CHAPTER 1.4: Breaking up is never easy to do

After their outstanding performance at Eugi's Hot Fuss had been signed to Bridgeport Records and their star meters had risen rapidly. 


Jonny and Curt couldn't go anywhere without being recognised and they had a loyal following of groupies.


Pauly and Sheeni were fast becoming a golden couple, they were constantly on the guest list of all the hottest parties.

Their producer was an upcoming talent at the record label by the name of Anton Presley. 

He had the band in the studio day and night rehearsing and recording.

Pauly had written a number of tracks and Anton had created a distinct sound and style to compliment them perfectly.

He worked into the small hours of the morning remixing the tracks until he was sure he had produced a smash hit!

The next day he got a visit from Suzy Strummer, a record exec.  He played her the headline track "No vacancy"

Suzy loved it!  She knew a money spinner when she heard one.


She called her assistant and told her to make the arrangements for a launch party for the album.

On the night of the launch the band performed "No vacancy" for the record bigwigs and a select few journalists and received a raptuous applause.

After the performance Suzy made a bee-line for Jonny, there was something about his stage presence that made him magnetic.  He had star quality by the bucket load.

They started dancing together and Jonny was pretty sure that Suzy was throwing him some flirty looks, she kept brushing up against him as they swayed together.


It had been a long day for the band with press statements and interviews and although the launch party was stocked with food and champagne there was no plasma juice on offer - and Jonny was thirsty.

Jonny excused himself and headed for the door, he could feel the thirst taking over and knew he needed to get home fast.


"You're not leaving already are you?"


Suzy had followed him out, she seemed almost angry that he was leaving, maybe she thought he was rebuffing her advances.


"Sorry Suzy it's just been a long day"  He explained.


As he tried to leave she grabbed his arm, he spun around angry that she was being so persistent and glared at her.

As he glared something strange began to happen, he didn't know what it was but the harder he stared the louder her thoughts became.


Jeez this woman thinks of nothing but money!


He realised he could not only read her mind but he could control it too and as the desire to feed swelled in him Suzy raised her arm.

She offered her vein

and Jonny quenched his thirst.

As soon as he finished drinking he new that the link between them had been broken and Suzy now had full clarity.


"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she yelled, "How dare you attack me, I'll make sure you and your pathetic band never make it in this town."


She stormed back into the party, Jonny panicked and turned and ran for the door.

The next day the gossip columns were ripe with the scandal that Jonny Traytor had attacked someone, the word around town was he was a vampire!


Anton had been sent to tell the band that the deal was off and the album was to be shelved.

He was furious that all his hard work had been for nothing.

Pauly pleaded with him.


"Please just talk to Suzy, you said it yourself she loved the album" he begged

"Look I'll talk to her, maybe i can get her to see what a money spinner this is but there's no way she's ever gonna let Jonny in the studio again." 


Anton knew it wasn't Pauly's fault - he could see that Jonny was a loose canon.


"Don't worry about Jonny, I'll take care of it." Pauly promised.

Later that day Jonny took a call from Curt asking him to come over. 

He knew it was bad but if he could just explain himself to the band and try to make them understand that he was still trying to get to grips with being a vampire - i mean it's not as though he had a user manual for his powers. 


As soon as he walked through the door Pauly was all in his face telling him he had screwed up all their careers.

Jonny tried his best to tell his side of things but Pauly just would not listen.


"From day one i knew you were trouble, i should never have given you a shot" Pauly yelled.

"After how you treated Sheeni i should have kicked you out then!" he added.


"Pauly come on...." Jonny started but Pauly cut him off

"I don't want to hear it Jonny.  If you want to self destruct then you go do it on your own man.  You're OUT!"


Jonny didn't know what to say, he waited for Curt or Sheeni to step in and say something but they both just hung back looking anywhere but at him.

"Well i guess you've all made up your minds then."
Jonny said bitterly
"If you think you can make it without me then be my guest, but i promise you you're making a big mistake."


"You were the only mistake i made" Pauly hissed "Now get out!"

Jonny stormed out slamming the door behind him. 


He walked to the rivers edge and looked out at the city.  He remembered the first day he had showed up at their door, seeing the same view then had made his dreams of fame seem so much closer. 


Now looking out to Bridgeport they seemed so far away.

"Jonny" Curt called out, he had followed Jonny outside.


"Jonny come on man I'm sorry, but there was nothing i could do." he explained.

"Like hell , you could have said something, anything!  How could you just stand there?" Jonny yelled.


"It's not my decision Jon, I'm just here to play bass you know Pauly calls the shots." Curt explained


"Maybe so but i thought you had my back."
Jonny sighed, he knew he was being unfair to Curt, all Curt wanted out of life was beer, women and bass playing, he didn't go much deeper than that. 


But Jonny couldn't forgive his friends disloyalty

"I'm done with this band Curt and I'm done with you!" Jonny spat.


He pushed past a shocked Curt and walked away.


Jonny walked back to his home at the top of the hill, past all the million simolean homes of the movie stars and pop stars. 


He had lost his girlfriend his career and his best friend in the blink of an eye and he had no idea where his life was going.


It had been months since he had heard from or seen Summer, he guessed she must of had her baby by now.  She was probably shacked up with the kids dad feeding him the same line she had fed him.


But Summer had been forced into a corner - she had hoped that her baby was Toms or Devins, anyone but Jonny's.  But as soon as she had seen her daughter she knew,

There was no mistaking whose she was!


She had named her Audra and had listed the father as unknown on the birth certificate.


Summer knew what her daughter was, she had the same glowing eyes and pale skin as Jonny.  She was a monster too!


Summer moved to the outskirts of town, she never let Audra out, she couldn't bare the shame of people knowing what she had created.


She could only hope that one day there would be a cure, until then Audra would remain her secret.

Chapter1.3

Chapter1.5