We Only Come Out at Night

The party was great. Music was blasting, I got to catch up with Ivy and Amelia and we were all having a great time. I was dressed up as Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ghost was dressed up as Sweeney Todd (he was freakishly like him), Chris was Tony from The Lost Boys, Ange was Jason from Friday The 13th, Ryan was Chainsaw, Ricky was Ghost face, Balz was a typical vampire (which made the guys laugh, I didn't know why then), Allie was a zombie, Kylie was the Devil, Ivy was little Red Riding Hood, Amelia was a witch, Vic was a 'ghost' (really it was just a white sheet he cut holes in), Turtle was Raphael from TMNT, Jaime was Michaelangelo from TMNT, Mike was a werewolf and Maddie was a demon (the guys looked really shocked when they first saw her).
“Hello again,” Ricky said from behind me.
I spun around and saw him with his mask off. “Hey.”
He looked down, frowned and grabbed my left wrist. He lifted my wrist up to examine it better.
“Why didn't you take this off? Sally doesn't wear this,” he said jokingly, fingering the leather wristband I always wore. It had five symbols on it that looked like runes. Maddie had one exactly like it.
“It didn't feel right to take it off. You know it was passed down my family, I couldn't bear to part with it.”
“Even for one night?”
I shook my head and he let go if my wrist. He opened his mouth to speak but Angelo walked beside him and held his arms out to me like a child. I hugged him and felt him slump into me.
“Are you okay Ange?” I looked at Ricky worriedly. He looked concerned as well.
“No. Do you love me?”
“Yeah, you're like my brother. You know that Angie, what's wrong?”
“Do you think Maddie loves me like that?”
“Yeah why?”
“She's with Jaime.”
“She has been for two months.”
“You don't understand.”
He pulled back from our hug and grabbed my hand then towed me around half the house and stopped suddenly. He pointed and I saw Maddie and Jaime talking to Ivy and Amelia.
“Yeah, they're just talking, so?” I whispered.
“Look closer,” he whispered back.
I noticed Jaime had his arm around Maddie's waist and looked back Ange. He was staring at Maddie in a way I only saw Ryan and Allie, Ghost and Kylie, Vic and Ivy and Balz and Amelia look at each other. I pulled him away and dragged him back to where Ricky was still standing.
“How much do you like Maddie?”
“Wh-what?”
“Just answer the question.”
“I-I don't know.”
“Angelo.”
“I like her, I really like her...more than just a friend.”
He looked down ashamedly and I looked Ricky in despair. He was looking at Ange sympathetically, more than that, as though he was empathic.
“How long?” Ricky asked.
“Three...four months. I just didn't have the guts to tell her and now she's with someone else.”
“D'ya want me to talk to her?”
“NO!” he grabbed my arm, “Don't, I don't want her to know.”
I sighed. “'Kay man. Come get me if you change your mind.”
He let go and I moved away towards where I had previously seen Maddie. She wasn't there and I asked Jaime where she had gone.
“Kitchen. I think Chris ran out of Naked Juice.”
I chuckled and made my way to the kitchen to see a distressed Chris and a comforting Maddie.
“I'm sure there's some somewhere, Chris.”
I opened one of the cupboards and reached to the back where Ricky kept an emergency Naked Juice. I handed it to Chris and he took it gleefully and bounded off somewhere. Maddie and I chuckled and leaned against the counter.
“He's such a big kid,” Maddie commented.
“They all are. Did he beg you to help?”
“No, he just asked.”
I looked at her and she sighed.
“I needed a break from Jaime.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“I love him, I do, but I love someone more.”
“Who?”
She looked at me and hesitated.
“A-Ange.”
My face dropped in shock and she blushed and looked down.
“Ange?”
She nodded shyly and hid behind her hair.
“What about him?”
I looked to the doorway to see Ricky standing there looking suspicious.
“Nothing,” Maddie said quickly.
He raised an eyebrow and looked at me. I looked to Maddie and she pleaded me not to tell with her eyes.
“What is Mads? I can keep a secret.”
She blushed deeper and nudged me. I motioned for him to come closer and he complied.
“She likes him,” I whispered.
His eyes widened and he looked at Maddie who blushed in response.
“But he just said-” I nudged him in the stomach and he shut up.
“What?”
“Sorry, it was Ryan that was talking to me. Never mind Mads.”
