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It’s summer and Nancy is freezing cold. She thought the period just after winter break was hard, but her first summer is killing her. Why can’t they turn the damn air conditioning down, she thinks, knowing full well that before her change she would complain that the air conditioners at Hawkins High might as well be broken for all the good they did. She pulled her fluffy brown jacket tighter around her shoulders, prompting some raised eyebrows from a group of girls passing in tank tops and shorts. It didn’t help. Wool jackets function by preserving the body heat of the wearer, and this jacket’s wearer produced none.
She always knew this was a risk being a monster hunter. Monsters have this annoying habit of spreading their curse to others. Vampires, werewolves, doppelgangers, the whole lot of them seemed to do nothing more than multiply. No different than humans in that respect. Creepy semi-mythological creatures imitate life, I guess.
She was able to keep it pretty well under wraps that first winter. Feeding on wild rabbits and stray dogs wasn’t glamorous, but it quelled the hunger for long enough that she could get it under control. Her classmates wrapping scarves around their necks and making their way swiftly to the warm buses kept her bloodlust from getting too out of hand. But now it was May, the end of the school year nearing, and the heat of June was spilling over just enough to make High School a living nightmare for Nancy Wheeler. Because the exposed skin and the pungent hormonal smell of sweat wafting from every passing classmate was making her ravenous.
“Miss Wheeler?”
The sharp voice of her history teacher brought her to her senses, and she noticed that she was shivering. She tensed her muscles, willing them to stop, and scanned the board for any hint of what the old woman had been saying. Before she could formulate an adequate answer to whatever question she had just been asked, Mrs Walden said, “are you feeling alright?”
“Yeah,” she said in a completely unconvincing chatter. “Just a cold.”
“Well, why don’t you walk down to the nurse’s office. I’ll have Caldwell here take-”
“I’ll take her!” A raspy voice interjected from behind her, and she felt her body relax tenfold. Thank God Robin is in this class .
“That’s just fine, Ms Buckley. Grab each of you a copy of tonight’s homework in case you don’t make it back before the bell.”
Nancy heard the creak of Robin’s chair on the linoleum as she bounced to the front of the class and grabbed two baby-blue sheets of paper from their stack on Mrs Walden’s desk. She extended a hand to Nancy, who took it, hesitating long enough to avoid seeming too eager to her classmates, who certainly already knew at this point.
“Thine underpaid and underqualified caretaker awaits, madame,” Robin said, gesturing to the steel door with a flourish. Nancy smiled and rose with some effort, struggling to avoid staring at the green lines tracing Robin’s arm, disappearing beneath the rolled-up sleeve of her flannel.
Robin was familiar with this mood of Nancy’s. She thought she was better at hiding it than she was, honestly. And it wasn’t necessarily unique to post-vamp Wheeler; on their longer monster hunts, when they had to start rationing granola bars, Nancy’s biting wit would turn on anything and anyone that crossed her. And sometimes her biting kick-to-the-shins as well. She balling up the blue paper and mimed shooting it as if at a basketball hoop, huffing when it landed over a foot from the trash can she was aiming for.
“So, where to. Getting those dark cravings again?” she asked. Nancy answered with a cold glare. “Message received,” she said, raising her hands. “Woods it is then? A course of extremely-rare rabbit steak?”
“Rabbit isn’t cutting it anymore.” Nancy’s voice came out more like the groan of somebody extremely hungover. “I don’t know how much longer I can do this without going fucking crazy.” Robin’s eyebrows raised at the uncharacteristic language of miss-prissy Wheeler, though circumstances probably warranted a sour attitude.
“Alright, hangry, no need to bite my head off. Poor choice of words, sorry,” she said with a wince at Nancy’s razor sharp look. Returning her cold hard stare, seeing the hint of red under her gray irises, and seeing the fear welling up behind the anger, she had a thought.
“Nance,” she paused at the threshold of the school, checking around corners for any would-be eavesdroppers. “If you fed on someone, what would happen?”
