"Is that you, Mamma? I don't wanna go to school today ..." Stevie Rae mumbled, clearly not awake. Shaunee snorted. "We'll hurry. You guys just save those seats for us." I slammed the door shut and hurried over to Stevie Rae. "Wake up!" I shook her shoulder. She squinted and frowned up at me. "Huh?"

"Stevie Rae, it's ten o'clock. P.M. We slept forever and now we're so late it's ridiculous."

"Huh?"

"Just wake the hell up!" I snapped, taking out my frustration that I'd overslept on her. "Wha--" She looked blearily at the clock, and that seemed to finally get through to her. "Ohmygoodness! We're late."

I rolled my eyes. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. I'm gonna throw on something and work on my hair and makeup. You better jump in the shower. You look terrible."

"'Kay." She staggered into the bathroom. I yanked on a pair of jeans and a black sweater, and then got to work on my hair and makeup. I could not believe I'd totally blown off the fact that Erik was performing the Shakespearian monologue he'd taken to the competition. Actually, I hadn't even worried about how he'd placed, which was definitely not good girlfriend etiquette. Of course it wasn't like I didn't have other things on my mind, but still. Everyone thought I was the lucky girl who had caught Erik after he'd escaped from Aphrodite's nasty spiderweb (and by web I mean crotch). Hell, I thought I was lucky to have him, something that had been hard to remem ber when I was sucking Heath's blood and flirting with Loren. "Sorry about oversleeping, Z." Stevie Rae came out of the bath room in a gush of steamy air, towel-drying her short, blond curls. She was dressed a lot like I was, and she must still be half asleep because she looked pale and tired. She gave a huge yawn and stretched like a cat. "No, it's my fault." I felt bad for the way I'd jumped on her be fore. "I should have known with how little I've been sleeping that I needed to set my alarm." I guess it shouldn't have been a sur prise that Stevie Rae hadn't gotten much sleep lately, either. We are best friends and she definitely knows when I'm overstressed. We probably both needed a good, long, comalike sleep. "I'll be ready in just a sec. I'm just gonna put on some mascara and gloss. My hair will dry in like two minutes anyway," Stevie Rae said. We were out of there in five minutes. No time for breakfast, we bolted out of the dorm and practically ran to the auditorium. We made it to seats Erin had saved for us just as the lights flicked on and off, announcing that there were two minutes before the pro gram began, and for people to take their seats. "Erik stayed out here waiting for you until just a second ago," Damien said. I was glad to see he was sitting beside Jack. The two really did make a cute couple. "Is he mad?" I asked. "I'd say confused is a better description," Shaunee said. "Or worried. He looked worried, too," Erin added. I sighed. "Did you not tell him that I'd overslept?"

"Hence the reason my Twin said he looked worried," Shaunee said. "I filled him in on the deaths of the two friends of yours. Erik understands it's been hard on you, and that's why he looked wor ried," Damien said, frowning at Shaunee and Erin. "I'm just sayin; Z, Erik is too hot to be stood up," Erin said. "Ditto, Twin," Shaunee said. "I did not--" I sputtered, but the lights going out cut me off. The drama teacher, Professor Nolan, came out onstage and spent a while explaining the importance of actors being trained in the classics, and talking about how prestigious the Shakespeare monologue contest is for vamps around the world. She reminded us that each of the twenty-five House of Night campuses world wide send their five strongest competitors, which meant there were a total of 125 talented fledglings who competed against one another. "Jeesh, I had no idea Erik had to go up against so many kids," I whispered to Stevie Rae.

"Erik probably kicked butt. He's awesome," Stevie Rae whis pered back. Then she yawned again and coughed. I frowned at her. She looked like crap. How could she still be tired? "Sorry." She smiled sheepishly. "I gotta frog in my throat."

"Shhh!" the Twins hissed together. I turned my attention back to Prof. Nolan. "The results of the competition have been sealed until today, when all of the students have returned to their home schools. I will announce the placings of each of our five finalists as I intro duce them. Each will perform their competition monologue. I cannot begin to tell you how proud we are of our team. Every one of them did an exceptional job." Prof. Nolan beamed. Then she went on to introduce the first performer, who was a kid named Kaci Crump. She was a fourth former who I didn't know very well because around the dorm she was kinda shy and quiet, even though she seemed nice. I didn't think she was a member of the Dark Daughters, and I made a mental note to send her an invitation to join. Prof. Nolan announced that Kaci had placed fifty-second in the competition with her rendition of Beatrice's monologue from Much Ado About Nothing. I thought she was good, but was blown away by the next kid, Cassie Kramme, a fifth former who'd placed twenty-fifth overall. She performed Portia's famous speech from The Merchant of Venice that begins, "The quality of mercy is not strained ..." I rec ognized it because I'd chosen it as the monologue I memorized my freshman year at SIHS. Uh, Cassie's acting definitely would have kicked my ass. I didn't think she was a member of the Dark Daughters, either. Huh. Seems Aphrodite hadn't wanted much competition in the way of other drama queens. Big surprise. The next performer was a kid I knew because he was a friend of Erik's. Cole Clifton was tall, blond, and totally cute. He'd fin ished twenty-second with his rendition of Romeo's "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks ..." speech. Okay, he was good. Really, really good. I heard Shaunee and Erin (espe cially Shaunee) making lots of appreciative noises, and the clap ping was furious from them when he finished. Hum ...