Not unless you count sleeping in Myrninsoh, she realized right at the end of that sentence that she really shouldnt have gone there, because Shane and Michael both turned to look at heruh, lab. No, not really.
Eve stared. You were totally going to say bed.
Wasnt! Claire felt her cheeks flaming. Anyway, all I had to do was repair something. And then they let me sleep. No big deal.
No big deal? You were gone for almost five days without a word, Claire! You got arrested! Even our resident ex-con was impressed. Meaning Shane, of course, whod spent his share of time behind Morganville bars. He barely paused in chopping up onions for his eggs to flip her off. If it hadnt been for Michael and Myrnin . . .
Michael, Claire said, and looked at him. He was microwaving his sports bottle, which held his morning O negative. I thought you might help hold Shane down and keep him from doing anything dangerous.
Wasnt easy, Michael said.
Eve nodded. He stayed on Amelie until she told him what happened to you, and then he kept Shane from pretending he was a ninja and going to rescue you.
Hey, you, too! Shane protested.
Yeah, okay, me, too, Eve said. Myrnin called, too. I guess he thought it would be reassuring or something to tell us youd been standing up for forty hours, and not falling down. What a whack job. Oooh, was he wearing the bunny slippers? Tell me he was wearing the bunny slippers!
Sometimes, Claire said, and dug into her breakfast. It was good, really good. Eve was developing a flair for eggs and bacon and morning-type stuff. You guys were really going to come get me?
Lets just say the boys got their fight on about it, and leave it at that, Eve said, and winked. Tell me that doesnt make you feel all loved.
Claire did feel loved, and it made her blush. She concentrated on her food as Michael, Shane, and Eve got their own and slid into the other chairs. At some point, Eve called Shane a tool. Shane called Eve a skank. Normal morning.
Michael, though, was quiet. He sipped his sports bottle and watched them all without saying much. There was something odd about him still, like he was standing a few feet outside of his body, observing. Claire got that feeling again, that gut-twisting one. Somethings wrong.
But he seemed fine when they flipped for the washing-up, and fine when he lost the coin toss. In fact, he was whistling as he scrubbed dishes, tossed them up in the air, and caught them with impossible vampire skill.
Show-off.
Whoa, whoa, speedy, where you going? Shane asked as Claire headed for the door. You just got here!
I need to talk to Myrnin, she said.
Not right now you dont. You need to go back to bed.
Thanks, Dad. Which made her feel a horrible stab of guilt, because she hadnt even called her mom and dad, or gone to see them yet. Ah, about
Yeah, I know, you need to see the rents. Okay, but I go with.
Shane, you know how thats going to play out.
He sighed. I really do, he said. But Im not letting you run around Morganville today all by yourself.
She stopped and turned to him. They were alone in the living room, and she took his hands. You know about the frat guy? Kyle?
Shanes face went completely still, but his eyes were hot. Yeah, I know. Theyve got him in the cage in Founders Square. Word gets around, even if us mere mortals arent getting tickets to the barbecue. People are angry. This could go bad, Claire. I dont think Amelie understands how bad.
You think someone might try to break him out?
Im pretty sure someone will. Hell, Id have done it myself, except I was more worried about you.
Shane, I heard what happened. He and his frat buddies pounded on a vampire, and then he killed his own Protector when he came after them.
Yeah, well, Id kill any of them if he had his fangs up in my face, too.
But you wouldnt have let your friends kick some strangers ass and rob him; I know you wouldnt. And Kyle was the ring-leader. Truth is, I dont think it mattered to him who got hurt or killed. And Im not sure it wasnt cold-blooded murder, with his Protector.
If youre not sure it was, then he shouldnt be in the cage, Shane said. Shes going too far. People in this town have a taste of freedom now, and theyre not going to give it up that easily.
The vampires arent going to give up being in charge, either. People are going to get hurt if both sides keep on pulling.
Shane nodded slowly. His expression didnt change. Our people get hurt here every day.
There was no talking to him about this, Claire realized; Shane had come to terms with a lot of things, but he was never, ever going to believe that what the vampires did to humans for punishment was right. And she couldnt blame him. She remembered how sick shed felt, how horrified, when Shane himself had been in that cage, waiting to die.
