DISCLAIMER: I don't own the rights to Scooby-Doo or any other characters associated with that character. Gemonia is a fictional country, and I wanted to avoid stereotypes as much as possible.

Chapter One

2006

As Daphne sat on the school bus home that day, she couldn't wait to get home. She was ten years old and couldn't wait to tell her mother what she had learned in school that day. When Daphne entered the living room, she saw her mother, Mrs Blake, reading the Good Book. Daphne knew she had to be patient until her mother finished reading the passage. Mrs Blake said that her daughter had entered the living room and that she had assumed that Daphne would simply go to her room until Mrs Blake announced that she had finished. But Daphne didn't do that as she stood there until Mrs Blake finished reading. Mrs Blake did her best to finish quickly and then closed the Bible.

"I don't like rushing through the Good Book," Mrs Blake said sternly. "What is it?"

"I learned about something really cool in school today," Daphne said excitedly. "I learned about vampires!"

Mrs Blake didn't like that sound of that.

"What's so cool about vampires?" Mrs Blake said suspiciously.

Daphne knew she had crossed a line and began to feel nervous.

"W-W-Well, I know they're evil, and I wouldn't want to be one," Daphne said nervously.

"Then why do you think they're cool?" Mrs Blake challenged.

Daphne's eyes widened with fear, but knew she couldn't back down.

"W-W-Well, a man came to our school today, and he told us to look at life from a different point of view," Daphne said.

Mrs Blake was pleased that Daphne was scared.

"Really?" Mrs Blake asked suspiciously. "What was so cool about this point of view?"

Daphne couldn't believe the mess she had gotten into and started sweating.

"T-T-The man told us that even though something may or may not be real, it never hurts to question reality," Daphne said, scared. "S-S-So, I think vampires could be real, and that's what's so cool because vampires have otherworldly powers,"

Mrs Blake had never felt so outraged, and she stood up immediately. Daphne couldn't even move; she was so scared.

"Vampires are not real, and they're not cool!" Mrs Blake shouted. "The only one with otherworldly powers is our Lord and Savior! So, don't you dare say that vampires are cool!"

Daphne began to cry immediately, and although Mrs Blake was pleased about that, she was still outraged.

"Go to your room," Mrs Blake said calmly. "I'm going to have to talk to your father and the church about this,"

Daphne walked away and straight into her room. She didn't close the door behind her as she knew it would be worse for her if she left the door open.

XXXXX

Daphne was told to wear her church clothes, a white buttoned blouse, a necklace with a gold cross and a dark grey skirt, and was driven to the church that night. The entire congregation was there, and Daphne was instructed to sit on a chair on the stage. Mrs Blake faced the congregation behind the podium.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there is a corruptible evil in Coolsville!" Mrs Blake shouted furiously. "He said an evil lie to my own daughter today! A lie that she believed!"

Mrs Blake looked away from the congregation and right at Daphne.

"What did the man say to you?" Mrs Blake asked.

Daphne wanted to run, but she just couldn't move. She began to sweat again, and she was so frightened.

"H-H-He told us that vampires could be real," Daphne said nervously.

Once she said it, Daphne thought the congregation would laugh at her, but they didn't. All Daphne heard were gasps of shock. Mrs Blake was more than happy with the congregation's reaction.

"You told me this afternoon that you thought vampires were cool because they have otherworldly powers," Mrs Blake said. "Do you deny saying that?"

"N-N-No," Daphne answered, scared.

Mrs Blake smiled at Daphne slowly, and that scared her. Her mother only smiled slowly at her when she was in big trouble. Daphne began to cry, and Mrs Blake looked back at the congregation.

"The only person in history with otherworldly powers is our Lord and Savior, and yet my own daughter thought vampires were better than him!" Mrs Blake witnessed. "Now, I arranged for all of you to come here to witness the punishment my own daughter will have to endure to become a better worshiper of God!"

Mrs Blake took out a pair of scissors from a shelf hidden in the podium, and then she faced Daphne. Daphne's eyes widened with fear.

"Don't even think about running, Daphne!" Mrs Blake said. "You know you deserve this!"

Daphne didn't think she deserved that at all. She stood up and ran off the stage, but a woman ran towards her from the audience and grabbed her. Daphne struggled to get away as she was led back to the chair on stage.

"You dare to defy your mother?" Mrs Blake shouted.

"Mommy, please!" Daphne replied tearfully.

"Your father and I are going to keep a closer eye on you from now on!" Mrs Blake shouted. "And if you try to run again, you'll get a worse punishment than this!"

Daphne was so scared she couldn't say anything, and Mrs Blake was pleased by that as she began to cut Daphne's hair very short.

