Author's Note: I've been working on little pieces of this story for a while. The plan is for each main character to have their own stories, if I actually make it that far. Doubt I will, with my lack of commitment. :) Anyway, here's the first of two parts to Riley's story.

Foul Language Warning: This warning goes for most of my stories. If you can't stand profanity, you might want to avoid reading much further than the title.

Vampire Café

Riley’s Story: The Cupcake of Death

Riley stumbled out of the bar into the fresh night air. Getting drunk wasn’t something he did often, but today he’d really needed it. This had been a terrible week - his last gig with his band had been a total bust; his sister had gotten engaged to a deceptive asshole; he was suffering major lyricist writer’s block; and he was thinking of quitting the band, which the other members, his two best friends, were pissed at him for.

Of course, getting totally shit-faced and having a hangover tomorrow will solve all your problems, he thought to himself bitterly. Then he reasoned that if he was already regretting his decision to get drunk, there was only one thing he should do.

“I need another drink,” he muttered, turning back down the street.

The northern part of Edan Ave. was filled with bars and a few strange shops, and today he’d had a chance to check out quite a few of them. He’d gone for a long walk after arguing with his friends that afternoon; unable to clear his mind, he’d decided to check out the bars. Earlier he had been a little cautious about the places he went to - he didn’t want to get into anything shady, as he’d heard some bad stories about a few of the English pubs - but now he didn’t even care, he walked into the first door he saw without even looking at the building.

He had barely seated himself on a stool when he felt someone else slip onto the one next to him.

“How about a drink?” a soft female voice offered. Riley looked up at the girl next to him. She looked young, maybe nineteen. The first thing he noticed were her eyes, which were two different colors - one was gold, the other a bright blue hue. She had crimson hair cut in a weird style - soft bangs covered her forehead, and about two inches of hair toward the front went to her chin, while the rest trailed past her shoulders. Her clothes were some bizarre mix of a Japanese kimono and a fancy Victorian gown, a heap of dark fabric and black lace.

“Sure, whatever,” he replied, looking back at the bar in front of him. He hoped this girl wasn’t hitting on him. He had enough wannabe-groupie sluts throwing themselves at him, and he certainly didn’t need the extra drama of having an actual girlfriend.

“Hey, Jaide!” the girl said to get the bartender’s attention. Her casual tone suggested they already knew each other, and Riley assumed she must frequent the bar. The bartender was a tall female with light brown-blonde hair, and she looked up with an arched eyebrow when the redhead spoke.

“Yeah?”

“I need you to get him a Blood Freezer” - she thrust a thumb in Riley’s direction - “and the usual special for me.” The two girls smirked at some inside joke he couldn‘t imagine.

A drink was placed in front of him, a clear rectangular glass filled with a swirling blue liquid. He looked over curiously to see what exactly the “usual special” the red-haired girl had ordered was. She was sipping - rather loudly - from a coffee mug with a drawing of fangs and bat wings on it. When she caught his eyes on her she lowered the mug, licked the dark red liquid off her lips, and smiled at him. Her eyes pierced through him along with a strange sensation, and he looked away quickly, an eerie feeling settling over him as he sipped from his own drink.

Riley noticed at that moment how incredibly pale she was - no, both of them, she and the bartender. Since coming to London for his band’s tour he’d seen a lot of light complexioned people, but these two could win a People of Pallor prize. There was something else about them, too - the strange and aristocratic air about them, maybe, or the seemingly constant gleam in their eyes like they knew something you didn’t - that set them apart from the other people milling around the bar. Or maybe the alcohol was just getting to his brain.

“You look familiar…” a male voice commented suddenly, shattering the thick silence that had taken over. Standing behind the bar was a very tall man with a long blond pony tail that swished whenever he moved. He was wearing a pink lace-trimmed apron, adorned with a cupcake and the words “eat me” above it. Underneath the cupcake were the words “Vampire Café”. He had a handsome face that girls probably went crazy over, but he obviously wasn’t crazy over girls.

