore. He's just some guy who helped create me, then spent the last fifteen years spying on me."
"That's not true. We don't know exactly what's going on with the council. We have to trust that your father is trying to do what's best for you and our family."
I seriously doubted that. "Fine, whatever. But that doesn't mean I have to talk to him."
She sighed. "You can't just cut your father out of your life-"
"Watch me."
"The council-"
"I'm giving up everything I wanted because of that council! And from now on, that's all they're getting from me."
Silence filled the phone. "Fine. I'll start passing on the updates to him while you cool off."
But I didn't think I would be getting over this anytime soon. He'd hurt me way too many times, and I just couldn't take it anymore. Cutting him out of my life today hurt. But it was also freeing, like throwing off a heavy backpack I'd carried around for way too long.
I went out to the backyard to dance in the dark where no one but the moon and stars could see me. It might have been childish, but it was either dance or sit in my bedroom and scream. At least the council couldn't stop me from doing this.
Slowly, I spun in a circle and stared up at the stars. But even that couldn't distract me from the two thoughts that kept echoing through my mind...
I'd just agreed to no more dancing. Ever.
How would I ever fit in at JHS now?
CHAPTER 7
Savannah
The following Tuesday, I found the answer. Mrs. Daniels had posted a notice on the dance-room doors inviting all pre-drill girls who hadn't made the dance team to apply for Charmers team manager. The applications were due Friday, and the new managers would be announced the following Monday. A quick glance through her open office door showed a stack of applications on the corner of her desk, just waiting for anyone to pick one up.
I was actually tempted.
On the one hand, becoming a Charmers manager would be totally masochistic. I'd have to watch the dancers practice every day while I stood around on the sidelines fetching stuff.
But on the other hand...what else did I have to do? I couldn't dance anymore. I'd promised not to do any other sports, either. I wasn't into art, chess, debate or the school yearbook. At least if I became a Charmers manager, I could be around dancing on a daily basis, if not directly participating in it. Which should keep the vamp council off my back, too, since I would technically be keeping my promise to them.
And at least I'd have something to do with all my extra time next year.
Before I could change my mind, I grabbed an application packet.
That afternoon, I rode home with Nanna in silence, the Charmers manager application burning a hole in my backpack. After supper while Nanna was gardening in the backyard, I found myself wandering through the house lost in thought about it.
Tiny prickles of sensation spread over my arms, as if I were at school and Tristan was around. Weird. Frowning, I went to the patio door to tell Nanna about it, then stopped.
She'd turned the gardening tools into a magically automated army of helpers.
It was past sunset out there, but moonlight flooded the huge garden that took up most of the backyard, giving me plenty of light, enough to see a small basket and a pair of garden clippers floating just above the plants nearest the house, the clippers darting here and there to snip off herbs that then drifted into the basket. Even in the moonlight, the clippers's neon-orange handles contrasted sharply with the surrounding greenery. Nanna had painted them herself so she wouldn't lose them in the yard. A Martha Stewart tip. Nanna was crazy about Martha.
Somehow, I doubted Martha had ever considered using magic to automate her tools while gathering herbs under the full moon, though.
Nanna was several yards away, kneeling on a cushion while she took more clippings. To her right, a shovel stabbed at some weeds near the fence that had turned into small bushes.
And she didn't even seem to need to look at her tools in order to magically tell them what to do. I'd always wondered how she had managed such a huge garden all year long by herself.
I slid open the patio door. Nanna glanced over her shoulder at me. "Oh! Hi, sweetie." She waved a hand, and all the tools fell to the ground lifeless.
"Aw, you don't have to stop them for me. That was really cool, Nanna! I didn't know you could do all that! How do you keep them going without even looking?"
Smiling, she resumed cutting some herbs in front of her. "Trade secrets, dear. I wish I could tell you, but..."
I sighed. "Clann rules."
She nodded.
"Well, you could at least keep going. I mean, you don't have to tell me how or anything. Just watching them was fun." And it was. For a minute there, I'd felt just like a little kid again, wanting to giggle and clap.
Her smile turned apologetic. "No, I'd better not. Wouldn't want any descendants to get suspicious and wonder whether I'm keeping my promise. Besides, it just seems rude to do magic in front of you when you're not allowed to use it, too."
Stupid rules.
"You've been awfully quiet today," she said as she continued to work.
"Mmm." Which reminded me about the Charmers manager application. And the promises I'd made to my father and the vampire council. Should I even bother asking Nanna for permission to apply? Or would she tell me it was against the vampire council rules just because it was related to dancing?
"Why don't you grab those clippers and help me gather herbs?"
I picked up the now lifeless clippers and basket and brought them closer to Nanna so we could still talk easily. I took a few cuttings, but kept getting distracted by the view around me. I should come out here at night more often. It was really nice. The air was clean with a hint of dew in it. It felt good to breathe it in, like it was cleaning out my lungs. And hopefully my head.