Friday, September 6, 2019
One Machine in Cement Production Industry Essay Example for Free
One Machine in Cement Production Industry Essay The cement packing machine is mainly used for packing cement in bags, or other fluit powdery materials bagging work. Except manual sidekick, baggs cant fall off unless the bulking load reach centain amount. The machine can stop immediately when bag happens to fall of suddenly. It can charge load without compressing air, which reduces the packer damadge caused by damaged pneumatic components. Most of the cement packer is divided into fixed and rotary. The work of running processes 1). Start the operation steps: The circular telegram starts the belt fastener start the packer start the feeding engine to insert the bag to fill installs measurement fall the bag . 2). Engine off step: Closes the feeding engine emptying the cement in the packer switch off the total power source . Entire operation and routine maintenance When the operation appears failure ,emergency stopping maintenance , cutting off power supply, , listing alerts or the specialist care. 6). Packer of grounding protection wants safely reliable,and regularly test ground resistance . 7). When the belt suddenly stop , they should immediately cut off the cement packer rotary power to scratch-resistant package
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Automatic Flight Control Systems Engineering Essay
Automatic Flight Control Systems Engineering Essay We live in a world where technology is, if not being improved, developed by the second. Everyday new improvements, inventions and discoveries are made. One industry that is always on the lead when it comes to new inventions and innovations is the Aviation Industry. Over the years, aircrafts have been facing major improvements on the structure, fuel efficiency, life-span, range of flight. But one of the best improvements that have been done on every aircraft (commercial) that had the biggest impact in the Aviation Industry and most probably the main reason why the industry has been booming up is the improvements done in the Avionics section, specifically the Automatic Flight Controls. In the beginning, Pilots were trained to fly the aircrafts alone. But after several years, it is now the pilots programming the computer, telling it where to fly, at what altitude, etc. This computer is the AFCS (Automatic Flight Control System). In todays modern world of flying, it is the AFCS who is technically flying the aircraft, from cruising to landing, and for some until parking. The AFCS has a lot of advantages when compared to human pilots when it comes to flying. Here are some of them: The AFCS has the ability to overcome deficiencies when it comes to stability and control. The AFCS improved the handling qualities. Such as, when the airspeed or the altitude of the aircraft needs to be constant. The AFCS is more accurate and hence is able to carry out several tasks that the pilot is not able to do. * Source: Emirates Aviation Colleges Automatic Flight Control Systems Book (Chapter 3.1.3) To get a better understanding of the AFCS, the different parts of it will be discussed, such as the Autopilot System, Flight Director System, Auto Throttle System and etc. The information about the AFCS will be based on one of Boeings classic aircrafts, the 737-500. FLIGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (FMS) The Flight Management System is navigation, combined flight control, a Built-In Test Equipment (BITE) and a guidance system. The FMS provides control and operation of five independent subsystems to provide lateral navigation (LNAV) and vertical navigation (VNAV) for performance management and optimum flight profiles. The Flight Management System is not labeled to any control panel or any single component as it is an integration of five independent subsystems. These subsystems are: Digital Flight Control System (DFCS) Inertial Reference System (IRS) Autothrottle Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) Flight Management Computer System (FMCS) * Source: United Airlines Boeing 737-322/522 (page 6, Chapter 22-2, Oct 99) from Emirates Aviation College Library This system was designed to increase fuel efficiency, safety and decrease workload. For both pilots, this means that they can select full FMS operation or Autopilot Flight Director System (AFDS) for a complete automatic flight. They can even use the Control Display Units (CDU) to provide, for manual flight, reference information. Management and operation is totally under the control of the flight crew. There are only certain operations that can only be implemented by the flight crew. They are: landing rollout steering, thrust reversal, speed brake operation, altitude selection, landing gear and flap operation, instrument landing system (ILS) tuning, thrust initiation, brake release, airplane rotation and steering during takeoff roll. * Source: United Airlines Boeing 737-322/522 (page 6, Chapter 22-2, Oct 99) from Emirates Aviation College Library FMS BUILT-IN TEST EQUIPMENT (BITE) Ground test capabilities and self-contained in-flight monitoring are provided for the FMS subsystems. The flight management computer (FMC) coordinates the BITE testing of the five subsystems and must be functional for access to any subsystems built-in test equipment. BITE for the FMS subsystems is accessed from both CDUs located in the cockpit. Each FMS subsystems run its own systems test. Included in the tests are for its computers, sensor inputs and several interfaces. Any fault findings during flight are automatically stored for analysis on the ground which is accessed through the bite system. * Source: United Airlines Boeing 737-322/522 (page 8, Chapter 22-4, Oct 99) from Emirates Aviation College Library THE BOEING 737-500 CATEGORY *3 General AFCS Category Capability Chart *4 Boeing 737-500 AFCS Category Capability Chart The Boeing 737-500, according to the diagram is in Category 3B. In order for this aircraft to operate at Cat3B weather minimums, the equipment that must be available in Cat2 should be functional. These equipment are: Both Flight Directors One Autopilot in CMD Both Air Data Systems (ADS) Both windshield wipers Two generators Both EFIS systems displaying: Radio Altitude Glideslope and Localizer Deviation Attitude Autopilot Status Engaged Pitch and Roll Modes Decision Height Both Radio Altimeter Systems Both ILS Marker Beacon Both IRS Now for the aircraft to operate in Cat3B all the equipment listed for Cat2 must be fully operational, provided that the equipment as follows is included: The Autothrottle Both Autopilots Both Hydraulic Systems * Source: United Airlines Boeing 737-322/522 (page 12, Chapter 22-8, Oct 99) from Emirates Aviation College Library AUTOMATIC FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM (AFCS) The AFCS or also known as Auto Flight System (AFS) comprises of three independent systems. They are: A Yaw Damper System A dual Digital Flight Control System (DFCS) An Autothrottle (AT) System These 3 systems provide automatic aircraft stabilization about the roll, pitch and yaw axis. The AT and the DFCS systems control the aircraft with the selected Mode Control Panel (MCP) guidance from N1, heading, radio, IRS, FMC and ADC inputs. * Source: United Airlines Boeing 737-322/522 (page 10, Chapter 22-6, Oct 99) from Emirates Aviation College Library YAW-DAMPER SYSTEM The Yaw Damper System is composed of various components, such as: Yaw Damper Engage switch Warning Annunciator Yaw Damper Coupler Integrated Flight System Accessory Unit (IFSAU) Yaw Damper Engage solenoid Position Transducer and Transfer Valve on the rudder Power Control Unit (PCU) Yaw Damper position Indicator * Source: United Airlines Boeing 737-322/522 (page 12, Chapter 22-8, Oct 99) from