Despite the amount of time that Merton had taken getting ready the boys were still a little early in arriving at the factory. They made their way through the swaying dancers who had come to listen to the band and headed towards the bar. They were slightly surprised to find Lori sitting on her own, waiting for them.
"She's not here yet" Merton said disappointedly as they reached the bar.
"Good to see you to Merton." Lori replied sarcastically. Merton turned to scan the crowd then leapt up onto the barstool for a better look. Tommy pulled him down irritably.
"Will you relax!" He scolded the Goth "We're five minuets early"
"Right" Merton nodded "I've got a whole five minuets until she's officially blown me off!"
"What is up with you?" Tommy demanded "You're normally," He was going to say confident but that didn't quite describe it, "More optimistic when it comes to girls."
"It's just that the type of women that I fall for are the quite and sensitive type." Merton explained waving his hands dramatically "That are generally overlooked by the rest of the male population of Pleasantsville."
"So you don't think she's in your league." Lori asked, still unclear what his problem was
"Lori," Merton's voice rose hysterically "she has every boy in town drooling over her."
"I'm not." Tommy shrugged. Merton looked at him as if he were mad "I mean she's cute but she's just not my type"
"It looks like you're the only one though." Merton muttered dejectedly, resting his spiky head on the sticky bar "What chance have I got against Pleasantsville's finest?"
"Has she agreed to go out with any of them?" Lori asked soothingly resting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"No but.." Merton began spinning around to face her. As he did so he noticed that Emma had just entered the factory. She looked around nervously before spotting the three of them at the bar. She move towards them across the dance floor and everyone seemed to stop moving. All of the boys turned to stare forcing their disgruntled girlfriends to poke them back to reality. Emma smiled as she reached them
"Sorry I'm late."
"Hi," Merton leapt up and began removing things from his bag and laying them on the bar "I brought some food if you're hungry. English muffins, crumpets, meat pie and fish and chips."
"I wondered what that smell was" Tommy muttered to Lori.
"I also have tea if you'd like" Merton grinned holding up a tartan flask.
"That's very sweet of you," Emma laughed "but I've just eaten thanks."
"You're sure?" Merton pressed pouring a cup "the tea's particularly..."
Merton had balanced the cup precariously on the edge of the bar. As he spoke the long cylinder of boiling liquid slipped and began to fall into Lori's lap. Emma moved so fast that the others could have sworn that the flask had just leapt into her hand. Not a drop had been spilled. Emma set it straight on the surface as the others stared.
"Wow," Lori marvelled "fast reactions!"
"Maybe we should stick with milkshakes.." Emma suggested.
"Good idea." Tommy nodded and ordered the drinks.
The four of them sat talking for hours, raising their voices over the loud bands music. They felt very relaxed in each other company, and after only half an hour it seemed like they had known each other forever.
As they finished their fourth shake the music changed and the band struck up a slow swaying beat. Several couples dived to the dance floor.
"Oh, I love this song!" Lori breathed and leapt off to dance, yanking a reluctant Tommy after her. They left an un-easy silence in their wake.
"Do you want to..?" Merton began awkwardly, letting the sentence hang in mid air. Emma smiled and taking his hand led the way to the dance floor.
Merton shuffled in time to the music at what he felt was a respectful distance, he didn't want to come on too strong and frighten her. Emma laughed softly and pulled him closer. As she wrapped his arms around her waist and then her arms around his neck Merton felt the room spin. Swaying with his body so close to hers was making him light headed. His lips were inches from hers and as he gazed contently into her eyes he had a desperate urge to lean in and kiss her. 'Not yet,' He told himself, 'take it slow!"
--------------------------------------------------------------
It was way past midnight when the group finally decided to leave the factory. They all had school in the morning so felt that it was best if they didn't stay up too late. Not that their parents would care too much. Lori and Tommy's parents were by now used to them coming home late, Emma lived alone so she didn't have to worry and Merton's parents didn't seem to care so they weren't in too much of a hurry.
Feeling it would be a good idea to give Merton and Emma a little more time to get to know each other Tommy suggested to the others that they take the long way round on their way to drop Emma off. Merton seemed extremely grateful and gave Tommy and Lori the thumbs up sign as He and Emma led the way into the alley.
As the others hung back Merton took the opportunity to test the waters with Emma. As casually as he could, which wasn't saying much, Merton slipped his arm around her shoulder. 'We have just spent the evening dancing cheek to cheek. That's gotta be a good sign right?' He asked himself. Whatever he'd been expecting her reaction to be it certainly wasn't a scream of terror.
He broke way instantly and began to apologise profusely when he saw what had caused her to scream. There, lying in the alley slouched against a dustbin was the pale white body of an unconscious girl. Tommy and Lori burst around the corner as Emma bent over the girl.
"She's dead" Emma whispered.
"Oh, my god." Lori muttered pressing her hand over her mouth. Merton imitated her and slouched against the wall as Tommy moved in for a closer look.
"What's that on her neck. Bite marks! something bit her!" He said, then to his surprise Emma pushed back the girls hair and leant close to her neck to get a better look in the dim light of the alley. "Hey what are you doing?"
"There's no blood." Emma whispered fearfully to herself. In a very sudden movement that took them all by surprise she stood up and span to face them. "Listen guys," She said desperately "there's something that I need to tell you."
"Um, can it wait?" Merton squeaked, "'cos it looks like they might want to have their say first" He was pointing past them to the entrance to the alley where several men were standing. They were all dressed in black, Victorian clothing and were holding knives. Thinking that it probably wasn't a good idea to wolf out in front of Emma without explaining first Tommy resisted the urge to change.
