Tenth Grade Bleeds

He ran a trembling hand through his hair. The smell of warm, delicious human blood was calling to him from within Henry’s veins. He had to get a grip. “What am I supposed to do?”

The room grew silent as they both mulled over the possibilities in their minds. It didn’t take long, as there weren’t many to be considered.

Henry cleared his throat, and in a raspy voice said, “You could feed off me. I mean, if you needed to. Just until you release me, y’know?”

“No. I won’t feed off a person ever again. I just… can’t.” But glimpsing the vein on Henry’s neck told him that he could. And if Henry didn’t keep his distance, Vlad would.

Henry gauged his reaction for a moment, then said, “ Then we need to find another solution. What about teachers? They’re not really people.”

Vlad cracked a smile. “ Think that would help my geometry grade?”

Henry chuckled. “Nothing can help that, Vlad.”

Vlad took a deep breath and let it out slowly. His hunger diminished some, enough to make him feel like maybe he wasn’t going to rip into Henry’s veins. “Hey, Henry?”

“Yeah?”

“Does this mean we can hang out again?”

Henry looked taken aback. “I never said we couldn’t hang out.”

“You said it. Maybe not with words, but your actions said everything.” Vlad swallowed the large lump that had formed in his throat. “You’re sick of me, remember?”

Henry winced. “Vlad, I-”

“Just tell me one thing.” Vlad swallowed again, but his throat was still very dry. He glanced at Henry. “If I hadn’t bitten you when we were eight, if I hadn’t made you into my drudge, would we still be friends?”

There was a long pause. After several minutes, Vlad began to wonder if Henry was ever going to speak-or worse, if Henry’s silence was doing the talking for him.

Henry ran his hand through his hair again. He sighed, stood, and crossed the room. He wasn’t pacing, but it sure seemed like he was having a difficult time sitting still. And with every sigh, every step, Vlad became more and more worried that his fears hadn’t been irrational, that maybe Henry really was only friends with him because of the drudge thing.

Finally Henry stopped moving and shoved his hands into his front pockets. He dropped his eyes to the floor-his tone followed. “How can you even ask me that question, Vlad? How can you doubt that I’d be your friend no matter what, despite some stupid vampire virus that you knew nothing about at the time?”

He met Vlad’s eyes, hurt shimmering in his. “Of course we’d be friends.”

A strange mixture of guilt and relief flooded over Vlad, and when he sighed, it seemed to make it easier to breathe, like an enormous weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He nodded quietly at Henry, showing his relief that their friendship was real. Henry didn’t just hang out with him because of some vampire master’s spell. He actually liked Vlad. And that was pretty cool.

Vlad cleared his throat. “So, what’s with the distance lately?”

Henry sank into his desk chair again. “ To be honest, I’ve been really stupid. Questioning why you never gave me a choice about being your drudge. Stuff like that. It’s not like you knew what biting me would do. And I was the one who suggested it.”

He grew quiet for a long time. When he spoke, his voice was but a whisper in the quiet dark of the room. “I guess I’ve just been wondering if you’d wander off someday with your vampire friends and leave me behind. I mean, why wouldn’t you pick vampires over me?”

Vlad’s jaw nearly hit the floor. He never imagined that Henry, Mr. Cool, king of make-out and popularity galore, would be worried about Vlad leaving him behind. He shook his head vehemently. “Because you’re Henry. Because you’re my best friend, and I can’t picture any part of my life without you in it.”

Their eyes met. After another long silence, Henry smirked. “So should we hug now, or…?”

Vlad chuckled, putting a hand up. “Hey man, I missed you. But I didn’t miss you that much.”

Henry grinned, then grew more serious and said, “It would be easier to be your drudge if you didn’t order me around.”

“Sometimes it’s just easier to tell you to do something instead of ask.” Vlad shrugged as a wave of guilt crashed over him. “I know that’s wrong… but it’s true.”

After a moment, Henry cleared his throat and said, “So, have you heard anything from Otis lately?”

Vlad shook his head, pulling the letter he’d just received from Vikas from his back pocket. “Nothing yet. But I’d written to Vikas to see if he knew what was going on with Otis and he wrote back a couple of weeks ago, said he had no idea but would check into it. I wrote him again, and just got a letter back this morning.”

“What did he say?”

Vlad unfolded the parchment, revealing Vikas’s perfect cursive, and read aloud.

Vladimir-

I was both elated and disappointed to receive another letter from you. I had my hopes raised that by now you might have been able to overcome the distance between us and reach me by telepathy. But regardless, it was wonderful to hear from you, Mahlyenki Dyavol.

But I return your good tidings with sad confusion, as I am still unable to locate your uncle. The last I heard from him, he had planned to visit, but when he did not show, I took it to mean that his plans had changed. Regarding your concerns, please allow me to put your fears to rest. Your uncle has not been arrested. If he had been, I would have learned of his arrest immediately, as I have friends in each of the councils. You may call them “spies.”

You asked about the relationship between your father and D’Ablo-a question I admittedly find most curious.

It is true, Tomas and D’Ablo were friends. But they were not friends in the same way that Otis and Tomas and I were friends, or that you and your drudge are friends (something that, I admit, boggles the mind). They were friends in the way that a mentor and one who is mentored are friends. D’Ablo looked up to Tomas, and rightfully so. Your father was an ingenious man. And D’Ablo desperately wanted to be like him.

As for your nightmares, I am convinced that those are brought on by the stress of your uncle’s absence. Do not worry, Mahlyenki Dyavol. I am certain Otis has his reasons for such silence, and that he will be in touch shortly.

In Brotherhood,

Vikas

Henry spoke quietly, his words sending a shiver down Vlad’s spine. “So, they were friends?”

“More mentor and mentored, it seems, but yeah.” Vlad folded the note and returned it to his pocket. “I wonder what my dad would think of his onetime friend trying to take his son’s life.”

“Repeatedly.” Henry met his gaze, his eyes brimming with concern. “Why didn’t you tell me you were still having nightmares?”

Vlad shrugged. “You were distracted. But yeah, I’m still having them. Not to mention the weird visit I got from a vampire named Ignatius.”

Henry gave him a look, and Vlad poured his guts out, filling his friend in on all of the details that he’d missed out on. After he finished, Henry hesitantly said, “Listen, Vlad. About me not wanting to be your drudge anymore…”

“It’s okay, Henry.” Vlad wet his lips. His mouth felt horrifically dry. “I get it. I do. And it’s okay. But releasing you involves another bite-”