How to Date a Dead Guy Read online

  The boy’s lips spread in a smile, but it was toothy, threatening. He didn’t like being talked down to, even if it was by a member of the staff. “Anything would be better than this.”

  I knew I was a bit of an outcast but was I really that bad? Five minutes in, and these guys are arguing about me as if I had the plague. It was first grade with cooties all over again.

  “I can hear you, you know,” I snapped, surprising myself. I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t anticipated my outburst because Tall, Pale, and Moody’s eyes snapped to mine, clearly amused.

  “This is non-negotiable, Mr. Carter. Next time I see you, you need to have a better attitude. There are a lot worse punishments to endure than having to babysit the new girl.”

  The boy laughed, amused by Fellows staring daggers at him. He reached up, lightly brushing the Headmaster’s shoulder to remove some imaginary piece of lint. “Careful, Edgar,” the boy said, taking a single step closer and closing the gap between himself and Fellows. The smirk that had played on his lips flatlined, his eyes narrowed. “We wouldn’t want to show little Nova Nixon... I mean Nova Ambroise, our bad sides, would we?” His voice was barely a whisper, but I’d heard every word, and it sent a shiver snaking down my spine.

  In a move I would have thought I’d imagined before stepping into Briarwick Academy, Fellows took a step backward, pressing his spine against my door. He was backing down. “I’ll let you two to get better acquainted.”

  The headmaster grabbed his muted gray tie, tugging it straight before slipping out into the hallway and disappearing, leaving his tormentor behind for me to deal with.

  “I can’t swim.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “B-because you said you might throw me to the sharks. I can’t swim, so, unless you want to commit murder, it’s a bad idea,” I stammered.

  He laughed, shaking his head. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “And I don’t need a chaperone,” I assured him, my voice wavering more than I’d like. He smirked, stepping further inside of the room, his eyes dancing over the dusty surroundings.

  “Believe me, this wasn’t my idea,” he replied, his voice sounding monotone; bored.

  “Does the headmaster always come to personally welcome new students?”

  “Acting headmaster and everyone has taken a personal interest in your arrival.”

  “Why? What’s so special about me?”

  “Of course, you’re the only teenager from the outside who doesn’t think that the world revolves around her.” He joked, shaking his head as his eyes danced over me and causing me to shuffle from foot to foot.

  “Some of us aren’t that lucky.”

  “You’re here, aren’t you?” He replied, tsking as his head shook from side to side, leaving me feeling ungrateful.

  “Yeah, I’m not even really sure why they picked me. Must be my sparkling personality,” I joked. But Lucas didn’t laugh. His brow furrowed as he studied my face.

  “They didn’t tell you why you’re here.” He didn’t phrase it as a question. Another sign. Another missed opportunity to see what was happening around me. But all I saw was him; the boy with the bad attitude and the blinding good looks of a young James Dean.

  I swallowed, letting my gaze fall to the floor between us. “It’s some sort of diversity program for the underprivileged,” I admitted, worrying my lip between my teeth.

  “Give me your phone.”

  “What? No.”

  Closing the distance between us, he snagged my phone from my hand, sliding his fingers over the screen rapidly, sending himself a message, before handing it back to me. “If you need me, text. I’m Lucas.” He turned to leave but stopped in the doorway, glancing back over his shoulder. “Word of advice – whoever you left behind, you should keep them in your past. Briarwick Academy is a new beginning for you.” With that, he was gone, and I dropped back down on the edge of the mattress, forcing myself not to text my mother and begging her to come to get me. I could do this. I slid my finger across my screen, my eyes blurring at the sight of Wyatt as my home screen background, his dusty blonde hair wild from a day of dirtbike riding. I opened my albums and held down a thumbnail of the image. “New beginnings,” I mumbled to myself before clicking on the little garbage can icon and deleting my past. Guilt settled heavy in my chest, but I knew I needed to let him go if I was ever going to move on with my life.

