Marked

hand went automatically to her hair.
    "Oh, no no no. I do not believe you just said that, Damien. You know how crazy she is about her hair." Shaunee started to puff up like a mocha-colored blowfish.
    Damien, meanwhile, just smiled and returned to his spaghetti― the perfect picture of innocence.
    "Uh, y'all," Stevie Rae said quickly, standing up and pulling me with her by the elbow. "Zoey looks beat. Y'all remember what it was like when you first got here. We're going to go back to our room. I have to study for that vamp sociology test, so I probably won't see you until tomorrow.”
    "Okay, see ya," Damien said. "Zoey, it was really nice to meet you.”
    "Yeah, welcome to Hell High.” Erin and Shaunee said together before Stevie Rae pulled me out of the room.
    "Thanks. I really am tired," I told Stevie Rae as we backtracked through a hall that I was happy to recognize as the one that would lead to the main entrance to the central school building. We paused while a sleek, silver-gray cat chased a smaller, harassed-looking tabby across the hall in front of us.
    "Beelzebub! Leave Cammy alone! Damien is going to rip your fur out!”
    Stevie Rae made a grab for the gray cat and missed, but he did stop chasing the tabby and instead streaked back down the hall the way we had just come. Stevie Rae was frowning after him.
    "Shaunee and Erin need to teach that cat of theirs some manners; he's always up to something.” She glanced at me as we left the building and walked out into the soft, pre-dawn darkness. "That cute little Cameron is Damien's cat. Beelzebub belongs to Erin and Shaunee; he chose both of them―together. Yep. It's as strange as it sounds, but after a little while you'll be like the rest of us and start thinking that they must really be twins.”
    "They seem nice, though.”
    "Oh, they're great. They bicker a lot, but they're totally loyal and will never let anyone talk about you." She grinned. "Okay, they might talk about you, but that's different, and it won't be behind your back.”
    "And I really like Damien.”
    "Damien's sweet, and really smart. I just feel bad for him sometimes, though.”
    "How come?”
    "Well, he had a roommate when he first got here about six months ago, but as soon as the guy found out Damien was gay― hello, it's not like the boy tries to hide it―he complained to Neferet and said he wasn't going to room with a fag.”
    I grimaced. I can't stand homophobes. "And Neferet actually put up with that attitude?”
    "No, she made it clear that the kid―oh, he changed his name to Thor after he got here"―she shook her head and rolled her eyes―"doesn't that just figure? Anyway, Neferet let it be known that Thor was way out of line, and she gave Damien the option of moving into another room by himself or staying with Thor. Damien chose to move. I mean, wouldn't you?”
    I nodded. "Yep. No way would I room with Thor the Homophobe.”
    "That's what we all think, too. So Damien has been in a room by himself since then.”
    "Aren't there any other gay kids here?”
    Stevie Rae shrugged. "There're a few girls who are lesbians and totally out, but even though a couple of them are cool and hang with the rest of us they mostly stick together. They're way into the religious aspect of Goddess worship and spend most of their time in Nyx's Temple. And, of course, there are the moronic party girls who think it's cool to make out with each other, but usually only if some cute guys are watching.”
    I shook my head. "You know, I've never understood why girls think making out with each other is the way to catch a boyfriend. You'd think it would be counterproductive.”
    "Like I want a boyfriend who only thinks I'm hot when I'm kissing some girl? Blech.”
    "What about gay guys?”
    Stevie sighed. "There are a few besides Damien, but they're mostly too weird and girly for him. I feel bad for him. I think he gets pretty lonely. His parents don't write or anything.”
    "The whole vampyre thing freaked them out?”
    "No, they didn't really care about that. Actually, don't say anything to Damien because it hurts his feelings, but I think they were relieved when he was Marked. They didn't know what to do with a son who is gay.”
    "Why did they have to do anything? He's still their son. He just likes guys.”
    "Well, they live in Dallas, and his dad is big into the People of Faith. I think he's some kind of minister or something―”
    I held up my hand. "Stop. You don't have to say another word. I