He gave her a small smile and gestured to me that he wanted to talk. I nodded to the doorway and he waved bye to Maddie, stepped out of the kitchen and into the crowd of our friends and families.
“What about Jaime?”
“I'll just have to tell him and hope he doesn't take it too badly.”
I patted her on the shoulder. “It'll work out in the end.”
She smiled and I got up. When I got out I was swamped by people and I couldn't see Ricky among them. Someone grabbed my wrist and pulled me through the crowd. Their hand was cold and I knew it was Ricky so I let him guide me away from the crowd until we reached the top of the stairs.
“What's up?”
“Should we tell Ange?”
“No, Maddie said she'll tell Jaime, then it's up to them to sort it out.”
“I can't believe we didn't see it.”
“They're very good at hiding things. Do the others know?”
“Yeah, Ange told them after you left,” he chuckled, “you should've seen their faces.”
I smiled at the thought and Ricky looked down at me.
“C'mon,” he said suddenly. He led the way to his bedroom and shut the door behind me. He opened the window and held his hand out to me.
“What are you doing?”
“We are sneaking out.”
“Why? What if someone notices? Aren't we part-time hosts?”
“One, it's quieter and we can talk without someone eavesdropping, two, who cares and three, yes, but our job's done. Come on.”
I sighed, walked to him and held his hand. He stepped out of the window and onto a branch of the huge tree just outside. I followed him and soon we were scaling down the tree and jumping down. We walked around the side of the house and onto the street.
“Wouldn't it have been easier to walk out the front door?”
“Yeah, but that's no fun.”
He gave me a crooked smile and headed in the direction of Ryan and Balz's house. When we reached it he took off his costume to reveal a plain t-shirt and black skinny jeans.
“So, wherever we're going, I'm gonna be dressed up and you're not.”
“To anyone who hasn't seen The Nightmare Before Christmas you look like you're a wearing a patched dress, no one will care.”
I sighed an agreement as he started to walk off and I walked faster to catch him before he disappeared in the mist that was starting form, which was perfect for Halloween. We walked side-by-side in comfortable silence until he touched my arm and led me down a street which led to the bar the guys liked. I looked at him and said, “Really? People are nosier in here than back at yours.”
“I guess so, but they don't know anyone but us.”
“'Us' being you and the guys.”
“Exactly.”
I shook my head and he held the door open for me. I walked in to loud music, drunks and a huge bar.
“You couldn't pick a quiet bar.”
“Where's the fun in that?” He had to lean down to talk to me it was that loud. He went directly to the bar and ordered our drinks.
“Only one beer?” the bartender asked. “I figured you would pick a girl who could hold her alcohol, Ricky.”
“She can, she just chooses not to. And we're not together.”
“No? That's a shame. You look good together, and she's short, perfect for you.”
Ricky raised an eyebrow and I cleared my throat.
“Sorry, but most girls are taller than him. You make him look a lot taller.”
“I'll agree with you on that.”
Ricky pushed me lightly and I laughed. The bartender passed us a pint and a coca-cola. Ricky gave him the money and we grabbed our drinks and turned away. Just as we were leaving the bar I thought I heard him say, “Such a shame.” We grabbed a table and sat down.
“Can Jessica hold her alcohol?”
“I wouldn't know. She doesn't drink with me.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. But we're not here to talk about my relationship.”
“Maddie and Ange. They'd look cute together.”
“Cute?”
“Yeah, cute. What? Is it not a manly enough adjective for you?”
“It's not that, I just wouldn't say...cute.”
“Men,” I scoffed.
“They'd be a good couple,” he said, trying to defend himself.
“Yes, they would, and they'd look...”
He sighed in defeat. “Cute. Okay? They'd look cute.”
“Thank you.” I sat back and took a drink of my coke.
“Letting the woman tell you what to say. That's low, even for you Olson,” a familiar voice sneered.
I looked up. Oh, I was gonna finish that fight then.
“What do you want TJ?” Ricky asked angrily.
“Don't blame me. It's not my fault Chris couldn't satisfy this babe.”
“You bastard.” I got up and punched TJ. His nose started to bleed. Damn he was weak.
“Bitch.”
He raised his hand and Ricky punched him in the jaw. Chloe's mouth dropped and she tried to claw at Ricky. I slapped her and she glared at me.
