Vampire University (Book One in the Vampire University Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

smile as they continued on the tour. Addison continued to tersely explain the details of campus life, but Taylor wasn’t listening anymore. Instead she looked forward to the afternoon.
    The last stop on the tour was the largest building on campus and what appeared to be the newest as well, the Redmund Student Life Center. After introducing herself to everyone on the tour, Hannah was back at Taylor’s side. Eric, meanwhile, had been floating through the crowd looking for opportunities to make a nuisance of himself and irritate Addison at every stop. Joseph, whom Taylor hadn’t even noticed had rejoined the tour until now, stood aloof from the crowd and occupied himself by making strained faces at Eric’s antics.
    “Okay kids,” Addison said, looking directly at Eric. “Tour’s over. Lunch is inside.”
    The pace of the group had begun to lag, but the announcement of food reinvigorated them and they walked more quickly as they followed her inside the Redmund building. Taylor had never seen a building this spacious on the inside. With three-story vaulted ceilings, walls lined with shops full of university-themed gifts, and every side dotted with coffee shops and concessionaires, it looked more like an upscale boutique shopping mall than a school building.
    Addison led them to a corner of the building and directed them inside a small room set up with folding tables and chairs. In the corner, pizza boxes were stacked on a table next to several bottles of store-brand soda.
    “Oh good,” said Eric. “I haven’t had pizza in forever .”
    “Yeah, it’s been hours ,” said Taylor.
    Eric flashed Taylor a grin while Hannah scowled. Addison ignored them both.
    “The rest of the afternoon’s yours,” Addison announced and then promptly exited the room.
    “Want me to grab you some?” Hannah asked Taylor.
    “Yeah sure,” she replied and went to go sit at one of the tables.
    Eric immediately pulled up a seat across from her.
    “Not hungry?” Taylor asked.
    “Not for pizza, no,” he answered.
    Taylor was about to complain about the pizza herself when Joseph sat down beside her without a word. The brother’s eyes met for a moment and everyone was quiet.
    Hannah broke the silence when she sat down on the other side of Taylor and slid a paper plate with a flaccid slice of lukewarm pizza in front of her. Hannah grabbed her own slice and started munching away.
    “You’re not eating?” Hannah asked, looking in the direction of the brothers.
    “Not pizza,” Joseph re plied .
    “They’re pizza snobs,” said Taylor.
    “I bet they are,” said Hannah.
    Hannah then proceeded to chew her pizza without taking her eyes off Eric. Meanwhile, Joseph stared only at his brother, who seemed happily oblivious to the attention of anybody but Taylor. Taylor found Eric’s self-confident indifference appealing, but his cluelessness, feigned or otherwise, made the situation even more uncomfortable.
    “So,” Eric said, resting his elbows on the table and his chin in his hands while leaning forward eagerly. “Tell me all about yourself!”
    “What is this, an interview?” Joseph interjected.
    “Either that or a staring contest,” Eric quipped and then turned immediately back to Taylor.
    “Where are you from?” he asked.
    “We moved a lot growing up, so I wouldn’t say I’m from anywhere,” said Taylor.
    “Ah, so military brat?" guessed Eric.
    “No, we just moved around a lot.”
    “Your dad was a contractor then?”
    “No, he...” Taylor began, but was cut off by Hannah.
    “I don’t think she wants to talk about her father,” she said.
    “Hey, hey,” Eric said, holding up both hands in mock surrender. “I’m just asking. What would you like to talk about, Taylor?”
    Taylor was right, she didn’t want to talk about her late father, but she felt perfectly capable of handling innocent questions about him without Hannah’s assistance. Everyone at the table appeared to be in some way testing her in this