Chapter 6

Monday morning I woke up and packed my bag for school. Brushed my teeth showered and brushed my hair. I slung my bag over my shoulder and started down stares. Beth was the only one up.

"Hey, where's John doesn't he have like some work to do or something?"

"Nope, its February break this week. He only works a half shift, noon to 4:00."

"February break? Really? This sucks, I won't go back to bed now, and no ones awake!" I shook my head and returned to my room.

I sat at the desk and opened my lap top. As soon as everything booted up I logged on to AIM but sadly at 6:53 in the morning, no ones on. I was about to minimize the screen but instead someone logged on. It was Max. I wanted to log off, instead I decided to stay on. I knew he wouldn't talk to me, so I just minimized the screen. I clicked on the internet. Under the address bar I went to the history and clicked on my space. As I was logging on the most annoying thing happened, I got an IM.

It read:

Standenstil2soon: Dru, I'm sorry. (it was Max)

Longgone223: For what?

I knew exactly what. I just didn't have the courage to say it first.

Standenstil2soon: you know for asking you out and then getting really upset when you said no.

Longgone223: Don't be sorry, I just want our lives to go back. I want to be friends that talk all the time again, and hunt vampires together. Well most people don't do the last one but hey, everyone has a hobby. Ours just includes stakes and the living dead, and the occasional demon. Ha, ha, ha.

Standenstil2soon: anything for you Dru. Do you want to hang out? Its early I know, but I'm dressed and everything.

Longgone223: Sure, I'm ready too I forgot that it's Feb. break. I'm so…stupid. I have to be like the only kid in the world who doesn't know when it's Feb. break.

Standenstil2soon: Ha, ha, ha. Me too! Okay, so I'll pick you up in…..5 minuets?

Longgone223: Sure, I'll be waiting.

Standenstil2soon: Okay, bye

Longgone223: Bye

Before he got there I closed the screen and checked my myspace. There were 2 messages, one from Dave and one from Criss. I logged off, and turned off the computer. I put down the top and looked over to the clock. I had 3 minutes to spare. I grabbed my sweatshirt and headed down to the stairs to wait on the porch.

"Beth," I yelled to the next room.

"Yes dear?"

"I just made plans, Me and Max are going to hang out until everyone wakes up."

"Okay, have fun." In the way she said okay I wanted to go in and see what she meant by it, but if I did I would make Max walk all the way up to the door to get me. So walked to the porch and sat down in my favorite porch chair.

About four minutes later there was Max. He had a gray cotton sweat shirt he had lent it to me before so I knew that it had fleece on the inside. His jeans were tattered and he had black vans on his feet. He had his hair gelled out so the tip of it stuck up. When he looked up as I bounced on each stair he ginned so big it was almost a smile. I could see the grin in his eyes like it was one of his emotions. I had my hair tied up in to a pony tail that I just flipped up to fold it in to a messy bun. My jeans were cut at the knees and ratty, but they were snug to me and my sweat shirt was big and comfy, it was fleece all the way through, read GAP and was a solid dark blue.

"What are you so happy about?" I asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, so where do you want to go? Is it to late to get in some patrolling or something?"

"Umm yeah, the sun will be up in like a few minuets. But we could walk around any way I mean the grave yard is just down the street if we make it before sunrise."

"Okay, let's start walking."

As we started walking Max didn't seem so, Max like. He was smiling and seemed to be walking at a dilly dally rate. I didn't know how to ask him what was on his mind. By the time we got to the grave yard the sun had just come up.

"Well that was a lost cause." I turned to him, and he was still smiling. "I have to ask you something and you have to answer me straight. Okay?"

He looked up unsure then said "Okay, shoot."

"Why are you so happy? Remember you promised to answer me." I looked up at him his smile was gone and replaced with the unsure frown again. When he noticed I was looking at him he smiled. His eyes wouldn't lie though. He didn't want to tell me. "Please, you promised."

He sighed then breathed "Well, I guess." He shook his head. "I really don't know. We should go get some coffee." He turned toward town and started walking away. I was stunned, he was avoiding the question. He promised to answer.

I picked my jaw up to the rest of my skull and became very cross. "Hey! You promised to answer." He stopped then but didn't turn around. "This is such bull! I'm going home and waiting for Dave to get up. God, your such an ass!" I turned and started to go home.

"Dru!" he stopped but I didn't "Wait, I'll tell you."

I stopped and half turned. "Really?"

Another sigh escaped his lips. "Yes."

As I was walking back and just reach ear shot were I didn't have to shot and said "Okay, go."

"On our way to the coffee."

I rolled my eyes "Okay, fine then. Let's go."

We started walking and I didn't take me long to realize that he was stalling. "Are you going to talk, or should I just go home?"

"No I'll talk. You're such a baby."

