Again, so sorry I don't update often enough. :/


Claire had been sobbing for probably two straight hours. After a while, she didn't even really know for sure why. It just felt good to let it all out.

Shane held her in his strong arms. He had stopped asking questions a long time ago, and figured she'd tell him about it when she was ready.

Soon, Claire's howls died down to small sups. Shane raised an eyebrow at her, as if asking silently, "Ya done?"

Claire answered him with a nod and sat up from his embrace, but kept hold of his hand. "Ready tyo tell me what that was all about?" Shane asked.

"In Myrnin's lab... I walked in and he was, like.. Talking to him self back and forth. But he'd use his normal voice, then respond to himself in some other voice.. This demonic growl sort of thing."

"Well, Claire, I think that talking to himself is one of the lesser symptoms of how messed up inthe head that vamp is... That's not reason enough to cry, is it?"

"No. But then I said something, and his eyes.. They looked.. Not hungry, per se, but... I don't know." But Claire did know what was in his eyes. Lust... "Anyway, he came toward me, and I thought he was going to try to bite me again. I mean, it hadn't been the first time, and I could usually defuse that sort of thing. But... He didn't want to bite me."

"That's a first, but I still don't see why you were so-"

"He kissed me."

There was the longest, most excruciating silent pause of Claire's life. Then, oh so aggonizingly quietly, Shane said, "What?"

"Myrnin kissed me."

Again, he was quiet. His fingers drummed against his pant leg, and his eyebrows furrowed, as if he were thinking about a poker game with the highest stakes of his life: Claire.

Then, all of a sudden, Shane errupted from his seat on the couch. He knocked over the coffee table, screaming, "God DAMN IT!"

"Shane," Claire reached out and touched his arm, and Shane flinched away.

"You're never going back there! Do you hear me? Never! I swear to God, if he comes within a ten mile radias of you, I'll shove that stake so far up his ass, it'll look like a third fang!"

"Shane. Calm down. I have to go back. You know that."

"Says who?"

"Says Amelie."

"Screw Amelie."

"Shane."

"'Shane', nothing, Claire! You're not going back, and that's that!"

"Who died and made you my father?"

"Claire. That creep kissed you! That is where I draw the f*&^ing line. Amelie can find a new job for you. Work from home. You can email Myrnin or something."

"Shane, you know I can't do that."

"You can if you want."

"No. I'm going back.. In fact, I have to go back right now."

"I'm not going to let you."

"I don't give a damn what you're going to 'let' me do! You're not my father! I'm 17 and I can do what I want. Especially if it's something that's expected and required of me!"

Shane scowled. "Fine. Get killed. Get raped. See if I care." And with that, he walked upstairs, and Claire cuold hear his door slam.

"Urrrgghhh!" Claire, aggravated, grabbed her bookbag, and left the Glass House.


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