We're just weeks away from the release of
Hampire: A (Sorta) Love Story!
Get to know plucky (but unlucky in love) Sarah!
Sarah Smith is having a rough week. High school is over. She doesn't have a job, a boyfriend, or any future plans--and her two flighty friends are suddenly the responsible ones.
But her luck may be changing after she lands a job at a rustic museum...and finds something more valuable than history lurking in the basement. #Hampire
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“Sarah?” A familiar face peaked outside
the glass door to the patio. It was Gash.
Mom
opened the door. “Sidney, do you know how to use the front door?”
She
regarded Nannette’s question like a riddle. “It takes away the element of
surprise.”
I
stepped around Mom. “We’ll be just outside.”
I
could hear her murmuring to herself…probably her disappointment that I hadn’t
somehow managed to get rid of the two friends I had for people more Nannette-like.
“Is
your mom still riding your ass?”
“Not
so much anymore—I got a job!”
“No
shit! That’s great! Super-Ups or somewhere else?”
At
least Gash never lacked enthusiasm. “I’m working at the old museum on Main
Street. Night shift duty.”
She
pulled out a cigarette and lit it. “See? Things always work out.”
I
nodded, then ushered Gash away from the glass—away from Nannette’s sight.
“Yeah, and now if I could just get cooler
friends, things might work out.”
“Cooler
friends? What’s wrong with me? Beej is tiring, but I’m totes awesome.”
I
decided to deflect. “Maybe if I had a guy friend around…”
“Well,
that’s probably a good idea. I mean, you’ve never had a boyfriend—”
“Hey!”
“Come
on! I’m not being an ass. And it’s not as if you haven’t tried...”
Twice—and only
twice—I ventured out on a date. The first was with Powell Gardner. He was
beautiful. He was on the football team. His arms were like two big slabs of
meat. And he asked me, plain Sarah Smith, to go out with him. I couldn’t
believe it.
So, one night we
went to Applebee’s.
Gash
and Bennie spent an hour dolling me up. They were both impressed that Powell
Gardner—king of high school—took notice in me.
It was like a Cinderella story, only it was mine.
Then,
an hour after our entrees arrived (I had the bourbon chicken; he had the
sampler platter), he got quiet. He started to sweat. I barely had the courage to
talk to him in school, and suddenly I was trying to find a classy way of asking
what was wrong. But then he blurted it out.
“I’m
sorry, I can’t do this.” He said, drops of sweat falling off his face and onto
what remained of his chicken wings. “It’s not you—I mean, honestly, it’s not you.” He laughed softly. “It’s…it’s Mitch.
I love him. I thought I could just make myself...” He looked at me and started
to cry. “Oh, God! Mitch!”
The
date was over. At school, Powell ignored me entirely. He came out the summer
before our senior year. He seemed happy. So did Mitch.
I
was humiliated, but it had only been one date. I could get over one bad date.
Will
Simpkins had asked me out in the fall. He was quiet, but sweet. He had a geeky
way about him, but he was muscular and not scrawny—and muscles were always my
weakness. Those meat slabs…
I
didn’t tell the girls about Will initially. I pretended like it was no big
deal. Inwardly, I was nervous and excited. Being plain Sarah Smith was
boring—and when a guy took notice, I would float on cloud nine for months.
So
when I met Will at the bowling alley, I thought he looked good. Tight jeans, a
Star Wars t-shirt, and some nice cologne. He was sooo sweet, and he paid for my
nachos.
Then
midway through our first game, he pretended to go to the bathroom. When I went
to search for him, he had left a note at the refreshment stand. “Can’t do this. Still love Powell.” I
never saw Will again.
I
couldn’t believe it had happened twice. Was I the safe straight girl that gay guys were drawn to? It seemed statistically
impossible that gay lightning would strike twice, but it had.
I
ran to Gash’s house and cried on her bed that night.
And
that was the last time I had even remotely pretended to be interested in
finding a boyfriend. Maybe luck would change after high school.
Except
I had no plan.
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#Hampire #NewAdult #Horror #Paranormal #fiction
