>You are Anonymous

>And there's a trillion things you pretend not to notice, as you buckle your seatbelt

>You pretend not to notice how wet from the shower everyone still is as they pile into your car

>You pretend not to notice all the doe-eyes Sam is making at you as he buckles into the passenger seat

>…Though you secretly like it

>You pretended not to notice (or care) when Mike and Alex come out of your house with armload of beer and Dr. Beppers

>You just want to go 

>Because you're pretending not to notice the rusted sedan down the block

>The one that's been idling there for some time

>"Everyone done pillaging my house?" You ask, sounding annoyed and slightly nervous. “Because I'd like to get a move on before Dracula over there bites my dick off."

>"C'mon baby, you know I'm good for it." Mike massages the shoulders of your seat. “Besides, you know Comrade Alexi will give us a proletariat's discount to get more."

>"I think I'm fired," Alex says, quite unconcerned

“Was it me?" You ask

>Alex shrugs. “Nahhhhh I haven't showed up in a couple of days."

>Mike's smile is brighter than Jenna's chance at making Valedictorian

>"Awwww hell yeah man, I didn't know you were on the schedule. Nice going," Mike says

>"Also when we rescued you, I may have attacked my boss."

>"Alex, I'd kiss you right now if it wouldn't make Anon jealous," Mike says

>You sigh and pretend not to notice Mike's bullshit as you put the car into gear

>You do NOT have time for this 

>Nor the fortitude either

>As you slip out of the neighborhood, that rusted sedan follows, but turns left when you go right

>Must have just been someone lost

>Still…

>As you drive you can't help but see that rusted sedan everywhere as you sail down the main road and up the hill

>It's just never right behind you, at least for long

>Always turning out of shopping centers and then breaking a hard right down unassuming neighborhoods, and then popping up again somehow

>You roll into the church's cracked lot, the sedan an even distance behind you

>Everyone, carelessly, piles out of the car

>The sedan pauses on the road running past the church

>Alright something is going on

>Something you really don't like

>Sam is fast asleep next to you as everyone else piles out

>You nudge him with your elbow

>His eyes delicately flutter open

“Hey." You lean over and whisper in his ear. “Stay down, okay? Don't sit up. Not for any reason."

>He looks around impulsively, and then, meeting your eyes, nods

>You lean back in your seat as well, keeping an eye on the crossroads that lead into the church

>The rusted sedan rolls on by without interest

>You try to make out who might driving, but the windows are so dark that it only just reflects back your shitheap vehicle like a fun house mirror

>It only serves to make your car even more awful looking

>Apparently uninterested, the rusted vehicle continues on down the road, and then down the hill, until it disappears and melds into the rest of traffic

>At last, the car disappears in a cloud of dust down at the end of the road, tanking down the hill

>You lean up fully and stretch your arms

>Sam follows your lead

>You swear you've seen that car once before, but you can't place where

>…

>It's not unlikely it was just trying to get to the opposite end of town while avoiding traffic

>That's what most of the cars who pass by the church are doing anyway

>"W-What was that?" Sam asks

>His seatbelt comes undone with a janky *click*

>The belts are old and probably do more harm that good at this point

“Probably nothing," you admit. “I'm just being paranoid."

>And maybe you were

>"O-Oh." Sam looks around

>His hair is feathery and soft looking when its washed

>It falls across his face like a wispy spools of brown thread

>If he didn't look feminine before… BOI, now he does

>He looks like he's got something he wants to say as his mouth does that thing where it half-opens and half-closes, accented by little murmurs

>"Th-Thanks for letting m-me s-s-s-shower and fo-for listening to m-me back there," he says in his strongest voice.

>Ah, straight to the point

>He's getting bolder

>You like this new Sam

>And liking him makes you smile

“Don't mention it," you say as you undo your own seatbelt

>It's already starting to get cold in the car as the sun slopes downward in the western sky

“C'mon, let's get inside," you say, popping open your door

>Mike is waiting patiently on concrete steps to the church

“You gonna crash in my car again?" You ask, fully ready to launch the keys at him

>He nurses a beer

>One of your dad's beers, you might add

>Ah well, everything is fucked anyway. Dad'll understand.

>"Sam?" Mike jerks his chin up at the rabbit. “Can you go wait inside with Jenna and Alex? There's something I want to talk to Anon about."

>Sam looks up at you, as if seeking approval

>You nod and flash a quick smile

“They don't bite," you assure him. This seems to do the trick, as the rabbit hesitantly leaves your side and makes for the back of the church

>You and Mike watch him disappear into the dark

>"He's got it bad for you, dude."

>You sigh deeply

“That's what everyone keeps saying, but Sam tells me he's not gay. I don't know what to make of it."

>There's a long pause

>And then the sound of a train rolling by down the steep hill punctures the night and presses little earthquakes into the dirt

>"Well, look. We're not here to discuss Sam's sexuality — or yours either."

>You flip him off, but his reaction is steady and cold, never taking his eyes off you

>"I'm just wondering if I need to stay at home. Sit this out."

