The Ethical Vampiress

The New Student

It was another day at West Valley High School. But for new student Abigail "Abby" Ruthven (who was also an ethical daywalking vampire), it was different.

"That freak needs to go home," someone muttered as Abigail walked down the lines of lockers. Overhearing this, Abby shook her head with a smile, while her eyes glowed yellow for a brief moment before reverting back to their usual azure color.

Wannabe poser, she thought with a shrug, dismissing him as easily as she did when most of the other students muttered about her just because she sometimes wore a faux black leather jacket with matching fringe on the sleeves over colored turtlenecks in fall and winter (when it was cold) and short-sleeved shirts in summer (when it was hot).

At lunchtime, after having gotten her lunch (chicken strips, French fries and a Coca-Cola), she'd walked into the cafeteria, and as though to drive home the point (similar to a stake through the heart), Jacquelyn "Jackie" Davenport gave her a once-over before turning back to Annabelle "Annie" Callas and Katrina Mahan, while simultaneously giving Abby the cold shoulder.

Fortunately for Abigail, her being given the cold shoulder did not go unnoticed. Having seen what had transpired, Demetri Alexopoulos, Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz, Yasmine, Samantha "Sam" LaRusso, Tory Nichols, Moon, Aisha Robinson, Robby Keene and Miguel Diaz exchanged sympathetic expressions as an acute pang of empathy shot through each of them for Abigail's sake. To them, the message was non-verbally loud and clear: just because she'd chosen to take a page from Moon's book and lift others up by encouraging them instead of bullying them and tearing them down, Abigail wasn't welcome there anymore.

"Abigail!"

"Yo, Abby!" called a familiar, raspy voice.

Hearing the voices calling her name (and nickname), Abigail turned, and a smile of relief spread over her face when she saw it was Demetri and his friend Eli calling her from their table. Sitting with them were Eli's girlfriend Moon, Demetri's girlfriend Yasmine, Sam,  Sam's friends Tory and Aisha, Robby and Miguel.

Her tray in hand, Abby walked over to where they were sitting, and Moon and Eli scooted over to make room for her to sit down. Eli patted the empty seat next to him. "Right here, Abby. We saved you a seat."

"Thanks, you guys," Abby expostulated as she sat her tray down before sitting down herself; in her eyes, it was nice to finally see some friendly faces for a change. Also, Eli, Moon, Demetri, Yasmine and the others had showed through their actions how non-judgmental they were when it came to her and how she looked. 

Once, Abby knew, she'd wanted to be like Jackie, Annie, Katrina and the other students, but by doing no more than simply being themselves, they'd showed her how terrible a prospect that really was; in other words, they showed Abby their true colors in how judgmental they were when it came to someone like herself, while also not bothering to know anything about her other than how she looked or how she dressed.

Once she found that out, Abby vowed she'd never take the path of the bully; instead, she'd take a page from Moon's book by offering encouragement to others, even if they never asked.

Of course, there were a few students who'd initially told Abigail to mind her own business, only to feel a sharp pang of regret when she replied with, "Then I shall bother you no more" in an almost coldly cool tone with a flash of her azure eyes before turning on her heel and walking away while leaving them behind. 

A cooling tide of remorse would shoot through them in an arrow-like fashion, and they'd feel truly ashamed of themselves. As soon as she'd gotten in a few steps, they'd turn back to her with a regretful expression and say something like, "Abigail, it is we who have been rude. We shouldn't have said what we did. We feel bad, because we wanted to ask for your help, but our pride got in the way. You took the initiative in wanting to help encourage us despite our not asking for it."