Chapter 1

A Chapter by Jasmine Lee

~Ellie~

The sun crept into Ellie’s room as she opened her eyes. She sat up and wiped the droll from the side of her mouth, the stench of her morning breath hit her nose, “Damn,” she said aloud as she fanned the smell away from her, thank god she didn't sleep with anyone, why would they with the smell creeping out of her mouth. How long has it been since she’s really brushed her teeth? She couldn't remember, that's probably a sign for her to get her hygiene up to date today. She huffed as she swung her legs off the side of her bed. She stood up, grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top, and walked to the bathroom. The array of homemade soaps and lotions she got at the farmers market months ago filled the countertop of her bathroom. A sparkly purple sparkly toothbrush stared at her while she waited for the water in the shower to warm. She grabbed it and the toothpaste, as finished brushing her teeth the mirror started to fog with steam from the shower. She stripped off the clothes she had worn for probably the past week and stepped into the hot water. She stood there letting the water run down her head making her coppery hair clump together as the water traveled down her back and her rolls.

She steps out of the shower after using 3 different body washes and deep conditioning

her hair 2 times. If you do something more it lasts longer right? She told herself as she got dressed and grabbed a box of waxing strips. Her legs looked like she was wearing legwarmers. The chime of her computer moved her into her room. A message from her long-time friend Steven appeared at the bottom of the screen. She sat at her computer and opened the chat.

CryBabyTee: Call me PWEASE!

Ellie clicked the phone icon and waited for Steven to answer, she opened the box of wax strips and a picture of a curly brown-haired guy popped up. Anime and gaming posters plaster the wall behind him, he pulls the microphone that's almost the size of his head closer to him. “Happy Birthday Ellie!” he screams. Ellie jumped so hard she almost fell back as she threw the wax stips everywhere. “F**k you, Steven,” she exclaims as she picks the strips up. “Come on. You love me,” he says as he bats his eyes at her. “Yeah I do and I sometimes dont know why. Thank you tho,” she says and she sits back up and puts on leg on the table. “Wait. did you forget today was your birthday?” he says as he covers his mouth. Steven has always been one for dramatics. Hell, even Ellie was until she fell into some sort of depression that made her just live in her bed and work from home. “Yeah, kinda lost track of time recently. Sorry, I’ve been M.I.A.” she said rubbing a strip onto her leg. “No problem, I know you can't help it. Anyways I sent your present, check your phone” he said with a grin. “Oh god. What did you do?” Ellie exclaimed as she ripped the strip off staring at the screen. “Look” is all she was met with when she stood up. She walked to her bed and moved the blankets around finding her phone. A message with ticket links to a local band concert for tonight and a transfer for two hundred dollars from Steven filled her phone lock screen. “Steven! Why?” she said stopping back so she could see him. “Well I was going to surprise you tonight and show up but I have to go back into the office, one of the animators is sick so im going to pull up the extra slack tonight,” Steven says as he rubs his hands together, a nervous habit he's done since she met him in middle school. It's crazy how when she met him he was just this nerdy boy with boyband stickers on everything he owned and now he's one of the top game producers in the city. “Thank you,” she says softly with a smile. “Please go for me and treat yourself. Maybe this is what you need. I love you but I have to go. Happy Birthday, Sissy. Hope you feel better.” he says as he ends the call before she can respond. A message popped up from Steven a moment later.

CryBabyTee: you mean so much to me. Please try to go out tonight. You only turn 23 once.

BitchBeGone: I will. I promise. I'll send you a pic of my outfit for your input before I go. I love you too.

CryBabyTee: you better maybe you can get laid tonight too. Birthday ~~Sex!~~

Ellie rolled her eyes as a GIF of a scene from the music video Steven referenced played over and over. She locked her phone as she finished waxing her legs and went downstairs to get something to eat. The stairs creaked under her weight, something she would be embarrassed by if anyone else was there. She put two pieces of bread into the toaster as she grabbed an apple and walked to the tv and turned it on. She turned on her game console and went into a movie streaming app and turned something from her ‘recently watched” tab. The monotoned woman's voice filled the silent air of Ellie's house. “The woman's hands and feet were removed with an ax and her head was found in the freezer, next to roadkill the killer also put in there.” the woman says as the sound of the toaster dinged out. Ellie got up and went to retrieve the jam from the fridge.

As Ellie ate her toast she looked through apps trying to find makeup inspiration or outfit ideas, she never went to a concert before. What if I get too dressed up, or if I go too casual? Then she spots the photo. A girl with a messy smudged grunge makeup look but it somehow looked somewhat elegant, is that the word she's looking for to describe this beautiful mess? Ellie sighed as she downloaded the picture and send it to Steven. After a few more moments of scrolling through outfits, Steven responds with some heart-eye emojis and black hearts, at least Steven is on board with the look Ellie had decided on.

As Ellie scrolled and saved some outfit pictures she headed back upstairs to her room. She sat at the vanity that was covered with makeup bottles, palettes, and soda cans. She sighed and ignored the mess as she leaned her phone against the mirror with a pic of a makeup look on the screen. Ellie turned around to her computer and went to her music library and hit the shuffle button. She turned to face the mirror of the vanity, her round chubby face stared back at her. Her brown eyes almost black searched her face from her wide-set nose that stood out from her face more than she personally would like, at least her lips were decent but they sheltered her crooked teeth with a gap in the front of her teeth, she rarely smiled showing her teeth. She grabbed her black headband with bat wings and put it over her head to push back her curly, knotted hair.

