The lights exchanged before my eyes, music blasted through my eardrums and vodka sliding down my throat began to numb my limbs. Pain still coursed through me, strong and unrelenting, reminding me there was no way to numb my soul.

Sheila danced next to me, her voluptuous hair bouncing up and down, lights reflecting off the beams of sweat coating her forehead. She looked happy, even through the fake fog and my blurry vision.

A part of me was glad, a part of me resented her.

All the emotions I've been tying to keep out crept up on me, loosened by alcohol. Why did I ever think drinking would numb me?

The beat reverberated through my limbs, making me follow it almost against my will. I had no idea what time it was. Has the sun come up? Have the cultists attacked?

Someone grabbed my forearm.

"Let's get something to eat!" Tina screamed in my ear, a wild grin gripping her lips.

There was something inherently vampiric about Tina; something unhinged and slightly sadistic, and sometimes, I thought turning her into a vampire was the worst thing I've ever done.

But right now, I was glad she was the way she was, uninhibited, reckless and alluring.

I nodded and pulled Sheila off the dancefloor.

"Everything is so soft!" Sheila shouted, her eyes hazy, dark and full of desire.

Vampirism hit and it hit hard. The world she knew was slowly slipping out of her grasp, especially here and now.

Tina pointed at two guys standing near the bar. They were on the prowl, looking for the drunkest girl to take home, probably hoping they'd get laid.

They were handsome, too. Tall and well-built, with sharp, but symmetric facial features, although slightly indistinguishable from one another. Blood pumped through their veins, testosterone-filled, strong and delicious. Tina knew how to pick them. Sometimes I thought her vampy senses were stronger than mine.

"Enough." Thomas grabbed my forearm.

I tried to shake him off, "Let go!"

"You're drunk." He said, his grip tightening. "They're drunk."

William appeared next to Tina, blocking her way to the guys. Sheila didn't seem to mind any of it; her body refused to stop moving in the rhythm of the music.

"It's time to go home!" William grabbed Tina's shoulders and turned her away from the guys.

"You're such party breakers!" Sheila slurred. "I want to dance! Let. Me. Dance!"

She jumped up and down,

"We're going home." Thomas pulled me towards him.

If I weren't so drunk, I'd probably punch him in the face. William pushed Tina towards the exit. Sheila wasn't strong enough or sober enough to mind. Plus, she probably thought we were going to an after-party.

The night was calm and peaceful, contrasting the dizzying and disorienting state of my mind. Faint traces of light shimmered on the faraway horizon, the dawn was near. The world spun around me the moment music silenced. The remnants of the beat still buzzed in my ears. I put one leg in front of the other, trying to walk in the straight line.

Thomas dragged me to the car, pissed off.

"You're such an asshole." I burped. "I can't believe I'm living with you."

Tina latched on my other arm, almost pulling me down, "Are you two fucking?"

"No!" Thomas and I shouted at the same time.

"But you've done it, haven't you?" She slurred. "You must have."

I giggled, "No."

"Tina, be quiet." Thomas commanded.

"Let me go dance!" Sheila shouted, escaping out of William's reach. "I can feel the air particles tickling my skin. They want me to go dance. The angels are whispering in my ear to go dance!"

"Is she high?" Thomas frowned. "Has anyone been watching over her?"

Tina put one finger on her lip, as if whispering a secret, "We drank from a guy who was on shrooms. I think. Or LSD. I can't tell the difference."

Another giggle rolled off her lips.

"Jesus!" Thomas grunted and pulled me towards the car. "This was such a bad idea."

"Oh, shut up!" I rolled my eyes. "You've got the biggest stick up your ass, I swear."

"Who's going to drive?" William opened the door and tried to push Sheila inside. "I cannot do it."

"I will." Thomas pulled the door open. "Get in, now."

"Okay, daddy." Tina blew a kiss towards Thomas and giggled some more.

I laughed out loud hysterically and threw myself on the passenger seat. Sheila and Tina were in the back, William between them, looking uncomfortable.

"Where is Ian?" William asked.

"I don't know and I don't care." I pouted. "We'll probably see him in two years."

"I see you've managed to push him away." Thomas sat on the driver's seat and slammed the door shut. "How predictable."

Tears burned in my eyes, "That's mean and fuck you."

Thomas started the engine and drove off the parking lot. Deciding to spite him, I turned on the radio. Tina and Sheila immediately began to sing. I laughed out loud and glanced at Thomas. He squeezed his eyes shut, blocking the sounds in the car.

Tina was right behind him, and she first put her hands on the seat and screamed in his ear. Then, she began to shake his seat. I only saw the impending disaster a second before it happened. My drunken heart tried to warn me, but it was too late.

"Get off me!" Thomas shouted.

But Tina kept on giggling, drunk and unaware, "Don't be so grumpy!"

The car scraped against the asphalt, Thomas lost control of the wheel, and in one quick movement we crashed into the tree nearby. My head bumped against the seat and sharp pain spread through my spine. The radio stopped playing. The girls in the backseat shut their mouths.

