Dangerous Girls Read online

  Dangerous Girls

  A Novel by

  R.L. Stine

  For Robert O. Warren,

  who always asks the right questions,

  even if I don’t always have the right answers!

  Contents

  Part One

  Chapter One: The Most Dangerous Day

  Chapter Two: A Romantic Walk

  Chapter Three: “It Won’t Hurt for Long”

  Chapter Four: “What Does He Want with Me?”

  Chapter Five: “I’ll Follow You Home”

  Part Two

  Chapter Six: “Did She Stay Out of Trouble This Summer?”

  Chapter Seven: She Can’t Stop Screaming

  Chapter Eight: “You Won’t Get Away from Me”

  Chapter Nine: Such a Powerful Craving

  Part Three

  Chapter Ten: “We’ll Get Back to Normal”

  Chapter Eleven: Ari’s Frightening News

  Chapter Twelve: “There’s No Cure”

  Chapter Thirteen: “I Need to Feed”

  Chapter Fourteen: A Snack at the Pool

  Chapter Fifteen: What Does Coach Bauer Know?

  Chapter Sixteen: Anyone Home?

  Chapter Seventeen: “He Won’t Let Me Die”

  Chapter Eighteen: Who Is the Restorer?

  Chapter Nineteen: Ari Strikes Out

  Chapter Twenty: Murdered

  Chapter Twenty-One: Destiny’s New Neighbor

  Chapter Twenty-Two: “You Didn’t Like Bree”

  Chapter Twenty-Three: A Death in the Family

  Chapter Twenty-Four: The Hunters Are Here!

  Chapter Twenty-Five: “Come and Get Me!”

  Chapter Twenty-Six: Is Ari a Hunter?

  Part Four

  Chapter Twenty-Seven: Lorenzo and Laura

  Chapter Twenty-Eight: Laura, Again

  Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Vampire’s Kiss

  Chapter Thirty: Destiny Finds the Restorer

  Chapter Thirty-One: Livvy vs. Courtney

  Chapter Thirty-Two: “Her Blood Was Drained”

  Chapter Thirty-Three: A Valuable Nature Lesson

  Chapter Thirty-Four: A Surprise from Dad

  Chapter Thirty-Five: Is Ross Dangerous?

  Chapter Thirty-Six: Renz Makes a Promise

  Chapter Thirty-Seven: Summer Camp Memories

  Part Five

  Chapter Thirty-Eight: Renz Drinks Deeply

  Chapter Thirty-Nine: Destiny Keeps Her Date with Renz

  Chapter Forty: “At Last”

  Chapter Forty-One: “I Guess I Should Tell You the Truth”

  Chapter Forty-Two: Vanished

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Copyright

  About the Publisher

  Part One

  Chapter One

  The Most Dangerous Day

  Summer can’t be over already. Do I really have to leave Camp Blue Moon?

  That’s what Destiny Weller was thinking on the day she started to become a vampire.

  She watched the yellow bus rumble away, carrying the last of the campers with it. The bus bounced over the narrow dirt road, then turned and disappeared into the trees.

  “Hey, we’re free!” someone yelled. “The little animals are gone!”

  “Party time!”

  “Who has car keys? Can we get a keg? Can we at least get some six-packs?”

  A red afternoon sun was sinking behind the trees. The air suddenly carried a chill, a hint that summer was nearly over.

  Destiny turned and searched for her sister, Livvy. The counselors gathered around the grassy hill that overlooked the road, laughing and joking, hugging each other, celebrating the end of the camp season.

  She spotted Livvy in a circle of girls clustered around Renz. He was flirting with them, hugging them one by one. All the girls adored Renz, and why not?

  He was so good-looking, tall and tanned, with that wavy, black hair, those dark, bedroom eyes—devilish eyes—that irresistible smile. So charming and funny and…grown-up.

  Not like the other guys in camp, Destiny thought. Not like the counselors and junior counselors whose idea of a good time was going skinny-dipping in the lake after lights-out, or putting snakes in each other’s beds.

