Disclaimer: All characters, settings, and basic plots belong to the wonderful author, Heather Brewer.

Word Count: 545

Status: Complete, One-Shot

Summary: They were eight. And now…everything's different. OOC, Very Short

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"I'd like you all to welcome our new student, class. Vladimir Tod."

A short, scrawny boy made his way to the front of the classroom. His black hair hung in his eyes, and his clothes were too big. His skin was paler than any of the other students had ever seen. He was different. And the other students didn't like that.

"Tell us something about yourself, Vladimir," said a brown-haired teacher in a singsong voice.

I'm a vampire, thought Vlad. I'm a bloodsucking freak.

But instead, what came out was, "I like red stuff."

The class roared with laughter. Vlad blushed his favorite color and walked back to his seat, next to some girl named Tanya Smith and a boy named Brian Tumbleman. They both gave him dirty looks.

"Ok, class, please open your reading books to page seventy-four."

There was a sound of rustling pages before the class sat eerily silent. Each of them, at the teacher's command, started to read Rumpelstiltskin.

After, math, science, and spelling, the twenty-three students were dismissed for recess. Vlad made his way over to the shady area by the building. One by one all of the students cornered him in. He looked up.

"Can I help you?"

Two students that he recognized as Bill and Tom from around the block led the group.

"Yeah, red boy. I'm gonna make you all red. Red with blood."

Vlad felt his fangs release from his gums at the sound of blood. He desperately needed lunch to come.

One of the boys at the back nudged his way to the front.

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"And why not, Henry?"

So this was the infamous Henry. The popular one. The funny one. The one all the girls in the third grade liked.

"You'll get in mounds of trouble."

The crowd sheepishly bowed their heads and trudged away. Henry led Vlad to the side of the school, where none of the other kids were.

"Thanks," said Vlad.

"No problem. I've dealt with those jerks before."

Vlad tried not to focus on the beating purple veins in Henry's wrist. He tried not to think about how amazing it smelt, how hungry he was, or how if he opened his mouth there was always the risk of exposing himself.

Try as he might, he lunged at Henry.

"AH!"

His fangs poked through his gums, and his grip on Henry became tighter. He poked his fangs into the vein in the boy's wrist.

This kid was on top of him, drinking his blood. What the heck? What kind of creature does that? He felt like he was going to pass out.

Vlad regained control of his senses and pulled away.

"Sorry. Are you okay?"

"Ow, Vlad, that hurt!" The boys laughed. "I think I need a band-aid."

[Six Years Later]

"So, Henry, how did it feel when I bit you?"

"It hurt, but then, I felt kind of numb…."

"Henry? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just remembering something." He smirked. Vampires really weren't the most cautious people in the world.

"I heard that!"