SEVEN YEARS LATER

2013

Lots of teenagers hated their parents, but none the way Daphne Blake did. Her parents were controlling in a way she felt they shouldn't have been based on the religion they followed. Daphne hated the way she was forced to dress and appear at Coolsville High School. Her mother ensured that her hair was tied up behind her head in a clip and that she always wore a skirt below her knees. The skirt was light grey, and she had to wear a loose-fitting white blouse with buttons and a necklace with a gold cross. Her daily appearance earned her the nickname "Church Girl,". Daphne hated it as she had no friends. As Mrs Blake pulled her car up at the front entrance, she began her daily diatribe, which Daphne knew by heart.

"Make sure you don't remove your hairclip," Mrs Blake said. "You look so dignified,"

"Dignified my ass!" Daphne thought to herself and desperately wanted to say.

"Yes, Mom," Daphne replied quietly.

"What was that?" Mrs Blake said sharply. "Speak up!"

"I said, 'Yes, Mom'," Daphne said a little louder.

Mrs Blake narrowed her eyes slightly with annoyance.

"That's better," Mrs Blake said. "Now get to school. You're not going to learn anything if you don't go,"

"Yes, Mom," Daphne said.

"And remember, we're going to the church tonight to celebrate your birthday," Mrs Blake said sternly before she changed her voice to a more cheerful tone. "I can't believe my little girl is seventeen,"

Daphne hated it when her mother changed the tone of her voice as she knew her mother was always a bitch. Based on her upbringing, Daphne knew it was better to say anything.

"Thanks, Mom," Daphne said.

Daphne exited the car and was grateful when she heard her mother drive away. As she entered the school, she was unaware that another student had been curiously watching her. It was Fred Jones, and he had always been curious about her.

XXXXX

As far back as Mr Blake could remember, nothing was more valuable than the Church. It shaped how he viewed life, how he treated his wife, and how he was determined that Daphne would be brought up. As far as Mr Blake was concerned, the Church was more important than any other landmark on Earth. But that wasn't how the Mayor of Coolsville saw it, and that infuriated Mr Blake to his very core. As Mr Blake sat in the reception area of City Hall, he felt insulted that the Mayor was keeping him waiting and was ten minutes late for their appointment. A moment later, the Mayor walked out of his office.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting, Mr Blake," the Mayor said.

Mr Blake stood up slowly. He was taller than the Mayor, and he hoped his height would intimidate the Mayor.

"Do you normally keep representatives of the Church waiting?" Mr Blake asked.

The Mayor knew precisely what Mr Blake was trying to achieve, so he walked closer to him and looked Mr Blake right in the eyes.

"No, I don't," The Mayor said. "Now, would you like to step into my office?"

For a split-second, Mr Blake frowned, but it didn't go unnoticed by the Mayor.

"Yes, please," Mr Blake replied.

The two of them entered the office. The Mayor sat behind his desk, and Mr Blake sat opposite.

"What exactly is the purpose of your visit, Mr Blake?" the Mayor asked. "Your assistant was vague about your intentions,"

"I was vague because I wanted to say it to your face," Mr Blake replied. "My congregation is extremely unhappy with the funds you've donated to the church,"

Although the Mayor was suspicious of what their appointment would be about, he still couldn't believe the words that had come out of Mr Blake's mouth.

"I thought the donation to the Church was generous," the Mayor said. "I have a budget that I have to work with for the good of our town, and I thought you would be appreciative of the amount you received,"

"Being generous is one thing; being cheap is another," Mr Blake replied. "Our congregation thought your donation should have been tripled in value,"

There were many things that the Mayor hated about his position, but at the top of the list was the naivety of anyone who didn't know the first thing about running a town. The Mayor stood up behind his desk.

"Mr Blake, I don't just donate to the Church," the Mayor said. "I donate to a charity that does real good in this town. Homelessness barely exists in Coolsville thanks to the people that work for that charity because they're determined to make a real difference to a serious problem,"

Mr Blake had never felt so insulted, and he stood up.

"Are you suggesting the Church doesn't make a difference to Coolsville?" Mr Blake asked, barely able to contain his anger.

"I'm saying that what the Church believes and what the people believe are two different things, and for as long as I'm Mayor, I will see to it that the budget is used for things that are important to the Church and the citizens of our town," the Mayor replied.

Mr Blake didn't say anything momentarily.

"For as long as you're Mayor," Mr Blake said curiously. "That is what you said?"

"Yes, that's what I said," The Mayor said. "You heard me say it,"

Mr Blake smiled smugly.