  My phone vibrated, the screen lighting up as a message chimed. I clicked the notification, and a picture of Lucas flashed across my screen. I hated how my breath faltered just by looking at him. The text read –

  New home screen pic. You’re welcome.

  I rolled my eyes as I added the image to his contact information. Tossing my phone on the bed, I grabbed my rulebook and flipped to a new page. This was my chance to become someone new; someone everyone liked, and I wasn’t going to waste this opportunity.

  Briarwick Academy: Rule #1: never show fear – I scrawled across the paper, my eyes dancing over my dusty surroundings before adding – and watch out for Lucas Carter. He’s trouble.

  I unpacked what little belongings I had into the dresser, next to the new navy and white uniforms that I would be wearing pretty much every day from now on while I attended this school. The rest of my evening would be dedicated to reading on my phone until I was unable to hold my eyes open any longer. Tomorrow I would start classes, but tonight, I could get lost in a fantasy world where the hero of the story would be me.

  Lucas

  This was torture, plain and simple. But that was the point. I was being punished. I could feel her before I’d even entered the building, every nerve in my body on high alert. I was never meant to be this close to her, to let her see me. Vampires didn’t exist in her world.

  There were rules. Now I would have to break all of them, but I’d do anything for Nova. Even if it meant pushing her away, even if it meant scaring her. My job was to keep her safe, especially from me. She just didn’t know that yet.

  To her, I was just some high school jerk, much like the ones she’d just left behind. This was a fresh beginning for her, and if we weren’t careful, it would be her demise.

  I thought I was prepared. I fed, drinking nearly five bags of blood to satiate my hunger. Always stay hydrated. People end up dead if you don’t. No one is more hangry than a vampire who hasn’t fed.

  I made sure everyone knew the consequences if they even looked at Nova sideways. But when I stepped into her room, listened to the way her little heart fluttered frantically when she saw me, I almost lost all control. This would be more difficult than I thought. Every muscle in my body tensed, and I struggled just to be in her presence without my fangs dropping.

  There was no recognition in her gaze, just a look I’d seen a million times before from a million girls. Her eyes studied me, fixated on my every move. She thought I was attractive. Everyone did. Smooth skin, shiny hair, and sharp features were just another side effect of my condition. It had its perks.

  At that moment, I was glad Fellows insisted on being present for our initial meeting because had there not been a witness, I may have gotten too close, used her infatuation just to get a taste of the thick coppery life that pumped through her veins. But it was against the rules. You never feed on a human unless you intend to turn them.

  I’d left her alone in her hole-in-the-wall nearly twenty minutes ago, but I still paced the floor of my expansive room. I was desperate to know what she was doing, how she was spending her first evening alone with no mother to check on her, and no vampire lurking in the shadows. That is if you didn’t count the hundreds of other undead creatures roaming the campus.

  It was going to be a long night. I grabbed Wuthering Heights from my shelf, the cover worn, and pages were nearly crumbling. I’d watched her read this novel dozens of times, this very copy that I’d snagged from her collection.

  The plot didn’t matter, none of it mattered. It just made me feel closer to Nova – connected. So I re
ad until the light of dawn crept through the gaps in my curtains; until I knew it would soon be time to see her again.

  Then I went to the gym and did my best to exhaust myself physically. It was nearly impossible to make your muscles ache when you were one of the undead. But I tried. I had to. For Nova.

  Rule 2: No Sudden Movements

  Nova

  WHEN I ENTERED THE classroom, two dozen eyes focused on me. I could feel their gazes skating over my skin, searching my face for something I couldn’t place. Even the teacher seemed to be intrigued by my presence. The only person who didn’t seem to care was Lucas. He sat facing the whiteboard with a scowl.

  I forced a smile, my hands shaking as I moved to the front of the room. Mr. García scanned the desks before pointing to an empty one a few rows back. “You can take that seat.”

  “Where?” I asked, blinking several times as he stared at me with confusion. My heart was racing so quickly I could feel the blood whooshing in my eardrums.