Ellie worked on her face as she went between music and internet videos, she finally finished, got up, and walked to her closet, she opened the doors and started digging in the floor moving snow boots and many other shoes around looking for either the platform boots she bought almost a year ago and worn once. Where are they, they didn't grow legs. Ellie cursed herself as she pulled out a pair of combat boots. “F**k it,” she said as she threw them at her bed. She stood up to peer into the mess that was her wardrobe. She really needed to go through this mess and donate what she couldn't and wouldn't wear and give it to some of the shelters to help LGBTQIA+ youth. Ellie grabbed a few skirts "some with the tag still on" and some tanktops and band tees and headed to her bed. She laid everything out and snapped a pic and sent it to Steven. Thank God she met one of the most stylish alternative nerds ever. He sent back the same pic with a couple of the items' circles in coordinating colors. Elie picked out her favorite one, a fake leather miniskirt, a ripped purple and black striped shirt. Then got dressed as she made some personal choices with fishnets and a choker with a fake bell and some fake silver bat earrings. She teased her hair and fluffed it out and sprayed it with glitter hairspray Steven bought her when they were in high school. She took a few pics and sent them the Steven. He responded with a GIF of the scene from the movie “The Mask” of Jim Carrey being cartoonish with expressional facial expressions and his heart leaping from his chest.

She chuckled at the moving picture. She sent a few emojis telling him she's leaving now.

Ellie grabbed her gray messenger bag and her keys as she stepped outside, she locked her door and walked down the street to one of her favorite tea shops. This one sold flowers out front on nice days and the teas and baked goods were so good, and she adored the old Korean couple that owned it. She smiled as she opened the door to see Mrs. Chung at the counter with her small frame glasses sitting on the tip of her nose as she read her smutty fantasy books. She had recommended and even given Ellie some when she first started going to the shop. Mrs. Chung was a freak at heart and Ellie loved her for it, was not shy about what she liked, and doesn't care who knows it. Her husband came out from the back, “Ellie!” he said with a big grin and open arms. “Hi Mr. and Mrs. Chung,” Ellie said hugging the small framed man. “How are you? Have you been sick?” Mrs. Chung said as she put her hand on Ellie’s forehead. “No, just been in a funk I guess. My friend got me tickets to a concert tonight and I promised him I would go. Also wanted to stop by and get me some boba before that.” Ellie said as she saw Mr. Chung go back into the kitchen like she cast a spell on him. Yes, a boba tea-making spell, she thought to herself. “Oh honey, be careful. Vampire numbers are on the rise now. Some of them can be dangerous.” Mrs. Chung said with a worried look on her face. “Now Mrs. Chung you know that anyone can be dangerous,” Ellie said with a stern look on her face. She knew vampires are stronger and faster and tougher than humans but anytime there was a vampire in the news some human either assaulted them or worse. Ellie felt bad for them, they are treated how LGBTQIA+ people have been and in some places still are treated.

“Just be careful tonight okay.” Mr. Chung said as he appeared from the back with a banana milk boba tea and a chocolate bagel. “$7.50 right?” Ellie said reaching into her messenger bag. “Nope. Happy birthday, all week is free for you.” Mrs. Chung said as she put her glasses back on the tip of her nose and started reading again. “Thank you, but I really can pay.” Ellie protested. Mr. Chung just shook his head as he gave Ellie her food and drink. “Thank you both,” Ellie said as she gave both of them a side hug. She walked out of the shop and walked down the street enjoying the setting sun's rays and her drink and food.

Ellie arrived at the club where the band was playing that night, and the neon signs hummed outside the door. She fished out her phone and showed the bouncer the ticket stubs. “Only you?” the bouncer asked. “Yeah, my friend was going but he had to work,” she said, why in the hell am I telling him this unnecessary information? “Well, enjoy the show,” he said as he unhooked the black velvet rope. Ellie walked into a bar to her right and a dance floor, well it was more like the most pit to her left and the stage was straight on back. Ellie took a deep breath and took a few steps forward until she hit something, or someone. She fell backward but didn't land the fall. Someone scooped her up, someone scooped up her large heavy frame like nothing. She felt an arm around her waist holding on to the fat, she looked at the person that saved her from the hard fall. A guy with long shaggy black hair and shiny green eyes looked back at her, oh god please don't be a hot guy, Ellie pleaded. Her eyes focused on the rest of him as they took a step apart. He was tall, like monstrous tall, and big, not all fat but not all muscle, his face had a nicely kept beard. He wore a black trench coat and some distressed jeans that hugged his thick thighs, his boots were a mix of cowboy and combat. F**k, He’s hot, even with a sexy meeting Ellie couldn't pull this guy off. “Sorry, I’m so so sorry.” Ellie finally got those words out. “It was my fault. Please forgive me.” The man said as he bowed down a bit. F**K, hot and respectful? Ellie wanted to die. First time out of her house in months and she runs into the hottest man she's ever seen.

“I’m Alexander.” the man said as he grabbed Ellie's hand, he gently kissed her hand, something scraped against her skin, holy s**t he has fangs. Alexander is a f*****g vampire.

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