Allison woke up and gently rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Her holo-phone had vibrated and pulled her from a crazy dream that involved Tyler and her in crazy bad Bollywood style space suits fighting off an army of Sal’nash. She was doing the fighting; Tyler was hiding behind her complaining about how bad the bug guts and blood smelled. She shook her head and laughed softly. She didn’t even like him. She let out a long slow breath before trying to move. Her side was much less sore today, in fact there was no pain at all. She lifted off the synth-skin and blinked. Her abdomen was smooth, no scar, not even red. She rushed into her bathroom and ripped the synth-skin off her back. The exit wound was gone as well. Just smooth pale skin. She quickly checked her face. She scowled when she realized the pimple was still there on her nose.

“Seriously body, you can heal a gaping wound, but you can’t get rid of one stupid pimple?”

She decided on a full water shower today. After the water stopped she was blown dry by heated air from the shower walls. She tossed the synth-skin to the organic recycler and headed out to the kitchen. She smelled breakfast and realized she was absolutely starving. She couldn’t ever remember being this hungry. It felt like her body was about to start eating itself. Her mother was talking to Aryna. Allison didn’t interrupt the pair she just grabbed the rest of the eggs and the bacon. She was in full ‘can’t talk, eating’ mode. Her mother slid a bottle of Synth-O across the breakfast bar wordlessly. Allison grabbed it and downed it. She looked around the kitchen for something else to eat. Her mother finally addressed her.

“Allison, what are you looking for?”

Allison had reached the cooling unit at this point.

“Is there anything else to eat?”

Her mother raised her eyebrow. Allison was a lot of things, but she had never been a big eater. Apiyo nudged Allison out of the way and broke several more eggs, mixed in some chopped vegetables, a mix of both Earth sourced and new alien ones. She also chopped up some Mutyuk meat. They were similar to chickens. Made a large omelet while Allison and Aryna got caught up. Allison looked Aryna up and down. Apparently, her mother and the teenage Queen had been up long before her because Aryna’s hair was now trimmed to just below her shoulders and she was wearing a school uniform.

“You look good in the uniform. No one looks good in these uniforms. Now I’m regretting rescuing you.”

Aryna let loose a musical laugh. That drew Apiyo’s attention. The young alien girl had been fairly dour for the entire time they’d been awake together that morning. Aryna drew closer to Allison, as if Apiyo’s daughter was magnetic. Aryna put her hand on Allison’s forearm. The house vanished and the pair of teens were alone in the Qual’sa palace gardens.

“Are you alright Allison? I heard you fighting with your mother last night.”

Allison nodded.

“Yes, I’m fine, but we shouldn’t be doing this. One, it’s rude because my mother is here, and two, you need to give your mind a chance to recover. Not that I don’t feel better when we’re linked like this.”

Aryna nodded then rubbed her abdomen.

“Are you usually this hungry?”

Allison shook her head.

“No, my body healed itself last night, my injury is gone, I figure it just takes a lot of energy or something.”

Aryna released Allison’s arm and they were back in the kitchen. Apiyo had been talking. She glanced back at Allison.

“Allison, how much do you want?”

Allison blinked a few times.

“Half… or whatever you don’t want?”

Her mother broke off a third of the omelet and put the rest on Allison’s plate shaking her head the whole time.

“I asked you four times, you have the worst attention span. How do you get through school? Or even fly a plane?”

Allison blushed. Aryna spoke up.

“I am sorry, Mrs. Wanjala it is my fault. We were somewhere else.”

Apiyo started eating her portion of the omelet she spoke after she swallowed the first few bites.

“Somewhere else?”

Aryna nodded.

“The Qual’sa are telepathic, on my homeworld good friends rarely speak. It’s inefficient. We join in a mental link. Allison and I were in a link, chatting. I’m sorry, she told me it was rude to do when around others. Now I see why, you were trying to talk to us and did not know.”

Apiyo smiled.

“My daughter, actually suggested being polite? Perhaps I should take her temperature. Make sure she’s not coming down with something.”

