Bite Me! Read Online Free PDF Page B

in?”
    It’s not like I could fake being asleep. I mean, I could try, but the reality was, Mom knew I was awake. And probably, she knew something was bothering me, which was why she wanted to see me. I quickly washed my face, shrugged into my robe, and flipped over my stained pillow.
    â€œC’mon in.”
    Mom closed the door behind her, walked over to my bed, and sat down, patting a place next to her. She was dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a green polo that really brought out the green in her hazel eyes. We have the same wheat-colored hair, as do the twins. Today she sported a ponytail at the nape of her neck.
    Mom has always looked young for her age. We’ve even been mistaken for sisters before. Not that she’s old. But right now, she even looked a good ten years younger than thirty-eight. We’ve always been more like friends than anything else. It’s hard being a vampire and having almost nobody to talk to—so we talk to each other.
    â€œWhat’s up?” I asked.
    â€œMy spidey-sense is telling me something’s wrong with my number-one girl,” she said.
    I smiled weakly and sat next to her, putting my head on her shoulder.
    â€œI know this isn’t easy,” she said, wrapping her arm around me. “And I know it wasn’t fair of Rick and me to just throw this at you guys. But, honestly, we thought it would be better than a long, drawn-out engagement. Especially with you and Ryan dating. We didn’t want you two to get any more involved. A whirlwind wedding seemed like the easiest answer.”
    â€œEasy for you, sure. But not for me. Not for Ryan. Mom, I screwed up, and it’s all your fault.”
    â€œHow did you screw up? You and Ryan aren’t still sneaking around, are you? You know, honey, there’s a great big world out there and you’re not the only person in it. Rick and I did what we thought was best for the family, and in the grand scheme of things, this is a small problem. I know not being with Ryan seems like the end of the world. But you’re almost eighteen. There will be other boys. You’ll see.”
    I sighed. “Well, there kinda already was another boy. And if you and Rick had waited—”
    She stiffened. “What did you do, AJ? Did you have sex last night? Please tell me you were safe.”
    I had to laugh at this because my mom isn’t like most other mothers. Besides the whole vampire thing, she’s also a doctor. Actually, a lot of health care workers arevampires. Why do you think there’s always a blood shortage? It’s not because the donations aren’t being made—it’s because they’re being cycled out to underground blood suppliers.
    Anyway, Mom has never been one to shy away from sex talk. Since the sex thing and the vampire thing go hand in hand, it’s just something that we grow up understanding. The longer we wait for sex, the better our control is—and the sooner we have sex, the more likely it is we screw up. (I guess that’s really no different from regular teens, come to think about it.)
    Mom didn’t wait. She and my dad had this intense love affair and wound up pregnant with me. The marriage lasted ten years. Then the intensity faded and Dad moved on. We haven’t seen him since.
    So she’s always preached the safe-sex thing. Not because of diseases. Vampires are generally immune to STDs and most illnesses. (We’re made of some sturdy stock.) No, we have to avoid pregnancy until we’re ready because, thanks to our old friend evolution, we also tend to be very fertile. And Mom knows good and well I’m not anywhere near being ready. What high school kid is?
    â€œNo, Mom. No sex. But I…kinda sorta drank last night.”
    â€œAriel! I thought you were smarter than that. What happened?”
    â€œRyan was making out with Lindsey and I was so hurt, so I grabbed a beer and…everything was so intense. The