  “You can sit in that seat, Nova,” he explained, causing someone from behind me to snicker. Perfect.

  I thanked him and hurried to my new desk, hoping that once he began his class, I would no longer be the center of attention. I sank down in my chair with an audible sigh.

  “Ms. Ambroise, would you like to introduce yourself and tell us a little about your background?” Mr. García asked, his eyebrows raised.

  “Not really,” I muttered before pushing myself back up to stand, fidgeting with the friendship bracelet I’d made for myself and Wyatt as if it might give me the power not to humiliate myself. “My name is Nova. I’m from New Salem, which is in Pennsylvania.”

  “Any hobbies or fun facts about yourself?” He pressed.

  “Oh, I-I’m Pennsylvania Dutch. Which is actually German, but people you know... confused them...” I let my voice trail off, and someone near me snickered as several others whispered.

  “So, you’re like Amish or something?” A girl called out from somewhere in the back. I didn’t turn to look at her as her friends broke out into laughter.

  “No,” I replied, wringing my hands together. “But m-my grandpa could talk to them. They speak the same language.”

  “And here you are, barely able to speak English. He must be so proud,” she shot back.

  There were a few more giggles before Mr. García told them to quiet down.

  “No, actually, He’s dead,” I whispered. I used that moment to sink back down in my seat and hide behind my long hair to give myself a reprieve from their curious glances.

  “Pfft... we’re all dead inside here. Big deal,” someone replied.

  Thankfully, Mr. García began to teach his lesson, and I was no longer the center of attention, at least for a few minutes.

  “SACRIFICE,” THE TEACHER drug out the word, all eyes trained on him as he paced the floor before us. His suit jacket was slung over the back of his chair, and his cuffs were undone, sleeves rolled up his forearms. “What does it mean?” He shrugged, the movement exaggerated. He was trying to get us interested, but everyone else in the room appeared bored. Mr. García was young by teaching standards. He looked to be in his mid-twenties. No ring circled his finger, and it was apparent he was married to his job judging by the scruff on his olive-toned face, though finding someone to spend his life with would be no trouble.

  “You,” he called out, interrupting my thoughts as his chin nodded in my direction, dark caramel orbs trained on me. “Nova, what does sacrifice mean to you?”

  “Sacrifice,” I cleared my throat, my heart beginning to pick up speed like a car left in neutral on a hill. Deep breath, I told myself. “It’s giving up something to benefit the greater good.” My voice shook as I spoke, and several heads turned in my direction.

  “Okay,” he nodded, still pacing. His fingers ran over his short inky hair that was parted to the left. “I like where you’re going with this. Lucas?” He asked, and my head snapped to my right and two rows ahead. Lucas was lounging back in his seat, his one leg kicked out under his desk, intruding on the space of the boy in front of him. His sapphire and canary striped tie was tugged low, hanging like a limp noose from his neck. “Want to add anything?”

  Lucas shot me a bored glance over his shoulder, clicking the pen with his thumb as he thought over how he wanted to respond. “People are selfish,” he replied with a shrug.

  Mr. García’s lips tugged down in a frown, his dark brows knitted together as if deep in thought. I guess when people paid obscene amounts of money to attend a place like this, you had to pretend like every uttered thought was a spark of genius.

  I rolled my eyes, sitting up a little straighter. “That doesn’t change the definition of the word.”

  An easy smile played on Lucas’ lips. He was hoping I’d respond to him, and I’d given him the reaction he’d been waiting for.

  “People don’t sacrifice anything unless it benefits them somehow. It’s selfish.”

  “That’s stupid,” the words tumbled out of my mouth before I could think them over. It was a bad habit of mine. My face felt hot, and I could feel a blush creeping up my chest. I was probably blotchy like I had some sort of skin disease. Cooties. Perfect.

  The collected oohs and snickers made it apparent that my gaffe hadn’t gone unnoticed. Lucas’ smile was gone now, his eyes narrowed. He didn’t like that I was challenging him in front of his peers, or maybe he just didn’t like me.

