Tobias hadn't come back.
Had he run away?
Sophia glanced around, not seeing her friend anywhere. She grew restless, before finally getting up to look for him.
A guy was just going into the men's room.
"Excuse me?" He looked round. "Um, could you see if there's a guy about this tall with black hair, grey eyes and wearing a grey shirt over a white T-shirt in there please?"
"Sure thing, miss."
"Thank-you." The guy went inside. Sophia hovered outside, feeling awkward. The guy returned a minute later.
"No. Sorry."
"Alright, thanks." Sophia reached for her mobile phone and dialled Tobias's number.
His ringtone- Black Tide'That Fire'- was heard easily. Sophia looked to the left and saw an open side door. She moved towards it, cutting the phone call off. "Tobias?" She called.
Sophia stepped cautiously outside, hearing a muffled, yet pained groan.
A… thing with flaming hair and deathly pale skin was sitting astride Tobias's stomach, biting into his neck like… like a vampire…
Tobias groaned again, bringing Sophia to her senses. His hand moved weakly across the ground, reaching for a knife. Sophia snatched it up and buried it between the creature's shoulder blades.
She screamed when the thing exploded into yellow dust, the knife clattering to the floor.
Tobias was pale and struggling to stay awake. His neck was bleeding from a deep bite wound.
Sophia dropped to her knees next to him. "Tobias…" He turned his head in her direction at the sound of her voice. "What… what was that thing?" He tried to talk but he couldn't form words. "Take it easy, Tobias." Sophia shed her jacket, bundled it and pressed it to his injury. She pinched his cheek to keep him awake.
His lips moved. "What?" He repeated himself.
"Dad…"
"Dad… I'll call your dad, hang on…" Sophia fumbled with her phone and dialled Percy's number.
"Lemme guess- Tobias started a major food fight; you got kicked out and need a lift home."
"No! Tobias… there was this… this thing and it… it… it was… it had fiery hair and pale skin and… and it was… it was like a vampire." Percy cursed, but it wasn't in English.
"Where are you?" His tone had lost all humour.
"In the alley next to the restaurant."
"Keep him awake, I'll be there in ten." Percy hung up.
"Tobias?"
"Ugh…"
"Tobias, your dad's on his way. Can you stay awake until then?"
"Uh…" Sophia hoped that meant 'yes'.
But it didn't. Tobias started to drift off.
"Tobias!" His eyes flickered. "Tobias, stay awake, please." Tobias's eyes slowly closed.
Sophia panicked. She didn't know what bought it on, but she found herself pressing her lips to his.
Neither of them moved. Sophia had to pull away for air eventually. "Stay awake," She whispered against his lips. "Please, stay awake."