Page 35 of Blood and Buttercups

“What’s your birthdate?” the pharmacist asks. He’s a nice-looking man with coppery hair, probably just a few years older than I am. I really don’t want him to know what I am.

Resisting the strong urge to run away, I give him my birthday.

“Piper Edwards?” he asks.

“Yep.”

“We’re not quite finished with it. Do you mind waiting for a few more minutes?”

“That’s fine.”

I sit in the hard chair, staring at a poster with tips for controlling high blood pressure. Finally, the pharmacist calls my name.

“Have you taken the medicine before?” he asks, typing something into his computer.

“Um…no.”

He looks at me with a friendly smile. “Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help.”

Mortified, I shake my head.

“Go ahead and follow the prompts on the screen, and then you can pay.”

I verify that I’m Piper Edwards and that the pharmacist offered me counseling on the prescription. Finally, I’m able to insert my debit card so I can get the heck out of here.

“You’ll need to refrigerate it,” the man says as I try to hurry the computer along by confirming the amount and stating I don’t want cash back. “But it’s pretty thick when it’s cold. Most people prefer to take it out of the fridge about an hour before it’s time for their dose.”

“Okay,” I say.

“If you forget, you can heat it slightly in a double boiler, but it will scorch if you warm it with direct heat in a saucepan. And don’t put it in the microwave.”

“Yep.”

“And be careful—it stains.”

Let me die.

“Don’t hesitate to call if you have any questions,” he says as he hands me the white prescription bag, which feels like it contains two rather heavy bottles.

Wow, you become a vampire, and suddenly, everyone is super helpful.

“Oh, and be sure you don’t leave it out for more than a few hours,” he calls. “It will spoil.”

I raise my hand in response, darting away with my head down. Unfortunately, I just about plow into the next person in line.

“Sorry,” I mumble to the leather-jacket-clad man, clutching my prescription bag like it contains an illegal substance.

The man drops his hands to my shoulders to steady me and says in a familiar voice, “Hello, Piper.”

I look up, and dread pools in my stomach. “Oh. Hi, Noah.”

9

When I meetNoah’s eyes, I nearly throw my paper bag down an aisle.

Who’s buying blood? Not me.

Of course, he can’t see what’s inside, so freaking out is pointless.

---