His body relaxed, sinking into the couch more, leaning closer to me. I leaned in as well, until my right shoulder touched his left. Then I let my eyes flicker over his face. He had tan, clear skin. His lips were a bit chapped but full.

The phone alarm went off, causing him to jump. His cheeks went pink as he reached for his phone.

“Perfect,” I said, backing away. “You felt something, right?”

“Um . . . sure.”

I knew he had. He wouldn’t have blushed otherwise. “And what about me? Did it seem like I felt something?”

“Yes.”

“Well, thank you. That will be very helpful for tomorrow.” And it would be. I hadn’t tried the hand thing on Grant. And I’d make sure we were better about maintaining eye contact.

“Did you?” Donavan asked.

“Did I what?”

“Did you feel something?”

Had I? I’d been concentrating so hard on making him feel that I hadn’t noticed. “No. But that doesn’t matter.”

Donavan picked up the packet off the table and handed it to me. “That was interesting. Now let’s get to work.”

“Can I take off my makeup first?”

“So many excuses.”

“Okay, fine. Packet. What’s another hour being stifled by makeup?”

There was a knock on my door seconds before it swung open, and Faith came in carrying some pink pages. Faith was young, probably in her early twenties. She wore glasses and always had her hair pulled up into a messy bun. “Revision for tomorrow’s scenes.”

“Really?” I took the pages and scanned through my lines. They weren’t much different, so I would be able to memorize the few changes easily.

“Noah said that you need to get something done to your nails tomorrow too, so you need to be here a little earlier.”

“Okay.”

“Is there anything I can do for you?” she asked, looking at Donavan like she was offering to kick him out. I had no idea she was so protective of me.

It was tempting. “I’m good.”

She left, and I glanced at Donavan. I didn’t know him at all, but he didn’t hide irritation well. “Hey, Choir Boy, you took the job.”

“I’m regretting it already.”

I flashed him my stage smile. “You won’t regret it for long. I grow on people.” Or he’d quit.

Dancing Graves

INT. THE GRAHAM MANSION—DAY

BENJAMIN SCOTT tries to fight off a horde of angry zombies who have broken into the mansion. Several make it past him and find SCARLETT and EVELIN hiding in the library. Scarlett takes the poker from the fireplace and attempts to hold them off, swinging it wildly all around. She connects with several, pushing them back for a while. Eventually she is bitten. Evelin escapes unharmed and finds Benjamin.

EVELIN

Come quick! It might be too late!

BENJAMIN

Where is she? Where is Scarlett?

EVELIN

Come.

Benjamin finds Scarlett unconscious in the library. He rushes to Lord Graham’s lab and finds the most recent cure attempt and brings it back to Scarlett. He lifts her head and forces the liquid down her throat, then cradles her to his chest.

BENJAMIN

Don’t leave me. Not like this.

Five

I placed the packet in my dad’s hands. “There. Now you can call off Boy Wonder. Where do you hire these people from anyway? Valedictorians R Us?”

“Is he on track to become a valedictorian?”

“My guess is yes. He takes homework more seriously than any seventeen-year-old should.” I wasn’t even sure he was seventeen. He’d looked about my age, but he’d acted closer to my dad’s.

“Heaven forbid,” Dad said. “But, no, like I said before, he goes to the school that sponsors your independent study. The school you’d go to if you actually went to school.”

So the school recommended him. That made sense. For some reason I had it in my mind that my dad had scoured the city to find the person who looked most like a tutor.

“If I went to school, I’d be going to the one by mom’s house.” I didn’t realize that would hurt his feelings, but I could tell by the look on his face that it did, which made me immediately regret saying it. I was acting like an ungrateful brat. I knew it was because I was tired and stressed. But I also knew it was because he was treating me like a third grader. My mom would’ve trusted me more had she been here. But, like that third grader, I didn’t admit my mistake. Instead, I mumbled, “Going to bed,” and left him standing in the living room.

My phone rang as I was pulling on my pajamas. Mom.

“Hello?”

“Hello, my sweet girl. How are you?”

I immediately felt better at the sound of her voice. I didn’t realize how much I missed her until that moment. “Good,” I said, climbing into bed.

“Just good?” she asked.

“Well . . .” I sat up and adjusted my body against the headboard, settling in to get her advice.

“No,” she said. “Don’t do that.”

“What?”

“Don’t pull on the cords, or the television might fall on you.”

It took me two seconds to realize she was talking to Colby, my little brother. “Do you need to go save him from a television disaster?”

Back to me she said, “No, it’s fine. He’s four; he knows better. He was trying to get his blanket and got the cords with it.”

“I see.”

“Now, what were you saying?”

I started to ask about how to deal with my dad better but stopped myself. That was between me and him. I didn’t need to put her in the middle of it. We’d figure things out. So I asked, “Have I ever had a problem with chemistry?” My mom had spent many hours watching me from behind curtains or front row center.

“What do you mean, hon, I— It’s in the dryer, Sydney! I moved it over last night! It stinks? It probably sat in the washing machine for three days, then. I’ll run them again in a minute.”

A lamp on my desk was in the mode where it projected stars onto my ceiling. I mapped a constellation with my eyes while she continued talking to my sister. “Mom, do you need to go?” I asked when she was quiet again.

“What? No. I want to talk to you.”

I knew she did, but it sounded like she was on edge. “How is everything? You doing okay? You sound busy.”

“You have no idea. Bill just started a new case and it’s taking all his time, and I feel like I’m in the car twenty-four seven. It was nice having you around to help. Plus, Colby and Syd miss you.”

“I miss them too!”

“What am I saying?” Mom said. “I’m not trying to make you feel guilty. I’m so happy for you. I’m dying up here thinking about how much fun you must be having. This is it. Your big break. And with Grant James. You must be in heaven. Are you? In heaven?”

She didn’t need more stress. She didn’t need to know what people were saying about me online. She didn’t need to know that my chemistry was off. After all, everything else seemed fine. I was a great zombie. And this opportunity felt like my mom’s dream as much as mine sometimes and I just wanted her to bask in it. She’d helped me get here. “Yes, Mom, it’s amazing. You should come visit the set sometime. You’d love it.” She really would. It was amazing.