Vampire Health Inspector 3

My favorite part of inspecting Bloody Sundae was the ease at which I did it. I really only needed to check the temperatures of all the freezers then I could be on my merry undead way. The free samples were just what I liked to call an added bonus. It took less than an hour to check the freezers and randomly temp some of their ingredients. Everything was up to code, all I had left to do was check on the walk in cooler where the ice cream was kept in the back of the store.
I quickly sampled the marshmallow sauce Gertrude had been working on when I walked into the back, thinking it was just too sweet. The smell of sugar was overpowering in the small space. I imagined working in a candy factory like the one in my hometown would smell like this. I no longer envied the men and women who worked the production line there, like I had when I was younger.
The prep tables and boxes of dry product created a maze on my way to the freezer against the far wall of the shop. The sickeningly sweet smell of the marshmallow sauce mellowed the further back I went. My nose scrunched up involuntarily as a distinct unpleasant smell hit my senses. It was the same scent I had smelled at Bloody Mary’s. I knew it was coming from the big freezer but I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what the cause was anymore…
I read far too much as a child, teenager, and adult, even. My mind was racing with crazy ideas about what could be causing the putrid scent. I took a steadying breath and looked at the temperature on the outside of the ice cream freezer. It was seventeen below, perfect for storing and preventing freezer burn on the ice cream. I went to open the door and found it was wrapped in a large silver chain with a large padlock. I laughed a little to myself at the paranoia of it all. Gertrude and Maribelle couldn’t seriously believe that someone would try to steal their ice cream.
In the back of my mind I knew it was likely so much more. The smell in both places plus Marcella’s random appearance here couldn’t be a coincidence. I decided today that I didn’t want to be the proverbial cat, even if I was already dead. I walked back to the front of the store and let Maribelle know I was giving them a clean bill of health. I declined her offer of a sundae, the nagging in my head wouldn’t even entertain the idea of it at that moment.

