FicWad

To what Gabe promised he was at my grandparents house at 7 o’ clock on the dot. (Vera asked me to PLEASE call her that)
He beeped the horn and Vera squealed.
“Off you go!” she said. That afternoon we had gone out and bought some clothes. A lot of clothes. Two wardrobes full in fact. And a cellphone. She insisted on me being a ‘cool kid’ at Barrington. I knew I was never ever going to live up there but it’s not like I was going to let new clothes and a phone go to waste. I was wearing a black and white backless sundress. I felt bad because everytime Vera wanted to see what I looked like in front of a mirror I had to get out of the situation as quickly as possible.
“Keep safe.” Jack said, at his gruff best.
“I will.” I said smiling.

“There’s like this really cool band playing here tonight. I’m sure you’ll like them.” Gabe said smiling. “I can’t remember what they’re called but they’re good.”
“Awesome.” I replied quietly, looking around the car. I was under the impression that everybody who owned property in Barrington was rich. Gabe’s car lived up to that belief. Polished interior and everything was leather. It looked like a speed machine from the outside and it just so happened that Gabe had decided to drive 30 miles over the speed limit.
“You only live once right?” he said, once he noticed me staring at the dashboard. I nodded.

10 minutes later we had reached a beautiful looking lakeside location. There was no moon but torches and big lights everywhere.
“We’re a tad late but that’s okay. Come check it out.” he said, rushing around to my side of the door to open it suavely.
“Thank you.” I said, putting on my best attempt at a posh accent.
“No worries senorita.” he said, “Just go to the backstage, say that G.A.B.E sent you.”
“Okay.” I said. The mystique of his words had me excited. I loved Gabe’s mysteries.
“Hey, you can’t come past here girl.” some huge guy said, with his arms folded.
“I told Gabe no more groupies.” the bouncer/security guy thought.
“G.A.B.E told me to come right here though.” I told him
“Oh really? Well why don’t you try going and waiting around out THERE,” he pointed to the stage front, “-and wait with all those girls.”
“Duncan, she’s with me.” Gabe said, walking up behind me with a guitar case on his back. The guard rolled his eyes and let us through. I gave Gabe the look as we walked past Duncan the security guard.
“I play bass?” he said, shrugging his shoulders.
That only made me think of Pete’s rockstar dreams.
“Hey!” Brendon said waving and dancing at Gabe and I.
“Hey.” I said back. I was slightly intimidated at the awesomeness of this situation. Patrick was drumming on a wall in the corner by himself. Ryan had a guitar and was playing around on it, tuning it and whatnot.
“So you guys are a band now?” I asked surprised.
“Yeah. Just a little tiny band. Got a couple of songs on Myspace and whatever.” Ryan answered.
“You guys have to get your emo asses out here in two minutes!” some guy called from the stage.
“That’s the stupid label we get from people.” Ryan said, ears inflammed, “What the fuck does emo mean anyway?”
“I think it’s short for emotional.” Gabe said. They all looked confused.
“Where’s Trixi?” I asked
“Oh she’s at the front. She wrote some of our songs, you MIGHT guess which ones she wrote.”
“I’ll be listening out for sure.”
“Don’t worry there’s only about 30 people here, I think that we are too ‘emo’ for the majority of the general public.” Ryan said, putting down his acoustic guitar.
“See you out there.” Gabe said, walking out onto the stage. A quiet cheer followed.
“We are Panic! At The Discoooo!” Brendon said, going all high-pitched.
“Get here now.” Trixi said in a tone that got through even all the fans. I followed her instructions and rushed through people to get to the front.
The four boys broke into song and it was magnificient.
“I WROTE THIS.” Trixi said smiling/moshing
“Cool.” I said.
Panic’s set was about an hour long and then they were off the stage. I felt disgusted, somebody behind me had their monthly and that was enough to make me thirsty.
After then, everybody left quite fast. So it was only the seven of us remaining by the lake.
