Enjoy! Disclaimer: I own nothing! But I wish I do, but sadly…..I don't. The lovely Rachel Caine does.

Chapter Two:

Claire

Eve laughed. "That's nothing. Yo! Shane! Michael! We've got a live one!"

"She better be hot!" A male voice called from upstairs. Eve led me into the living room to sit down on the couch. It was a dark room without the lights on; the big black curtains at the window were draped over the windows. Eve switched on the light by the stairs and smiled at me. I looked around a bit seeing it was quite a spacious room. It had a TV in the corner of the room, a stack of video games on the floor next to it. There was the couch I was sitting on and a recliner.

"How do you know it's a she?" Another male voice asked, warmer than the other voice.

Eve sighed and demanded, "Just get down here!"

The two males whom had been speaking descended down the stair case and stopped about three steps to the bottom. They both looked at me with wide eyes and said in unison, "Daaamn!"

"Yeah; I'm hot, huh boys?" I asked smiling a bit as a stood up and turned in a circle.

"I'm Shane," said the more muscular one whom was striding towards me. He had messy, but cut, light brown hair that just brushed the bottom of his brows, dark mysterious eyes that, might I say, were beautiful, and silky tan skin that made you want to melt in his arms. He gripped my hand and shook it. I shook back smiling modestly.

"I'm Michael," said the other male. He had shaggy blond hair swept to the right side a bit, bright stunning blue eyes that stared into your soul, and pale skin. He and Shane were about the same height, but Shane about an inch taller.

I was quite speechless of how hot and sexy they both were. It was like staring at two gods. Eve giggled and walked over to me and whispered, "Say something."

I cleared my throat and said," Oh, nice to meet you guys. I'm Claire Danvers."

"Damn," Shane said checking me out. "Where did you find Miss Claire, here?"

Eve rolled her eyes at Shane and said, "She came to Common Grounds; she's going to TPU."

"You're not living on campus?" Michael said, finally stepping down the final steps and making his way over to a comfy big brown chair.

I shook my head no and sat on the couch again, as well did Shane right next to me. Eve sat on the armrest of Michael's chair and smiled. I noticed there was a black leather guitar case sitting against the wall next to Michael's chair. I was guessing he was the one who played guitar.

"So where are you from?" Shane asked looking at me with dearing eyes.

I smiled and answered, "Toledo, Ohio."

He returned the smile and Michael said, "How old are you Claire."

I looked at him and said, "Almost seventeen, at the end of the month is my birthday." No one spoke, so I looked at Eve helplessly. "Is that a problem, because I'll just try and find somewhere else to live?" I whispered the last part and started to get up.

Shane grabbed my wrist, making me sit back down. He smiled and looked at Michael. "No, no, that's not going to be a problem. Right, Mikey?"

Michael sighed and looked over me careful. "I know she's very pretty and all Shane, but she's underage."

"I'm only a year younger than Eve, though." I thought that might be helpful to say. Eve did mention she had only turned eighteen not too long ago.

Michael blew out some air and said, "The rent is a hundred a month, Claire."

I nodded and pulled out a wad of cash I had tucked away in my jeans. "I have to money. I have over five thousand dollars, my father sent me with."

"Who are your parents?" Eve asked looking at me with wide eyes.

"They're millionaires. They own some company," I said shrugging. "I saw them occasionally, but usually it was me, our maid, our butler, and my books." They stared at me with shocked looks. "Yeah, I get that look a lot."

Michael smiled and said, "Well, once a month you buy groceries, just to tell you. Can you cook…?"

I smiled and laughed. "Yeah, before my mother and father founded their company, my mother was a stay-at-home-mother and taught me to cook loads of things."

"Like what?" Shane asked.

"Um, I can cook tacos, lasagna, manicotti, chicken roast, meat loaf, and a quite a few other things." I shrugged smiling. "So, since I can stay, who wants to help me get my bags?"

Shane smiled and stood up. "I will." He gave me a hand to stand up, which was very gentlemen-like. "I'll show you to your room too."

"Awesome," I said smiling. Eve tossed me the keys to my Phantom and I caught them, surprisingly, with my left hand. "Thanks." Eve smiled and nodded.

Eve

When Claire and Shane were out the door, Michael stared at me with lovingly eyes. "Do not tell her about the vampires. First, she wouldn't believe us. Second, she'd go out at night and test us, to see if there actually are vampires. And third, after she would get bitten, she'd freak out that I'm a vampire too. So don't tell her."

"I won't," I said halfway lying. I wasn't sure if I was going to tell her right off the bat or what, but I was going to tell her. She had a right to know that Morganville isn't a sleepy college town as it seems, it's ran by vampires.

