Living Dead Girl (Vampire Hunter Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

about it.”
    Uh oh. “Does he have a girlfriend?”
    “Yes.”
    I felt like the wind had been knocked out of my chest, which was odd, considering I couldn’t breathe if I wanted to. “Please tell me it isn’t someone I know.”
    “I could tell you that, but it would be a lie.”
    “Who is it?” I demanded.
    “It’s Jessica. They’ve actually been together for awhile now.”
    “Are you kidding me?” I shrieked.
    Henry winced and put his hands over his ears. “Keep your voice down, Rory! I’ve already got a raging headache. Geez, get a grip!”
    “I’m sorry,” I muttered. “I’m just pissed. You know Jessica was the one supposedly helping me get with Michael. She was his lab partner, and she said she would put in a good word for me.”
    “Maybe they bonded over your death. They say tragedy can bring people together.” Henry laughed at his own annoying joke.
    But I was not laughing. They say tragedy can bring people together. Henry’s words were ringing in my ears and I had a funny feeling I was about to be even more enraged. I decided to try to pretend I wasn’t upset or Henry might not truthfully answer my next question.
    I traced my finger along the edge of the couch arm, where a thread had gotten snagged and formed a knot in the fabric. “I guess Michael would have no way of knowing I would be resurrected, so I can’t really blame him. Just out of curiosity, how long have they been seeing each other?” I asked nonchalantly.
    “Eh, I don’t know,” Henry grumbled.
    “Come on,” I coaxed. “I won’t get m ad. I promise.” I looked up at Henry innocently.
    Henry still seemed hesitant to tell me – I was sure he could see right through my “I won’t be mad” lie – but he also knew I wasn’t going to let it drop until he spilled the beans. “They started dating right before the end of the school year.”
    “Wait.” I was confused. “School still has almost a month left. So they just started dating?”
    “No, Rory. Last school year.”
    “Are you seriously telling me that not even a month after I died, they were hooking up?” My voice sounded shrill, even to my own ears. “That’s so offensive!”
    “I did warn you,” Henry replied. “He ended up taking her to the school dance.”
    I couldn’t believe it. I knew the world hadn’t stopped when I died, but I thought maybe it might have slowed down just a little bit . It was incredible that merely a week after my death the kids of Donaldson High School were laughing it up at the annual end of the year dance. And then I had a horrible thought, almost as bad as picturing Michael and Jessica locking lips.
    “Henry,” I whispered. “Please tell me that you didn’t go to the dance. On the one-week anniversary of my death.”
    Henry wouldn’t look me in the eye. “Yes, I did go.”
    “How could you do that to me?” my voice caught in my throat. I wished that I could cry and let everything I was feeling out. How could my best friend go dance, laugh and pretend nothing had happened?
    “What were we supposed to do? ” he retorted. “They brought a grief counselor to the school. It was mandatory that everyone go, at least once. Your death almost killed me. But I had no choice but to keep going. Was I supposed to sacrifice the rest of my life, crawl in a hole and never leave the house, because you were gone?”
    I knew he was right, but I was too hurt to back down. “ One week . Would it have killed you to grieve for one week ?” I turned to leave. “I’m going up to the guest room. Please just leave me alone.”
    “Rory!” Henry called.
    I kept walking.
    “Fine, be a big baby about this. Turn on the one person in the world who’s trying to help you. That’s real mature.”
    When I got to the guestroom, I collapsed onto the bed. What am I doing? My head was swimming. I wished I could sleep and get some perspective. That always used to help me in the past. Even though I knew it was pointless, I pulled the covers around