Emirates Aviation College Library The Yaw Damper System smoothens the flow of air that causes the aircraft to yaw and thus causes it to Dutch Roll. The Dutch Roll is a phenomenon that occurs when a sidewind hits the aircraft which causes it to yaw. This yawing motion exposes one side of the wing to the wind more than the other side. The exposed side of the wing, gains more speed and more speed generates more lift on that particular side. The lift that was generated on the exposed side of the wing causes the aircraft to roll. Hence, the term Dutch Roll. The Yaw Damper System is a stability augmentation system that works full time, providing yaw axis damping for the complete flight, including both takeoff and landing. It is connected in series so that none of the rudder feedback is applied to the pedals. This now allows the Yaw Damper System to operate in an independent manner without interfering the initiated rudder commands by the flight crew. Both the yaw rate and the yaw direction are detected using a rate sensor located in a Yaw Damper Coupler. The rate sensor of the Yaw Damper is sensitive that the rudder is displaced at a proper time to dampen out any sidewinds hitting the aircraft before it can obviously affect the flight path of the aircraft. * Source: United Airlines Boeing 737-322/522 (page 12, Chapter 22-8, Oct 99) from Emirates Aviation College Library The Yaw Damper authority is only  ±3 ° deflection of the rudder. Its actuator gets no turning commands from the longitudinal axis AP. The Boeing 737-500 does not have a 3-axis AP. It only has 2 which is the pitch and roll axes only. In this aircraft, turn coordination is not available. A roll command which sends a cross feed signal in proportion to the bank angle due to aircraft banking, is sent to the Yaw Damper to prevent undesirable opposition to roll attitude. * Source: United Airlines Boeing 737-322/522 (page 12, Chapter 22-8, Oct 99) from Emirates Aviation College Library *5 Yaw Damper System Diagram Yaw Damper Operation The Yaw Damper is confined to 3 modes of operation. These modes are: synchronization mode, engaged mode interlocks and logic and engaged mode operation. Before the yaw axis engagement, the Yaw Damper coupler is in the synchronization mode for 2 seconds. The synchronization mode provides a null output to the electro-hydraulic transfer valve to prevent a sudden change in the Yaw Damper coupler. The mode is accomplished by returning the controlled signal back to the output amplifier. The output of the valve amplifier is reduced to null as the output of the integrator increases, causing the signal to be cancelled. Prior to the engagement of the Yaw Damper its actuator remains at the center which nulls the position feedback to the Yaw Dampers coupler. * Source: United Airlines Boeing 737-322/522 (page 14, Chapter 22-10, Oct 99) from Emirates Aviation College Library The system is activated by placing the Yaw Damper switch on the flight control module to ON. Both Bs of the flight control switch and system hydraulic power must be ON and available, respectively, in order to power the Yaw Damper actuator portion of the PCU. 2 seconds after the Yaw Damper is on, the YAW DAMPER light extinguishes. The Integrated Flight Systems Accessory Unit (IFSAU) contains the logic to engage the system, monitor the engagement and illuminate the amber-colored Yaw Damper disengaged annunciator light. If, for over 2 seconds, the AC power is lost, the YAW DAMPER light illuminates and the Yaw Damper switch returns to OFF position. The Yaw rate gyroscope which is located inside the Yaw Damper coupler senses the movements by the yaw axis. The coupler only responds to yaw movements that produce the Dutch Roll. Before the command signals are applied to the transfer valve which is located inside the Yaw Damper actuator, it is first filtered and amplified. The transfer valve then sends hydraulic pressure in order to deflect the rudder and reduce the aircrafts oscillation by the yaw axis. The output of the Yaw Damper actuator is summed with the rudder pedal manual input in order to move the main rudder Power Control Unit (PCU) that controls the rudder. Now as the actuator moves the linear variable displacement tranducer (LVDT) supplies the signal of the position feedback to nullify the signal coming from the yaw rate gyroscope. When the movement (by the yaw axis) stops, the feedback signal returns the rudder to the original position.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
death of a salesman :: essays research papers
                                        Capitalism in â€Å"Death of a Salesman†, is undermining to the human spirit and human condition. In â€Å"Death of a Salesman†, money was the Loman’s biggest issue. That’s is not to say that if he had money it would not have made things better. Willy left home with financial problems, he came home with financial problems. To Willy it was never enough. He never made enough, he wasn’t the man that he portrayed to be to the children. But with Willy it was always his bills, bills, bills. â€Å"Willy: What do we owe? Linda: Well, on the first there’s sixteen dollars on the refrigerator- Willy: Why sixteen? Linda: Well, the fan belt broke, so it was a dollar eighty. Willy: But it’s brand new. Linda: Well, the man said that’s the way it is. Till they work themselves in, y’know. Willy: I hope we don’t get stuck on that machine. Linda: They got the biggest ads of any of them! Willy: I know, it’s a fine machine. What else? Linda: Well, There’s nine-sixty for the washing machine. And for the vacuum cleaner there’s three and a half due on the fifteenth. Then the roof you got twenty-one dollars remaining. Willy: It don’t leak, does it? Linda: No, they did a wonderful job. Then you owe Frank for the carburetor.†                                                       QUALLS 2      Linda Loman, was the wife of Willy Loman. She never complained about money, her biggest issue was to make sure that her husband didn’t run himself raggedy with mental problems. She always thought that they would make it. Linda was very assertive, and never had anything bad to say. â€Å"Willy: You’re not worried about me, are you, sweetheart? Biff: What’s the matter? Happy: Listen! Linda: You’ve got too much on the ball to worry about.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Gun Control Essay -- Second Amendment The Right To Bear Arms
â€Å"A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.†Does our second amendment really give rights to civilians to carry guns, which are a mechanical device that expels a bullet which can accurately travel colossal distances? As the U.S. sees it today, guns are legal to anyone who fits their criteria. Guns have been used for hundreds of years in the history of our world and nation. However, gun control has been a major debating issue during the past few decades. On one side, there are those who completely agree with the control laws and on the other there are those who oppose gun control laws all together. Gun control opponents provide many justifications for carrying a gun, such as the second amendment, self-defense, hunting, or target practice.      Guns are not for everyone. Certain individuals cannot handle a firearm safely, and some individuals choose to use firearms unsuitably. Our society has passed laws regulating the possession and use of firearms, and more legislation is being considered. Most of this legislation restricts, to some degree, the rights of individuals to possess or use firearms. â€Å"Some limitations may be necessary, but some modern legislation has gone too far. Society benefits from firearms in the hands of conscientious citizens. Attempts to keep firearms away from these citizens do more harm than good.†(stated by the NRA)  ...
