You know how sometimes you spend a lot of time worrying and losing sleep about a problem, and in the end, it's resolved quite easily, much to your disbelief?
I had many instances of that happening in my life, but the one that I remember the most is when I got really bad marks in one of my exam papers.
I was so scared to show the report card to my mom that I actually hid it in my room for days and only showed it when there was no other choice.
But my mom, who I thought would react angrily and ground me, simply read through the report card, nodded her head and said, "This is not good, Felix. Study better next time."
And that was it. The problem that I thought was going to end my world was resolved so quickly and so easily that I wondered why I was even worried in the first place.
"Hold on a sec!" I called out to Anthony and Pamela as they headed out of the diner, prompting them to turn back towards me. Inhaling deeply, I spoke up, "I've got a couple of questions."
"Go for it," Pamela responded, while Anthony chimed in, "But make it quick."
"Alright. First off…" I looked at Anthony and continued, "... You're not just gonna leave me hanging without a ride back h-"
"No," Anthony cut me off promptly, and I let out a sigh. "Seriously?"
"Absolutely." Anthony nodded, and then pointed at the bus stop. "Take the fucking bus."
"Ugh, fine…" I grumbled in annoyance.
"What's the second question?" Pamela asked, arching an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're going to ask me now because he's my ride out of here," she added, pointing at Anthony.
"Nah, I'm not ask- wait, you're giving her a ride?!" I exclaimed in disbelief, looking at Anthony, who simply shrugged. "She's not as annoying as you."
"I can- Ugh! Whatever!" I shook my head, then cleared my throat. "Ahem! My second question is: how can I fight without blacking out?"
"...What?" Anthony raised an eyebrow, his expression turning puzzled. "What kind of a dumbass question is that?"
"What do you mean? I lose my consciousness when I fight!" I asked, my frustration and worry evident in my eyes. "It's a real problem, and if I don't figure it out, someone could get seriously hurt, or even worse, killed!"
"What the fuck are you so afraid of?" Anthony asked, his irritation clear in his expression. I raised an eyebrow, staring at him with confusion, and replied, "Wha- I just explained it! I'm afraid I'll end up hurting some-"
"Why?" Anthony cut me off abruptly. I blinked, now even more perplexed, and questioned, "What do you mean why? I just- I just told you the rea-"
"Why do you think you'll kill people?" Anthony asked. "Have you ever killed someone?"
"N-No," I replied while scratching my head, and continued, "B-But the vampire that bit me did try to kill me, though!"
"Okay, but was this vampire also blacked out like you?" Anthony asked, and I widened my eyes in surprise. "Huh?"
"Was this vampire in an unconscious state, like how you were when you fought?" Anthony clarified, and I shook my head. "N-No."
"So that vampire was probably just a murderer." Anthony shrugged, before turning his gaze towards Pamela and asked, "Wouldn't you agree?"
"Probably, yeah." Pamela nodded in agreement, leaving me even more confused. "Wha- So, why the hell was I blacking out whenever I was about to get into a fight?"
"Probably because you're trying to do something you aren't supposed to be doing," Anthony stepped forward and poked me on the chest before continuing, "You're trying to stop yourself from acting like a vampire."
"What?" I asked with curiosity. Anthony shrugged as he responded, "You're afraid, kid. Afraid that you'll hurt someone if you see some blood. Afraid that you'll kill someone when they try to fight you."
"But—I could feel the blood rushing to my head! I was blacking out!" I attempted to explain, my voice tinged with frustration, and Anthony just shook his head, "Hormonal changes. Constriction of blood flow and an anxiety attack."
"But I was in a fight while I was practically unconscious," I protested. Pamela chimed in, her tone matter-of-fact. "Vampires possess remarkable muscle and sensory reflexes. Even our subconscious can engage in combat while we're asleep."
"...." For a moment, I was silent, processing the new perspective. After a beat, I released a prolonged and heavy sigh, finally asking, "So, I'm not some bloodthirsty monster then?"