Allison blushed; She didn’t say anything she just kept stuffing omelet into her mouth. Her mother poured out a glass of salberry juice for them both. Allison downed hers and slid her glass closer to her mother.

“More please?”

Apiyo gave Allison a strange look but filled the glass up this time. Allison downed it. That actually started helping her feel much less hungry. Unfortunately, she was still feeling absolutely drained physically. She looked at her mom who was on the kitchen side of the bar.

“Mom, could I have another bottle of Synth-O please?”

Apiyo gave her a look.

“You are supposed to drink one bottle three times a day, not three bottles once a day. I looked it up.”

Allison sighed.

“Please mom? I need more.”

Apiyo shook her head but pulled another bottle out and put it in front of Allison. The teenager gulped it down and licked her lips afterwards. Apiyo took both bottles and put them back in the case.

“I’ve ordered three more cases.”

Allison blinked at her mother in disbelief.

“Why?”

Apiyo took the breakfast plates and put them into the dishwasher. She wiped her hands on a dish rag and leaned on the bar.

“Because, as a dhampir you need a ready supply of blood; I spent some time last night doing research about your condition.”

“Condition? I’m half-vampire, it’s not a condition. It’s just what I am. That’s like saying, Aryna has pointed ears because of her condition. Rude and racist.”

Apiyo sighed.

“I misspoke. You two ready to go to school? Put on sunblock?”

Allison shook her head.

“I don’t need it, or so the computer says. Dhampirs are immune.”

Aryna spoke.

“I did put it on as instructed.”

Apiyo smiled at her.

“Good, at least someone listens to common sense. Allison get your school bag, Aryna, you and Allison will go to the commerce complex to pick one up tonight. I’m assuming you’ll be handed a tablet at school.”

Allison slid off her stool. Apiyo cleared her throat. She was holding a bottle of Synth-O.

“For lunch.”

Allison sighed. She was hoping to avoid drinking that at school but she knew she’d want it so she picked up the bottle and mumbled.

“Thanks, mom.”

Once everyone was ready, they piled into her mom’s car. Aryna didn’t say anything on the trip to the school she was looking at the fields they passed until they reached the colony’s center. This was where the larger buildings were. They didn’t have to pass through the colony’s civilian headquarters sector on the way back from the base. Unfortunately, it was directly on their route to the school. It was always slow because of traffic. Apiyo pointed at the largest prefab on the colony.

“That is where I work. It is the capital building for Eden Prime. As time goes on more farming communities will be built and this will remain the capital. Representatives will be appointed or elected, and they will sit in an assembly. Where we will decide the future of Eden Prime.”

Aryna smiled at Apiyo and nodded. They drove on and finally reached the school. Allison leaned over and gave her mom a kiss on the cheek. Apiyo gave Allison her sunglasses once again. Allison took them and slipped them on.

“Have a good day at school you two.”

Allison got out of the car and waited for Aryna to join her. They were a bit earlier than usual, at least Allison’s usual.

“Okay, I need to be honest with you here Aryna. You’re about to enter the most cutthroat, vicious, snarky, hell hole that humans have to offer. High School. If someone says something that can be taken two ways, they always mean it to be the worst way. I’ll do my best to protect you but don’t take any shit from anyone. Even the teachers.”

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Aryna raised an eyebrow.

“Why would parents send their children here then?”

Allison shrugged.

“It’s a rite of passage. If you can survive high school, you can survive anything. Let’s go.”

Allison started walking towards the school. A gaggle of older students entered in front of them. No one paid the pair any mind. Everyone was either kissing their boyfriend or girlfriend, chatting amongst friends or trying to avoid being noticed. Allison was describing the different cliques as they walked through the school. They reached the bank of lockers for the grade elevens. Allison pulled out her tablet and searched for Aryna’s locker. It was next to hers. Tyler was in their way once again. Allison had decided at this point he had two speeds, slow and stop. She motioned to him and glanced at Aryna.

“This is Tyler, he’s weird, and also slow. Feel free to kick him until he moves out of the way. He’s from Earth. I think they put something in the water there.”