“What? Mike Sapone does not sit things out. Whatever happened to breaking every finger on th-"

>"Do you think we're safe here?" He interjects “And I mean, do you think that whoever or whatever fucked your house up… knows where the rest of us live?"

>You shrug

“I suppose it's possible, if they found my house. That information is at the school anyway."

>Mike sucks on his beer. The top of the bottle comes loose from his lips with a hollow *piff*

>"Do you see what I'm getting at now? Shit… If they hurt my bitch of a sister, I…"

>He squeezes the bottle

>It explodes in a shower of amber glass as it pops like a cheap balloon in his vampiric grasp

>"Shit," he says without urgency, watching shards fall from his loose grip

“Happen a lot?"

>"More than you'd think. I'll get another one later."

>He sighs and levels his gaze out at the car and at the crossroads

>C'mon Anonymous. Say something…

>…Helpful

“I wouldn't worry about it. If they're not attacking us in the hallways — or if Sam's dad isn't seen running around the school — then it's safe to say they won't go after us so boldly. My house was ideal because nobody was there."

>Mike leans back on his palms

>"You think they were looking for something?"

“…Or someone…" you add, and you know Mike knows who you're talking about

>Sam's insane father

>Don't want to rule out any possibilities

>"Fucking hell," Mike runs a hand through his freshly scrubbed hair. “You know Thumper is a liability to us now, right?"

>Liability

>The word makes him seem like he's a burden to you and the entire group

>But he's not

>Sam is more than just dead weight to you

>You wince at the utterance of the word, but keep your composure

“It really doesn't matter whether or not someone is looking for him. In fact, this is the best case scenario," you reason. “If he wasn't here, he'd be with his shit head father, or captured by Vanessa and her merry gang of retards."

>Mike snorts with laughter

>"God, they are fucking cringe, aren't they? Like, it's 2019 — who the fuck is still a goth?"

“Talking a lot of shit for someone who is literally a vampire," you shrug

>"Ah, right." Mike examines his pale flesh

>In the dusk you can better appreciate the way his eyes shimmer with a predatory glow

>"I think I'm getting hungry," he says at last

>You take a cautious step backwards

>"Relax, fagtron. I'm not going to attack you. But I do need to figure this out."

>Still, he might… eventually

“What if we got some good, bloody beef or something? There's a butcher at the Shop N' Save."

>Mike deflates at the mention of the store

>"Can't really go back there. I think it might be a little unsafe for me."

>Christ

>Where can you go?

“Well, what if I went? Not tonight, but maybe tomorrow or Friday?" How long do you think you can hold out for?"

>"Long enough," Mike stands up, his shoes scraping against the concrete

>He stretches out wide

>"I'm not helpless. If I need to, I'll make a 'shopping trip' down to the town."

“If you could avoid spawning new vampires, that'd be awesome," you say, folding your arms across your chest

>"Fine, fine. But let's speed this along. You know Mikey ain't patient. Now…" he holds his open palm out and clears his throat. “If I could PLEASE have your keys, that'd be great. Guess I'm spending another night here."

>You fish your keys from your pocket and drop them in his waiting hands

>"Thanks man. Beats sleeping in the gutter."

“No less than you deserve," you add with a half-chuckle

>He shoots you some dismissive finger guns and starts walking over to your car

“Hey, wait. One more thing," you call to him

>Mike doesn't bother turning around to address you

>"Want a goodnight kiss?"

“You're… you're with us, right? Like until the end?"

>This time he does turn around

>He looks at you, a fire glowing behind his eyes

>"Until the very end, fagtron. They took my future from me. The least I can do is make them pay for it."

>You stand frozen on the steps as Mike stares daggers at you — but you know it's not meant for you

>He turns back around

>"Goodnight."

>Inside the church Alex and Jenna are asleep on the floor instead of on the rickety pews

>Sam is curled up in a tight little bun-ball on the carpet

>Aside from Alex snoring, the church is dead silent

>Sam looks so peaceful the way his nose wrinkles and his chest delicately rises and falls as he obeys the gravity of sleep

>You can't fight back a weak smile

>It's good to see him at peace, see his face without tension or worry

>A train snores by in the night

>It's so close that you can feel it rumbling underneath the floors

>You can imagine the holy water basin at the front entrance of the church is trembling

>Sam's face tenses up and lines appear in his forehead

>His legs start kicking softly — almost as if he were twitching, or running from something

>You lay down next to him to try and get him to stop…

>…You tell yourself

>His body tenses up in his light doze

>As gingerly as you can, you pull him close to you and feel him tremble against your chest

>You feel helpless, just watching him have an anxiety attack in his sleep

>God, it's no fucking wonder he's so anxious

>His dad is insane

>He lives in squalor

>His brother is dead

>His mom is gone

>He's never had any friends

>Until he met you

>You're sorry for how you treated him up until now

>He didn't deserve it

>Your eyes feel heavy as buckets of water

>Even though the carpet is uncomfortable, just holding Sam like this and feeling him safe is a greater comfort than any bed

>And the train rolls on in the night