Free The Coffin Club by Ellen Schreiber

aunt‘s apartment, lying on the futon in her living room, underneath the sun‘s blanket of protection. I yanked the comforter over my head and tried desperately to fall asleep and dream of the only vampire I trusted, Alexander Sterling.

    That afternoon I was hanging out in a pair of sweats at Aunt Libby‘s breakfast table and nursing a cup of coffee when I heard the jostling of keys outside my aunt‘s door.
    Aunt Libby entered with her Happy Homes blazer and a few bags of groceries.
    ―I‘d ask you what you want to do today,‖ she said as I helped her bring them to the kitchen, ―but the day is almost over. So how about tonight?‖
    ―Well…‖
    ―I‘m sure you‘re still tired from yesterday, so if you want to stay in…‖
    When Alexander and I were in the manor house having dinner the night before, he‘d promised me that he‘d take me to the Coffin Club tonight. I didn‘t want to ditch Aunt Libby, and though I was still freaked out about my nightmare of the vampire-filled Dungeon, I was still dying to see Alexander and fulfill my dream of dancing together at the Coffin Club.
    However, my aunt was holding out for my response, and ―I already have plans‖ was not what she was waiting to hear. Here I was, staying at her house, eating her food, and I‘d become so selfish that I was making plans without her.
    ―Whatever you want to do,‖ I finally said. ―The night is yours.‖
    But instead of answering, Aunt Libby continued to unload the groceries.
    ―We can see a movie,‖ I suggested. ―Go to a jazz club. Visit some boutiques.‖
    Still, my aunt wasn‘t as excited as I‘d thought she‘d be at my ideas.
    ―Or if you have something else…‖
    ―I do have something else,‖ she said anxiously.
    ―Then we can do that.‖
    ―It‘s a date.‖
    ―A date? With Devon?‖
    She nodded. ―I‘m a terrible aunt,‖ she said. ―Devon called me at lunch today. He asked me out for tonight and before I knew it I had said yes.‖
    ―That‘s okay.‖
    ―No, it was the wrong thing to do. I‘ll call and cancel,‖ she said, reaching for her cordless phone on the kitchen counter.
    ―Don‘t even think about it,‖ I said, seizing it first.
    ―Then you‘ll have to come.‖
    ―Are you kidding? On your first date? Even I know that would be a disaster.‖
    ―Please, I can‘t leave you behind again. A sixteen-year-old doesn‘t want to hang out at her aunt‘s apartment alone. I know that‘s why you snuck out last night and showed up at my class—because you were bored.‖
    A sixteen-year-old also doesn‘t want to go on a date with her aunt and her new beau, either, I thought but couldn‘t say. ―I won‘t be bored tonight. I promise. I have summer reading I can get a head start on.‖
    She raised her eyebrow. ―You are getting to be more like your father than I thought you were.‖
    ―Or at least Billy Boy.‖

    7

Dancing with the Dead
    A lexander and I arrived at the Coffin Club to find Phoenix‘s motorcycle already parked in the VIP spot. ―Wow, that‘s a cool bike,‖ Alexander commented when we passed it. ―What do you think?‖
    ―I think it‘s cool, but not half as cool as you are,‖ I replied, squeezing his hand as we continued to walk by the procession of clubgoers.
    I imagined Phoenix waltzing into the club as if he were royalty while my boyfriend and I stood at the back of the line.
    But really, where else on earth would I rather be? Alexander was by my side, and soon I would have my wish come true. It would be a night to remember.
    Still, I couldn‘t help but let my mind stray. Alexander, after all, was a vampire. He could get a key and lifetime membership to the Dungeon in two shakes of a fang. However, if I told Alexander I‘d already been there, without him, he‘d be furious. And he would know I‘d been to the underground club if I mentioned seeing Jagger. As far as Alexander knew, Jagger had returned to Romania, and likewise Jagger probably thought Alexander was back in