“Your brother’s a hero, Sadie!” says Damon Van Schwartz, giving Sadie’s shoulder a squeeze. Sadie bursts into tears and clings to Roxy. “Charlie, you and Sadie are my guests of honour this weekend. I’m gonna get you guest passes, and tonight, I’m taking you both out for dinner.”
“That’s really not necessary, Damon,” says Charlie.
No, Damon, that’sreallynot necessary.
“Hey,” says Damon Van Schwartz, putting his hand on Charlie’s shoulder and looking deep into his eyes. “For the guy who just saved my life, it’s a thousand per cent necessary. Now, you and Sadie come with me to the green room. I want Debbie to get all your details so we can make the arrangements.”
They walk off together and Debbie (apparently) ushers Sadie along with them, who hurries after her big brother. Roxy turns to me, her mouth wide open.
“Can you believe what just happened?” she says.
I shake my head. Charlie Chamberlain has been here for twelve minutes and he’s saved the star of the show’s life, become everyone’s hero and got an upgrade on the whole weekend.
He’s also upgraded himself from being my annoying ex-best friend to my arch nemesis.
CHAPTER SIX
BUD LEROY
Just think of me as your own personal cheerleader. But I don’t, like, think you’re a crackpot like the actual cheerleaders do.
Vampire Falls. Season one, episode six – “Did You See?”
The wall feels cold and hard against my forehead. I dread to think the last time it was cleaned, but who cares if I catch E. coli from invisible handprints and die a slow, painful death. I certainly don’t.
The door beeps and Roxy shuffles in with baggage slung around her like a donkey; I’m too emotionally drained to carry anything. I follow her into our room and slump headfirst onto the terracotta-coloured bedspread. Again, probably covered in bacteria invisible to the naked eye, but who cares when your life is ruined.
“Did Charlie Chamberlain just become the guest of honour at my convention?”
“What?” says Roxy. “I can’t hear what you’re mumbling into the bed.”
Roxy hauls me over like she’s pulling me into the recovery position. I mean, I don’t think it’ll help but I would be willing to give it a try. My head lolls round and I stare at her.
“Damon Van Schwartz knows I’m a virgin,” I whisper.
“I think the entire hotel knows you’re a virgin, babe.”
“Uuuuh!” I throw my arm over my face. “Why? Why is this happening?”
“Get off the bed,” she says. “Unpack. It’ll make you feel better.”
I sit up and gape at her.
“We can’t stay,” I say.
She looks back at me, a bag ofKettle Chips clamped under her chin and a bottle of vodka in each hand.
“Now what are you talking about?”
“We can’t stay, Roxy. Not now. Not now I’ve humiliated myself. Not nowhe’shere.”
“Damon VanSchwartz?”
“Charlie Chamberlain.”
She puts everything down and lays next to me.
“Why do you say his name like that?” she asks. “You always say his full name, since you fell out.”
