So I did plan on updating earlier than this, sorry. But wowwwww, I forget how long these chapters are, it took me ages to write this! Haha.
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I plan on updating at least once a week xo

"We don't need milk, Eve," I continued with my side of the argument. "Milk is for pussies."

"You can't cook scrambled eggs without milk, it wouldn't taste right!" She argued her point.

We fell into silence, glaring at each other and trying to stare the other one out to get our own way. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Claire walk in and pour herself some orange juice before handing the carton to Eve. I waited until Eve had passed me the juice until I said, "so. Michael didn't pitch you out."

"No."

I nodded slowly. Truthfully, I had been surprised to find out that Claire was staying here temporarily. Mike was a good guy and I knew he wouldn't have chucked her out on the streets, especially during the night with the bloody vampires around, but I knew he didn't want to draw any attention to us or get himself in trouble, which could surely happen with having a sixteen year old girl living here, unprotected and oblivious to the truth of Morganville. I hoped that Claire wouldn't take advantage of the risk Michael was taking letting her stay here.

"Something you should know about Michael," I said. "He doesn't like taking chances. I wasn't sure he'd let you stay. If he did, then he got a good vibe off of you. Don't disrespect that, because if you do - I won't be happy, either. Got it?"

Claire looked at Eve, who was for once not speaking, before looking back at me. "He's your friend, right?"

"He saved my life," I admitted. "I'd die for him, but it'd be a bit of a dumbass thing to do to thank him for it. So yeah. He's been my friend all my life, and he's more like a brother. So don't get him in trouble."

"I won't." She didn't look away from my eyes and I didn't look away from hers - I could tell by the honesty in her eyes that she had no intention of getting Michael in trouble and I believed that she'd do anything to make sure he didn't. Good. "No milk in the eggs," she added, changing the subject.

I grinned at her, before flashing Eve a triumphant smile. "See?" I turned around and started cracking eggs into the bowl. "Told ya."

"Traitor," Eve sighed and started poking the bacon with a fork. "Fine. So. How was Linda last night?"

"Laura."

"Whatever. Not like I have to remember a name for more than one date, anyway."

She was right about that unfortunately. I did want a long-term girlfriend, to be able to hold someone and call her mine, although I'd never tell Eve, or even Michael, that. I'd never actually had a proper girlfriend because the truth was, I was scared of getting attached and having to lose her like I'd lost my family.

My date with Laura had actually gone terribly. She seemed bored the whole time and barely talked to me, then she'd seemed disappointed when I didn't kiss her after dropping her off back home. I didn't see the point in kissing her if I hadn't enjoyed myself to be honest. "She bowled a one fifty," I said to Eve, shrugging and pretending the date went better than it did.

"God, you're such a disappointment. Share, already!"

"Hey, not in front of the kid. You got the note," I said. It was true that we shouldn't be talking about this sort of stuff in front of Claire, but I'd only said it to avoid the subject of Laura.

"Kid?" Claire asked, sounding hurt. "Note?"

I pulled the note out of my pocket and handed it to Claire, watching a frown appear on her face as she read about how she was underage and we had to look out for her while she was here. Claire looked pissed off. "I'm not a kid!" She told me, her cheeks blushing a cute bright red. "I'm only, like, a year younger than Eve!"

"And girls are much more mature," Eve agreed. "So you're about ten years older than Shane, then."

Funny, I thought to myself sarcastically, sending Eve another glare.

"Seriously," Claire continued. "I'm not a kid!"

"Whatever you say, kid," I said, trying to hold back my laughter at seeing her angry. Anger wasn't a good look on her, she looked like a little vulnerable kitten trying to look tough: it just didn't work at all. "Cheer up. Just means you don't have to put up with me telling you how much sex I didn't get."

"I'm telling Michael," Eve warned.

"About how much sex I didn't get? Go ahead."

"No bacon for you."

"Then no eggs for you. Either of you."

She frowned and said, "prisoner exchange?"

We swapped pans and started scooping. We both froze when the annoying sound of the doorbell rang, looking at each other with wide eyes. I put my plate down, licked the bacon grease from my fingers and nodded towards Claire. "Get her out of sight."

As Eve started pulling Claire over to the pantry - hopefully putting her in the secret compartment in there - I went to answer the door. It was a policeman, one I'd seen around a few times but somehow hadn't had any run-ins with him. Yet. I didn't know his name and he didn't give it. He made his own way into the kitchen, explaining that he was just doing standard inventory.

