Claire slumped over her English Lit book, exhausted and bored. How would the Bronte sisters help her in a town full of vampires? Not much. She pushed her hair out of her eyes as her phone bleeped. She held the screen up to her face, bleary-eyed, and groaned as she saw two vampire bunny slippers. Myrnin. She really didn't have time for him this morning, but she read the text anyway. 'Come here now. Bob needs you.' Seriously? Claire sighed and stood up, walking over to the mirror, checking if she looked ok for her job. Well, technically it was her job, but slaving away from a crazy vampire in his underground lab/lair wasn't exactly a normal career option. But then again, Morganville wasn't a normal town. She fluffed her messed-up hair into shape and looked down at herself: faded jeans, trainers and a black t-shirt with a glittery red skull on (which came from living in a house with Eve for too long). She picked up her newest backpack which, unlike the other two, wasn't coming apart at the seams and wasn't stained (with coffee, ink or, unfortunately, blood). Eve had already left for Common Grounds, freakishly early, and the guys were probably still in bed; Claire was the only one of the Glass House residents who was a morning person, and even now she wasn't quite awake. But, with perfect timing, Shane tumbled down the stairs, dark hair in a mess. As he saw Claire, he grinned and jogged over. Once he was beside her, he gave her a brief peck on the cheek: warm, sweet- and Claire shivered in delight, lightly touching the ring on her finger: it glittered in the morning light as they separated, and Claire thought that maybe they could stay here a little longer, two perfect halves of a whole… then her phone bleeped again, bunny slippers again.

"Damn you, Myrnin." It was the same message again, something about Bob the spider. Last time he'd called her about Bob, the spider had been shedding its skin and Myrnin had been… very concerned. Shane peered over her shoulder at the screen and groaned.

"Not him again, why can't he leave us alone?" By which he meant, leave US alone. Claire shrugged.

"I don't know. It's something about Bob."

"The spider?" Shane asked doubtfully, and Claire nodded. With a slow, sweet smile, Shane murmured,

"You go sort out Bipolar Man and his spider, I'll be waiting here just for you."