Private Finished A Snake, a Bull, and a Poorly Kept Secret

For as smoothly as the test had gone to begin with, things really couldn't have gone much steeper downhill than they did when the weights came into the picture. He could maybe explain away the speed and just say that he felt like sprinting, but a snapped barbell was another issue entirely, as was an effortlessly popped thick rubber ball.

Morgan had started to head off in record time once class had ended, wanting to avoid his classmates if at all possible. The familiar voice of Yasmin stopped him in his tracks, however, and he spun around to make eye contact. He knew Yasmin, and she was far from stupid. He wasn't going to be able to bullshit his way out of this after all that, and really, he wasn't a hundred percent sure her wanted to.

"...Okay. This is, uh...this is awkward." Morgan glanced both ways down the hall, then gestured for Yasmin to follow him. He led her to a comparatively more private spot, a little alcove at the bottom of the stairs. Looking around for eavesdroppers once more, the paranoia he was viewing all this with more than evident, he finally heaved a shaky sigh, hands jammed deep in his pockets and fidgeting away. "...So...I kind of...got turned. By a vampire."

"Hey, hey! First of all, please calm down. Second of all, I'm fourteen and a half, thank you very much. And third..." Morgan trailed off, his brow furrowing a bit. He was fully aware how stupid and reckless this was going to sound, because of course it had been, but that didn't make it easier.

"I wasn't attacked, or tricked, or anything like that...er, at least, not really tricked. I...went looking for a vampire to do this. I wanted it." Morgan sighed heavily, brushing his hair back and trying his best to avoid eye contact when he wasn't talking. "My family doesn't know. At least I think."

Morgan was quick to recognize that his attempt at bringing some levity to the situation had gone over less than ideally, cringing a little and making a note to steer clear of any more jokes for the moment. Essentially every point Yasmin brought up was right. The entire ordeal had been exceptionally illegal, and he absolutely should have talked to his parents before any of this mess happened.

However, his stubborn drive to keep it all hidden wasn't so easy to brush aside. Morgan shook his head, frowning deeply and refusing to look at Yasmin, instead opting to stare down at his hooves. "...Can't. I can't tell them, okay? Not my parents, and not anybody who works at the school for that matter because they'll find out right away. I'm not in danger, though. I've been getting by on rabbits from the woods, some deer here and there. I'm not going to starve, or anything like that." Of course, he was making a deliberate point not to mention how his uncontrolled strength had been and could continue to be destructive.

Oh boy. The big question, why he couldn't tell his parents. Morgan mentally cursed at himself, frustrated at his lack of eloquence as far as explaining this better. It needed to be said, though, if there was even a remote hope for Yasmin to understand his dilemma.

"Okay...so, I'll try and frame this as best as I can, and I'm sorry in advance for how little sense it'll probably make." Morgan paused, almost making eye contact again but instead watching a beetle meandering across the tile floor. "My people live by these...I guess tenets is a good word for it? Ever since we're little, our parents tell us all about the importance of personal strength, integrity, and community."

Another pause, longer this time while he collected his thoughts. "The strength thing is both figurative and literal. It might seem barbaric or whatever, but the physically strongest among us get a lot of respect. It's just in our blood. Obviously, before now, I was lacking in that department, a lot."

Morgan watched the beetle he had been staring at disappear out of sight under a nearby doorway, and finally made himself look back to Yasmin. "I was just so, so tired of being the disappointment in my family. Even if they didn't say it outright, I know they were ashamed of me. I wanted the same pride, the same affection that my brother and sister get, just...and..." He cursed quietly under his breath, shaking his head and flicking his tail. "I ruined it. I didn't earn any of this...I cheated."

With how angry Yasmin had initially sounded, the shift to reasonable calmness when she spoke again caught Morgan off guard. He tapped the back of his hoof against the floor while she talked, the dull clicking of tile punctuating her words with a steady rhythm. She was right, as much as hated to admit it.

Abruptly, Morgan felt that familiar 'dropping' sensation of guilt in his stomach, rubbing his head where his horn protruded on the left and closing his eyes. The same vampire could do this to others...he hadn't even thought about that, and that fact alone was enough to hurt significantly.

Leaning back against the wall, he slid down until he was sitting. Morgan was quiet for several moments, the frustration he felt towards himself clearly evident in his expression and posture. "...I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I really am. For being such a fucking idiot, for lying, for just...everything. I'm sorry..."