He smiled, giving me a peck on the cheek and said, "Good. I'm still kind of worried because she's only sixteen—"

"—almost seventeen." I said knowing Claire would want that to be said.

"Yeah, well, still she isn't at a legal age, so one false move and she's out… for good."

"Of course, Michael; I promise you she's not going to get you guys in trouble." I smiled and kissed him intensely, so he'd drop the subject. I really liked Claire; we could be growing a very good friendship.

"I'll take your word for it," he muttered kissing me back.

Claire

"Thanks," I said unlocking the Phantom.

"Thanks for what?" Shane asked grabbing two of my suitcases.

"For helping me unload my crap," I said and took out my other two suitcases. I put my backpack on my back and grabbed my other three bags. My hands were full of bags. I closed the trunk and Shane grabbed two bags from me and smiled.

"No problem; helping a pretty young lady is fun. Plus I might as well blow some time before my date tonight," he said walking towards the front door. I followed his with a frown. That broke my heart. He has a girlfriend?

I sighed and smiled half-heartedly as I said, "You have a girlfriend? What's her name?"

"Not a girlfriend; a date. Her name is Lacy; we're going to a drive in." Shane shrugged and walked up the steps of the porch. A drive in! Can this get any worse? I followed him inside and up the stairs biting my lip. "My room," he pointed to the first door. "Michael's, he gets the biggest because it's his house." That was door two and three. "Bathroom; second one's downstairs." That was the first door on the left. "Eve's room." That was door four on the right side. "And your room." Mine was the one at the end of the hallway. It looked like there was another door on the left side, except there wasn't a doorknob, and Shane said nothing about it. I shrugged it off and he opened the door to my room.

I walked in after him and looked around the room. There wasn't much, but I didn't mind one bit. There was a full-sized bed—I use to have a king, but I didn't mind—, a dresser with a TV on it, and a bedside table with a Victorian-styled lamp, and pretty dark red curtains hanging over the window.

"You like?" Shane asked sitting the suitcases down and putt my two bags on the bed.

"You?" I asked trying to act cocky. "I heard you're, kind of, a slacker and you're so, I mean so, not my type."

He smiled bitterly and said, "Ha, ha, little Claire." His smiled went soft as he said, "I meant the room."

I surveyed the room again and sat down my bags and suitcases. "It's pretty nice," I said and turned to him. "Your room's at the other end?"

He nodded saying, "Yeah, why?"

"Too long to walk at two thirty in the morning if I want some… uh, advice." I winked smiling.

"Claire," he said taking my small hand into his, and led me to my new bed and sat down.

"What?" I asked batting my long eyelashes at him.

"You're sixteen—"

"—almost seventeen," I piped in.

"Yes, almost seventeen, but I'm eighteen. We shouldn't—can't be in a sexual relationship 'til you're eighteen, because it's illegal right now Claire." He ran his thumb over my knuckled lightly, looking at the ground.

"But…" I trailed off.

"No buts, ands, or ifs about it Claire; I cannot get in trouble."

"I'd never want to get you in trouble Shane."

"I have to go get ready—for my date with Lacy." He released my hand and stood up, leaving the room.

I sighed and looked at the ground. I stood up and shut the door, locking the deadbolt. I opened my red backpack and pulled out one of my razor blades. Are you sure, Claire? I asked myself. Positive, a voice whispered to me in my head. I flipped the rubbed holder off and pressed it to my wrist.

Blood; there was a thin red line of blood. I smiled and liked the blood. Oddly, I liked the taste of it. It was salty and metallic; it was like licking pure metal. I smiled and let a tear go down the curve of my cheek. The thought that I actually had a shot with Shane was silly now that I thought of it. I mean I'm Claire Danvers, overachiever, emo, and I'm not legal yet. It sucked, big time.

Michael

I smelled blood somewhere in the house. I stopped kissing Eve and stood up. The metallic smell of blood was coming from upstairs. It was either Claire or Shane, and I had a feeling it wasn't Shane. "Someone's bleeding."

"What? Who's bleeding?" Eve asked standing up quickly, quite nervous.

"I think it might be Claire," I said and dashed up the stairs. I felt Eve's presences behind me as I opened Shane's door. Shane was sitting on his bed reading a comic book.

He looked up alarmed as we walked into the room. He put the comic down and sat up staring at us. "What's going on here?"

"Are you bleeding?" I asked looking him in the eyes.

"No?" Shane said looking at me like I was crazy.

"Claire!" Eve shrieked running out of Shane's room and to Claire's room. "Claire!" Eve pounded on the door as hard as she could. I saw tears run down her face as I walked closer to her.

I heard Shane fumble down the hall after us asking, "What's going on?"