Monday, September 2, 2019
Potassium :: essays research papers fc
Potassium      Potassium is a vital element in the human body. Potassium had never been distinguished between sodium until the eighteenth century. Before potassium was recognized as an element, potassium carbonate was mixed with animal fat to make soap. It was discovered by Sir Humphrey Davy in England, in 1807. Sir Davy was able to isolate potassium using electrolysis. Potassium was the first metal isolated by this procedure. Today, it is still not found free in nature. It is obtained by electrolysis of chloride or hydroxide.      Potassium is a solid silvery white element. It is soft and can be cut with a knife. Potassium is the least dense known metal, besides lithium. It is the seventh most abundant element. It makes up about 1.5% by weight of the earth's crust. It decomposes in water because of the hydrogen. It usually catches fire during reaction with water.      Potassium is an essential component for plant growth. Potassium is absorbed by plants in larger amounts than most other mineral elements. Potassium is supplied to plants by soil minerals, organic materials, and inorganic fertilizer. Potassium is not found in organic combination with plant tissues. Potassium plays an essential role in the metabolic processes of plants. Potassium also is essential in carbohydrate metabolism, a process by which energy is obtained from sugar.      Potassium is one of the most important elements in human diet. To begin with, potassium works with sodium for various reasons. For example, it helps to regulate body waste, control heart rhythms, and assist in reducing high blood pressure. It also aids in clear thinking by sending oxygen to the brain. This element is crucial to the maintenance of the nervous system and the muscular system. Potassium is an electrolyte, and therefor regulates the balance of fluids inside and outside the cells, including blood.      The human body needs potassium to function. The body may become short of potassium in many situations. Excessive physical activity, severe cases of stress, drinking of alcohol or coffee all consume the potassium in the body leaving the person with a deficiency of the mineral. As a result of this deficiency severe fatigues, muscle weakness, nervous disorders, cardiac arrest, and poor reflexes can occur. Too much potassium in the body may result in dehydration. The kidneys can retain or get rid of too much potassium. Either extreme is dangerous for the body.      If potassium is such a vital nutrient to the human body it has to be a mineral that can be found in a regular diet.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee Essay
It is known how the cowboys won the West, as it is seen in so many films and TV shows that it seems impossible that anyone would not know about these tales. White civilized soldiers moving out of the East coast of the USA, having the wild natives and lands tamed. The wild natives who threatened the sovereignty and peace of the white Americans, on the contrary, Dee Brown paints a different picture, a story told from the other side of the fence, this tale is known as Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee was first published in 1970 and contains the history of Native Americans belonging to the West side of America in the late 19th century. The story narrates how the Native Americans were displaced and slaughtered by the Federal Government of United States. Bury my heart at Wounded Knee is the last phrase of a poem called â€Å"American Names†by Stephen Vincent Bennet. Brown starts the book by quoting what Columbus wrote to the Majesties of Spain, â€Å"So tractable, so peaceable, are these people that I swear to your Majesties there is not in the world a better nation. They love their neighbors as themselves, and their discourse is ever sweet and gentle, and accompanied with a smile; and though it is true they are naked, yet their manners are decorous and praise worthy†. (Brown, 5) Though, this did not seem to impress Columbus for long as the author states that Columbus saw this as a sign of weakness on the part of the Native Americans and being a European, he was convinced that the people should be made to work and do everything essential to adopt our ways. The massacre then continued for the next four hundred years until almost the total extinction of the Native Americans culture and civilization had been carried out. The Native Americans who are still alive, are proud cultural people residing in the land consigned to them by the government of USA, the land known as ‘Reservations’. The opening chapter of the book is a broad introduction to the hardship to follow, starting with Columbus and the entrance of Europeans in the Caribbean and down the Eastern seaboard. After the introduction, in which Brown explains that massacres and genocide have deep roots in the history of the American continent, even before the Wild West period, we reach the topic itself. Most of the documented history is of the thirty year period among the 1860s to 1890s. Fresh from the most gruesome era of USA history, when the self caused death count rose to the highest ever the country would experience, the Civil War of America reached a revolving point. As the now unified and stable government had returned, most of the population was charged up with the pioneering spirit and went into the unknown areas of the West, searching for new lives, freedom and quick riches. It was this migration which landed the white man at the doors of an ancient cultured establishment. Even though the Native Americans of the East, who were village based farmers, had been dealt with a long time back, the Native Americans belonging to the West coast were a diverse breed altogether and more dire measures had to be undertaken to deal with them. The Native Americans believes were very dissimilar from the white man’s culture and belief. The Native Americans believed that nothing was ever personally owned by them, as the land, the homes and everything that had been given to him were only loans to him and could be taken back anytime. Therefore, how could the Native American population sell the land that could not be owned by anyone? Yet, the white men took the land anyway, dislocating the Native Americans and setting up their own homes and families and brimming over the land in his place in a sign of greed and bloodshed. The USA adopted such policies making the Native Americans indebted to the government; this was done by transferring the Native Americans to low quality land and reservations and by the methodical destruction of the buffalo. The tribes would have to relay on the supplies from the white government and the only thing the Native Americans had to bargain was the land they resided at. Brown has used ancient manuscripts and actual texts of the white men and dominated Native Americans of that time to portray the route taken to acquire the land of the west by false arrests, kangaroo courts, unprovoked attacks, broken treaties and round-ups of Native Americans, forcing them onto desolate lands. Brown also narrates stories of particular Native Americans using certificated information; the great warrior known as Geronimo who battled the white men and the peaceful leaders of Native Americans known as Black Kettle who would try to sort out treaties through dialog and understanding. Black Kettle would look for ways to preserve the Native Americans’ open lands and at the same time settle the white men in the other areas of the west. Brown breaks down the time of the westward push through time-line, geographic areas, particular tribes and their chiefs and incidents that formed the history of the Native Americans’ termination by the hands of the government of the USA and the white settlers. The author ends the book with descriptions from the Native Americans