“Name’s Riley Garnet. I’m in a band, but we aren‘t really well known here,” Riley informed him. His band hadn’t been in England long, so Riley doubted many people would recognize him from it.

“You mean Roaring Panda? I think I saw you guys in America when I went on vacation a while ago. A friend dragged me there. Pop boy bands are more my thing, though,” the man said. “Oh, I’m Raul.”
“Anything with cute boys in it is your thing, Raul,” the red-haired girl commented. “Especially if they’re naked on your bed.”

“Hazel!” Raul exclaimed with mock offense, “How could you suggest such a thing?!”

Hazel just laughed in reply, then took a long sip of her drink.

“Vampire Café… Is that the name of this place?” Riley asked, changing the subject. “Strange name for a bar.”

“Not a bar - we’re a night café. How many bars do you know that sell pastries and cupcakes?” the man said with a cheerful smile, gesturing toward a tray of cupcakes Riley hadn’t noticed, which he’d set on the counter. “Hazel, I made your favorite.” Then he said to Riley, “Would you like one? I’ll give you a free one, since you’re cute.” He winked.

“Ooh, Raul’s cupcakes are the best!” Hazel chirped and grinned at Riley, who was a little unnerved at being called cute by a guy in a frilly pink apron.

“Actually, I should really get going…Thanks, though,” he replied, sliding off his stool and standing up to leave.

“Please, take one with you,” Raul insisted, shoving a cupcake toward Riley.

“…Thanks,” Riley said, taking the cupcake reluctantly before striding out the door.

It took him longer than he had expected to reach the hotel his band was staying in. It was well past midnight when he walked through the parking lot, and the full moon stared down at him accusingly, as if scolding him for not calling his friends to tell them he wasn‘t lost or dead - they were in a foreign country after all, and who knew what could happen? They’d been fighting all afternoon about Riley’s impending decision to quit the band, and the last time he‘d seen them was just before he’d stormed out in a fit of rage. They didn’t understand that it just wasn’t what he wanted to do with his life - he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, but they’d been doing the music thing for so long, and it was getting old to him.

The band wasn’t very famous yet, but they were slowly rising on the charts; they’d be on top of the world before they knew it. His band mates, Matt and Edain, enjoyed every moment of their lives, they loved what they did. So who could blame them for being angry at him? But Riley hated having girls and guys alike throwing themselves at him and worshipping him just because he was a rock star - All the people who didn’t even know him yet declared their love for him whenever they saw him drove him crazy. He knew he should be happy that so many people liked him, liked his music, but it only made him feel incredibly lonely since he didn’t know any of them, and honestly didn’t care to - and he hated stressing all the time to please his fans with new and better music. He valued his music deeply - but he was bored of the whole rock star charade.

Riley looked down at the blue cupcake in his hands. Somehow he’d forgotten he was even carrying it, but now he pulled down the thin paper wrapping and slowly sunk his teeth into the soft blue frosting. Hazel hadn’t been lying - the cupcake was the most delicious thing he’d ever eaten. It was gone in seconds, leaving a sweet aftertaste in his mouth. He went to throw the paper away in a trash can when he noticed a small, thick card resting in the bottom, where the cupcake used to be. It was a business card, with fancy script that read:

Yvonne Maxwell’s Vampire Café

273 Eden Ave. N

At the bottom of the card a small red arrow had been drawn, impelling Riley to turn it over. On the other side, a message was written in red ink:

Riley - Call if something happens.

6-43-13-33

-Raul and Hazel

Riley knit his brow in confusion. If what happens? he wondered. What was up with the cryptic message? Were they trying to be funny, or was it actually important? Yeah, right.

Whatever, he thought, throwing away his trash but keeping the card. He didn’t want to think about why, but something told him to keep it so he slipped it into his cell phone case.

When he finally made it up to his hotel room, he realized that he didn’t have a key and cursed under his breath. After mustering up all his courage, he knocked on the door. A loud thump, a shout, and a laugh were heard from inside, and then the door swung open to reveal Edain, wearing just his shorts and looking like he‘d just woken up. He was holding a wad of bills in one hand and he looked surprised, and a little disappointed, to see Riley.