“I can take TJ, make sure she's out of here in case the guys come looking,” Ricky said, slamming TJ to the floor.
Chloe stomped to Ricky and I jumped in front of her and bared my teeth. Don't question it, it was a reflex. She raised her hand and I punched her in the nose. I heard a crunch.
“Sweet.”
I kicked her in the stomach and grabbed her fake blonde hair with cheap extensions. I dragged her across the bar and kicked her sorry ass out the door. I walked back towards Ricky and the bartender said, “You might not drink but you know how fight. I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of you.”
“You're smart. I'll remind ya if you forget and we have a disagreement.”
“Thanks.”
I smiled and walked back to Ricky. He still at the corner table with no one but TJ there. TJ was still on the floor and Ricky punched him. I smirked and heard TJ whimper. He scrambled backwards on his back towards me and Ricky faced me. It was only then that I realised he had two huge canines that looked like...fangs. I blinked, thinking I had imagined it but when I opened my eyes they were still there. TJ scrambled up and ran past me. I stared in shock at Ricky. He saw me and his eyes softened from pure anger to worry and a bit of fear. Then I got pissed. Why the hell couldn't they have just told me? Did they think I would freak out and run away like some daft bimbo? Did they not realise they were like my brothers? That I loved them? Ricky stared at me as his fangs slowly rose back up to normal size.
“Lyss, I can explain.”
“I'd like to see you try,” I spat.
I saw pain in his eyes as I turned my back on him and stormed out. I couldn't go running back to him, not after he lied to me.
“Lyss! Come back!”
I walked out the door and back up the street we came from. Black blurred my surroundings and I was facing the bar again with a depressed Ricky in front of me.
“Lyss, just listen to me.”
“Why? So you can lie to my face again?”
“No! I'll tell you everything, just let me explain.”
I sighed and he gingerly took my hand. I let him guide me to an alley and he gently let my hand drop to my side.
“Well, you know the main thing.”
“What about the rest of the guys? Are they vamps too?”
“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, “That's why Ange left, he was struggling more than the rest of us with the blood lust. Ghost has been a vampire for about 200 years though.”
“You've been lying to us for a whole month?” I said disbelievingly, “Maddie and I have been worried sick about Ange and you lied to us!”
“We did it to protect you.”
“Protect us! From what Ricky? The truth? Because frankly I would've preferred that, I would have worried less knowing Ange would come around eventually.”
“You already knew that.”
“No, I knew there was a big possibility he would have survived the lie you came up with, that 'doctor' didn't give us a certain answer.”
“The point is you know now, we can get past this. No more lies.”
“When are you gonna tell Maddie?”
“I can't.”
“And why not?! You're the 'leader' or whatever makes you so important!”
“What? How do you know?”
“I heard your conversations, that someone was struggling, that you told them not to act suspicious, that you weren't going to tell a few of us because we'd snap!”
“If you listened you'd know that we were going to tell you and Maddie!”
“I did! And I knew that!”
“Then why are you angry?”
“Because you didn't tell us! Why? Were you scared? Did you think we'd call you monsters? Because if that's the case then you don't really know us.”
“I do! We were only concerned about the both of you, we knew you'd be fine with it but we needed to protect you!”
“From what?!”
He sighed. “I can't tell you.”
“Why not? I thought you said 'no more secrets'.”
“I mean it, I do. But I can't tell you.”
“Bullshit.”
I walked away and he shouted to me.
“Where are you going!”
“Somewhere my best friends won't lie to me!”
“Alyssa, come back!”
“Why? What can you possibly do to make me not mad at you?”
I heard a soft sigh and Ricky saying, “I could have done something before this all blew up.”
I continued walking with a heavy step. I hated fighting with him. I walked through the mist and heard a step behind me. I whirled round and saw nothing through the mist. My heart raced. What if he snapped just after I left? I remembered what Ghost said yesterday morning and shuddered. I needed to get out of here. I turned and walked in the same direction I was headed. I was outside my street when I heard something.
“Going back home to your family? Isn't that sweet? I'd really like to see them.”
The voice was creepy and sent chills down my back. I walked away from the street and towards the woods we met up at. I could feel someone watching me and tried not to scare myself any more than I already was. I ran into the forest and through the trees until I reached the oh so familiar clearing. I only hoped Ricky wouldn't think I came here.