Chapter three - Memories and heartache

Mike stared back at the goth in horror, "I-I have to what?"

"Did I stutter? I said leave the group and give up your position as leader. Of should I tell them about their leader being a tranny?" Pete felt a slight moment of guilt, but he felt happy with the power he had over his rival.

The vampire looked down for a moment, he felt eyes well up, only to look up at the redhead, "I'll do it by Friday ..."

Pete smirked at this, he realeased his hold on the older boy. He turned to leave the bathroom, before facing the boy one last time, "And after school go by my trailer house, so we can get proper goth clothes, not that hot topic bullshit."

Without waiting for a response Pete left, still trying to shake off the slight guilt he felt.

Mike only slide to the floor, without waiting he grabbed his phone, dialing a number.

"Hello? Mother? I'm going home, I don't feel well. Uh? No, it's nothing. Just the hormkne shots I had to get a lot to deal with- yes mom. Ok, I love you too. See you tonight, goodbye." Mike hung up, he almost forgot to speak German go his mom ...

The vampire, soon to be ex-vampire, got his bag leaving the bathroom. As he walked towards the school door, he was unaware that a different redhead was staring at the teen with an arched eyebrow, who had listened to the entire phone call conversation.

- later at lunch time -

"I'm telling you dude, I've seen that vamp kid for nearly 10 years and I've never seen him cry, or even act depressed for that matter," Kyle explained to his super best friend Stan Marsh.

"Why do you care? It's not like you actually ever talk to him," Stan answered, both boys walked to their table, sitting next to each other.

"I know, but it was weird. He was talking on the phone in German,"

"German?' Stan arched an eyebrow ,'I thought he was Polish or something like that."

"Whatever, he saying something about hormone shots ... Why the fuck would he be that upset over that?"

"How do you know German?" Stan asked. He knew his friend was smart, but not like this.

"He said 'Hormonschüsse' dude it's not that hard to figure out," Stan rolled his eyes at his smartass childhood friend.

"Whatever, it's probably nothing," Stan replied, going back to eating his lunch.

Kyle just struggled his shoulders, silently agreeing with his friend.

- at the Makowski house -

Mike finally returned home, feeling mentally drained.

The vampire kid walked up to his room, locking the door behind him shut. He took off his coat and boots, while making his way to his bathroom. Without really caring about the mess or lost effort in his make up, he sipped it off looking like he just escaped a fire.

Several minutes later mike returned to his room, laying down on his bed. He turned on some music, staring up at his ceiling. The drawer to his left caught his eye, he pulled it out revealing a picture of him when he was still 'Michelle'.

In the photo he had long straight black hair, with side bangs and he was wearing a holiday dress. The man in the photo was smiling, but it looked really fake. Mike then realized he must of been 3 years old, so about a year before would cut his hair and reject all the dresses he was offered.

Biting his lip, he shoved the picture back in the drawer, not bothering to close it before turning his body to sleep in a dreamless sleep.

- several hours later -

Mike woke up to feel weight at the end of his bed. Sleepishky he groaned, sitting up straight only to be met with a familiar goth ...

"You! Why are you here?!" Pete looked unaffected by the outburst, only reading, or at least attempting to read, a German book version of the house of usher.

"I told your mom I was a friend of yours, she let me in without much problems,' Pete explained, unfazed by the angry teen.

"Huh, the files weren't lying when it said you spoke German,' Pete stated ignoring the transgender teen.

'Why do you speak German?" Mike was a little surprised, he never thought in a million years that the goth would have any interest in getting to know him, then again he didn't expect Pete to ever go as far as to blackmail him.

"My mom grew up in a German household, and my dad was born in Austria, and your reading the book upside down" Pete blushed slightly, earning a smirk from the vampire. He only responded by hitting him on the head with the heavy book.

"Fuck!" Mike rubbed his head at the assault, whining softly.

"Whatever. Get up, vampfag. I'm not as much into shopping, so Henrietta is coming along," Mike only rolled his eyes. He got up to leave for the bathroom to get ready, leaving the goth in his room.

Pete looked around the room, cringing at all the vampire stuff, but also saw some gothic looking decor as well. Maybe Mike would make a good goth. He looked around the room until a open drawer caught his eye. He looked inside or see an old picture. He picked it up to see it was a little girl with two parents. Pete instantly reconized the woman as being Mike's mother.

Pete held his breath for a moment, "Is this Mike?" He felt the frame, until he noticed a piece of paper inside, it was a note, but it was all in German.

'Goddammit, I wish I could speak German ... Germany is the goth capital of the world, I should know this!'

"It says "I love you, my sweet little Michelle. I can't wait to celebrate Hanukkah with you this season, you were always the prettiest little one of the family, love your father'" a voice inter upped, making Pete jump for a moment.

Then Pete remembered, "Where is your dad?"

Mike snatched the photo out of the do the hand placing the note back in, before slamming it into the drawer shut, "I don't care, let's go."

Pete only followed Mike, deciding not to ask any further about his father. For now at least.