Tyler adjusted his glasses and looked up at the pair. He fell on his butt when he saw Aryna. Allison motioned at him again.

“See?”

Aryna smiled and offered her hand. Tyler didn’t take it. He struggled to get up on his own. Aryna looked at Allison, who shrugged.

“Weird. Tyler, get the hell out of the way, would you? Pretty please?”

Tyler scrambled to his feet and closed his locker. He was about to rush off when Allison noticed Ajay and his cronies on his route. She had promised the Headmistress she’d look out for the idiot, so she grabbed his arm. When she spoke, it was more of an order than a request.

“We’re walking to class together.”

Tyler froze and nodded. Allison showed Aryna how to open the lockers and stowed her backpack and grabbed her tablet. Tyler walked between the two girls as they went to their homeroom. Allison looked at Ajay and his two friends. She got an idea, and she wasn’t sure she could pull it off but she tried. When they got close, she grinned. She felt her fangs extend. She pulled her sunglasses down her nose; She saw her reflection in the office window. Her eyes were glowing gold.

“Tyler is under my protection, you mess with him, you mess with me.”

She pushed her sunglasses back up. She rushed on to catch up to Aryna and Tyler. Aryna looked at her.

“Did you just threaten them?”

Allison nodded. Aryna raised an eyebrow.

“You humans are strange.”

Allison shrugged. They reached Sister Silra’s classroom. Sister Silra’s tail started slapping the ground when she saw Aryna. Aryna stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the dinosaur woman. Allison nudged Aryna.

“Come with me.”

Aryna followed Allison, her magenta eyes were wide. Allison spoke first.

“Sister Silra, this is my friend Tearyna. She is a new student and hasn’t seen a Sauroid before. Though she has seen other alien races.”

Aryna nodded.

“I am sorry, I… you look like a predator from my world’s jungles.”

Sister Silra’s tail slapped on the floor several times.

“Yes, we evolved from a predator on our world. Have no fear I only eat bad children, I am sure you’re very well behaved.”

Aryna blinked a few times. Allison stifled a giggle.

“Aryna, the light Sauroids like Sister Silra are vegetarians, they don’t eat meat. Their dark side counterparts do eat meat pretty exclusively or they used too.”

Sister Silra’s tail slapped a few more times.

“Allison, you do listen in class.”

“I’m sorry Aryna, Sister Silra thinks she’s funny.”

Sister Silra motioned to Allison’s usual seat.

“Please sit on the other side of Allison, Tearyna, well find a new seat for Bindu.”

Allison and Aryna sat down beside Tyler. The class passed without any strangeness, save for the fact Ajay did his best to avoid looking in Allison’s direction. His face was still bruised and swollen from the soccer ball she’d hit him with. Math class was the same, save for the fact Aryna was hopelessly lost. Apparently, statistics and probability were not something she was familiar with. Allison finished early and did her best to help her new friend. When lunch came Tyler was just ahead of them at lunch. Allison leaned in close behind him.

“You’re going to sit with us if you know what’s good for you. And you’re going to wait for us to get our food before you go to the table.”

Tyler stiffened up and nodded. Allison and Aryna walked with Tyler to Allison’s usual spot. Aryna looked at Tyler then towards Allison. She put her hand on Allison’s arms, and they were back in the link. It was the cafeteria, and everyone was still around them, but there was a blur at the edge of Allison’s vision.

“Why do you treat Tyler like this?”

Allison looked at Aryna.

“I was asked to protect him by the Headmistress.”

Aryna shook her head.

“Show me.”

Allison tried to remember back to the conversation with the headmistress. Aryna stopped the memory as the pair watched the conversation in the headmistress’s office just after the headmistress said.

“You are going to learn to integrate better with our new students from Earth. In fact, you are going to be Tyler Grant’s guide to the school and the colony for the next month. You will learn about where he is from, and he will learn about the colony.”

Aryna smiled at Allison.

“See? It is easy to misremember things.”

Allison sighed.

