Danger at the Mid-High by Rita Durrett
“Allie, look over there!”
“What am I supposed to be seeing, Lea?”
“In line, the really pale guy in the Sea Hawks shirt.”
“What about him?”
"Can’t you see?”
“See what, Lea? I don’t see anything.”
“He’s a vampire!”
“A vampire? Girl, are you insane?”
“Look at his pale skin and red eyes.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s a vampire, Lea.”
“Sure it does, Allie. You read the book. Vampires are pale, don’t eat, and
don’t have a reflection.”
“He has food, Lea.”
“He’s fitting in.”
“Lea, you do know vampires don’t really exist, don’t you?”
“I can prove it. See.”
“See what, Lea?”
“Lunch is over and he didn’t eat a thing!”
“Lea, you’ve lost it. I don’t have time for this, and can’t be late again. I’ll see you after Biology.”
***
“Class, we have a new student, Brian Watson. Brian is from Seattle.”
“OMG, I’ve got to text Lea.”
“The Vampire from Seattle is in my class.”
“What did I tell you? A rainy city, not eating, He’s a vampire.”
“Allie, are you on your phone again? Put it away or you’ll lose it!”
“Meet me after class.”
***
“Lea, I thought Biology would never end. I must be losing my mind. I’m starting to think you’re right.”
“Why, Allie?”
“I looked over at Brian after Mr. Wade caught me texting you. His smile gave me chills down my spine, like he read my mind.”
“I knew it, Allie! They can totally read minds. I’ve got to get to PE on time. I don’t want to run laps.”
***
“Excuse me, Allie”
“Sorry to bother you, but could you tell me how to get to the gymnasium?”
“Um, Brian, um, it’s that way.”
“Thanks, Allie, bye.”
“That’s Lea’s class!”
***
“Allie be careful, he knows.”
“Knows what, Lea?”
“Lea, did you get my text”
“What’s taking her so long to answer? What if this vampire has read our minds? What if Lea is trying to warn me that Brian knows we know what he is? What if he ‘turned’ her into a vampire?” (note: shouldn't have quotation marks around italicized text)
***
“Lea, are you okay? I’m so glad to see you! I couldn’t wait to get out of class so I’d know you were okay.”
“You won’t believe it, Allie. We went outside for PE today. Brian didn’t do anything. He stayed in the shade the whole time and wore sunglasses. And he watched me. He was basically saying ‘I can read your mind, and I know you know’.”
“Lea, you have no idea what you put me through by not answering my text! I thought he’d gotten you! He stopped me in the hall, wanting to know where the gymnasium was. His look gave me chills.”
“Lea, what if he really is a vampire?”
“Allie, we have to find out and I have an idea how.”
“I know that look, Lea. Trouble is never far behind. What are you thinking?”
“Your mom is the counselor.”
“So?”
“So here’s what I want you to do. I’ll call the office and ask for your mom. When she answers the phone, I’ll distract her long enough for you to read through his file. It’s probably going to be out on her desk. Find out anything you can.”
“Lea, what if I get caught?”
“It’s your mom. What’s the worst that can happen? You get grounded? Don’t be a baby. Our lives depend on it.”
“Okay, Lea. Give me a minute before you call.”
***
“Allie, what took so long, what happened?”
“I read the file.”
“Okay. So what did it say?”
“Lea, Brian is…unusual. He has no pigment in his skin, eyes, or hair. He has to stay out of the sun as much as possible, and light hurts his eyes.”
“I knew it! He really is a vampire! We’re in so much danger.”
“Lea, Brian is an albino.”
"An albino? You’re kidding!"
“Lea, you’ve got to stop reading all those vampire books. Here’s my mom. I gotta go. Talk to you tomorrow!”
***
“How was your day, Allie?”
“Mom, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you!”
“Let me unlock the car so you can get in. I’m going to put this stuff in the trunk. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Mom, you do know I can see you in the rear-view mirror? You look silly talking to yourself.”
“Allie, you’re being rude. You can see I’m talking to our new student, Brian.”
