It was a bright morning, they had gotten their school reports, Alice had a good report, but some teachers said she caused some trouble; she would like to beg to differ. She, Chloe, and their parents all stood in Robin's room. He held his pillow over his face.

" Robin is moody and difficult in class," their dad read. " He only cheers up when he's dissecting a frog. Please, could you ask him to not do this during math?" 

" Morning," Paul greeted as he and Ian entered the room.

" Morning," Mum greeted them.

" Why the long faces?" Ian asked.

" It's Robin's school report," Alice answered.

" It's not good," Chloe added.

" We can't all be child genius or Miss Popular," Paul stated.

" Besides how many GSCEs do you need to be a gravedigger?" Ian asked.

" Ha, ha," Robin fake laughed as he sat up, revealing his face. " Shouldn't you two be out playing Rugby and getting badly injured?" The twins looked at each other.

" Come on, I'm hungry," Ian suggested.

" Race you to the muesli," Paul suggested as he began to run, Ian chased after him.

" Oh, Robin, why can't you be happy like Ian and Paul?" their mom asked.

" They're not happy," Robin argued. " They're are concussed." He then laid back on his bed, everyone left the room beside Alice.

" I thought having a friend would change things around," Alice sighed.

" Well it clearly did not," Robin stated. " Go to school without me."

" So you do not want to see your boyfriend Vlad?" Alice teased.

" He's not my boyfriend!" Robin exclaimed as he sat up.

" Sure," Alice said as she walked out of his room.

*****

An hour or so later Alice was now walking down the hallways of school with Vlad. Chloe and Robin.

" Look, Robin, Mum, and Dad just don't want to end up on the streets to beg people for money," Chloe advised.

" Unlike my dad, who wants me to make people beg for their lives," Vlad complained. Ingrid then walked up to them.

" You just can't keep away, can you Ingrid?" Robin questioned. " You're drawn to me like a moth to a flame." Ingrid pointed her umbrella at him.

" Drop dead, Branagh," Ingrid ordered, she then looked at Vlad. " If you think I'm going to stand back and watch you inherit my castle, you're more stupid than he looks."

" You think I like Count Junior?" Vlad questioned.

" More like Count Loser," Alice corrected.

" Alice!" Robin hissed at her as Vlad glared at her. 

" Dad's waited 600 years for a son. " A girl started to walk by. " It would have made my life a lot easier if I was born a girl." The girl looked at him strangely.

" You know, you really shouldn't say that out loud," Chloe advised.

" I'm going to show Dad why I should be his favorite," Ingrid planned. " I'm going to be the biggest troublemaker the school has ever seen." She then opened an umbrella.

" Ooh opening an umbrella indoors that's bad," Chloe said sarcastically. " You go girl."

" Dad's not going to be impressed by that," Vlad stated. Ingrid then took out a pair of scissors and stabbed the fire alarm, water came from the ceiling and got everyone wet. Girls started to run out of the room, Alice took part of Robin's cape and held it over her head. " Stand corrected and wet". She then smirked before walking away.

"You know, your sister is really quite twisted," Alice stated.

" That's what I like about her," Robin smiled.

" Well, don't just stand there turn it off!" Chloe ordered she held her book bag overhead, and Robin took the cloak away from Alice. Then she, Robin, and Vlad all began to work on the alarm. They worked together with pencils to turn it off, once it turned off they turned to see Van Helsing looking at the three of them.

" It wasn't us," Robin said.

" Honestly, we were just trying to fix it," Alice added.

" Do the words red-handed ring any bells?" Van Helsing asked. " I'm suspending you three until further notice." He then looked at Vlad. " Looks like I'll be having a word with your father. Won't that be nice?" The three then were escorted out of the building.

" You look soaked," Vlad said to Alice, she glared at him and breathed the water on him. " I deserved that."

" You are about to be Vlad soup," Alice threatened. Once they got home Alice and Robin sat in the kitchen being scolded by their parents.

" Alice, you have great grades! Do you expect to get into college now?" Dad asked.