“Well, I’d definitely get expelled for one thing,” Nancy sighed. Robin rolled her eyes. With their agenda, it’s unlikely either of them would be applying to colleges any time soon, unless Bell State had a Daemonology program.
“Yeah, whatever, but what would happen to the victim I guess is what I’m asking.”
“Unless I drain them too much, nothing special. But that hinges on me being able to control myself which…” she didn’t finish, punctuating the thought with a thousand-yard stare at the treeline.
“Okay, but like, they wouldn’t turn or anything?” Robin asked.
“No, to do that I’d have to drain them completely, which takes a lot longer than it sounds.” Nancy looked back at Robin and narrowed her eyes. “What’s your point?”
“Well, if it wouldn’t kill me or turn me into a vampire…” Robin swallowed and saw realization come over Nancy’s face.
“No, Robin.” She said flatly.
“It’s not like we have a lot of choices! Either you come onto some poor sucker in the night and leave them traumatized, inform another of our dwindling friend group of your condition, or bite me.” Robin said, arms flailing as she spoke.
“There’s no way for me to know if I could handle myself this time. I’m not putting you in that position.” Nancy tried to shove past Robin but was nearly clotheslined by her arm jutting out and leaning against the brick wall. Robin, seeing that she had Nancy cornered, mock-flexed her other arm, inadvertently expanding the veins that Nancy was so desperately trying to ignore.
“What, you don’t think I could take you sweetheart?” She mocked, kissing her thin, pale bicep and looking down to meet Nancy’s glare. Nancy looked forward and shoved through with more force than Robin had anticipated, nearly knocking her over.
“Jesus, even when you’re hungry that crazy vampire strength catches me off guard. Or maybe that was there before?” Nancy continued stomping away despite Robin’s mocking. Robin jogged to catch up and put herself in front of Nancy, who stopped without looking up.
“Come on, Nancy. You can trust me. I trust you.” She said softly, cupping Nancy’s face. Her skin was ice cold against Robin’s hands, and for Nancy’s part, Robin’s hand felt like it was on fire. Finally, her gaze softened.
Nancy held Robin’s gaze. She let herself, for just a second, feel the relief of a decent meal, finally. She imagined the warmth entering her skin, the raging headache pounding in her temples subsiding. Feeling light and comfortable. But another part of her, the rational, human part, pictured Robin laying on her bedroom floor, the measly gallon-and-change of blood inside of her filling the cracks in the hardwood, forming grisly red patterns as it expanded. Her stomach dropped and growled at the same time.
She closed her eyes to banish the vision, but it only grew more vivid. “If we do this, you have to promise me something.”
“Anything, my liege,” Robin said with a bow.
Nancy picked up a fallen tree branch from the ground and snapped it at the bough, shoving the makeshift stake into Robin’s hands. “You’ll kill me if it gets out of hand.”
Robin was taken aback by this. She knew, if it came to it, she wouldn’t have the guts let alone the heart. But Nancy’s eyes communicated an ultimatum: promise me this or it’s back to the drawing board. Robin attempted to get her expression under control. “Nancy–”
“Promise, Robin,” Nancy growled.
God, she’s impossible when she gets like this. She knew she wouldn’t, couldn’t, do any such thing, but if it would help Nancy get herself under control… “Fine,” Robin said, taking the wooden weapon from Nancy’s hands. “I promise.”
Nancy had to admit Robin was a great girlfriend – and an awful liar.
Nancy reached out through her bedroom window to help Robin up behind her. “Are you sure about this?” she asked again.
“Yeah, babe,” Robin answered, placing the stake on the windowsill before closing it to keep the humid summer air out. “For, like, the hundredth time, I’m sure.”
Nancy searched Robin’s eyes for any hint of hesitation. She was still inspecting a few quiet seconds later when Robin waved her hand in the air. “Earth to Wheeler.” Nancy squinted at Robin. She felt so hungry she was ready to faint, but the last thing in the world she wanted was for her to feel pressured into this.
