Crave (Harlequin Teen)

not want them to begin to question you, either.”
    Unbelievable. This was ridiculous.
    Another silence filled the phone before Dad sighed. “Savannah…I still have not heard you promise me that you will stop dancing after school ends.”
    Shock gave way to fury again. This man on the phone with me wasn’t my father; he was just a spy for the council sent to do their bidding, calling for updates on how I was changing. He didn’t care about me. Why should I care about him or help him do his job?
    And yet, I couldn’t endanger my real family, either.
    Grinding my back teeth, I took a deep breath then let it out. “Fine. Yes, Michael, I promise, no more dancing. Or anything else that involves public displays of my abilities. Will that make your council happy?”
    “Yes. I believe it will. But since when did you start calling me by my first name?”
    “When you stopped being my dad. Then again, you never really were, were you? So tell your council that I’ll obey their rules. But if they want reports on how I’m doing, they’ll have to settle for getting them from Nanna or Mom. Because I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
    I hung up the phone, my whole body shaking. And then I burst into tears.
    A few minutes later, Mom called on her way home from a meeting with a customer. “Did you just tell your father that you refuse to speak to him ever again?”
    “Yes.”
    “Hon, I know you’re upset about giving up dancing for the council, but—”
    “No, not for the council, Mom. For you and Nanna. They threatened you guys, and he passed on the message for them! A real dad would never do that. He’s not my father anymore. He’s just some guy who helped create me, then spent the last fifteen years spying on me.”
    “That’s not true. We don’t know exactly what’s going on with the council. We have to trust that your father is trying to do what’s best for you and our family.”
    I seriously doubted that. “Fine, whatever. But that doesn’t mean I have to talk to him.”
    She sighed. “You can’t just cut your father out of your life—”
    “Watch me.”
    “The council—”
    “I’m giving up everything I wanted because of that council! And from now on, that’s all they’re getting from me.”
    Silence filled the phone. “Fine. I’ll start passing on the updates to him while you cool off.”
    But I didn’t think I would be getting over this anytime soon. He’d hurt me way too many times, and I just couldn’t take it anymore. Cutting him out of my life today hurt. But it was also freeing, like throwing off a heavy backpack I’d carried around for way too long.
    I went out to the backyard to dance in the dark where no one but the moon and stars could see me. It might have been childish, but it was either dance or sit in my bedroom and scream. At least the council couldn’t stop me from doing this.
    Slowly, I spun in a circle and stared up at the stars. But even that couldn’t distract me from the two thoughts that kept echoing through my mind…
    I’d just agreed to no more dancing. Ever.
    How would I ever fit in at JHS now?

CHAPTER 7
    Savannah
    The following Tuesday, I found the answer. Mrs. Daniels had posted a notice on the dance-room doors inviting all pre-drill girls who hadn’t made the dance team to apply for Charmers team manager. The applications were due Friday, and the new managers would be announced the following Monday. A quick glance through her open office door showed a stack of applications on the corner of her desk, just waiting for anyone to pick one up.
    I was actually tempted.
    On the one hand, becoming a Charmers manager would be totally masochistic. I’d have to watch the dancers practice every day while I stood around on the sidelines fetching stuff.
    But on the other hand…what else did I have to do? I couldn’t dance anymore. I’d promised not to do any other sports, either. I wasn’t into art, chess, debate or the school yearbook. At least if I became a Charmers manager, I could be around dancing on a daily basis, if not directly participating in it. Which should keep the vamp council off my back, too, since I would technically be keeping my promise to them.
    And at least I’d have something to do with all my extra time next year.
    Before I could change my mind, I grabbed an application packet.
     
    That afternoon, I rode home with Nanna in silence, the Charmers manager application burning a hole in my backpack. After supper while Nanna was