Mark's view:

"Goddamn you, piece of crap, out of all times for you to stop working, you choose now?!" I yell, kicking the side of my car. 

"Bad timing," Isabella's dad says, amusement on his face.

"Very. I'll need to call my sister to get me a new battery so excuse me," I say, giving my most polite smile I could.

Fuck you, fuck you very much car.

I walk down the road until I am out of ears reach then unlock my phone. I scroll through my contacts and find my sister's name - at the bottom of the list after 100 contact names. 

My sister picks up after the second ring.

"Hello? Mark, what do you want?" she says through the phone in an annoyed tone.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," I retort.

"No! Remember vampires do not sleep, well they do but during the day."

"Actually, they sleep anytime they please."

"For you because your sleeping pattern is out of whack and you have to still go to school. What do you like about school?"

"Meeting people, unlike you, I am very likeable."

"Likeable my ass!"

"Isabella likes me."

"She might not, you don't know. Why did you call me Mark? You only ever call me when you need something, so what is it?"

"Well," I say, leaving a long pause.

"TELL ME! Or I will hang up."

"Ok, ok fine. No need to be rude, sis. I need you to do me a favour."

"I don't like these favours you have me do."

"Come on, you will like it."

"Just bloody tell me or I will hang up."

"Is there anyone at home?"

"Yes, the whole goddamn family is home."

"Where are you?"

"In my room, why?"

"Ok, good. So no one will notice if you sneak into my room."

"I am not going into your room."

"You owe me, remember?"

"When?"

"For that time when I nearly died of starvation and you hunted for me and fed me. You saved my ass so you need to save mine. I don't have much time so you better hurry and help me or else. Isabella is missing and we need to find her."

"Isabella is missing? How the hell did she go missing?"

"Long story, I will tell you later."

"Tell me."

"I told you later, so are you in or not? Cause my car needs your help."

"What did you do to the car?"

"It stopped working, but that is where I need you sneak into my room."

"Why? What is in your room?"

"Just do it."

"Fine."

There is a small silence, but then my sister finally speaks. 

"Mark, I'm in, what do you need?" she questions.

"Ok, you see where my walk-in wardrobe is? I need you to enter it."

"Why does your room smell so... bad? Do you ever open your windows?"

"Did I tell you to comment about the smell of my fucking room or to help me out? I sprayed cologne. You know what that is, don't you? Or do I need to tell you?"

"I know what cologne is bub, I'm in your wardrobe, now what?"

"You see where my shirts are on the left side?"

"Yeah?"

"Underneath them, I have some stuff stored, you will need to move aside some shirts to see them."

"Ok yeah, you have a lot of junk here but what exactly am I retrieving?"

"Do you see a black suitcase? It will have a photo of my car, I need you to take that and behind it will be jump cables bring those too. I am at eternities so I will text you the address and you need to bring them with you. Oh, and in the fridge, there is my black aluminium bottle, I need you to bring it cause I am thirsty and can not hunt tonight."

"Okay. But one problem. How the hell am I meant to get all this out without looking suspicious?"

"You will figure it out, you always do."

"Bub, I hate you so much."

"I love you too sis, my beautiful sister. Thank you. You are amazing an-"

"Don't flatter yourself, sweet cheeks. The problems are still there."

"Pretend you are going to work or seeing a friend? Don't you have that sports bag of yours? Pretend you are going to the gym and just load it up with towels and stuff."

"But Mar-"

"No buts. I will see you when you get here. Goodbye."

And with that I hang the phone up, my sister yelling at the other end of the phone. I text her the address and get no response.

She must be on her way already. We'll just wait.

"My sister's on her way," I state as I walk back over to the car where Mr and Mrs Rose stood.

"So, is your sister coming?" Mrs Rose asks.

"Yep, she is a lifesaver. Took a bit of convincing, but she will be here."

"Your sister's a lovely young lady for helping her brother out. I remember when I was young my brothers didn't even help me when I needed it."

"My older brother is like that. He doesn't want to help, and he acts like he is dad."

"I think brothers are like that with their younger siblings," Mrs Rose says with a smile. "My brothers used to be pains in the backside, but they cared."

"Yeah, that is true. My sister might be here in about 10 minutes or more, so it might be a brief wait."

"Let's hope whoever took my princess doesn't go too far in that time. When we find them I am going to wrap my hands around their throats so tight they will be crying for their mummas," Mr Rose threatens. 

"Don't worry, I'm sure it will be fine. I think I'd be the first to snap their necks if we find them," I say as I try to calm myself down.

It'll be ok, do not be angry Mark. You do not want to change into a vampire in front of them. Calm down, just be calm. Happy thoughts, just happy thoughts. 

-------

After about fifteen minutes, my sister's black and white Mercedes-Benz arrives and quickly parks next to my car.

"Sister to the rescue," I chant as she steps out of her car, pulling her large red and black sports bag out with her. 

"I would much rather be home than out," she hisses as she dumps the bag in front of me.

I barely hear her as I rip the zip of the bag open in my mad dash. As I rummage through the bag, I finally catch my black suitcase and jump cables, so I pull them out instantly.

"That suitcase weighs a tonne," Vienna says coldly. "What do you have in there?"

"Not much, just spare parts for my car," I state while opening the suitcase and pulling the battery out.

"Since when did you buy that?"

"Since a long while ago, why?"

"I never saw you get it."

"I don't let you see everything I buy. The battery is a spare for occasions like this."

"Well, you need to keep it in your car, not at home."

"I am not leaving it in the car. I do not want my car to blow up."

"Suit yourself, but I won't be coming to your calls for help next time."

"That's what you always say."

"Whatever."

"Yep." 