" It is just one suspension, besides Robin and Vlad both have the same problem," Alice said. " It is a big misunderstanding, we were trying to fix the fire alarm after someone else broke it."

" Still trying to lie, unbelievable," Mom scolded them. 

****

The next morning Alice stood at the castle doors with her parents and Robin, she had her arms crossed in annoyance.

"Ring the door won't you?" Robin demanded.

" It's your boyfriend's house, you do it," Alice ordered.

" Would you two stop fighting?" their mom requested as she rang the doorbell.

" Sorry," the two apologized to her. Soon Renfield opened the door and led them inside.

" It's the Branaghs master," Renfield informed, Alice saw Vlad flip the board and the Count erasing something on the chalkboard.

" Ah, welcome friends!" the Count greeted. Robin sat on the same side as Vlad, while Alice took a seat on the opposite side of the table, she wanted to be as far away from the two as possible.

" It's terrible isn't it?" Mom stated. " Vlad, Robin, and Alice getting suspended." 

" Terrible," the Count agreed, the candle then lit up. " And I hate to think of all the lessons they're missing.'

" So, you're teaching Vlad yourself?" Dad asked.

" Well, I don't like to brag, but I am an expert on most things in life," Count informed.

" Please, will you teach Robin and Alice? They both can't afford to fall behind in their school work," Mom pleaded.

" I am one of the smartest in my class mum," Alice informed. " The one that needs help is Robin, he's doing badly enough as it is."

" Thanks for the vote of confidence, Alice," Robin said.

" My pleasure," Alice said as she rolled her eyes at him.

" And what about the B+?" Dad asked.

" It was just one B+," Alice informed.

" Please teach them," Mom pleaded once more.

" I'm not sure that's a good idea, these boys and gal are a bad influence on each other," Dad protested.

" So can I go home now?" Alice asked,

" No," Mom answered.

" Bad influence, you say?" Count asked as he popped up behind the parents.

" Mmm," Mom sounded.

" Leave them both with me, I'll see what I can do," Count said. Their parents then left.

" Can I leave?" Alice asked.

" Not quite yet, Vladdy needs all the bad influence on him that he can get," the Count denied.

" Come sit with us Alice," Vlad requested.

" No, I do not want to get infected with dork fleas," Alice denied.

" Good one," Zoltan laughed.

" Thanks," Alice smiled at him.

******

Hours later they continued on with vampire studies; Alice barely paid attention. Count pointed his stick at the fangs of a drawn vampire on the chalkboard.

" As you can see the sharp fangs enable the vampire to bite into the neck of their victims and drain them of blood," Count instructed. " Ah, but be careful if they've just been trampolining as it can be a bit fizzy." Renfield walked into the room with two plates, he put one in front of each of the boys. " Now you must be rather peckish after your hard morning's study. Alice move your chair next to Vlad's you must be hungry as well. "

" Not really," Alice breathed under her breath as she got up and moved her chair.

" Renfield has prepared something special for you," Count informed.

" Wow, this looks posh," Robin stated. " Better than any school dinner any day!" Renfield removed the lids, revealing garlic.

" Garlic?" Alice questioned. " Isn't that deadly for you?"

" Extremely," Count answered.

" Mmm yummy," Vlad said. " You've really out down yourself this time Renfield."

" Bon Appetit," Renfield stated.

" Garlic," Count said. " Deadly to adult vampires, but well-Harmless at your age.

" Harmless?" Vlad scoffed as he picked one up; Robin put one into his mouth. " On a first date, these can be lethal."

" I'll keep that in mind," Alice noted.

" Trying to kill me?" Vlad asked.

" If you annoy me enough," Alice answered. Vlad glared at her.

" I want you to eat one so you're familiar with the taste," Count ordered. " Know your enemy and all that. " He then looked at Alice and Robin. " Of course, this apply. " He then looked at Robin as he ate his garlic. " This doesn't apply to you two, Robin and Alice, so you both don't have to eat yours."

" Mmm, Mmmm, Mmmm," Robin smiled. " Not bad, you should try some."

" Have mine Vlad, have a taste of what death should taste like," Alice offered as she picked one up.

