Ashes of the Night - ch 2 (revised 3/23)

"Ashes of the Night (revised 3/23)" 

Ashes of the Night

Two

We climbed up the fire escape into our room.

Cooper moved to his room next door, “You kids don’t stay up to long I’m going to bed and if I here you next door then your too loud.”

The little lamp next to my bed was still on.  Cole’s messy half of our room was just as messy as mine.  Except, I don’t have  pictures of my parents on my night stand like Cole does. Cole and I went and picked up a few comics from the stack in the corner.  Cole lounged on the sofa.  He’s probably read all these comics once or twice before.

Cole has blond hair that went great with his blue eyes.  Cole’s more laid back that most fifteen year olds…and eats more. I don’t know how Cole can be healthy the way he eats but he says it’s a Shape Shifting thing.

We vampire hunters burn off more calories as it is because of how fast we have to run to keep up with the vamps.  I don’t normally question Cole, he doesn’t beet around the bush, he’ll come right out and tell you what he thinks. 

Once, Cole and I were at the mall getting some new clothes and shoes.  A beautiful but dumb brunette decided to flirt with Cole.  She asked him what he thought of a dress! Well… he told her… it wasn’t pretty… well she was but… oh forget it.   

I’m one year younger than he is and obviously smarter. I have short black hair and dark blue eyes that they are almost black.  Cole is about a head taller than me but I’m still faster.

Cooper on the other hand is tall compared to Cole and I but considering he’s twenty-two, he’s short for his age. Most girls fall for his smile but for some reason it just makes us angry every time he uses it on us, its because he knows he’s being annoying.

I always have wondered about what my real parents where like. My dad was probably a great vampire hunter and my mom an awesome witch.  What would Cole’s parents be like?

“Hay, Cole… what were your parents like?” I sat my comic on my side table.

Cole looked up from his, “I don’t know, mom and I used to make cookies and bake cakes together.  Dad taught me how to play football and how to pitch a curve ball when I was six.  They were vampire hunters too.  So I guess they would have taught me that too when I was old enough.”  He looked away.

We just sat there in silence till Cole stood up, “Come on man.  Teach me that move you used earlier.”

“Oh!  So now I’m the grand master.”  I got up and Cole came at me. 

It didn’t take Cole very long to learn the move and after a while we were on the floor wrestling. 

Then my head hit the remote and loud cheers filled our room.  A man on TV head butted the other man.  The fat one, the one who has a soar head, hit the floor just as the manager ran into the room.

“What do you think you are doing!” Old Mister Young was practically foaming at the mouth.

“Um we were just-” I looked to Cole.

Cooper came in, “What’s going on?”

“They were just waking up the entire hotel that’s what they were doing!  Now listen here boys I know the two of you are staying with Mr.Cooper hear illegally.  Why do you think I shouldn’t just hand you over to the authorities and let them throw the two of you into faster care!  From now on you will earn your keep.”

“And how do you think they will do that?” Cooper was mad. 

He turned to me, “From now on they will be working for me.  I will be expecting them at three don’t be late!” Mister young slammed the door behind him which made us both jump.

“Great! What are we going to do about a job during the day and hunting vamps at night?”

“I don’t know. Figure it out.” with that Cooper went back to bed.

“I don’t know? He was supposed to be getting paid.”

“Wait, paid?”

With a sigh Cole looked at me, “You know how there are people who work with making sure people’s things go to the right person when they die,” when I said nothing he went on, “well my parents gave me everything they had including all there money. I told them to keep paying him for letting us stay here.  Maybe the money ran out.  He was pretty mad.”

“Wait I thought Cooper was the one getting Mr. Young to let us stay here?”

“Okay so maybe I was paying Cooper to pay Mr. Young.”

“What if we suck at doing our jobs and he kicks us out?  Then what do we do?  I don’t think a witch and a shape shifter would do well as foster kids.” I crossed the room to put up my comic.

“Do you really think a human could do a better job than we could?” I didn’t like it when he started with the sarcastic remarks. It made me feel dumb.

“No, But-”

“There’s no but about it Asher. We sleep till two thirty report for work at three.  Deal with the vamps, if there is any.  Have you seen the news yet?”

“No, we can check it out before we go to work.  So your saying that after we go to work we take care of the vamps then come back and sleep till three the next day…  It could work.”

“It will work.  Now get some sleep we’ve got work tomorrow.” He said with a crooked grin.