who survived the carnage at Wounded Knee, a creek in South Dakota. As this was the last major butchery of the Native Americans by the USA soldiers. Many series of misunderstandings and blunders contributed to the mass killing of unarmed Native Americans that took place at Wounded Knee. At that 29th December of 1890, as much as 300 Native American men, woman and children were butchered. The following is a paragraph from the book, describing the events that took place at Wounded Knee Lake. â€Å"A mother was shot down with her infant; the child not knowing that its mother was dead was still nursing†¦ The women as they were fleeing with their babies were killed together†¦ and after most of them had been killed a cry was made that all those who were not killed or wounded should come forth and they would be safe. Little boys†¦ came out of their places of refuge, and as soon as they came in sight a number of soldiers surrounded them and butchered them there†. (Brown, 83) As all 19 chapters of the book narrate the battles, events and certain tribes, it is easy to say that Brown wished to go deep into detail which is also obvious with book consisting of 500 pages. However, some might say Bury my heart at Wounded Knee seems text-book like which bores the reader. Although the book seems to be appealing for me, as little is known about the genocide that took place in the West of USA and therefore, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee seems to be a magnificent and attractive learning instrument. Among Brown’s written Creek Mary’s Blood and Killdeer Mountains which were also about Native Americans, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee seems to be the greatest text of all. The author has included elements such as quotes, songs and portraits throughout the book to attract the reader. These elements play a strong part by breaking the chain of monotony of pages of texts. The quotes seem to be well chosen and positioned, so are the portraits and help present a well informed picture of the history. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee assists us to look into our shady past and examines it; the book explores how the white men tried to fulfill our Christian manifest destiny in American history. The white men are shown as discriminators, murderers and sadists, with the exemption of a few soldiers and civilians. These white men would kill Native Americans despite of gender or age, often mutilating and scalping the bodies, and sometimes even committing horrendous acts such as cutting the genitalia of Native Americans. These extraordinary and appalling revelations give the reader a horrifying image of the birth of the great country known as the USA. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee has its share of drawbacks such as any other book. I believe one of the greatest shortcomings is the language the author has used in some parts of the book. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee becomes complicated and could lose probable readers because of the lack of understanding of the used text. Although the book is an essential for any reader who is interested in history as the book reveals a lot, the vocabulary and writing techniques used may challenge the readers at times. The next drawback is that the book narrates similar tales, just with different tribes, which sends a monotonous tone through the book. Although, by writing in such a way, Brown indicated and clearly conveyed this influential point that no matter where the Native Americans turned to, they were butchered. With the shortcomings intact, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee remains a book which wins the heart of readers by telling a tale that is not really understood or identified, a nasty yet important part of the American history. The book is inclusive, yet only narrates the starting of what was being done in the name of war profiteering and manifest destiny. The author asks the reader to confront our history that may make us feel uneasy. There are always two sides of a story and the author has decided to tell us the story of the side that is rarely heard and spoken of. Brown has indeed achieved the goal he set out when he decided to write an account of this appalling mark of American history in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Dee Brown wrote this book over thirty five years back, to redress and balance the history. This is the tale of the Apache, the Navaho, the Comanche, the Sioux and the story of Sitting Bull, of Geronimo and others. It is hard headedly researched and extremely detailed, at the same time interesting. The author’s sources of quotes were the journals, courts transcripts and other documents of the Native American people. These words indeed carried an intellectual, beautiful and expressive imagery of these cultural people. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is a gloomy story of unkindness, racism, ignorance and prejudice you’ll ever read. The immoral perpetrated against the Native American people are of a scale beyond words, certainly ahead of any words of mine, or Brown’s, or even the arrogant, depressing, gorgeous descriptions of the Native Americans themselves. Yet, we must carry on to the future, with our evolving societies, knowing that no one can turn back the hands of time. The Native Americans can’t have their heritage, their land, or their way of life returned to them. Even though there is a need for testament for history and for the preserving of knowledge, customs and culture. There is no other way to learn from the past and go forward to our future if there is nothing to build upon. Bibliography Brown, Dee. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West. Pocket Books, United States (1981)
Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Six
â€Å"Sheba,†she said, her dark eyes widening. â€Å"Sheba†¦ Smith.†â€Å"Well, would you like to dance then, Sheba Smith? If you feel well enough.†â€Å"Yes,†she breathed, half to herself. â€Å"Yes, why not?†Her eyes never left his. Not moving from where they were, Gabe and Sheba began swaying to the rhythm of yet another wretched song. This time, the horrid music didn't offend Gabe as much. Gabe put it together then. New girl. Amazing dress. Sheba. This was Logan's date, the one who'd asked him to the prom and then wanted nothing more to do with him. For a half second, Gabe worried if it was wrong for him to infringe on his friend's date. But the worry passed quickly. For one thing, Logan was happy with Libby. There was no sense in interrupting something that was clearly meant to be. For another, Sheba and Logan were clearly not meant to be. Gabe had always had a good instinct for that-for the personalities that belonged together, for compatible natures that would pull together harmoniously. He'd been the butt of many jokes about matchmaking, but he didn't mind. Gabe liked people to be happy. And this intense girl with the deep pools in her eyes-Sheba-did not belong with Logan. That desperate sense of need had calmed when he'd touched her. Gabe felt much better with her in his arms-holding her seemed to soothe the strange call. She was safe here, no longer drowning, no longer lost. Gabe was afraid to let her go, worried that the burning need would return. It was an odd first for Gabe, this feeling of being in exactly the right place, of being the only one that belonged here. It wasn't that he'd never had a girlfriend before-girls liked Gabe, and he'd had many casual relationships. But they never lasted. There was always someone else they belonged with. None of them really needed Gabe, except as a friend. And they'd always stayed good friends. It had never been like this. Was this where Gabe belonged? Shielding this slender girl, holding her safe in his arms? It was silly to think so fatalistically. Gabe tried hard to act normal. â€Å"You're new at Reed River, aren't you?