The Guide To Being A Vampire [BL]

Class ended just a few minutes ago, right after Silas gave me that all-knowing look. He hadn't said anything, not even when Miss Herta told him to sit in front of me. He made no move to talk or even imply that he knew.

Maybe he's just crazy. Sure, vampires exist. But mages? Those weird wizards? Of course, they don't exist, right?

Still, the possibilities are endless. And Silas almost looks too regal, like he's some kind of prince straight out of a K-drama. Kath had been watching those recently, so it's not too far off.

"He's kind of weird, but cute, no?" Kath asked, suddenly appearing beside me with two ice creams in hand. I hadn't even noticed her return. She handed one to me, her smile wide and unassuming.

I hesitated before taking it reluctantly. Sleep may be optional for vampires, but human food? That's a definite no-go. Not only is it terrible for my stomach, but the last time I tried eating human food, I got so sick I thought I was human again. Stomach aches, vomiting—it was a disaster. I don't even want to think about it.

I didn't know how to tell Kath she shouldn't have bought me an ice cream. "Nah, take it. I don't feel like ice cream today," I said casually, handing it back to her.

Kath looked surprised, disappointment flickering in her eyes as she took it from me.

"It's been forever since we both ate ice cream," she muttered offhandedly, rushing to eat hers before the one I returned could melt any further.

I winced at her comment, my hand gripping the handle of my umbrella tightly. I had to stop myself—I didn't want to snap my poor umbrella in half. "My throat's been acting up lately," I lied, watching as Kath pouted, her brows furrowing in concern.

Her worry was misplaced. She didn't need to be concerned about me. I'm twenty times stronger than her—I could carry a car before a car could carry me.

"You've been so sickly, my poor baby Seb," Kath said dramatically, squishing her sticky cheek against my shoulder in an awkward one-armed hug. She didn't touch me with her hand, thankfully, as it was sticky from the ice cream. I wasn't too keen on cleaning my jacket later.

I patted her back and rolled my eyes. What a drama queen. But that's why I love her, and why she's been my friend for almost my entire life.

It hurt to lie to her. But even if I told her the truth, it wouldn't change anything. It would just make things awkward if she chose not to believe me.

I watched as Kath licked the ice cream off her fingers, finishing both cones in under fifteen minutes.

How amazing. She's the human embodiment of a vacuum cleaner. She should really consider entering one of those food-eating challenges.

"Here, wipe your hands," I said, pulling a handkerchief from my jacket pocket. Kath's eyes lit up as she took it, wiping her hands clean.

The scent of strawberry and chocolate still lingered faintly, but it was better than risking her sticky hands becoming weapons of mass destruction.

"Thanks. I'll wash this when I get home," Kath said, moving to pocket the handkerchief.

I stopped her. "It's fine. I'll do it. Knowing you, you wouldn't know how to clean it properly," I teased, flashing a grin as she puffed out her cheeks in mock offense.

"Rude! I do know how to wash clothes, and that includes your handkerchief!" Kath retorted.

I chuckled, remembering the last time I let her use our washing machine. She'd turned the entire laundry room into a bubble-filled disaster while trying to clean my jacket. My mom hadn't let us back in there since.

"Anyway, back to Silas. What do you think about him?" Kath asked, her tone suddenly excited.

I stifled a sigh and shrugged. "Okay-ish guy, I guess. Weird introduction, though. Must've missed some class on self-introductions," I said with a smirk.

Kath elbowed me, though her face broke into a smile. "Rude asshole," she said, her tone affectionate. If I didn't understand English, I might've thought she'd just complimented me.

"Yet you still love me," I teased, nudging her back.

Kath giggled. "Sure I do. Anyway, I've got to go. My mom wants me home early today. She's got some Zumba class, and I'm supposed to watch my little brother. Not sure why she doesn't just let Yaya handle it," Kath said, standing up with a sigh.

I laughed. "Hey, Miguel's your brother. You should be happy to spend time with him."

"Happy? Hell no. Be glad I haven't ripped my hair out yet," Kath said, clicking her tongue.

I patted her shoulder as I stood. "Alright, go do your sisterly duties. I'll wait here for Torie to finish her band stuff."

Kath nodded, slapping my shoulder before throwing a mock salute. "Careful on your way home, soldier," she said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes, watching her walk toward the gate. She turned back to wave, and I waved back with a light smile. I chuckled when she almost tripped on her way out.

"Having fun?" a voice said, close to my ear.

I yelped, spinning around to see Silas standing there, his smile small and his eyes crinkling with amusement.

"What the hell?! Don't sneak up on me!" I snapped, stepping back.

Silas tilted his head. "Are we really going to pretend?" he asked, his tone far more serious now.

"Pretend what?" I asked, feigning innocence. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's lying. Years of covering for my older sister when she snuck out to meet her girlfriend had made me a professional.

Silas crossed his arms, his smile sharp and amused. "Sebastian Gray. You've been a vampire for almost two years now, and you can't even admit it to yourself?"

My undead heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.

Okay, this is no longer a coincidence.

My jaw dropped as Silas laughed, bending over with an arm across his stomach. When he straightened up, he wiped a tear from his eye.

