Shane's point of view, Morganville Vampires: Glass Houses

Part 1 (from chapter 2):

Every day in Morganville feels long. The people that live here get used to it, I suppose I have. It would be better without the vampires but what you going to do? I lie on the couch until I hear footsteps approaching me. I sit up and can't help yawning, I was comfortable there. I could have gone to sleep. I see a girl standing there. She opens her mouth to say something but I put a finger over my mouth to stop her.

"Hey," I whisper. "I'm Shane. What's up?" I finally get to have a proper look at her. She has brown hair, not too long or too short but the thing that makes me stop and stare for a minute is her bruises. She has a cut on her lip and a pattern of bruises on her face. She's so small, nobody should be doing that to her. I think about that for a minute. Did I really just think that? I haven't even known her for two minutes but already I'm sticking up for her. After a while of not talking, I say: "Dude, that is a badass shiner. Hurts, huh?" She nods, not saying anything. I sit up properly on the edge of the couch. No way would a boy make her have those bruises, a girl must have done it. "So I guess you're gonna say that the other chick looks worse," She shakes her head but then winces.

"No, I – um – how did you know it was-?"

"A chick? Easy. Size you are, a guy would have put you in hospital with a punch hard enough to leave a mark like that. So what's up with that? You don't look like you go looking for trouble?" I ask, telling the truth. Well, at least I hope she's not one of those girls who purposely try to get themselves hurt.

"I'm Claire," She says, waving. She looks cute when she waves. I force myself not to react to that thought; she might know that something's up. I try to focus on something else. I nod towards the leather wing chair, realising that she hasn't sat down yet. She slides into it, delicately. Wow, she's so graceful. I've got to stop thinking these thoughts, she looks so young and I have only just met her.

"You want something?" I say suddenly. "Coke, maybe? Chilli? Bus ticket back home?" I say the last thing because if she's gone maybe I can have sometime to think about something that's not her.

"Coke," She pauses. "And chilli."

"Good choice. I made it myself." I stand up and go to the kitchen. Eve's standing in the middle of the kitchen with a tray in her hand. On the tray is a coke, a bowl of chilli, a spoon and an ice pack. "She seems nice." I say as I wander to the fridge.

"Yeah, she's cool." She admits and walks out. I take a soda out of the fridge and follow her.

"You can never tell what Shane puts in the chilli. Be afraid." I hear Eve say to Claire as I sit back on the couch. "Yeah, man, thanks for bringing me one, too." Eve says and rolls her eyes. The Goth makeup seriously exaggerates her eye roll. I bet I wouldn't even recognize her without the makeup. "Dork." She mutters.

"Didn't know if you wanted zombie dirt sprinkled on it or anything. If you're eating this week." I say.

"Dork! Go on and eat, Claire – I'll go get my own." I focus back on Claire as she picks up the spoon and takes a small bite of the chilli.

"Sgood," She says and continues eating. I salute. By the time she was halfway through the bowl, Eve was back with her own tray. She starts eating.

"Not bad," She compliments. Eve complimenting me doesn't happen a lot. "At least you left out the oh-my-God sauce this time." That causes me to grin, remembering the time Eve tried that.

"Made myself a batch with it," I say. "It's got the biohazard sticker on it in the fridge, so don't bitch if you get flamed? Where'd you pick up the stray?" I act as if Claire's a stranger to me, which she is sort of. I can't let anyone know that I've been thinking about her a lot since I've seen her.

"Outside. She came to see the room."

"You beat her up first, just to make sure she's tough enough?" I joke.

"Bite me, chilli boy."

"Don't mind Eve," I tell Claire. "She hates working days. She's afraid she'll tan." Eve never tans because it will ruin her Goth look.

"Yeah, and Shane just hates working. So what's you name?" Eve asks. Claire opens her mouth but I beat her to it, happily.

"Claire. What, you didn't even ask? A chick beat her up, too. Probably some skank in the dorms. You know how that place is." Morganville's college dorms have always had a bad reputation, now I know it's bad. Everywhere in Morganville has a bad reputation because of the vampire. It probably used to be a nice town before they came. I look at Eve; she stares at me and then looks back at Claire.

"Is that true? You got beat up in the dorm?" She nods after Eve asks that. "Well, that totally blows. No wonder you're looking for the room." Claire nods again. "You didn't bring much with you."

"I don't have much," Claire answers. "Just the books, and maybe a couple of things back at my room. But – I don't want to go back there to get stuff. Not tonight." I feel sorry for her, it's obviously because the girl is still trying to get her. I grab an old baseball from the floor and toss it towards the ceiling and catch it again.

"Why not?" I ask anyway. "Somebody still looking to pound you?"

"Yeah," Claire looks down at the chilli. "Guess so. It's not just her, it's – she's got friends. And… I don't. That place just – well, it's creepy."

"Been there," Eve says. "Oh, wait, still there." I mime throwing the baseball at her. She mimes ducking. She makes us act like idiots in front of Claire. When did I ever get worried of what a girl thinks of me?

"What time is Michael getting up?" She asks. I mime throwing the baseball at her again.

"Hell, Eve, I don't know. I love the guy, but I don't love the guy. Go bang on his door and ask. Me, I'm gonna go get ready." I don't know why I add that but I know I have a date with Laura. Except she's nothing compared to Claire. Know that I think about it, Claire is different from every girl I know.

"Ready for what?" Eve asks. "You're not seriously going out again, are you?"

"Seriously, yeah. Bowling. Her name's Laura. If you want more details, you're gonna have to download the video like everybody else." I roll off the couch, stand up and walk towards the stairs. "See you later, Claire." I add but don't look at her. I think that if I look at her again, I might cancel my date and stay with her. I can't do that.

"Wait a minute! So what do you say? You think she'd do OK here, or what?" Eve says, frustrated.

"Whatever, man. Far as I'm concerned, she's OK." I try to act calm so I give Claire one quick look and smiles before going up the stairs. I go straight to my bedroom, where I slam the door quickly. I take a few deep breaths, trying to think clearly.

"If she's staying here, I'm going to have to get used to her. I want her here so hopefully Michael will let her stay. I just need to control myself." I say out loud before getting ready for my date with Laura.