†he asked her. â€Å"I've only been here a few weeks,†she confirmed. â€Å"I don't think we have any classes together.†â€Å"No, I would have remembered if I'd been close to you before.†It was an odd way of phrasing it. She stared into his eyes, her hands clinging gently to his shoulders. Instinctively, he pulled her a little closer. â€Å"Are you having a good time tonight?†he asked. She sighed, a deep sigh from the center of her being. â€Å"I am now,†she said, oddly rueful. â€Å"A very good time.†Trapped! Like an idiot, like a new-spawned whelp, a novice, a rookie! Sheba leaned into Gabe, unable to resist. Unable to want to resist. She stared into his heavenly eyes and had the most ridiculous urge to sigh. How had she not seen the signs? The way goodness itself surrounded him like a shield. The way her suggestions bounced right off him harmlessly. The way the only ones safe from her evil tonight-those little bubbles of happiness outside of her control-were the people he'd touched and interacted with, his friends. The eyes alone should have been warning enough! Celeste was smarter than Sheba. At least her instincts had kept her away from this dangerous boy. Once she was free of his piercing gaze, she'd kept a safe distance between them. Why hadn't Sheba understood the reason behind this? And the reason Gabe had chosen Celeste in the first place. Of course he'd been drawn to Celeste! It all made sense now. Sheba swayed to the beat that rumbled through the air, feeling the security of his body around her, protecting her. Tiny, unfamiliar tendrils of happiness twisted their way through her empty core. No-not that! Not happiness! If she was already feeling happy, then better things couldn't be too far behind. Was there no way to avoid the horrible wonder of love? That wasn't very likely when you were in an angel's arms. Not a true angel. Gabe didn't have wings, he'd never had them-he wasn't one of those sappy birdbrains who'd traded feathers and eternity for human love. But one of his parents had done just that. Gabe was fully half-angel-though he didn't have a clue about his nature. If he'd had any idea, Sheba would have heard that in his mind and escaped this divine horror. Now it was only too obvious to Sheba-this close, she could smell the scent of asphodel clinging to his skin. And, clearly, he'd inherited his angel-parent's eyes. The heaven-blue eyes that should have been a dead giveaway, if Sheba hadn't been so wrapped up in her evil plotting. There was a reason even experienced demons like Jezebel were wary of angels. If it was hazardous for a human to stare into a demon's eyes, it was doubly so for a demon to get locked into an angel's. If ever a demon met an angel's gaze for too long, pfffffft! – out went the fires of hell and the demon was trapped until the angel gave up on saving him. Because that's what angels did. They saved. Sheba was an eternal being, and she was trapped for however long Gabe decided to keep her. A full angel would have known what Sheba was at once, and driven her out if he were strong enough, or given her a wide berth if he wasn't. But Sheba could imagine what her presence would feel like to someone with Gabe's instinct to save. Innocent of the knowledge he needed to understand, Sheba's damned state must have been like a siren's call. She stared helplessly into Gabe's beautiful face, her body filling with happiness, and wondered how long the torture would last. Already too long to save her perfect prom. Without her hellfire, Sheba had no influence over the mortals here. But she was still fully aware, watching helpless and disgustingly blissful, as it all fell apart. Cooper Silverdale gasped in horror as he looked at the gun glistening in his shaking hand. What was he thinking? He shoved the weapon back into its hiding place and half ran to the bathroom, where he violently vomited the punch into the sink. Cooper's stomach problems interrupted Matt and Derek's fistfight, which was just warming up in the men's room. The two friends squinted through their swollen eyes at each other. Why were they fighting? Over a girl that neither of them even liked? How stupid! Suddenly, they were interrupting each other in their urgent need to apologize. With smiles on split lips and arms around shoulders, they headed back to the ballroom. David Alvarado had given up his plans to jump Heath after the dance, because Evie had forgiven him for disappearing with Celeste. Her cheek was soft and warm against his now as they swayed to the slow music, and there was no way he would hurt her by disappearing again, not for any reason. David was not the only one who felt that way. As if the new song was magical rather than insipid, the dancers in the big ballroom each moved instinctively toward the person they should have come with in the first place, the one that would transform the night's misery into happiness. Coach Lauder, lonely and depressed, looked up from the unappetizing cookies straight into Vice Principal Finkle's sad eyes. She looked lonely, too. The coach walked toward her, smiling hesitantly. Shaking her head and blinking her eyes like someone trying to escape a nightmare, Melissa Harris pulled away from Tyson and ran for the exit. She would find the concierge and get a cab†¦ Like a rubber band that had been stretched too far, the atmosphere at Reed River's prom now snapped back with a vengeance. If Sheba had been herself, she would have pulled that rubber band until it exploded into pieces. But now all the misery and wrath and hate vanished. The human minds had been stuck in their grip too long. With relief, everyone at the prom relaxed into happiness, grasped at love with two hands. Even Celeste was tired of the mayhem. She stayed in Rob's arms, shuddering slightly at the memory of those perfect blue eyes, as one slow song melted into the next. Neither Sheba nor Gabe even noticed the song change. All her delicious pain and misery destroyed! Even if she did get free, Sheba was destined for middle school now. Where was the injustice?! And Jezebel! Had she planned this? Tried to distract Sheba from the fact that a dangerous half-angel was here tonight? Or would she be disappointed? Was she really there in encouragement? Sheba had no way to find out. She wouldn't even be able to see Jezebel now-whether the horned demoness was laughing or chagrined-with her fires extinguished. Disgusted with herself, Sheba sighed in happiness. Gabe was just so good. And, in his arms, she felt good, too. She felt wonderful. Sheba simply had to get free before happiness and love ruined her! Would she be trapped with some feather-back's heavenly offspring forever? Gabe smiled at her, and she sighed again. Sheba knew what Gabe would be feeling now. Angels were never happier than when they were making someone else happy, and the bigger the lift in that other person's spirit, the more ecstatic the angel. As perfectly miserable and damned as Sheba had been, Gabe must be flying now-it would be almost as good as having wings. He would never want to let her go. There was just one chance left for Sheba, just one way back to her wretched, miserable, burning, stinking home. Gabe had to order her there. Thinking of this chance, Sheba felt much worse, felt a welcome wave of her former misery. Gabe tightened his hold on her as he sensed her slipping down, and the misery was drowned in contentment, but Sheba remained hopeful. She stared up into his love-filled angel-eyes and smiled dreamily. You're evil incarnate, Sheba told herself. You have a true talent for misery. You know suffering inside and out. You can get yourself out of this trap and everything will be like it used to be. After all, with as much pain and havoc as Sheba was capable of causing, how hard could it possibly be to get this angelic boy to tell her to go to hell? Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Six â€Å"Put them up,†Glasses Geek said. â€Å"I mean your arms. Miranda did what he said because his hands were shaking so much she was afraid he'd shoot her by accident. â€Å"Who are you? What are you doing here?†he demanded in a voice that shook almost as much as his hands. â€Å"I just wanted to get a glimpse of Her,†she said, hoping she made it sound right. He narrowed his eyes. â€Å"How did you know She was here?†â€Å"The Gardener told me, but I didn't know where She was being kept so I climbed up that tree to look.†â€Å"Which affiliate are you with?†I knew this would end in tears. What now, smarty pants? Miranda raised an eyebrow and said, â€Å"Which affiliate are you with?†Adding for good measure, â€Å"I mean, I would remember a guy like you if I'd seen you before.†It worked! She saw him swallow hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. She would never doubt How to Get-And Kiss-Your Guy again! He said, â€Å"I'd remember you, too.†She hit him with a dose of Winsome Smile and saw the Adam's apple do some more moving. She said, â€Å"If I give you my hand to shake, will you shoot me?†He chortled and put down the gun. â€Å"No,†still chortling. Holding out his hand now. â€Å"I'm Craig.†â€Å"Hi, Craig, I'm Miranda,†she said, taking it. Then flipped him onto his back and knocked him out cold in a single silent move. She looked at her hand for a second in shock. She'd definitely never done that before. That had been very cool. If you're going to be an idiot and risk everything, you might as well do what you came for. You know, instead of just staring at the guy you knocked out? She bent to whisper, â€Å"Sorry. Take three aspirin for your head when you wake up and you'll feel better,†in his ear, and moved around the edge of the safe house. There must have been an open window because she could hear voices here, the man who had been outside before now saying to someone, â€Å"Are you comfortable?†And Sibby answering, â€Å"No. I don't like this couch. I can't believe this is the nicest room in the house. It looks like a place for a grandma.†Heh! Miranda followed the sound of Sibby's voice and found herself standing in front of one of the street-facing plate-glass windows, looking through a gap in dark blue drapes into a living room. There was a spindly-looking couch, chair, and coffee table. Sibby was in the chair, her profile to Miranda, with a plate of Oreos in front of her. She looked fine. The man was perched on the couch, smiling at Sibby, saying, â€Å"So, where are we supposed to drop you?†Sibby took the top cookie off the Oreo and ate it. â€Å"I'll tell you later.†The man kept smiling. â€Å"I'd like to know so I can plan the route. We can't be too careful.†â€Å"Oh my gods, there's like hours before we go. I want to watch some TV.†Miranda heard the man's heart speed up and saw his hand flex but he kept his tone light when he said, â€Å"Of course.†Then added, â€Å"As soon as you tell me where we're taking you.†Sibby frowned at him. â€Å"Are you deaf or something? I said I'd tell you later.†â€Å"It's in your best interest to talk to me. Otherwise I'm afraid I'll have to bring in someone else. Someone a bit more†¦ forceful.†â€Å"Fine. But while I'm waiting, can I please watch TV? Tell me you get cable. Oh gods, if you don't have MTV, I'm going to be really pissed.†The man stood up with an expression on his face like he wanted to break something, then abruptly turned to face the door. Miranda heard footsteps coming toward the room from the hallway, and with them a familiar cha-cha heartbeat. Two seconds later Deputy Sergeant Caleb Reynolds burst through the door. See? Sibby's in no danger. The police are here. Scram. Deputy Reynolds said to the man, â€Å"What's taking so long?†â€Å"She won't talk.†â€Å"I'm sure she'll change her mind.†His heartbeat picked up. Sibby glanced at him. â€Å"Who are you?†Caleb said, â€Å"I'm the Gardener.†This was extremely not good, Miranda decided. â€Å"I wasn't very impressed with the front lawn,†Sibby told him. â€Å"I'm not that kind of Gardener. It's a nickname. They call me that because-â€Å" â€Å"Actually, I'm not even vaguely interested. I don't know what you're planning, Plant Boy-â€Å" â€Å"Gardener,†he corrected, going a touch red. †– but if you need to know where I'm supposed to be picked up by the Overseer, then you have to keep me alive, right? So you can't exactly threaten me with death.†â€Å"Not death, no. But pain.†He addressed the man. â€Å"Go get me my tools, Byron.†As the man left the room, Sibby said, â€Å"I'm not going to tell you anything.†Deputy Reynolds circled around so he was leaning over her chair, his back to the window. â€Å"Listen to me-†he said, his heartbeat slowing down suddenly. Miranda did a round-off, smashing through the window feet first, then knocked him unconscious with a side kick to the neck before he could turn around. She bent to whisper, â€Å"Sorry,†in his ear, decided as punishment not to tell him about the aspirins, grabbed Sibby, sprinted to the car, and stepped on the gas. Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Six Yun Sun's voice grew sharp. â€Å"Frankie, no!†â€Å"I'm such an idiot-why didn't I think of it before?†â€Å"Wait. Don't do it, don't make the-†She broke off. I heard a â€Å"whoops,†followed by drunken apologies and someone saying, â€Å"Oh, I love your dress!†It sounded like everyone was having fun. I'd soon be having fun with them. I made it to the den and approached the bookshelf where I'd left the corsage. I patted the tops of the books and then the space behind them. My fingers found softness, like petals of skin. â€Å"I'm back,†Yun Sun said. The background sounds had diminished, suggesting she'd stepped outside. â€Å"And, Frankie, I know you're hurting. I know that. But what happened to Will was just a coincidence. A terrible, terrible coincidence.†â€Å"Call it what you want,†I said. â€Å"I'm making my second wish.†I plucked the corsage from behind the books. Yun Sun's anxiety intensified. â€Å"Frankie, no, you can't!†â€Å"Why not?†â€Å"He fell from three hundred feet! His body was†¦ they said he was mangled beyond†¦ that's why they had a closed casket, remember?†â€Å"So?†â€Å"He's been rotting in a coffin for thirteen days!†she cried. â€Å"Yun Sun, that is a tasteless thing to say. Honestly, if it were Jeremy being brought back to life, would we even be having this conversation?†I drew the flowers to my face, lightly touching the petals with my lips. â€Å"Listen, I've got to go. But save some punch for me! And Will! Ooo, make that lots of punch for Will-I bet he'll be absolutely crazed with thirst!†I flipped my phone shut. I held the corsage aloft. â€Å"I wish for Will to be alive again!†I cried exultantly. The stench of decay thickened the air. The corsage curled, as if the petals were shrinking in on themselves. I flung it away on autopilot, just as I'd shake off an earwig that chanced to light on my hand. But whatever. The corsage wasn't important. What was important was Will. Where was he? I glanced around, ridiculously expecting him to be sitting on the sofa, looking at me like You're scared of a bunch of dried flowers? Pitiful! The sofa was empty, a gloomy, looming shape by the wall. I darted to the window and peered out. Nothing. Just the wind, fluttering the leaves on the trees. â€Å"Will?†I said. Again nothing. A tremendous well of disappointment opened inside me, and I sank into my father's leather armchair. Stupid Frankie. Stupid, foolish, pathetic me. Time passed. Cicadas chirped. Stupid cicadas. And then, so faint, a thud. And then another. I straightened my spine. Gravel popped on the road†¦ or maybe the driveway? The thuds came closer. They were labored and with the odd offbeat of a limp, or of something being dragged. I strained to hear. There-a thump, ten feet away on the porch. A thump that was distinctly inhuman. My throat closed as Yun Sun's words wormed back to me. Mangled, she'd said. Rotting. I wasn't paying attention before. Now it was too late. What had I done? I jumped out of the chair and fled to the entry hall, safe from the eyes of anyone-or anything-who might choose to peer through the den's wide windows. What, exactly, had I brought back to life? A knock echoed through the house. I whimpered, then clapped my hand over my mouth. â€Å"Frankie?