"Did you drink the mug of blood on the table, sweetie?"

Twelve-year-old Justin rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time, "Mom, you asked me the same thing five minutes ago! And yeah, I drank it, and the mug you gave me an hour before, and the one before that too!"

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but we have to make sure you don't accidentally release your fangs in hunger when you meet your friends."

"They aren't my friends. I don't even know why I have to go to this stupid party anyway."

"You know why." Justin gave his mother the sulkiest look which she coolly ignored, "I know you don't want to, but try to make friends with the local kids, hmm? We need to blend in, which means we have to do what the humans do." When he didn't reply, she sighed, adding, "You won't be alone. Raymond's going to be there too. His mom will pick you up."

The angry tween crossed his arms over his chest, "Is Ray's mom drowning him in blood too?"

She raised her arms in frustration before letting them fall to her sides and answering in a voice laced with exasperation, "I'm sure she is. Now go dye your hair, the silver's showing at the roots."

The young vampire groaned before stomping up the stairs to the bathroom. He hated his hair. Why couldn't it be a normal human shade, instead of the silvery ash-grey that made him stand out from a mile away? He hated living in their small town, where nothing interesting ever happened. And he despised human supernatural hunters, one of the main reasons why his parents had chosen to live in a small town in the middle of nowhere in the first place!

Justin gazed into the mirror, observing the angry face staring back at him. Grudgingly, he reached for the bottle of black dye on the sink and began the usual process, before showering and getting ready.

Being forced to spend New Year's Eve at the house of a human was one thing. But when that human hated all things supernatural even if he was convinced they weren't real? And especially when he was the one bringing up stories about them in the first place? It just got downright annoying.

It all started a year and a half ago when Carter Allen proudly showed everyone a fancy book his elder cousin had gifted, called Fearsome and Unnatural: Illustrations of Mythical Creatures of the World. Within minutes, Carter had all the kids squealing in fright as he showed them grotesque drawings of all sorts of creatures, including the various descriptions of their cruel nature.

What horrified Justin the most was finding the page on vampires right next to that of trolls. The artist's impression of a vampire included batlike wings and fangs the length rivalling a sabre-tooth tiger's. It didn't take long for all the kids to start hating on every terrifying being in the book including vampires, leaving the insecure young Justin feeling like a monster even if he didn't look even remotely like the version in the book, or do the things the author described.

Justin made a face as he combed his now jet-black locks, thinking of the contents of that darn book. 'Killing babies?! No way! Bathing in blood? Yuck! Would humans bathe in gravy?!'

Justin hated visiting Carter Allen's home, but his parents were always eager to host, throwing parties for anything and everything they could think of.

Even so, Justin had to admit that Carter, or rich kid Carter as all the other kids secretly called him behind his back, was the only one in their little town with all the latest game consoles and fancy gadgets. The Allen family home also had an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a full basketball court, not that Carter ever let others use them.

The dark sky outside gave Justin a sense of quiet as he waited patiently by the front window. Raymond would be arriving anytime now. With nothing to do, Justin began pondering ways he could use to counter Carter's negative influence on the other kids their age.

The only offensive he could come up with was to try pushing stories where vampires weren't the bad guys. Perhaps he could start with a movie like Twilight? The girls would love it ...but maybe not so much for the boys. While biting his lower lip in frustration, he decided to brainstorm with Ray and maybe come up with a master plan.

One thing was for sure. This year, things will be different. This year will be the year he changed people's perceptions about vampires, Justin decided, clenching and unclenching his fists in anticipation. He was going to show them that vampires weren't any different from humans. 'We have feelings too,' Justin thought indignantly.

The honk of a car brought him out of his thoughts. "Sweetie, Raymond's here," his mom said before kissing him on the forehead, "enjoy yourself but be careful. I'll pick you up around ten." Justin glanced at his watch. It was already almost eight in the evening. The tiniest of smiles lifted the corners of his lips. 'At least it'll only be two hours of absolute misery.'