Part 2 - Ouch!
1538 Words
Joy’s POV
I hate leaving home. It’s the only place that’s ever felt safe to me. But my cousins called this “the best opportunity of your life.”
They even threw me a going-away party. Disgusting.
Loud music, popcorn, drinks—very American, very annoying. They’ve forgotten the grace of our ancestors: quiet, elegant, refined. I chose to sink into the warmth of the velvet couch while they lost themselves to thirst that always got out of control at parties.
“Joy, you’re really nothing like your name, huh? Why is there always a dark cloud hovering around you?” Barbara slurred, fangs out and attitude drunk.
I ignored her. That was safer—for both of us.
“Leave her alone, Babs,” said Leonard, our devastatingly handsome cousin with piercing blue eyes and ice-cold skin. He dropped beside me, casually placing his hand on my thigh. “You just don’t know how to talk to Joy.” His smile pulled me in like a vortex.
Falling in love for a hundred years with someone who doesn’t love you back? Definitely not the best vampire survival tactic.
Then Alanna came and sat on Leo’s lap, pressing a kiss to his lips. Yep. They were dating. In our clan, cousins aren’t really cousins by blood, so it’s technically allowed. Still gross.
Most vampire families are extinct now. Sad? Not really. A lot of them were too cruel to deserve eternity. After the Great Hunts, only a few clans survived—ours included. The Graceful Clan made a choice: blend in, stay low, and resist human blood at all costs.
How?
With daily potions brewed by the Vampire Empire. One sip of human blood, and the skies will betray you. We get burned—literally. So if I want to keep living, even if I hate living… I play nice.
This year, I was called back to the world again. I’d been hiding for decades, and I liked it that way.
“You should dye your hair red—it’s trending now!” Barbara chimed in again, way too loud.
I glared. No. Absolutely not.
Leo and Alanna were back to their lovey-dovey mode, snuggled up like two newlyweds on their hundredth honeymoon. Boring.
“K-pop is huge now,” Alanna added, showing us photos from her phone.
“Never mind!” I cut her off. There’s no way I’m changing my hair color. This red is me. It’s my identity. Joy Grace is burgundy. Period.
“I actually agree,” Leo said with those sparkly eyes that made my brain short-circuit. “Maybe not bright red… but burgundy would look amazing with your soft pink lips.”
Damn it, Leonard. You’re killing me. For a hundred years, I’ve been falling in love with your smile, and you’re still obsessed with Alanna.
That’s the thing about vampires—messed up as we are, loyalty is our most dangerous virtue. Loyal to people who don’t love us back. Should I be proud of that? No. I’m just stupid.
“You should try something new,” Alanna offered sweetly. “It’s our turn to reenter the human world after 50-plus years. A fresh look might help you ease in. I’m going to dye mine too. Want to join me?”
Alanna was everything Barbara wasn’t—elegant, calm, kind. That’s why I let her have Leonard. She deserved him more than I did.
“If my hair weren’t already blonde, I’d totally dye it too,” Barbara added with a fake pout. Her hair had been fried to oblivion once, so I guess she learned her lesson.
Then our oldest siblings, Keysi and Jonathan, walked in to see what the fuss was about.
“Should I?” I asked Jo, my eyes pleading.
“No harm in trying,” he said with a warm smile.
That was it.
Alanna and Leonard looked thrilled.
⸻
I hate this smell. Like every chemical on Earth exploded onto my scalp. It burned. It stung. Meanwhile, Alanna was loving it.
“Should we get matching tattoos?” she asked.
“No!” Leo and I shouted in unison.
“Okay, okay! Chill, you two!” she laughed and flipped a page of her fashion magazine.
They bleached my hair like Barbara’s to get the right base. We almost got into a literal catfight halfway through.
But when it was done, and the dye washed out, I looked in the mirror… and froze.
“Joy, you look stunning. So different!” Leonard whispered, awe in his voice. Alanna nodded in agreement, clearly impressed.
But I wasn’t. I said nothing. I just tied my now-bright burgundy hair into a bun, pulled up my hoodie, and walked out.
Too bright. Too visible. I hated it. I hated their smiles, their compliments, Barbara’s stares. I hated everything.
I ran out into the backwoods with my bow, even though I didn’t need it. I could take down a deer, a wild boar, even a buffalo with my bare hands if I wanted. Hell, I could hunt an elephant.
But I needed the distraction.
Because if I didn’t aim my arrow at something…
I might just explode.
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Damn it. I forgot how to control my strength around humans. I tried to avoid contact, but someone bumped into me—his fault, honestly. Still, I tried to take responsibility.
The guy had that not-quite-Western look—like the Korean idols Alanna obsessively shows me. Yeah, he was good-looking. And yeah… kind of a jerk. He wouldn’t even look at me.
Who does he think he is? Never mind. I needed to stay out of trouble. This oversized hall was packed, and I had to sit through the whole welcome ceremony. Humans these days love public speaking—and love to drag it on forever.
At least I don’t sleep like they do. If I did, I’d be snoring by now.
Suddenly, I heard my name. Top rank. Again. I walked up to receive my award, barely blinking. This wasn’t something to be proud of. Getting first place was child’s play for me. I could know anything if I wanted—even someone’s darkest sin.
And in this room? Let’s just say… nobody’s really here to learn. Except for one person.
The boy beside me.
I could hear it in his thoughts—he didn’t like that I came first.
Sorry again, I guess.
The rest of the event was a blur. My mind drifted to the forest behind campus. Secluded. Quiet. Perfect. A place I could breathe.
The sun was getting stronger. I had to stay shaded if I wanted the potion to keep working. I closed my eyes to rest my thoughts and sharpen my hearing, but then—ugh. A bad thought crossed someone’s mind. About him. The Korean guy.
I moved instinctively. Too fast.
And… boom.
Collision number two.
The senior didn’t even get up. Just barked at me in pain.
Before I could react, a strong hand gripped mine and pulled me out of the scene. The boy again. The one with the moody eyes and no manners. His thoughts were direct and honestly… a bit concerned.
He dragged me under a shady tree.
“Do you have to keep causing trouble?” he snapped. His eyes were sharp, dark, and trying too hard to look tough.
“He was going to hit you,” I said quietly. My voice cracked, as if I had a cold.
“Not your business! And seriously—are you a dancer or an athlete?”
Still mad about this morning. Figures.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, eyes on my shoes. No more problems, Joy. Peace is priority. It’s been a peaceful fifty years—don’t ruin it now.
“Where were you, anyway?”
“I can’t stay in the sun too long.” If I want to stay alive, that is.
“Why? You a vampire or something? Your skin looks fine to me.”
I bit my tongue. Barbara would’ve snapped. She cared more about pride than strategy. I just stared at him and resisted the urge to peel back his mind.
Luckily, his question was just… a joke. A stupid movie fantasy.
“You’ve been watching too many romance films,” I muttered. “I just get thirsty really fast. It’s annoying.”
“You’re spoiled. And you need to apologize to the others when we’re back at the dorm.”
Oh. So that’s why he’s mad. He’s scared I’ll body-slam someone again. Fair.
I decided to play nice. This time.
“We haven’t been properly introduced,” I said, offering my hand. “I’m Joy Grace. You can call me Joy.”
He shook my hand like he was in a race. “Benjamin Park. Don’t call me. And keep your distance.”
As if I wanted anything else. “Fine. Sorry. Again.”
I turned to walk away.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“There’s nothing else I want to do,” I answered calmly. “So I’m heading to the dorm to unpack.”
And then maybe to the forest.
But if he followed me, that was his problem.
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- Writer
