Holler.

Enjoy,

"Being forced to wake up before 9 am should be considered a human rights violation," I murmur, pressing the heels of my hands against my forehead.
Eve's head snaps up and her eyes settle on me with an intensity I could never muster this early in the morning. "That's brilliant." She gives me a cup of dark, steamy delicious coffee. "His Highness wants me in early today to provide the future of America with caffeine. Or you know, the brats of Texas Praire University. What are you up so early for?"
"Amelie," I say and take a sip from the coffee. I have to physically restrain myself from moaning out loud. "Eve. This coffee. Heaven."
Eve gives me a look. "Duh." She pulls out a chair and sits down opposite of me. "What does Amelie want at," she glances at her non-existent watch, "oh-my-God in the morning?"
I chuckle. "I have to formally announce my arrival to the Founder of Morganville," I say, adapting a crisp, I-have-a-stick-up-my-butt accent. "It's usually only vampires who do it when they're in town but seeing as how she's my great-great-great times a 100 grandmother, I have to do it as well."
Eve raises her eyebrows at me. "Yikes. Good luck, babe. Suddenly happier all I'm doing is pulling espresso shots."
"Count your blessings," I tell her and take a gulp from the scalding hot coffee.
Eve bounces up and walks – no, sorry, stomps – over to the kitchen sink. She puts down her coffee and turns to look at me. She smiles, and it's not sarcastic or wry. Just a smile. She glances down at her hand and it takes my brain a moment to realize that she's looking at her engagement ring. "I really should. I feel happier than I've been for a long time."
I answer her smile and happiness floods my chest at those words. Eve's like a sister to me; it might sound like a huge cliché but seeing her happy makes me happy as well. "You deserve it."
She grins at me and walks out of the kitchen.

I finish my coffee in silence contemplating what I should wear today; something classic and feminine. It can't be too tight and it can't be too loose or else Amelie'll delve into "how to properly dress oneself when appearing in front of the Founder". I sigh, so weary I can feel it in my bones. I hadn't been able to sleep so well last night after the whole incident with Shane and Claire. Probably because when I walked up the stairs I'd heard giggling and whispers from Shane's room.
The memory brings a stabbing sensation to my chest and I gulp down some more coffee to unravel the knot in my throat.
Dread had made freeze and when that wore off I'd stepped closer to his door. I couldn't make myself go any closer than to stand in the middle of the hallway; something was yelling at me how wrong this was, how I should be respecting their privacy, how I should back the hell away but I something rooted me right where I was. It's just like watching a car crash; you know what you're about to witness will be horrible and terrible but you continue watching the accident that's about to take place.
I'd heard as the laughter had ebbed away, heard it be replaced with something else; something more quiet and intense and I heard his name over and over again and I just couldn't. I'd teared myself away from there because tears where fighting to spring free and I just couldn't.
But I'd miscalculated how old this house is. How the floorboards groan when you walk too carelessly. I'd once memorized which floorboards were soundless and which yelled out in protest at the merest pressure when I lived here so that I wouldn't wake any of the others when tiptoeing into the bathroom during the night.

But this time I'd been too tired and everything hurt too much and felt so wrong that I didn't think. I just turned and started walking. But I didn't freeze up, I kept walking, even when I heard the very faint, "Wait," from his room.
I'd buried my face in Eve's pillow and I'd yelled out my frustration and pain. I only stopped when I heard someone knocking on my door. Then very softly, Shane said "Hazel?"
That's when I'd fisted my hands and started crying as soundlessly as I could.
"Hazel, I'm sorry."
For a second, my tears had stopped and my lungs refused to draw in another breath until I figured out whether he knew I'd heard them, knew I was crying, knew it was killing me.
"I don't know if you're awake but if you... I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to hear that."
Shame had coursed through me then. Was I that pitying that he felt the need to apologize to me? That he knew that me hearing them would hurt me?
That had been enough to stop my tears.
I drink the last bit of coffee and go over to the fridge, ready for some breakfast now that I can open my eyes.
I hear the door open and turn around with Nutella and bread in my hands. I find myself staring at Claire.
The hate that fills me at her sight almost makes me wince. Instead, with the memory of how embarrassed I was last night I smile at her. "Nutella?"
Her brown eyes widen. "No thanks. I'm going to have some cereal."