I was backstage, the security guard left muttering something like, “They don’t pay me enough for this.”
It was there I hid behind a corner, the dressing room where only Ryan and Trixi were inside.
“Ryan, don’t deny it, she’s ONE OF US.” she said
“Trixi..” Ryan began, “You can’t just assume such terrible things about people. I’m sure it’s just that she’s smart or something, that’s why you can’t read her.”
I froze to the spot.
“I think that you should-,” Ryan began again
“RYAN!” Trixi said, interrupting, “I SAW her fangs.”
“Don’t lie just to be right!” Ryan said, huffing a little at the end.
“GABE! I THOUGHT YOU SAID TONIGHT WASN’T A FULL MOON!” Brendon’s voice said, slightly muffled.
“Oh God.” Trixi said, ending the argument abruptly and running out the door where she slammed into me, and then continued.
“Ryan!” I called, following him, “What’s wrong?”
Ryan stopped. “Crystal, I’m not sure you need to see this.”
“Fuck! She was GOING to if she’s hanging out with us!” Trixi said, stopping further up
“Just c’mon then!” Ryan said, pissed off with Trixi still.
They stopped and so did I.
In front of us was a scene that would stay in my mind forever. Brendon and Gabe were enlarging, their clothes were ripping and fur was growing everywhere.
“Ryan! Grab the tranquilisers!” William called from the otherside where a fully-fledged werewolf Brendon stood on his haunches. He sniffed the air like he was searching for something.
“Wait!” Brendon said. It came unexpected, I’d never seen a wolf talk before. Not even a wolf for that matter. Ryan had the tranquiliser gun aimed at Brendon’s chest.
“I think that- I can- control-this-tonight.” he said, siting back down again. Meanwhile Gabe roared so half a second later and tranquiliser was lodged in his chest. He was out cold.
“Do-you-guys-have-meat?” Brendon asked
“Go fishing?” William suggested. We were at the edge of a lake.
“I smell rabbits. That way!” werewolf-Brendon was gone, sprinting towards the trees.
“Oh jesus, did he bring spare clothes this time?” Ryan said.
“No.” Trixi answered blankly.
“We can explain this.” Patrick said, taking a step cautiously around the knocked out Gabe.
“Just let us talk.” Ryan said, beckoning me towards his car. We all sat on the bonnet, miraculously there were no dents made.
“How are we supposed to say this?” William said
“Look Crystal, I’m going to put it all blunt for you. Patrick’s a vampire. Ryan’s a vampire. Brendon’s a werewolf. Gabe’s a werewolf. I’m a vampire. Deal with it.”
I stayed silent for about a minute. Patrick, William and Ryan all looked a mixture of pissed off/shocked.
“I’m sorry that my darling sister here,” Ryan said angrily, “-had to put that so bluntly-,”
“I was BEING honest!” Trixi said
“-But she just has to everything all perfect for her.” Ryan finished.
“You can’t just say that!” Trixi screamed, “-you’re such a hypocrite! You aren’t believing what I’m saying! That’s just fucking Georgie Pie Ryan getting everything coming up goddamn tulips!”
There was a silence. William’s name had not been mentioned in Trixi’s blunt and honest speech. I really don’t think that she’d forget him.
She began grinning malevolently, showing those sharp teeth that mirrored mine.
“Look down.” she said, pointing at the shiny metal on the car. All of our reflections were faded and weak, except for William’s. I hung my head in shame. Now they knew I was a freak, even though they were too I was still a freak.
“Smile.” she instructed. I shook my head.
Trixi cackled and then grabbed my mouth, opening it like opening toothpaste lids, revealing my true teeth. The boys didn’t make a sound. She ripped the scarf off my neck showing the bitemarks all over that had almost healed.
“Okay, we get it.” William said, putting up his hand. She stopped immediately.
