Let's Go For A Pint (Vampire/Humor)

8.1 Tino

After weeks of being unemployed, I found a job at the local community centre as a coordinator for youth programs. Basically, I work with other coordinators in organizing programs like book club, board games club, some sports club, dance classes — whatever gets kids active, new friends, and not glued to their phones. Not only did I have to organize those, I had to promote them by visiting schools. I hate making public speeches, but it's all to keep up the façade I'm not some vampire who has been living for a couple hundred years, right?

So, the big event the community centre had planned since Easter was the Hallowe'en party for youth program participants. It's not the greatest of parties, so I overheard from bored-out-of-their-asses teenagers smoking in the washroom. When you're a kid who gets to dress up as a dinosaur or Darth Vader, I guess it was something to look forward to. Maybe it was the giant bag of candy the kids get when they leave the party. Yours truly would've loved to make those. Since I was the newbie member of the planning committee, I got the most important job of decorating one of the event halls.

"You should've taken that accounting job," Carmen said while I was painting in an owl on what eventually became a mural. "You'd be more in your comfort zone of not interacting with people every ten seconds."

"I'm paying half the rent. The least I should do is get a job that covers it."

"This is hardly a job, Lena. I enjoy interacting with people, yet even I wouldn't take this shitty job. Besides, how much are they paying you to make abstract art that's going in the bin next morning?"

I stopped painting and answered, "I'll admit it's not much and it's less than payroll clerk."

"Mi Raah, Lena! You deserve better than this! Also, do you want me to drive you home or not?"

I did ask her to drive me home earlier that day. I stood up, put my hands on my hips, and looked at the mural. Although it wasn't complete, I called it a day. "Let me finish tidying and I should be good to leave."

"Great. I've been dying to use the toilet since I arrived."

I was certain once we were ready to head back to the apartment we go straight there, but on our way out a boy crying on a bench sidetracked us. In his hand he held a folded piece of paper.

"That's not good, Lena. How is it no one here took notice of him?"

"Well, Carmen, if a boy cries you tell him to 'man up'. Not a lot of caring and compassionate people around here." Personally, I didn't know how to handle the kid. Someone could have tried to comfort him and failed. He didn't show any signs of physical bullying, so definitely not that. Hell, his dog might've died and he was still grieving.

"Telling a boy that could be ten to 'man up' isn't comforting and makes things worse." Carmen shook her head then approached the boy. She sat next to him and the second she did he scooted over to the right.

"See, Carmen? Not interested in help."

But that didn't stop her. Without laying a hand on him she spoke in a soft voice, "Hey there, why you crying your eyes out? My name's Carmen. What's your name?"

He said nothing and continued to cry softly.

"What you got there?" She tilted her head to see what was on the paper and the boy opened it wider. With the help of the lighting I too saw what it was: an invitation to the Hallowe'en party.

"Are you going to that?"

He shook his head no.

"You're not? Do you want to go?"

He nodded yes.

"Do you have a friend that can help you? Or are you a Jehovah's Witness?"

"Carmen, I doubt those guys would sign up their kids for the programs here. The popular one for his age group is monster battle trading card club."

Somehow Carmen connected with him. "I want to go to the party, but my parents won't let me go as a vampire," he responded.

Carmen frowned. As for me, I empathized with the kid. Sure, he might've been a fanboy in the making. If he wanted to join us one day, well, good for him.

"Have you talked to them about this?" She asked.

He shook his head. "They won't let me go as a vampire. You wouldn't believe if I told you what my family does."

"Kid, I've seen a lot of crazy things in my life. Try me."

He folded the paper and tucked it in his backpack's front pocket. "My parents, including my older brother and sister, are vampire hunters."

Yep, he comes from a family of hunters. They exist. I mean, there has to be something other than angry witches, shapeshifters, and ghosts to hunt down vampires, right? Yes, I said something because they, the vampire hunters, are a class of their own. Kind of like the vampire slayers of Buffy sans the chosen one and gender exclusive stuff.

"That shouldn't get in your way of dressing up as a vampire for Hallowe'en," Carmen argued as she scooted closer to him. "Just talk with your mom and dad about it, and that should clear things up."

"But I—" he started before someone female calling his name cut him off.

"Tino! Tino? There you are!" The woman, who appeared to be in her early forties with short dark hair and tanned skin, came running down the hallway. "¡O Dios Mio! I thought someone kidnapped you."

And as she ran down the hallway, she hit me with her oversized purse. I was sure it left a large bruise on my arm and after lifting my sleeve a bit, lo and behold a purple blotch right where it landed. It stung like a motherfucker as well.

The woman turned to see if I was okay. "I'm sorry, I didn't notice you there."

Didn't notice me my ass! Why else would I be hit with an oversized purse? I winced and raised my hand slightly to show I accepted her apology.

She returned her attention to the boy, Tino, and brushed his hair aside. "Chico, you know you should come to the front once you're done karate."

"I know. I'm sorry mama," Tino said in a sombre tone.

"Is everything okay with you?"

Tino nodded and grabbed his backpack. He rose from the bench and shuffled away with his mom following him. She said to Carmen, "Thank you for staying with him."

"No problem, ma'am." Carmen gave them a wave as they passed by her.

When they passed by me, the oversized purse hit me again. Tino was telling the truth. His family, they're vampire slayers.

"Lena, you okay?" Carmen asked me as she put a hand on my bruised arm.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!"

"You didn't get hit that hard, did you?"

"What was she carrying in there? Bricks?"

"We can stop by the store and get a bag of frozen vegetables for your–"

"Ow!"

"I'll take that as a yes." Carmen reached into her jacket pocket, took out the car keys, and headed for the parking lot.

The bruise, in my opinion, wasn't that bad. And it wasn't the last time I'd encountered a member of Tino's family.

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Childhood. For some of us, we were forced to go to activities we didn't want to do by our parents (and it involved waking up early on a Saturday or Sunday), and there were activities we wanted to do but parents said no (whether it's for financial or cultural or religious or safety reasons). Anyone wanted to do something as a kid but mom and (or) dad said no? If interactive questions aren't your thing, feel free to leave a comment of something else.

And you know the drill by know. If you're still along for the ride (at least I think you are) that's awesome!