Days passed into weeks, and weeks into four months. It was finally July in Santa Cruz. Slowly, warmth crept into the cave and the Boys got rowdy and more hyper then even they themselves were known for. Early parts of the night were spent in the wooded areas inland, working on their skills of defense and flying practice. Ruby would sometimes tag along, jotting down ideas for the script while watching the Boys toss each other around. Eventually, they would tire and head to the Boardwalk, for the night's real fun.
Ruby always rode with Marko or David, though at times she wondered what it would be like to ride with Paul or Dwayne. She felt she was still distant from them; Marko was her lover and David was technically her "boss", working with her on their script and teaching her what she needed to know about vampires. Sometimes she wondered if she would ever form a bond with them. Dwayne was somewhat hard to talk to, but always there if she needed someone.
And Paul was forever in his adolescent male humor, coming up with some sexual aspect to everything. He never forced the issue, which the other Boys always thought was quite surprising; their Paul hot for a girl but respecting the fact she was with Marko. Marko never worried because he knew his best friend would keep his paws off his girlfriend. Ruby had given thought to the fact that if she were to give Paul an inch, would he run it a mile? But she never wanted to find out. She was happy with her Marko.
Somehow, David had found an antique typewriter in a junk shop down the way from the Boardwalk and handed over enough money to have the thing repaired to working order. So day after day, while the Boys slept through the burning daylight, Ruby transcribed everything from the scraps of paper David had collected. It was slow going, but it gave Ruby something to do. It was only a matter of time now, before they would have a final copy and could take a vacation back down to Hollywood and shop it around.
Ruby sat hunched over the old typewriter. This thing was a pain, more trouble then it was worth. But it was all she had, and at least it wasn't electric. The cave wasn't exactly wired with power.
On her fourth cigarette in two hours, the half-empty pack sat on the arm of the couch next to her. Plunking away, letter-by-letter, having to stop every so often to check the ink ribbon or just curse the contraption, Ruby had kept lighting smoke after smoke. The fourth burned between the fingers of her right hand, as she ran over what she had just typed.
"Well at least that sentence made it though without typos." She sighed. The cave was still hot from the afternoon sun. It had been probably 100 degrees outside, she guessed. Enough to warrant her to be sitting there in nothing but her underwear. Taking a drag off her smoke, she adjusted the paper again and commenced another volley of typing.
"Man, I got to start getting up earlier." Marko's voice filled the chamber. Ruby looked up to find him leaning on the rough wall. His arms were crossed over his chest, his jacket still on the back of the chair down in the main cave.
"Why's that?" Ruby smiled, exhaling the smoke and setting her cigarette in the tray. Marko grinned, padding over to her. His hands cupped her face as he bent to kiss her. She kissed him back, toying with the edge of his shirt.
"So I can enjoy staring at you while you're dressed like this." He chuckled, stepping up on the couch and sitting behind her. Hands sliding down her bare arms.
"You've seen it all before. Nothing terribly special about my underwear." She laughed, leaning back against him. His arms wrapped around her and a kiss was placed to the side of her neck.
Marko contemplated, while Ruby relaxed back against him. "Ok, then the body it adorns. That's what I like staring at."
"Flattery will get you everywhere, Marko." Tipping her head back, she kissed his jaw and nestled in his arms.
"Oh man, that's so not fair!" Paul cried, seeing Marko and Ruby as he entered the chamber. "I never get a strip tease!"
Ruby threw a pen at him, laughing as he held up his hands in mock protest. "You're not bound to get one anyway. I'm sure there's plenty of girls out on the Boardwalk who'd love to give you one."
"It pays to be the boyfriend right now." Marko laughed at his friend, taking Ruby's cigarette up from the tray.
"Gawd, I'm getting it from both sides today already." Paul groaned, walking over and giving Ruby his own traditional evening kiss. Marko smirked, watching Paul try to pour on the charm.
"You know, you'll probably suffocate her, doing that with your tongue, Pauly."
"Shut up, Marko." Paul glared and collapsed with a thump onto the couch next to his friends. Ruby chuckled, handing Paul the pack of cigarettes. Dwayne appeared, stretching. Ruby couldn't help admiring him - without his jacket and those worn old black jeans, he was still hot.
"Morning, Dwayne." Ruby smiled, as he kissed her cheek.
"Morning, Hun." He took the lit cigarette from Paul's mouth and sat in the old wingback. Paul glared.
"Everyone's picking on me tonight! What's the world come to!" he grumbled, lighting another smoke.
Marko played with one of the ribbon-threaded braids he'd put in Ruby's hair. "What day is it?"
"Tuesday." Dwayne replied. Marko grinned, twisting the braid around his finger.
"Damn." Paul sighed. "I was hoping it was Thursday, or at least no one would notice the day."
"You just have to wait, Pauly." Dwayne laughed. "David's not going to hand out cash two days earlier just so you can go get laid by charming a girl with presents.
"Just because it was your turn last night..." Paul scowled at Dwayne. Dwayne shrugged.
"You know, I'm sort of in the room, and I don't want to know about your escapades." Ruby frowned, mock angry with Paul and Dwayne.
"Sorry." Paul sighed. It was bad enough his desire was on high. Didn't help that tonight was Marko's turn and Dwayne had already had his weekly allowance. Thursday didn't come fast enough, sometimes.