“Oh, it’s you,” Edain said. “I thought it was the pizza guy.” He stepped aside so Riley could enter the room, closing the door behind them. “We ordered like an hour ago!”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Riley said, slouching on the edge of a bed.

“Dude, where have you been?” Matt asked curiously. He was sitting on the other bed playing on the PlayStation, occasionally letting swear words spill out of his mouth in senseless streams while he jabbed rapidly at the controller.

“Nowhere, really. Just walking,” Riley lied. He didn’t want to tell them about the “night café” he’d come across. It was too weird, and it felt like something he should, or could, keep to himself. Besides, it was a long story, and he didn’t feel like talking that much - he just wanted to relax somewhere and let everything go.

“Right,” Matt said dubiously, but he didn’t argue.

Silence covered the room then, an awkward silence that wasn’t usual for them, and Riley knew Edain and Matt were probably thinking about his wanting to quit the band. He didn’t want to talk about that now, didn’t want to risk another fight. He had to get out of there.

“I’m going down to the pool,” he announced, standing up and pulling off his pants, exchanging them for a pair of swim trunks.

“All right,” Edain said, “The pizza’ll be here soon, if the pizza guy wants to keep his life.” His stomach growled then, further establishing his hunger.

Riley smirked and pulled off his shirt. He was nearly out the door when he remembered to grab a key. He dashed back into the room to grab one off the nightstand between the two beds, sensing a certain uneasiness in the atmosphere…

“Hey, Riles,” Matt said suddenly.

Shit. “…Yeah?”

“You know, about the band…” Matt paused his game so he could look up at Riley, “We weren’t really mad at you because you want to quit…It’ not what you wanna do, I get that. It’s just, we’ve been doing it together since middle school… and we don’t want to do it with someone else all of a sudden, you know?”

“…Yeah, I know.” Riley sighed, running a hand in his hair. “I just need to think, all right?”

Matt nodded wordlessly and went back to his game. Riley could tell Edain wanted to say something, but he kept silent until he left the room.

Most hotel pools had windows into the lobby, but this one didn’t - the only windows were looking outside at a busy street, where people would be too busy to bother sparing a glance into the hotel pool. Riley was glad for this, and the fact that there were no other occupants in the pool area; this way he could relax and think without anyone bugging him.

He closed his eyes as he settled into the warm, bubbly water of the hot tub, leaning back against the wall. His thoughts wandered back to the bar - or “night café”, as Raul had called it - and the mysterious people he’d met there. The blonde bartender whose name he didn’t know; the gay baker, Raul; and the english geisha who had bought him a drink, Hazel - they hadn’t talked much, but he felt some ethereal connection to her that almost creeped him out. That wasn‘t the only thing that creeped him out, either. He’d noticed that all three of them were incredibly pale and, he had to admit, rather beautiful. And they all seemed to know each other - at least, Hazel seemed to know them - quite well.

The unknown connection between the three was only the beginning of the café’s mysteries - what was up with the cryptic cupcake card from Raul? He couldn’t begin to unravel that one - he’d never even seen any of them before tonight, and since when did strangers write messages like that? Maybe it was just their way of getting him to call them (Raul had said he was cute, after all), making it seem like something was up so he’d want to call.

Suddenly he felt eyes on him, and he snapped his open. Just a foot in front of him was a woman he’d never seen before, clad in a skimpy bikini. She was lean and pretty, with short black hair and deep red eyes - contacts, he guessed, but then she was so pale she could’ve been an albino with dyed hair.

“What the hell do you want?” he asked coldly, upset at being interrupted in his thoughts by this annoying bimbo.

“My name is Deandra. I think you know what I want, Riley,” she answered seductively, reaching back to untie her bikini top. He held up a hand for her to stop and she did, looking down at him with an arched brow, clearly wondering about his sexuality.

“Sorry, hon, I’m not interested in skanks.”

