Mourning Sun Read Free Page B

I knew, Cece," I said. I knew I needed Cecelia's clarity and ability to keep me grounded so I decided to share my dream with her. "I know you don't like the metaphysical stuff, but I've got to tell someone or I'm going to explode."
Cecelia eyed me. "Maire, what's going on?"
     
"I dreamed of him. Mathias I mean. I dreamed about him last night."
     
"Well your dreams are premonitions sometimes, right?"
    "Yeah, but the dream last night took place in the past, not the future. Mathias..." I stopped. Did I dare tell Cecelia the outcome of the dream? I had to, I decided. Someone else had to know what I was dealing with, no matter how selfish it was of me to dump this stuff on her.
"Mathias what, Maire?"
     
"He was a vampire in my dream. And he killed a woman I think was his wife."
    Cecelia shook her head and laughed. "You're kidding, right? You took that seriously? Come on, Maire, you know you've been reading too many novels when you start dreaming about vampires."
I relaxed and laughed with her. Trust Cecelia to be the one to smack me with a reality check. She was always great for keeping me firmly planted in reality, something I really needed in order to balance out the metaphysical mess that was my daily life.
"You're right, Cece. I gotta stop reading that junk before bed."
    Cecelia's reality check might not explain why Mathias had starred in my dream, but it did make me feel better about the vampire part. I mean who didn't think of vampires as dark, mysterious and sexy. Maybe the dream had been somewhat of a premonition that this new boy was coming to our school and my over-charged imagination had superimposed the vampire stuff to amuse my subconscious. I began to feel a bit more normal about the dream and Mathias' appearance as I followed my classmates through the rest of the morning.
    Mathias wasn't in any of my other morning classes. I waited impatiently for him to appear, even giving him fifteen minutes of leeway before admitting defeat. The rumor mill was in full production by the time Cecelia and I headed to the cafeteria for lunch. I heard his name whispered by nearly every group I passed and I caught myself watching for him as we traveled with our classmates through the halls.
Cecelia and I left our books with Thomas, Nate and Janet and joined the throng lined up at the lunch counters.
     
"Did you meet the new guy yet?" I heard a girl in front of us ask her friend.
     
"No, but he's in my English class. Mr. Stevens said his name was something that starts with an M, but I wasn't really paying attention."
     
"Mathias," I said without thinking. Cecelia kicked my ankle. As the girl turned toward us, I realized why.
     
"Oh hell," I thought. It was Stephanie.
     
"Did you say something to me?" she asked.
    "His name is Mathias." Stephanie looked at me as though I'd grown horns. "And what makes you think I care?"
    That was a very good question. I knew every word I said from here on was one more shovelful of dirt from my social grave. Stephanie would not take well to being embarrassed by me about something like the new guy who had snubbed her in English in order to sit near me. The problem was, I couldn't stop myself. It mattered to me that she knew Mathias' name, though I had no idea why. I was about to snap off another ill-conceived retort when I caught sight of someone tall and dark standing beside me.
"I care," his smooth voice was a caress that made me shiver. "It is, after all, my name."
    I looked up to find Mathias leaning in close to me. He flashed a cold, brittle smile to Stephanie before turning his back on her. What had been an icy rebuff for Stephanie turned to a warm, inviting smile when Mathias looked at me.
"Would you care to join me for lunch, Mairin?" he asked.
    "You know you don't have to eat with the losers, Mathias," Stephanie said, desperation making her voice high and whispery. "You'd be welcome to join us at our table."
    Mathias ignored Stephanie and waited for my answer without turning his attention