"Oh, hi mum." Rana says, adjusting her bag. "Do you two know each other?" 
Oliver shakes his head. 
Ambrose nods. "We met when I was younger."
"I'm assuming he was an infant then, did I meet him too?" Rana asks, walking inside.
"No." Oliver says, standing awkwardly outside the door. 
Rana chuckles. "Why are you standing out there?"
"He hasn't been invited in." Ambrose says. 
"Well, how literal, com--" Rana was cut off by her mother's hand on her mouth. 
"Don't invite him in." Ambrose says, taking her hand off of her daughter's mouth. "I'll be right back."
"She's crazy, you can come in." Rana says, once Ambrose is out of ear-shot. 
Oliver gives a small smile as he walks into the front room, standing next to Rana. "Thanks." 
Ambrose comes rushing into the room, a stake in hand and a bottle of Agrimony in the other. "Prepare to die, tyrant!" 
"Mum!" Rana yells, obviously annoyed with how the way her mom treats her friend. 
Ambrose pays no attention to her daughter, and rushes forward, her stake over her head ready to stab Oliver many times in the heart. 
Once Ambrose gets close enough, Rana reaches up and grabs Ambrose by the wrist, slamming her against the wall. "Stay away from my friends." Rana releases Ambrose's wrist.
Oliver, wide eyed, stares at Rana. "How did you--"
"Training, loads of it. Mum wants me to fight vampires, demons, werewolves and all that unreal stuff." 
Ambrose grumbles a few curses under her breath and walks away, embarrassed she was so easily defeated.
"So, she's a hunter?" Oliver asks.
Rana's jaw drops. "There is no way you believe in that."
"What can I say? Always had a soft spot for vampires." He says, winking.
"Crazy! You are all crazy!" Rana says, laughing.
"Well, I better be going." Oliver says. 
Rana gives a polite smile. "See ya tomorrow?" 
"Tomorrow." Oliver says, then exits the house.
Rana walks into the kitchen, plopping down on one or the bar stools set up by the breakfast bar.
Ambrose was chopping up some herbs. "Where's your nail polish?" 
"I took it off, Lilian said I couldn't meet her boyfriend unless I had it off." Rana answers. 
Ambrose sets down her knife. "Who's Lilian?" 
"I dunno, I met her at school, she seemed nice." Rana answers. "Her boyfriend's a bit weird though." 
Ambrose nods and walks into the pantry. "Guess what I found!" 
"Hmm?" Rana asks, reaching forward and grabbing a slice of one of the herbs. 
"Your teddy bear!" Ambrose says.
Rana puts the herb in her mouth. "Which one?" 
"The one your father got you, before he died!" Ambrose yells, walking out of the pantry and plopping it in front of Rana. 
The bear was old and worn, chunks of fur missing and discolored, but still even after all this time. It reminded her of when she used to live in Wiltshire, for those three months. 
"I know, tattered, old, smells heavily of dust, but it reminded me of him." 
Rana's father was Ambrose's first and only love, to this day, Ambrose refuses to go on dates because she's convinced she needs to save herself for him. It's quite sad actually.
"Maybe we should throw it out, start anew." Rana says. "You need a boyfriend, and to not be obsessed with fairy tales." 
Ambrose seemed taken aback for a second. "I suppose that's a good idea, but are you sure?" 
"Sure as I'll ever be, plus, I never even met the guy." Rana answers. 
"He was a very nice man." She whispers.
"You could probably meet a nicer one." Rana shrugs.
Ambrose shakes her head. "You look a lot like him."
"Thanks, so instead of obsessing over a bear, talk to me, and destroy the dang thing." Rana says.
Ambrose smiles. "Alrighty then."
"I'm gonna go change, school uniforms aren't very comfortable." Rana says, popping herself off the breakfast bar and walking up the stairs.
*

**

"I told you, Max, Rana is my friend." Dixie says, plopping down on the apartment's couch. "A friend isn't destined to eventually kill us, Dix." Max argues. "She doesn't believe in this stuff, I told her I was a werewolf, and she looked at me like I was crazy!" "You told her?! Are you trying to get us exposed!?" Max yells."Stop yelling at me!" Dixie yells in return. Max turns around and faces the coffee table. "Stop exposing us!" Max picks up the vase on the coffee table and hurls it at the wall. Dixie stands and shoves Max. "Control your anger, bozo! You're gonna get us evicted! Again!"Max huffs. "And you're gonna get us killed, just like you almost were." "Well I'm sorry, I didn't know you were my dad, you're my little brother, act like it." Dixie argues back."And you're a werewolf, stop acting like some hormonal teenager!" Max yells. "I'm not acting! I don't know if you noticed, I'm a sixteen year old girl, who has to take care of her idiot brother, all while paying rent, and going to school!" "I'm not an idiot!" Max snarls, shoving Dixie. "What are we even fighting about?!" Dixie yells, mostly to herself. "I- I don't remember." Max murmurs, his face returning from red to its light tan. Dixie sighs, pushing her silver hair back. "I'm going to bed, see ya on the flip side." And with that, she turns on her heel and walks back to their shared bedroom.