Helene didn't see Adrian again until after lunch. He'd spent most of the morning hiding out in the nurse's office.
"There you are," she said when she saw him. "Where have you been? You missed class."
He glared at her. "Well I was kind of unconscious on the sidewalk. Thanks to your boyfriend, anyway."
Helene sucked in a breath. "He's not my boyfriend. He's my friend. And if you weren't such a pain in the butt, maybe you'd have some friends so you wouldn't spend all your time sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong!" She grabbed her books and started walking away.
"I don't need friends," he said, following her. "My daddy doesn't have any and he's all right."
Helene rolled her eyes. "Not according to your mommy he isn't." She stalked off and didn't speak to him again until they got back to Klaus and Selina's after school

"So," Selina said, "how was school today?"
"Adrian got in a fight," Helene said promptly. "He beat up Anthony and Anthony knocked him out with a book."
Selina frowned. "Adrian, why are you starting fights with people? You know I don't like that!"
"But he knocked me out!" Adrian whined.
"Yes, well if you started something with him, I don't blame him," Selina said. She sighed. "This is what happens when I let your father run your life. He makes you completely dysfunctional." She turned. "I think I'll call Anothy's mother and the two of us will go and see them. Then you two can tell each other you're sorry. Maybe you'll even become friends."
"But-" Adrian squeaked.
"But nothing," Selina said. "That's what's going to happen and I don't care if you like it or not!" She stalked off.

Adrian just strode after her. "I hate to disappoint you, Mama. But that's not going to happen. Daddy won't let it. He says friends are lame and stupid and get in the way."

She turned. "Oh, it'll work. Believe me."

She disappeared into their bedroom and Adrian turned to Helene, who just shook her head and said, "Looks like you're going to be getting yourself a new friend."

Adrian just grinned. "There's nothing Mommy can do that'll make Daddy change his mind. I'm not worried."

Selina snuck into the bedroom and shut the door behind her. Klaus was in bed watching television. She walked over to the bed and climbed up beside him. "Hey, Studly," she grinned.

He sighed. "What is it that you want?" He asked.

She shook her head and began rubbing his shoulders. "Who says I want something?"

He smirked. "Because, darling, as we've previously discussed, you don't compliment me unless there's something in it for you."

"Well I learned from the best," she replied.

He grinned to himself and turned over so he was on top of her.

"So what is it?" He asked.

"Nothing much," she said, kissing his neck. "I was just thinking that it would be nice for Adrian to have some friends. Be more sociable."

"Why?"

"Well," she said, "just because. I think it would be a good idea. We live among normal people and..."

"Stop right there," Klaus said. "That reasoning never works. And it's all the more reason to keep him away."

"You were all right with him doing sports," Selina said. "How is my facilitating things so he makes a few friends any different?"

"Because it just is," Klaus said firmly. "Friends get in the way. They can decide they like someone else better and dump you and..."

"Awww," Selina said, running fingers through his hair. "Just because your one experience with having a friend went horribly wrong doesn't mean it will for Adrian."

"It might," he said. "You don't know."

"Yes I do," Selina nodded. "He can be a very nice little boy when he wants to be, so I see no reason why he should have to worry about being abandoned. And don't you go telling him your horror stories either." She paused, a small grin spreading over her face. "How about this," she said. "Don't think of them as his friends. Think of them as people who look to him because he's so much better than everyone else and want to bask in his glory. Is that better? Huh?"

He nodded. "A little contrived, but better, yes."

"And knowing him, he'll probably seek out people that are more timid than him and they'll eventually become his minions anyway," Selina continued. "I hope that doesn't happen, but I won't be surprised if it does."

Klaus shut his eyes. "Damn."

"What?" She asked.

"You have a good point. I hate it when you have a good point."

She just grinned. "I know you do," she said.

"Just out of curiosity," he said, "what inspired this sudden urge for him to make friends?"

"According to Helene, he got into a fight today, and apparently he got as well as he gave. She said he spent the whole morning hiding out in the nurse's office. I just think that if he had better social skills and knew how to deal with his peers, stuff like that wouldn't happen."

Klaus' eyes widened. "He lost a fight and then cowered?" He got off her and strode out of the room, glaring at Adrian, who stood with Helene on the other side of the door. "Why did you lose a fight?" Klaus asked him. "How in the world could you lose a fight?"

"Because Anthony's a freak," Adrian said.

Klaus closed his eyes. "So not only did you lose a fight, but you lost it to a boy who wears sweater vests and likes math and reads for fun?"

"Technically it's not his fault," Helene said. "Anthony has powers."

"What kind of powers?" Klaus asked her.

"Well, he can levitate things, and make things disappear, and..." she ticked off a whole bunch of things that Anthony could do.

"So he's magical," Klaus said.

"Sort of," Helene nodded. "His powers are mental, though, rather then from a spellbook."

Klaus turned to Adrian. "I think it would benefit you to do as your mother says."

"What?" Adrian asked. "That's not what you're supposed to say!"

"It could be a good opportunity for you," Klaus said. "And it probably won't take very long to go over and apologize. I bet you'll be home in half an hour."

He ruffled Adrian's hair and then went off toward the dining room, whistling softly through his teeth.

