Thirteen year old Sam stared into the mirror. He took a deep breath. Normally, he didn't really care for his looks – a quick wash with a hot facecloth, a couple of brushes through his hair, brush his teeth – but this time he was. For something had definitely changed.

He carefully opened his mouth and stared at the fangs evident on his upper jaw.

"What's going on?"

-line break-

Four years later...

Sam stepped out into the sun, already having his sunglasses on to protect him from the glare. It didn't matter that it was partly cloudy – the sun hurt his eyes still.

Once again he cursed his forefathers, for giving him this problem.

"Hey! Punk! Get into anymore trouble with the law recently?"

The flare of a acidic scent reached his sensitive nose, and Sam resisted the urge to hold it. It was Trent. Again.

He turned, and thought about his style. Really, it was a sense of style, not a reflection of his attitude. Well, maybe a little.

With his ear and nose piercings, and ripped denim, black leather vest – that revealed the tattoo of a cobra slithering up his left arm – and army boots, not to mention a few belts with big buckles, he definitely looked like a punk. Which he was, but Trent didn't have to take it as an insult.

Then again, he was a jerkass after all...

"What do you want DeMarco? More cheesy insults to be exchanged?"

Without warning, Trent moved to punch him. Sadly for him, it was too slow, and Sam easily caught it.

"Now you want to fight? I warn you, you'll lose, puppy."

The "puppy" comment seemed to push him over the edge, and he was about to really fight, when they were interrupted.

"Heeeeeeeyyyyy! Sammy! We're going shopping, remember?"

Everyone turned to see a girl. A girl wearing a too big for her sweater, a short skirt, cute heels, and with two fake bat ears attached to her real ears. Big chunky necklaces hanged down from her neck.

Sam sighed. "Zsizsi."

Erzsébet "Zsizsi" walked over, grinning, and grabbed Sam's arm. She pouted. "Come on! If you do this, we can maybe squeeze some you time, Sammy!"

All the boys, except Trent, were staring at her in some kind of awe. Sam understood. With her pale, pale blonde hair, bright green eyes, and beautiful figure and face, she was quite the looker. Sam ignored her though – she was his cousin after all.

A very distant cousin, but a cousin none the less.

Sighing, he allowed her to drag him to her car, an old convertible. Or it was. He stared at the brand new shiny porsche.

"When did you get this?" He asked, startled. "I thought you'd keep your old tin can forever."

Zsizsi pouted again. "I was, but I got into an accident. It was totally trashed, so I had to get a new one."

Sam admired the porsche's sleek lines. "I don't see a problem with that." He blinked. "By the way, how bad was the accident?"

She slid into the driver's seat. "I fell off a cliff."

Sam winced, as he got into the passenger seat. "You're lucky to be alive."

Zsizsi laughed, pulling on sunglasses. "Luck has nothing to do with it. I am a dhampiresa after all. Just like you are a dhampir."

With that she pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards the nearest shopping mall.

-line break-

Sam watched, as Zsizsi tore through the racks of clothing like a hurricane. As she found more and more stuff she liked, Sam found himself carrying more and more stuff. It wasn't heavy, but damn was it awkward. And he really didn't want to be carrying a bra. Not like he was, but she was moving towards those racks...

"Okay, okay. That's enough Zsizsi. You need to try the current ones on after all."

She sent a half-hearted glare his way, but complied despite that. "I just want to make sure I have all the bases covered." She whined, grabbing a sizable amount from Sam's arms. She whisked around, and headed to the change rooms.

Sam sighed and placed the clothing on a nearby bench. Damn, that woman could power shop. From what he heard from other members of the Clan, she'd always been like this, since the Renaissance.

At the memory of her age, Sam shook his head. Of course, he was doomed to live as long as her, unless he was killed. And that took a lot of effort. Not like mortals carry around ash or hawthorn stakes around. Or axes. Either way, he was pretty safe from death.

While he was thinking, Zsizsi had finally finished trying out the clothing; except for one outfit, which she exited wearing.

"What do you think, cousin?"

Sam looked up and his jaw dropped. She was wearing a band of black cloth across her breasts, with strips of yellow cloth hanging attached to the back, black short shorts, yellow tights and clunky black short heeled leather boots, with yellow lace gloves. To top it off, was bunny ears and the bunny tail attached to her bum, that she showed off when she spun around.