“I’ll only take a little. Maybe a pint. That’s less than ten percent of what you have. Do you promise you’re sure?” She squeezed Robin’s wrist in an attempt at comfort but pulled back when she felt Robin’s pulse, the warm sign of life sending an electric shock up her arm.
“Good lord.” Robin rolled her eyes, held up three fingers, and placed her hand in the air on an imaginary Bible, and in a sarcastically official tone, said, “I, Robin Buckley, do solemnly swear that I will allow one Nancy Wheeler to bite me for her own well-being, bound by my oath, so help me God.”
Nancy pushed her shoulder crossly but couldn’t contain a smirk at Robin's goofy demeanor, despite her best efforts. “Okay,” she capitulated, “fine.”
Robin smiled nervously and unbuttoned her shirt, sliding it off without looking away. She could hear Nancy’s breathing get heavier and felt her skin get clammier to the touch. Her eyes traced the hard line at the corner of Robin’s neck and collarbone with unconcealed want. Robin donned her most confident smile and said, “Whenever you’re ready!” but her shaking voice betrayed her nerves. Nancy looked at her sympathetically, but at this point she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop herself if she wanted to. She cleared her throat nervously and guided Robin into a sitting position on the bed.
“This will be easier if you’re laying down. Just in case you faint. Cause I’m literally removing blood. Just like at the doctor,” – but probably significantly more than a doctor would need. Robin nodded and complied, but Nancy saw the color drain from her face at her warning. She laid back tensely on the bedspread, looking anxiously back up at Nancy, who reached into a drawer in her nightstand and grabbed a clean white bath towel, spreading it tenderly underneath Robin’s shoulders. She rolled over and straddled Robin at the hips, looking down at the nervous girl beneath her.
“Last thing,” Nancy said nervously. She reached to the windowsill where the splinter of wood sat forgotten and pressed it into Robin’s hands, wrapping her fingers around it and giving her a look that would make a defense attourney sweat. “You’re still sure?” She asked one last time, uncertain she’d be able to control herself regardless of the answer. Fortunately, Robin nodded, though Nancy felt the tremor in her arm. “Hey,” she assured softly, taking Robin’s free hand in hers, “I’ll stop any time you want me to.” She leaned down, pressing her lips to Robin’s. She kissed back, the two of them tasting each other, though a bit more literally for one than the other. Robin nodded again, more certain this time, taking a deep breath to calm her breathing. Nancy traced a line with her finger up Robin’s arm, past her shoulder to her chest, watching the goosebumps rise up following her hand’s path. Two fingers landed on a warm spot at the base of Robin’s neck, beneath the surface of which her pulse beat against her like the heart of a scared animal.
“Is here okay?” she whispered. Robin nodded again, reaching up to hold on to Nancy’s wrist. Nancy leaned over her, kissing the spot as gently as she could, deeper with each breath. She allowed her teeth to graze the skin, fangs catching momentarily, and coaxed Robin back into a relaxed position with her hands when she felt muscles tighten.
“Um,” Robin croaked out. Nancy was feverish from hunger but forced herself to pull back.
Nancy froze, trying and failing to wrench herself away from Robin’s neck. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, just,” Robin swallowed again, looking down where Nancy lay poised. “Is it gonna hurt? And like, how much? Not that I can't take it, I just kinda want to be ready, you know? Like, I've had blood drawn before, but usually that's with a stiff metal needle and usually they don't take a whole pint of it.” A lump caught in her throat.
Nancy couldn’t help but smile at Robin’s characteristic nervous rambling and saw her glancing nervously at her fangs. “Not much, I promise. The venom has a numbing effect, just like a mosquito, so it’ll be a little pinch.” She bit her lip. “It’ll feel just like every other time I’ve bitten you, just a little more… Involved.” Robin’s grip on her arm relaxed and she smiled back genuinely.
“Okay,” Robin breathed a sigh of relief, closing her eyes and moving the strap of her tank top out of the way and looking resolutely at the ceiling. “I trust you. Whenever.”