  “Give me an example,” his tone was even like the way he’d spoken to Fellows.

  I glanced back at the teacher, who appeared perfectly fine with his lesson being hijacked by Lucas.

  “Give me one example of a human sacrificing something that they didn’t benefit from,” He spoke again, regaining my attention.

  Every face in the room was now turned toward me. I fidgeted with the edge of my notebook, the pages screaming for me to scratch out my anger across the paper.

  “An addict giving up their baby for adoption so it will have a better life.”

  Lucas barked out a laugh, and my nearly empty stomach began to twist. “They gave away their child, so they could continue to do drugs instead of getting clean? That’s what you call not being selfish?” He bit out the words with venom in his tone. I’d clearly struck a nerve.

  Breathe. I closed my eyes. Just give yourself a minute to think. Don’t let him get the best of you. As my eyes opened, I focused my attention on Lucas, who was still waiting for a reaction.

  “Giving money to a homeless person,” I squeaked out.

  “But first, they need to snap a selfie and upload to social media so everyone can tell you what a hero you are. Next?”

  “Donating clothing to a thrift store.”

  “Tax writeoff. Wanna try again?”

  I straightened my back, my fingers clinging to the edge of my desk, my eyes darting toward the doorway. Lucas’ gaze followed mine, and he shook his head infinitesimally.

  My eyes began to burn with unshed tears, and it felt like my throat was closing, strangling myself from embarrassment. “Myself. Now,” I choked out as I pushed from my desk, muttering something about needing to see a nurse before slipping out into the hallway. I broke out in a full run, my lungs burning as I tried to remember the way back to Falcon Hall, so I could cry in the privacy of my own room.

  I ignored the stares from the other students as I blew by them, pretended not to hear the barking from authority figures as they scolded me for running. Before I knew it, I was next to a pond, small, obviously man-made with a fountain shooting up from the center. I slammed my glasses down from where they were propped on top of my head, to hide the turmoil that I knew shown on my face. I was hunched over, my hands on my bare knees as my lungs begged for fresh air, and thunder rumbled in the distance.

  “Watch out for Lucas Carter. He’s trouble,” a familiar voice called from behind me, not the slightest bit out of breath. I spun around to face Lucas, his smirk fixed on his face, and a pair of Tart Arnel 55 sunglasses hiding his dark e
yes.

  “What?” I gasped, my eyes going wide as they fell on my notebook. His gaze danced over the pages, his smile suddenly falling as he found something he didn’t find particularly humorous. “That’s not yours.”

  I took a step forward, giving a half-hearted attempt to reach for my journal. Lucas extended his arm over his head, the pages flapping open in the breeze that was now whipping my hair in front of my face. He was easily a foot taller than I was, and even if I’d jumped, I wouldn’t even come close to grabbing it. Instead, I gripped my ribs as I waited for my side stitches to pass.

  “You left it on your desk when you so kindly sacrificed yourself for our amusement.” The right side of his mouth quirked up, and I felt my skin heat again. That’s when my gaze went past him, and I noticed the row of students that had been in our class now lined up against the windows, still inside of the building, watching my humiliation continue to unfold.

  This time, I couldn’t stop a tear from spilling from my lashes. His eyes locked on to the wayward drop as it snaked its way down my cheek. His finger reached out, swiping along my jawline and preventing it from falling. He looked down at the dampened pad of his thumb like sadness was something foreign to him. “Don’t ever run away from them like that again. They’ll eat you alive.” He nodded back over his shoulder in the general direction of the classroom.

  I pushed my hair back from my face, fighting to not break down completely. “I figured they sent you out here to finish me off.”

  “I don’t take orders from anyone. Come on,” he replied, ignoring my dig as he began walking back toward the cluster of buildings. He didn’t wait for me to respond or even glance over his shoulder to ensure I was following him. But I was. I didn’t have a choice. I was completely lost.

  “You don’t have to do this,” I muttered, catching up to his side.