“Evasive.”

“Reclusive,” she added.

“Tell me about it—”

“Just like a vampire,” my best friend said. “I think that’s why he’s the perfect match for you.”

“You really think so?” I asked.

“Of course.”

“A perfect match? Or a vampire?”

“A perfect match, silly. But if anyone was a vampire—Alexander could be one.”

“You think so? You honestly think so?” I prodded.

“He is from Romania and has a butler. Come to think of it, I’ve only seen him at night,” she said, and laughed. “And that garlic allergy…”

But I wasn’t laughing.

“Did I say something wrong?” she asked.

No. In fact, you said something right, I wanted to say. Could I finally bare all the secrets to my best friend?

Would she realize this time that her statements were true, instead of laughing at me when I suggested the very same thing? At last I’d be able to unleash the truth about Jagger, Luna, Alexander’s parents, Onyx and Scarlet from the Coffin Club, and, most important, my boyfriend. The load I’d been carrying in silence was too heavy on my temporarily rose-tattooed shoulders.

I weighed my thoughts. If Becky knew Alexander’s true identity, then she’d surely blab the facts to Matt. I knew he was more tight-lipped than Becky. Guys didn’t gossip—I didn’t even know Alexander had a best friend! But this news was bigger than a footnote to a byline. This was front-page Dullsville Gazette breaking news. “Vampires Alive—or Undead—Atop Benson Hill.” And if this information did slip out at practice or a game, then Trevor Mitchell would know. Not only would Alexander have to return to Romania, but it would be imperative that he never inhabit Dullsville again.

“What’s wrong?” Becky asked.

“Alexander is a perfect match,” I said with a sigh. “I was just thinking how I didn’t want Sebastian to crowd us.”

“That’s totally normal. I get bummed when I have to share Matt with the entire soccer team. They talk about the most inane subjects, like ESPN and computer sports games. But I imagine Sebastian and Alexander are different from guys here. Is he an artist, too?”