RAYNIEDAY: Cause Mom’s home. She might hear me.
SUNSHINEBABY: She’ll hear tiptoed steps, but not the loud, obnoxious IM beeps coming from our computers?
RAYNIEDAY: So turn your sound down. Jeesh. You and technology. And hurry up. This can’t wait.
SUNSHINEBABY: Okay, okay. Hang on.
RAYNIEDAY: . . .
SUNSHINEBABY: Okay, done. Now what’s so important?
RAYNIEDAY: I don’t know how to tell you this, but . . .
SUNSHINEBABY: Oh, god, Rayne, just spit it out. It’s 2am and I’ve got a field hockey game tomorrow.
RAYNIEDAY: Hmph. This is so much more important than a field hockey game. Mom’s dating a vampire.
SUNSHINEBABY: Field hockey is too import—WHAT?!??!
RAYNIEDAY: I told you it was important. But no. You never believe me. . . .
SUNSHINEBABY: Wait. Focus. I don’t understand? How can she be dating a vampire?
RAYNIEDAY: She just got home. I spied out my window at them kissing.
SUNSHINEBABY: You know, that’s pretty rude, Rayne. Whether we like Mom dating or not, she deserves our respect and privacy.
RAYNIEDAY: Are you going to listen to me about our mom dating the undead or just lecture on parental etiquette all night?
SUNSHINEBABY: Fine. Go on.
RAYNIEDAY: So the guy pulls away and I get a good glimpse of his face. And I recognize him immediately. I saw him my first night at the Blood Bar. He was sort of standing in a corner, surveying the place. I’m thinking he works there as, like, a manager or something.
SUNSHINEBABY: OMG! So he’s not only a vampire, he’s a bad vampire. One of Maverick’s men.
RAYNIEDAY: Yeah. That’s what I was thinking. He probably thinks by getting close to Mom he can get close to you and then get close to Magnus.
SUNSHINEBABY: Wow. What are we going to do? We can’t just tell Mom she’s dating Dracula.
RAYNIEDAY: No. But we have to do something.
SUNSHINEBABY: Maybe he’s not a vampire. Maybe he’s a human who likes to be bit by them. You know, a customer.
RAYNIEDAY: It’s possible. But I don’t know. And really, it doesn’t seem that good either way, now does it?
SUNSHINEBABY: Wow. This is just like what happened on The Lost Boys.
RAYNIEDAY: The Lost Boys?
SUNSHINEBABY: Vampire movie from the eighties? With Kiefer Sutherland? Jeesh, Rayne, I thought you watched all those movies.
RAYNIEDAY: I try to stick to vampire classics. Bela Lugosi. Maybe some Christopher Lee. Jack Bauer from 24 just doesn’t scream VAMP to me.
SUNSHINEBABY: Fine. But you should watch it. Like, tomorrow. It’s totally the same thing. The kids’ mom starts dating this guy and they think he’s a vampire so they try to prove it.
RAYNIEDAY: How do they do that?
SUNSHINEBABY: Um, I can’t remember exactly. Garlic. Holy water. Stuff like that, I think. Really good movie, even if they do all have big hair and bad clothes.
RAYNIEDAY: So you’re suggesting we try that stuff on the date? Hm. Not a bad idea. Then we’d have proof. I mean, I’d like to have proof before I go and stake Mom’s BF.
SUNSHINEBABY: Yes. Seems wise.
RAYNIEDAY: Sigh. Poor Mom. She was so excited about the guy. It’s going to suck to have to slay him.
SUNSHINEBABY: But it’s in her best interest. After all, he doesn’t really like her. He’s just using her to get to me.
RAYNIEDAY: Right. True. We have the best intentions.
SUNSHINEBABY: Anyway—I’ve got to get some sleep. School tomorrow. Goodnight, Rayne.
RAYNIEDAY: You’re such a nerd. I can’t believe you can think of school at a time like this.
SUNSHINEBABY: GOOD NIGHT, RAYNE.
RAYNIEDAY: Sigh. Night, Sun.
SUNSHINEBABY HAS LEFT THE CHAT.
POSTED BY RAYNE McDONALD @ 2 A.M.
TWO COMMENTS:
Just Curious says . . .
Wow, what’s with you chicks? You’re all hooking up with vamps? Is there something in the McDonald family water supply? Is your blood supersweet?
Rayne says . . .
First of all, we are NOT all hooking up with vampires. Me, for example, the one person in the family who WANTS to hook up with a vampire, has had absolutely no luck in getting one near me. All I get are idiots like Magnus, who go off and bite the wrong girl, or losers like Jareth, who have so many issues they can’t see the delectable treat right in front of them. No, it appears it’s only McDonald women who aren’t interested in being with vamps that have any luck in hooking them. So very sad.
13
TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 12 P.M.
Breakfast Bites
So I wake up this morning bright and early, throw on a black crocheted sweater and a short black skirt. I roll on my fishnet tights and lace up my combat boots. Then I head to my bathroom for my morning makeup routine. It takes a lot of time to become “me” in the A.M. But it’s worth it.
Sunny, whose idea of morning preparation involves slipping on a T-shirt and jeans and running a comb through her hair, is already downstairs, dressed and picking at some god-awful concoction my mom whipped up. Mom makes very interesting breakfasts with the food she buys at the co-op and we’re her guinea pigs. When Sunny had been turning vampire, Mom experimented with this garlic breakfast scramble. The smell alone sent Sunny scrambling to the bathroom to retch her guts out. She claims that was just because of her burgeoning aversion to garlic, but honestly it could have just been the recipe and Mom’s attempt to cook.
“So what’s the special of the morning?” I ask, sliding into my chair. I’m famished. Nothing she can possibly come up with will make me lose my appetite today.