"Hey Mags," Jason said as he entered his house. "Sorry I'm late..." He glanced in the kitchen and living room, but she wasn't there. He swallowed, his body tensing. "Mags? Maggy?" he called out and rushed up to her room.

Knock, knock. No response.

"Maggy?" he opened her door and peeked in, but she wasn't there. "Where could she be?"

He checked his room just in case and then checked the kitchen and living room for any messages left behind. Jason sat down near the entrance and stared at where her shoes normally sat. "Where'd she go this late?" He pulled out his phone and dialled her number.

'Please leave a message after the beep.'

Beep.

"Hey, Mags, where'd you go? Call me back as soon as you hear this."

Not sure what else to do since his parents were away for the weekend, he called Roy. "Hey, Roy, how was your date?"

"Hey, Jay, it was good... but we didn't click; kept slapping my hand away during the movie," Roy laughed.

"Did you drop her off at home?"

"Nope; she didn't seem to want me to... said she'd have someone else pick her up."

"You happen to leave her there by the theatre alone?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Why didn't you wait with her?!" Jason snapped at him.

"Whoa there; she didn't want me to wait around so I left. What's the big deal?"

"She's dead, Roy, Emily is dead!"

"Wait, what?! How could she be dead? I saw her last night."

"Who's dead?" Jason heard a familiar soft voice over the phone and his heart sunk.

"Roy... who's with you?" Jason asked, fearing the worst.

"Uh... It's Maggy."

"Why is she there?!"

"Dude, chill... and please don't burst my eardrums. I came by your house earlier, but you weren't there. Maggy seemed lonely and bored, so I took her out."

"Took her out, where?"

"Well, I was going to treat her at that little cafe at the corner – you know the one – but it was closed already, so she came over to play video games. Why does it feel like you don't trust me all of a sudden?"

"You were just playing video games?"

"Yeah, what else did you think we'd be doing? It's not like it's the first time I've gamed with her."

"It's the first time she's been to your house."

"Well, yeah, she said it'd be best if we didn't touch your stuff without asking and she doesn't have any two-player games... besides, it seemed like she wanted to be out of her house. I guess it's a bit... lonely there most of the time. Sorry, I took her out without you knowing..."

"I don't need his permission to go out!" Maggy huffed.

Jason cursed under his breath.

"Come on, Mags," Roy patted her on the back. "He's just worried about you."

"I'm tired of everyone worrying about me all the time."

"Don't say that; it's great to have a family that cares about you."

"Family?" Maggy laughed. It felt like only Jason ever cared about her.

"I'm coming over to pick her up," Jason said.

"Yeah, okay bud." They both hung up.

Jason hopped back into his Jeep and headed for Roy's house a few blocks away. He approached Roy's front door and took a deep breath.

"Jason?" He turned to see Roy's father had parked in the driveway. "Is something wrong?" he asked, holding a bag full of groceries.

"Uh... No..."

He opened the door and nudged his head. "Come on in; it's not like you to be shy."

"Yeah, thanks... Actually, I'm here to pick up my sister," Jason said, trying to glance into the living room.

"Maggy is here? That's... surprising... Um, want a snack or anything?"

"Nope, just here to pick up my sister... wherever she is."

"That might be a problem," Roy said, coming down the stairs. "She sorta barricaded herself in my room."

"She's in your room?" Jason growled.

"Okay, calm down," Roy's father patted his shoulder.

"It's where my gaming consoles are... which you know about already considering how often you've played with me," Roy pointed upstairs. "Are you going to go get her or..."

"Yeah, I'm going."

"And what was all this about Emily being dead?"

"You should check the news."

Roy nodded and headed to the living room to check on the news both on the TV and his laptop sitting on the coffee table.

Jason headed upstairs and knocked on Roy's door. "Come on, Mags, let's head home."

She sat on Roy's bed, hugging his pillow.

"Mags, I know you're in there." He turned around, "Hey, Roy, is it okay if I bust your door down?"

"What?" Roy yelled up the stairs, trying to hear him.