"What the hell are you wearing!?"

"Oh! Just a new outfit. Its my favourite! I'm glad you approve!"

Sam groaned, as Zsizsi prattled on about her new outfits. Why was he related to her...?

Oh. Because he was a dhampir. And part of the same Clan. Great.

-line break-

After a few more outfit changes – each more embarrassing than the last – Sam finally was allowed into his favourite thrift store. Passing the racks containing pants and shirts, he headed towards the jacket aisle, looking for the perfect jacket.

He found it at the bottom of a bin, dusty, torn, and old. It was leather, and looked like it had a few bullet holes in it. It even was missing the left arm. It was perfect.

Zsizsi sighed. "That thing looks like it should thrown out. Why buy it?" She was still wearing her new favourite outfit, drawing some looks of scandalized awe from the other customers.

Sam shrugged. "It has a story, that's all."

He then switched to the accessories; he needed some chunky snake pendants again. The last were a little too cheap.

-line break-

Now wearing the jacket, Sam carefully exited the porsche and climbed up the wall to his window. Cracking it open, he slipped inside, and landed on his bed. Groaning, he undressed and slipped under the covers. Tomorrow was the day he got a car. He needed to be wide awake and ready to give his genealogy report clearly. Or else he wouldn't get the A he needed.

-line break-

"What do you mean B minus!?"

Sam stared incrudiously at the teacher, shocked beyond reason. Did the teacher have a grudge against him or something? Once again, he wished he had...

Wait. He did.

Staring intently into the teacher's eyes he activated one of his strongest powers. "You will give me an A."

Slowly, the teacher nodded and went to correct his obvious mistake.

-line break-

"Oh come on! This place is filled with trash!"

Ron Witwicky rolled his eyes at his son's whining. "This is how your first car is suppose to be like. Besides, if you had done Archibald Witwicky like I asked you to..."

Sam snorted. "That crazy old coot? Hell, no!"

"Well you wouldn't have had to make an on the fly death for Archibald would you?"

Sam growled and ignored him in favor of the only passable car – a 70's Camaro that had seen better days, but at least had racing stripes.

He opened the door, ignoring the sales pitch from Bobby B., in favour of sitting in the warm leather. It seemed to mold to his form, and there was an electric feeling to it.

"Feels good..." He whispered. Partly because it was comfortable, but also because it got warmer the longer he was there. Though Sam was a dhampir, he had some traits common with snakes – like liking warm places.

He carefully exited the vehicle. "I'll take it. How much?"

"Judging by the sleek lines, the custom stripes...5 grand."

Ron shook his head. "Nuh, uh, I'm not going over 4 grand."

Sam turned to his cheap-skate father, horrified. "What! This is the only good car in this junk heap!"

He grabbed his father by the shoulders and pointed him in a direction. "See; that's the forty year old virgin. And that's the fifty year old virgin. Do you want to subject me to that horror?"

Ron turned and pointed to the Punch Buggy beside the Camaro. "How about that one?"

The Camaro's door slammed open, leaving a dent in the beatle. "Or...that one?"

The radio on the Camaro turned and Sam heard clearly the quote it used.

"...greater than man..."

With a sonic screech, the windows in the rest of the cars shattered, leaving the Camaro the only one untouched.

Bobby looked around, terrified. He turned to them and held up four fingers. "Four grand."

-line break-

Sam drove to school the next day. Drove. As in, he had his own car now! It was a wonderful feeling and the car seemed to agree since it insisted on playing Katrina and the Waves's 'Walking on Sunshine' despite him continuously changing the channel.

Well, it was possessed, but apparently the ghost was a quiet one, merely content at choosing its driver and playing music when the mood hit it. Maybe it had been a mute in life or something. Sam didn't mind, in fact enjoying the cheerful attitude of the car.

"Wow. That's a piece of junk."

If it had been anyone else, Sam would have been insulted. But since it was Zsizsi and she meant it in a playful way, he grinned. "Better than your old convertible any day."

