Alice now sat in the chess club room, she was versing Barbara as Chloe versed Vlad and Robin versed a computer.
" Ready for another exciting day at the chess club?" Barbara asked as she played a move.
" It'll look good for college," Alice grumbled. " You only want to be in here because Mark is in here."
" I like to keep my eyes on the boys I liked," Barabra said. " Don't you have anyone to keep an eye on?"
" If my brother and sister count," Alice answered as she gestured to the tables near them. Barbara then leaned over her.
" How about Vlad?" Barbara asked in a whisper, but Vlad still heard, his ears perked up.
" Don't even listen," Chloe whispered.
" He's my neighbor so I guess so," Alice shrugged.
" So you are not even the slightest interested in him like I am in with Mark?" Barbara asked. " I mean you did sleep over at his house." Alice looked at her; behind her, she could see Vlad tensing up.
" I think you bumped your head Barb," Alice slightly laughed; Vlad shrunk down.
" Yes!" Robin cheered; they glanced over at him. " You know, one day they might invent a computer that can beat me."
" Great, then we can hang out with it instead of you," Chloe said.
" Ha! Ha!" Robin sarcastically laughed. " You don't even have to be here."
" You don't even like chess," Alice pointed out.
" I like chess," Vlad said.
"Surprise, surprise," Alice said under her breath, Barbara laughed till Van Helsing barged into the room.
" Alright listen up," Van Helsing ordered as he walked in. " Miss Clelland's had an unfortunate accident on the way here, so you'll be delighted to hear I'm taking over the chess club this evening." Everyone sighed, Alice rolled her eyes; Barbara kicked her under the table. " Very funny, now settle down." He put his bag on their table and then took out a stack of papers. He walked over to Vlad and Chloe, then he made a move. " And I suggest you concentrate."
" But that's checkmate!" Chloe declared.
" Only then will you become a grand chess master like the great Chandu," Van Helsing said. He stood back up and grabbed the papers.
" Chan-who?" Alice asked.
" Chandu!" Van Helsing corrected as he opened a book revealing the dead guy. " Chandu was a Hungarian Count from the 18th century and remains the greatest chess player who ever lived."
" I've never heard of him," Vlad mentioned.
" That's hardly surprising," Van Helsing scoffed. " But I'm sure your father will know who he is." He then put down the book. " Which reminds me. This is from the headmistress." He then handed them all flyers for parent's evening.
" Oh please, not parent's evening," Vlad groaned.
" It's a reminder that all parents must attend," Van Helsing announced.
" Wanna hang out in the bathrooms again?" Barbara asked.
" Count me in," Alice agreed.
******
A day later they were now back at school with their parents.
" Robin, it doesn't matter what your teachers say tonight, so long as you've gotten over this morbid obsession with vampires," Mom said as they started walking.
" Yes, Mam," Robin said.
" If not, we've decided to send you to Happy Camp," Dad informed.
" Happy Camp?" Alice asked.
" Where troubled children go learn how to be happy," Dad answered.
" Through happy music and happy dance," Mom added.
" Just kill me now!" Robin groaned before walking away.
" And you Alice," Mom began. " I better hear good reports from you, and how you and Barbara are not in the back of the class gossiping all the time." They soon entered the building and Alice saw Barabra heading toward the bathroom. " Mam, I am going to go wee." She then walked away and went into the girl's bathroom. They then came back into the room to talk.
" There's your family with Perkins," Barbara said.
" And there's yours right behind mine," Alice said; they then suddenly felt a draft. The doors opened, rock music started playing, and the lights started to dance a little; they glanced the see the Dracula family in the building. Everyone looked over at them.
" Cooee! Mr. Count!" Mum called out.
" Cooee," Count waved at her and the lights turned back on. Alice saw Chloe go talk to Robin before marching over to Alice.
" Can I borrow my sister?" Chloe requested.
" Talk to you later Barb," Alice said before they walked away.
" We need to stay on high alert," Chloe informed.
" I know," Alice said, " Now Count is in the building, we got to make sure Van Dork does not find out." They went to Van Helsing's room shop room. They listened to Jonathan talked to his dad about bringing the Count. They then heard footsteps coming towards the door, Chloe went to the other side of the hallway to tie her shoe.
" Can you tie it any faster?" Alice asked when Jonathan walked out of the room.
" Hi," Jonathan greeted the two.
" Hi," the two greeted him.
" Jono, would you mind meeting me at the library later to study?" Alice asked.
" You want me to study with you?" Jonathan asked excitedly.
" See you later?" Alice asked.
" Of course!" Jonathan asked before he walked away.
" What do we do now?" Chloe asked.
" Tell Vlad and Ingrid," Alice answered. They ran in to see Ingrid and Vlad with the note from Van Helsing,
" Vlad!" Alice breathed as they ran up to them. " Van Helsing is up to something."
