it was better than exploding into ashes。 I should have been thinking like Diego was。 Thinking about something other than blood； that is。 I should have been prepared for the unexpected。 Diego kept going through a narrow crevice in the rocks。 It was black as ink in here。 Safe。 I couldn’t swim anymore the space was too tightso I scrambled through like Diego； climbing through the twisting space。 I kept waiting for him to stop； but he didn’t。 Suddenly I realized that we really were going up。 And then I heard Diego hit the surface。 I was out a half second after he was。 The cave was no more than a small hole； a burrow about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle； though not as tall as that。 A second crawl space led out the back； and I could taste the fresh air ing from that direction。 I could see the shape of Diego’s fingers repeated again and again in the texture of the limestone walls。 “Nice place；” I said。 Diego smiled。 “Better than Freaky Fred’s backside。” “I can’t argue with that。 Um。 Thanks。” “You’re wele。” We looked at each other in the dark for a minute。 His face was smooth and calm。 With anyone else； Kevin or Kristie or any of the others； this would have been terrifying the constricted
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space； the forced closeness。 The way I could smell his scent on every side of me。 That could have meant a quick and painful death at any second。 But Diego was so posed。 Not like anyone else。 “How old are you？” he asked abruptly。 “Three months。 I told you that。” “That’s not what I meant。 Um； how old were you？ I guess that’s the right way to ask。” I leaned away； unfortable； when I realized he was talking about human stuff。 Nobody talked about that。 Nobody wanted to think about it。 But I didn’t want to end the conversation； either。 Just having a conversation at all was something new and different。 I hesitated； and he waited with a curious expression。 “I was； um； I guess fifteen。 Almost sixteen。 I can’t remember the day… was I past my birthday？” I tried to think about it； but those last hungry weeks were a big blur； and it hurt my head in a weird way to try to clear them up。 I shook my head； let it go。 “How about you？” “I was just past my eighteenth；” Diego said。 “So close。” “Close to what？” “Getting out；” he said； but he didn’t continue。 There was an awkward silence for a minute； and then he changed the subject。 “You’ve done really well since you got here；” he said； his eyes sweeping across my crossed arms； my folded legs。 “You’ve survived avoided the wrong kind of attention； kept intact。” I shrugged and then yanked my left tshirt sleeve up to my shoulder so he could see the thin； ragged line that circled my
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arm。 “Got this ripped off once；” I admitted。 “Got it back before Jen could toast it。 Riley showed me how to put it back on。” Diego smiled wryly and touched his right knee with one finger。 His dark jeans covered the scar that must have been there。 “It happens to everybody。” “Ouch；” I said。 He nodded。 “Seriously。 But like I was saying before； you’re a pretty decent vampire。” “Am I supposed to say thanks？” “I’m just thinking out loud； trying to make sense of things。” “What things？” He frowned a little。 “What’s really going on。 What Riley’s up to。 Why he keeps bringing the most random kids to her。 Why it doesn’t seem to matter to Riley if it’s someone like you or if it’s someone like that idiot Kevin。” It sounded like he didn’t know Riley any better than I did。 “What do you mean； someone like me？” I asked。 “You’re the kind that Riley should be looking for the smart ones not just these stupid gangbangers that Raoul keeps bringing in。 I bet you weren’t some junkie ho when you were human。” I shifted uneasily at the last word。 Diego kept waiting for my answer； like he hadn’t said anything weird。 I took a deep breath and thought back。 “I was close enough；” I admitted after a few seconds of his patient watching。 “Not there yet； but in a few more weeks…” I shrugged。 “You know； I don’t remember much； but I do
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remember thinking there was nothing more powerful on this pla than just plain old hunger。 Turns out； thirst is worst。” He laughed。 “Sing it； sister。” “What about you？ You weren’t a troubled teen runaway like the rest of us？” “Oh； I was troubled； all right。” He stopped talking。 But I could sit around and wait for the answers to inappropriate questions； too。 I just stared at him。 He sighed。 The scent of his breath was nice。 Everybody smelled sweet； but Diego had a little something extra some spice like cinnamon or cloves。 “I tried to stay away from all that junk。 Studied hard。 I was gonna get out of the ghetto； you know。 Go to college。 Make something of myself。 But there was a guy not much different than Raoul。 Join or die； that was his motto。 I wasn’t having any； so I stayed away from his group。 I was careful。 Stayed alive。” He stopped； closing his eyes。 I wasn’t done being pushy。 “And？” “My kid brother wasn’t as careful。” I was about to ask if his brother had joined or died； but the expression on his face made asking unnecessary。 I looked away； not sure how to respond。 I couldn’t really understand his loss； the pain it still clearly caused him to feel。 I hadn’t left anything behind that I still missed。 Was that the difference？ Was that why he dwelled on memories that the rest of us shunned？ I still didn’t see how Riley came into this。 Riley and the cheeseburger of pain。 I wanted that part of the story； but now I felt bad for pushing him to answer。
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Lucky for my curiosity； Diego kept going after a minute。 “I kind of lost it。 Stole a gun from a friend and went hunting。” He chuckled darkly。 “Wasn’t as good at it then。 But I got the guy that got my brother before they got me。 The rest of his crew had me cornered in an alley。 Then； suddenly； Riley was there； between me and them。 I remember thinking he was the whitest guy I’d ever seen。 He didn’t even look at the others when they shot him。 Like the bullets were flies。 You know what he said to me？ He said； ‘Want a new life； kid？’” “Hah！” I laughed。 “That’s way better than mine。 All I got was； ‘Want a burger； kid？’” I still remembered how Riley’d looked that night； though the image was all blurry because my eyes’d sucked back then。 He was the hottest boy I’d ever seen； tall and blond and perfect； every feature。 I knew his eyes must be just as beautiful behind the dark sunglasses he never took off。 And his voice was so gentle； so kind。 I figured I knew what he would want in exchange for the meal； and I would have given it to him； too。 Not because he was so pretty to look at； but because I hadn’t eaten anything but trash for two weeks。 It turned out he wanted something else； though。 Diego laughed at the burger line。 “You must have been pretty hungry。” “Damn straight。” “So why were you so hungry？” “Because I was stupid and ran away before I had a driver’s license。 I couldn’t get a real job； and I was a bad thief。” “What were you running from？”
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I hesitated。 The memories were a little more clear as I focused on them； and I wasn’t sure I wanted that。 “Oh； c’m