Covet (Clann)

choose for your school wardrobe this year? Including accessories and shoes?”
    Okay, now this was starting to feel like a trap. “Well, within reason. I mean, it has to meet school dress code requirements or else they’ll keep sending me home to change all the time.”
    He looked down his nose at me. “I have already consulted the school website for these dress codes and will keep them in mind while choosing your new attire.”
    “Fine. I’ll wear whatever you pick out.” Please, do not let it be too revolting or make people laugh at me too loudly.
    “Fine. You may go to the Charmers slumber party tomorrow night. As long as you feed tonight.”
    I wanted to argue about that last part. But the look in his eyes said not to bother. And on second thought, maybe it was a good idea. Better safe than sorry, and if I fed now, hopefully the blood memories would have stopped by the time the party started at six tomorrow night.
    “Okay,” I grumbled.
    He walked away with a satisfied air, and I got the distinct impression that I’d just been tricked somehow.
    Whatever. At least I’d get to go to the party.

CHAPTER 16
    Which turned out to be way harder than I’d expected, even though the blood memories had faded by the time I arrived at the school’s main gym.
    Last year’s slumber party had been a blast. Of course, that was before I apparently looked like a cross between a human and a mannequin. By the end of the night I’d lost count of the times I had to explain why I was so pale and all my freckles had faded away (“the weird gym lighting”), or why I wasn’t eating anything (“already ate”).
    And then there was the small fact that I could now hear everyone’s thoughts.
    When I’d first walked into the gym, I’d thought that the noise level seemed so loud because they had multiple jamboxes on somewhere, each one turned to a different radio talk show or something. It had taken me a few minutes to realize what I was really hearing. When I did figure it out, I’d had to duck into the girls’ restroom in order to calm down. The stupid feeding must have caused it.
    At least the bloodlust hadn’t shown up, too.
    “How did it go?” Dad called from the kitchen as I entered the house the next morning.
    “Fine,” I sighed, knowing he’d hear me even if I whispered no matter what room he was working in today.
    I left it at that. No way was I going to tell him about the ESP ability. If I did, the council would know about it and try to recruit me as their newest spy or something.
    I trudged up the steps to my room, kicked off my sneakers, went to stick them in my closet, and froze.
    When I’d given Dad the go-ahead to buy new stuff, I thought he’d get a few things to supplement my wardrobe.
    We really had to work on our communication skills.
    “A skirt?” I muttered, holding up a clear-plastic-draped black-lace thing on a hanger. Next to it hung some kind of black-and-white dress. Hadn’t he noticed that my closet featured only jeans? I didn’t own dresses or skirts for a reason . Surely he didn’t really expect me to wear this kind of stuff to school. Maybe the skirt and dress were for special occasions. Though what those would be, I had no idea. Maybe I could wear them for Christmas and the Charmers end of year banquet or something.
    Then I spotted the shoe boxes. Holding my breath, I opened the first one, and the air whooshed out of my lungs in pure horror.
    My phone rang in my pocket. I grabbed it, still staring at the new footwear as I answered.
    “Hey, ready for school on Monday?” Anne said by way of a greeting. At least I couldn’t hear her thoughts over the phone.
    Then I realized what she’d said. Oh great. Tomorrow I’d have to deal with school, rumors about Tristan and me, gossip about Tristan and Bethany, who were still seeing each other, and hearing everyone’s thoughts all day.
    “Oh yay, I can hardly wait,” I grumbled. “How’d your shopping go?” The girls had gotten together yesterday evening to take advantage of all the back-to-school sales in Tyler.
    Anne launched into telling me all about it…where they’d shopped, the mountain of “crap,” as she put it, that Michelle and Carrie had talked her into getting.
    “I needed you there to keep them from ganging up on me!” she growled.
    I smiled, realizing how much I missed my friends. At least there was one good thing about going back to school tomorrow. I’d get to see them all again in a nice, safe public