“She asked me to be his guide, what am I supposed to do? He’s weird and he doesn’t say anything. He’s scared of you.”

Aryna shook her head.

“I believe he is scared of you. Treat him like you treat me, he may be more open. He might just be shy.”

Tyler was staring at them. Aryna noticed and broke the link. Tyler adjusted his glasses when he noticed both girls looking at him and quickly focused on his food. Allison sighed.

“Tyler, I’m sorry for threatening you.”

Tyler looked up at Allison.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. I’ll be quiet.”

Allison looked at Aryna and shrugged. Aryna spoke to Tyler.

“Allison is trying to be your friend; She just isn’t very good at it. I would like to be your friend as well.”

Tyler looked like a deer caught in headlights. Aryna continued.

“Allison needs to take me to the commerce complex today to pick up some things. Would you like to join us?”

Allison rolled her eyes and pulled the bottle of Synth-O out of her bag and popped the cap. The smell of blood wafted out and hit her nose. Her fangs extended on their own accord. She hungrily gulped down the bottle. Tyler stared at her with wide eyes. Aryna reached out and touched his hand. Tyler’s expression went blank, then he blinked a few times and focused on Aryna again. His lips tried to form words. Aryna released his hand. He nodded and adjusted his glasses. Allison barely took notice.

She was beginning to realize drinking blood was almost… sexual for her. Intimate even. She tried to get more out of the bottle but found it was empty. She was curious what it would be like to drink blood straight from someone’s veins. She shifted in her seat and crossed her legs. Her eyes darted to Tyler’s neck then to Aryna’s. She looked at the empty Synth-O bottle and swiftly screwed on the cap. It didn’t help. Everywhere she looked there were people full of blood. Blood, she wanted more than anything else in this moment. She suddenly stood up.

“I need to go.”

She left her lunch and the empty Synth-O bottle and her bag. She rushed to one of the furthest washrooms from the cafeteria. She looked in the mirror. She was horrified to see her fangs were still out and her eyes had a golden glint to them. She paced back and forth. She heard the door open and close. She didn’t care who it was. They couldn’t be near her right now.

“Get out!”

She heard Trixie’s voice.

“You colony peasants sure think you are something don’t you?”

Allison saw red. Whether it was the lust for more blood, her inherent dislike of Trixie, or just pent-up anger at her mother. She lunged at the girl. Trixie had no chance against her strength and speed. Before either knew what was going on Trixie was pressed up against one of the bathroom stall walls and Allison had her fangs in her neck. Gulping blood down. Allison could feel… fear, arousal, and pleasure from Trixie. She could feel Trixie drooping in her arms. Hear her gasping for breath. Allison snapped out of it and stumbled back and fell on her butt in the middle of the washroom floor. Trixie collapsed onto the toilet holding her neck. What she said surprised Allison.

“Why did you stop?”

Allison blinked.

“You were going to die.”

Trixie pulled herself up and moved closer to Allison who backed away.

“Do it again.”

Allison caught Trixie when she was an arms length away and held her there with both hands.

“We need to get you to the hospital. You’re going to bleed to death.”

Trixie pulled her hand away from her neck and besides a bit of blood that trickled down her neck and onto her shirt collar there was no sign Allison bit her. Allison gasped.

“The bite… it is gone.”

“Of course it is, unless you tear it heals. Are you new? Oh, was I your first?”

Allison had released Trixie in her shock. Trixie pressed her against a wall.

“I thought you were just a kid like me. But you’re a vampire. We’re going to be really good friends. I thought there were none here. Its why my parents moved here. To keep me away from Alona. How do you survive in the sun?”

Allison saw her reflection in the mirrors behind Trixie. Blood had trickled out of the corners of her mouth and onto her chin. Trixie leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Allison had never kissed anyone like this before and she was sure this wasn’t how she wanted her first kiss to go. She struggled with Trixie finally shoving the girl off of her. Trixie licked her lips.

“So hot. Alona was always so neat when she drank. Could never taste my own blood.”

