Splinterbark: Chaos of the Coyote Crew

Chapter 5: Monsters at the Disco

Alucard was speeding down the highway perhaps a bit faster than was safe. Lynn was gripping her seatbelt as she felt the car slide and swing with her stepbrother taking the turns a bit too sharp. She had barely had time to even get into the car the moment her stepbrother had gotten the call from their father that his mother was in the hospital. He also almost ran the red light turning down the off-ramp and pounded the dashboard in frustration as he impatiently waited for the light to change. Lynn leaned back in the leather seat and took this moment to soak in the panic and vexation written all over her stepbrother's face. He seemed to be aware of her enjoyment as he forced his lungs to inhale and exhale deeply until he was finally calm.

"I'm impressed you're not even worried about your dad. Didn't he get tossed into the cold lake?" he said to her with an icy tenor. Lynn flashed an all confidant all-knowing grin.

"Don't underestimate dad. You'd be amazed just how tough he can be in these situations. Unlike your mother..." Her face slammed into the window as Alucard took a sharp right turn onto the expressway the moment the light changed.

They were led into one of the smaller exam rooms where their parents were sitting on separate beds. The nurse had just finished dressing up Irene's shoulder and Desmond was under a thick blanket with a large cup of coffee. Once Alucard had finished stammering out if his mother was alright, she smiled and held her hand up.

"I'm fine, Alucard. That stun gun hit the plate in my shoulder. This burn is not the worst thing I've endured." Desmond had taken another long sip of coffee methodically.

"Not the worst thing she says, but enough to swear up a Scottish storm the entire ride. And you never told me you had a plate in your arm."

"Didn't I? I could have sworn I did. Guess I've had it for so long I forgot." Lynn looked at her stepbrother and muttered under her breath if he knew about it. Alucard responded with an honest shrug but he was not surprised given her occupation outside of writing.

****

Alucard was not going to lie-he had actually did forget. Chelsea had called him while he and Lynn were waiting in the lobby for their parents to be released and they could go home. Their butler insisted that he could take them home, and yet Alucard wanted to stay just to be sure. Lynn's sadist joy was turning into small grades of guilt. She imagined if it had been her own mother burned she would have stayed up all night in the lobby if she had to. When the call came in, Chelsea reminded Alucard they had a date that night and for him to pick her up at 6. He hesitated in his answer. He started to explain he couldn't and why when Desmond happened to walk into the conversation. His stepfather insisted he go. His son needed something outside of school to relax. He did not say it directly-but Alucard could hear perfectly well from his stepfather's attitude to actually put some effort into making a steady relationship this time. He may not exactly see Desmond as a father, but he found his perception impressive.

When he picked up Chelsea at her house that evening she sauntered out the door and brushed her hand against the side of the car as she took her seat. He raised an eyebrow in an attempt to mask an annoyance. As he pulled down into the street she asked where they were going.

"Well there is this ramen place I know about I would love to show you. A bit hidden from the main traffic but the broth there..." Chelsea huffed and began swiping at the computer screen on Alucard's dashboard despite his protests. She typed in the address and hit go. The name of the location began scrolling across the top of the screen.

"Toonz Boom? Are you crazy? That place just opened. It's going to be packed."

"Hey, Brittany and Charles are going there next weekend and I want to beat them to the punch. Besides, I'm sure getting in will be no problem for the smart and handsome Alucard Dougal", she cooed as she stoked his chin. "Bleh, I vill suck yer blood if you don't let me in", the last part she said in a big overexagerated accent.