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Ugh... massive headache...

"Hey, you awake?"

I opened my eyes slowly to that red haired male again. Kaoru, was it? A soft bed cushioned me. One of those fancy beds with the canopies high, hiiiiigh above my head. The colour was a pretty deep grey, like a halo around the red hair. Sleepy... Where am I?

"You're at my house," Kaoru whispered. I could feel his hand rubbing my forehead, fingers brushing through my hair. The motions were soothing. "You can't fall back asleep. You have to wake up now." But I'm so sleepy...

WAIT. I shot up in the bed, hitting my head on Kaoru's. Owwww, owowowow... I quickly brought my hand to my head, sucking air in between my teeth, and Kaoru only grimaced. But that spark! The one that had made me sick! I still felt sick even now. Maybe there should be a bucket nearby just in case... or a bathroom... "If you need the bathroom, I'll take you there."

Alright. Everything's good then. I glanced around at my surroundings. Kaoru's house. The room I was in was... dark. Majestically dark and beautiful. There were only a few lights here and there on small grey tables, but even the decor was dark. The floors were dark cherry wood with black carpets strewn around seemingly in no order, and the walls stretched up to the high ceiling, the same grey as the carpets and the bed. And the curtains. It was a very large room as well. The door seemed so far away... What if I needed quick escape? I still didn't know this person well. Maybe he had drugged me. Maybe this is all a trap and he's planning to torture me or keep me here forever as a servant or something.

"There are windows if you must escape," he said, smirking. "But I would be careful: we're on the second floor."

I turned and sure enough, on either side of the bed were windows. Beneath them small tables with drawers, elegant handles that looked carved.

Hold on a second... I didn't say that out loud. I haven't said anything yet. But he answered all these questions that I was asking IN MY HEAD. He did that earlier too, when I'd gotten sick. Looking cautiously back at him out of the corner of my eye, I scooted away slowly from him to the other side of the bed. His smirk only widened and he stood up to reach across the bed and sit right back next to me.

"Yes, I know what questions you're asking," he said. His eyes were piercing into mine eagerly, his face only inches from my own. "It's easy for me to do, and hard for you to understand. But I'm going to tell you the truth and explain it slooooowly, got it? I don't want you to be scared." I only nodded. Not only was I freaked out by this, but also quite curious. How does he do it? Can I do it too? "No, you can't do it without me doing something to you," he said, laughing. He looked more innocent when he laughed, I noticed. Not as mischievous or suspicious. Much more welcoming.

He poked my forehead and pushed me back down onto the pillow. "Listen well, ok? It's going to be really difficult and shocking at first. But just listen." I nodded again, bringing the blankets closer. Alright. I'm ready for whatever this weirdo has to say. He sighed, closing his eyes tightly like he was working up the courage to speak. "I can do a lot of special stuff, compared to you, because I'm not like you. I'm not as human as you are. I'm a different species of human, let's say."

...What?

He sighed again, staring me straight in my eyes. Searching them for something maybe? "Just take that in, ok?" I nodded again. His face was too close. I pressed my head back into the pillow to give us some space. He continued, staying just as close as before. "I can read minds. I know what you're thinking right now. You're thinking about how my pupils are slits instead of circles."

This is getting scary.

"The eyes are different because I can see much better than you can. It's like having regular eye ability mixed with the option of putting binoculars on. I can run super fast too." Suddenly he was gone. Where-? I sat up, leaning on my elbows, to survey the room. He was over at the door. A blur. And then in front of the bed. Another blur. And then right next to me. "Ah!" I jumped back. He crawled into where I'd been sitting a moment ago and gripped my hands tightly, like this was important important important information that I should never ever forget. "That's just what it is. It's that important if we want to be friends. And I want to be friends, so please don't take this lightly. Remember it, ok?" All I could do was nod again. "I can be very quiet. You know those 'damn teeth' you were thinking about yesterday? Well they're for something kind of gross. You won't like it. Hold on a sec..."

He ran off quickly, but normal running, to a door on the right side of the room. Only then did I realize he was wearing a black long-sleeved top with black cargo pants and multi-coloured socks. Like mine. My brain didn't even want to think about what it had just ingested. It's all true though. He's proved everything so far. I'll believe whatever comes next, I guess. There isn't much of a choice. But whatever.

He came running back with a big red bucket and set it in my lap. Oh no... The next thing must really be bad...

"Yeah, it's kind of disgusting," he said, rubbing his hands together nervously and staring at the bed sheets. "But I have to tell you. So... those teeth? They're pointed because I use them for... um... for piercing skin to suck out the blood in a cleaner, easier way."

Ok. Just accept it. Don't think about it, but accept it as real. Just don't... think about... oh gosh...

After about five minutes of me dry heaving over the bucket and Kaoru rubbing my back, I finally was able to sit back up without gagging. Oh my gosh... "It's ok," he whispered soothingly. "I found it gross at first too. But I have to do it to live. Not often, so I won't do it in front of you. But only once in a while." We sat there for a minute. Just accept it. I stared at the blankets. It was sewn so that there were small squares throughout it. This is a wonderful blanket. Nice and soft, warm, serving it's purpose...

"Have you guessed what I am?"

You sound like a vampire.

"Correct."

Score. Hooray me. Now what? "I just wanted you to know... because I wanted to apologize for you being sick. Because that was my fault. But I can't tell you why yet. But know that you're special, because not everyone I touch gets a spark just because I'm a vampire. You're different. Remember that." That serious, solemn, eager look had taken over his pale face again. He was holding my gaze so intently that I just... couldn't look away. Like in the field, all over again. "You gonna remember?" I nodded.

His smirk came back, spreading across his face. "Good! Well now that you know, you know that all my family are vampires as well, right?" I nodded again. Those eyes are so yellow... "Alright then! I'll have you meet them sometime! But not like this. You're still tired and hurt. And the doctor told me you need a lot of rest."

I pushed back the covers. "I should go home." Don't think about home. Don't let him know.

The smirk left, and was replaced with a sad, disappointed look. "Ok... You promise you'll rest though?"

You don't need to constantly be worrying about me. Ever since we've met you've been worrying about me. I'm fine. "I promise." He can hear these thoughts. I'm sorry I'm being somewhat mean.

"It's ok..." He sighed and walked me to the door. The rest of the house was just like the room I'd been in, except all the main rooms were black and red themed. Individual rooms had black and grey, or white, or purple, or something else. The front doors were enormous as well, stretching up to the high ceiling a good seven or eight feet above my head. He opened them for me and led me outside. The rain had stopped, but it was still grey and cloudy. "Should I walk you home?" he asked.

"No. I'll be fine." He handed me my backpack and I slung it over my shoulder. It felt heavier... Maybe I was still weak from the "spark". He smiled sadly and waved, and I waved back as I walked away. No idea where I'm going, but I'll check my phone for directions later.

When I turned around, walking through the forest that surrounded his Victorian-styled house, he was still there. Waving.

I have a vampire for a friend.