Christa swore, getting annoyed. She checked her mobile again to see if he had texted. He was late. Again. He was always late now. Somehow he thought that it made him look cool. It didn't. It made him look like an arrogant twat. Matt was behind her, twisting his fat fingers and watching her curiously.

"The one time," Christa said. "The one time we plan something together as friends and not as ghostbusters, and he's late!"

"He might have forgotten." Matt suggested.

"Not after the ten dozen messages I left for him," Christa hissed.

"Maybe he's gotten lost!" Matt suggested.

"Not a chance. He's here more often than me." Christa said.

"There he is!" Matt said. Christa turned sharply to see Adam sauntering up the pavement.

"Oh, my, god," Christa said, closing her eyes. "Please tell me that he's not wearing orange moon boots."

Matt squinted. "Er..."

"Just pretend Matt. Please."

"Alright my hommies," Adam said stopping. "What's up?"

"Your shoes." Christa said.

Adam looked at them. "I know. Aren't they great? I used to have a pair of these."

"Yes, but they're on your feet."

"Were else am I gonna put them?" Adam asked.

"In a fire? Er a toilet. A great big green swamp where the creature from the black lagoon resides?"

"The swamp monster lived in the swamp. The creature from the blue lagoon, I think you'll find lived in a lagoon." Adam corrected.

"Whatever! Take them off!"

"All the great popstars wore them in my day,"

"Two words. MC Hammer." Christa said.

"Don't mock him," Adam said. "He's had a killer trousers."

"I think they look cool," Matt said. Adam grinned stupidly.

"Thanks." He said.

"But not on you," Matt said.

Adam's smile disappeared. "Come on guys! These were all the rage in the 80's."

"Yes, but we are now living in the 21st century and it is no longer acceptable to borrow things from Dave Lister." Christa snapped.

"Finally a bird that knows Red Dwarf!" Adam said. "I could kiss you!"

"Please don't," Christa said.

"Want to do something else?" Adam asked suggestively.

"Quit it," Christa snapped.

"Okay movies," Adam said he began to move away, Christa refusing to follow him. "What's wrong?"

"You have to be kidding if you think I'm gonna walk into town while you have those things on your feet." Christa said.

"Just pretend that I'm not wearing them if they bother you." Adam suggested.

"No," Christa said.

"Christa," Adam smiled. "Come on. I don't complain about your clothes."

"Yes you do!" Christa said. "All the time."

"Yes, because you look like a tramp."

"You're heading for a smack." Christa said.

"Ooh!" Adam teased. "Come on,"

Christa pulled her hair forward hiding her face and then tucked her hands into her pockets. Adam watched her.

"Well, as far as effective disguises work, I have to admit, The Phantom of the Opera would be jealous." Adam said.

"Shut it," Christa hissed. Adam decided to annoy her even more and grab her hand. Christa fought him off and stalked away. She stopped realising that he wasn't following. She turned back and saw him peering into the window of a hobby store. He was fascinated by the fly-fishing equipment and war models. "Adam?" She asked.

"Look at this," He said excitedly. "Christa, we have to go in here!"

"What?" Christa asked, staring at him. Adam grabbed her hand and tugged her in excitedly. Matt followed. "No, Adam!" Christa said. "We'll miss the movie."

"Ah, we'll see a later showing," Adam said.

"Okay, what is wrong with you?" Christa asked as he moved around the stalls looking at the model sets.

Adam frowned. "Nothing,"

"My dad went through something like this," Matt said, trying to move around the stalls trying to avoid knocking something over. "He got a new car and bought a toupee and..."

"You're dad's not bald." Christa frowned.

"Yeah, I know that," Matt said. "He also got a heap of records from the 70's... Mum went mental and threw them all out."

"Right." Christa turned back to Adam who was now examining a make-a-model navy warship. "S'cuse me mate," The shop clerk looked up. "How much is this?"

"£24.89," The man replied drearily.

Adam turned to Christa smiling like a goon. "Lend me a tenner."

"No," Christa replied.

Adam looked up blearily. "Please?"

"No," Christa said firmly.

"It's either this or I buy a 1972 Ford Cortina Mark III, in beige." Adam threatened.

Christa's eyes twitched and pulled out her purse and handed him a ten pound. Adam took it and handed it over to the clerk. He smiled happily and sauntered out of the shop. Christa stared at Matt.

"Please tell me it's some normal vampire mental breakdown," She said. Matt shrugged. "Let's hope it is," She sighed following him out. Adam stood on the street examining his new toy.

"Adam?" Christa asked. He looked up with excited eyes.

"Me and my dad used to make these," He said. "Spend hours getting them right. It took us forever. Every weekend we'd go to the same shop and get a new set. Mum used to get so pissed off with us leaving paintbrushes and stuff around the house. So we worked in the shed. Spent most of my pocket money on this stuff. 'Course after... After I got turned... We stopped. Couldn't afford it when we moved around so much." He smiled softly. "Wanted to say something Christa?"

The werewolf stood silent. "No," She said.

Adam smiled at the box sadly, before tucking it into his rucksack. "C'mon then."

Christa and Matt followed the vampire quietly contemplating what their midlife crisis was gonna be like. They took a shortcut up a dirt track that went along a flowing river heading towards the golf-course and the entertainment complex.

"Right," She said after a few minutes. "That's it, Adam, I know you're going through weird vampire bullshit, but I cannot walk anywhere near you, when you're wearing those... Things..." She motioned at his feet.

"I like 'em," Adam said.

"Yes, we've been through this." Christa said. "Matt, help me here."

Matt looked over and scratched his stomach. "It is a bit much mate," He said.

"Well at least I'm not driving crap cars," Adam said.

"Because you don't look old enough to buy one," Christa snapped.

"Harsh," Adam said. "But I'm not getting rid of them."

"That's it," Christa said. "Adam Jacobs, you have left us with no choice." She nodded at Matt before grabbing Adam around the arms and holding him tightly. Matt grabbed the vampire's flailing legs, undoing the laces to the shoes. Adam shouted at them to let him go. Matt threw the shoes to Christa who released her grip of Adam and threw the ugly orange things into the river. Adam was about to launch after them but couldn't. He pouted angrily.

"I hope you're going in after them," He said.

"They're cheap plastic rubbish," Christa snapped. "Look they're falling apart."

"I spent forty pound on them," Adam said.

"Money well spent," Christa said.

Adam frowned tucking his hands into his pockets. "I hope you have a spare set of shoes for me." He said.

"Well there is a problem. We didn't know that you were going to wear something ridiculous so no. We don't have any other shoes." Christa said.

"Well I can't exactly move without the stones cutting my soles in half." Adam said gesturing at the dirt road.

"Oh, would you look at that," Christa said waggling her eyebrows. "Bye Adam. Come on Matt."

Matt smiled stupidly at Adam. "Sorry mate," He said.

"Guys!" Adam said. "Come on!"

They stalked off leaving Adam standing on his own. He smiled. They were learning to stand up for themselves. And that was worth his moon boots being thrown into a river.