I go over to my car, using the flashlight in my phone for light as I unplug my old battery and throw it in the rubbish bin provided by the restaurant. I go back to the suitcase and take the new battery, then hook it into my car.

"Does it work?" my sister asks.

"No idea, one way to find out," I say, running over to my car.

As I start the car, the engine roars to life. I see my sister jump as the motor sounds and I get out of my car, grinning widely.

"It works," she says bluntly. 

"Yes it does, thank you, sis, you are the best," I say, smiling as I pull her into a hug.

"I hate you. I'll take Mrs Rose and we will look one way and you take Mr Rose and look the other. If you get in trouble, I will not be coming after you to help you," she whispers.

"Ok."

"Mrs Rose, you are with me. Oh, and hello Mr and Mrs Rose. How rude of me," Vienna says in her sweet-little-girl tone.

"Hello," they both chant together with a smile. 

As Mrs Rose walks over to the passenger side of Vienna's car, she says "thank you."

My sister disappears as fast as she came. Mr Rose and I walk back over to my car and we get in. I put the car in reverse to get out of my parking spot, then back to drive and speed up in the opposite direction my sister went. 

"Thank you for today Mark, you honestly didn't have to," Mr Rose says, smiling.

"Oh, don't worry, Mr Rose. I love Isabella so I am glad she enjoyed her time but now I want to find her and kill the fucker who took her," I growl, focusing on the dark, forest road ahead.

What am I saying? Did you just say you love her, Mark!? What the fuck are you saying! Correct yourself before you do some damage! He is looking at you like a freak! 

"I mean, as a friend Mr Rose, she is a sweet girl," I blurt out, trying to find any excuse to fix up my little blunder.

"Don't worry, I know what you meant. I said that about my wife and see how it turned out?" Mr Rose says with a chuckle. 

"Yeah, I mean... of course." 

I mentally slap myself a dozen times.

Why Mark? Why?! You are such a freak!

"Mark, are you ok? You look deep in thought there," Mr Rose says, his eyes boring into me. 

"I'm fine, just thinking and wondering who took her is all," I lie.

While driving I keep my eyes peeled for any sign of her and so far nothing. An awkward silence fills the car and I can feel Mr Rose's anger levitate.

"So..." I begin, trying to make conversation.

"Hm?" Mr Rose asks.

"How long have you been married?"

"About twenty-seven years. We had Isabella ten years after we got married, but lost two children before her. Isabella is a special little girl and she will go to do amazing things when she is older."

"Oh wow, didn't expect you two to be married for this long, congratulations on the long marriage. I'm glad you two bought Isabella into this world, she is amazing. I've never met someone as pure-hearted as her in my life."

"She is one in a lifetime."

"You got that right."

"Are you in love with my daughter?"

"Huh?"

"Do you like my daughter?"

"In what way?" I ask, my grip tightening on my steering wheel.

"You know what I'm meaning."

"I don't know."

"I notice how you act around her, you might be falling for her and you don't know it."

"I would know."

"Sometimes you don't know it until the feelings grow."

"Yeah, maybe," I say, staring at the open road.

"I feel you aren't being honest about something."

"You know everything there is to know about me."

Almost.

"Are you sure?" he asks, staring out of the window, scanning the surrounding area.

"Yes. I am sure. Any sign of Isabella?"

"Nope, not yet. Let's keep searching, she can't of gone far."

------------

After a couple of hours of searching, we call it a night and head home.

"I wish we found her," I say with a sigh.

"Me too, though they had a head start on us and we don't know where they went so maybe tomorrow I'll head out to search for her."

"Sounds good."

I drive down the road which leads back to Smithford, awkward silence filling the car once more. The trees seem to whizz past us.

We soon find ourselves back onto the smooth road and we follow the road until we can make a turn. 

I drive with one hand and use my other to turn the radio on. 

'Oh, it's just me myself and I

Solo ride until I die,

'Cause I got me for life.'

The music blasts from the speakers, and I accelerate faster down the road. From the corner of my eye, I can see Mr Rose clinging onto the door and car seat for dear life and I smirk.

"You ok Mr Rose?" I ask, a laugh escaping my lips.

"Yes, yes, I am fine," he replies shakily.

"Lies. My driving scares you, ain't it?"

"I used to drive like that when I was your age, but then I had an accident and well I drive more safely ever since."

"You were involved in an accident?"

"Yeah, I was lucky though. The car clipped the front bonnet of my car and I escaped injury. I ended up selling the car and buying a new one after that happened."

"You are lucky, it could have ended up so much worse."

"Yes, that's right. On a more serious note, Mark, if you have feelings for Isabella you need to tell her when we find her."

"As I said, I don't know how I feel about her."

Maybe I am falling for her little by little. I can't tell her.

"Well, if you are, you need to be open about it," he states, staring at the road ahead.

"If I have feelings for her, I would have said something," I reply, focusing on how I am driving.

"Your actions tell me you like her."

"My actions are how I always am."

"You sure about that?" 

"Very."

An awkward silence fills the car until we get back home. Upon pulling up, I see Vienna's Mercedes-Benz in the driveway and I pull up behind her. 

As Mr Rose gets out of the car he says, "thank you, Mark, it's a shame we didn't find Isabella. Maybe tomorrow will bring us better luck."

"Anytime Mr Rose. It is a shame, I'm disappointed we didn't find her. I'll probably go looking tomorrow."

We say our last goodbyes and I head inside the house. As I enter my family all look at me with curious eyes.

"Sweetheart," mum says.

I ignore her and go upstairs. 

Why? Why must this happen? Everything was going so fucking well!

As I reach my room, I slam my bedroom door shut and plop down into my coffin. I turn onto my stomach and breakdown; the tears soaking up my pillow.

"Sweetheart, we know. I'm sorry this happened," mum's voice coos as a hand runs up and down my back.