Vampires, Hearts and Other Dead Things: Chapters 16–26

by Margie Fuston
High school senior Victoria, accompanied by her next-door neighbor Henry Nakamura, travels to New Orleans to find a vampire who could help her immortalize her dying father.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–15, Chapters 16–26
35 words 9 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. faze
    disturb the composure of
    I get terrible stage fright. I wanted so badly to be a performer as a kid, but every time I tried, I froze. But this doesn’t even faze me.
  2. loathsome
    physically offensive or sickening
    Loathsome and foul with hideous leprosy
    And subtle serpents gliding in her hair.
  3. satiety
    being satisfactorily full and unable to take on more
    By day she wooes me to the outer air,
    Ripe fruits, sweet flowers, and full satiety
  4. jovial
    full of or showing high-spirited merriment
    I picture my dad’s once round and jovial face sunken in with pain, and the happiness slinks back without a fight.
  5. wallow
    devote oneself entirely to something
    He didn’t mention guilt.
    I wallow in it until an hour before I have to go.
  6. decadent
    marked by excessive self-indulgence and moral decay
    The jazz club is nothing like the loud, decadent place where I first met Nicholas.
  7. eclectic
    combining or composed of elements drawn from a variety of sources
    The vibe is cool in a simple, effortless way—a classic wooden bar, faded green walls covered in an eclectic array of art I could look at all day, a tiny stage set up in front of the window facing the street, and a couple of small tables and chairs.
  8. woo
    make amorous advances towards
    “I’m wooing you, of course. Haven’t you been wooed before?”
  9. sanity
    normal or sound powers of mind
    You decided you could be some kind of knight—bring some sanity back to the deranged girl who believes in vampires.
  10. renegade
    a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause
    I let one renegade out, and now they all want to be free.
  11. clarify
    make clear and comprehensible
    I did say yes to Peter, who was part of our larger group, but we were going as friends. I even clarified that before I said yes.
  12. platonic
    free from physical desire
    I assumed Henry would stick to the pact and not ask me unless it was just as friends, and going platonically with Henry when I wanted so much more would have been miserable.
  13. wane
    decrease in phase
    While thro’ the sluggish air a twilight grey
    Broodeth; no moons or seasons wax and wane
  14. ebb
    the outward flow of the tide
    No ebb and flow are there among the main
  15. stagnant
    not circulating or flowing
    No ripple on the sea, no shifting sand,
    No beat of wings to stir the stagnant space
  16. underscore
    give extra weight to
    The last time I turned on Underworld, Dad fell asleep, and his rattling snores underscored the moments we used to laugh at and pretend to argue about.
  17. mar
    cause to become imperfect
    I rub my fingertips against the infinite grain of the charcoal, begging it to be kind; then I press it against the paper and let the first dark line mar the innocent page.
  18. expanse
    a wide and open space or area, as of land, sea, or sky
    I turn to the cathedral, searching for the splotches against the expanse of white, and then I begin to see them—the darkening behind the pillars in the front, the traces of shadows under each overhang and each decorative curve and corner of the stone.
  19. inscription
    a short message dedicating it to someone or something
    The next one shares a first name with my dad. I cannot bring myself to read the inscription.
  20. pelt
    rain heavily
    He points up just as the thunder rips the sky, and five seconds later huge drops of water pelt my skin and leave me gasping for air.
  21. intervene
    occur between other events or between certain points of time
    And still they come before me, and they go,
    And I cry aloud in the moments that intervene.
  22. requite
    make repayment for or return something
    And oh, my love, as I rock for you to-night,
    And have not any longer any hope
    To heal the suffering, or to make requite
    For all your life of asking and despair,
    I own that some of me is dead to-night.
  23. rabid
    infected by an acute viral disease of the nervous system
    Ruth closes her book slowly, eyeing me like I’m a starved and rabid cat and she can’t decide if I need to be put down or fed.
  24. acute
    demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
    I’m acutely aware of how foolish they will sound.
  25. opulent
    rich and superior in quality
    Walking through the house as an invited guest instead of a burglar is a different experience, but I’m not in the mood to appreciate the opulent wealth today.
  26. grapple
    grip or seize, as in a wrestling match
    When I lift my head, Henry’s pushed Nicholas away, and Nicholas leans around Henry trying to get to me. “Please let me,” he says as they grapple.
  27. chafe
    tear or wear off the skin or make sore by abrading
    The chipping paint chafes my skin in a way I didn’t notice the first time I stood here.
  28. callous
    emotionally hardened
    I need to know if all vampires are like this—callous and calculating, treating people like playthings.
  29. calculating
    good at tricking people to get something
    I need to know if all vampires are like this—callous and calculating, treating people like playthings.
  30. decoy
    a person or thing that misleads by drawing attention away
    Nicholas is an excellent decoy, though. He might be a better vampire than I am.
  31. ruse
    a deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture
    I’ve played lots of games before, but a game within a game? That’s something new. I heard about Nicholas’s little ruse, and then I found his weak link.
  32. wistfully
    in a pensively sad manner
    He smiles wistfully, like he’s in the midst of a sweet memory.
  33. convulse
    shake uncontrollably
    My body convulses with the urge to yank away.
  34. giddy
    exultantly proud and joyful; in high spirits
    “You’ve just voided our agreement,” he says. The soft giddiness in his voice strengthens my next push away from him.
  35. reprimand
    an act or expression of criticism and censure
    On her way out, she touches my shoulder, and I think it’s a reprimand at first, but there’s something else in it, a passing of strength.
Created on Mon Oct 17 10:12:24 EDT 2022 (updated Fri Oct 06 13:05:12 EDT 2023)

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