RED

A new start

"Hope you don't mind me sitting here," I greeted her, employing my most charming tone, one that made most girls blush or giggle— but when she finally looked at me, her demeanour cold and unimpressed, she merely raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"Errr.." I fell silent, not knowing how to react. The lecture had already begun, and my fellow students flipped through their textbooks, urging me (and my strange desk-mate) to do the same.

Suddenly the girl's posture transformed, back straightening as she extended her hand. "Sorry, I can be quite rude... the name's Akisa. Nice to meet you." Her many rings glistened dangerously, but I shook her hand with a friendly grin.

"Ah yes, well I'm Laurent Orion, as I just mentioned," I stammered, feeling strangely flustered. (What's wrong with me? I'm never flustered!)

She withdrew her hand and turned to refocus on her textbook. I couldn't help but glance at the little sketch adorning a corner of her page : a beautiful depiction of an angel, its face buried in its hands, tears glistening in the moonlight.

Akisa glanced at me, noting my interest. "Ya like it?" she asked. I nodded, impressed by her skill.

"It looks beautiful" I admitted.

She looked back at her drawing, her voice softened, inviting. "Would you like me to make one for you?" she offered.

My gaze remained on her as I replied, "if it's not to much work..."

The girl smiled, still engrossed in her work. "Consider it done"

***

During the lunch break, I decided to join Akisa at her table. She was engaged in lively conversation with a group of friends, which made me smirk (devilishly so). I couldn't resist the opportunity to cause intrigue, especially amongst a group of girls.

I chose to greet her enthusiastically, like an old friend "Hey, Akisa!" She turned to me and stood up, surprising me once again— by hugging me.

Her friends gaped at her in astonishment as they glanced up at me. I smiled sheepishly and swiftly sat down beside her.

"Oh, by the way here's your drawing" she winked, pushing a piece of paper towards me. I picked it up, curiosity piqued and turned it over.

"...What?"
My eyes grew wide.

The way she chose to draw me... depicted me in the worst way she possibly could have. (unbeknownst to her) It accentuated the one thing I despised most about myself: the fact that I was a vampire.

I stood there, stunned, her nonchalance hanging over me like an unresolved riddle. She saw right through me, after sitting next to me for one fucking hour, she had me pegged! How could she tell-? I remained frozen, still clutching her drawing in my hands, pondering the enigma of her perception.

"What? Don't you like it?" she asked as she studied her nails, infuriatingly disinterested as my own thoughts swirled, unsure of how to respond.

Finally, I crushed the paper in my hand and shot her a venomous glare, the intensity of my emotions barely contained as I struggled to articulate my thoughts.

"We should talk, Alone?" I sneered, anger and fear warping my voice into a low growl. She finally looked at me, eyes wide, briefly revealing a flicker of worry beneath the icy veneer of her gaze.

"... Alright then" she said, her tone inscrutable as we rose from our seats, leaving the bustling cafeteria behind us.

**

We'd just stepped into the solitude of an empty classroom when I turned around and hurriedly pushed her against a nearby wall. She let out a yelp, the shock of my actions painted across her face. "Ow!" she exclaimed as her back ached, "What's gotten into you?!"

"That's precisely what I wanted to ask you!" I retorted furiously.

She looked at me, her eyes searching my face for answers, bewilderment etched across her features as I held the drawing before her, its intricate detail concealed beneath my shaking hands.

"What does this mean?!" I hissed angrily, my patience fraying at the edges as I sought the truth in her dark eyes.

"God..." she began, her voice trembling with uncertainty, "you just reminded me of a vampire, one of those Asian ones you know?"

When I didn't let go she continued.

"Y-you should take this as a compliment... I mean... vampires are cool, right?" Her stammered words hung in the air, mingling with unspoken tension.

I gritted my teeth and dropped the paper. Her attitude was both exasperating and inexplicable, causing my frustration to reach its boiling point.

She's dead meat.

My right hand clasped around my lips as my eyes started to change, their red luster shining ominously in the darkened classroom. It hurt, everything hurt, but I didn't care— I looked up, watching her react with bated breath.

Akisa eyed me warily, uncertainty and suspicion painting her gaze as I transformed into the very symbol she had sketched to be.

Finally I lunged for her neck, my instincts momentarily overcoming reason— but just as my teeth threatened to graze her skin, I stopped dead in my tracks, seized by an unexpected force.

"Down boy"

I hissed, truly meeting her gaze for the first time. Her eyes were stern and commanding, a cold stare to battle the hot red in mine. Slowly I felt my defiance wane. All the adrenaline that had surged through my veins just mere seconds ago ebbed away, leaving me feeling powerless and shamefully self-aware.

I released her and took a step back, her gaze holding me... eyes unwavering.

After some time she sighed, her demeanour softening as she finally spoke, "So, my suspicions were correct..." She shook her head slightly and a small (yet victorious) smile appeared on her face. I looked at the ground, unsure of what just happened.

I felt defeated and... relieved? This girl had not only seen through my facade with remarkable clarity, she'd also managed to make 'it' go away.

Suddenly aware of the lone teardrop falling down my face she grabbed me, whispering "Hey..."  while gently lifting my chin. "Let's start over, okay?"

Her eyes bore into mine, filled with a depth of compassion that caught me off guard. I blinked twice and nodded.

"Hi, I'm Akisa. What's your name?"

"I'm uh... I'm... Laurent"

"Nice to meet you laurent."

.