A Little Less Sixteen Candles.

'You can stay here for however long you like,' Patrick announced over breakfast - at six in the evening. I refused to leave Amanda's side, blocking her view when someone swallowed red liquid in the kitchen. I didn't tell her what he was. I didn't tell her anything, only it was safer to stay here. She took it in her stride, but still not accepting that a bunch of boys could protect us better than we could protect ourselves.

'Thank you, but no. I think we'll leave soon. We have our own home.' Amanda scanned our faces casually, shovelling spoonfuls of Cheerio's into her mouth.

'No, Patrick was just being polite. What he meant was, you have to stay here. It's not safe.' I scoffed at the irony of it all, but he chose to ignore it. Amanda just raised her eyebrows. I glanced back at Patrick but he just smiled apologetically.

'He's right. We can't just let you wander back to your own house now,' Joe offered. He politely introduced himself this morning, along with Andy who was eating, watching the scene quietly. Pete's little interruption was the first we had seen of him all evening. 'Don't you see how big the risk is? For both us and you. And Amanda.’

Amanda stared at him, gulping down her cereal. 'What the Hell does that mean? Christy, I know you're hiding something from me. Tell me right now!' she demanded, her words urgent.

'Did you not tell her yet?' Patrick asked cautiously.

'Tell me what?' Amanda asked, exsaparated. She clenched her fist in temper, slamming it down on the table so it shook.

'Amanda, right? I'm Pete,' he greeted, approaching her with a dazzling smile. He stuck his hand out, but she just stared at it, dumbfounded. I leaned forward, glaring at him.

'Your teeth,' she breathed lightly. 'They're...'

'Scary?' he offered, grinning at her. He pushed his hand against his left canine as he sat down, pressing slightly. When he pulled his finger away a thick red liquid slid down the tip.

'You're not...?'

'A vampire?' he suggested again.

She gasped involuntarily. 'Christy?' I slowly moved my head up and down when she turned to stare at me, open mouthed.

'He's safe, Mandy. Don't worry. He, um, resists human blood.' I tried to portray confidence, but I don't know how sure I sounded. But by the way Amanda was nodding as she studied him, I lied fairly well.

'I'm Amanda,' she introduced herself finally, extending her arm. He took her hand gently, baring his teeth at her. It frightened me for them to be so close, but I couldn't give up the safe act now. She needs to be secure. And the look on her face told me she didn't mind much at all. Her brown eyes were trained on him even after they seperated.

I grimaced through breakfast as Amanda asked Patrick questions about his life (including did he have a girlfriend, which I quickly reprimanded her for, Patrick just laughed), and why we're still here. I think he knew to field all questions directed at me. She grinned at Patrick's jokes, told Joe his hair looked nice and played viedogames with Andy. Pete smiled at her when he left for an unknown area of their huge apartment, but made no further contact.

By the time it was getting darker Amanda had her fill of all things computerized. For a while at least. I watched as the boys gathered their necessities while we shoved some old wooden stakes in our back pockets. Patrick led us to another room where they collected stuff from drawers. Here, I found out, was where he had disappeared to earlier. It was their training room.

It was very basic, a punching bag in the corner, a blue sparring mat spread on the floor, target boards tacked to the wall and stakes everywhere. I pulled Mandy out of the room quickly.

"Come on, let's leave the guys to pack," I ushered, pushing Amanda towards the door.

"Yeah. Then we can show you what we're made of," she called back to the room. "Joe!"

"Okay, okay. Take it easy, short stuff," he replied, placing a hand on her shoulder as he exited. I watched him, but said nothing. Joe was a real nice guy, straight out and relaxed. And even after one day you could tell he'd do anything for Mandy. She was an extraordinary child, and seemed to rope everyone into caring for her even when she didn't mean to. Or maybe it was her youthful innocence that just banded everyone together for something to fight for.

"So, do you think we'll see them again tonight?" I asked Patrick discreetly as Mandy argued over who was better at Super Mario Bros with Joe and Andy. It looked like she was winning. Pete was walking just behind us, apparently lost in his own thoughts.

"Possibly. If that happens, she's the main priority. From what you told us, they want her." I nodded, thankful for Patrick's help. I felt more secure patrolling with the extra people, especially people who were primarily defensive about the same thing I was. Despite the shadow lurking in the background. Because even acknowlegding what Patrick had said, the vampire's motives were very undecided in my head.

"Here we go," Andy yelled over his shoulder, staring directly at the vampires ahead. I wasn't surprised to see a larger group of vampires than usual hanging around an alleyway. They're forced to become more companionable since the Dandies had invaded their area, forming both offensive and defensive groups in hopes of overcoming them.

The fight was almost even numbers; five on our side and seven on theirs. As expected, Joe absolutely refused to let Mandy fight, taking on both vampires that attacked her, and his own. They always went for Amanda because she was the smallest. They assumed she couldn't fight for shit. And even though they were totally wrong, I still felt anxious when we set out.

"Joe!" I heard Amanda whine. "How am I supposed to show you what I got when you won't let me fight?"

"Sorry, Mandy. I guess I can't find it in me to let you kick any vampire ass. Too much of a girl," he replied apologetically. She jumped on his back in reply.

I was bent over with fatigue, my hands on my knees as I regained my stamina. I looked up at the Patrick and Andy shaped figures in the dim yellow streetlight. They were still out of breath as they leaned against a wall, with Joe dropping Amanda from his grasp as she squealed. But one was missing.

"Boo."

I gasped, spinning around as I stood up fully. He was looking at me innocently, eyes wide and teeth concealed. I backed up immediately, not wanting to turn my back on him but also not wanting to fall over on my way towards Mandy. He had taken down two tonight, his own plus one that Joe hadn't been able to finish.

"Hey, no worries. I won't bite." He smirk made me want to eliminate those few feet between us and press the rough sharpened wood against his chest. I flexed my hand around the object, sharp and rough, thinking about how it would feel to plunge it directly into him. To kill this thing trying to poison the only family I've got.

But no, I turned and jogged back to Amanda, eyes flickering over my shoulder every couple of seconds as a natural precaution. I would give him one chance. After all, Patrick trusts him. Maybe that wouldn't matter so much if Patrick wasn't so smart. But one chance, that's all he gets. And when I was directly behind Amanda, positive she was safe, he began to walk towards the group.

The saddened look in his eyes was mirrored in my thoughts almost as if he had read my mind.