Something like anger flashed in her eyes, but she remained calm. “I see,” she said mildly. “Well in that case, I’ll have to steal you.” Her lips spread into a savage grin, revealing sharp white fangs.

Oh, shit, Riley thought, feeling his face go pale. Deandra was obviously not a groupie. Actually, judging by the expression of hatred and disgust contorting her features, he had a wild notion that she wanted to kill him. Could this have been what Raul’s card meant by “if something happens?” Somehow, it seemed to fit his description of “something happening“.

Deandra lowered herself in the water, coming toward him. She was smiling to herself, enjoying some scary fantasy he would soon take part in.

“Hold on a second,” Riley said quickly, stalling, “I think I’m missing something. Do I know you somehow?”

“No,” she answered patiently, with the misplaced smile still on her lips.

“Then why exactly are you trying to do whatever to me?” Riley narrowed his eyes in thought. “Wait, I get it…You’re a whore with a blood fetish, is that it? And you don‘t get enough business in this side of town, so you decided to just steal the innocence of the first cute little boy you saw, and take his money later. Well, sorry, sister - I‘m broke.”

“Food shouldn’t talk,” Deandra snarled, lunging at him.

He dodged her and spun around just in time to duck out of the way of a fist. Then he kneed her hard in the stomach, giving him enough time to feel guilty for hitting a girl before he clambered out of the water. Frantically he fumbled in his towel for his cell phone and quickly shoved it in his pocket, hoping he’d get a chance to use it before he became a McVampire Chicken Select, then he hurled himself toward the door. He had made it halfway there before something behind him hit him sharply on the head, and everything went black.

Riley woke to find himself in a hotel room that obviously wasn’t his own - thick black curtains covered the window so that no light would get in if it were daytime (which it could‘ve been, for all he knew), and looking around he saw, to his relief, that his friends were not there. There was no doubt something bad would’ve happened if Deandra somehow got into his room with Edain and Matt there.

“Ah, you’re awake,” Deandra said from across the room. “I waited up just for you.” She smiled, and was next to Riley in an instant. “This will be so much more enjoyable if you’re aware.” Her tone sent a chill down his spine, and her smile morphed into a sadistic grin as she added, “but not for you, of course.”

She reached for him and bent forward slightly, then stopped, her eyes hard. There was a knock on the door. “I’ll be right back,” she stated, standing up and going to answer the door.

Riley let out a shaky breath, and took advantage of the situation. His fingers fled to his shorts, where he felt for his cell phone - he used to wonder why his swim trunks needed pockets, but now he was thankful for them. He wouldn’t be able to call now, though, with Deandra right there. No matter how quiet he whispered, he was sure she would hear him; she was a freaking vampire, a woman who was strong enough to carry him up here from the pool, and he had no doubt she had micro sonic hearing or something, too.

Deandra was coming back, and he moved his hand away from his pocket to fiddle with his leg hair casually. He was sure he looked just like any other terrified guy who had just been kidnapped by a psycho, possible-rapist, vampire.

“Where were we…?” Deandra mused. “Ah, that’s right. I was about to kill you.”

“Actually - I was wondering if I could pee first.” She narrowed her eyes at him, and he added innocently, “You don’t want me to pee on you in the middle of your feast, do you? I really gotta go.” Hopefully she wouldn’t want to go with him into the bathroom.

“Fine. But I’m coming in with you.”

Of course. He nearly cursed aloud. He should’ve known it wouldn’t be so easy; now he’d actually have to think.

No one could help him without one vital piece of information: where the hell was he? Thankfully, little postcards on nearly every piece of furniture in the room declared that he was still at the same hotel - The Atlas Inn. But he had no effing clue what room it was. Then it hit him - wouldn’t it say so on the phone? He sure hoped it did, or he’d be making a big fool out of himself - and shortening Deandra’s temper a little more - for nothing.

“Hey, I know!“ he declared. He quickly scanned the surface of the phone’s cradle and number pad as he picked up the retriever and held it before him, looking at Deandra inquiringly. “Want me to call for pizza real quick? By the time I’m done in the bathroom it would b-”

Deandra managed an expression of simultaneous incredulity and anger as she hissed, “You foolish human, get your ass to the toilet, now!” Clearly she wasn’t amused with his cute act.