"You said it, Mr Mayor," Mr Blake said. "Not me,"

As Mr Blake walked out, the Mayor could have sworn he heard Mr Blake desperately trying to stifle his laughter.

XXXXX

As Daphne walked through the halls of Coolsville High, she was glad that no one was looking at her. That only happened during class as the way she was dressed was so different to what her other classmates were wearing. Her religion had made her an outcast, and the walk between classes made her feel invisible. There was plenty of time to get to her next class, but Daphne only wanted to take her time. Then, she experienced something unexpected.

"Hey, Daphne," the voice said.

Someone was calling her by name. Daphne was surprised that someone knew what it was. She turned around, expecting to be made fun of. To her surprise, it was the quarterback, Fred.

"I heard it's your birthday," Fred said.

Daphne's eyes widened with fear, and she approached him slowly.

"How do you know it's my birthday?" she whispered quickly.

"I overheard someone saying you turned seventeen today," Fred replied. "So, happy birthday,"

Daphne wanted to return the sentiment, but it was impossible as Fred was creeping her out.

"Who did you overhear saying it was my birthday?" Daphne asked, trying to stay calm.

Fred couldn't believe how upset Daphne was, as he thought she would love someone who wished her a happy birthday.

"I heard one of your friends say it," Fred lied.

Daphne couldn't believe it, and she wanted to scream.

"One of my friends?" Daphne asked, frustrated and scared. "I don't have any friends! The only person you could have heard it from was my mother, not my friends."

"I thought you did have friends," Fred said awkwardly.

"Jeepers!" Daphne retorted without thinking. "Are you kidding me? 'Church Girl' doesn't have friends!"

And without saying anything else, Daphne turned around and ran away. As Fred watched her, he felt ashamed that he made her feel bad and had a real longing because he was in love with her.

XXXXX

Daphne's birthday celebrations at the Church were always miserable, and that night was no exception. Daphne was allowed to wear a pink blouse, but that was her only freedom. Her hair was still tied behind her head with a clip, and she had to wear a dark green skirt below her knees. It was in the Church hall, and there were other parents she knew from the Church, their kids and no one else. But that night came with a surprise. There was a teenager there who was also seventeen, like Daphne was. He had brown hair and brown eyes. He was a foot taller than she was.

"Daphne," Mrs Blake said as she approached her with Mr Blake. "We'd like you to meet someone,"

Daphne wasn't expecting much, as the people her father would want her to meet were more congregation members than that night. Mr and Mrs Blake led Daphne to the teenager and his Host Father. The Host Father was in his mid-forties with grey hair and blue eyes.

"Daphne, this is Sebastian Gemonia," Mrs Blake said. "He's an exchange student from Gemonia,"

Sebastian looked at Daphne intensely, making her feel a little nervous.

"My family founded Gemonia centuries ago," Sebastian said.

"Wow, that's so impressive!" Mr Blake said, pretending to be impressed.

Daphne and Sebastian knew that Mr Blake was very polite, and neither was impressed by this display.

"Thank you," Sebastian said before he returned his attention to Daphne. "I'll need you to show me around Coolsville as I'm not familiar with this town,"

"She would be happy to do it," Mrs Blake said to Sebastian before she turned her attention to Daphne. "Right?"

"Right," Daphne agreed politely.

Sebastian was getting tired of her parents, and he had something more important on his mind, so he looked at Daphne.

"There's something else I'd like you to show me," Sebastian said.

The intensity of Sebastian's eyes made her uncomfortable, and she couldn't look away from him.

"W-W-What do you want me to show you?" Daphne asked nervously.

Sebastian answered her question by reaching behind her head and unfastening the hair clip. Once that was done, Daphne's hair fell free from the clip.

"How beautiful you are," Sebastian said.

Sebastian began to stroke Daphne's hair, and Mrs Blake couldn't believe what she had witnessed.

"How dare you do that!" Mrs Blake shouted.

Mrs Blake was about to walk over to Sebastian but Mr Blake grabbed her right arm.

"It's okay, dear!" Mr Blake said quickly. "Don't worry about it!"

Mrs Blake was confused as their daughter had just been made a public spectacle but then she noticed the look of anxiety on her husband's face.

"Remember the plan and don't interfere!" Mr Blake whispered urgently.

Mrs Blake nodded. Looking shocked, Daphne looked at her parents, but Sebastian's eyes were on her.

"You shouldn't tie your hair up like that and hide your true beauty," Sebastian said.

As Daphne looked back at him, she was happy to feel free but didn't know how long the freedom would last. As Sebastian looked at her, he was already thinking about what he wanted to do with her.