I shoved him. "Stop stalling and just get it out."

He laughed out "Okay, okay, okay I'll tell you. It's just, well I was day dreaming."

"About…?" my hands were out. I think they could have asked the question themselves.

He sighed, I hoped, for the last time "Well, I was day dreaming about," he looked very unsure. Then he started again after talking a cleansing breath "I was day dreaming about you and me." His words poured out very fast after about. "I know, I know I thought I was over it but I mean I walked up and then," he let out a shameful breath. "And then there you were on my mind. It hit me then, that you and me were hanging out alone. It just made me happy. And I know we're not going to just start dating now, but I mean." He stopped and started shaking his head. "I'm sorry you don't want to hear this." I realized that I had stopped and my jaw was hanging from the rest of my head again. "Don't look like that Dru." He pleaded with me. "Just." He sighed out in frustration "See what you made me do!"

When he said that, I pulled myself together. Thinking about it I was shocked that about how I acted. At the time that I was supposed to have an open mind I was just closed minded as ever. "I'm sorry Max." I shook my head looking for an answer to how I acted on the ground. "I really didn't mean it like that. It's just…well I thought we had…I really didn't expect that." I was sort of lying to him. I half expected that. I really just figured that he would lie about it. "I'm sorry. Do you think you can live through coffee with me now after that episode I just suffered?"

"I think you know the answer to that." I did. "The question that should be asked is 'Can you live through coffee with me?'" I realized that we had stopped walking. I didn't know for how long. Now I was avoiding the question myself. "I knew it, telling you was a mistake." He let out a breath of frustration.

I quickly realized my mistake. I had paused for to long. That was the only realization I feared, having coffee with someone who likes me. Especially someone I couldn't like back. "I'm sorry Max. I'll have coffee with you. Just I don't want to send you any mixed messages. I mean you're my friend and I don't want to screw it up because we hang out so much. I mean that's what made me and Kyle so," I couldn't think of a word, it didn't matter any way because Max cut me off.

"I get it. You can't screw anything up. But I don't want to lose you as a friend either. This is so hard, I mean were just so close and," he didn't finish and didn't need to. I understood and showed him with a nod.

"How about coffee on me?" I said it half to change the subject and half to apologize for what I made him say and how I reacted to it.

"Or on me?" he said with the same apologizing tone as mine had been.

"How about halfz's?" I asked. He grinned and nodded in agreement.

"Race ya!" he shouted and then he took off in a hurry.

Knowing that was the slayer I gave him a five second head start. Then I ran. With each step it was like I was washing away the now old troubles me and Max worried about. When I was finally even with him I shouted "Last one there's a rotten egg!" then I took the lead. Seeing as Duncan Doughnuts was the first place with coffee I saw I ran to the door and looked behind me to see Max just coming up. "Victory, my friend, as we know it, is mine!" he chuckled as he walked up to me for his last few steps.

Then he held the door open for me and bowed down, panting heavily. "Your Hines."

I suddenly remembered he had asthma and then I didn't worry he was fine I realized."Why thank you peasant." I said playing along. I stuck my nose high it the air as I walked into the glaze and frosting smell of Duncan Doughnuts. My right foot made it over the thresh hold and then I was shoved the rest of the way in. A complement followed.

"Ass." It was under his breath but loud enough.

"Takes one to know one." Was my response. Then we were stopped because of the line we ran into. And we sat there like two old friends would and talked about what we should get, because when in Duncan Doughnuts one must get a doughnut with coffee or for the kiddies hot chocolate.

At 10:35 when we finally looked down at the clock on my cell phone we had found ourselves in the town park sitting at a rain-rusted table. It was painted black and filled with wholes because of it curly-cue nature.

"I'll bet that Dave's up by now. If he's not, well I guess I just have to wake him up."

Max laughed at the statement. "feel free, I mean if he isn't awake its your head not mine."

I snorted "Do you really think he could get mad at his little sister?"

"Yes, yes I do. Especially, if his little sister wakes him up."

My eyes glared but my lips smiled, making it a challenge. "I don't agree." I flipped my open my phone and scrolled down to his number and pressed call.

"It's your head." He said his hands in the air, as if he was giving up.

"I'm the best there is, on ones taking my head. Especially a mortal." The phone rang "In fact any thing short of Satin himself killing me is a waste of my time." I would have said that I held my time very preciously, but Dave picked up.

"Hello?" At that greeting I had to have wakened him up.

"Dave, did I wake you up? You don't sound awake."

"Dru," He said my name like he just solved a mystery. "Yeah, you did wake me up."

"Sorry," I started but he cut me off.

"No, no, no it's okay. I should have gotten up any way I mean its 10:40. I'm hungry." He paused I chuckled in the moment. It seemed to through him off his train of thought. "What, I am." It was as if he was pleading with me to agree.