Nancy returned to the spot where there was already a growing pink splotch from the friction. She tried to help Robin relax despite the strange circumstances, moving a leg in between Robin’s and leaning forward, upward. Robin rose up into her thoughtlessly with each synchronized swell and lull of Nancy’s attention. Nancy pressed deeper, taking the surface of Robin’s skin into her mouth, reveling in the barely stifled whimper she produced. Holding Robin’s right arm out to the side, she reached with her free hand to hold Robin’s chin, guiding it firmly away. Robin’s pulse quickened at the touch and Nancy nearly combusted with anticipation. She waited to hear Robin exhaling before plunging deeper, her teeth not stopping at the skin this time.
Robin released a gasp of pain but didn’t pull back or push Nancy away. Nancy, for her part, was filled with lust and adrenaline so overwhelming she couldn’t feel her face or her arms, the tip of her nose and her fingerstips. She felt the warmth moving from Robin’s artery into her mouth, doing her best not to let any spill out. She groaned and her eyes fluttered as the two swelled flush together, Nancy full of relief and anticipation. The intoxicating liquid filled her mouth, tasting (to her) of capsaicin and sweet rum.
Nancy hummed in satisfaction and closed her jaw slightly, widening the gash from which the stuff flowed. The room went from freezing cold to sweltering hot, but she was too preoccupied to take off her jacket. After what felt like ages, she felt Robin’s hand in her hair and thought she heard someone saying something. She drank deeper, pressing her hand to Robin’s neck to thicken the flow, when she heard her name again. “Nance,” she heard from what sounded like rooms away. “Nance, please.”
With gargantuan effort, as if a heavy chain was physically holding her down, she pulled herself away and looked at Robin, who looked significantly more alarmed than she had a moment before. “Shit,” Robin said, pressing her hand to her neck and looking at the red that came away, her eyes glazing over at the sight of her own lifeblood flowing so freely. “Wow uh..."
Nancy looked at the large spatter of red that had slipped from her lips onto the towel, now beginning to seep through and into the bedspread. “Fuck,” she spat, balling up the corner of the towel and pressing it to where Robin’s blood still flowed, pooling in the cavity above her collarbone. God, she knew she should’ve never gone for this. Now the last person in the world she loved was bleeding on her bed, though looking a bit flustered. At the very least, she seemed to be stable. The disoriented face she wore was nothing like the utterly vacant look her worst victims got right before the end. “Shit, Robin, I’m so sorry, I got carried away, I’ll never ever-“ Robin cut her off and placed a reassuring hand on Nancy’s leg.
“It’s okay, Nance, really,” she said, the fear in her eyes replaced with a vague woozy look. “Honestly it was kinda hot.” She looked up at the ceiling, suddenly disoriented. “Feeling a little dizzy though.” Nancy released a tight, panicked laugh, which came out a lot louder than she intended. She licked the remaining blood from her lips, now stained a deep crimson, and wiped off the rest with one thumb. Robin watched intently.
She looked at the stake lying useless on the floor. Who knows how long ago it had been discarded. Can't even trust a girl to kill you these days. “Yeah that… might have been more than a pint. Sorry.” She moved Robin’s hand to hold the wadded-up towel on her neck, showing her the right pressure to use. “Hold that there. The venom prevents blood clotting so it might be a second before it stops.” Nancy then turned her attention inward and noticed a light that hadn’t been there for months, warmth filling her chest and spilling out into the room. Thank you Robin. She sprung up from the bed with renewed energy and ran to the door. “I’ll be right back with band-aids, cookies and apple juice.”
“Cookies and apple – what, are you packing my lunch for the first day of kindergarten?”
Nancy stuck her tongue out at Robin, still stained red with blood. “No, idiot, I’m making sure you don’t pass out.” She made sure Robin was applying the correct amount of pressure to the wound before swinging into the hallway. “Oatmeal raisin?”
“You know me so well,” Robin leaned in for Nancy to plant a kiss on her cheek and watched her leave for the kitchen.