Page 98 of Foes & Cons
“I . . . I . . .” I say, looking from him to the others, vaguely aware of the accusation but more focused on what Vivian was saying about me. “Sorry, I . . .”
“You were growling!” he whines, a steward appearing at his side with a wad of tissues.
I know this is one of those moments where Roxy would reel me in, but Roxy isn’t here, so I storm over to Vivian.
“What are you saying about me?” I demand, my hands shaking.
“Nothing, Eliza,” says Charlie, stepping back a little. “We were just—”
“I saw her say my name,” I say, my voice wobbling. “What did you say about me?!”
Vivian looks down at me, biting her lip. A display of guilt if ever I saw one.
“She didn’t say anything, Eliza.”
“I’m not stupid,” I snap at Charlie. “Isawher.”
Vivian shakes her head and puts her hand on Charlie’s arm.
“I . . . I overheard something,” says Charlie, looking everywhere apart from at me. “More than once. From the stewards. The guys backstage.”
“Aboutme?”
He shakes his head and rubs the back of his hair, then looks at Vivian.
“Just tell her, Charlie,” she says, her voice soft.
“I can’t,” he says, looking at the ground.
“Tell me what?” I say.
Vivian slowly takes the double-bladed sword from my hands, then Charlie nods at her and looks back at me, his brown eyes empty, like the bottom of a well.“They’ve been saying . . . this is the lastVampire Fallsconvention, Eliza.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
BUD LEROY
I don’t feel anything, Lils. What’s happening to me?
Vampire Falls. Season five, episode twenty-two – “Can’t Be Real”
“What do you mean,” I say, “this is the last convention?!”
IthoughtI’d lowered my voice, but I had not. I’d done the opposite of lowering. The room pauses and turns my way, murmurs of confusion or upset, but even though I’ve just said the words out loud, I feel nothing. I’m obviously dead inside because what do I have to live for if this is actually true and my convention and these people and these actors aren’t here waiting for me, once a year, arms wide open?
People in the workshop overhear and fire questions at Charlie, who of course doesn’t have the answers they want. Suddenly, the room swirls into a maelstrom of noise and heat, and I lean over, putting my head in my hands.
“Are you OK?” someone asks, a gentle hand on my back.
I peek through my fingers. It’s Vivian, but I have few options right now.
“I feel sick,” I groan.
“You gonna vom?”
I shake my head, but she hands me a bottle of water. The questions and voices suddenly turn up a notch and I look from my braced-to-puke position. Felix has just walked in. He spots me, tilts his head to the side as he takes in my current status, then gives me a little wave.
“Eliza, I’ve been looking for . . .” he starts, heading towards me.