†a voice called. â€Å"I'm, uh†¦ yikes. I'm kind of a mess.†He laughed his self-deprecating laugh. â€Å"But I'm here. That's the important thing. I'm here to take you to prom!†â€Å"We don't have to go to prom,†I said. Was that me sounding so shrill? â€Å"Who needs prom? I mean, seriously!†â€Å"Yeah, sure, this from the girl who would kill for the perfect romantic evening.†The knob rattled. â€Å"Aren't you going to let me in?†I hyperventilated. There was a series of plops, like overripe strawberries being dropped into the trash, and then, â€Å"Aw, dude. Not good.†â€Å"Will?†I whispered. â€Å"This is so uncool†¦ but do you have any stain remover?†Holy crap. Holy, holy, holy crap. â€Å"You're not mad, are you?†Will asked. He sounded worried. â€Å"I came as fast as I could. But it was so frickin' weird, Frankie. Because, like†¦Ã¢â‚¬ My mind flew to airless caskets, deep in the ground. Please, no, I thought. â€Å"Forget it. It was weird-let's leave it at that.†He tried to lighten things up. â€Å"Now are you going to let me in, or what? I'm falling to pieces out here!†I pressed my body against the hall wall. My knees buckled, I wasn't doing too well with muscle control, but I reminded myself that I was safe behind the solid front door. Whatever else he was, Will was still flesh and bones. Well, partially. But not yet a ghost who could move through walls. â€Å"Will, you've got to go,†I said. â€Å"I made a mistake, okay?†â€Å"A mistake? What do you mean?†His confusion broke my heart. â€Å"It's just†¦ oh God.†I started crying. â€Å"We're not right for each other anymore. You understand, don't you?†â€Å"No, I don't. You wanted me to ask you to prom, so I asked you to prom. And now for no good reason†¦ ohhh! I get it!†â€Å"You do?†â€Å"You don't want me to see you! That's it, isn't it? You're nervous about how you look!†â€Å"Um†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Should I run with this? Should I say yes just so he would leave? â€Å"Frankie. Dude. You have nothing to worry about.†He laughed. â€Å"One, you're beautiful; and two, compared to me, there's no way you won't look like†¦ I don't know, an angel from heaven.†He sounded relieved, as if he'd had a niggling sense of something being off, but couldn't quite place his finger on it. But now he knew: It was Frankie having self-esteem issues, that's all! Silly Frankie! I heard a shuffling, and then the bump of a small wooden lid. My body tensed, because I knew that bump. The milk box-crap. He'd remembered the key in the milk box. â€Å"I'm letting myself in,†he called, slump-thumping back to the front door.†‘Kay, Franks? ‘Cause all of a sudden I'm, like, dying to see you!†He laughed, jubilant. â€Å"I mean, wait, that came out wrong†¦ but, heck, guess that's the theme of the night. Everything's coming out wrong-and I do mean everything!†I fled to the den, where I got on my hands and knees and frantically patted the floor. If only it weren't so dark! The deadbolt stuck, and Will jangled the key. His breathing was clotted. â€Å"I'm coming, Frankie!†he called. Jangle, jangle. â€Å"I'm coming as fast as I can!†My fear ratcheted so high that I was thrown into an altered state of reality. I was gasping and crying out, I could hear myself, and my hands were blind feelers, pawing and slapping as I crawled. With a thunk, the bolt slid home. â€Å"Yes,†Will crowed. The door swished over the frayed carpet at the exact instant my fingers closed on the crumbling corsage. â€Å"Frankie? Why is it so dark? And why aren't you-â€Å" I squeezed my eyes shut and spoke my final wish. All sounds ceased, save for the rustle of wind in the leaves. The door, continuing its slow trajectory, bumped against the doorjamb. I stayed where I was on the floor. I sobbed, because my heart was breaking. No, my heart was broken. After several moments, the cicadas once again took up their yearning chorus. I rose to my feet, stumbled across the room, and stood, shivering, in the open doorway. Outside, a pale shaft of moonlight shone on the deserted road. Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Six I'm too stunned to do anything to stop him, really. Well, okay, as the initial shock of it is wearing off, I find I don't want to stop him. I'm stunned to realize that†¦ well, I like how it feels, being in Adam's arms. It feels good. It feels safe. It feels warm. It feels†¦ well, almost as if I were a normal girl, for a change. Not the new girl. Not the exterminator's daughter. Just†¦ me. Mary. It's a feeling I could get used to. â€Å"Mary,†Adam says. He's so much taller than me that his breath tickles the tendrils that have fallen from the updo that I've twisted my hair into. I don't mind, though, because his breath smells good. I look up at him dreamily. I can't believe I never noticed-really noticed-how handsome he is before now. Well, last night, actually. Or maybe I noticed, but it never really registered, because what would a guy like him ever see in a girl like me? In a million years, I never thought I'd end up at the prom with Adam Blum†¦ And okay, sure, he only asked me because he obviously feels sorry for me, on account of my mother being a vampire and all. But still. â€Å"Hmmm?†I say, smiling up at him. â€Å"Uh.†Adam seems uncomfortable, for some reason. â€Å"I was wondering if-you know, when this is all over, and you've dusted Drake, and Lila and Ted are back together-you'd want to, um†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Oh God. What's happening? Is he†¦ is he about to ask me out?. Like on a real date? One that doesn't include sharp, pointy objects? No. This isn't happening. This is a dream or something. In a minute, I'm going to wake up, and it's all going to go away. Because how could such a thing even be possible? I can't breathe, I'm so sure I'll break whatever spell we're both under if I do†¦ â€Å"Yes, Adam?†I ask. â€Å"Well.†He can't seem to make eye contact anymore. â€Å"Just if you'd want to, you know, maybe hang out-â€Å" â€Å"Excuse me.†The deep voice that interrupts Adam then is all too familiar. â€Å"But may I have this dance?†I close my eyes in frustration. I cannot believe this. I am never going to get a guy I actually like to ask me out at this rate. Never. Never. Never. I am going to stay a freak-the product of similar freaks-for the rest of my life. Why would a guy like Adam Blum ever want to go out with me in the first place? The child of a vampire and a mad scientist? Let's face it. Not going to happen. And I've had it. I've had it up to here. â€Å"Listen, you,†I say, whirling around to face Sebastian Drake, whose blue eyes widen a little at the fire in mine. â€Å"How dare you come oozing around†¦Ã¢â‚¬ But then my voice trails off. Because suddenly all I can see are those eyes†¦ †¦ those hypnotically blue eyes, which suddenly make me feel like I could dive into them, letting their warmth wash over me in sweet, soft waves†¦ It's true he's no Adam Blum. But he's looking at me in a way that makes it clear he knows that, and that he's sorry for it, and that he's going to do everything he can to make it up to me†¦ more than make it up to me, even†¦ And the next thing I know, Sebastian Drake is taking me into his arms-gently, so gently-and leading me from the dance floor toward a set of French doors through which I can see a night-darkened garden, bathed in twinkling fairy lights and moonlight†¦ just the kind of place to which you'd expect to be led by the golden-haired descendant of a Transylvanian count. â€Å"I'm so glad we finally have the chance to meet,†Sebastian is saying to me in a voice that seems to caress me like a feather-soft touch. Everyone and everything we've left behind us-the other couples; Adam; a stunned Lila, staring after us jealously; Ted, staring jealously at her; even the streamers and rosettes-seems to melt away as if all that exists in the world is me, the garden that I find myself in, and Sebastian Drake. Who is reaching up to smooth some loose tendrils away from my face. In a dim, inner recess of my mind, I remember that I'm supposed to be afraid of him†¦ to hate him, even. Only I can't think why. How could I possibly hate someone as handsome and sweet and gentle as he is? He wants to make me feel better. He wants to help me. â€Å"You see?