"Okay, so why don't you eat, Max and I will be there soon."

"You, and Max?" when he said Max it dragged. That was the only part of the statement that was a question. "Are you guys cool know?"

I refused to feel strange talking to my best friend. "Uh, yeah, I guess. We both got up early this morning." I suddenly had the strange feeling that I was trapped and the only way out was to explain myself. "I got on line, and then he got on. We started talking." I stopped, hoping he would continue, but the other side of the phone wanted me to hold the conversation. "And, so we decided to hang out. You know because were close friends and close friends hang out." Still he didn't talk. "Dave, are you there?"

"Yeah, it's just, well…uh…never mind. I'll tell you later."

"Well I'm going to hold you up on that."

"Fine, hey come over. I'll call Criss and Jack, Okay?"

"Yeah, only I don't think that Jack's up yet. We should give him until like 11:30, but yeah call Criss and we'll be there soon."

"All right then, bye."

"Bye." I snapped the phone shut and turned to Max. "So there, I woke him up and he's not mad."

Max rolled his eyes "I think he was awake already."

"Either way, he's not made at me, cuzz he's my big bro. and he loves me, as everyone else does."

"Well, I can't argue with that, but you know, being a guy and everything, not everyone loves you all that much."

"That's right." I turned to the direction of Dave's house.

After a ten minute walk we we're finally on Dave's street. I looked down the road, this sight before me was shocking. "Jack!" I yelled down the road hopefully in ear shot. He was awake!

"Dru!" he waved as I did.

When we finally reached him, in front of Dave's house, he held out a hacky sac, suggesting a game. I nodded and stepped back to prepare for the serve. Up in the air the knit ball glided gracefully to my ankle. I forced it back up into the air, spun and hit the sac with my opposite ankle like a baseball bat hitting a homer. Perfect! It sailed directly to his ankle he then popped it up to his knee hit it to his foot and flung it back over his shoulder. He made a rhythm of bouncing it back and forth, his heel to his ankle.

"Show off." Max snorted. Jack smirked and proceeded by kicking the hacky with the other foot. It sailed chest level to Max. Unfortunately, Max missed it. When we all were playing with skateboards, hacky sac's and yo-yo's, Max was forced in to little league baseball.

"Stop embarrassing him and come here." Dave ordered. Criss was standing behind him just stepping over the threshold she was waving.

"Hey Criss!" Jack shouted waving his arm like he was signaling a plane. Max and me waved too.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" We headed up the side walk to Dave and Criss.

"Well, Max and me have nothing and Jack just walked up."

"Nothing." Jack filled in.

"So how about you Criss?" I asked

"Umm…well nothing." We all laughed.

"Dave, I assume you have news?" he was the only one who didn't get asked.

"Nope, no new news, but I have to shower and stuff, so you guys can hang out inside or out." We all thought then some how agreed.

"Inside." We sang in chorus, we loved his mom and dad. They treated everyone like family. Dave rolled his eyes and turned with them. He mumbled something under his breath that sounded like 'Oh godly being save us all.' I snorted out a laugh.

When I walked into the door I called out, "Mom, Dad, I'm home!" Then I headed straight for the kitchen. There they were, sitting there at their counter that stuck out almost like an island would, sipping there coffee and eating muffins.

"Hello Dru." Mrs. Thomas said.

"Did you guys just get up?" I asked in awe.

"No," Mr. Thomas spoke "we just skipped breakfast this morning, now we're kind of hungry. Do you guys want some muffins?" Mr. Thomas made me almost feel bad for eating this morning.

"No, I'm good." I announced.

"I'll have one." Jack said, he grinned as he walked to the muffin that caught his eye. Criss took her seat at the table where there was a half eaten chocolate chip muffin.

"Me too." Max added. They both grabbed a small paper plate and a muffin. Then he took the seat next to Jack. I sat down next to Mrs. Thomas and across from Criss. I noticed her hot Chocolate.

"Hey mom, where's the coco?"

"We have singles in the mix drink can in the cupboard."

"Thanks." I got up and shuffled in my socks to the mugs. I pulled out mine. It had my name and picture on it. They gave it to me for Christmas one year. I went to the water tank and hit the hot. Once it was filled I put in the hot chocolate and stirred it. Then I put the spoon in the dish washer and returned to my seat.

When Dave was getting, ready we disused the weeks events. Most of the night activities were lies because of Dave's parents being in the room.

After about a half an hour of talking with the Thomas's, Dave finally came in.

"Are you guys ready?" Dave looked really eager to go.

I rolled my eyes and stood. "Let's go guys." I walked to Dave and everyone stood and followed. "Bye, mom, Bye, Dad." I called as I took another step toward the door.

"Bye, Dru!" they called in unison from the kitchen.