Chapter 1: The Question

If someone had told Gabe how his story was going to end, he never would’ve joined his best friend on his dangerous quest.

It all started when they were in fifth-period math class. Gabe was sitting next to Charlie, who was pulling the fake textbook maneuver. You know, the one where you put a small book inside the pages of a large textbook, so the teacher thinks you’re paying attention, but you’re actually reading something fun. Charlie pulled this maneuver a lot, meaning Gabe had to take all the notes for him to copy later.

Something he did because Charlie was his best friend, and best friends sometimes did things for each other they didn’t want to do. Like the time Charlie defended him against the bully who called him taco boy. The bully had been six inches taller than Charlie, but he wouldn’t let anyone call Gabe rude names.

Just like Gabe wouldn’t let Charlie fail 7th-grade math. He checked the whiteboard and scribbled the rest of the equation before Ms. Jadyson could erase it. He was almost finished when Charlie hit his side.

“Hey, Gabe?” he whispered. Gabe shushed him. He was having a good day and didn’t want to ruin it by being sent to detention for talking during class.

Charlie didn’t care. He leaned closer to Gabe and whispered, “I have an important question to ask you later.”

Okay, that got Gabe’s attention. It also made him nervous. Charlie probably had some dumb idea that was going to get them both in trouble.

“Whatever it is, no,” Gabe said.

Their teacher turned and gave them a stern look. Charlie and Gabe sat up straight in their seats and pretended to pay attention until Ms. Jadyson turned back to the board.

Charlie leaned over again. “You don’t even know what I’m going to ask you.”

“Stop talking,” Gabe whispered. He pushed Charlie away and tried to give his attention to the next equation. It was not easy. Charlie kept staring at him, wiggling his eyebrows.

Gabe ground his teeth. He loved his best friend, but sometimes he could drive him crazy.

Charlie put his textbook down, pulled his notebook out of his backpack, and started scribbling. He ripped the page out of his notebook, folded it into a square, and slid it to Gabe.

Gabe slid it back.

Charlie slid it back again.

Gabe grabbed the note and shoved it in his pocket. He didn’t care what it said. He wanted to finish the last five minutes of class without getting in trouble. Charlie could hold off for just five more minutes.

Charlie scribbled on another sheet of paper, tore it out, and again folded it and slid it to Gabe.

Gabe groaned, making everyone in the room turn to stare at him. He slapped his hand over his mouth, dying of embarrassment.

Ms. Jadyson’s eyes went to the note between the two boys. She frowned as she walked over to the table, her high heels clacking with every slow step, and picked up the folded paper.

She turned to Gabe, shook her head, and said, “Honestly, I expected more from you. Since this is rare, I’ll give you one warning, but if I see you passing notes again, I’ll have to give you both detention.” She turned to Charlie. “Understood?”

They nodded.

She turned back to the whiteboard. Gabe stared daggers at Charlie until the bell began to ring.

Gabe shoved his books in his bag and headed towards the hallway. Luckily, Charlie wasn’t in either of his last two classes, so there was no chance he could get him into trouble.

Well, maybe a little chance. Charlie could get anyone in trouble.

“Gabe!” Charlie shouted.

Gabe pushed himself through the group of middle schoolers, hoping to get lost in the crowd. Charlie’s shouts were drowned out by the other students trying to have quick conversations between classes.

Gabe got to his next class, English, three minutes before the bell rang. He sat in his usual seat and tapped his fingers on the desk.

That’s when he remembered the note in his pocket.

He tried not to think about it. Whatever was written was probably something that was going to get him in trouble, and if he got in trouble, he would get detention. If he got detention, he would have to miss baseball practice. If he missed baseball practice, he would have to explain to his parents why he missed baseball practice, and that would lead to them finding out he’d gotten in trouble—which was why he couldn’t read the note.

He glanced at the clock. Twenty-seven seconds had passed since he’d sat down. Two minutes and thirty-three seconds were left until his class started, then he would be distracted and wouldn’t think about the note.

Another twelve seconds went by before he’d had enough.