" That's the spirit! Take the garlic from Alice!" Count ordered. Vlad then sighed and closed his eyes.

" This is all a dream! I'm gonna wake up and find I'm back at school," Vlad told himself. He then opened his eyes to find his dad in front of his face.

" Eat," Count demanded.

" Can I shove one down his throat?" Alice requested.

" Only if he continues to refuse," Count answered. Vlad then took the garlic out of Alice's hand and put it in his mouth. The doorbell rang; Renfield answered he then came inside with a letter.

" Who is for?" Count asked curiously.

" It is for Alice," Renfield answered as he opened the letter. " Johnathan was in a tutu dancing to baby music, I got a picture

- Maxine

" You have Maxine writing you letters?" Robin questioned.

" I want to know what's going on when I am not there," Alice shrugged.

" Afraid your popular status is going to be taken?" Vlad asked.

" If I continue to hang around you, then yes," Alice answered.

*******

After lunch, Vlad was learning how to hypnotize. He and Alice were looking directly at each other in the eyes. At that moment Alice noticed how grey his eyes were, they were pretty.

" Remeber Vlad," Count began. "The key to hypnotizing your victim is to look deep into their eyes."

" I'm a little uncomfortable with you calling my sister a victim," Robin spoke.

" Calm down," Alice requested. 

" It's no use, Dad, I'll never get it," Vlad informed. " I keep going cross-eyed and losing focus."

" Even Ingrid's mastered this and she's a girl," Count said as he moved Alice aside and took her position. " Look. I'll show you how it's down." They were now looking at each other in the eyes. " You make eye contact and then you draw them in, freezing them with your gaze like a rabbit caught in the headlights. And then before you know it, they're." He then stopped talking.

" They're what? Dad?" Vlad questioned. Robin waved his hand in from of Count and he did not move.

" You've hypnotized him," Alice stated as her eyes grew wide.

" No way," Vlad scoffed.

" You have!" Alice insisted.

" Watch this," Robin added, he touched the Count's jaw and began to move it up and down.

" Hello, my name is Count Dracula-la la laaaaaa!" Robin mimicked.

" How did I do that?" Vlad asked himself.

" You are now a true vampire! Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Robin continued.

" Can you stop that?" Alice demanded.

" You're freaking me out," Vlad added.

" Sorry," Robin apologized as he moved his jaw once more, he then let go. " I mean, sorry."

" You do realize what this means?" Vlad asked.

" I won't make it as a ventriloquist?" Robin questioned.

" Most likely not," Alice answered.

" Thanks for the confidence, Alice," Robin groaned.

" I'm going to grow up to be a vampire and there's nothing I can do about it," Vlad informed tears welling up in his eyes. " I'm going to watch all my friends grow old and die and I'll still be here flapping around in this gloomy castle."

" You make it sound so negative," Robin said, he then looked at Alice and began to whisper. " You're a girl, you help him cheer up, you are good at this."

" Typical Robin move," Alice said before looking at Vlad. " Vlad?" He looks at her. " You have the power to hypnotize people, make them do what you want. Surely that's a plus?" Vlad wiped the tears off his face as he lit up.

" That's it!" Vlad breathed. " Why didn't I think of that?"

" You are kind of stupid," Alice informed. "Especially for someone that really enjoys school."

" Thanks," Vlad breathed as he looked at his dad. " Dad, from now on you are no longer a vampire. You're just a regular dad."

" What are you doing?" Robin demanded.

 " This way, for once in my life, I'll have a normal dad and I can be a normal kid! " He then snapped his fingers in front of his dad's face. Count returned back to moving.

" You know this place is a bit gloomy," Count stated, Vlad, smiled more. "What it needs is a lick of paint to brighten things up?" He then turned to Alice. " What color should I go with?"

" Sunflower yellow," Alice answered, he then walked away.

" He used to be dark and interesting," Robin noted. " Now he's just like my dad. Pardon me for being selfish, but this isn't exactly a win-win situation for me, is it?" Vlad stammered.

 " He's my dad and I'll hypnotize him how I want, thank you very much," Vlad stated.