“All right, all right…” Riley huffed, setting the phone back down with false dejection. He’d found what he needed, and he wanted to whoop with joy but something told him that’d be a bad idea. Instead he walked briskly to the bathroom, where Deandra was waiting impatiently.

Riley unbuttoned his shorts for show, then turned toward Deandra. “Could you face the wall?” he asked. “It may seem strange, but I can’t pee with people watching me.”

Rolling her eyes, Deandra turned around.

“Thanks.” Sucking in a quiet breath, he tore his cell out of his pocket and checked the time. It was 2:30 am, so hopefully Raul or Hazel would be awake, if they were vampires too. He dialed the number on the card as quickly as he could, thankful he’d set all the sound settings to silent. Thinking it’d be a good idea to pee like he said he would, he slipped the card back into his pocket then struggled to pee with one hand and hold his phone in the other.

Someone picked up after the first ring. He guessed it was Hazel when she said, “Hazel speaking.”

Now was the tricky part - talking on the phone without letting Deandra know. His initial plan was to let out his situation and location as fast as he could, but now that he was actually in that small space with Deandra just five feet away, it didn’t seem like a good idea anymore. He decided to carry on a three-way conversation with Deandra/the wall (since he doubted she’d really be much of a conversationalist) and Hazel, hoping she would kind of understand what was going on.

“Hey, I don’t need help or anything, ‘cause I’m a big boy,” he said stupidly, struggling for the right words, “Um, but yeah, hotel bathrooms are pretty scary, hope the germ in here doesn’t kill me, hahaha…”

“Are you really this stupid?” Deandra asked dryly. He glanced behind him to make sure she hadn’t turned around, and was relieved to see that she hadn’t.

On the other end of the phone, Hazel said, “Riley? Raul gave you this number, didn’t he? What’s up?”

“Yeah, Deandra,” Riley answered both of their questions loudly.

Deandra didn’t say anything, but he imagined she probably rolled her eyes again. He was amazed she didn’t see through his pathetic ruse. She might’ve been evil, yeah, psychotic, double yeah, but her upstairs lighting was obviously none too bright.

“Shit! Deandra, you said? Where are you?!” asked Hazel.

“Hmm…I sure love the Atlas Inn bathrooms, though,” Riley said, “And this room is much cleaner than my other one. I’ll have to ask for room 703 again next time I get kidnapped by a cracked up vampire in a bikini .”

“All right. I’m on my way.” Click.

Okay, but what the hell do I do now?! Riley thought in panic as he flushed the toilet and put himself away.

“You take an awful long time to pee,” Deandra complained, turning to glare at him coldly. Then she froze, eyes flashing at something next to him that had caught her eye.

Uh-oh. She’d seen his cell phone - was still seeing, as she was staring at it as if it had stood up and bitch slapped her - where he‘d set it on the counter so he could do up his pants. You fricken idiot! How could you be so stupid!? He scolded himself, ready to bash his own head into the wall.

Finally, the whole three-way conversation seemed to dawn on Deandra. She let loose a shrieking growl of rage that shook the walls, lashed out to grab the cell phone and threw it against the giant wall-mirror, which shattered with a piercing crash! all over the counter and bathroom floor. Hell hath no fury like a Deandra scorned. Her furious gaze snapped to his rather frightened “Oh, shit” one, and he was ready to bolt…But she was at him in seconds, gripping him in an iron death-hug, with pointy, bared teeth tearing at his neck. He felt the sharp incisors pierce into the soft flesh, and it was so unbearably painful he thought he would scream. He’d never felt anything like it in his life, this pain that persisted as his blood flowed out of his body into the iron jaws of the creature mercilessly clinging to him. He felt himself go numb before he lost consciousness for the second time that night.

Author's Note: I'll upload the next chapter soon if this one gets a good reaction. There are only two chapters though, so maybe I'll just do it anyway. Please tell me what you think.