Hey all, I'm finally back again. I'm notoriously slow at updating, but bear with me. I intend to finish this story :p

The boarding house's old steps groaned beneath Arnold's feet as he trudged downstairs for breakfast. Dressed but still half asleep, he nearly stumbled over a watermelon in the middle of the kitchen floor. He sighed as he flicked on the light. His grandfather had taken to serving watermelon at dinner a few times a month in memory of his grandmother. Arnold picked up the fruit and staggered slightly under its weight as he shoved it in the fridge. Personally, he could do without the reminder.

Just then, Arnold heard the slight shuffling of his grandpas, slippers coming down the stairs. He cursed under his breath. He really wasn't in the mood for chit chat.

"Oh, morning Arnold. Didn't think you'd be up this early."

Actively avoiding eye contact, Arnold reached up into the cabinet for a package of toaster pastries. "Just trying to get to school early today," he replied shortly.

"You sure you don't wanna hang around for a bit, short man? You could tell me how things are goin' at school, or what your little friends have been up to.."

"Everyone's kind of doing their own thing lately, grandpa."

"I get the feeling 'everyone' means you, Arnold. You've been getting a lot of messages from your friends. Heck, there's so many we might need a whole new answering machine."

Finally finding the box, Arnold tossed two packages into his bookbag. "Well there shouldn't be. I told them not to call."

"I'm worried about you, boy. Always hanging around the boarding house by yourself, not talking to anyone.."

Arnold tensed his jaw. "No offense, grandpa, but it's really none of your business," he snapped.

Not waiting for him to reply, Arnold slung his backpack roughly over his shoulder and stormed out the back door.

Emerging from his parent's house, Sid inhaled the early morning air and sighed. He had spent four long years away. It felt great to be back home. To walk down familiar streets and observe his old neighbors as they visited the warm, yet run-down storefronts. On reflex, he turned away as the bus appeared on an acrid cloud of exhaust. Already running late, he hurried onto the bus and dropped a handful of change into the fare collector. He started to head back towards the seats when the bus driver grunted that he was ten cents short. Reaching into his pocket once more, Sid produced another dime and dropped it in.

Fares hadn't changed in Hillwood in over fifteen years. Still, it came as no surprise that some things had changed in his absence. A part of him was glad to be back in the old neighborhood. This place represented everything that was great about his childhood. It was disheartening to think that this town was being ravaged by such a plague; by vampires.

It may have been a stretch for most to believe, but Sid was too open minded to leave the possibility alone. Especially after what he'd discovered, or thought he'd discovered years ago about his friend Stinky Peterson. Soon after, he'd found someone who claimed to have intimate knowledge of vampires. He'd left town a few years later, hoping that he had been wrong. That his best friend wouldn't turn out to be one of the unclean demons of the night his master had spent four years teaching him about. Unfortunately, the more he learned about these creatures, the more his hope had diminished. He implored his master that he had to return home. He had to know if he'd left his friends and loved ones at the mercy of a monster.

His mind soon wandered to the mysterious deaths and disappearances, two of which had occurred in his own class. There was work to be done here, and he'd had a brilliant mentor to show him how to do it.

Everyone was talking about it. Rhonda had seen to that. Helga Pataki and Brian 'Brainy' Thompson. Unofficial, but dating. In just a few short weeks they had quickly become the juiciest bit of dating gossip since Arnold and Lila's infamous split.

As soon as lunchtime rolled around, Phoebe wasted no time finding Helga.

"Well, Helga? Please don't leave me in suspense about your latest romantic evening with Brian."

"It was.. nice," Helga said. She paused, smiling. "It was better than nice. It was great."

"Tell me all about it," Phoebe insisted.

"He's interesting. Pretty damn smart, too. I bet if you weren't trampling him into the ground academically he'd be valedictorian. He knows what's going on in the world.." she trailed off, glancing over at the lunch line where he stood. Plain blue tee, plain jeans, but there was just something so gorgeous about him. She wondered how she'd never noticed before. Helga sighed and turned back to Phoebe. "And he knows what's going on inside me. Which is more than I can say for myself sometimes."

Helga finally turned her attention to her lunch. As she reached for the tray of salad, her fork toppled off of her tray before she could grab it. Rolling her eyes, she leaned over to the floor to pick it up and froze. She didn't just see what she thought she saw. It was impossible. Someone else had to see this for her to believe it.

"Hey Pheebs, I'm gonna need you to stay as casual as possible and not make too much of a scene when you look up to check this out for me. Am I loosing it, or is Arnold looking at us?"

Casually, Phoebe looked up from her tray and reached across the table to grab a few napkins. Making use of her peripheral vision, she took a long glance at the blonde across the way.

"No Helga, I can honestly say he's not looking at us," she said. "He's staring at you."

. . .

Brian carefully made his way down the lunch line, grabbing the precious few items on the menu that were actually edible. Happy wasn't even sufficient to describe how he felt. He'd never looked forward to a Monday morning so much in his life. The few dates he'd been on with Helga had been amazing. She'd opened up to him rather quickly about her home life and issues with their classmates. Unfortunately, she had yet to go anywhere near more sensitive subjects. He knew he couldn't rush things, but he had a sinking feeling that something was going to ruin everything they had. Something he had overlooked. But what?

Then he saw it.

Arnold.

Brian looked on as Arnold gazed at Helga hungrily from his table. She was wearing a pink track suit with pants that rode just a little bit too low when she was sitting. Barely being subtle about it, he leaned back in his seat, scoping her ass. Brian's fingers tensed around his lunch tray, rattling his plates and utensils loudly. Just who the fuck did Arnold Shortman think he was?

Brian's lips parted in shock. As if it wasn't enough that he was checking her out, Arnold was standing up, and from the look of it was headed straight for Phoebe and Helga's table. Taking longer strides, Brian all but raced to the table. There was no way in hell he was going to let some jock with a hard-on get between him and Helga. Reaching the table moments before his rival, Brian slid into the free seat next to Helga as if he hadn't noticed Arnold's intent to sit there.

Arnold kept walking as if he had never been headed for their table, but Brian knew better. As he watched Arnold take a seat at another table, he fought to hide the sneer that was creeping up on his lips. He never thought he would feel this way towards someone, but over the years he had realized something about himself. He HATED Arnold. At first, he had thought it was jealousy, but now…

He hated everything that Arnold was. A nosy, holier than thou, entitled asshole. More recently, a self-serving jock who'd always had friends, girls, and looks, but spat in the face of all of it whenever he saw fit. Brian did his best to ignore the smug smile Arnold was giving him from across the room. The guy made his blood boil.

Sid waited out by the bus stop after the final bell. Everyone had been excited to see him come back for their senior year. He'd greeted most all

of his friends, save for one. The most important one. He pulled his jacket on tighter. It was gray out, and getting colder. Hopefully he wouldn't have to wait much longer.

Sid watched Stinky's tall, lanky form come around the corner. As pale as he ever was, with well-oiled auburn hair and aviator shades despite how overcast it was. Not quite the way he remembered him, but there was no doubt it was him. "Hey Stink, what's up?"

A wide grin spread across Stinky's face as he looked up and realized who it was. Sid extended his hand for a handshake and Stinky responded by wrapping him in a tight hug. "I haven't seen you in forever, Sid. It's been a long time." Sid returned the hug, noting how subverted his accent had become.

"It's been too long, man," Sid said, stepping back and looking at his own reflection in the aviators. "Far too long."