Allison really wanted to bite Trixie again. When Trixie came towards her again Allison’s fangs extended. Allison shook her head and pushed Trixie away again.

“Stop it! Are you insane? I almost killed you!”

Trixie licked her lips again and moved her neck to the side.

“Why are you being such a baby about this? You need blood I have lots left, just one more bite.”

Allison ripped a paper towel out of the roller beside her and wiped her face as she weaved around Trixie.

“I can’t.”

Trixie put her hands on her hips.

“But you want to, don’t you? I can still see your fangs.”

Allison held up her hands and rushed out of the bathroom. She had the bad luck of running into Ajay, Besho, Sam and Andrew. Trixie followed her out. Ajay said something he probably shouldn’t have.

“Trixie, we’ll put her in her place.”

Ajay grabbed for Allison’s arm. He was bigger than her and their last fight had ended with him on the ground because she sucker punched him after she embarrassed him in combat training.

“She still doesn’t know how she’s supposed to behave.”

Allison snarled and grabbed him by the jacket and hoisted him up slamming him into a bank of lockers. Her fangs were out and her eyes were glowing gold.

“You just don’t know when to quit do you? Girls don’t owe you anything, let alone respect. I can’t believe I fell for your bullshit.”

She slammed him into the lockers again. Trixie spoke.

“That’s it, teach him a lesson. Bite him!”

Sam and Andrew bolted. Besho tried to grab Allison’s arm but couldn’t budge it. Allison looked directly at her. Besho’s eyes went wide and she scrambled away falling on her butt. She pulled herself to her feet and her shoes squeaked as she bolted down the floor. Allison could feel Trixie’s warm breath on the back of her neck. A nibble on her ear. Then a soft whisper.

“Look at him, he’s begging for it. Do it. Tear his throat out. Show him he’s the prey.”

Allison dropped Ajay and shoved away from Trixie, then rushed off. She wasn’t sure if she was more disgusted by Trixie or by the fact she very nearly did tear out Ajay’s throat. She realized she needed help and she needed it now. How long could she resist biting someone else? Allison heard Trixie speaking to Ajay as Allison rushed away.

“You’re pathetic. As if I’d want to hang out with you and your loser friends. I can’t believe you had her, and you let her go, your blood isn’t worthy of her.”

Allison lost whatever else was said as she rushed out into the school’s courtyard through a side door. She opened up comms to the private line the President had given her. She paced while she waited for a response. The president’s image appeared in front of her.

“Allison, your lifesigns are erratic, what is going on?”

“Ma’am, I bit someone. I didn’t want to; I don’t know what came over me.”

Maria nodded she spoke in a calming voice.

“Shh, Allison, stop, take a deep breath, just calm yourself.”

Allison shook her head.

“Ma’am? Calm myself? I just bit someone and drank their blood. She wanted me to bite her again!”

Maria nodded once again.

“Some people are… easily addicted to being bitten. It’s not abnormal. Just lower your voice. Take another deep breath.”

Allison took a deep breath and nodded.

“Good, good. I told you to call me when you had your fangs show up. I wasn’t expecting them this soon. We’re here now. If you’re randomly biting people, you likely need to increase your Synth-O intake until the urges aren’t as strong. Dhampirs… dhampirs who are born from a vampire of a certain age can be on the hungry side, or power level. It appears the blood that caused this was quite potent. I am sorry, I misjudged how much blood you would require. The good news is once you’re healed your needs will level off, if you don’t use your abilities, you won’t need any. From personal experience as a vampire, the hunger never really goes away even if you’re fully satiated. That is true for dhampirs to a lesser extent. I am sorry for having to tell you this, but you can mitigate with Synth-O but these urges are something you need to learn to control.”

“I’m fully healed. Is the hunger the reason I’ve been starving all day.”

Maria closed her eyes and opened them a few moments later.

“We need to talk in person. Go to the headmistress’s office. I’ll have Synth-O dropped off. Drink as much as you need and try to get through the rest of your school day. I’ll file a flight plan for you to come to Earth.”