It was Friday and therefore it was time to go out. It was nice because there was only a week left until the full moon, and I was getting more and more on edge because of it. Abel was so supportive and cute though, making sure I had all my favourite snacks. And he was the one who suggested we’d go out and have some fun as a group. Fred and Cal would meet us at the club Abel had taken me to before, while Creek, Abel and I got ready at Abel’s. He lived not so far from the club, so we could walk there.

It wasn’t really about getting ready as much as it was about drinking beers and dicking around a little.

“Will you miss any school next week?” Creek asked and handed me a new beer after I had emptied mine. And showed how empty it was by holding the opening over my head.

“Yeah, full moon is on Wednesday night, so I’ll miss Thursday and Friday. Don’t know what I’ll tell my teachers though. I have all-day lectures both days.” I sighed deeply and opened the new beer.

“I have both days off, so if you need anything just text me,” Abel said and leaned in, kissing my cheek.

“How do you have both days off?” Creek asked, frowning.

“First-year masters, man. Most of it is self-study at this point.” He shrugged a little and sent Creek a very tooth-paste-white smile.

“I wish I was a first-year masters,” they muttered and took a long sip of their beer.

“Tiny second-year bachelors,” Abel said and turned to me, ruffling up my hair. “Even tinier first year. You’re all so adorable.”

Creek rolled his eyes and shifted their gaze to me. “You could always talk to the school. Tell them you’re in therapy or something. Then it’s allowed absence.”

“We’re having the most boring conversation for a group of young people about to go out and get super smash brothers drunk,” Abel interjected in a whiny tone.

“Who says that?” Creek took off their round glasses and rubbed his eyes.

“Everyone. Everyone says that,” Abel hurried to say.

“Literally never heard anyone say that. In my life. Like in my whole life.”

“You’re just super uncool and not up with the lingo.”

“Lingo? Okay, grandpa.” Creek laughed and put his glasses back on.

 ***

We met the girls outside the club. Cal towered up over the crowd waving eagerly, her other arm crushing Fred to her side.

“Finally! We’ve been waiting for ever,” Fred said and gently patted her girlfriend’s belly. Cal looked down and eased up on her grip, sending an apologetic smile Fred’s way.

“It’s all Creek’s fault,” Abel said and pointed his finger at Creek.

“Uh, sure. I’m gonna totally believe that and that the truth totally isn’t that you took forever to style your hair without a mirror,” Fred said and snorted turning to me, draping an arm around my neck and gave me a hug.

“I wanted it to be nice,” Abel muttered, and I grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze.

“I promise it looks stunning.” I smiled up at him and he smiled back, his cheeks darkening a little. “And it was probably my fault we’re late. We got talking and I forgot the time.”

“Absolutely refuse to believe that,” Fred said and grabbed her girlfriend’s arm, pulling her towards the club’s entrance.

I smiled up at Abel and pulled him with me too. I wanted to dance and have fun and absolutely forget about the growing unease I was feeling the closer I got to the full moon.

I immediately pulled Abel out on the dancefloor, loving how the bass hammered through my body. Abel rested his arms on my shoulders as I grabbed his hips and pulled him closer. He was a full head and then some taller than me, but I didn’t mind it. I actually really liked it. I felt protected.

He was also such a great dancer. Like the way he moved was so fluid, looking more like a snake than a human. Or vampire. I guess he wasn’t actually human. And neither was I, for that matter.

I stretched to my toes and brought him down, kissing him. He was eager to kiss me back, his hand cradling the back of my head. The tips of his fingers gently massaged my scalp and I just loved how he’d always find some way to… Basically make me comfortable? I wasn’t even sure if that was it, but it was these small gestures that just meant the world to me. Like how he’d hold my hand around campus and not make it super weird. His hand would just slip into mine so effortlessly. Everything felt effortless with him.

Abel pulled back a little and smiled down at me. “Wanna go grab a drink?”

“Yes, I’m parched.”

He grabbed my hand and more or less parted the dancing people around us. It had to be some trick and or maybe I was drunker than I thought, but it genuinely looked like they all on their own just formed a perfect path for us from the dancefloor and straight to the bar. Even people at the bar moved for us.

“What do you wanna drink?” Abel asked and looked over at the menu written on a blackboard above the liquor shelf behind the bar.

“Whatever you’re having,” I said and looked back at the dance floor, catching Fred and Creek dancing very sillily to a pop song they seemed to know all the words to. I couldn’t help but snort.

“Order me something too,” Cal said and stepped in beside me. “It’s so hot in here today.” She fanned herself and smiled widely as she glanced back at the dance floor. “And honestly, no matter how much cardio I do I can’t keep up with Fred.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Me neither. She and Creek seemed to have an unlimited supply of energy.”

Abel handed us our drinks and Cal took a large gulp without even asking what it was. I took a sniff at it and found it to be rum and coke. Absolutely perfect for right now.

Abel put his arm around me and pulled me close to his side. “Are you having fun?” he asked.

“Yes! Are you?” I tipped my head up and received a quick kiss.

“Always.”

“Cheesy,” Cal said and rolled her eyes a little.

“Jealous.” Abel grimaced at her, making her raise an eyebrow.

“Of you? You kidding?” She curled her arm up, closing her fist, flexing her bicep and then winked at Abel. “Not in a million years.”

“Yeah yeah, bring that up,” Abel laughed. “Cal always loves bringing up how her arms are much larger than mine.”

“She’s also taller,” I pointed out.

Abel dramatically gasped. “How dare you. And here I thought you were on my side!”

Cal laughed a roaring laugh and took another healthy swig of her drink. Fred popped up beside her and snatched her drink out of her hand, taking a sip.

“Phew, awesome DJ tonight!” she chirped.

Creek was still on the dancefloor and had now found someone else to dance with. The way they moved was really mesmerising when he put effort into it. Which, judging by his dance partner, he definitely was. A slender boy looked to be very interested.

“I always love when a new school year starts. So many fresh faces shows up here,” Cal said and slid her fingers in between Fred’s.

“Yeah, it’s nice. Especially this year.” She smiled at me.

“This was the best year,” Abel chimed in and finished his drink. “Come on. Enough talk, time for dancing.”

I handed the rest of my drink to Fred and followed the vampire back onto the dancefloor. He pulled me close again and started moving to the heavy bass in the EDM song playing.

God, I could watch him move all day. He should’ve been a dancer rather than reading something really dry at uni. Or, I mean, he could just dance at my place all the time. For me.

He put his hands on my waist and brought me even closer, his hips moving against me. I tried to mimic his movements, but it didn’t look nearly as fluid. I didn’t really mind though. Abel seemed to be having lots of fun despite my two left feet, especially when he bent down and kissed me, pressing me to him, disregarding the music and rhythm for a minute.

If every night out could be like this one, I wouldn’t mind going out a lot more. We had so much fun, all of us.