“OMG, he is a vampire!”
“Allie, look over there!”
“What am I supposed to be seeing, Lea?”
“In line, the really pale guy in the Sea Hawks shirt.”
“What about him?”
"Can’t you see?”
“See what, Lea? I don’t see anything.”
“He’s a vampire!”
“A vampire? Girl, are you insane?”
“Look at his pale skin and red eyes.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s a vampire, Lea.”
“Sure it does, Allie. You read the book. Vampires are pale, don’t eat, and
don’t have a reflection.”
“He has food, Lea.”
“He’s fitting in.”
“Lea, you do know vampires don’t really exist, don’t you?”
“I can prove it. See.”
“See what, Lea?”
“Lunch is over and he didn’t eat a thing!”
“Lea, you’ve lost it. I don’t have time for this, and can’t be late again. I’ll see you after Biology.”
***
“Class, we have a new student, Brian Watson. Brian is from Seattle.”
“OMG, I’ve got to text Lea.”
“The Vampire from Seattle is in my class.”
“What did I tell you? A rainy city, not eating, He’s a vampire.”
“Allie, are you on your phone again? Put it away or you’ll lose it!”
“Meet me after class.”
***
“Lea, I thought Biology would never end. I must be losing my mind. I’m starting to think you’re right.”
“Why, Allie?”
“I looked over at Brian after Mr. Wade caught me texting you. His smile gave me chills down my spine, like he read my mind.”
“I knew it, Allie! They can totally read minds. I’ve got to get to PE on time. I don’t want to run laps.”
***
“Excuse me, Allie”
“Sorry to bother you, but could you tell me how to get to the gymnasium?”
“Um, Brian, um, it’s that way.”
“Thanks, Allie, bye.”
“That’s Lea’s class!”
***
“Allie be careful, he knows.”
“Knows what, Lea?”
“Lea, did you get my text”
“What’s taking her so long to answer? What if this vampire has read our minds? What if Lea is trying to warn me that Brian knows we know what he is? What if he ‘turned’ her into a vampire?” (note: shouldn't have quotation marks around italicized text)
***
“Lea, are you okay? I’m so glad to see you! I couldn’t wait to get out of class so I’d know you were okay.”
“You won’t believe it, Allie. We went outside for PE today. Brian didn’t do anything. He stayed in the shade the whole time and wore sunglasses. And he watched me. He was basically saying ‘I can read your mind, and I know you know’.”
“Lea, you have no idea what you put me through by not answering my text! I thought he’d gotten you! He stopped me in the hall, wanting to know where the gymnasium was. His look gave me chills.”
“Lea, what if he really is a vampire?”
“Allie, we have to find out and I have an idea how.”
“I know that look, Lea. Trouble is never far behind. What are you thinking?”
“Your mom is the counselor.”
“So?”
“So here’s what I want you to do. I’ll call the office and ask for your mom. When she answers the phone, I’ll distract her long enough for you to read through his file. It’s probably going to be out on her desk. Find out anything you can.”
“Lea, what if I get caught?”
“It’s your mom. What’s the worst that can happen? You get grounded? Don’t be a baby. Our lives depend on it.”
“Okay, Lea. Give me a minute before you call.”
***
“Allie, what took so long, what happened?”
“I read the file.”
“Okay. So what did it say?”
“Lea, Brian is…unusual. He has no pigment in his skin, eyes, or hair. He has to stay out of the sun as much as possible, and light hurts his eyes.”
“I knew it! He really is a vampire! We’re in so much danger.”
“Lea, Brian is an albino.”
"An albino? You’re kidding!"
“Lea, you’ve got to stop reading all those vampire books. Here’s my mom. I gotta go. Talk to you tomorrow!”
***
“How was your day, Allie?”
“Mom, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you!”
“Let me unlock the car so you can get in. I’m going to put this stuff in the trunk. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Mom, you do know I can see you in the rear-view mirror? You look silly talking to yourself.”
“Allie, you’re being rude. You can see I’m talking to our new student, Brian.”
“OMG, he is a vampire!”
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