The drive was just as bad as she had expected. Maya adjusted in her seat, pulling her feet up.

“No,” her mom said. Maya set her feet back down on the car floor. “We’re almost there.”

“You’ve said that fifty times.”

“That’s because our directions keep switching.” Her mom let out a sigh. “They really keep this stuff private, don’t they?”

Maya nodded. She pulled down the mirror above her head and bared her teeth. They didn’t look like fangs. She did it again.

“What are you doing?” her mom said.

“Practicing.”

Her mom’s eyes stayed fixed on the road. “Just be careful when you do those things. You could hurt someone.”

“Right. If anyone’s gonna get hurt, it would be me.” She shut her mouth. Her family had always been a bit wary of her– not that she would hurt them on purpose, but that whatever had caused her these ailments would control her. Unpredictability was her strong suit.

The tires screeched on the road as her mom made a sudden stop, pulling over next to a few stores. “I think this is it.”

“Which one?”

“What do you think?”

Maya’s eyes immediately drifted to a coffee shop, small and dusty, with darkened windows and a closed sign on the door. The lettering above it read Porchlight Coffee, blocked partially by a paper taped to it. Meeting. She pointed.

Her mom pressed her lips together. “Okay. Have fun.” As Maya pushed open the door, she called, “Do you want me to walk you in?”

“I’m good.” She knew walking into a room full of potentially bloodthirsty creatures was the last thing she wanted to do. It was even the last thing Maya wanted to do. She was basically a fruit bat— not a very intimidating title.

She knocked on the wooden frame of the door and to her surprise, she’d accidentally pushed it open. She stepped inside, coughing from the dusty air. Her boots tapped against the tiled floor. She squinted. It was dark. 

“Hello?” she asked. A light flickered on and she jumped backwards.

“Sorry!” Maya looked up to see a girl who appeared to be around her age. She had dark, curly hair, and wore a gray sweater. She had a slight accent, but Maya couldn’t place it. “Are you here for the meeting?”

“Yeah.” Maya said. She was feeling shyer than usual, and rocked from foot to foot as the girl came closer. She got nervous around pretty people. This girl was very pretty.

“Sorry?”

“Oh– yes.” 

The girl nodded. “Come with me.”

Maya followed her around the stools behind the coffee bar and the stacked tables and chairs. She wondered where they were going. The girl pushed open a door labeled Staff, and suddenly, it was much brighter. A sea of tables and chairs, and pots of coffee filled with white liquid. Groups of people talked. It was crowded.

“This is a lot bigger than the last time I came to one of these,” Maya said. Her phone buzzed and she glanced at it– a text from Leo. She tucked it away. The girl laughed.

“How long has it been?”

“Around fifty years.” 

The girl sucked in her cheeks. “Fifty. Wow. You look…”

Maya started giggling at the girl’s expression. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. It’s been a year. I’m not that old.”

“Oh good. I was worried.” A dimple formed in her cheek as she smiled. “Some of the weird vampires take these awful age-reverse pills…”

“Actually?” Yet another horrifying thing to add to her list of Bad Things about Vampires.

“I know. I hate it too.” The girl touched the moon shaped necklace that hung around her neck. “I’m actually fifteen, don’t worry.”

It actually was a relief to hear. “Me too!” she said. This was exciting news. Maybe this meeting wouldn’t totally suck.

“That’s neat,” the girl said. She offered Maya her hand, and she took it, clumsily. She was usually embarrassed by her hands– permanently cold, as everyone always told her. But this girl’s hand was cold too, and somehow, it didn’t feel bad. It felt sort of nice.

“I’m Gabriela, by the way,” the girl said. She led Maya to a table where a few jugs of white liquid and plenty of mugs sat. 

“Maya.”

“Maya?”

“Maya.” She grinned stupidly. Her fangs were out, from anxiety– when that happened, she usually wore a surgical mask to cover her mouth, but here, she didn’t need to hide. Gabriela’s fangs had been out the whole time they’d talked. They felt different. Subtle and beautiful, as opposed to a mouthful of trouble.

“Pretty name.”

“You too! Gabriela. That’s such a good name.”

“Thanks.” Gabriela smiled. She tucked a dark, bouncy curl back into her ponytail. “Do you want any milk?”

“Sure!” Maya had never attended an event that served exclusively milk before, but she was ready to try anything. She sort of just wanted to keep looking at Gabriela’s thoughtful dark brown eyes. But not in a creepy way.

Gabriela poured some creamy white milk into two mugs and handed one to Maya. She took a sip and almost spit it out, the unfamiliar flavor hitting her hard. She forced herself to swallow. “Oh! You meant coconut milk.” She blushed.

Coconut milk was the savior of modern vampires. Its properties allowed it to work as an emergency blood transfusion in humans, and a dietary staple for their kind. It was much more sustainable than blood, though some vampires preferred to be “pure.” Dracula style. Maya glanced at the back wall, where several adults were laughing and sipping bright red liquid from wine glasses.

“Never met a vampire that hates coconut milk.” Gabriela giggled. She had already drank half her mug.

“I don’t hate it.” Maya blushed. “Just wasn’t expecting it. I don’t drink it a lot.”

“You drink it a lot?”

“No, I don’t.”

Gabriela snapped her fingers. “You’re a fruit vamp!” She looked so pleased with her discovery that Maya had to laugh.

“What gave it away?”

“Just your energy.”

“But like, what energy?” Maya leaned towards Gabriela. “I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of every vampire I meet.”

“You’re not embarrassing,” Gabriela said.

“But what energy?”

“You know.” Gabriela’s eyes twinkled. “You’re bouncy, you don’t need coconut milk, you’re young.”

“You’re young too,” Maya teased.

“And you have green eyes.”

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing. Just cute.”

Maya put her hands in her deep sweatshirt pockets with a smile. “You too.”

“Vampires usually have dark eyes,” Gabriela said at the same time. “Wait, what’d you say?”

“Oh, nothing. Never mind.” Maya’s cheeks burned. She quickly lifted her mug to her lips and wished she could disappear. She didn’t get any of the good powers.