I groggily stared at myself in the large bathroom mirror as I picked up my glasses from the counter beside me. I adjusted the lenses to my face with tired movements, placing them on the bridge of my nose. My vision became hazy. Instead, I removed my glasses, rubbed them against my shirt, and repositioned them on my face, causing my eyesight to distort.

I removed my glasses and examined my surroundings, noticing small fractures in the wall and minor grooves on the floor. My bewilderment dissipated as I raised my shirt above my head and looked at my now-muscled chest and torso. I grinned as my gaze wandered to my big arms, feeling like Peter Parker from that underrated Spiderman movie.

"What the fuck happened last night?" I said, flexing and swiftly removing my checkered pajama bottoms, replacing them with dark jeans. Then, I squirted a straight line of toothpaste and my toothbrush, leaned close to the mirror, and smiled. My jaw dropped as my toothbrush fell into the sink, and I stared in horror. My eyes glowed crimson under the bathroom lights as I licked my teeth, feeling the sharp fangs replace my familiar, tightly cramped smile.

Outside the bathroom, I heard a faint thumping heartbeat and smelled the fresh odor of blood. Buh-boom. Buh-boom. Buh-boom. I perked up as Hanna slammed her foot into the wood with force.

"Come on, Adam. You're not the only one who goes to school. I-HAVE-A-REPUTATION-TO-WITHHOLD, " she murmured this bit as though I wasn't paying attention. "Unlike some people—Hurry!" I watched my fangs retract, and my eyes faded back to blue.

"Ugh! Hannah, stop being such a little bitch and wait your turn," I yelled, studying my teeth in the mirror again, but this time they appeared normal. I grabbed my shirt from the side of the room and slid it on.

"Stop it, you two," my dad yelled from a nearby room.

"If anyone in this family is a little bitch, it's you. Now stop flirting with yourself!" She retorted. I smiled as I pulled the door open and stepped out.

"Here you go, princess. It's all yours." Hannah gave me a hard stare as she pushed me to get into the bathroom and the door, admiring my muscular biceps.

"Who exactly are you trying to impress? You have no friends, and no one likes you." With an eye roll, she stated. I smirked, almost invincible, as Hanna slammed the door in my face. "You spit toothpaste all over the sink, Adam. I'll kill you if I have to call dad."

I moved away, my grin widening. "Have fun with that one, Hanna," I teased.

∆∆∆

I looked to my left and saw Jeremy arguing with Erica Ramos, the bitchy cheerleader my sister hangs around. I simultaneously dug through my locker for my books, listening to their fight. Jeremy pushed Erica's hands away as she rubbed her hands down his shirt.

"Go away, Erica," Jeremy roared. Erica laughed and leaned forward to squeeze Jeremy's biceps. Although Jeremy squirmed, he didn't push her away.

Erica leaned in close and drew him close to her lips. Jeremy first attempted to pull away from the sloppy kiss. For a brief period, his eyes fluttered, reflecting a pale silver glow. He squeezed his eyes shut and leaned in for a deeper kiss. Their transparent essences pushed between two bodies as they further intertwined in the kiss.

Erica appeared unconcerned, but I lost my thought. Jeremy pushed Erica away as he opened his eyes, a green hue. Erica choked and hurried to the restroom, on the verge of puking.

In the school hallway, a warning bell rang out. I placed the rest of my school materials and notepad into my bag and slammed his locker hard as Jeremy wandered away. I turned wide-eyed to see my closest friend smirking behind me.

"You've got gains, dude. What have you been doing in gym class you haven't been doing before?" What the hell did Erin say? I left down the hallway. Erin followed closely following.

"Nothing? I'm not sure how I've become so strong." I responded.

Erin chuckled to himself as if this was hilarious. "You don't have your glasses? I didn't know you wore contacts, and I've known you since kindergarten."

"I don't wear contacts," I wondered aloud to myself. Erin's grin became even wider, and he smacked the lockers. We began strolling down the hallway.

"Maybe you've hit puberty again?"

"Erin, shut up!"

"It's possible. You don't use any testosterone or steroids. Are you trying to impress Blake?" His smug grin widened.

"Erin, STOP!" I snarled. My fists curl around the spine of my book, forming indents. "You're worse than my dad." People in the hallway turned their heads and stared for a moment. Erin and I entered the homeroom together. Jeremy sat at his desk in the back corner of the room, grinning wide-eyed as Erin and I walked into the classroom.

"Look, everyone, it's blue boy." Jeremy teased had slapped hands with his friends from across the room. Laughter and chatter filled the room. I averted his eyes for my sake, keeping my head low as I tucked into the desk. Erin took the seat next to me. I swore under my breath as Jeremy, and the rugby squad walked over. Jeremy laughed aloud as he banged his fists on my desk.

"Blake's lips tasted like her grandfather's strawberries." Blake focused on Jeremy. "Isn't that right, Blake? Rotten and tasteless."

"Do you remember our conversation last night, blue boy? Probably not. You were high as a kite." Jeremy chuckled again, slapping hands with more of his friends. Erin let out a low animalistic growl, clenching his notebooks in his fists.

Jeremy's grin grew even wider. Blake reddened as he moved over one more seat a row away from me. I flushed as well. Jeremy pointed his finger at me as he raised his hand.

"However, I'm sure blue boy here doesn't remember the taste of nerd girls' lips." Jeremy put his hand on my shoulder and patted it. "High as a kite, blue boy."

As Mr. Barring, our teacher, arrived through the door as the last bell rang, Jeremy shot me with finger guns and walked away with the rugby boys, laughing.

"Alrighty. Let me get a headcount before you rush to your first-period class." Mr. Barring placed his briefcase on the table and displayed a classroom chart.

He asked, "Adam Cohen?" I raised my hand in the air shyly but quietly. In the background, Jeremy and the rugby squad were giggling. Mr. Barring responded, "OK, Mr. Cohen, you can now put your hand down."

Mr. Barring's voice faded as he moved on. My ears amplified the surrounding sounds in my ears. It became difficult for me to concentrate. A dozen heartbeats thudded in my ears at once. My head throbbed, and for a brief period, I covered my ears. My stomach and chest churned with nausea, and my eyes fluttered.