If it had been any other vampire, they would have never had the problems that seemed to stack one after another on top of my already strained brain. I feel like I have to be so utterly paranoid that I even have to consider the angle of my own shadow. Mind you, I can't see that either, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't sit out in the sun for all to see.

So, any other vampire would have healed before even crossing to the next street. Well, if you don't take into account that it would have never even happened to any other vampire to begin with. That aside, I should have probably had another bottled blood supplement. Our level of sustenance is inversely proportional to our abilities and healing. It's the same as skipping meals. For us, we can and do eat actual food, but it's mostly the same as a vitamin supplement or something to enjoy the flavor of. It's not a necessity. I mean, the ecosystem has a hierarchy of what eats what. We happen to be at the top, yet shifted a bit off to the side. Well, we don't actually... Usually. We usually don't kill our staple food. We only require its blood, not flesh. Now, let's consider what the general human population even knows about the abilities that enable vampires such as myself to, well, feed.

'Look into my eyes,' I slap on a fake 'dracular' accent, thankful that these thoughts aren't being spewed across the air waves. My watch had a map of the school and I had memorized the steps and corridors pretty well to know my way around without falling up or down a flight of stairs. At this point, I was fairly sure I had reached the nurse's office and my diligence was credited when my fingers slid along the braille on the plaque outside the door.

Most vampires can 'hypnotize' their victims apparently. I'm not quite sure what they do or how they do it, but it's so much more difficult for me to accomplish the same action. First, me, a blind kid, has to get someone interested in him. I have no idea even how I look, which I hope is at least normal enough to garner any type of attention. Second, I would have to do so before any of my other nest mates noticed me and gave me trouble. Third, after getting the person into a private area, I would have to use my Geiger perception to figure out where their eyes and neck were.

Fourth, I would have had to switch from that to focusing in on where 'they' were. I don't quite know how to explain it, but it's like when you listen to a buzzing sound that you're trying to locate and move until the sound becomes clearer. In this case, the buzzing is the person's brain or thoughts, I don't know because I've never heard anything from them yet. I have noticed that there is this tugging emotional sensation attached to it, though. But once they are at that point, I can finally partake. Let me tell you, it is extremely exhausting! I want to say it's almost not worth it, but the taste, the smell, the sensations... I'm always careful, but I'm also a bit of a glutton when I can get any. Bottled blood supplement only does so much, which means that while I can live off of it, I am by no means at the top of my game like anyone else would be.

I tend to swim in my own thoughts often, so while I'm sure the nurse spoke to me and asked questions while bandaging my hand, I can say with all honesty that I have no idea what she said or even if I said anything in response. It wasn't until she shoved a slip of paper in my hand, 'a pass,' I thought since I belatedly remember the bell ringing... I pushed my watch, "The time is now eight. Twenty. Three." Seven minutes late, better than the possibility of missing school in general.

The halls were quiet and empty compared to the rooms on either side. It was amazing. I just pushed everything away except for the sounds of my own footsteps. The vibrations and echoes caused by them almost lit up the whole hall. Aside from my own room, at times and in areas such as this, it was almost magical how easy it was to navigate. Being the blind kid, I was allowed to leave early or be a little late to avoid the bulk of traffic or even find the right room, but I really hated even the idea of relying on such leniency, though I knew they offered it in good conscience. But when it did happen, this was like a guilty pleasure.

I walked over toward a row of lockers and flicked one of the locks as I passed, listening to its reverberations through the hall. It gave me the shivers, and I repeated it down the next corridor by flicking three of them, one after another. I wasn't getting a hard-on, but it still hit my pleasure receptors. In retrospect, I suppose I should have just gone straight to class rather than dallying and fondling the lockers.

A door shushed open; a bathroom door according to the smell while someone asked, looking back at one of his companions, "What was that?"

There was no movement for a moment as whoever was at the bathroom door probably was looking both ways before stepping out. The door stayed open for several moments as three additional figures also exited. I don't know why they were in there and I didn't want to know. It was none of my business and I hoped there would be no splash effect. I really just wanted to get through my day, finish my homework at the speed of He-Man's lightening and relax... Before I had to do it all again.

'So,' I thought as the probabilities fell way outside my favor, 'please just let me quietly sneak by like the little ninja I wish to be.' Too bad that the idea of, 'I can't see you so you can't see me,' doesn't work worth a possum's tail, though their ability to play dead is props-worthy.

I flinched as my walking stick knocked against something metallic on the floor that goes skidding off into some wild blue tiled-floor yonder, "Shit! Oh. It's just some blind kid."

I hunched, hoping that being treated as 'some blind kid' would keep their interest to a minimum. Did I mention yet that Murphy's Law loves riding my ass? Well, the only thing there right now is someone behind me whose hand is now on my shoulder. Oh, yay, and now I've been shoved into the lockers. The hand felt big and warm, giving even pressure to my shoulder so there was a constant ache of where the locks and handles jabbed into me.

"And what do you have here, blind kid?" The guy asked from several inches above me, snatching the note from my hand. "Oh, lucky, I now have an excuse."

"But don't you already-," The guy cut off as he was knocked, most likely, by someone next to him. While I doubt he probably did it to himself, I was too busy being stressed by the close contact to pay as much attention.

"Now I have another one," The guy replied, flipping up my sunglasses onto the top of my head. I was thankful he didn't take them, as had happened a couple times before. They weren't expensive and I have a bunch, but its kind of tiring always having to actually stock up on them. "Never looked into a blind kid's eyes before."

He leaned closer, his hot breath sliding along my face. I held my breath, not daring to move as he looked for several more seconds before leaning off of me and walking away, "See you guys at lunch."

The guys scattered, all walking to their prospective classes, hopefully. Surprisingly, one of the guys, after the others left, replaced my glasses and then proceeded to ruffle my hair. I was utterly flabbergasted, which was probably why I allowed him to without even flinching in response. I could hear him chuckle, and the breath I took in was scent marked with his essence- like a smell fingerprint. I tasted and parced the interesting flavor of him, automatically filing it away like the good vampire I was. Strong instincts are not easily suppressed, especially in stressful settings. When in danger or feeling 'threatened', one thing that we tend to do is take note of who was in our vicinity to better respond, if still alive, with the repercussions of messing with one of us.

In this case, it was his kindness that seemed the most threatening to me, "Need a hand getting to your class?"