I smile at her and go over to sit at the counter, figuring she'll want to sit by the table. I don't feel sane enough to sit by her without screaming so I stretch my legs and rest my feet against the granite island. The fabric of my silk robe falls, revealing my stretched out leg and I pretend to miss her glance. I refuse to acknowledge the awkward silence that descends on us and calmly spread a thick cover of Nutella over my piece of bread.
It's only when she starts to eat that she cracks. "About last night," she starts and my heart stutters in my heart. How is it possible that they saw me? Last time I checked no one in this house has ex-ray vision, so what the hell?
"What about last night?" I ask, hoping my voice doesn't sound like I'm on the verge of panic.
"I'm sorry about how I came down on you and Shane. I know nothing happened..." She looks up at me. "Shane told me about you and Alyssa." Is it wrong that I absolutely detest Alyssa's name on her lips? "About how close you were and that you had a dream about the night she died. I know he was only comforting you. It was unfair of me to come down like that on you," she says.

I smile at her, anger and hatred rolling around in my chest. "Don't worry about it. You were a lot more gracious than I would've been in your shoes."
Claire smiles and it's so sweet that I feel a pang of shame go through me. This isn't her fault. Why am I blaming her? "Shane says before you got together, he had a major crush on you," she says.
My head snaps up and I frown at her from the second bread I'm slathering Nutella on. "He did?"
Claire's smile widens. "You didn't know?"
I raise my eyebrows. "No, I mean... I guessed as much because at every chance he'd get he flirted like crazy but he always denied it when I asked or teased him about it. Eventually I just thought it was hormones that made him so... hands-on."
Claire laughs and I find myself smiling. "He said everybody thought you were the hottest girl in school but very few wanted to ask you out."
I tilt my head to the side, chuckling. "Why not?"
"They were too intimated by you," she says.
I frown. "Oh. Right." I grab a bite from my sandwich. "Since Amelie's my guardian."

Claire leans back in her chair, sweeping a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I don't think that's it. You're pretty badass."
My smile diminishes. "I have to be," I tell her, looking at her. "It was either that or get killed."
Claire freezes. "What do you mean?"
I smile wryly. "I guess Shane didn't tell you about my parents." I lean my head back at the cupboards. "Being a descendent of the Founder is a privilege. Naturally." I add with sarcasm. "You're rich, people abide to your wishes, some fear you... But my life is in constant danger because some people will want to use me to hurt Amelie. I'm human, which makes me very fragile. And a great hostage for humans who want to get out of this hellhole and vampires who want to get in." I shrug. "My parents were killed by vampires who had some sort of beef with Amelie. I was around four so I don't remember much. They left me alive, not because of a bleeding heart but as a warning. Amelie killed them all, of course." I chuckle, without humor. "For the same reason they didn't kill me. As a warning, not a bleeding heart." I look at Claire and shrug. "That's why I'm a 'badass'." I smile at her. "I'm sorry. I don't usually tell that to people; it ruins the mood and people start to feel sorry for me."