Marko wrapped his arms tighter around Ruby. She snuggled against him, forgoing the paper in the typewriter. Their favorite game of kissing and nipping started again from where it had left off last night. Paul had to stare the other way, to fight petty jealousy.
"Rock box." He muttered, rising and heading off in search of his stereo. Dwayne shook his head and picked up one of the comic that lay on the floor near the wingback. Thankfully, his desire had been taken care of, or he could have related to Paul's misery. He drowned out the giggles and the whispers Marko and Ruby were making.
"Good evening, all." David dropped down from the tunnel that exited up along the wall. Dwayne nodded, but Ruby and Marko were too busy to notice. "I see it's Tuesday."
"Yep, that it is." Dwayne nodded, flipping the page of the comic. "And Paul's sex drive is in overdrive, so watch out."
David rolled his eyes and figured he could probably shell out some money from the lock box to shut Paul up for the evening. He noticed the typewriter, and the paper it held, half typed. He released the lock and pulled it out. Scanning it quickly, he nodded his approval and handed it to Dwayne.
"This is looking good, Ruby." He spoke, taking up his perch in the old wheelchair. Ruby heard him, acknowledged his praise with a nod, busy enjoying the attention Marko lavished on her neck with his teeth.
"That is pretty good." Dwayne added, handing the paper back to David.
"We want them to get the idea, but to create their own outcome." David replied, finding his own cigarettes and lighting one. "The closer it is to the truth, the more problems we're going to have."
Dwayne thought a moment, toying with the edge of the comic book. "So what do we want changed?"
"Well... Ruby can't be in the movie. She'd be recognized. And besides," David canted his head in the direction of the couch, "Mortals aren't going to understand how she can want to live with us. They'll either think she's here against her will or... She'd be pegged as a slut. Made to look like she was doing all four of us."
"She's not a slut." Marko scowled at David.
"I know that Marko. That's why she's not in the movie."
"Well if Ruby's taken out because of that and the recognition, won't we be recognized?" Dwayne asked.
"We can torp ourselves. Sleep through the filming. But she isn't one of us, and can't torp. She'll have to be on set." David shrugged. "Besides, I like having her as our little undercover agent."
Dwayne laughed. "Ok, so what else has to be changed?"
"I think they should do what they please, within reason."
"That means we die in traditional cinematic fashion." Dwayne mused. "That sounds interesting."
"Die?" Ruby looked up and over at David and Dwayne, Marko's kiss hitting her jaw. He too looked up.
"Only in the movie, Ruby." David assured. Ruby didn't look pleased.
"I don't particularly like that idea."
"I know you don't."
"Then why have you die in the movie?"
"To protect the town, to protect us, to protect the fact we're vampires." David explained. "If we were to live in the end, kids who like this movie are going to be swarming Santa Cruz looking for the cave. I don't want that, I doubt the boys want that. And I'm sure you don't, because there's bound to be some girl or two who think we'll sleep with her."
Ruby frowned and got up. Marko protested, but stayed on the couch. "You're not mine to own, David. None of you are." She said.
"And you're not owned either. But that's the possibility."
"So? What do I care if you sleep with another girl?"
"You would." David met her gaze. She looked away. "You'd care if I or Dwayne even Paul became involved with some human girl. Marko won't be, because he is with you. But the rest of us are single." The smoke he exhaled clouded around them. "Besides, even though it's subconscious, you're very attached to each of us. And in time... well, you're not one of us yet, so you won't understand..."
"Stop saying 'because you're not one of us yet'!" Ruby cried. She was shaking. David knew he'd gone too far.
"It's only the truth."
Ruby glared her eyes full of hurt. She grasped a blanket off the velvet chaise lounge and disappeared up the tunnel in a whirlwind of flame red hair and pale skin.
"Why'd you have to say that again, David?" Marko sighed, watching her go.
"It's only a matter of time before she is a vampire, Marko. We have to get her on the set, and keep her there till the film is done. She's our guardian, our keeper." David rubbed his temple as he explained for the hundredth time. "Our 'historian'."
"She's really upset this time." Dwayne said softly.
"I know." David growled, rising swiftly from his chair. "Marko, tend to her. Dwayne, get Paul and let's hunt. Best we not be around for a while till this blows over." He headed up the opposite tunnel towards the main cave. Dwayne shrugged languidly at Marko, heading off to find Paul.
"Ruby?"
Ruby refused to turn, the hot tears stinging her eyes and streaming down her pale cheeks. She was tired of not knowing, of not being able to fit in with the Boys. Tired... of not being a vampire.
"Ruby, baby..." Marko's arms slipped around her from behind, holding her back against him. "David didn't mean it. You know that. It's just..."
"I know already Marko. I know what you're going to say. David's been saying it for months..."
Marko sighed and kissed the side of her neck tenderly. "He doesn't mean it in a bad way, but we just can't... you just have to..."
Ruby laid her head back on Marko's shoulder. Her tears left a salty damp spot on his jacket. He stroked her head gently, running his fingers through her hair.
"I want to be a part of your family, Marko."
"You are, though."
"No. I want to be a vampire."
"Soon, baby. Soon." Marko pulled her close and sat on the cave floor, cradling Ruby to him till her tears stopped.