"Fuck!" Thomas hit the steering wheel. "Fuck!"

I gazed through the cracked windshield. The tree seemed to scold us.

Thomas burst through the door and screamed like a lunatic in the middle of the road. I turned to the girls and William, who looked scared half to death.

"If he has a nervous breakdown, it's on you." I pointed at Tina.

"I didn't know he was such a sucky driver!"

Thomas hit the pavement with his foot, then winced, then cursed, then hit the tree, then cursed some more. I stumbled out of the car and looked at the damage. A tree branch cracked the windshield. The front of the car was a little flattened, but it was probably driveable.

"Hey!" I interrupted Thomas's shouting. "It's fine! Look, the car is fine."

"Nothing is fine!" Thomas pulled at his hair. "Nothing is fucking fine! There's an army of vampires after us and they're going to kill us all, but somehow, as always, you're all capable of drinking yourself to death and ignoring it. And then you make me feel like I'm insane. You're insane! You're all insane."

My hands dropped by my sides.

Everything I've been ignoring slammed into me, all at once. My best friend became a vampire. Ian left me, again. Thomas was finally cracking like the Jaguar's windshield, and there was an army of vampires threatening to kill us.

My lips quivered and in the matter of seconds, hot, angry tears blurred my vision.

Sheila exited the car, "Are you okay?"

"They just can't handle their liquor." Tina followed her.

"You're unbelievable." Thomas let out a throaty laugh. "How can you all pretend none of this is happening?"

For once, Tina pulled back. Perhaps she sobered up a bit, or she had some unknown depth to her I hadn't yet glimpsed, but she shut her mouth and her gaze fell to the ground.

I turned to Sheila, who stood there and stared at me, her eyes wet.

"I'm a vampire." She whispered. "They killed me."

My best friend leaned against the car and a few tears strayed from her eyes. All the emotions I've tried to bury resurfaced, reminding me I still harboured both anger and resentment.

Tina's back slid down the side of the car to the asphalt.

"Alright." I nodded, realising we were in no way capable of getting home without killing ourselves. "Let's talk about it. Now. William, get out."

The ancient vampire opened the door carefully, his eyes wide, "This was terrifying! My heart almost gave out! Why do humans insist on driving such dangerous vehicles?"

"Shut up, you're a vampire." Thomas grunted. "A little speed isn't going to kill you."

I ignored him, "We're all a mess, apparently. So before we return home and actually deal with the shit waiting for us, we're going to share what's bothering us. Right here, right now."

"Oh, stop pretending you're the pinnacle of emotional health." Tina rolled her eyes.

I ignored her, too.

"For starters, I'm mad at Tina because she's such a goddamn liability." I said. "And probably because she's a way better vampire than me."

"And I hate you for acting like you're my mother!" The black-haired girl shouted from the ground.

"Well, I'm mad at all of you for behaving like brats!" Thomas said.

I put my hands on my hips, "And we're mad at you for guilt-tripping us because we enjoy life. And also because you act like you're better than us."

"True." Tina mumbled.

Sheila chuckled, "You still stuck your tongue down his throat."

"And you're fucking a five-hundred-year-old guy!"

"I am not!" Sheila crossed her hands on her chest.

"Unfortunately." William mumbled.

Sheila rolled her eyes, "Shut up. Like you were ever honest about your feelings."

William's eyes narrowed, "You knew how I felt about you since day one. And you didn't even care enough to tell me you intended of becoming a vampire."

"I didn't tell anyone!" Sheila's hands dropped by her sides.

"Exactly." I cut in. "Which was kind of shitty of you."

"Like any of you would ever allow me." She mumbled.

"You're right." Tina chimed in. "Chloe only turns people into vampires against their will."

I faced her, "You've begged me for over a year to turn you! Gosh, you're only saying this to create conflict."

"I'm your conscience." Tina smirked.

"You're no one's conscience." Thomas cut in.

Tina pursed her lips, "And you are? Goddamn, it's like you have reverse father issues."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Thomas squinted.

"Instead of wanting to bang your father, you want to be everyone's father."

"That doesn't make sense."

"I think we need family counselling." I mumbled.

Sheila rubbed her temples, "I need sleep."

"We should get out of here before someone calls the police." William suggested.

"Well, I can't fucking drive." Thomas sighed.

I grunted, "I can't even drive this thing sober."

Tina raised her hand, "I can drive."

"No!" All of us shouted at the same time.

William sighed, "I think we need to call Ian."

"You're probably right." Thomas leaned against the tree.

Everyone looked at me, but I couldn't call him. Hell, I was pretty sure he wouldn't even answer after our little squabble.

"He doesn't want to talk to me right now." I whispered.

They all rolled their eyes, except for William. He might be my favourite as of now.

He took out his phone and called Ian.

By the time Ian reached us, the dawn has already broke. By the time we've reached the house, I concluded we were a bunch of messed up people and none of us knew how to handle this situation.

But at least we had each other, right? Right?