After fumbling around in the dark for a what felt like forever trying to locate the hidden door, Kat managed to get into the library and find her book, which was shoved in a pile in the back corner of the room. She was coming back down the stairs when she heard a thump. She froze, listening. Was someone else in the building? Who would be? And why this late? Finally, the thought occurred to her: Devil’s Night. Some kid was probably hiding there after fleeing a prank site--or actually defacing the building somehow, though Kat had no idea why anyone would bother. Regardless, she continued down the stairs, and upon reaching the bottom, opened the door and stepped out into the partially moonlit garage.

She was just about to yell at whatever little punk was hiding in there, when she caught sight of the two figures on the other side of the garage. One was kneeling, rifling through a backpack. The other was lying motionless. She remained still, trying to process what she was seeing, when it finally clicked: She knew one of those figures.

“…What…” she managed eventually, “…Kody?”

The blonde boy whipped around, staring back at her with equal shock. “Kat…” he began, “What--where did you--what are you doing here?”

Katarina ignored the question, eyes moving slowly from her friend to the man lying still on the floor. “What is…what is that?”

Kody flinched a little, glancing quickly down at the man, then back at her. “Uhh…” was all he managed.

Kat’s eyes remained on the figure on the ground, whose neck, she now noticed, was bent at some obscure, impossible angle. “Is…is he dead?” she almost whispered.

Kody bit his lip, looking away. “If I say no, are you less likely to scream and run away before I can explain?”

Kat took a step backwards. “You…you killed him?” she choked out, beginning to shake.

“Kat, hold on,” Kody said, standing up. “It’s not--well, I guess it is what it looks like…but don’t freak out, please!” He stood and took a few steps toward her, holding out a hand. “Let me explain--”

“Stay away from me!” Kat shouted, skipping backwards several feet, pinning herself to the wall behind her.

“Alright!” Kody said quickly, stopping and waving his hands in front of him. “I’ll stay back here! Just don’t run off and call the police or anything, I’m begging you! Give me a chance to tell you what’s going on!”

Kat continued to stare wide-eyed at him, shaking violently. Eventually, she managed to form a few words. “W…why? Why would you…” she trailed off, eyes falling back on the body in the back of the room.

Kody looked down at his feet, chewing his lip again. “I…needed the blood,” he said.

Kat’s eyes narrowed. “Blood? For… for what?”

“I…drink it…” Kody mumbled, sounding frustrated. “I need to. Or I’ll die, eventually.”

Katarina stared at him. “What?” she said. “Drink…blood?” She paused, eyes narrowing some more. “…Exactly who or what the hell are you?”

Kody glanced up at her, then back down at the floor, and sighed shortly. “I’m a vampire.”

Kat’s mouth fell open a little, then she shut it tightly, clenching her teeth. “What the hell do you think I am, a child?!” she exclaimed. “I’m not an idiot! There’s no such thing as vampires! I can’t believe you would even think of trying to feed me some bullshit like--”

“It’s true, Kat!” Kody shouted. “I’m not making this up! Vampires are…we exist. I know it sounds crazy, and fake, but it’s true. We're not...really like you see in the movies and stuff, but--but we’re real. Please, Kat, you have to believe me…”

“Believe you?” Kat shot. “Okay, fine. So if I believe you, you’re a literal monster and could kill me any second, and if I don’t…well you’re just some psychotic murderer! Either way, it’s bad for me!” Suddenly, the idea behind what she’d just said hit her, and he anger faded back into fear. She attempted to back farther into the wall, the shaking intensifying. “Oh God, you’re going to kill me…”

“What? No!” Kody exclaimed. “I am not going to kill you! You…” he trailed off for a moment, “You’re my friend, Kat. I swear I would never do anything to hurt you.” He paused again, and sighed. “Look, you’re close to the door. You can either run out now, and report me to the police or whatever, or you can believe that what I’m telling you is true and that I will not hurt you, and let me finish explaining.”

Kat’s breathing slowed, and she relaxed slightly. “Okay…” she said. “Fine. Talk. Just…just stay back there.”

Kody nodded. “Alright, that’s fine, I will.” He stopped then, and took a breath. “Okay…I’m a vampire, but it’s not the kind you see in books and movies and whatnot. I’m a sort of ‘living’ vampire known as a dhamphir, blood type. That means I’m technically human, and I’m living and breathing and I age and all that stuff. I was just born with some kind of mutant gene that requires me to take in…extra blood,” he explained, looking a bit uncomfortable with the last part. “It’s not a desire, or some sick fetish, it’s a necessity. I will get sick and ultimately die if I don't do it; it would be like...well, not eating.” He pointed a finger at the body. “And this? I hate doing this, okay? And I don’t do it very often, and I’m careful about who I pick. This guy was a deadbeat with no job, a drug addict, and a known sex offender. He was going nowhere--”

“And you think that makes it okay that you just killed him?!” Kat burst out. “That’s still a human life!”

“I know that!” Kody shouted back. “I know…like I said, it‘s not like I enjoy this. Trust me, I don't think I'm some vigilante ridding the world of crappy people. I just don't have much choice. It’s me or them.”

“You know, somehow it makes more sense to lose one freak than to sacrifice God knows how many others,” Kat snapped coldly.

Kody looked up at her, hurt on his face. Then he sighed, and plopped down on the floor. “I know,” he said quietly. “It’s selfish, I get it. I guess I’m just not noble enough to give up my own life for the sake of others. Sorry.”

Kat looked at him, sitting there, staring at the floor, and some of her fury and fear melted away. This was still Kody, right? Even if he was a…vampire, he was still the same dorky boy from her biology class, wasn’t he? The same one that she and Marten and Raina had been watching awful horror movies with just a short while ago?

She took a shaky breath, and slowly approached him, stepping lightly just in case. He looked up when she got within a few feet and stopped. “It’s…” she began, “It’s…not your fault…I guess. I’d probably be doing the same thing…” At his hopeful expression, she said, “That's if it's true and you're not just crazy, and I'm not crazy for even considering believing you. So don't think I'm okay with it or anything! But I…need awhile…to think. I won’t tell anyone, just…just give me some time to process this, okay?”

He seemed to consider that for a moment, then nodded. “Okay. That’s fair.” As she turned to begin walking out the door, she heard a “Hey, Kat?” She paused, looking back and raising an eyebrow.

“What?” she asked.

He didn't answer right away, but eventually smiled. “Thank you.”

Kat remained still a few seconds longer, then exited without another word.

She never did her biology homework that night.