"Hey drinking buddy!" I exclaimed with a smile.

Godric smiled down at me with a slightly confused face, "Why do you call it that?"

I shrugged, "Keeping it lose."

I was sitting outside on his porch dangling my feet off the side. He had a very nice house, although he only used it at night. I've been told many times that I am welcome here at any hour. Godric ensured me of that when he sat down next to me and handed me a spare key.

"What's this for?" I asked examining the key.

"Lacey, you're welcome here, you don't need to knock anymore," Godric said shaking his head.

Godric was hard to read. He was very, still. There were no clear emotions out of him. He had a side smile, a full smile, and a stone face. I don't think I've ever seen him angry. But I've only known him for a few months.

"You barely know me and you're giving me the key to your house?" I asked making a face.

He smiled. I somehow made him laugh on a weekly basis. My dry or childish sense of humor amused him. And he deserved to be amused! I couldn't imagine what it must be like to be a vampire. I didn't even want to fathom it.

"Yes, yes I am," Godric stated plainly.

I glanced back down at the key shaking my head, "I… I don't know if I will be using it as often as you might like."

Godric was silent. It was his strongest quality. He didn't have much to say at times but when he did speak it was… purposeful.

"It's time," a gush of wind spoke.

I jumped back seeing Stan Davis appear before he. He snickered.

Stan's approval was hard to win over. He liked to pick and fight an argue than try to build a friendship. He has tasted me before. He likes me, just obsessively and only for the blood I carry.

"Your heart is beating very fast tonight, Lacey," Stan said in a frightening tone.

I wasn't comfortable around him. Ever since he learned I was easily spooked or frightened, he almost made a point of scaring me daily just to amuse himself. Everywhere I went he seemed to be breathing down my neck for another bite. I had nightmares of him draining me dry.

I moved my thick brown hair behind me, "You can never be on guard for what does "bump" in the night."

Godric let out a quick laugh.

Stan ignored me, "Ready?"

Godric nodded and stood. He was a little short for a modern day man but he was built underneath his clothes. I tried not to think about what he could do to me. How fragile and breakable I was. I felt guilty being so close to him and having him always keep himself in check. It hasn't happened yet, but I guess I'm waiting for him to hurt me… accidentally.

Godric stopped and tuned to face me, "I… I might need you later."

I nodded understanding. They both ran off in a fuzzy blur.

Godric never told me what he does at night. I figure he's something important since people keep telling him he needs to be somewhere. The two vampires I see most with him are Stan and Isabel and they're always very respectful to him. It could have been just a vampire thing though.

I don't really know how old he is either. The question seemed far too rude to ask him. If I had to guess just by looks, about my age, seventeen or older. If I had to guess by how he acts, a few hundred years old. But I really didn't care.

Another blur appeared in front of me. I jump a little this time but only because I was semi comfortable with who it was.

"Hey Izzy," I said smiling.

"Only when it's just you and I," Isabel said with a friendly smile. "Have the others gone?"

"About twenty seconds ago. I bet if you run your fastest, you could catch up with them," I said moving my arms like I was running.

Isabel shook her head smiling, "You should go back inside. You never know what's out here."

I nodded getting up to head in. Isabel was gone as I got to my feet.

"Have a good night," I said waving like she was still there.

I entered the house and closed the door behind me. I locked it already knowing all the other doors were locked. I went to the music system Godric owned and turned it on. A little classic rock for background noise would calm my nerves.

My phone started to buzz in my pocket, "Hello?"

"You're up at this hour?" a far too familiar voice asked.

"You're obviously up too if you're calling me," I answered with a little dry sarcasm.

"That's not the point," Freddy said agitated.

"Then get to it," I shot back getting angry.

Freddy was my dance partner. It was a strong hobby of ours and we literally needed each other in order to be in dance. We were both… shorter than the average modern American. We weren't quite professional yet but we had a few performances that were judged.

"The Performing Arts called me saying there is another judged competition coming up soon," Freddy explained in a normal tone of voice.

"What are we dancing?" I asked.

"The Jive or the Foxtrot," he answered.

Both were decently fast dances, one was just more energy and the other was more serious.

"I vote the Jive," I answered knowing his response.

"We did that last time."

"It wasn't judged!" I pointed out.

"That's not the point," Freddy replied getting admitted again.

"I think the only reason you call me is to argue," I thought out loud.

"Well then, I'll have to call Andre to argue at you," Freddy spoke before hanging up.

I closed my phone and rolled my eyes. Andre was our trainer and choreographer. He liked us because he could act all the emotions we wanted, but we weren't attached to each other off the dance floor.

"I can just here it now," I said moving my body with the rhythm of the classic rock station. "We did the Jive last time. Let's try your Foxtrot."

I pranced around the living room like a horse pretending to trot, "I wanna do something fast."