"It's okay? You don't mind? Alright, on three. One, two—"

The door opened and Maggy pushed past him. She rushed down the stairs and turned to Roy. "Thanks for tonight..."

"Anytime, babe."

Jason came down after her. "Ahem," Jason glared at him.

"I mean, Maggy..." Roy swallowed.

"Sorry about this," Jason bowed his head slightly to Roy's father.

"Teenagers," he shrugged. "It's what happens. Take care of her, Jason."

"I will." Jason left and found Maggy sitting in the back of his Jeep, arms crossed and head turned away. "Why are you sitting back there?"

Maggy gritted her teeth, frowning as she stared out the window and refused to respond.

Jason sighed and started his vehicle. They drove home in silence, Jason glancing back at her in the rearview mirror every minute. Maggy barely waited for the car to shut off before getting out and heading into their house.

"Maggy! Come back here," he chased after her and grabbed her arm. "Why'd you go with him after I warned you about him?"

"Seriously?" she tried to shake free from his grasp, but his grip was too tight. "Don't you get it? It's lonely here. Our parents are barely ever home, my only friend is busy more than half the time and you're MIA lately. Since I... got sick, I've been shunned by everyone... So sue me if I wanted to hang out with Roy – your best friend – for a little while..." Tears formed in her eyes and she huffed. "You don't have... to get so angry..." She covered her eyes with her free arm.

"Maggy..." He pulled her into a hug and she tried to wiggle free. "I'm sorry, Mags... I didn't realize how much you were struggling. I'm sorry I haven't been here for you enough. And I'm sorry in advance for being busy this next week."

"You're going to be busy? Why? What are you doing? Are you going to see that boy again?"

"Why does it sound weird when you say that?" he pulled away and stared at her face.

"No reason," she wiped her tears away.

"It's actually Will's sister I'm... involved with."

Maggy froze. "Wait a second. Involved with? Did you get a girlfriend?"

"I'm... not sure how to answer that, but if a woman named Samantha Gilbert—"

"Gilbert? Your teacher?! Holy crap, Jay, what are you thinking? Is that where you went tonight? Will's house, aka Samantha's house?"

Jason stared at her, dumbstruck. She seemed to know more than she should.

"Oh my gosh, Jason, you scold me for hanging out with Roy – and just playing video games – but you were off hanging out with your teacher in her house? How inappropriate is that?! Let me go, you hypocrite."

"Maggy, it's not so simple... The situation is complicated, and she needs my help with something... private."

"What would that be? Her urge to be with a younger man?"

"Maggy! We haven't... done anything yet—"

"Yet..." Maggy scoffed.

"And she's in danger, they both are. I'm trying to help them—"

"Then call the police."

"The police can't help them. They've..." Jason trailed off, wondering how much he could tell her. "Been running for a long time and this time they're threatening the students. Honestly, I want to tell you to stay home for the next week, but I'm not sure you'd be safe here alone either."

"Students... The girl you said died that went out with Roy?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah..."

"If people's lives are in danger then that's even more reason to go to the police!"

"They can't!"

"Yeah, right; you're just lying to cover for yourself," Maggy shoved him back.

Jason tripped and landed on the floor. The vial in his pocket fell out and rolled away from him.

Maggy stared at the red liquid in the vial. "Is that..." she stepped away, shaking. "Blood?" Hyperventilation, she ducked down and grabbed onto her head, her eyes scrunched closed. An image of a man with fangs attacking her flashed through her mind and she screamed. Her blood trailed down his mouth as he pulled away, distracted by something.

"Crap..." Jason pocketed the vial and knelt down in front of her. "It's okay, Maggy," he stroked her head and tried to pry her hands away from her face. "You're safe."

"I was... attacked..."

"Breathe, Maggy, breathe..."

Still shaking, she touched her neck. "That man... he bit me..."

Jason froze. He couldn't exactly lie to her and tell her she was hallucinating, but he couldn't tell her the truth.

"Those fangs..." she swallowed. "Was I attacked by a vampire?" She finally looked up at him to see his shocked face. "I was?"

"Hold that thought." Jason pulled his phone out. "Hey, we have a problem."