“Did you have to humiliate her more?” Patrick asked
“Yes.” she said, smiling in all her righteousness. I felt like throwing up because I had never been so humiliated.
“Can you smell William?” she began, grinning.
“That’s enough!” Ryan said. William just looked completely stiff. I bit my lip anxiously. It was true, I could. Mixed with the scent of his carefully chosen aftershave and deodorant I could smell what Trixi was aiming at.
“Can you smell his sweet blood?” she said, “-it’s all rushing through him. It won’t stop unless… unless you do something.”
I dove in his direction but landed on her intentionally, to catch her by surprise but I failed and she tackled me onto the ground.
“Trust me kid! I’ve been at this A LOT longer than you think.”
“Bitch!” I said screaming, trying to co-ordinate my fist with her perfectly angelical looking face, contorted with that evil that isn’t just high school evil.
“Hey! Get off her!” Ryan said, jumping off the car and landing square on his feet perfectly. He put his hands on her shoulders but he couldn’t stop her. Even with Patrick’s combined forces, he couldn’t do a thing.
“Let the demon take over you.” Trixi said, grinning that evil grin all over again. That comment added kindling to the flames. I tried throwing another punch at her, this time at her stomach. I felt my fangs, fully extended now, likewise to her. Likewise to Ryan and Patrick. All William could do was get into the car with the tranquiliser gun and lock all the doors.
“Can’t you feel it in your stomach!?” she said, standing. We were in full duel mode, circling each other keeping eagle eye on each other. Patrick and Ryan kept trying to keep her back but she had gained too much strength for their efforts to keep her back.
I tried jumping, like I had seen Ryan do, onto her, kicking. It worked but she had my leg mid-air.
“You-learn-so-quick-but-you’re-just-a-stupid-kid!” she said, slamming me to the ground, numerous times. I tried to get back up again but she was on my chest.
“What the fuck do you have against me?!” I asked. William was in his car, backing out of the lot as fast as he could under Ryan’s demand.
“Nobody gets between William and I. Nobody.” she whispered against my face.
“You guys don’t even go out!” Ryan said, “When you went out you dumped him, he’ll NEVER go back for you! Give up!”
“I won’t!” she said, turning around and screaming at Ryan.
“She just thinks she can be the newcomer and everybody loves her!” she said, turning around back to me.
“I only want to hit her where it’ll hurt. You know, so she’ll go back to Weirdoville.”
Without warning she was biting my arm. I think that was more painful and gut-wrenching than the intitial attack. I watched her and the blood flow out. I still couldn’t move.
“That’s all I wanted.” she said, getting up off me, “Stay away from William.”
“Get back here!” Ryan said following after her.
“Fuck off Ryan!” she said, “Stay out of this! Hang out with the fucking newborn if you want, it’s not my fault if she fucks you up or something. I’m heading out to the city! Don’t tell Dad or I’ll kill you and her!”
I still remained on the ground, paralysed.
“Can you help me get her up?” Ryan said, leaning down toward me with Patrick. He licked his lips when he looked at my wound.
“Don’t Patrick.” Ryan said sternly, picking me up like a plank of wood.
“Sorry.” he said, helping lay me in the backseat of his own car.
“I’ll drive.” Ryan said, “Look after her.”
My head was on Patrick’s lap as we went through too many sets of traffic lights in one minute. The world blurred and I lost consciousness.

When I woke up we were in a place that seemed familiar. A carcass was attached to a large metal hook. I thought I was in a morgue, I thought that I died. Then I remembered people don’t get hung on hooks once they are presumed dead.
Then the scene changed. I was in a blood bank this time I was sure. Patrick was picking a lock with a bobby pin from my hair. The world faded again.
A plastic bag was being forced into my mouth, then it broke and blood flowed in. I regained consciousness fully and took the bag, like a baby with its bottle.
“I don’t know how I’m gonna find her.” Ryan said, pacing the ground, staring at the screen of his Sidekick expecting something. Patrick looked like he was going to collapse from thirst.
