Sofia felt far less nervous as they walked into the bar. Since she had been allowed to dress herself she had gone for pants and a more casual look. She seemed somewhat out of place beside Jackie who wore a glittering silver dress.

Jackie took her arm and led her inside. A gesture that caught her off guard until she remembered that her glasses visibly marked her as visually impaired. Jackie was playing along. Clever. Still, she couldn't ignore the feeling of Jackie’s warm fingers digging into her sleeve. The heat radiating from Jackie pressed to her side.

The bar smelled of smoke, something that was definitely not allowed in public establishments. It was dim but decently packed with people. Faint music played over speakers.

Jackie led them to a booth in the back past the pool tables. The place was by no means packed though there were enough patrons for an undertone of conversation.

“You want something to drink?” Jackie asked as Sofia slid into the booth.

“Water,” Sofia replied, it was the only thing she would be able to stomach.

Jackie returned a minute later with a glass of water and a brown drink that smelled strongly of alcohol with ice and a lime.

“So…” Jackie said awkwardly.

“So,” Sofia repeated, trying not to laugh. Why was it awkward? Things were never awkward between them. She glanced around at the other patrons, flipping her attention between various pointless and drunk conversations before focusing back on Jackie. “How are classes going?”

“Good,” Jackie nodded. “I got a project due next week, but then there will be nothing until exams. You?”

Sofia shrugged. “Uh… my goal is just to pass at this point. I’m not gonna drop out with only a few weeks left but… I don’t know if I’ll come back yet.”

Jackie nodded. “I was thinking about it, I would like to go home with you for the summer if it’s possible.”

Sofia smiled. “Great, I still have no idea how that would even work though.”

Jackie hummed, tapping her fingers on the table. “What if you just carried a parasol?”

“Uh… actually that’s not a terrible idea. I would look kinda stupid though,” Sofia laughed.

“No one’s going to tease a blind woman,” Jackie retorted.

“Fuck, I still need to tell my parents something,” Sofia groaned in response.

A parasol could work though. It would be risky, very risky and precarious but it would probably work. An extra layer of protection that could easily make all the difference. With Jackie at her side, she could occasionally brave the daylight. It would be by no means pleasant but it would open a few doors.

“Maybe have it be a preventative thing,” Jackie offered after some consideration. “Maybe… your eyes have been sore and dry and struggling to deal with light so your doctor suggested wearing sunglasses and avoiding any bright lights to let them recover. Feed them some lie about the dangers of cell phone light or something.”

“It’s not the worst idea I suppose,” Sofia sighed reluctantly.

“Then they don’t worry as much, they won’t want to push you because you’re following a doctor's orders and you can avoid the sun like the plague,” Jackie summarized.

“My mother would still worry and if we ever got in a situation where I actually need you to guide me she would lose her mind.”

“So no midday outings, you handle yourself inside fine,” Jackie shrugged.

“We have blackout curtains here,” Sofia countered. “If at any point I’m hit with direct light, even with my glasses I’m gonna burn and I’m not going to be able to see a thing.”

“Then I will make sure that doesn’t happen,” Jackie replied.

“But… what if it does?”

“You have your eyes.”

“I can’t erase memories after the fact,” Sofia sighed.

“We haven’t tested it and if hypnosis can make people unable to recall something temporarily I’m betting you can do a lot more.”

“Fuck,” Sofia groaned. “Alright, you win.”

Jackie didn’t seem to celebrate her victory though. She took a sip of her drink and reached out for Sofia’s hand. “Trust me, I won’t let anything bad happen to you. Day shift and night shift. Blood buddies.”

Sofia smiled and nodded. “Okay. I’ll try.”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“There is no trying, only doing.”

“Do or do not, there is no try,” Sofia corrected.

“Oh, whatever. You know what I meant,” Jackie grumbled playfully.

Once again they both fell silent. The tension was less awkward than… something else.

That was a bold-faced lie. Sofia was well aware of how gorgeous Jackie was. Her sharp features and freckles only accented her large blue eyes. It wasn’t helping that Jackie’s dress was quite low-cut. Jackie might have been lean but her boobs certainly boobed boobily.

Sofia really wished she could have been drunk so she had an excuse for that horrible combination of words. She felt her cheeks flush. “Uh… you want another one?”

Jackie finished off the last of her drink. “Sure,” she smiled.

Sofia’s only saving grace was that Jackie couldn’t read her thoughts. That made her pause even as she awkwardly approached the bar. Would she be able to read Jackie’s mind one day?

Why were all her vampiric abilities so violating? What about turning into mist or commanding wolves? But no, her abilities had to be ones she was uncomfortable ever using.

“Another of whatever she ordered,” Sofia sighed to the bartender. He gave her a curious look but thankfully kept whatever thoughts to himself.

When she returned to their booth however she found Jackie not alone. Two boys now sat with her. They seemed around their age, the white one leaned against the booth standing while the black one had taken Sofia’s spot. They both wore U of T football jackets.

What a coincidence. Sofia scowled. Whatever pleasant, playful and slightly embarrassed mood she had been enjoying had been gruesomely murdered.

Jackie looked up at the standing boy and laughed at something he said, her eyes seeming to sparkle. Sofia’s head spun, she wanted Jackie to look at her like that. Oh… well fuck.

Sofia was proudly a lesbian, and Jackie was bisexual even if she had a presence for men. While Sofia had always been well aware of Jackie’s beauty… the feelings were new.

For a split second, she almost missed being numb. Except that was fucking stupid. That was really stupid. She had relished the sun literally cooking her face but the slightest amount of misplaced jealousy made her miss feeling nothing? That was actually fucking embarrassing.

