Neither of them found out what she was really up to. They just went along with it.
"So, how do you know what you're doing?" Shane asked "I can't even understand it."
"It's a gift." Claire gloated
Shane chuckled.
"Well, I have missed work for this." he said flatly
"You make it sound so bad."
"Well, I'm in school. I don't do school very well." He said
Claire rolled her eyes as she placed the beakers in their rightful place.
"I never knew you were an expert whiner." She joked
"Hey!"
She laughed even more. Shane just flung water at her. Shane waited for her outside the lab.
"Claire," Jake called
She turned.
"Yes?" she said
"If you ever need to get into the lab again," he handed her a piece of paper "Anytime, just call."
She smiled.
"Thank you." She said
He nodded and walked back to his desk. He glanced back as she walked out.
"Wow." Shane scoffed
"What?" Claire said
"If that wasn't a way to pick up a girl, I don't what was then." He said sarcastically
"He was not picking me up." She said
"Yeah, he was." Shane argued
Claire stopped and looked at him. She tilted her head to the side as a grin started to form on her face.
"You're jealous." She said
"What?" he asked "No."
He'd said it all too quickly. Huffing he stormed off. Claire started laughing hysterically as she went to catch up with him. He stopped by the door. She stopped in front of him and bit her lip. He looked adorable.
"You want me to walk you?" Claire offered as she looked at the twilight sky
A few of the stars were starting to peek out. It would be beautiful and perhaps even romantic if there weren't vampires around the town bent on feeding.
"I was about to ask you that." He said
Claire held up both wrists.
"Right." He said quietly
As they started walking across the quad, Claire noticed a large black car outside the gates. It was unmistakably Eve's.
"I called her." Shane mumbled
"Well then, I guess you don't need me." Claire said
Claire made an effort to smile, but it more than likely came out a grimace.
"See you around then." She said
"You need a ride?"
"No, that's okay. I don't live far." She answered
Turning to walk past him, he grabbed her arm and spun her around.
"Be careful." He said
Then leaning in he kissed her cheek. He walked off and got in the car. It didn't leave right away and Claire could hear distant arguing. It was nice to see him though. Slowly, Claire started making her way down the sidewalk. It only got darker as she walked and she knew she was being watched. It only took her one guess to know who it was.
"Brandon, if you're going to stalk me, then you have to be more quiet." Claire said sounding ultimately bored
"Well, I'm just here on orders of course." He said walking up to her from underneath a street lamp
"From Oliver?" she asked
She didn't like Oliver, but both him and Amelie kept Claire close. Claire didn't understand it and she didn't want to. She wanted to do this and hope for it to be over. It'd be just her luck that it'd never be over.
"Long day?"
Claire looked at him, giving him that 'you're stupid' look.
"Brandon, you may be my stalker, but that doesn't mean we talk like buddies." Claire said
Brandon looked at her sharply. She knew he was giving her a look that showed how much he wanted to rip her apart. She just brushed it off. She knew she should've been scared, but she knew scary and it wasn't him. What was scary was Myrnin without his dosage. She shivered thinking about it. in an instant she grabbed a hold of Brandon's arm. He smirked and looked down at her.
"Feeling close all of the sudden?" he inquired
Then his face hardened. He knew what she knew now and why she was shaking. It was quiet, way quiet. He took hole of her too, not because he was scared, but because for some stupid reason he couldn't describe, she was useful. She needed to be alive.
"The Glass house isn't far. Run Claire." Brandon growled
She looked at him briefly then started to go. She heard grunting then all of the lights on the street went out. She looked up and down them. She saw nothing, but knew something was there. The never ending chill down her spine told her that. Her feet couldn't seem to move though. They felt glued to the asphalt.
The chain unraveled from her wrist. Her whole being was shaking and she would use the silver if she had too. She walked slowly down the street nearly stumbling as she did. It was so dark that she couldn't see two feet in front of her. Her breathing staggered and she felt terrified.
"AHHHH!" she screamed as she tripped
A grunt of agony mingled with her scream. Claire had tripped over a body. Feeling for it, she felt who it was. It was Brandon and he was bleeding horridly for what she could feel. Her hands were covered in the sticky blood.
"C'mon, get up." She said panicky
Brandon didn't budge. Claire was near tears and ready to cry. Brandon reached out and grabbed the wrist that had the silver. He winced, but didn't let go.
"Claire, run." He breathed "It wants you."
Claire scrambled backwards and in the deep of the night a young woman's scream echoed through the streets. Anyone who heard it pretended that they heard nothing. She fought and tried to get away, but whatever had a hold on her wasn't letting go.
Shane and Eve bolted for the front door and locked the door behind them. Shane didn't stick around, he just went upstairs. Eve made her way to the kitchen where she saw Michael drinking from a black sports bottle. She crinkled her nose and grabbed a bowl up from the cupboard. There was chili being warmed up on the stove. She grabbed a bowl and left Michael to his…drink. He saw her absorbed into the tv.
"How was work?" he asked
"Same bitches different day. Shane had a more interesting day though." she said "Him and Claire decided to play with a chemistry set, but all he could talk about was how Claire's TA or what used to be her TA, now he's a professor, was hitting on her. He kept going on about it." she said
Michael smirked. This seemed to be something major to her and it was surprising that of all the things to get her excited, it would be Claire getting hit on by one of her old teachers. Then all of the sudden there was a knock at the door. Eve was up in an instant and Shane came bounding down the stairs. No one usually came to the house unless they came with life or death things or just to try and burn the house down.
Opening the door, Brandon fell inside. Eve screamed and jumped back. Michael bent down to help him.
"Dude, he's a leech don't help him!" Shane exclaimed
Brandon was a bloody mess. He was hardly recognizable.
"What happened?" Michael asked dismissing Shane's comment
"Claire…she's here?" Brandon breathed
"No." Shane said
"I told her…to…come here." Brandon said
"Oh god." Eve squeaked
"Eve, get down here and try to stop the bleeding."
"No! I don't him trying to bite me." Eve snapped
"Eve!" Michael shouted
She moved quickly and was beside Brandon. She didn't get super close, but she helped him. Michael left the room and was back with towels. Brandon started coughing up blood and Eve just screamed.
"She is key…she will save…save us…we need her." He choked "She can't die."
"Oh god."
"It wants her." He breathed
Brandon choked even more. Then he just stopped moving.
"He's dead." Michael said quietly