“I don’t know.”

“They probably talk about world events,” she imagined aloud.

“I don’t even know what they talk about,” I answered, clueless.

“Well, what’s he like?”

“He is hot—there’s no doubt about that. But other than that, I don’t know. He’s a total flirt and he likes electricity.”

Becky laughed. “I think it’s a good thing. You can find out more about Alexander through him,” she said.

She had a point. Sebastian possibly held the key to the Alexander I never knew. For a moment, I lost myself in thought as I lay back on the slide. I imagined a young version of our goateed guest and Alexander having sleepovers in the cemetery, dining with Dracula’s descendants, or flying in bat form over European cities.

“Is he like Alexander?” she asked, awaking me from my daydream.

“In some ways he is…but I’m still not sure.”

“Well, we’ve been friends forever and we aren’t the same. It should be exciting to see what he’s all about.”

Was Sebastian a real romantic or was he a player? Did he have a menacing streak like Jagger or more noble intentions like my own boyfriend?

“I still can’t believe that for so many years Trevor and Matt were best friends,” Becky said to me, breaking me out of my fantasy. “It really turns my stomach. But I’m sure Sebastian is not like Trevor.”

“Let’s hope not.”

Becky and I were best friends but polar opposites. Were Alexander and his best friend like Matt and Trevor?

I knew one thing for sure—I couldn’t wait to find out!

Unlike when Alexander’s parents arrived in town, Alexander wasn’t keeping me a secret from Sebastian. I was invited to the Mansion as usual. Perhaps Sebastian’s arrival wasn’t a bad thing after all. He could show me the side of Alexander I’d never known, as Becky suggested. I biked over to the Mansion, hoping to get there just in time for the sun to set.