"Nope. You're just a dumbass who worried too much about something you had absolutely no clue about." Anthony responded, his demeanor steady.
"Huh," I muttered, a slight chuckle escaping me. "Well, fuck."
"Don't fear it. Try to understand it, and then embrace it." Pamela said, her tone soothing, her eyes holding understanding. Anthony chimed in, nodding his head. "Being a vampire is like popping a boner for the first time. At first, you're convinced it's going to randomly pop up and everyone will think you're a creep, but give it a few days, and it's just a regular part of life."
".... That was a very specific analogy, but if it gets the point across..." Pamela said with a shrug. As they were about to leave, she gave a casual wave. "Take care, kid."
"Don't forget to make friends with those bullies, got it?" Anthony's finger pointed at me as he and Pamela strolled toward his car, leaving me standing, stunned and solitary outside the diner.
"Heh, hahaha..." I chuckled under my breath, then tilted my gaze skyward, exhaling a sigh.
Every so often, in particular moments like this, a distant memory resurfaces — like the anxiety of showing my mom my report card — as if to nudge me, reminding me of experiences long tucked away.
Sometimes, we're the problem.
WHAM!
Rafael felt the world around him starting to spin, and in an instant, a searing jolt of pain surged through his body, and he crashed violently into the wall behind him.
BAM!
I glanced at Rafael, who had been slammed onto the wall with intense force, and then shifted my gaze towards my fists, and my eyes widened.
"Funny thing is," I remarked, flexing my knuckles as I maintained my gaze on Rafael, who fell down onto the floor, visibly struggling to catch his breath, and a smile formed on my face. "For a brief moment there, I considered your proposition..."
The henchmen, who were acting tough just a second ago, now appeared more like startled kittens. "But you see," I continued, a hint of yellow gleaming in my eyes as I popped my knuckles, "I can't really get along with folks who like to beat up my friends!"
"Get... Get him!" Rafael managed to choke out the words amidst his gasps. The henchmen, though visibly shaken, surged forward toward me with loud, fear-fueled screams. "AHHHHH!"
One of them hurled a punch in my direction, aiming straight for my head. However, to my now enhanced vision, his hands moved in super slow motion, and I widened my eyes in shock.
Wow, this is even cooler than I thought!
Swoosh!
With a swift motion, I lowered my head, watching the punch glide unhurriedly through the air above me, and my grin grew even wider.
Hell yeah, this is beyond cool!
Seizing the opportunity, I pulled back my fist before delivering a powerful uppercut to the henchman, which caused him to be propelled backwards into the air. He collided into Rafael, who was rising from the floor. "Oh, fu-"
THUD!
Rafael's sentence was cut short as he crashed onto the floor for a second time. The remaining henchmen turned around to look at their fallen classmates, their eyes widened in disbelief.
Time to bring this to an end.
Swoosh!
Capitalizing on the confusion, I charged forward with incredible speed. My fist connected with another henchman's abdomen, which sent him flying, colliding with the wall with a resounding noise.
One of the henchmen shouted in surprise, "What the-"
THUD!
Before he could finish his sentence, I turned around in an instant and charged towards him, executing a swift leg swipe and flipping him into the air before he hit the ground.
Twack!
I swung my leg without wasting a single second, targeting his midsection. Turning on my heels, I squared off against the final remaining henchman.
"Wanna switch sides?" I asked the henchmen, and the boy pondered for a moment before raising his arms in the air. "Yeah, sure. Why not? I didn't like being his lackey anyway."
With a slight bow, the boy exited the classroom. I shifted my attention to the remaining henchmen, all groaning on the floor in pain, and inquired, "Are you sticking around for more or heading out?"
They exchanged glances and nodded, gradually rising to their feet before beginning to retreat.
"Hold on a sec." I intervened, prompting the henchmen to halt and face me with a mixture of fear and bewilderment. I gestured towards the unconscious Rafael and remarked, "Don't forget to pick up the trash. No littering in my classroom."