Marked

to me. "Here's your schedule. We have third hour and fifth hour together. And check out the list of electives you have for second hour. You can choose from any of them.”
    My name was at the top of the schedule, printed in bold letters, ZOEY REDBIRD, ENTERING THIRD FORMER, as well as the date, which was five (?!) days before the Tracker had Marked me.
    1st hour―Vampyre Sociology 101. Rm. 215. Prof. Neferet
    2nd hour―Drama 101. Performing Arts Center. Prof. Nolan
    or
    Sketching 101. Rm. 312. Prof. Doner
    or
    Intro to Music. Rm. 314. Prof. Vento
    3rd hour―Lit 101. Rm. 214. Prof. Penthesilea
    4th hour―Fencing. Gymnasium. Prof. D. Lankford
    LUNCH BREAK
    5th hour―Spanish 101. Rm. 216. Prof. Garmy
    6th hour―Intro to Equestrian Studies. Field House. Prof. Lenobia
    "No geometry?" I blurted, totally overwhelmed by the schedule, but trying to keep a positive attitude.
    "No, thankfully. Next semester we'll have to take economics, though. But that couldn't be as bad.”
    "Fencing? Intro to Equestrian Studies?”
    "I told you they like to keep us in shape. Fencing's okay, even though it's hard. I'm not very good at it, but you do get paired with upperclassmen a lot―kind of like peer instructors, and I'm just sayin', some of those boys are just plain hot! I'm not taking the horse class this semester―they put me in Tae Kwan Do. And I have to tell ya, I love it!”
    "Really?" I said doubtfully. Wonder what the horse class would be like?
    "Yep. Which elective are you going to pick?”
    I glanced back down the list. "Which one are you taking?”
    "Intro to Music. Professor Vento is cool, and I, uh…" Stevie Rae grinned and blushed. "I want to be a country music star. I mean, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, and Shania Twain are all vamps―and that's just three of them. Heck, Garth Brooks grew up right here in Oklahoma and you know he's the biggest vamp of them all. So I don't see why I can't be one, too.”
    "Makes perfect sense to me," I said. Why not?
    "You want to take music with me?”
    "That'd be fun if I could sing or play anything resembling an instrument. I can't.”
    "Oh, well, maybe not then.”
    "Actually, I was thinking about the drama class. I was in drama at SIHS, and I liked it okay. Do you know anything about Prof. Nolan?”
    "Yeah, she's from Texas and has a major accent, but she studied drama in New York and everyone likes her.”
    I almost laughed out loud when Stevie Rae mentioned Prof. Nolan's accent. The girl twanged so bad she sounded like an ad for a trailer park, but no way was I gonna hurt her feelings by mentioning it.
    "Well, then drama it is.”
    "Okay, grab your schedule and let's go. Hey," she said as we hurried out of the room and skipped down the stairs, "maybe you'll be the next Nicole Kidman!”
    Well, I guess being the next Nicole Kidman wouldn't be bad (not that I plan on marrying and then divorcing a manic short guy). Now that Stevie Rae mentioned it, I hadn't really thought much about my future career since the Tracker had thrown my life into complete chaos, but now that I was actually thinking about it I still really wanted to be a veterinarian.
    An obese long-haired black and white cat sprinted down the steps in front of us chasing a cat that looked like its clone. With all these cats you'd think that there would definitely be a need for vamp vets. (Hee hee…vamp vets…I could call my clinic Vamp Vets, and the ads would read: "We'll take your blood for free!")
    The kitchen and living room were crowded with girls eating and talking and hurrying around. I tried to return some of the hellos I was getting as Stevie Rae introduced me to what seemed like an impossibly confusing stream of girls and keep my concentration on finding a box of Count Chocula. Just when I was starting to worry, I found it, hidden behind several massive boxes of Frosted Flakes (not a bad second choice, but, well, they're not chocolate and they don't have any yummy little marshmallows). Stevie Rae poured a quick bowl of Lucky Charms, and we perched at the kitchen table, eating fast.
    "Hi, Zoey!”
    That voice. I knew who it was before I saw Stevie Rae duck her head and stare into her cereal bowl.
    "Hi, Aphrodite," I said, trying to sound neutral.
    "In case I don't see you later I wanted to be sure you know where to go tonight. The Dark Daughters' Full Moon Ritual will start at four A.M., right after the school's ritual. You'll miss dinner, but don't worry about that. We'll feed you. Oh, it's in the rec hall