Ghost Town

He's not doing anything he shouldn't be doing, right?" "Like what?""Like hitting on you.""Ew. No, of course not. He doesn't see me that way." Michael shook his head and went back to his coffee."What? You think he does?""Sometimes he looks at you a little... oddly, that's all. Maybe you're right. Maybe he just wants you for your blood.""Again, Ew! What's with you this morning?""Not enough coffee.

She came awake, stomach rumbling, and opened her eyes to see a plate being held right under her nose. When she reached for it, Shane snatched it back. 'Nuh-uh. Mine.''Share!' she demanded.'Man, you are one grabby girlfriend.'She grinned. It always made her feel so fiercly warm inside to hear him say that- the girlfriend part, not the grabby part. 'If you love me, you'll give me a taco.''Seriously? That's all you got? What about you'll do sexy, illegal things to me for a taco?''Not for a taco,' she said. 'I'm not cheap.''They're brisket tacos.''Now you're talking.

Amelie said, __ won__ be your servant in Morganville. Nor should you be mine. Equals._ She offered her hand to him, and he looked down at it, clearly taken aback. But he took it. __ow defend what is ours, my partner.__e grinned _ grinned! _ and whirled to meet Myrnin in midleap as Myrnin attacked.

I never meant it," he was saying. "Never meant it to happen. Can't stand it,seeing her suffer. Must do something, do something... What do I do? What can I do...?

Well, friend, I don__ know about your tastes, but I tend to like it very bloody,_ Myrnin said. He shifted position, dragging Claire along like a rag doll without any effort at all. __ave we been introduced?___robably not. Why, are you asking me out, sweetheart?___ou__e not my type, darling. Is this one yours?___o,_ Frank said, and looked at Shane, just in a quick flicker. __et__ say she__ a friend of the family.

Claire said. __ might be able to get him to stop._ __ho, crazy dude? Maybe. Or he might pull your head off,_ Shane said. __ kind of worry.__he couldn__ help but smile. __eah?___ little bit.___hat__ _nice.__e studied her, and returned the smile. __eah,_ he said. __ind of is, actually.

I__ faster than the rest of you, if .. Because I__ a vampire,_ Michael said, and it was some kind of breakthrough for him to say that. __f you get in trouble, I__l be there.___ice,_ Shane said. ____ warming up to this bloodsucking thing, Mikey.___o, you__e not.___kay, no, I__ not, but right now let__ pretend I am.

Yes," he said. "I am sure. I double-checked everything after you went home yesterday. I even made a few improvements, just in case." The first part of that reassured her. The second part... not so much. "What kind of improvements?" "Oh, nothing, really. Mostly just streamlining. You really did very well; I certainly don't want you to think that I am one of those people who has to be in control all the- Oh, well, I suppose that's actually true- I do have to be in control all the time. But only because I am in charge, of course.

I think so,_ she [Claire] said. __ust watch your back, okay?_ __ah, Michael__ got mine._ He [Shane] looked straight into her eyes.____e got yours.

I had a good teacher.""Better not have been Myrnin or I'll have to kick his predatory ass.""I mean you, dummy.

Doorman: Good morning Mr. PeaknisMr. P.: Go to hell

Michael...Michael got bitten. And now he's a vampire. But he doesn't remember becoming one, and that's a big problem. So if you see him, don't, you know, hug. He bites. He doesn't mean it, though.

Oh, Claire," he said. "You think me a far better man than I am. That's kind, and flattering." "Are you saying that you -""Doughnuts!" Myrnin interrupted her and darted away, to zip back in seconds with an open box.

She was almost at the top of the steps, and Shane was right behind her, when she heard Myrnin say, in a quiet voice that was like the old Myrnin, the one she actually liked, "I'm sorry, Claire. I never meant - I'm sorry. Sometimes I don't know... I don't know what I am thinking. I wish... I wish things could be like they were before.

Nobody's cut out for this town," Shane said. "Nobody sane anyway.""Says the kid who came back.""Yeah, kind of proves my point.

Myrnin said softly. "And how is it that you do not understand that HERE, in THIS place, this girl belongs to me, not to you?

Does it give you deja voodoo how alike the houses are?""That's deja vu, and I hate you right now.""For narcing on you to your mom? Wait until you hear what I tell your dad."From the sly grin on his face, she knew what he was thinking."Don't you even think about it.""I could tell him about the time we-""Hell, no.

I'm so glad you're okay.""So, how do we celebrate my okayness? It's my day off. Let's go crazy. Glow-in-the-dark bowling?""No""I'll let you use the kiddie ball.""Shut up. I do NOT need the kiddie ball.""The way you bowl, I think you might."He grabbed her in an exaggerated formal dance pose and whirled her around, backpack and all, which didn't make her any more graceful. "Ballroom dancing?""Are you INSANE?""Hey, girls who tango are hot.""You think I'm not hot because I don't tango?"He dropped the act. Shane was a smart boy. "I think you are too hot for ballroom or bowling. So you tell me. What do you want to do? And don't say study.