Chapter 6:
Real Vampires DOn’t Wear Flower Crowns

Twice a year every member of the community was required to attend a semi-formal event with the other undead in their region. A council member would come in and preside over the event. It should have been a fun, exciting experience akin to prom. It was more like an awkward sadie hawkins dance with the well known strict parent chaperoning. Normally I look forward to dressing up and going out, even if it meant sitting through hours of lectures, half of which were irrelevant. This year I had other things on my mind, mostly that I didn’t have a date, I feared I’d look like the girl leaning alone against the bleachers at the homecoming dance watching the fun. I tried to focus on that instead of the intense curiosity I was continuing to harbor about the spoiled blood smell.
I stood in front of the mirror rotating dresses in front of myself, unsure of what to wear. One of the more handy vampire tricks I had developed was a small bit of telekinesis, sure I could only move lightweight objects, like my dresses tonight, but it was something. I was stuck between three, my indecisive nature came over along with my other bad habits. I heard a shrill shriek of frustration come from across the hall and realized I wasn’t the only one with dress issues.
I wandered into my roommate’s bedroom, unsurprised when I found her standing in nothing but a nude strapless bra and matching thong. Bella was drop-dead gorgeous, pun intended. It was almost as if she had planned to go from just a donor to a full fledged vampire when she had been turned. Her skin was the kind of natural pale that looked like magic with her halo of blue-black curls and super model curves. Sometimes, I hated my gorgeous roommate… Then she opened her mouth. “EVie!” It no longer bothered me when she shortened my name. A year ago it made me want to rip her curls out one by one. “I have nothing to wear! Everything either looks like my grandmother found it at a discount store and declared it ‘just darling’ on me or gives me the appearance of a flat chested seventh grade girl. ”
I rolled my eyes skyward at the dramatics. It was true, Bella didn’t possess my ample cleavage, but her tall frame and soft curves made up for it. I could swear the only fat the girl had on her body was her average B cups. “Arabella Madeline, you couldn’t look like a seventh grader even if you tried. What happened to that purple frock you blew half your rent money on a week ago?” She had the good grace to look momentarily sheepish, ducking her head and looking anywhere but my face. “Yeah, I know about that. I also know that you have a fabulous, generous roommate who happens to have the perfect shoes to go with it.”
I walked back to my room, knowing when I came back she’d be clothed in the very dress I had mentioned. My jaw nearly dropped when she had originally shown it to me, but even I had to admit the dress was stellar. It was the perfect mix of classy and sassy, a deep plum with a corset back and pale gold lace covering the bodice. Bella liked her clothes short and tight, this dress was just that, perfect for showing off her legs that seemed to go on for miles. I spent a few minutes digging around my closet to find the pale gold peep toe platforms I was thinking of, they had just the right amount of shimmer to pull the dress together.
I tossed them into Bella’s room, not bothering to look and see if she had put on the dress I had suggested. I went back to staring at my options. I worried that no matter what I put on I wasn’t going to compare to the classical beauty of my room mate. I eliminated a short navy dress that featured a peplum and large white polka dots. It screamed soccer mom, not foxy minx, ready to mingle. It was down to a simple black dress, I loved the one sheer sleeve that billowed and narrowed at my wrist in a bracelet-like effect with shiny black and silver beads. The sweetheart neckline and knee length skirt balanced out the dress, leaving me with an hourglass shape I adored. My other choice was more fun, a spaghetti strap with a plain, pale blue top and empire waist that ended just under my chest, giving way to a silk, pleated skirt featuring a beautiful blue and green floral pattern.
I had been playing with the curling iron for hours and finally managed to wrangle my hair into a pretty updo with twists on the side and random tendrils in my face, the rest kept in a soft bun at the nape of my neck. I put on the blue number, deciding to be true to myself, wondering how a flower crown would look. I slipped into a pair of pale blue, glitter covered slingbacks and appraised myself in the mirror. On an impulse I grabbed a sweet blue and white flower crown from the overflowing pile of accessories on my dresser, slipping it on my head and tucking the stretchy band part under my twists.
The click of my heels on Bella’s feet as she made her way down the hallway made me glance at the clock. It seemed that no matter how hard we tried Bella and I were always late to these things. Tonight was no exception, we were already twenty minutes late and we hadn’t even left the apartment yet. I could practically feel the awkward stares. At the end of the day vampire or human, women are women and they are just plain catty.
“We’re going to be late again,” my roommate declared as she slipped a house key and a tube of glittery peach lip gloss into her small gold clutch. “Serena is going to have a field day with you and that flower crown.” I glanced at my reflection in my compact mirror one last time, suddenly self aware of my outfit.
“Serena always has a field day with my outfits. She’s the Regina George of vampire kind. I think I’ll live if she thinks my flowers are ‘so 2005,’ babe.” I rolled my eyes, hoping to hide the discomfort I felt at seeing Serena again. I had gotten too comfortable with only seeing her only once every few months. I knew that Serena was going to be there tonight but I had planned to avoid her, and her minions for that matter.
“Can we please get a move on it now, your highness?” I laughed at my roommates endearment choice. Bella was convinced I looked just like the new head of the council. I had never seen him but he was rumored to be exceedingly powerful for such a young vampire. It was still unclear how he had managed to climb the ranks so quickly. Apparently Dawson, yes like the creek, was going to grace us with his presence at tonight’s shindig and we were all expected to bow down and make it clear that we accepted his rule. Have I mentioned how much I hate vampire politics? I sometimes feel like the council is equal to a spiritual leader; no one really knows how they got there, it’s just an accepted truth that they were in charge. Democracy was too modern for vampire kind.
Bi-annual meetings generally called for opulence and tonight was no exception to the rule. By the time we made it to the ballroom where the meeting was being held this time the party was in full swing. Bella and I entered arm in arm, like a pair of best friends on a teenage drama with a little extra bite. I stopped short for a moment, attempting to take it all in.
Everywhere I looked was something more over the top than the last place I had been looking. The ballroom featured a huge dance floor with shiny floors and a large, crystal chandelier. Men and women of all shapes and sizes were grouped up throughout the room.