" Fair enough, but in that case, you've got to do me one small favor," Robin requested.

" Please do not turn our parents into vampires," Alice requested.

 " That is exactly what I am going to ask for," Robin smiled.

" Done," Vlad agreed.

" I am not staying at our house, Vlad may I stay here for a couple of days?" Alice asked.

" Yes," Vlad said a little too quickly. " I mean that is fine by me and Dad."

*******

Alice now was in Vlad's room, they sat on his bed watching tv, eating pizza Zoltan watched and ate with them.

" This is the life, eh Zoltan?" Vlad questioned.

" Yes, Master Vlad," Zoltan agreed. " I'm surprised the Count agreed to this. It is most unlike." Ingrid then walked into the room.

" Well, well, well," Ingrid said. " Who's been a busy boy then?"

" I don't know what you're talking about," Vlad said as he looked back at the tv. Ingrid then unplugged the box and put it near the window.

" What are you doing?" Vlad demanded.

" I believe Mistress Ingrid intends to throw the television receiving device out of the window," Zoltan answered.

" Which can't be good for that," Alice added.

" You've hypnotized Dad, haven't you?" Ingrid accused. " You've turned him into Mr. DIY regular guy."

" He did," Alice answered. " I accidentally hypnotized him," Vlad defended himself. " I told him he wasn't a vampire."

" And I have to say, Master, I don't think this was one of your better ideas," Zoltan stated.

" Apparently Vlad wanted to see what it was like to have a dad like mine, one that didn't want to teach him how to turn into a bat," Alice explained.

" Is that so wrong?" Vlad asked.

" No, I suppose not," Ingrid said. " After all he's been a vampire for 600 years. The change will do him good." She then pushed the device out the window.

" No!" Vlad exclaimed; they heard a crash. " What did you do that for?"

" We're vampires, Vlad," Ingrid informed him. " Always have been, always will be. You can't change that. I don't want Dad to be normal. I want him to make me the Princess of Darkness."

" You could have a tv in your room!" Vlad informed.

" Or could you throw it out of your window," Zoltan added.

" And pizza!" Vlad added.

" I'm going to change him back," Ingrid informed. " You'd better not hypnotize anybody else again." She then looked at Alice. " Maybe her." She then left the room.

" Don't even think about it," Alice threatened. Vlad remained silent.

" I know that guilty look, Master," Zoltan stated. " It reminds me of when you were toilet training!"

" Zoltan!" Vlad hissed at him.

" Tell me more," Alice requested as she sat up.

" It started when he was around two," Zoltan began.

" Look deep into my eyes Alice," Vlad requested as he turned her head towards him. She grabbed a ball of his shirt and dragged him over to the window.

" I will throw you out this window," Alice threatened.

" Ahh, young love," Zoltan breathed.

" Ew!" Alice squirmed as she threw Vlad to the floor. " Continue on with the toilet training."

" Anything to embarrass Master," Zoltan stated causing Vlad to groan. Soon the story was over.

" Oi! " Ingrid greeted as she walked into the room. " Your dorky woodshop teacher is here to see you two." Vlad dropped the wood piece in his hand as he and Alice stood up.

" Van Helsing?" Alice asked.

" I thought you were the smart one," Ingrid stated.

" No! Oh, this can't be happening!" Vlad panicked.

" Take a chill pill,  Vladerella," Ingrid advised. " They'll send you two back to school soon."

" You don't understand," Vlad began.

" Van Helsing is a slayer!" Alice announced.

" What?" Ingrid demanded. " You didn't think to mention this before?"

" Sorry," the two apologized.

" So, are you trying to tell me that Dad is downstairs chatting with a vampire slayer?" Ingrid questioned.

" Yes!" Vlad exclaimed. " Dad won't know how to fight him or use his powers."

" This what happens when you turn people into someone they're not," Ingrid scowled.

" I should have never hypnotized them in the first place!" Vlad exclaimed.

" Them? What do you mean by them?" Ingrid asked as Chloe and Robin ran into the room.

" Vlad, I'm going to kill you!" Chloe threatened.

