New Horizon [Morganville]

Chapter Thirty-Seven

“What did you two lovely women do today?” Michael called out as he opened the front door. Claire and Eve sat silently on the couch, waiting for him to walk down to them.

“Stop flirting,” Shane said, and Claire and Eve shared surprised glances. It wasn’t common that Shane and Michael came home at the same time. “It’s not cool.”

“Bite me.”

“Bite yourself. I’m not into that type of stuff.”

Eve groaned and slumped back into the couch, ruining her sophisticated look. “That’s your man,” Eve pointed out.

“I know.”

“He’s an idiot.”

Claire sighed, “I know that too.”

“Since you had the whole day,” Michael continued, and soon Claire and Eve could hear both boys walking down the hall. “Maybe you made dinner?”

“Coming from the guy that drinks blood,” Shane smirked and rounded the corner. He went to open his mouth to speak again, but he took one glimpse at Eve and Claire on the couch and stopped dead in his tracks. Michael was behind him, and he collided into him sending Shane stumbling a few steps forwards. Michael grabbed Shane’s shoulders, steadied him and moved him to the side. His eyes moved from Shane to the couch, and he too froze.

“What’s going on?” Shane said slowly as he started walking again. Michael stayed where he was near his armchair and looked between Claire and Eve as if he had never been more confused in his life.

Claire cleared her throat and pushed herself off the couch. “This is a friend intervention,” Claire’s voice wasn’t as strong as she hoped it would be, and it didn’t help when both Shane and Michael groaned.

“What’s the convention about?” Michael said as he sunk into his armchair. Everyone knew the answer before it left Claire’s lips.

“House arrest. I want to be able to leave this house.”

“This is what you were doing all day?” Shane asked as he yawned and settled down on the floor, leaning against the couch. He looked at Eve. “Making a plan to get Claire out of the house?”

“If you can’t see with your own eyes,” Eve raised her eyebrow. “I’m not defending her. I am completely up for house arrest.”

“Well I’m not,” Claire exclaimed. “I’m not the defenceless and naïve girl I was when I first moved into Morganville. You’ve let me take on vampires, and you let me work with Myrnin even when he was insane.”

“Insane-er than insane,” Eve added.

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” Shane said and stuck his legs out. “But Eve just took Claire’s side on this. She’s a traitor, and I say she needs to be prosecuted.”

“Shut up Sherlock Homo,” Eve spat.

“Off the topic,” Claire interrupted.

“Okay, I can see that you make good points…” Eve sighed.

“But you lied to us all about Myrnin,” Shane finished and grinned at Claire. She sneered at him and stuck her tounge out.

“Michael knew,” Claire said and everyone looked to Michael. “And he still let me go work for him.”

“Not without me or Sam there,” Michael protested.

“Does it make a difference?” Claire asked, exasperated.

“We’re trying to protect you,” Michael sighed.

“I don’t need to be protected,” Claire exclaimed. “I’m eighteen now! Don’t you think that I can protect myself? Or am I too fragile and innocent to even leave this house?”