  Renz was too sophisticated for that.

  Destiny didn’t really know much about him. She knew that his real name was Lorenzo Angelini, and he had just a hint of an Italian accent, which made him even sexier. He had been hired as head waterfront counselor. But when Uncle Bob, the owner of Camp Blue Moon, suddenly took sick just before the kids arrived, Renz became head counselor.

  “I see who you’re staring at.” Nakeisha Johnson came up behind Destiny and grabbed her shoulders, startling her.

  Destiny laughed. “He’s looking good in those tennis whites, isn’t he!”

  “Summer’s too short,” Nakeisha said. “Think I could follow him home? Maybe he’ll adopt me.”

  “Actually, I’m watching my sister,” Destiny said. “Do you believe those short shorts? You can see half her butt.”

  Nakeisha gazed at the crowd of girls around Renz. “Well don’t turn green or anything. You know you’re jealous. Renz spent so much time with Livvy.”

  “All the guys spent time with Livvy,” Destiny replied. She watched Renz give Livvy a farewell hug, holding her close, his hands all over her bare back.

  “Stop shaking your head,” Nakeisha said. “How can identical twins be so different?”

  “I told you. We’re fraternal. Not identical,” Destiny said.

  “Oh. Right. Well, that explains it,” Nakeisha replied, rolling her eyes.

  “I’m fifteen minutes older,” Destiny said. “See. I’ve got to act like the older sister.”

  A yellow jacket buzzed around them. Destiny swatted it away. High in the darkening sky, a flock of honking geese flew in perfect V-formation, making its way from Canada. On the road below, the camp station wagon sped past, tires spinning up dust, jammed with counselors heading to town to buy beer.

  “Everyone’s acting happy, but this is so sad,” Nakeisha said. “Tomorrow we’ll all go our separate ways. I won’t see you anymore.” She turned and wrapped Destiny in a hug.

  Destiny hugged her back. “You’ve been such a good friend. I really am going to miss you.”

  Both girls had tears in their eyes.

  “At least you’re going home to New York,” Destiny said, letting go. She ran a hand through her short, straight blond hair. “Not boring little Dark Springs, Mass.”

  Nakeisha wiped tear stains off her cheeks. “I just got something in my eye, that’s all. It’s not like I hate saying good-bye or anything. You’ve got my e-mail address, right? And my cell number?”

  Destiny nodded. “We can Instant Message each other.”

  “Maybe you can come to New York for Thanksgiving?”

  Destiny laughed. “Yeah, if I win the lottery or something.”

  “Hey, know what? I’ll be doing college visits in September and October. I know I’ll be in Boston. Maybe I can come through Dark Springs.”

  “Excellent!” Destiny said. Over Nakeisha’s shoulder, she saw Livvy, cigarette in hand, lip-locked with Cory Field, one of her many admirers. His arm around her shoulders, Cory began to lead Livvy toward the trees by the lake.

  “Livvy—wait!” Destiny shouted. She took off running. “Hey, Liv—stop!”

  Her sister turned and took a long drag on the cigarette. Cory kept his arm around her. “Hi, Dee. What’s up?” Livvy asked.

  “How’s it going?” Cory said. “Pretty quiet without the kids, huh?”

  Destiny nodded. “Liv, you haven’t started packing,” she said.

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Destiny stared at her sist
er. Livvy did everything she could to look different from her twin. Destiny wore her hair short, so Livvy kept hers long, letting it flow down over her shoulders. Destiny hardly ever wore makeup, just a little blush and lip gloss from time to time. Livvy liked purple or dark red lipstick, and her biggest suitcase this summer had been filled with eye makeup.

  Livvy had one nostril pierced, usually wore three different earrings in each ear, and loved to wear rings on every finger. She wanted to get a butterfly tattoo on her shoulder, but held off, knowing her dad would give her all kinds of grief.

  Destiny would never admit it to anyone, but she secretly admired her sister for having so much style.