" Your dad is in real danger," Chloe ordered.
" Chill out," Ingrid ordered. " Dad's right here with...Dad?" They saw that Count was nowhere to be seen.
" Dad?" Vlad asked as they looked around the room. They soon ran out of the room and down the woodshop room.
" I can't believe Robin!" Vlad exclaimed. " Dad's about to have a one-on-one with a vampire slayer and where is he?"
" Don't worry, he'll have plenty of time to regret it in Happy Camp," Alice said when they reached the door. They opened it to see nobody in the room; they all stepped back into the hallway.
" Great, now what do we do?" Ingrid demanded. They then heard growling from the chess club across the hall.
" What was that?" Chloe asked frightened.
" I don't know," Vlad answered. " I'm guessing this where one of us goes in and finds out." Vlad was the first one in the room, they saw a mummy-looking Chandu and Count fighting over a book.
" Give it over, bonehead!" Count argued.
" Dad!?" Vlad asked.
" Chandu," Ingrid added.
" Ah," Count began as the two stopped fighting and looked over at them. " Children, um Chandu and I were just catching up on old times. Weren't we Chanders?" Chanders growled at Count angrily.
" What's that behind your back?" Vlad demanded.
" Er, nothing, nothing," Count answered as Chandu started to erase the board. He then replaced chess with cheat.
" How dare you!?" Count demanded as he turned his back, Vlad snatched the book.
" Teenage reflexes," Vlad said. " Don't mess with the master." Ingrid, Alice, and Chloe all crowded around Vlad to look at the book. He then looked at the book. " A chess rule book? Dad, what's going on?" Chandu started to growl and point at the word cheat.
" So this is the greatest chess player who ever lived?" Alice asked.
" Second greatest," Count corrected as Chandu nodded at Alice. " Chandu was the best, yes then I beat him and won Madga's affections! "
" But you said all losers shall suffer death by mummification," Vlad reminded. " And Chandu's alive...sort of," Ingrid took the book sat down, and read a bit from it.
" Losers of the great shall suffer death by mummification," Ingrid read. " Unless a player doth cheats." Chandu then began to erase the word club. " In which case, the loser shall walk the earth until the justice has been passed."
" You cheated!" Vlad scowled.
" Well, I may have moved one piece when he wasn't looking," Count admitted.
" Go, Dad!" Ingrid cheated.
" I can't believe you cheated!" Vlad exclaimed angrily. " Which means you and Mum should have never got together, which means I should never have been born. " He then looked a bit sad. " No wonder I've never felt like a real vampire."
" I feel like a real vampire," Ingrid said.
" Vladimir," Count sighed. " It thaws my frozen heart to hear you say such a thing. I mean, how can I prove that our family was meant to be?"
" You could challenge Chandu to a rematch," Chloe suggested. The Draculas all kind of glared at her.
" Or not," Alice added. Soon they crowded around a table to watch the two do a rematch.
" A rematch?" Ingrid repeated. " Good idea Chloe! Unless of course Dad loses and has to be mummified!"
" Haven't you got any faith in him?" Alice asked.
" How does the little horsey move again?" Count asked.
" I've got a plan," Alice spoke, they all looked at her. " Who do we know that's really good at chess?" The vampires both looked at her blankly.
" Who's a really good friend of yours?" Chloe added. " Who's related to us?" They continued to have blank faces.
" How your family's last this long I'll never know," Alice groaned before sending Vlad off to get her brother. Moments later he came back with a goth Branagh boy.
" Vlad, let me go!" Robin ordered as they entered the room. " Mum's threatening to send me to Happy Camp!"
" Chloe give Robin the news," Alice ordered as Vlad walked over to them. Chloe nodded and walked over to their brother.
" Ok, quick update: ugly zombie dude is about to whip Vlad's cheating dad at chess. If he does, guess who gets mummified?" Chloe explained; they then both walked back over.
" Wow, this guy's good," Robin complimented. " His opening is genius! Have you asked him if he wants to join the chess club?"
" All right, all right, don't rush me!" Count ordered. " Ah." He then made a move. " There what do you think about that." Chandu laughed and Robin made a face. " Laughing, why is he laughing?" They then watched Chandu make a move.
" That's checkmate," Robin noted.
" What!?" Count asked in disbelief. " Surely we can talk about this." Then saw Chandu get up, unveiling a wooden stake. " After all, you're reasonable."
" Stake-wielding zombie!" Ingrid exclaimed in terror. Count tried to run away; he grabbed Ingrid and put her in front of him.
" Stake her, not me," Count offered.
" Dad!" Ingrid cried out.
" Robin, think!" Vlad pleaded as Chandu got ready. " There must be something we can do!"
