“Before I knew what hit me, baby, you were flowing through my veins” -Addicted to You -Avicii

After scrubbing my skin with the wet cloth, I snatch my things and race out of the ruined room.

“Damien!” I cry down the pale hall, my name echoing in response. “Damien!”

Nothing.

“Damn!” I turn and run down the wide, spiral concrete staircase.

Where he is? And what was with that reaction? Does he have Hemophobia? Or is it Haemophobia?

Whatever happened back then showed that he had some serious issues with either blood or something I hadn’t noticed.

“Hey, Lee!” I skidded around floor B-I mean L-and saw her heading my way. “Have you seen Damien?”

“Damien?” She asked, nonplussed. “No. Come on, it’s time to leave.”

“Bu-”

My sister snatched my wrist and dragged me down the stairs.

“You can see your boyfriend tomorrow.”

“He’s not my boyfriend!” I snap, defensive. “And I think he’s-”

“What?”

I yank my arm from her grasp, hating the way she spoke at me. Lee already thought I was an emo teenager begging for attention by “pretending” to be a vampire. I can only imagine how she would treat my story of Damien in the Chemistry classroom.

“It’s nothing,” I grumble, and Lee scoffs.

Probably.

…

“Yeah, it’s called Hemophobia,” Payton confirmed as she shoveled into the chocolate ice cream carton.

“Thas craisie,” Izze commented as she sucked on her silver spoon. Pulling it out, she added, “To think he was afraid of blood? That proves it. There’s no way he can be a vamp.”

“But his reaction was so weird. And his face. It was way…” My friends waited patiently for my answer. “I don’t know, just weird.”

Izze stole the ice cream carton from Pay.

“I just think it’s creepy how all of a sudden there was a rag on your desk,” Payton says.

“I know!” I agree, highly intrigued. “I mean, I didn’t know there were any rags in the classroom. The closest class I can think that would have one would be cooking, which is a floor down. But how can he have left the room so quick and come back with the rag?”

“Don’t forget it was wet. It was a wet rag,” Izze added.

“And it was placed far from you. Probably because he didn’t want to get near you, right?” Payton assumes.

“It’s almost like he really is a vampire,” I say, unsure how to feel about that.

“But if he’s a vampire,” Izze began slowly, “then how come he’s so afraid of blood? Wouldn’t he have drained you by now?”

“And how about the fact he can walk around during daytime without getting burnt?” Payton adds.

“I don’t know.” I slump. “I wish you two stuck there longer and saw it happen.”

Then again, if they were there, maybe it wouldn’t have happened.

I frown, recognizing that the feeling of relief. Relief that they weren’t there? Why?

“Well, you didn’t have to close your eyes,” Payton points out.

“Yeah, that just made it convenient for Damien.” Izze passed me the ice cream.

I roll my eyes, but I know they’re right. If I kept my eyes open, if I fought the fear and the instinct, maybe he’d have had no choice. Or maybe he would have just left the classroom and I’d have to tend to myself alone.

“You know,” Izze began, “I was so relieved when you called me over. You, my friends, are my Prince Charmings rescuing me from the witches’ castle.”

“About that,” I curl my knees to my chest, leaving the ice cream up for grabs beside me, “how did your mom take your new hair?”

Izze cackles. “She was sooo mad! She went on a rampage and walked around, stomping her feet and giving a big speech about how no person under her house was going to walk around with grass for her hair.”

“What about your dad?” Payton inquired.

“Oh, him? He didn’t care. In fact, I don’t think he noticed the difference until Mom told him to lecture me. But even then all he said was ‘I like it. It’s the new style these days, right?’”

“Mom was pissed?” I guessed.

“Mom was pissed.” Izze nodded. “But if I dye my hair again, I’ll go for rainbow. Really vivid and bright.”

Payton and I exchange glances.

“We think you’re fine,” we say in unison.

Izze yawns and says she’s tired. “The last thing I want to talk about before I go to be is my mother. I’ll end up having nightmares of her.”

“She says that,” I throw a blanket over the comatose Izze, “but I bet she loves dreams of her mother.”

“Yeah. Izze really does admire her.” Payton smiled. “She acts like a kid with a crush, yanking on her mom’s ponytails by doing dumb things.”

“Like the hair thing?”

“Like the hair thing.”

Payton and I slither underneath our own blankets beside each other.

“Pay, how’s your mom?”

“She’s fine. The same. Still thinks Izze and you are total oddballs. But loveable oddballs.”

I smile. If my own family doesn’t believe I’m a vampire, I’d be surprised if Payton’s did.

“What’s it like being a vampire?” Payton suddenly whispers, but this isn’t a new question. She’s asked it when we were children and she’s asked it as we grew up, similar to when people ask, “What’s it like having a new job?” or “What’s it like being a high schooler?”.

Though I age, my circumstance never changes, and neither does my answer. I wonder if it ever will.

“Complicated,” I repeat with a sigh.

“Mmm ‘kay. Goodnight, Page.”

“‘Nigh, Pay.”

…

When I went to French II, I didn’t expect to see Damien. I guess I had assumed, with him being so weird yesterday, that maybe he would take a sick day. Or maybe avoid me.

But he had surprised me.

“Hey,” I said, baffled as I plopped myself onto my seat.

“Hey,” he replied, the same way everyone does when one addresses you.

“How are you?” I push, forcing Damien to swivel to his side so he could face me.

Soaking in the pale morning light, Damien is drop dead gorgeous. As if he was ever not gorgeous.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

I resist rolling my eyes. “Don’t act innocent. I’m talking about yesterday after school. You were, you know…”

I honestly don’t know, which would explain me asking him these questions.

Izze looks at me but says nothing for once.

“Oh that.” Damien’s beautiful green eyes sparkle. “I don’t like blood. So I left. I’m sorry about that.”

“But there was a rag. It was wet. And you were gone so quickly I didn’t even hear you!” I hiss loud. Students glance over but shrug me off and return to their own drama.

Damien looks at me funnily and explains, “I’ve always been a fast runner. You would have noticed that if you paid attention in Physical Education. I’m also extremely quiet.”

“So you aren’t a vampire?” I could’ve slapped myself right then for letting myself speak so thoughtlessly.

Damien blinked and started laughing. Again, we had drawn attention and I was growing irritated. How could I ever have suspected him as one of me? How?

“You’re not a vampire?” Izze finally chimes in. She wants a straight answer.

“No, I’m not. Why do you keep asking me this?” He actually sounds pretty aggravated.

“Class! Quiet down! It’s time to pay attention now!” Madame Selma cried from the front and Damien turns from me, relieving me from mortification.

I sit solemnly, feeling totally miserable. I should just admit it: I’m the only vampire here. Damien had made it clear more than once that he is not a vampire. Why am I even trying to push the issue onto him?

Do I want him to be a vampire? No way! Why would I? It’s not like I have any special feelings for the dumb boy.

The bell rings, snapping me back to reality, and I’m shocked that class has come to an end so quickly.

I slide down and stare at the floor, my forehead pressed against the curve of my desk.

“Hey, Page, get up. The bell’s rung.”

“Is he gone?” I ask.

“Who’s gone?”

I glance up and see Damien standing, hovering over me like an ominous shadow.

“What are you still doing here?”

“What are you still doing down there?” He counters.

“Nothing.” I pull myself up, grab my things, and stomp out of the room with Izze chasing after me.

I’m doing and thinking of absolutely nothing.