I felt someone press two fingers against my neck, checking for a pulse. 

"Nothing" 

"Are you sure Jim? He could just be...passed out drunk or something" 

"James, he never drinks, and he has a high tolerance anyway. I didn't give him a drink last night either." 

It was the James brothers. James and James (Jim) they raised me for the past 6 years. James owned the bar across the street, Day Drinks, and Jim was the bar tender. They found me smooth talking people to buy me some smokes when I was 11. And they took me in. 

I sighed and sat up, slowly opening my eyes, it was daylight, but thankfully I was in the shade of the alley because I had a major headache. 

When I sat up Jim jumped back, a look of shock on his face. He and James were practically identical, with short black hair and brown eyes, Jim, being a few inches shorter, wore glasses and was quieter of the two. He and his wife were kind people. James however, had a major RBF (resting bitch face). 

"Lee, did you pass out drunk?" James asked, crossing his arms as he raised an eyebrow at me. 

Lee was the name they gave me, as before all I was Carter...just Carter. 

I shook my head, checking my pockets for the pack of cigarettes the woman had given me. "No, I had one drink, non alcoholic." I furred my brows as I couldn't find my smokes. "Those fuckers stole my smokes-" I muttered. I looked at James with a sigh, "I was smoking at the bar last night when miss skel-"

"Suzan" Jim interrupted. 

"when miss Suzan came over and said 'my ex left a fresh pack of smokes if your interested.' Free smokes, yes please, so I went home with her, she got pissed I wasn't going to sleep with her...shes like twice my age man! Anyway, yeah she started throwing stuff, nicked my ear. Then those blood fuckers jumped me and stole my smokes!" 

Honestly, most people would probably be like 'why am I not dead?' But someone took my cigarettes. I need those, so my anxiety was going through the roof and I was unable to think logically about the situation. 

The two shared a look, "did you get bit?" 

I nodded, pulling out my old pack of cigarettes, I had 2 left. I lit one, taking a long drag. "Yeah, three times...I can't believe they stole from me...I ain't got another race for a week." 

"Lee..."

"I don't have any cash, or enough to last me an hour let alone a week" 

"Lee!"

"they stole a whole pack."

At this point my leg was shaking like hell and I was breathing faster than normal. 

"Carter! " James took the cigarette from me. 

"Alright old man. This means war!" I stood up, ignoring the pounding in my head. No one took my smokes, I was heavily addicted with major anxiety and a short temper, someone takes them and I lose my shit. 

"Lee I think your dead" James was holding my cigarette just out of my reach. 

"The hell I am! Give it back!" I reached for it, only to hiss in pain from the sun burning my hand. "Fuck!" I shook my hand glaring at the sky. 

Like a 'fuck you sun, eat shit' glare.

"Yeah...I'm sorry Lee...your a nightwalker." James sighed, handing me back my cigarette.

I stared at him for a long momemt, if I was alive my heart would have stopped in that moment, realisation hitting me like a tidal wave. 

"Lee..." Jim spoke softly. 

I started to panic, "I can't be. ..." 

"Lee calm down."

"I'm stuck like this forever? 17!? I'll never be able to buy my own smokes-" 

"Lee!" James spoke that time.

"Fuck man I was still supposed to grow another 4 inches, I still look like a kid...I had a whole life ahead of me-"

"Carter!"

"where am I going to live now? I can't stay with you-" 

"Carter Lee James!" 

I shut up and looked at him, "James...." I spoke softly, barely a whisper, I felt I couldn't breathe.

"I know kid" he handed me my inhaler, "you had a good system. And when it gets fucked with, you get anxy." 

I took a puff from my inhaler, letting it calm me down. 

"but we can figure something out" he continued, "I am sure Smith will let you stay with him." 

Smith, Laura (Jim's wife)'s brother, owned the underground version of James' bar. 

I nodded, taking another puff of the inhaler, putting it my pocket. 

"Lee I know this is hard...and a lot at once... But look at it this way, your career is in the UC..so you still have that." Jim shrugged, trying to comfort me. 

"Jim, take him to Smith's, I have work..." James sighed. 

I had to get an umbrella out of my car so I could cross the street without being fried. 

We took the elevator in the back of the bar to get to Smith's.