Hotel Transylvania - The Count

IX

I lift a box up and onto another one as Maven goes to tape shut one that's been filled. He sighs when it breaks off, no more tape on the roller. He looks back at me silently asking if I could find more while he packed. I give him a smile as I walk off into a separate room.

"I can do it. I can do it." I hear Dennis mutter quietly.

"I'm a bat. I'm a bat." I slowly open his bedroom door and peek at him standing on a box with his arms stretched at his sides.

"Denny? What're you doing my love?" I walk in and he turns around with a sad face.

"Careful, you might fall." I walk closer, "Let me help you down." I set the tape roller down and lift him up in my arms before setting him down on the floor.

"Are you getting excited about your big party?" I hum and crouch in front of him. 

He looks down shrugging, "I guess so." He mumbles.

I cup his face with a smile, "You know who's coming? Uncle Emery and papa Leroy."

He cracks a small smile at the sound of Emery, Dennis attached to Emery pretty young even having not been there very long.

"And then, they're gonna be with us when we move to California."

He looks down again at that, "Mommy, are we going away cebause I'm not a monster?"

I shake my head, "What? No Denny of course not. If that was the case me and daddy would've moved a long time ago because mommy's not a monster." He nods, pouting still. 

"It's... it's just grown-up stuff honey." I say softly, trying to cheer him up without hurting him further. 

"Okay... but what about papa Drac. He's gonna be here all alone." Dennis says, looking up at me with those big sad eyes of his. 

I shuffled on my knees and sigh. "Papa Drac had to stay and run the hotel. But he'll visit us, and we'll visit him."

He smiles up at me at the sound of that, "Can we call him every night?"

I nod, "Sure."

#

I hold Dennis at my hip as Maven stands next to me. The hearse pulled up with my family inside. I absolutely hated my family besides a select few. I give Dennis to Maven once Emery steps out. I breathe a sigh of relief and walk up to him. "Well, hey there stranger."

I smile up at him as he grins down at me. "Haven't seen you in, what, 20 years?" I crack a laugh as he pulls me into a tight embrace, "I missed you kid."

I squeeze him a little extra longer. Emery was more than just my only brother; he was my best friend and someone who helped raise me when mom didn't feel like stepping up to the plate. He was my whole world as a kid. Even now it still seems he's raising me in ways mom never will.

 I pull away from him, "Did Larissa come?"

He shakes his head, "She's staying with her sister in Memphis for now, she's had some issues and she decided she'd be comfortable at home." I nod and pat his shoulder as we walk up the steps to Maven. 

"Who's this ball of curly hair, huh? You've gotten so big kiddo." Emery grunts as he lifts a giggling Dennis into his arms. "You're what? 10 now?"

He giggles more and shakes his head with a wide smile, "No, I'm five!" He holds up 5 fingers to show it to him. 

Emery gasps and continues walking up into the hotel, "No way."

#

"Welcome, welcome." Dracula greets my family as they take their seats. A nervous smile on his face. Maven pulls my chair out allowing me to sit before pushing it in and sitting next to me. He places a soft hand on my thigh as the zombies bring out food really only suited for monsters.

"Dude, why do you wanna leave this place is out of control." One of my younger cousin's mutters to Dennis who shrinks in his seat. 

"I don't wanna leave." He mumbles so sadly my heart breaks. 

"All these awesome freakazoids." The boy says snootily, looking around the table before looking down at Dennis. "So, who's the coolest monster?"

Dennis smiles at the question. "Kakie!"

They laugh at him, "Kakie. What a wussbag."

I glare at the kids, placing my hand on Mavens and squeezing to keep myself from catching a case of child abuse.

"Isn't it so nice to have the whole family together?" Mom pipes in clapping her hands together. "Maven, do you have any cousins or thingies in your family?"

Maven smiles and shakes his head, "No, it's just been me and my dad."

She smiles her conniving smile leaning in closer, "Oh, I never did ask how you lost your mom."

Maven shrugs like it's the world's most casual question. "Oh, she was killed by angry humans."

Mom hums and leans away from Maven, clearing her throat awkwardly.

 I look to my other side and see Emery eyeing mom, "She always does this, even did it with Larissa and her dad." 

I groan and roll my eyes. "Of course she did." He pats my shoulder as he lifts his cup and takes a drink.

"But... uh. There is my grandpa Vlad." Maven says, probably trying to salvage the situation. 

Mom smiles, "Oh you have a grandpa?"

 Maven nods with a wide smile. "Yeah, he'll be at the party I invited him."

I stare wide eyed as Dracula spits out his drink at mom. She tenses her arms and peers up at Dracula with an unintelligible look. "You invited him?"

"Dad, he's never seen Dennis. I wanted them to meet once before we had to go." Dracula smiles anxiously giving a thumbs up.

"Sure. Great. Peachy. Good ole Vlad."

Mom clears her throat, "Anybody have a wet wipe." I reach over and give Mom a napkin. She clicks her tongue and takes it, wiping the red juice off her shirt.

"Yes, Grandpa Vlad will be so happy. When he sees the big masquerade party Johnny and I have planned." He slaps a hand on his shoulder as he pauses what he was doing in confusion.

"What?" He asks, cocking a brow up. Johnny's just basically been adopted by my family, if there here in Transylvania you'll see him lurking about, helping around the hotel.

I look at Emery as he lets out a sigh, I look down to where he was looking to see he spilled his drink on his pants. I let out a loud laugh before I'm shushed aggressively by mom. I sit up straight and cough to keep myself in check. Maven looks at me before glaring briefly at mom.

"We're gonna make the birthday a monster masquerade party." Maven furrows his brows.

"Really?" Mom gloats and smiles. "Oh, that's lovely. Sort of like a last hurrah before Dennis gets to be with normal people." I sigh and internally groan at her choice of words.

"I... couldn't have worded it better." Dracula mumbles before slouching.