The decision was taken out of his hands however as the nearest man charged at them. Merton pulled Emma close, more for his own comfort than her protection and heard her gasp as Tommy transformed and tackled the leader. The men followed his lead and raced into the alley.
The strange men did not seem interested in fighting and were attempting to push past Tommy and Lori to reach Merton and Emma. 'Who's Merton annoyed this time?' Tommy thought desperately as he pulled the advancing mob back and away from his friend. This was difficult as the alley was far to tight a space to fight and they were grossly outnumbered.
"Run" Tommy ordered, taking command.
He didn't need to tell Merton twice. The pale, young Goth grabbed Emma by the hand and dragged her out into the open. Unfortunately there were more waiting for them at the far end. Merton yelped and whimpered as he backed off but to his surprise Emma didn't. With lightening speed he disarmed two of the men and kicked them back with a tremendous force into the third. The group didn't wait for them to get up and ran as fast as they could back to the lair.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Gasping and wheezing Merton stumbled into the room and slouched onto his bed. The others entered after him but said nothing. The uncomfortable silence was broken by Tommy who had finally realised tat Emma was staring at his wolfie features.
"Err Emma. I'm..." He began not quite looking at her.
"You're a werewolf." She muttered, cutting across him
"Yep." He replied amazed that she wasn't freaking out. "But I'm a good one." He added quickly
"Well if you weren't raised as one you're more likely to be nice." Emma shrugged. Merton sat up and stared at her
"What!?" He squeaked, still recovering from their adventurous evening.
"How do you know I wasn't raised as one?" Tommy asked quickly, his jaw was practically on the floor "And how do you even know what one is?"
"Everyone knows about werewolf's Tommy" Merton reminded him, rolling his eyes dramatically as he did so.
"I'm guessing that you know a little more though" Tommy said to Emma
"I know a lot about monsters and demons and stuff." She shrugged. The added quickly "No offence".
"None taken." He shrugged back "How do you know all of this though?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Merton thrilled as he leapt up from the bed, " Emma's Buffy!" The others shook their heads and laughed so he decided to elaborate. "She's a sexy demon slaying student who's moved to a small and quiet middle American town to avert an apocalypse!"
"Not quite Merton." Emma shook her head. "I know a little about these creatures and I can fight a little..."
"A little?" Lori laughed, cutting across her "Emma that was amazing" The boys nodded their agreement enthusiastically.
"Well I do my best." Emma said modestly "And feel that if I can help people then I should help people."
"So do you know what killed that girl?" Lori asked her
"Hmm let me think!" Merton cried sarcastically "Young girl dead in an alley, drained of blood, bite marks on the neck! I don't think it was the Easter bunny somehow!"
"Okay point taken!" Lori replied defensively "So those creepy guys were vampires?"
"They must have been." Emma nodded "We've got to stop them! Before they wipe out half of Pleasantville."
"So How do we stop them?" Merton asked
"I thought you were experts" Tommy sighed impatiently looking between Emma and Merton
"They didn't seem to be ordinary Vampires." Merton explained knowledgeably "The 'un-dead' don't normally use weapons. Other than their supernatural powers of seduction and amazing speed and strength."
He moved over to his bookshelf and started scanning the titles for a useful volume. Emma checked her watch as he did so.
"I think that I should go home and consult my books, I might have something that you don't." She said "We'll meet up in the morning and pool our information."
"Good idea," Tommy nodded "I'll walk you home."
"There's no need to" She said firmly but Merton insisted that Tommy do it.
"Those guys could still be out there and we don't know what they want." He reminded her.
"Okay!" She relented.
As she moved towards the door Merton raced across the room to cut her off. Tommy and Lori backed away to give them some space.
"Welcome to Pleasantsville," Merton smiled apologetically "freak capital of America"
"Tonight was fun." Emma sighed "Up until the dead girl and the vampires"
"Sorry" Merton apologised with his head bowed. He'd desperately wanted tonight to go well.
"Don't apologise," Emma said sympathetically "It wasn't your fault"
"I don't know." Merton said guiltily "That sort of thing seems to happen to me and the others quite a lot."
"So you've been in a few scrapes then?" She smiled
"Nothing that I couldn't handle. And by 'I' I mean Tommy." He nodded thoughtfully "It seems like you've had your own fair share of the nasties"
"Yep," Emma agreed "trouble seems to follow me to."
"What a couple we'll make.... I mean." Merton spluttered.
"It's okay." Emma whispered softly and leant in towards him. Her lips touched his lightly and lingered for a moment sending a warm buzz of adrenalin through Merton. He stood their mesmerised as she broke away and led Tommy out of the door "goodnight Merton." She smiled.
"Did she just kiss you?" Lori marvelled as the door closed
"Hafbumff." Merton squeaked, still in exactly the same position
"Merton?"
"I'm dreaming aren't I?" He whispered. Lori moved closer and punched him on the arm. He fell to the floor and moaned overdramatically
"Nope" Lori sighed
"So she did just kiss me?!" Merton grinned insanely from the floor
"Apparently." Lori shrugged
"Wohoo!" Merton yelled leaping onto his bed and bouncing up and down
From the bedroom above came an angry cry. "Keep it down freaker!" Becky screamed.
"Wohoo!" Merton whispered taking smaller jumps.
Lori sighed but she couldn't help but be pleased for Merton. 'He deserves it' she thought as she headed to his computer and settled down for yet another long night of research.
to be cont
Please read and review