"You should've seen the look on your face. You looked absolutely terrified," he said, still chuckling.

I crossed my arms, narrowing my eyes at him. "How do you know? Are you really a wizard?"

"It's mage," he corrected. "Anyway, nice to meet you, Sebastian Gray." He extended a hand, his expression neutral but his tone laced with amusement.

I stared at his hand for a moment before grudgingly shaking it. He didn't seem like he was about to vaporize me in the middle of the school courtyard—especially not with CCTV cameras around and the security guard only a few steps away.

"Wizard, mage, same thing," I muttered.

Silas chuckled, shrugging. "True."

I bit my lip, watching as he looked me over, his gaze scanning me from head to toe.

"You're not what I expected from a vampire turned by Minerva herself," he said, crossing his arms.

I raised an eyebrow, offended. "What's that supposed to mean? And who the hell is Minerva?"

Silas stepped closer, grabbing my elbow and pulling me toward a large tree at the side of the courtyard. I let out a confused noise but didn't resist as he dragged me to the worn-out bench beneath it.

He sat down, patting the spot beside him. I hesitated for a moment before closing my umbrella and sitting next to him. The tree's branches were wide enough to shield us from the sunlight, and my hood was already up to keep me safe from any stray rays.

Silas crossed one leg over the other, turning to face me. "I was sent here to find Minerva Marlowe, a pure-blood vampire who most likely turned you into—well—a vampire," he explained, gesturing vaguely at me.

I instinctively glanced down at myself before looking back at him, confused.

"So?" I said with a shrug. "I don't know her. Sorry. All I know is that I'm a vampire now."

Silas leaned closer, his intense gaze locking onto mine. "Don't be a stranger. Tell me what you remember before you were turned."

His question surprised me. Not because I didn't want to tell him, but because I honestly didn't remember much.

The truth was, I had no idea how I'd been turned. All I remembered was walking home in the snow, blood dripping from somewhere. After that? Nothing. It was like I blinked, and suddenly I was back home, sitting on my bed in fresh clothes.

"All I remember is walking home, honestly. I don't even remember getting bitten," I said, frowning.

Silas sighed, leaning back against the bench. "I suppose you really are a runt vampire. I would've thought you'd be some kind of servant. But it's possible Minerva was feeding on you and accidentally turned you," he said, patting my shoulder apologetically.

Frankly, I didn't care who this Minerva was. But what the hell was a runt vampire? And a servant?

"There are different kinds of vampires?" I asked, voicing my thoughts.

Silas nodded. "Runt vampires are typically mindless creatures, driven only by their thirst for blood. You're surprisingly... sane, though."

"Thanks," I deadpanned, unsure if I should be offended or grateful.

I stared at him for a moment, taking in his appearance again. Maybe he really was some kind of mage. No normal human looked like him—eyes that seemed to glow, hair that screamed 'I come from an important family.'

If he told me he was some secret prince from a hidden kingdom, I would've believed him.

"So... do you actually do magic?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

—

I had no choice but to give Silas my number. Not only did he persistently ask for it, but he also gave me these ridiculous puppy-dog eyes that I couldn't resist. With a shit-eating grin, he copied my number into his phone.

And just like that, my one-year secret was no longer a secret. Someone else now knew.

Huh. I hadn't asked Silas how he figured out I was a vampire. Was there some kind of vampire detector out there? Oh god, that was terrifying. Hopefully not.

But in the time I spent with Silas, I learned a few things. For one, there were other vampires around the world. Most of them were in Europe—especially the pure-bloods, who apparently originated from Romania.

Silas also talked a little about mages, though in the end, it just seemed like a fancy term for wizards and witches. He hadn't actually shown me any magic yet, so I was still skeptical about whether he was the real deal or just some weirdo who'd seen me jump a high gate once and decided to stalk me.

I was in such a hurry that day that I didn't think twice about jumping over the gate to get home.

Hopefully, Silas was the former. If he was the latter... well, I might just debate drinking his blood and dumping him in the river.

"Hey, little bro. You look like you're in deep thought," Torie, my older sister, said as she dropped onto the couch beside me, her arm slinging around my shoulders.

I blinked, realizing I'd been sitting there staring at nothing. The TV was on, but the screen was blank. In my hand was the remote, uselessly gripped like I'd been about to turn it on.

"Hey," Torie said, poking my cheek.

"Just... stuff," I muttered, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly.

Torie shot me a pout. "Really? Or is it a romance problem? Is it Kath?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

I flinched in disgust. "Jesus, no! That's disgusting. I would never think of her like that," I said, horrified that she'd even suggest such a thing.

Kath had been my best friend since childhood. She was practically my sister. The idea of dating her sent shivers down my spine.

Torie leaned back, laughing loudly as she lightly punched my shoulder. "God, I was just messing with you. Don't take things so seriously!"

I groaned in embarrassment, wishing the couch would just swallow me whole. If I were still human, my face would've been bright red by now.

A soft ding from my phone saved me. I pulled it out, glaring at Torie before swiping it open.

It was just Silas.

[Hi. Is this you?]

For a moment, I considered leaving it on read. But in the end, I sighed and replied with a simple [yes] before locking my phone again.

God, I hope this guy isn't just some crazy dude.