  Livvy was always trying to give her a make-over. One night last year when they were juniors, she allowed Livvy to work on her—lipstick, mascara, even streaks in her hair.

  When she had finished, Livvy started to smile. “I don’t think so,” she said, holding her hand over her mouth. “I don’t think so.”

  She turned the mirror to Destiny, and they both started to laugh. They collapsed to the floor, knocking over Livvy’s makeup mirror, laughing until tears rolled down their cheeks.

  Destiny thought about that night often. It was just a few weeks before their mother died, a few weeks before tragedy turned their lives upside down. And it was a night she felt so close to her sister, a night their closeness overcame their many differences.

  Now Livvy tossed her cigarette down and stamped it out with the toe of her sandal. “You’re already packed?” she asked Destiny.

  Destiny nodded. “Well, yeah. Dad and Mikey will be here at the crack of dawn tomorrow. You should get started. Your stuff was spread all over your cabin.”

  Livvy grinned. “I know. I’m a slob.” She and Cory exchanged glances.

  “I’ll help you, if you want,” Destiny offered.

  “Thanks. I’ll do it later. We’re all going to meet by the lake. Did someone tell you? The counselors and the J.C.s. We’re going to stay up all night and get totally trashed.”

  Cory flashed Destiny a thumbs-up and a toothy grin. “Last chance to party.”

  Destiny sighed. “Well, can’t you just pack up first?”

  Livvy snapped at her. “I said later, Mom!” Her expression immediately softened. “Oh. Sorry.”

  But the word hung in the air between them. And they shared the same thought: We don’t have a mom.

  Our mom killed herself last year.

  Livvy squeezed Destiny’s hand. “Sorry, Dee. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Promise,” she said. Then she tugged Cory toward the woods.

  Destiny turned and made her way up the hill to the cabins. The sun had dipped behind the trees. Crickets began to chirp. Renz’s circle of girls had dwindled to two admirers. He raised his eyes to Destiny as she passed, and waved at her.

  Destiny waved back. She saw him watching her as she reached the main lodge at the top of the hill. He’s been watching me all summer, she thought. But he’s never invited me for one of his late-night walks by the lake. I had to hear about them from the other junior counselors.

  And Livvy. Yes, Livvy fell under his spell too. And it’s no secret he spent a lot of time with her.

  Is Nakeisha right? Am I jealous?

  Well, yes.

  She saw a group of counselors building a fire in the campfire circle. Ronnie Herbert, a J.C. Destiny had hung out with—just a friend—came running up, a blue-and-white Camp Blue Moon T-shirt pulled down over his baggy khaki shorts. Ronnie took a scrap of paper from his shorts pocket. “Can I have your e-mail, Destiny? Can we keep in touch?”

  “Of course,” she said. “You know, Providence isn’t that far from Dark Springs. We could meet sometime.”

  “Cool.” Ronnie scribbled down her e-mail address. Then he hugged her. “This is so hard, saying good-bye to everybody.” He turned and saw Nakeisha walking toward the campfire circle. “Hey, Keish, wait up!” He took off after her, waving his slip of paper in the air.

  Destiny made her way past the campers’ cabins, empty and forlorn looking, some of the doors hanging open, revealing the bare bunk beds with their flat, gray mattresses. At the end of the row, she pulled open the door to Iroquois, the cabin she had shared with her campers.

  She spotted a red hair scrunchy on the floor, the only sign that six eight-year-old girls had once lived here. Destiny’s bags were lined up neatly in front of her bunk.

  She sighed. Should I go across to Arapaho and start to pack up Livvy’s stuff? I know Livvy will wait till morning and keep Dad, Mikey, and me waiting.

  She considered it for a second, then decided, No way. That’s her problem. I really am starting to think like a mom.

  It’s my last night at Camp Blue Moon, my last night before I have to go back to the real world—and I’m going to have FUN.

  Destiny changed into jeans and a camp sweatshirt. Then she hurried back outside to help build the fire, unaware of the horror that awaited her.

