I can’t believe it’s true, but check it: I got the call. THE call. I feel like somebody punched me in the gut, but damn, what a good kind of hurt.

I’m going to Dallas to cut a demo record. A real one, in a real studio, with real engineers. Amelie’s letting me go. I asked if I could take the gang, and she seemed to think it solved some problems to get Eve, Shane and Claire out of the hot zone for a while. It’ll be cool to have them along, especially Eve; she’s so excited about this, I think more than me. We’ve had our bad times, but I feel like maybe I can make it up to her now. Out of Morganville, seeing what life’s like for other people.

She’s already going crazy with clothes. It’s kind of funny.

Shane’s mostly working on figuring out a plan to grab Claire and run off while we’re out of town, I’ll bet. I don’t blame him. If I wasn’t -- what I am now, I wouldn’t mind taking a chance on it, too.

But I’m stuck with Morganville, looks like. I don’t know what else I can do. They’ll find me if I run. They can always find me.

Tomorrow we pack. That’ll be an adventure. Worse, looks like Oliver’s coming along, probably to make sure we don’t get any ideas about freedom.

Yeah, that’ll be a real adventure.

I’ve been writing some new songs, mostly for electric guitar; I want to really put down some great tracks, and I don’t want to play somebody else’s music. This may be my only chance.

My only chance to be something other than a vampire in Morganville.

I’m going to grab it with both hands.