" Vlad, it's checkmate!" Robin exclaimed. " The whole idea is so there is no way out!"
" Chandu, please." Count pleaded. " Think of the mess! Think of the mess!"
" No!" Ingrid cried.
" Wait!" Robin ordered. " Look! How many black knights are on the board?"
" One, two, three," Vlad counted.
" Quick, Vlad!" Chloe ordered. " Check his pockets!" Vlad reluctantly walked over and reached into the guy's pocket.
" Spare pieces," Vlad said when he pulled his hand out and saw another piece. " No wonder you couldn't beat him."
" Of all the scheming, conniv---" Count began. " Actually, why didn't I think of that?"
" But this means you won," Ingrid told him before looking at Chandu. " And Chandu faces death my mummification." She then saw his state. " Again."
" I don't know," " Vlad began. " Seems a bit unfair."
" Especially when your dad cheated in the first place," Alice added.
" And kept him locked in a coffin for 300 years," Vlad added.
" All right, all right, enough with the guilt trip!" Count ordered. " Chandy, let's." They both reached forward to shake. " Let's not. Let's just call it quits."
" Nice one, Dad," Vlad smiled.
" Besides, I have bigger fish to fry," Count said as he walked towards the door. " Can we please see Mr. Van Helsing? I've waited all night to bite some sense into him!" The lights went out.
" Quick!" Vlad ordered. " Dad!" They all piled on top of each other. The door opened, then someone ran out screaming.
" Get off of me!" Count ordered; they all got up. " Honestly, it's pathetic to be afraid of the dark at your age."
" Hi, guys," Jonathan greeted when walked in and grabbed his dad's weapon.
" Hello, Jonathan," Alice greeted as she bashed her eyelashes at him. " See you later, I'm really looking forward to studying with you"
" I am looking forward to it as well, " Jonathan said as his cheeks turned pink. " Bye, guys." He then left the room. Vlad then glared at COunt.
" What? What?" Count ordered.
" I thought you came here to support me," Vlad said angrily. " But all this time you were planning to bite Mr. Van Helsing!"
" He insulted the family name!" Count argued.
" You don't care about us at all," Vlad declared.
" That's not true," Count said,
" Robin!" Mum called.
" Robin Branagh!" Dad called. " You can run but you can't hide!"
" Oh great," Alice breathed.
" Guess who's spending all summer at Happy Camp?" Robin groaned.
" Ok, Dad now's the time to prove you really care," Vlad ordered. They devised a quick plan and walked out of the chess room.
" Robin," Mum called.
" A masterly move, Robin," Count said with an arm around Robin. " We must play again." They looked up and saw Mum and Dad. " Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Branagh. What a pleasure to lose at chess to such a charming, radiant young man."
" Happy," Robin whispered.
" Hmm," Count sounded.
" Happy," Robin repeated.
" Happy young man," Count said.
" Really?" both of their parents asked at the same time.
" And uh what do you say about Happy Camp Dad?" Vlad asked before poking his dad in the back.
" Oh, it sounds like the cruelest, most barbaric place on Earth," Count answered.
" Does it?" Mum gasped. " Oh, dear. I don't want my Robin going anywhere barbaric." She looked at Dad.
" Maye we can sort out his morbid fascination some other way," Dad suggested. " Come on, sunshine!" Chloe and Alice both joined their dad's side.
"Quick, Master!" Renfield ordered as he held an umbrella open holding back girls with flashing cameras. They then all ran off.
******
Later on, Alice was in the castle reading one of the books in the castle.
"Still can't believe Dad only came to parents' evening to get revenge on Mr. Van Helsing," Vlad stated.
" Stop whining," Ingrid ordered. " At least he didn't find out he was a slayer."
" I suppose I've got to accept it," Vlad gave in. " Our family's just not normal."
" Who'd want to be normal?" Ingrid asked. " I mean, look at him!" They glanced over at Robin.
" Checkmate!" Robin said as he jumped up." Chandu put his head in his hands. " Who's the loser!? Who's the loser!?" He then started to dance. " Go loser, go loser, go loser!"
" Fair point," Vlad laughed as Alice stood up.
" Where are you going?"
" Down to the local library," Alice answered as she packed up her homework.
" Why would you go there?" Ingrid demanded in disgust.
" I'm studying with Jonathan," Alice answered.
" You studying with the slayer's son?" Vlad asked raising an eyebrow at her.
" He's a good study partner," Alice answered.
" Why not study with me?" Vlad suggested.
" Cause I want to get smarter, not stupider," Alice as she walked to the door. " Bye," She then left the door and Vlad slumped into the chair miserably.
"You not jealous over that breather are you?" Ingrid laughed.
" Of course not," Vlad denied.
" You are so into her," Ingrid taunted.
" I am not," Vlad denied as he grew red.