"Claire's bleeding!" Eve yelled at Shane and pounded on the door. "Claire! Open the door, Claire!" Eve's voice was cracking at the octave she was yelling in. It was about three times as her regular voice. And since I had very good hearing, as a vampire, it was definitely killing my ears.

I pushed Eve aside and kicked the door as hard as I could. It budged a little bit. This house was built by vampires; of course the doors would be strong enough to keep someone out. I clenched my teeth and kicked three times harder. The door opened with a clash against the wall. Claire was lying on her bed. Her wrists were bloody and there was a razor blade next to her.

She moaned and turned over, sitting the razor on the bedside table. "Go away, please?"

I walked over to her bed and knelt down, cupping her face. "Are you okay?" I wiped away the tears that kept flowing down her cheeks. I wanted to make her feel better as much as I could, but I didn't know what to do.

Claire looked me in the eyes and shook her head whispering, "No." She buried her face in my chest as I gave her a hug.

I kissed her cheek and tried to comfort her saying, "It's okay, Claire. Please just calm down."

She whimpered a bit and leaned back. "It's how I deal with my problems, I'm fine." I saw her look back at Eve and Shane with a sorrow look. "You shouldn't worry about me." She rolled over and I heard her cry. I felt my eyes want to cry with her for some reason. I didn't want her to harm herself, she lived in the Glass House now; she was my friend now. I scooted her over and lied next to her on the bed. "Michael's its really okay."

"You're not okay," I whispered wiping her tears away. "Why are you sad, Claire?"

She turned over and looked at me with her wet red eyes. "I don't know why I'm sad."

"Can you give me all the razor blades you have, please?" I said pushing her colorful hair back.

She whimpered again, but she nodded. I got up and put a hand out. She took it and I helped her stand up. I pocketed the razor she sat on the bedside table after capping it with the rubber piece while she opened a zipper in her backpack. She pulled out five more razor blade with rubber pieces covering them. She stood up and put them in my hand. "I'm sorry."

I pocketed the rest of the razor blades and gave her a hug. "Don't be sorry, it's not your fault. Just please, please don't harm yourself. You're a beautiful young lady and you shouldn't do that to yourself; it's not healthy." I kissed the top of her head and let go. "Do you want to come downstairs with us?"

She looked at Shane and Eve and bit her lip. "I need to study, even though I've read through all my textbooks. I'm going to be testing out of Calc II and into Calc III."

I nodded realizing she was a very smart young lady. "You want to come downstairs and study?"

She looked at Shane and Eve again. "Sure…" I let her grab her textbooks, paper, and pencils before walking downstairs. "Thanks, really thanks."

I smiled and shrugged. "Let me carry these for you." I grabbed her stuff and let her out of her room. Eve and Shane looked at us and I heard them follow us. I needed to keep a close eye on Claire from now on. And now that I've seen what had just happened, I couldn't let her leave even if she tried something with me or Shane. I just couldn't put her on the streets where she could start cutting herself again. "Do you want something to drink?" I asked setting her books on the coffee table in front of the couch.

She nodded and sat down. "Yes please."

"Coke?" I asked raising my eyebrows. She nodded and opened her textbook. I smiled and went into the kitchen, motioning Shane and Eve to follow me. They entered the kitchen behind me and looked at me. "We have to keep an eye on her."

"Well, you guys have fun with that, I've got a date." Shane said rolling his eyes.

"Did you say something to her?" I asked narrowing my eyes at him. He shrugged and crossed his arms across his chest. I grabbed three Coke's out of the refrigerator and closed it. "Shane, did you say something to her." I gave Eve a Coke and glared at Shane.

"Yeah, I told her I was going on a date tonight with Lacy," he said shrugging again.

"She likes you and you hurt her," Eve whispered.

Shane looked at her with an uneasy look. "Whatever, she doesn't like me."

"She does," Eve said exiting the kitchen.

I shook my head at Shane and pushed past him. I set the Coke in front of Claire and she smiled at me saying, "Thanks."

"No problem," I said sitting in my chair opening my Coke. Eve was sitting next to Claire staring at her with a dearing look. I smiled at my girlfriend; she was such a good person. I flipped on the TV to a show I really wasn't watching. I kept looking at Claire and Eve who were talking quietly while Claire was studying. When Shane came out of the kitchen and went upstairs, I saw Claire look at him and sigh. Eve was right, she really did like Shane. I shook my head and stared blankly at the TV.

A/N: Hey guys, I really hope you liked Chapter Two! I will be working on Chapter Three tonight, I promise! Since I had my surgery yesterday, I don't have much to do! So I might as well write and read! Heheh.

-Spike's girl but Angel's love