There was no way a note could get him in trouble. He could read the note, and when he knew what his ridiculous friend wanted to ask him, he would be able to relax.

He slipped the note out of his khakis and unfolded it. Written, in terrible handwriting, were the words:

‘I’ll tell you after school. Can’t risk this note getting in the wrong hands. Be prepared.’

Gabe sighed and rested his head on the desk. Great.

A thousand thoughts ran through his mind as his English teacher explained their essay assignment.

Maybe he wanted to ask if Gabe would come with him to his gymnastics tournament that weekend? Charlie never talked about Gymnastics at school because kids made fun of him for it.

But that wouldn’t be something he needed to be prepared for. He’d been to many of Charlie’s tournaments.

Gabe’s stomach turned. Maybe Charlie was sick. Maybe he needed a kidney or part of Gabe’s liver.

No, that didn’t make sense either. Of course Gabe would give Charlie his kidney, but he didn’t look sick enough to need a new one.

By the end of English class, he had gone through every possible question Charlie could ask, but none made sense. He would have to wait until they got to the buses.

After Science, he ran to the bus he and Charlie took to the community center. Charlie was already on, sitting in their usual seat in the middle row.

He was still reading the book from Math class. He was almost done, meaning he’d read it through his last two classes. Gabe had no idea how Charlie was passing any class where he wasn’t right next to him, taking notes for them.

Gabe shoved himself in their seat and said, “Okay, now that school’s over, ask me. Ask me the big, important, no one can know, question.”

Charlie glanced around. There were at least thirty other kids on the bus.

“Not here. Later. After practice.”

Gabe wanted to punch the seat in front of him. He was so frustrated Charlie wouldn’t just ask him, but he couldn’t force his friend to speak, so he crossed his arms and sat in silence for the hour-long bus ride.

When they got to the community center, they went their separate ways. Charlie walked a few blocks to his gymnastics studio while Gabe went behind the center for baseball.

Gabe was not good at baseball. Scratch that—he was horrible! But his father was excellent at it, so he signed Gabe up every spring and fall, hoping the boy would get better with practice.

He never did.

This practice was even worse because his mind was on what Charlie wanted to ask him. He didn’t even swing at the ball when the coach pitched to him, and he got hit in the knee when he was supposed to be guarding second base.

“Have a good evening, Gabe!” his coach shouted as Gabe limped away. He didn’t seem to notice Gabe was distracted all practice, which showed just how bad he usually performed.

He walked a few blocks, ignoring the growing pain in his swollen knee. He got to the gymnastics center as Charlie was walking out backward, waving to his group.

“Bye, Jase. Bye, Tamika. Bye, La-Hey!” Charlie shouted as Gabe pulled him away from the door. “That was rude.”

Gabe dragged Charlie until they were many feet away from the building and anyone who could listen.

“Okay, ask me. What is so big that you’ve made me wait all afternoon?” Gabe asked, his fingers tapping his leg.

Charlie shook his head. “Not here. At my house.”

Gabe stood firm. “No. Here. Now. Ask me.”

Charlie turned down the sidewalk and kept walking to his house like he knew Gabe would follow.

He did.

Finally, after another seventeen agonizing minutes, they arrived at Charlie’s house.

Charlie wanted to stop by the kitchen first for a snack, but Gabe couldn’t wait a moment longer. He was about to pee himself.

He grabbed Charlie’s hand and dragged him up the stairs. He pushed Charlie into his room and shut the door behind them.

Charlie ran over to his blinds and closed them as though they were being watched by the F.B.I. and their lips could be read.

Charlie opened his desk drawer. “Duct tape, duct tape. Where did I put the duct tape?”

Gabe shoved Charlie onto his bed.

“ASK ME NOW!” Gabe screamed in an octave he’d never used before.

Charlie grinned.

“Okay, but if I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone else, okay?”

Gabe nodded so fast his neck hurt.

“In order to ask you this question, you need to know something first.” Charlie placed his hands on Gabe’s shoulders and looked him dead in the eye. “I come from a family of vampires.”