The young vampire searched through the shelves in the school library for a new book to read. He had trouble finding anything in this mess. He groaned. “Is there even a system to this?” he complained to his friend, who was sitting at the table behind him, eating lunch. “Every time I look through these shelves, it seems to have a different organisation system, if one at all!” He pulled a book out and turned to his friend, he waved the book at him. “This is a children’s book.” He grabbed another one. “What is it doing next to a horror book?” He put both books back with a grunt.

“Why don’t you organise them yourself if it bothers you so much?”

“The other students will mess it up again, anyway.” He picked a book to read, the first book in a series of adventure novels.

“Then you have your answer. The librarian probably thinks the same.”

The vampire returned to the table and sat on it, placing his feet on the chair. He examined the book he picked closer; the cover art was chipping away at the edges, particularly the corners. It had stains and scratches; he wouldn’t be surprised to find ripped pages inside. “People just can’t help damaging books, can they?”

His friend, who sat on the chair beside him, was smiling at him. The vampire hummed a question.

His friend shrugged. “I like seeing you care about something.”

“That sounds pathetic.”

The other laughed a little. He took another bite of his lunch.

The vampire opened the book. The following silence allowed him to read a few pages.

His friend finished his lunch. He laid his folded arms on the table and hid the bottom of his face in them. The vampire noticed him moping. He sighed with a smile.

“What?”

“It’s—my family again. I haven’t seen my mom in over a week. All my dad ever says to me is Dinner! or Have a nice day!”

“At least your dad says anything to you. I can’t even remember the last time I heard my dad’s voice. And I wish I didn’t see my mother for that long.”

His friend moved his chair closer and laid his head on the vampire’s thighs. “I want to leave. But I don’t know to where.”

The vampire stroked his hair, then rubbed his thumb over his head. “I’d love to escape, too.”

His friend closed his eyes with a small smile, enjoying the head pats. “I’ll think of something.”