†Sebastian Drake is saying, as he lifts one of my hands and presses it, softly, against his lips. â€Å"I'm not so terrifying, am I? I'm just like you, actually. Just the child of-let's face it-a very formidable person, who's trying to figure out his own place in the world. We have our burdens, do we not, you and I, Mary? Your mother says hello, by the way.†â€Å"M-my mother?†My brain seems to be as filled with fog as this garden we're standing in. Because while I can picture my mother's face, I can't remember how Sebastian Drake could possibly know her. â€Å"Yes,†Sebastian says, his lips now moving from my hand and up toward the crook of my elbow. His mouth feels like liquid fire against my skin. â€Å"She misses you, you know. She doesn't understand why you won't join her. She's so happy now†¦ she doesn't know the pain of illness†¦ or the indignity of aging†¦ or the heartbreak of loneliness.†His lips are on my bare shoulder now. I'm having trouble breathing. But in a good way. â€Å"She is surrounded by beauty and love†¦ just like you could be, Mary.†His lips are by my throat. His breath, so warm, has seemed to cause my spine to go limp. But it's all right, because one of his strong arms has gone around my waist, and he's holding me up, even as my body, as if of its own volition, is arching backward, allowing him an unobstructed view of my bare throat. â€Å"Mary,†he whispers against my neck. And I feel so peaceful, so serene-something I haven't felt in years, not since Mom left-that my eyelids drift closed†¦ And the next thing I know, something cold and wet hits me in the neck. â€Å"Ow,†I say, opening my eyes and slapping a hand there†¦ then pulling it away to find my fingers slick with some kind of clear moisture. â€Å"Sorry,†Adam calls from where he's standing a few feet away, his arms stretched out in front of him, the mouth of his Beretta 9mm water pistol aimed right at me. â€Å"I missed.†A second later, I am gasping for air as a thick cloud of acrid, burning smoke hits me in the face. Coughing, I stagger away from the man who, just seconds before, had been holding me so tenderly, but is now clutching at his smoldering chest. â€Å"Wha-†Sebastian Drake gasps, pounding at the flames leaping from his chest. â€Å"What is this?†â€Å"Just a little holy water, dude,†Adam says, as he continues pumping away at Drake's chest. â€Å"Shouldn't bother you. Unless, of course, you're a member of the undead. Which, unfortunately for you, it appears you are.†And a second later, I've come back to my senses and am reaching beneath my skirt for my stake. â€Å"Sebastian Drake,†I hiss, as he sinks to his knees before me, howling in pain. And rage. â€Å"This is for my mother.†And I plunge the hand-carved piece of ash deep into the place where his heart would have been. If he'd had one. â€Å"Ted,†Lila says, in a syrupy voice, as her boyfriend lies across the contoured plastic bench with his head in her lap. â€Å"Yes?†Ted asks, looking up at her adoringly. â€Å"No,†Lila says. â€Å"That's what I'm getting for my tattoo next time I'm in Cancn. Across the small of my back. The word Ted. So from now on, everyone will know I belong to you.†â€Å"Oh, honey,†Ted says. And pulls her head down so he can stick his tongue in her mouth. â€Å"Oh my God,†I say, looking away. â€Å"I know.†Adam's returned from throwing a glow-in-the-dark twelve-pound bowling ball down the disco-lit lane. â€Å"I almost liked her better when she was under Drake's spell. But I guess it works out better this way. Ted'll hurt a lot less than Sebastian. That was a strike, by the way. In case you missed it.†He slides onto the bench beside me and looks down at the scoring sheet in the glow of the lamp just above my head. â€Å"Well, what do you know? I'm winning.†â€Å"Don't get cocky,†I say. Although I have to admit, he has a lot to brag about. Not just winning at Night Strike bowling, either. â€Å"Just tell me,†I say as he reaches up and finally pulls off his bow tie. Even in the weird disco lights of Bowlmor Lanes-the bowling alley where we'd retreated for our post-prom activities, a mere nine-dollar cab ride from the Waldorf-Adam still looks obscenely handsome. â€Å"Where'd you get the holy water?†â€Å"You gave a bunch of it to Ted,†Adam says, looking down at me in some surprise. â€Å"Remember?†â€Å"But how'd you get the idea to put it in the water gun?†I demand. I'm still reeling from the evening's earlier activities. Midnight bowling is fun and all. But nothing can really compare with slaying a two-hundred-year-old vampire at the prom. Too bad he'd fizzled into ash out in the garden, where no one but Adam and I could see it. We'd have been voted prom king and queen for sure, instead of Lila and Ted, who are both still wearing their crowns†¦ although they've tilted a little rakishly, due to all the kissing. â€Å"I don't know, Mare,†Adam says, filling in his own score. â€Å"It just seemed like a good idea at the time.†Mare. No one has ever called me Mare before. â€Å"But how did you know?†I ask. â€Å"I mean, that Drake had-well, whatever? I mean, how could you tell that I wasn't faking it? To lull him into a false sense of security?†â€Å"You mean besides the fact that he was about to bite you on the neck?†Adam raises a single dark brow. â€Å"And that you weren't doing a damned thing to stop him? Yeah, I had a pretty good idea of what was going on.†â€Å"I'd have snapped out of it,†I assure him, with a confidence I most definitely do not feel, â€Å"as soon as I felt his teeth.†â€Å"No,†Adam says. Now he's grinning down at me, his face illuminated by the light from the scoring desk's single lamp. The rest of the bowling alley is in darkness, except for the balls and pins, which glow with an eerie fluorescence. â€Å"You wouldn't have. Admit it, Mary. You needed me back there.†His face is so close to mine-closer than Sebastian Drake's ever got. Only instead of feeling as if I could dive into his gaze, I feel as if I'm about to melt under it. My heartbeat staggers. â€Å"Yeah,†I say, unable to keep my gaze from drifting toward his lips. â€Å"I guess I kinda did.†â€Å"We make a good team,†Adam says. His own gaze, I can't help noticing, isn't straying far from my mouth, either. â€Å"Wouldn't you say? I mean, especially in light of the coming apocalyptic event? When Drake's dad finds out what we did tonight?†I can't help gasping a little at that. â€Å"That's right,†I cry. â€Å"Oh, Adam! He's not just going to come after me. He's going to come after you, too!†â€Å"You know,†Adam says. And now his gaze has drifted from my mouth, and downward. â€Å"I really do like that dress. It goes great with bowling shoes.†â€Å"Adam,†I say. â€Å"This is serious! Dracula could be getting ready to descend upon Manhattan at any moment, and we're wasting time bowling! We've got to start getting ready! We need to prepare a counterattack. We need to-â€Å" â€Å"Mary,†Adam says. â€Å"Dracula can wait.†â€Å"But-â€Å" â€Å"Mary,†Adam says. â€Å"Shut up.†And I do. Because I'm too busy kissing him back to do anything else. Besides, he's right. Dracula can wait.
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