How to Be a Vampire (12 page)

Andrew reached down and picked them up. The pointy teeth weighed nothing. He slipped them into his pocket.

Andrew stumbled back into the Cameron mansion.

T.J. and Emily were still on the floor. But with the vampire destroyed, they were coming out of their trances.

T.J.'s eyes grew wide when he saw Andrew. “You're alive!”

“Looks that way,” Andrew said.

“But where's the vampire?” T.J. asked, gazing around.

“Outside,” Andrew answered. “Getting a little sun.”

“You mean . . .” T.J. began. He broke into a grin.

Andrew nodded. “We got him, T.J.,” he said. “He's history.”

“What about you, Andrew?” Emily asked, getting
to her feet. “Are you unvampired? Let me see your neck.”

Andrew pulled down the collar of his shirt. He waited while Emily examined his throat.

“The tooth marks are gone,” Emily told him. “You're okay!”

Andrew smiled. “Come see what's left of the vampire,” he said. He led the way out the kitchen door.

There they saw the black cape. And the little mound of dust.

“Let's get out of here,” Emily said.

“Really,” T.J. agreed. “I want to hit the sack and sleep for about two weeks.”

T.J., Emily, and Andrew followed the path away from the Cameron mansion. They headed for their development.

At the footbridge over the river, they stopped.

“Well, this is the test,” T.J. reminded Andrew. “If you can cross it, then you're definitely not a vampire.”

“And if I can't?” Andrew asked.

“Then I guess you'll be out hunting tonight.” T.J. giggled.

Andrew thought for a moment. “You know,” he said at last, “I think I'll take the long way home. For old time's sake.”

“Andrew!” Emily said impatiently. “Don't be silly. We have to get home. You're going over the bridge. Stop fooling around.”

“I'm not fooling around,” Andrew said calmly. “I just feel like walking the long way.”

Emily folded her arms across her chest. “I absolutely forbid you to go that way. Now, move it, android. Over the bridge.”

Andrew said, “Emily? Are you getting . . . bossy?”

“So what if I am?” Emily retorted. “It makes no sense to take the long way home. After the night we've had. I can't believe you even want—”

“Emily?” Andrew interrupted. “Be quiet.”

Then he smiled at her, drawing his lips back from his teeth. Two long white fangs glinted at her in the early morning light.

Emily's eyes grew wide with terror. She put a hand to her mouth and then ran over the footbridge, screaming.

Andrew and T.J. watched her go.

“Hey, Andrew,” T.J. said. “I'm confused. Are you a vampire or not?”

Andrew put his hands to his mouth. He pulled two white fangs off his own eyeteeth. He held them in the palm of his hand.

“They're Count Ved's,” he told T.J. “It's all that was left of him.” He grinned. “Poor Emily,” he said. “You'd think she'd be used to our pranks by now.”

“Yeah,” T.J. agreed. “But she falls for them every time.”

Andrew slipped the fangs back into his pocket.
“Walk the long way home with me, T.J.,” he said. “Okay?”

“Sure,” said T.J. They began walking. “So . . . I'm not clear on exactly what happened. You must have staked the vampire right before the sun hit him. Right?”

Andrew shook his head. “I didn't stake him,” he said. “Lucky for me the old guy didn't know about sunscreen.”

T.J. frowned. “But, remember what my book said? Sunlight kills a vampire. But that's all it does. It doesn't remove the curse from the vampire's victims. Only
staking
can do that.”

“Huh?” Andrew said. He was only half paying attention to T.J.

“Absolutely,” T.J. told him. “I mean, you can't exactly drive a stake through a pile of dust, so I guess it's too late. What do you think, Andrew?”

Andrew glanced at T.J.'s neck. He saw his artery there.

“Andrew?” T.J. said. “I asked if you think it's too late?”

“Oh, yeah,” Andrew replied. “I think so.”

“Andrew?” T.J. said again. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Andrew's fangs slid down now. He turned, smiling at T.J.

“Very funny, Andrew,” T.J. said. “But you already did that trick.”

Andrew reached into his pocket. He put his hand around the vampire's fangs and pulled them out. He showed them to T.J.

T.J. glanced at the fangs in Andrew's hand. Then up at the fangs that were part of Andrew's smile.

“Wait,” T.J. said. “Hold it. You can't be a vampire. You're out in the sun. Unless . . . you mean . . . does sunscreen really work?”

“Uh-huh.” Andrew felt his fangs tingling now.

“Whoa! You really are a vampire!” T.J. exclaimed. “That is so cool, Andrew! You have to tell me what it's like. I'm
so jealous!”

Andrew moved closer to T.J. Gazing at his neck. Soon, Andrew would not have to tell T.J. what it was like to be a vampire. T.J. would not have to be jealous anymore. Very, very soon, T.J. would understand everything.

R.L.
STINE
IS ONE OF THE BEST-SELLING AUTHORS IN AMERICA AND HAS SOLD MORE THAN
300 MILLION BOOKS. HIS SERIES INCLUDE FEAR STREET, GHOSTS OF FEAR STREET, FEAR STREET
SAGAS, GOOSEBUMPS, AND GOOSEBUMPS HORRORLAND. HE LIVES IN NEW YORK CITY WITH HIS WIFE,
JANE.

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ALADDIN

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Aladdin paperback edition August 2011

Copyright © 1996 by Parachute Press, Inc.

How to Be a Vampire
written by Katy Hall

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

ALADDIN is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and related logo is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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Library of Congress Control Number 2011920437

ISBN 978-1-4424-2760-0
ISBN 978-1-4424-8615-7 (eBook)