Now Kyle was in there, and his family, the people who loved him, they were feeling the same awful horror. Even if he was a total tool, this was worse than punishment. It was cruelty.
Maybe we should try to get him out, Claire said. Does that sound crazy?
Only all of it. You know what the penalty is for breaking someone out of that cage?
Joining them in it?
Bingo. And sorry, but Im not risking it. Youre not exactly escape-artist material.
She was a little relieved, actually. Maybe I can talk to Amelie. Get her to change her mind.
See, thats much more you. Reason Girl, Shane said. Parents?
She nodded and grabbed her backpack from the cornerforce of habit: she didnt have school today, but the weight of the books and all the assorted junk she kept in it made her feel steadier. Shane turned toward the closed kitchen door. Yo, undead-for-brains, were heading to the Danvers house!
I heard that, Michael yelled back.
Whole point, bro. Shane offered Claire his arm, and she took it, and they set out for her parents house.
It was a nice day to walk, especially with Shane next to her. Well, truthfully, if it had been forty below and a blizzard, it still would have seemed like a nice day with Shane, but it really was beautifulsunny, not too hot, a cloud-free, faded-denim sky that seemed to stretch a million miles from horizon to horizon. Wind, of course, like there always seemed to be in Morganville, but more of a breeze than a gust.
It still tasted of sand, though.
Want a coffee? she asked. Shane shook his head and kicked a rusted can out of their way.
If I see Oliver, Im going to punch him right in the face, he said. So no. Ill skip the coffee.
Right, no caffeine for you at all. There wasnt much else to do in Morganville besides the coffee shop, anyway. Movies werent playing yet, and they were too young for the bars, which also werent open yet. She was hoping to delay the inevitable bringing-Shane-to-her-parents tension, but really, there was no getting around it.
She was still working on what she was going to say to her dad when Shane said, Huh. Thats weird.
There was something in his voice that made her look up. She saw nothing out of place for a second, but then she saw someone sitting on the curb a block up, head down, shoulders shaking.
Crying.
Should we . . . ? she asked. Shane shrugged.
Probably couldnt hurt. Maybe he needs help.
It was a he, after all, a college kid wearing a black knit shirt and scuffed-up jeans. Claire had seen him somewhere before. . . .
It was the boy from the Science Building. The one whod given her the rave flyer. Alex? She thought his name was Alex.
As they got closer, she felt that stab of anxiety again. Alex was not the kind of guy to be crying in public like some four-year-old, and besides that, he looked really, really upset.
Alex? Claire let go of Shanes hand and motioned for him to stay put while she crossed the last few feet to the boy. Hey, Alex? Are you okay?
He gulped and swiped at his eyes, blinking furiously. Then he glared at her. Leave me alone. There was so much ferocity in his voice that Claire instinctively held up both hands and took a step back.
Okay, sure, Im sorry. Im Claire, remember? From the Science Building? I just wanted to help.
He looked confused then, as well as angry. He scrambled to his feet and looked around, then lunged for Claire and grabbed her arm. His eyes were wild. Who are you? he said. Where am I?
Hey, man, let go! Shane stepped in and batted Alexs hand away. Chill. She was trying to help, okay?
That seemed to make him angrier. Alex shouted right in their faces, Where am I? How did you get me here?
Shane looked at Claire and mimed drinking, then shook his head. Must have been one hell of a party, he whispered. Who is this guy?
Just somebody from school.
Hey! Alex was shouting again, getting red in the face. You tell me how I got here or Im calling the cops!
Um . . . Claire pointed behind him. One block away were the gates of Texas Prairie University. Youre not exactly lost. I dont know how you got here, but all you have to do is turn around and go back to the dorm
Alex looked over his shoulder, then snapped his head back around to focus on her. I dont know what kind of sick joke you think youre playing, but youd better tell me whats going on right now.
Hey, enough. Back off, Shane said, and pulled Claire out of easy reach. Go sober up, man. And find some kind of rehab, because, damn.
Im not drunk!