Adrian turned to Helene. "Wow. I seriously overestimated my mother."

The following week, Adrian and Selina went over to Anthony's house. His mother met them at the door. "So lovely to see you," she said. She had short red hair, a thin build, and rosy cheeks. "I'm sorry about this," she said to Selina. "Anthony's really a very sweet boy."

"He wasn't so sweet when he hit me with that book," Adrian said.

Anthony's mother whimpered. "I hope he didn't hear you say that. You must never say bad things about Anthony."

"Why not?" Adrian asked.

Anthony's mother led them inside to the living room where an old woman was in a chair, rocking idly back and forth, back and forth. Her expression was blank. "That's my sister," Anthony's mother whispered. "She and Anthony used to be close, but one day she dared to express dislike of what Anthony was watching on television and insist that he change the channel to something else, and she hasn't been able to utter an intelligent word ever since. And it's just ravaged her."

"Oh, dear," Selina said. At that moment, Anthony came in, clutching something in his hand that was struggling to free itself. "What's that?" Asked his mother.

"It's a frog-rat," he said. "It has the head of a frog and the body of a rat. Isn't it great?"

His mother tried hard not to wince. "Yes," she finally choked out. "Yes, Anthony. It's very good you did that." She looked at Selina and Adrian. "Look," she said to Anthony. "Look who came to visit you."

Anthony gave Adrian a sour look. "I don't like you," he said. And as Selina watched in shock, Adrian disappeared. Then, Anthony smiled with satisfaction and walked away.

"Where did he go?" Selina whispered hesitantly after a moment. "Where's Adrian?"

"Probably to the field," Anthony's mother whispered back. "That's where he sends everything that displeases him."

She led Selina down the main hallway of the house and knocked on the first door she saw. "David," she said. "David, will you come here a moment, please?"

A moment later, the door opened. "What is it, Mom?" He asked.

His mother indicated Selina. "Your brother has put her son in the field. Would you take her there and make sure he gets out safely?"

David, who was an exact copy of his brother, bit his lip grimly and nodded. "Of course," he said. "Come with me."

Selina followed David to a nearby field that was covered with mounds of disturbed earth as if several things were buried there.

"Where is he?" Selina asked. "Which mound?"

David began to walk around until he stopped next to a hole far away from the others. Selina heard screaming. "He's in the hole, isn't he?"

"Yes," David nodded. "You'll have to help me get him out, though. I can't do it by myself."

"Oh, yes," Selina nodded. "Of course." They began to dig furiously and then eventually pulled Adrian out of the grave-shaped hole where he'd been put. He was dirty and coughing and on the verge of tears when Selina set eyes on him again, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you," she said to David.

He sighed. "It's no problem. But now you have to leave and promise you'll never come back here. Or worse might happen."

Selina nodded and hurried Adrian back to the car. They drove away, and when they arrived home, Adrian took a shower, then hid in his room and wouldn't come out for the rest of the day.

Despite the fact that he never again visited Anthony's house, Anthony continued to view Adrian as a threat. It got worse as he, Adrian and Helene hit their teen years.

"So are you going to come back with me today after school?" Adrian asked Helene one day at lunch.

"I don't think so," Helene shook her head. "Anthony and I have an assignment we have to do for biology and it'll probably take most of the day."

"Why did you even want to be with him for that project?" Adrian snapped. "You and I are in the same class!"

"Well yes," Helene nodded. "I know that. But the one time I was partnered with you for a project, you gave up right in the middle of it and made me do all the work. Whenever I'm with Anthony, it's truly a partnership. Besides, you have David to help you along, don't you? You wouldn't get the good grades you do if it wasn't for him."

Adrian ignored this. "And you do realize that the biology project isn't due for another week? You still have time. Let yourself live a little!"

There was the sound of someone clearing his throat. Adrian saw a hand suddenly appear on Helene's shoulder. "There will be time for fun after we finish our work," Anthony said coolly. "Not everyone has the same lax views about their education that you do."

As Adrian glowered at him, Anthony looked at Helene. "If you've finished eating," he said, "I've found some lovely specimens for us to have a look at."

"You have?" Helene asked. "That's great! It could be the starting point for our project!"

"But-" Adrian said.

"Sorry," Helene told him quickly. "I have to do this. But I'll make it up to you, I promise."

She left and Adrian was all alone at the table for a moment. Then Anthony's brother David plunked a try down across from him. "Hi," he said. "What's wrong?"

Adrian frowned. "Didn't you just see Helene leave with your brother? I hate him so much."

"I know you do," David said. "But he likes Helene, and there's nothing we can do about it."

"It's just that tonight's my birthday and she's kind of the only other friend I have besides you and..."

"I could come over," David said. "It would be no problem, really. There's a full moon tonight and I've been waiting for..."

"What?" Adrian asked. "It's a full moon tonight?"

David nodded, looking shocked as Adrian sprinted from the cafeteria and followed after Anthony and Helene. "You have to come to my house tonight," he told her.

"Why?" She asked. "It has to be really important."

"It is," Adrian said. "It's my birthday...and a full moon."

"Oh, my god," Helene said. "That means that tonight..."

"Yes," Adrian nodded. "The werewolf curse my mother had put off eight years ago finally activates tonight."