I practiced a few dance moves that Freddy and had danced to in the past. Crisp movements won over the judges and some hard core choreography. Andre was known to push his dancers past the limit. He made Freddy cry once; but he made me cry twice in the same day.

I turned off the music. It was late, or early, and I really didn't want anyone to catch me dancing. Embarrassment would overflow me. I walked to the front door unlocking it quietly. I don't think Stand would like it if he came home and the front door was locked. He'd probably scare me twice to get back at me.

I went into the kitchen thinking making myself a meal would pass the time again. Vampires didn't eat much so all the food that was in the kitchen was mine, according to Godric. I searched through the fridge finding a few vampire drinks and alcohol. I picked out a water bottle and closed the fridge in defeat.

I turned around jumping at the sight of Stan. He chuckled this time and threw his head back in victory. I was a toy for him, whatever.

I then saw Isabel and Godric slowly come in through the front door. At least the creeper wasn't alone with me. That would be… bad.

A shiver shot up my spine as I thought about Stan alone with me; the AB-.

"Feeling alright?" Isabel asked.

I nodded, "Oh yeah."

Suddenly, Stan was very close to me.

"Do I go "bump" in the night?" he asked before shooting out his fangs.

I bolted backwards hitting my back hard on the stainless steel refrigerator.

"Stan!" Godric and Isabel said in unison.

He turned and left without a word.

I arched my back trying to dull the pain, "I'm fine. I did this to myself anyways."

Godric and Isabel glanced at each other.

"I'll just go walk it off," I said heading towards the front door.

Godric stood in my path, "I think you should sit down."

I looked up at him. He was only a few inches taller than me but I still had to tilt my head to see his eyes.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot you're thirsty," I said thinking for a moment. "You want the neck or the wrist?"

"Does it hurt terribly?" He asked expressionless.

"No, only when your teeth initially hit my skin," I answered.

"I meant your back," he said with a slight side smile.

"Oh. No. I'm just bruised," I answered standing as I usually would.

Godric opened his mouth to speak but nothing came.

"Godric, if you're thirsty just tell me, I'm right here," I said. I knew it was hard for him to admit when he needed blood and I knew he really didn't like using me as he did. But I owed this to him.

He perked up a little. I smiled and walked over to the couch. It was where we usually sat when he wanted blood from my wrist. The neck was another story.

Godric followed and sat next to me. I began to roll up my sleeve as Godric orders Stan and Isabel to leave us. I didn't like spectators. And he didn't either since he was less comfortable with this than I was.

My sleeve was rolled up and I slowly offered him my bare wrist. I smiled at him and took a few deep breaths to get the blood flowing. Godric slowly reached out and took my arm gently. I looked dead ahead at the fire place and waited for the slight pain to come.

"I truly am sorry," Godric whispered.

His voice told me he was genuinely against what he was about to do.

"I forgive you, Godric," I spoke.

"Let me know when it really starts to hurt," Godric said sternly.

It was our three lines what were always said before he satisfied himself. If it made Godric feel better about using me as his "drinking buddy" then I would repeat those lines as long as he wanted me to.

I heard his fangs come out. It sent a slight chill through my body. I concentrated on the room around me. Two sharp needles hit my skin puncturing a wound. I swallowed hard keeping my mouth shut from childish whimpers.

I never looked at my own blood. One, it made Godric uneasy when I watched him drink from me. And two, I think I would pass out.

The most painful part was over; breaking the skin. Now it was just Godric drinking until he was satisfied or until my pain tolerance gave out. He didn't slurp which made my stomach happy but he did make a few noises when he wanted more.

I kept very still thinking about the fireplace and how warm it was when they turned it on. I thought of anything to keep my eyes and mind of my arm and Godric.

He was nearly done. Godric cleaned up after himself pretty well. He licked the openings of my wrist until they stopped bring up blood so quickly. And then it was my turn.

Godric used his own fangs to open up his wrist. I turned slightly in my place for better leverage. I knew all the side effects to drinking his blood and I also knew the way around them. Drinking too much of his blood would cause me to fantasize about him sexually. So, I only took what my body needed to head the open wound Godric had made.

It was a little bit larger than a paper cut on his wrist but it bleed enough. I took one single lick and it was maybe three drops of blood at the most that entered my mouth. His blood tasted… well it had a taste but it wasn't like anything else I've had.

I swallowed the blood and we both of us watched as my wrist closed up without leaving a single mark.

"See? It heals right up," I said with a smile breaking the serious silence.

"How did it feel?" Godric asked.

It was another question he asked after he finished up.

"Fine, it was tolerable," I nodded.

"Were you satisfied?" I asked giggling a little.

"Yes, why are you laughing?" Godric asked almost laughing with me.

"Because it's always a weird conversation we have when you're done," I answered looking at my wrist then back to him.

Godric chuckled, "You're so funny, Lacey."