Shane steered Claire away, then across the street to the other sidewalk. Alex just stood there, shouting at them like a crazy man. Shane shook his head. Man. Frat guys. They really can screw up their lives.
I dont think he was drunk, Claire said doubtfully. He didnt really look drunk.
Yeah, because youd be the expert on that. Shane sent her an ironic look, and she remembered, with a flash of shame, that he was the expert; his dad had been a drunk, and so had his mom, toward the end. Shane wasnt exactly a saint, either. Okay, maybe he wasnt drinking, but he was definitely wrecked. What are the fratties taking these days? Maybe it was meth.
Well, Claire really didnt know anything much about drugs. It wasnt that she was a prude; she just had a fear of anything that would screw up the way she thought. This is your brain on drugs and all that. He probably needs help, she decided, and pulled out her phone to dial Chief Moses. She told Hannah about the boy, feeling more than a little like maybe she ought to have minded her own business, but still. That had not been the Alex shed met at school.
As she put the phone away, Claire remembered hearing that voiceMichaels voicethrough the bathroom door this morning. Mom?
She shivered as a cool breeze skittered by.
But really, it was a beautiful day, and she didnt know why she was feeling so weird.
Visiting her folks was every bit as awkward as Claire had imagined. First, her mom opened the door, got a look of delight on her face as she saw Claire, and then immediately dimmed it down to a strained welcome when she spotted Shane standing behind her. Claire, honey, so glad youre here! And Shane, of course. Somehow, that last part sounded like a total lie. Come in; I was just cleaning up the kitchen. Im grilling chicken for lunch; can you stay?
That was Mom all over, offering food in the second breath. It made Claire feel at home. She traded a quick look with Shane, and then said, Well, actually, weve already got plans, Mom, but thanks.
Oh. Of course. Her mother was looking better these daysnot as thin and haunted as she had been when theyd first come to Morganville. In fact, she looked like shed gained a little weight, which was good, and she was dressing a bit less like a character in one of those black-and-white movies where women wore pearls to vacuummore normal. Claire actually kind of liked her shirt. For Mom clothes.
Hows Dad? Claire asked, as they followed her down the hall and turned right into the kitchen. It was the exact same layout as the Glass House, since they were both Founder Houses, but the Danvers house had an open entrance to the kitchen, and her mother had painted the room in sunny yellows that cheered it up a lot. Ugh, she still liked the ducks, though. Lots of ceramic ducks. Well, at least it wasnt the cheesy ceramic roosters; that was an awful memory. Claire and Shane took seats at the small kitchen tablea lot nicer than the battered one they had back at the Glass Houseand Mom fussed around with cups and saucers (Shane held up a saucer with his eyebrows raised, like hed never seen one) and got them coffee.
Mom? Hows Dad?
Her mom poured coffee without meeting her eyes. Hes doing all right, honey. I wish youd come see us more often.
I know. Im sorry. Its been . . . kind of busy these last few days.
Her mom straightened up, frowning. Is anything wrong?
No. Claire slurped coffee, which was too hot, and her mom never made it strong enough. It tasted like coffee-flavored milk. Not now. There was some trouble in town; that was all.
Claire killed a vampire, Shane said. She had to, but it could have gone bad for her with Amelie. As it was, she had to do a job for the vamps that almost killed her.
She could not believe that hed just blurted that out. Shane raised his eyebrows at her again in a silent, What? Like he couldnt believe she wasnt going to say all of that herself.
Her mother just stood there, mouth open, holding the steaming pot of coffee.
Its not that bad, Claire said in a rush. Really. I was just trying to help some people who were in trouble, including Eve. It just turned out . . . well, it turned out okay, in the end.
Worst. Speech. Ever. And it didnt seem to reassure her mother at all.
Mrs. Danvers, Shane said, and held out his cup for a refill on his coffee, with a smile that, Claire thought, hed probably learned from Michael; even her mother seemed to warm up to it. The point is, Claire did something really brave, and probably really important, so you should be proud of her.
Im always proud of Claire. And that, Claire thought, was true; her mother was always proud of her. Except maybe when it came to Shane, of course. But it sounds very dangerous.