Taylor and Frank Backstory
This is the first five hundred words of how Taylor the Slayer met Frank.
There was a tiny man standing in front of Taylor. If leprechauns were real - and Italian - and covered in tattoos and wore Anthrax t-shirts, Taylor would have figured that’s what he was. Okay, he wasn’t that tiny: he was Taylor’s height - but that was short for a man in his late twenties. And he stood between her and the books she wanted.
“Hi!” the tiny man said, beaming at her.
“Hi?” Taylor said - asked - back.
“I’m Frank.” His smile grew. He was friendly if nothing else - except for the part where he stood between Taylor and her books on a deserted level of the library on a day that Taylor not only didn’t sleep the night before but also on a day that was about one away from her period. She didn’t need any aggravation; her hormones would take it to unreasonable heights. An irony, as self-proclaimed Frank was tiny.
“Taylor,” she admitted.
“I know.” Frank still sounded excited, but now he sounded stalker-ish - and Taylor was even more aware of the fact that she was on a deserted level of the library.
“You’re in my way,” Taylor said carefully. She didn’t want to upset the crazy, but she wanted him very much gone.
“I know.” Taylor wanted to wipe that jovial smirk off Frank’s face.
“Then please move.” Taylor tried very hard to control her angry-hormones.
“You don’t need those books,” Frank said resolutely. “You have me!”
Taylor stared at him. “Really, please move,” she ordered flatly.
“Really,” Frank mocked, “you have me.”
Taylor crossed her arms across her chest. This was going to be a long battle if things continued that way. She changed tactics: “You don’t even know what books I’m looking for.”
“Yeah, I do. But what you’re looking for isn’t in any of those shitty books.”
“Which books?” Taylor asked petulantly, canting her hips to the side.
“Vampir, The Vampire Handbook, The Vampire Encyclopedia, and The Encyclopedia of the Undead,” Frank listed off. “Possibly The Transitive Vampire.”
Taylor gaped at him. “How did you know that?” She was half afraid of the answer.
“Those are the standards,” Frank responded with a shrug. “But they won’t help you understand your dreams.”
“Why do you think my dreams led me here?” Taylor asked in a low, dangerous voice. Because her dreams had led her to the library.
“Because that’s how things work,” Frank explained. “Are we going to do this all damn day? Because I have things to do.”
“Sorry for taking time out of your busy schedule,” Taylor said sardonically.
“I could help you with your dreams,” Frank offered.
“Thank you for your offer,” Taylor said. “But I would like to be left alone.”
Frank’s smile dropped. “This isn’t something that will fucking leave you alone. You’re the goddamned Vampire Slayer.”
Taylor’s mouth dropped open. “You are nuts.”
Frank rolled his eyes. “Like you haven’t been having dreams about pointy teeth and explosions of dust.”
“How do you know this?” Taylor demanded.
“Every Slayer has a Watcher,” Frank explained brightly. “I’m your Watcher.”
“Let me guess: a Watcher watches?” Taylor said dryly.
“You’re what? Sixteen? Too young for a beer. Well, I could, but I’ll buy you a coffee, and I’ll explain everything, including why you’re all of a sudden super strong and have better hearing.”
Taylor didn’t bother to ask Frank how he knew that, too.
“Make it uber chocolately,” Taylor demanded. “And I’ll listen to your crazy.”
“Fuck yeah!” Frank enthused. “I’ll have Bob meet us at the nearest Starbucks.”
There was a tiny man standing in front of Taylor. If leprechauns were real - and Italian - and covered in tattoos and wore Anthrax t-shirts, Taylor would have figured that’s what he was. Okay, he wasn’t that tiny: he was Taylor’s height - but that was short for a man in his late twenties. And he stood between her and the books she wanted.
“Hi!” the tiny man said, beaming at her.
“Hi?” Taylor said - asked - back.
“I’m Frank.” His smile grew. He was friendly if nothing else - except for the part where he stood between Taylor and her books on a deserted level of the library on a day that Taylor not only didn’t sleep the night before but also on a day that was about one away from her period. She didn’t need any aggravation; her hormones would take it to unreasonable heights. An irony, as self-proclaimed Frank was tiny.
“Taylor,” she admitted.
“I know.” Frank still sounded excited, but now he sounded stalker-ish - and Taylor was even more aware of the fact that she was on a deserted level of the library.
“You’re in my way,” Taylor said carefully. She didn’t want to upset the crazy, but she wanted him very much gone.
“I know.” Taylor wanted to wipe that jovial smirk off Frank’s face.
“Then please move.” Taylor tried very hard to control her angry-hormones.
“You don’t need those books,” Frank said resolutely. “You have me!”
Taylor stared at him. “Really, please move,” she ordered flatly.
“Really,” Frank mocked, “you have me.”
Taylor crossed her arms across her chest. This was going to be a long battle if things continued that way. She changed tactics: “You don’t even know what books I’m looking for.”
“Yeah, I do. But what you’re looking for isn’t in any of those shitty books.”
“Which books?” Taylor asked petulantly, canting her hips to the side.
“Vampir, The Vampire Handbook, The Vampire Encyclopedia, and The Encyclopedia of the Undead,” Frank listed off. “Possibly The Transitive Vampire.”
Taylor gaped at him. “How did you know that?” She was half afraid of the answer.
“Those are the standards,” Frank responded with a shrug. “But they won’t help you understand your dreams.”
“Why do you think my dreams led me here?” Taylor asked in a low, dangerous voice. Because her dreams had led her to the library.
“Because that’s how things work,” Frank explained. “Are we going to do this all damn day? Because I have things to do.”
“Sorry for taking time out of your busy schedule,” Taylor said sardonically.
“I could help you with your dreams,” Frank offered.
“Thank you for your offer,” Taylor said. “But I would like to be left alone.”
Frank’s smile dropped. “This isn’t something that will fucking leave you alone. You’re the goddamned Vampire Slayer.”
Taylor’s mouth dropped open. “You are nuts.”
Frank rolled his eyes. “Like you haven’t been having dreams about pointy teeth and explosions of dust.”
“How do you know this?” Taylor demanded.
“Every Slayer has a Watcher,” Frank explained brightly. “I’m your Watcher.”
“Let me guess: a Watcher watches?” Taylor said dryly.
“You’re what? Sixteen? Too young for a beer. Well, I could, but I’ll buy you a coffee, and I’ll explain everything, including why you’re all of a sudden super strong and have better hearing.”
Taylor didn’t bother to ask Frank how he knew that, too.
“Make it uber chocolately,” Taylor demanded. “And I’ll listen to your crazy.”
“Fuck yeah!” Frank enthused. “I’ll have Bob meet us at the nearest Starbucks.”