Claire's quiet for a while as I make myself a third sandwich. When she starts to apologize, I break her off. "No. Seriously. I don't want nor need your pity. I love life; I have great shoes, and a great haircut and apparently I'm a good enough artist. My parents and all that is in the past." I smile at her. "It's all good."
Claire exhales. "Okay. But what about Eve and the others?"
"Well," I say, taking a bite off my sandwich. "With Shane... it was kind of Alyssa's death that brought us together. When I saw him... afterwards, I could see that he shared the same pain that I was going through and we sort of just started to heal together. Before I knew it he'd become a permanent fixture of my life and I didn't know how to live without him. It took me a while to figure out that what I was feeling was love. Micheal was sort of a package deal," I chuckle, looking at Claire. "You couldn't have Shane and not get Micheal. And that was good; I was always kind of curios about Micheal. He was hot as hell," I say and laugh when Claire nods, grinning. "And he had, or has, this sense of calm that is so comforting. I've always loved being in his presence. But aside for a minor crush at him... I mean, the guy plays guitar like a wet dream come true." Claire laughs at that and I chuckle. "Aside for that minor crush, there were no other feelings than what I would've felt towards a brother."
Claire grins. "And Eve?"
"Eve..." I begin, smiling. "Eve was actually the only person aside from Alyssa who actually approached me. We were lab partners and I wanted to throttle her the first few times we worked together."
Claire chuckles. "The sarcasm?"
"Yes!" I say. "I mean, seriously, her sarcasm was eroding. But there was something about her, that I identified with. Our parents were both... absent. But in different ways. We started talking and I realized that she wasn't just this emo girl who liked black and was fluent in sarcasm, but she was sweet. It could be the smallest thing; bringing me a doughnut when she went to buy coffee, or smiling at me when I thanked her for something. And for other people that might be normal, and expected but it came as such a surprise because it was Eve Rosser, doing all those things. We became best friends when I moved to the Glass house." I grin. "And that's the story."
Claire smiles and stands up. "I need to get to Myrnin before he blows my cell phone up."
I frown at her. "Myrnin? Amelie's Myrnin? Crazy vampire Myrnin who spends the majority of his time behind bars?"

"That's the one," Claire says, smiling. "He's not locked up anymore, though."
I widen my eyes at her. "Why the hell not? He's a freaking health hazard. Last time I saw him, he stated very intricate threats towards my person if I so much as blinked in his direction. He was awfully polite stating them, though."
Claire comes over to drop her bowl into the basin. "He was really sick back then. That's why Amelie had him locked up but he's... cured, I guess is the right term."
"Huh..." I say. "Does he still dress really weirdly?"
Claire laughs. "It's a combo of hawaiian shirts and vampire bunny slippers. You be the judge."
I give a startled laugh. "Man, I gotta see that."
"See you later, Hazel," Claire says and heads for the door.
"See you. Oh, and next time, we talk about you," I say.
She smiles. "Deal."
Just as she's exiting, Shane walks in and she ends up walking into him. His hair is mussed from sleep and his eyes droopy in the way that can only be described as bedroom-eyes. He smiles at Claire who starts to blush furiously, so I turn away and focus on my sandwich. Crap. I really don't want to see him. I can't quite muster up the willingness to talk to him while the memory of his apology from last night is so fresh in my head.
I hear them exchanging hellos and I hear one whispered innuendo about last night that makes me want to jump off the sink and run out the door that he's blocking. I inhale and remember the shame from last night. I can't have them pitying me; least of all, him. I don't want him to find me so tragic that he feels the need to apologize to me for something he doesn't need to apologize for because he knows that it hurts me.

"You okay?"
I snap my head up and look at Shane. The blood roars in my ears as my heart starts beating faster and I blush. I haven't blushed in years and still I blush from one word from Shane.
"I'm fine," I smile at him anyway and look away. "Sleep well?"
He freezes just as I realize my error. Fuck. He's gonna think I meant... Oh shit.
"My head was pounding like crazy after you woke me up," I say, keeping my voice devoid of any emotion. "I guess crying does that to you. But it was all good after I took an aspirin."
Shane's muscles sort of unlock and he stares at me for a while before I choose to look away. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay," he says. "I didn't want to upset Claire."
I look down at my legs, realize that they're bare and hurry to cover them up with my robe. "Claire has nothing to worry about." I say, hopping down to the floor. Despite my blush I look up at him and into his eyes. God, he's sexy. "Right?"
Shane studies my face for a while before nodding. "Right."
Then his eyes drop to my chest and I roll my eyes at him out of instinct. "Eyes up here, Collins."
"Uh... Yeah. I know." He looks up at me, worry in his eyes. "Look. Don't freak out."
I frown at him, and start to look down at my chest. "Why would I fre –" I break off when he puts his hands on my face, pulling my face back up. My heart stutters in my chest. "What the hell, Shane?"
His eyes are still on my chest. "Haze, there's a spider on you. Just don't –"
He breaks off when I start screaming and patting at my chest. "What the hell, what the hell, what the hell! Where?! Oh my God! Shane! Take it off! "
"Fine! Just give me a second," he yells, his eyes trained on my boobs. "It's on your freaking chest! I didn't wanna go groping around!" He says
"Just fucking take it off!" I yell at him.
"If someone hears you right now..." he mutters and removes his hands from my face to brush of the spider. "There."