“Can I take one?” Patrick asked nervously
“One.” Ryan said sternly, “Only one. Only Type O. Nothing else.”
Patrick cheered slightly in spite of the situation. Ryan remained pacing the floor in concentration.
“It’s almost 5 a.m, what are we going to do?” Ryan said.
It was 5? In the morning? Jack and Vera would be scared stiff. Maybe just Vera. But they may have called the POLICE!
“Ryan, I have to call my grandparents.” I told him
“At 5 in the morning?” he said, “Why the fuck would they be up now?”
“Because I said I’d be back.” I told him, “By 12:30 at the latest.”
“SHIT!” Ryan said, “You can borrow my phone!” he said throwing it at me.
I dialled the only number that I had ever learnt and waited for an answer.
“Hello?” the timid voice of Vera answered.
“Hi Grandma..” I said, trying to sound perfectly fine and in top order
“Where are you Sugar?” she asked in a worried tone.
“I’m at my friends house.” I told her. “I’m fine, I just realised the time, and I forgot that I was supposed to be home.”
“Alright, where are you, I can pick you up right now if you want.”
“Uh, no that’s okay. I think that your necklace has worked wonders for me to be honest.” I told her. I knew she’d stop talking.
“Oh, okay then. I will see you tomorrow. Hope you had fun at your little party.” she said, “Goodnight!”
“See you.” I said, closing the phone. I threw it back and Ryan’s lightning quick reflexes ensured that he caught it.
“Are you feeling okay now?” he asked me. Patrick sat on the bench where I was, swinging his legs off the side.
“I’m feeling fine. I’ll help you find your sister if you want.” I said, fire burning in my stomach again.
“No, it’s okay. My family has to sort this out. Besides, she sees the future, she could see us coming.”
“Are you serious?” Patrick said, stopping his rhythmic leg swinging.
“We kept it a secret so she wouldn’t have another thing to boast about.” Ryan told Patrick.
“Come on, we need to get back to the abattoir.” Ryan said, stopping in his pacing.
“Crystal, are you aware of how to shadow?” Ryan asked me
“What’s that?” I asked
“I’ll take her.” Patrick said, reaching for my hand.
In the time it takes for you to blink – split in half we were at an abattoir carpark. The moon was beginning to fall down into the hills. I thought about Brendon and Gabe. Would they be human again? Would they be naked?
“I think it would be best if Crystal stayed at your house.” Ryan suggested to Patrick.
“How come we can never come to your house?” Patrick asked randomly
“Are you objecting to Crystal staying there? Your mother’s thoughts toward your sexuality would be quashed and she’ll stop asking you if you’ve kissed boys.”
Patrick then went very quiet.
“Oh-o-okay. Y-you can stay at-at my house if y-you want to.” Patrick said. I kind of had to say yes.
Thus returns Awkward Patrick.
“Oh crap.” Patrick said, checking the time on his Civic’s dashboard, “It’s almost 6, the sun will be rising soon.”
“What happens when the sun rises?” I asked nervously
“W-we can just combust. L-like have you ever seen those uh, those Nexus magazines where they talk about spontaneous combustion?”
”Yeah.” I answered.
“W-whoa, I mean, holy shit! You read Nexus?” he asked
“My teacher used to make me read them.” I answered.
“Well, if we’re exposed to the sunrise, we’ll combust and and d-die.”
There was a silence.
“I’ve n-n-never met a chick, I mean girl who reads nerdy science magazines before.” he said
“They aren’t nerdy.” I said smiling.
“Aw crap, there’s the sun!” I said, pointing at the first rays poking over the horizon.
Somehow miraculously we got inside just in time.
And from the time that we got to Patrick’s room until the time his mother came in and saw us sharing a bed which had made her faint almost, I had opened up completely to Patrick and told him about all the lies. He just listened and spoke where it was appropriate. Patrick didn’t think I was weird at all.