  Chapter Two

  A Romantic Walk

  By eleven o’clock, the campfire had burned down to a pile of crackling red and purple embers. The beer had run out—a mountain of empty cans poked up over the rim of a metal trash can—and bottles of red wine were being passed around a circle of six or seven counselors.

  Destiny joined a group of junior counselors who had their own circle around their own small fire and were singing the familiar camp songs they had been forced to sing all summer, but adding crude and extremely gross new lyrics. They laughed and hugged each other and sang under the full moon, their faces reflecting the dying firelight.

  Several couples had wandered away from the big campfire to make their way through the trees to the lake. Destiny saw Livvy disappear into the woods again with Cory Field.

  “Good night. I’m outta here. Gonna get my beauty sleep.” Nakeisha crushed a Coke can in her hand and tossed it onto the pile of cans in the trash. “Catch you in the morning, Dee. Don’t leave without saying good-bye, okay?”

  Destiny laughed. “We’ve already said good-bye twelve times!” She watched her friend climb the hill to the cabins.

  I’m going to catch some sleep too, Destiny decided. I know Dad and Mikey will be here at six A.M. on the dot.

  She waved good night to her friends, climbed to her feet, and began to walk to her cabin. She was halfway up the hill when a figure stepped out of the shadows and blocked her path.

  “Renz. Hi,” Destiny said, nearly walking into him.

  “I’ve been looking for you,” he said softly.

  “Really? Me?” She could feel her cheeks growing hot. Don’t sound like such a jerk.

  His smile was dazzling, even in the darkness. She could feel his eyes burn into hers. “It’s still early. You’re not checking out, are you?”

  “Well…”

  He took her hand. “Want to take a walk? Down by the lake? We haven’t had a chance to talk for a long time.”

  “Yes. Okay,” she heard herself say.

  Renz squeezed her hand. “Good,” he whispered.

  He slid his arm around Destiny’s shoulders and guided her down the hill. He pointed at some counselors dancing around the dying fire. “Have you ever seen such bad dancing? It’s a good thing it’s dark and they can’t really see each other.”

  Destiny frowned. “They’ve had too many beers to care.”

  He stared hard at her. “You don’t like to drink?”

  She shook her head. “One beer and I start giggling like a ten-year-old.”

  Why am I telling him this?

  She followed him down the grassy hill to the narrow dirt path that led through the trees. “Isn’t it a beautiful night?” He pulled her close as they walked. “But also a sad night. No one wants to go home.”

  “It was an awesome summer,” she replied. “Livvy and I…we had a very bad year. Camp was the perfect escape.”

  Renz lowered his hand from her shoulders and slid it around her waist. “You want to escape from your home?”

  He he
lped her over a fallen log. They followed the path past a row of low pine shrubs. “No. Of course not,” she said. “I’m looking forward to going back. You know. Senior year and everything.”

  “It’s so nice down here,” he said softly, bringing his face close to hers. “The pine needles smell so fresh, and I love the way the lake glows under the moonlight. Let’s pretend we’re not going home tomorrow, Destiny. Let’s pretend we’re going to stay here in the woods forever.”

  She laughed.

  Is he for real?

  He led her to a broad tree stump near the water, and they sat down. The lake shimmered like silver under the light of the pale full moon. He wrapped his hands around hers and held them in her lap.

  My hands are ice cold. Can he tell how nervous I am?

  “The lake looks beautiful without a hundred screaming kids splashing around in it,” she said.

  He flashed her his dazzling smile. “I’ve been watching you all summer,” he whispered.

  She raised her eyes to his. “You have?”

  “I hoped we would be able to spend time getting to know one another.”

  Destiny rolled her eyes. “It’s the last night of camp, Renz. What makes me think I was the last girl on your list?”

  He didn’t answer. Instead, he placed a hand gently under her chin, brought her face to his, and kissed her.

  A short kiss, but sweet.

  Destiny blinked. “You’re very nice,” she said. “But I know you’ve brought every female counselor and J.C. down here this summer.”