" Mum and Dad are after our blood!" Robin informed.

" You just don't know when to stop, do you?" Ingrid growled. " You're worse than a werewolf at full moon!"

" OK, so I made a mistake," Vlad admitted.

" Mistake?" Alice questioned as he looked at him.

" Our dad, Count Normal, is downstairs talking to a vampire slayer! That's not a mistake, that's fatal!" They then hurried back downstairs, they then ran in to see the Branaugh parents, Count Normal and the Van Heslings.

" Mr. Van Hesling," Alice greeted. " We're so glad you're here."

" We really want to apologize about earlier," Vlad added as they held out a hand, the two shook hands.

" That's the spirit boys and Alice!" Count cheered. " Now let's all sit down and talk about this school suspension. See if we can work something out."

" Mum!" Alice breathed when she saw her parents.

" What are you doing here?" Robin questioned. " You and Dad are going to be late for the fancy dress party."

" Only thing we are late for is our dinner," Dad stated.

" How's the stir fry coming along?" Count asked Renfield.

" It's bad, totally ruined," Ingrid asked.

" Shame, we'll have to do this another night," Chloe added.

" Well, that's sorted then," Jonathan confirmed. " Time we were leaving."

"We aren't going anywhere," Mr. Van Hesling protested. " Time we stopped messing about and finish the job we came here to do!"

"Quite right!" Count agreed. " We need to talk this suspension thing through properly." Now Renfield, check out the kitchen, I'm sure there is something for us to eat."

" Yes, I'm sure," Mum agreed. Mr. Van Hesling was struggling to get his bag open, Vlad then revealed the garlic. 

" Anyone fancy a canape?" Vlad asked as he took one and put it in his mouth. " Mmmm." He then handed one to Alice.

" Tasty," said when she put it in her mouth. Ingrid then put one in her mouth.

" Mmm," She sounded. " You're right, this is delicious."

" Apparently they're very good for your blood," Chloe informed as she took one. Robin then took two and placed them in front of his parents.

" Here you go, eat up," Robin instructed.

" But we can't eat garlic," Mom protested.

" Now, now!" Robin began.

" You'd be annoyed if we didn't eat what we were given," Alice said. 

" It can't be one rule for me and one rule for you," Robin added.

" He's right," Dad said. " We need to set a good example." They then put the garlic pieces in their mouths.

" What about a piece for me?" Count asked as he reached for one. " I'm starving." Robin took it and put it in his mouth.

" Oh dear looks like I had the last one," Robin said.

" Don't worry Dad," Vlad said as he walked over to the other trey. 

" Vlad no," Ingrid whispered. Vlad sneakily put candy inside it, then he stood next to Alice once more.

" It's a bit dry, but not too bad," Count commented as he chewed.

" Right, it's been great!" Jonathan stated. " I think it's time we got going."

" What about the suspension?" Count asked.

" I was wrong all this time," Mr. Van Hesling said.

" See? It was a mistake," Jonathan said. " Bye." 

" Don't be strangers now!" Count called.

" Jonathan?" Alice asked.

" Yeah?" Jonathan asked as he looked at her.

" Maxine told me about some killer moves you had. Care to show them to me tomorrow?" Alice requested.

" Of course, "Jonathan faked a smile as they left. Once the doors closed they all spat the garlic out of their mouths. 

" Right, we've got to change them back agreed," Ingrid initiated.

" Agreed," Renfield answered.

" Agreed," said everyone else.

" Will Mom and Dad still be after my blood?" Chloe questioned.

" Unfortunately not," Ingrid answered. " They won't remember a thing. Lucky them." Vlad then walked them out after turning them all back.

" Alice?" Vlad asked she turned around.

" I will catch up," Alice told Robin, she then walked over to him. " What is it Count Loser?"

" I don't know if anyone has told you this, but your eyes are really pretty," Vlad complimented.

" Many people have told me that," Alice informed.

" Oh," Vlad breathed.

" But thanks," Alice said. " You have really pretty eyes as well." Vlad lit up with a smile " See you tomorrow."