She sighed to herself. Far too aware of the fact she was just standing there awkwardly. She took a moment to compose herself and returned to the booth. She could more than handle herself.

“Move over,” Jackie hissed at the boy in Sofia’s spot as Sofia approached. He slid into the corner. “James, Matt, this is my roommate Sofia. Sofia, Josh and Matt. They play hockey at U of T.”

Sofia gave them a tight-lipped smile. Matt, the boy who had been in her spot, offered a hand to shake. Sofia purposely ignored it as she slid Jackie’s new drink to her.

Matt awkwardly retracted his hand. “Nice to meet you,” he offered.

“Jackie says you also go to U of T?” James asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

Jackie slid into the corner of her booth so he could sit beside her.

Sofia nodded, paying little attention to him. She was focused on Jackie. Why has she invited these two to sit? Had she even or had they just barged in?

She didn’t seem remotely uneasy, her heartbeat was steady.

Somehow Jackie knew she was being observed. How else could Sofia explain the wink Jackie had just tossed her way?

So this was intentional? Surely Jackie couldn’t mean for them to eat these two? They were students at the same university. It was too personal. Also, there were two of them.

Somehow that was the only conclusion that she liked. The idea that Jackie had ditched their night out to chat with these two made Sofia’s teeth ache and her temper flare in irritation.

But she knew Jackie better now. She had vowed to trust her.

Flirting and chatting about nothing at all were both not Sofia’s strong suit. Her total lack of interest did not help things. Thankfully the boys were far more focused on Jackie. She was like a light drawing the moths to her. Weren’t vampires supposed to be supernaturally alluring?

But Sofia wasn’t jealous of the boys’ attention, she was jealous of Jackie’s attention.

When Jackie eventually slipped by James to go to the bathroom it was Sofia that took her arm. Jackie might not have been drunk but she was certainly buzzed, alert enough Sofia would be getting answers from here.

When they stumbled into the bathroom Sofia listened for anyone else before turning and locking the door. It was a dick move, but they needed a minute undisturbed.

Jackie was far closer than she had expected, her pupils dilated, her cheeks flushed. If Jackie was going to try to convince Sofia to kill those two she was hardly in any state to do so.

“What the hell are you doing?” Sofia asked, unable to hide the frustration in her voice.

Jackie blinked in surprise. “You don’t like them?”

“Obviously, I went out tonight to spend time with you, not some random frat boys.”

“Sofi… we’re hunting tonight aren’t we?”

“Them?” Sofia asked.

Jackie nodded. “People talk on campus, people warn first years who to stay away from.”

“What are the odds we just stumble into them here?” Sofia frowned suspiciously.

“I’ve been… researching,” Jackie shrugged with an expression that spoke of self satisfaction. “They like this place; it's quiet and dark, and there are no security cameras.”

“I don’t even know if I can drink that much blood,” Sofia offered, her mind scrambling to come up with other reasons not to do this.

“That doesn’t matter. There will always be more,” Jackie retorted. Turning to the mirror to check her makeup.

“You like this. You like… hunting,” Sofia stated. The prices clicked together in her mind.

Jackie stiffened but turned around to face her. She seemed lost in thought for a moment. “I do, I always have.”

Those simple words had far more meaning than Sofia could unpack right now. They had only killed one person together, they had just shown up and done it, all according to Jackie’s plan. But that wasn’t the first person Jackie had ever killed.

“How many people have you killed?” Sofia demanded but her voice was soft.

Jackie wet her lips. “Dad makes three.”

Sofia felt both horrified and slightly thrilled. She should not feel thrilled. Sofia was a serial killer. What the actual fuck. How was that a more insane revelation than being undead?

Once again it felt like her word had tilted off its axis. Panic, that was the feeling. She missed being numb.

“Who,” she demanded, gripping Jackie’s ethereal collar with more force than ever before.

Jackie’s eyes went wide. Sofia half expected the command to be shrugged off. “I pushed a girl off the play set in middle school, she kept pulling my hair. Class clown with a peanut allergy in high school,” Jackie answered instead.

Somehow that was worse. Kids, she had killed kids. Maybe kids her own age but… “Jesus fucking Christ Jackie.”

“Don’t act so high and mighty. I saw your expression when you killed dear old dad. You were in ecstasy,” Jackie huffed, leaning against the sink.

“I was starving,” Sofia hissed.

“I know, but you can’t say you weren’t enjoying yourself,” Jackie retorted.

Sofia bit back a snarl. She had been used. Jackie had coaxed her into cold-blooded murder. Killing had felt good, that was the fucking problem. Jackie had used her. Been using her.

“Good luck with your hunt,” Sofia spat, unlocking the door and marching out without a glance back.

“Sofi!”

Sofia ignored her and hurried out of the bar. They were done, she was done. Blood Buddies was over.

Maybe it wasn’t full-blown betrayal but she had been used. Despite her unwillingness, she had let Jackie in, let her get close. Trusted her.

She wanted to lash out at something, to hurt something. She kicked the brick wall instead and winced at the crack of her toe. The pain was soothing. Her old habit of enjoying feelings despite their unpleasantness.

Sofia wanted to go back. How fucked up was that. She wanted to cry but her eyes struggled to form any tears. She needed to feed.

She could go back and kill those boys. But how did she know Jackie had even been honest? What would be actually just would be draining Jackie. Snapping her neck so she could never hurt anyone again.

Jackie would be worse than Eloise if she ever became a vampire.

She was a true monster. One that killed just for the sake of it. Sofia never wanted to become that. She could feel Jackie nearby, the threat strong and clear due to their proximity.

How easy it would be. No one could stop her, certainly not a human.

Sofia walked home instead.