When the window exploded, Nina didn't cry out. Nor did she cry out when she felt the sliver of glass embedded in her shoulder. Nina was the suffer in silence type and never liked to let anyone know when she was in trouble or pain. There was no sign of Paul, her therapist, but stood on his desk was what caused the window to explode. Seventeen-year-old Cress Horton, or Vandal as he liked to be called. Two months prior to the exploding window Nina had been in a happy relationship with Vandal. Although he'd never been Vandal to her, always Cress; the abnormal child who hated his name and had a penchant for intentionally breaking things. Cress was a catch and a fine catch at that. Tall, muscular, blonde curls, freckles. He really was beautiful but he was a street kid. He'd barely made it through secondary school and now lived with a group of other street kids in an abandoned warehouse. They rented it out sometimes to people who wanted to have huge parties and underground raves but Cress and the boys mainly made their money from scams and pick-pocketing, although Nina did have a theory that one of them was working as a rent boy.

"Nina, you know you want to come back" he said, flexing his muscles. That was what Nina had forgotten about him. He was an arrogant little jackass.

"Funny, you only want me back when you need a) money, b) something cute to make a diversion or c) all of the above" Nina said harshly, angling herself so Cress wouldn't see the glass in her shoulder. Whenever Nina was hurt Cress always panicked.

"C'mon, Nina, we really want you back this time".

"Cress, can't you-"

"Vandal," he interupted, "My name's Vandal when there's witnesses".

Nina guessed he knew where Paul was. She always thought Cress' stage name, Vandal, was stupid. She knew he didn't break things on purpose, he was just clumsy and angry. When the two mixed, things got broken.

"Vandal, can't you get it through your thick skull? You broke up with me. Two months ago".

"Yeah, but we had been going out since Year 8" he said with a cheeky grin.

"That doesn't make it any better, Vandal. If anything, that makes it worse".

"C'mon, Nix, the boys need you more than me".

"I'm not bloody Wendy for you and the Lost Boys!" Nina shouted and instantly regretted being so loud.

"No, you're not. You're her hotter sister Nina".

"Piss off, you arrogant pig. It's your fault I'm even in this damn place".

Vandal looked hurt. "How is it my fault? Did you miss me that much?"

"No, my parents are stereotypical bastards. Because I dress like this they automatically think I'm part of the "suicide is awesome" crowd. Then you break up with me and they get paranoid that I'm going to kill myself".

"Did you cry over me?" Vandal asked, sitting down on the desk.

"Not a single tear" Nina said truthfully. Vandal really looked hurt. "But let me guedd, you called it off and stewed in your own funk for a few weeks".

"I love it when you use American slang".

"Pig".

"I know you are but what am I?" Vandal asked childishly, swinging his legs.

"Grow up".

"Never! I'm Peter Pan and I'll never grow up!" he laughed, jumping up on the desk.

Nina sighed and rolled her eyes. Vandal had always been childish. It came from the fact that he hadn't had much of a childhood. He'd spent his earlier years under the care of the various older street kids and once he was old enough to look after himself he took on the duty of looking after the younger kids. And, even though he carried out that duty with precision and conviction, he was the biggest kid of them all. Nina wasn't sure if she admired that or despised it.

"Get off the desk and get lost" she said quietly.

To anyone who didn't know her, they would have thought she didn't mean it but Vandal knew that when she was quiet she was serious. He jumped off the desk and took a step towards Nina. She angled herself a little more but only succeeded in attracting Vandal's attention to her shoulder.

"You're hurt" he said in disbelief.

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Author guidance for This story

I'm not sure where this is going to go. I've got a lot of pent up romance in me right now. Part of it's the cluelessness of the charcters in AVS. Part of it is just me. *sigh* I need to stop starting stories unless I finish another one (how many have I got going now? 4/5?)

updated Oct 12 '09 by Alley