"Sir," I said, trying to sound as respectful as I could. "There's nobody living here but what's on the roster. Just the three of us." Was it possible that somebody knew Claire was staying here? Surely not, she'd only got here yesterday and at that time of the day nobody would have been outside to see her. And if they did, they wouldn't have recognized her with all those bruises covering her face. I worked at keeping a straight face to hide my thoughts from the officer.

"Which one are you?" He asked.

"Shane Collins, sir."

"Get your third in here," he said, his voice flat and demanding.

""Well, I would, but - Michael's not here. He's out until tonight. You want to check back then…?" I hadn't lied to him, not exactly. I didn't know if Michael wasn't here or if he was still in bed, but I knew we'd see him tonight. It was strange, we only saw him at night, and it was kind of annoying really considering we had to deal with all this sort of shit alone, but there wasn't anything we could do about it.

"Never mind," he shook his head. "You're Eve Rosser?"

"Yes, sir."

He quickly asked about her parents and her job before turning back to me. "You. Collins. Any employment?"

"I'm in between jobs, sir. You know how it is."

"Keep looking," he snapped. "We don't like slackers in Morganville. Everybody contributes."

Yeah, no kidding. "Yes, sir. I'll keep that in mind, sir."

He frowned at me, clearly not liking the mocking tone to my voice. "You left town for a couple of years, boy. What brings you back?"

I frowned back at him as I said, "homesick, sir. Missed all my old friends." I was going to lose it in a minute, my attitude was creeping back, but what did he expect when he was asking stupid questions like this?

Sensing this, Eve cleared her throat. "Sir, I'm sorry, but I've got work in a half hour…?"

"One other thing. Here's a picture of a girl that disappeared from her dorm last night. You haven't seen her?"

He held up a photo of Claire that was obviously took a few years ago. She looked a lot younger and her hair, which was now in a short pixie-cut, was long and curly. "No," Eve and I said in unison.

His eyes looked towards the pantry. "What's in here?" He opened the door and I held my breath, praying that Claire stayed quiet. "You always leave the light on?"

"I was getting some jam when you rang, sir. I probably forgot to turn it off. Sorry," Eve explained nervously.

He seemed to reluctantly believe it. "You ring the station if you see that girl. She's got herself in some trouble. We're supposed to help her get straightened out."

He left shortly after thankfully and Eve helped Claire out of the pantry. "It's ok," she said to her. "He's gone."

"Oh, the hell it's ok," I snapped, frowning. "Those assholes have her picture. They're looking for her. What'd you do, Claire? Knife the mayor or something?" I swore to God that if we got in trouble for her stupidity, I'd kill her. Maybe not literally, but still.

"Nothing!" She blurted, panicked. "I - I don't know why - Maybe it's that they're just worried because I didn't show up last night?"

She seemed to be telling the truth which meant that somehow Claire was on the wrong side of the wrong person. Brilliant. "Worried?" I laughed. "Yeah, that's it. They're worried about you. Right. I'm going to have to talk this over with Michael. If they're going to turn the town upside down looking for you, either you're too hot to stay in Morganville, or we need to get you under some kind of Protection, fast."

"But - maybe the police-?"

"That was the police. Told you. They run the town," Eve said. "These guys work the vamps - they're not vamps themselves, but they're scary enough without the fangs. Look, can you call your parents? Get them to pull you out of school and take you home or something?"

Claire looked like she didn't believe Eve about the vampires, but she seemed to be thinking about calling her parents. "But - I haven't done anything," she concluded, looking back and forth between us. "How can they be after me if I didn't do anything?"Because that's Morganville, I thought to myself. "Life ain't fair," I said out loud. "you must have pissed off the wrong people, is all I know. What's the girl's name? The one who smacked you around?"

"M- Monica."

I was aware of Eve saying something, but I blanked her out. Monica Morrell. So it seemed like the bitch had a thing for hurting small, vulnerable girls younger than her. I thought Monica had left town though, I was hoping I wouldn't have to see her again for a while. "Monica," I repeated. "How come nobody told me?"

"Sorry, Shane," Eve said nervously. "We would have - I swear, I thought she left town. Went off to college somewhere else."

I shrugged, trying to show her that I didn't care although I knew she wouldn't believe it. "She probably couldn't stand not being the queen bee and had to come begging back to Daddy to buy her some grades.

"Shane-"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"She probably doesn't even remember you… I- that's not what I meant. I'm sorry."

I laughed bluntly. Eve picked up her plate and said something about there being three plates and the officer probably having noticed, but I ignored her. I couldn't stop thinking about Monica being back in town. She was probably happy being the queen bee again. But the stupid bitch didn't deserve to be happy!

I picked up my plate and left the kitchen, going upstairs to sulk on my own.