The classroom is warm and heavy, the kind of air that sticks to your skin.
The teacher is talking about something. History, governments, whatever..but her voice feels far away, like she's speaking from the other side of a thick wall.
Peter is next to me playing some game on his phone under the desk, pretending he's paying attention.
My eyes drift across the room and land on Kate.
Black skirt. Black top. Legs crossed.
The little movement of her shoe, slow and lazy, like she controls the whole room without trying.
Her hair is down, falling over her shoulders, brushing the edge of her desk.
Her fingers tap against the wood in this calm, steady rhythm.
I don't look at her the way I used to.
It's not that stupid "maybe she'll look at me" feeling anymore.
It's something else now.
I notice the shape of her knees, the line of her thighs just under the skirt, the small shift of a muscle when she crosses her legs.
Everything feels sharper.
Stronger.
Like the lights in the room dimmed only for her.
I'm not thinking about her like a guy thinking about a girl he likes.
It's more like watching something my body reacts to before I even understand why.
Like a scent or a movement that hits some instinct I didn't know I had.
My mind cuts off all that old softness, the weak parts, and leaves only this raw hunger sitting low in my stomach, beating like a second heart.
The teacher keeps talking, but all I see is the strip of light sliding over Kate's skin, the small movement of her hand, the rise of her shoulder when she breathes.
My hands feel hot.
My heartbeat feels too loud.
And I know, if she looked at me right now, she'd see it.
She'd see something different. Something wrong.
I close my eyes and try to calm down, take a breath, push it down.
But it doesn't go away.
The room fades around her.
My ears buzz.
My chest feels tight and empty at the same time.
Like I want something and have no idea what to do with that feeling.
And then -
something else.
Sharp. Metallic.
It slides into my lungs like a blade, hits the back of my tongue, then races through my body like electricity.
Blood.
I don't just smell it.
I feel it. My stomach clenches. My skin burns. A hot wave of hunger shoots through me so hard I curl my fingers into fists just to keep them from shaking.
If I closed my eyes, I swear I could count every heartbeat in the room, every pulse, every breath.
Panic flares through my body.
The smell keeps getting stronger. It hits me again and my whole body reacts before my mind even understands what's happening.
I try to breathe through it, but every breath makes it worse.
My eyes scan the room, searching, shaking, desperate for the source just so I can deal with it, push it down, understand it, anything.
And then I see Ashley.
She's sitting by the window, bored like always, leaning to the side, one leg tucked under the desk. She's playing with some bracelet on her wrist, completely unaware of anything.
But now I notice something else.
Something underneath her perfume.
Under her shampoo.
Under everything.
My body knows what it is before my mind does.
It's like my body punches me from the inside. A mix of disgust, fear, and a hunger that scares me so much my hands start to shake even more. It's wrong. So wrong. But it's there. Burning in my chest. And suddenly the whole room feels too small, too loud, too close.
I stare down at my desk so no one sees my expression.
Whatever I was yesterday...
that person isn't there anymore.
Now there's something inside me that registers people like systems. Bones, organs, veins. Moving parts. Warm blood behind thin skin.
A predator sitting in a classroom full of people who have no idea what's next to them.
Then pain hits so suddenly I almost gasp.
My gums throb like someone is shoving needles straight into my jaw. My face tightens, skin pulling as if something underneath is pushing its way out. My vision blurs. I feel the pressure gathering behind my eyes and I know I can't hold it anymore.
My hand shoots up before I even think about it.
"Can I... go to the bathroom?"
My voice sounds wrong. Harsh and unsteady. Like it doesn't belong to me.
Peter laughs and calls out:
"Yo, Vex is finally hitting puberty!"
I can barely hear him. I just flip him off without looking back and stand up too fast.
I push through the desks with my head down, hoping no one looks at my face too close.
The hallway door slams behind me.
Everything spins. The air feels too hot and too cold at the same time. Each step is heavier than the last. Pain burns through my gums and up the sides of my jaw. It feels like my skull is too small, like something inside me is trying to break out.
I stumble into the bathroom, grab the edge of the sink before I drop, and lift my head toward the mirror—
- and freeze.
It's my face.
But it's not.
My eyes are glowing. pale, almost yellow, pupils pulled into thin slits like a snake's. The whites are veined with tiny, sharp red lines. My lips are parted, and in the gap I see long, sharp fangs pushing down from my gums, tearing through flesh. They ache with each pulse. My tongue feels longer, colder, curling in my mouth like it isn't even part of me.
The pain hits again, harder.
Something snaps inside me.
My hand jerks forward and I slam it into the sink.
Porcelain cracks.
Water splashes everywhere.
A low sound comes out of my throat. Not a word, not even a normal breath. Something between a growl and a gasp. Tears sting my eyes from the pain, but the fear hits even harder.
I'm staring at myself...
and I don't know who I'm looking at anymore.
I stay there for a long moment, holding the sink, chest rising and falling too fast, trying to force my mind to remember something human. Anything human.
Eventually, the burning starts to fade. Slowly. Bit by bit.
My eyes dull back to normal.
My tongue shortens.
The fangs pull back, leaving my gums raw and throbbing.
I drag my hood over my head, the fabric brushing against skin that still feels too tight, too warm.
I look up again.
Human enough.
Maybe.
I tell myself I need to stay calm. That I can survive the rest of the day without hurting anyone. That I can keep this thing buried long enough to get home.
But even the thought of walking past people, past Ashley, past Kate... What if the hunger rushes back? What if one wrong step, one wrong scent, one wrong breath—
I can't risk it.
With shaking hands, I pull out my phone and type:
Had to go, mom needs help with something idk. Can you take my bag? I'll pick it up after school. Sorry.
I don't wait for a reply.
I splash cold water on my face, pull the hood lower, and slip out of the bathroom like a shadow. Every sound on the hallway feels too loud. Every scent too close. I keep my head down, walking through groups of students without letting myself breathe too deep.
When I finally reach the back exit, I stop.
Listen.
Make sure no one's behind me.
Then I run.
Across the parking lot.
Between the cars.
Heart pounding.
Jaw tight.
The world a blur of light and heat.
I only have one thought in my head.
Get home.
Don't lose control.
Don't hurt anyone.
I run through the morning light alone, not sure anymore if I'm running to something or from something.