I hop away and sort of stumble into him and I'm so panicked that I grab onto him and start walking him backwards. I look over my shoulder and see a spider the size of my palm scuttling away and I shriek, fisting my hands in his shirt and sort of jumping up and down and away, wanting my feet off the floor.
Shane's hands instinctively wrap around my ribcage and it's not until he laughs out loud that I realize how stupid I must be looking. I glare at him but he just keeps on laughing until I can't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing too.
When that laughter is eventually replaced with chuckles, I become very much aware of his hands wrapped around me and how right it feels. Suddenly even the chuckles are gone as I look up at him. He seems to have come to the same realization, because I find his eyes on me.
His brown eyes hold me there and I can't do much more than unlock my fingers in his shirt until my hands are simply resting on his chest. I want to reach up and brush his hair away from his face, stroke my thumb over his underlip, follow the contours of his cheekbones with my fingertips but uncertainty wraps its tentacles around my body, freezing me.
His eyes don't leave mine as his hands slide down my ribcage, over my waist and down my hips, and his hands are so slow. His hands are big and warm through the silk of my robe, it feels like torture and my eyes threaten to close but I keep them trained on his.
Finally, his hands drop to his sides and I'm so scared he's gonna ask me to remove my hands from his chest that I sort of flinch away and drop them them to my sides as though I got burned.
"Sorry," he mutters, eyes on the floor and walks around me.

I want to stay, turn around and wrap my arms around his waist and tell him that I don't want his apology, that he can do much, much more than that without having to apologize.
But I don't. I'm afraid he'll reject me, and my emotions are too raw from last night to withstand that.

So instead I walk out of the kitchen, run up the stairs and into Eve's room, all the while trying not to hyperventilate.
Eventually, I settle on a pair of high-waisted slacks and a creamy button-down made of silk that I tuck into the slacks. I straight-iron my hair and put on a pair of diamond earrings Amelie presented me with on my seventeenth birthday.
I run a hand through my hair, gathering it at my back and study my reflection in the mirror. Not bad. Chances are Amelie won't complain.
Because I know the slacks will partly cover my shoes, I put on a pair of dark blue, although bright, pumps and smile at the color that flashes whenever I walk.
There's nothing to restore a girl's good mood like nice heels.
The only thing to complete the look is a watch with white crystals embedded into it.
I smile, and walk out of the room, closing the door behind me. The honk outside announces that my car is here and I carefully descend the stairs.
"Morning, Hazel."

I look up and smile at Micheal. "Morning, Angel."
He grins at the nickname. "Where are you going this early in the morning? I thought you hated being up this early."
I nod at him, smiling. "I do." I shrug. "Amelie doesn't though."
His eyes widen. "You're going to Amelie?"
"Yeah," I say. "You know, formally announcing my presence, yada, yada. Why?"
"I need to talk to her, actually," he says, a frown forming between his eyebrows.
I smile. "Then, come with me. I could use some company." I walk ahead of him. "I'll tell the driver you're coming to so that he can bring an umbrella," I tell him.
The only response I get from the driver as I announce the vampire addition is a slight nod. He quickly takes out an umbrella from the trunk of the black car and walks up the stairs.
Micheal is in front of the door, in a heavy leather jacket and a silly hat that I'm guessing belongs to Eve, in an instant.
I slide into the car, and before I have time to settle in, Micheal slides in next to me.
I stare at him. "This is gonna take some time getting used to."
Micheal laughs and leans back in his seat. He looks over at me, his blue eyes twinkling and I frown at him in suspicion. "What?"

He smirks, buffing his nails on his shirt and looking them over. "So I hear I play the guitar like a wet dream come true."
I give a startled laugh. "This is gonna be a long drive."