Zsizsi laughed, showing off her fangs. Normally she would have hidden them, but she seemed to be going for the cute devil look today. With her tight black corset, short pleated skirt, fishnet stockings, and killer heels she was pulling it off. To top it off, there was devil horns attached with spirit gum to her forehead. Her lips were dyed a bright scarlet, with pasty white make-up and her eyes shadowed subtly black underneath, as if she didn't get any sleep. An illusion turned her eyes bright red.

"You got me there. But I have you beat now – my porsche is quite fine, indeed."

Sam hopped out of the car and tossed the keys to her. "Think you can fix up the paint and rust spots?"

Zsizsi smiled, turning the keys around in her hand. "I might. What do I get for it?"

"O negative. Just got it from the bank."

Zsizsi's eyes lit up, and she licked her lips. "That's good. All right, I'll pay for it. I'll make sure its back in time by the end of school."

With that she slipped into the camaro, and drove off, leaving Sam to deal with school.

-line break-

Sam slammed head first into the brick wall. Trent was really at it today. Why? It might have to do with the fact Mikaela dumped him. The only reason he took it out on Sam was because he was a dhampir.

Werewolves were notorious for having bad tempers, but this was taking the cake.

Sam sneered at him. "What? Weren't able to turn your girlfriend?"

Trent growled, and went to punch him again. This time, though, Sam caught it and sent Trent flying. He spat.

"Keep a rein on that temper puppy. The Elders won't be happy with you attacking one of the Clan unprovoked."

He turned stiffly at that, heading towards the parking lot.

And the bright glow that told him that Zsizsi had made another illusion to show off with.

-line break-

Zsizsi met him halfway to the parking lot. She let a gentle hand brush over his bruises – bruises that could only be gotten from another vampire or werewolf.

"The Elders are going to kill DeMarco. He can't attack you for no reason – even if he did attack you for a reason, its against the treaty. He's in shit."

She frowned. "I'll have to report it to Imperator."

Sam shrugged it off. "Won't stop him. He just lost his girlfriend, probably found out what a jerk he really was. Good thing too; I thought for sure he'd turn this one."

Zsizsi nodded stiffly. Suddenly she brightened. "Come see what I did to your car!"

'That doesn't sound good...'

-line break-

It wasn't good. Sure, she upgraded the paint job, got rid of the rust and scratches, but the glamour that was burning his eyes was over doing it.

"Zsizsi..." He warned. She pouted. "What? You'll going to need the help to get a attractive girl, so I thought I'd help."

"Yes, I can understand that," Sam was ready to blow. "But you didn't have to use the one that attracts others of the same species! Its a fucking car!"

"Um...Sam was it?"

Sam blinked and turned. And did his best not to stare. It was Mikaela freakin' Banes. Trent's ex-girlfriend and the hottest girl in school. Beside him, Zsizsi smirked and carefully left him alone with her.

"Yeah." He managed.

Mikaela fiddled with a lock of hair. "Look...what Trent did was wrong...so I'd thought I'd..make it up to you."

She glanced at the camaro. "I..."

Sam smiled. "Want a ride home?"

As if on cue, the camaro's radio began to play 'This Night' by Billy Joel.

-line break-

The drive was awkward. At least at first. The romantic music the camaro kept belting out was unnerving, but when Mikaela asked about the car, they soon dissolved into a conversation about mechanics.

Sam had been surprised with how much more Mikaela knew, but apparently she used to help her dad fix cars. Sam had to privately admit she sounded sexy when she talked on about car parts.

Then the car stalled. Right at the old look out, an old popular make-out area. The camaro switched to another love song, this time 'An Innocent Man', once again by Billy Joel. Sam blushed. Does it have to broadcast the fact he is a virgin?!

"I'm...I'm sorry. This car, I believe, is possessed and seems insistent on messing with my life."

Mikaela laughed. "Actually, I don't mind."

A glance was shared between them. As if some invisible force was pulling them, their faces moved closer. They both closed their eyes.

Since it was Sam's first kiss, he let her lead the way.

The sun set in the background, and life was good.

-tbc-

Yes! I finished the first chappie! Just in time for the New Year! -does happy dance- Thanks to my parents for helping with the romantic songs and for proofreading for me!

Cookies for reviews!

Disclaimer: I NO OWN! -cries-

- Love Psycho January 1st 2010