Kevin yawned as the music blared, thumping uncomfortably in his chest. He watched the others, dancing and chatting. He’d like to have joined in, but…he didn’t really know anyone here, so just going up to a total stranger and striking up a conversation was the hardest thing he could imagine doing. Kevin looked over and saw Will talking to a pretty girl and shifted uneasily. Most of the guys here were on one team or another, and he would rather be at home pouring over his comic collection, so they had little in common there. And as for talking to a girl, Kevin could picture it now. He’d stroll up, she’d look at him, and that would be that. He couldn’t for the life of him think about what to talk about with a girl. Somehow, he mused, they would be less than enthused that he had the complete run of Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing.

Sighing, he mumbled and weaved through the throng of people over to Will.

“Hey man.” he said dejectedly. Will stopped talking and looked back, doing a double-take at his downcast expression.

“Excuse me just a sec, gotta help out a friend.” He apologized to the girl and hustled Kevin over to the refreshment table.

“Dude, what’s going on? You look like death warmed over. The hell?” he whispered furiously.

“It’s, ahh…no, never mind.” Kevin sighed, shaking his head. Will felt a headache coming on.

“No, seriously, what is it?” Will pressed.

“It’s…” Kevin looked around the room helplessly, starting to turn red. “Well, it’s just that I don’t belong here. This’s more your speed Will, and…I’m nobody. I’m just a comic book geek. I hate to cut the fun short, but can you take me home? I’ll make it up to you, I swear.” Kevin desperately assured as Will made a face.

“What, is my kindness not good enough for you? I invited you to this party after you helped me ace the test and you throw it back in my face?” Will asked, sounding hurt. Kevin’s eyes went wide.

“No, no! That’s not what I-” Will smirked and sighed, looking amused.

“Too easy.” he chuckled. “Listen, this party will be good for you. We are young. It’s nearly the weekend. We are at a party. Relax, loosen up, and meet people. Maybe a girl. There’re some fine chicks here.” he said, glancing back over to the one he’d been talking with.

“But I…don’t really do the whole ‘meeting people’ thing. I’m not like you, I can’t just talk to complete strangers like I know ‘em.” Kevin said. Will rolled his eyes.

“Oh man.” His eyes went back to the girl again, where she was being approached by a linebacker from the Craven Falls High football team. “Look here.” He grabbed a cup, went over to the keg by the end of the table, filled it up and thrust it into Kevin’s hands.

“Wh-hey! I don’t want this, I’m not old enough to drink!” he protested.

“Chill, chill.” Will said soothingly. “Take as much as you want. I’m driving, so I’m not having any. This’s just to help you loosen up, get those inhibitions lowered a bit. You gotta get out of your own head if you want anyone else to get in.”

Kevin looked at the beer in his hand doubtfully, giving it a sniff and making a face. But, if Will said it could help, then it might.

“A-Are you sure?”

“Positive.” Will said, nodding sagely. “Just don’t go drinking a gallon of the stuff and you’ll be fine. What’ve you got to lose?” With that, Will departed, making a beeline to the girl he’d left like a madman. Kevin regarded the drink again, Will’s advice going through his head. He shrugged. He supposed one wouldn’t hurt. He took a sip.

“Hmm. Not bad.” He said. He stayed near the wall, sipping his beer. Eventually the cup was empty, and he still hadn’t spoken to anyone. He looked around him forlornly.

“Maybe after another one.” he said to himself. That second turned into a third, then a fourth, until after an hour he was nursing his seventh. He was feeling dizzy, a warmth in his chest, but still no closer to actually talking to someone.

It was then that he felt it. Kevin turned to see dark, piercing eyes lock on his across the room. They belonged to a raven-tressed goddess, slender and so fair she was almost pale. She was taller and fuller than any other girl there. She had to be in college, at least. She glided across the room, seeming to encounter no obstacle despite the crowd. She wore an elegant red dress that hugged her figure to a scandalous degree, and wore a crimson lipstick that seemed to glow on her skin. Every eye with a Y chromosome was on her as she approached a gobsmacked Kevin. She took the cup from his unresisting fingers and brought it to her lips, imbibing.

“For me? Thank you. I appreciate it.” she purred seductively, and Kevin found it strange he had enough blood in his upper body to blush. “Tell me, stranger. What’s your name?”

“Hmm? Whose?” he said, mind blank to everything that wasn’t her. She chuckled.

“Yours, silly.” He remembered she was talking to him.

“K-K-Kevin!” he managed to squeak out, voice breaking, and he died a little inside. She chuckled again, and he found he didn’t mind if she was the one laughing at him.

“I am Genevieve. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” she said, licking off some suds from the rim of the cup.

“Sure. I mean, same!” Kevin managed.

“My, such a handsome young lad. I wonder if you might be willing to do me a favor?” she suggested coyly.

“W-What do you n-need?” he stuttered. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder and hung off him, pleasantly heavy.

“Would you like to join me in the bedroom upstairs?” she whispered into his ear. Kevin’s heart, which had been pounding in his ears, froze completely.

“Uh. O-O-Okay.” He could no more refuse than suddenly sprout wings and fly away.

“Hmm. Good boy.” she cooed. She took him by the hand, seeing as he was incapable of anything at the moment, and led him to the stairs. Bewildered stares followed him as they went, but Kevin only had eyes for her. They passed Will, who gaped at them open-mouthed, then tossed a thumbs-up at him.

Once they entered the room upstairs, she sat him on the bed, then closed and locked the door.

“Uh…Genevieve? I, I’ve never…y-you know, d-d-one this before. Not, y’know, with anybody else…but you wouldn’t want to hear about that, I suppose.” Kevin babbled, nervous and shaking. She just giggled.

"Oh, don’t worry about that, it comes with time and experience. All you need to do is relax. Just let me take care of everything. I find that the quality a young man like yourself has most in abundance, the quality I'm most interested in, is...vitality." Her gaze dropped lower as she spoke, and Kevin gulped. She crossed the room sinuously and ki8ssed him softly on the lips. "Just relax..." she said, kissing down his jaw and neck. He moaned. "And enjoy. I know I will."

Her fangs slid out and sank deep into his jugular. He gasped as she drank quickly, deeply, greedily.

He tried to struggle and resist, but her grip had turned to steel and he was rapidly weakening to the blood loss.

"You...you're a..." he moaned. She took her face from his neck, twin streams of blood running down her chin. Thankfully, the alcohol dulled the pain.

"Yep." she giggled, messily wiping off her face. "A vampire. Surprise! Hic! Hee!" she said, swaying from side to side.

"Didn't think you were real." Kevin said, lightheaded and dizzy. He touched his neck. It was sore, but that was all, and only a small amount of blood flowed out. "'M not bleedin'."

"That's cause vampires have an anti...anti...our spit heals up wounds on humans. Keeps ya Ziploc fresh! Ha!" Genevieve laughed out loud and nearly slipping off the bed. She felt a pleasant warmth spread from her belly as his blood was circulated through her body. Her vision swam, and a goofy grin broke out on her face, and Kevin did too.

"Cool." he said, falling back on the bed. She giggled and crawled over to him.

"Hic! C'mere, you. Not gettin' away from a fersome vampire. Hic." She giggled, and so did he. "Ow!" she cried as her fangs bit her lip as she laughed. "'Nyway." she clumsily grabbed his shoulder again. Kevin drowsily regarded her as she bit down once more. As his consciousness faded, he supposed there were worse ways to go.