by Jenna Bernel
"Both," he grinned wickedly. Stepping closer, I felt a flutter running through my veins.
"You were pretty amazing yourself. Going full vamp like that, your power… it was something else," I said, leaning into him as I thought of us dancing, and the way his searing hands roamed over me. My heart started to beat and we both looked down at my chest. Alec put his hands there to feel the pulse, and I pressed my palm over his.
"You were pretty powerful too. For a second there, when we were dancing, I could've sworn you wanted me to kiss you," Alec said and his hand started to feel warmer over my heart.
"I'm a good actress," I chirped, tilting my chin up to see the fiery halos now igniting in his eyes.
"Are you?" he asked, barely audibly.
No, I mouthed. My throat was too tight to speak another word as his lips crashed into mine, sending my heart into overdrive.
*****
A scream escaped my throat and I landed on the ground with a “thud!” My bed sheets were twisted in my legs and I jumped up, pulling them off me like they were on fire. My heart was slamming out of my chest and I was clammy with sweat. My bedroom door flew open and I saw my dad with a bat in his hands, ready to swing.
"Dani, what is it?" He dropped the bat and ran to me. I looked at him, trying to choke out some words, but I couldn’t breathe.
"Sit down and put your head between your legs," he said before guiding me to sit down on the bed. I crumpled over, putting my forehead to my knees as I continued to pant out sharp breaths. My dad rubbed my back, trying to help me relax, but I was totally freaked out. What just happened? I couldn't even remember going to sleep. After a few minutes, my lungs regained their normal rhythm and I found the strength to sit upright.
"Better?" my dad asked, looking me over with genuine concern.
"Yeah, I think so. I must have had another nightmare," I answered, although still confused. I blinked several times, bringing my hand to lips. They felt so warm, I worried they might melt. I looked at my dad, only then realizing that he was here at our house.
"What are you doing here anyway?" I asked, surprised. He hardly ever stayed over, and rarely on weekends because the restaurant was always so busy.
"I'm taking tomorrow off," he said, squeezing my shoulder.
"Why?" I questioned because he never took time off.
"Because it's your last Homecoming Dance, and I want to see you before you go just to get a look at the dress I paid for," he joked patting my leg until I found myself smiling. I always told him not to bother with such events, and he gave up trying to get involved in my life a long time ago. Now, however, it was different. I actually wanted him there. So instead of pretending I didn't care, (when really I did), I decided to do something completely out of character.
"Thanks, Dad, it'll mean a lot to me to have you there," I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek as he eyed me skeptically again, like I might have really been a pod person.
"Why don't you try and get some sleep?" he said, getting up to leave before grabbing his bat on the way out.
As if he knew my thoughts, Alec suddenly appeared at the door of my balcony, stepping inside.
"Hey, you okay?" Alec asked, sitting at the edge of my bed next to me. He pressed his fingers to my neck and checked for my pulse as if making sure my heart was still beating and his ears weren't deceiving him. It was beating all right, racing like a hummingbird’s, in fact.
I knocked his hand away, "I guess. What just happened?" I asked, rubbing my temple as a pounding hammer began to thump against my forehead.
"You don't remember Cloud Crashing my dream?" Alec asked cautiously, almost like he didn't want to hear the answer.
"No, I don't remember anything after I got back from your place," I said, shaking my head back-and-forth while hoping to jog the memory loose from wherever it lay hidden. Alec pressed his lips tightly together, like he didn't know what to make of that.
"I need speak to Christoph, and you should try and get some sleep," he said, standing back up, and I suddenly felt more helpless than ever. He leaned over me like he was about to kiss me and I retracted my head.
"What are you doing? You're not my boyfriend anymore, and I don't think that's an appropriate goodbye," I said with a scrunched forehead like he was acting loony.
"Oh, great," he grumbled like it was brand new information. He quickly picked up my hand and gave it a little peck before I could pull away. Then he went back to the balcony and vanished into the night. I picked up the covers from the floor and lay back down in bed, trying to piece the night’s events together, but I couldn’t; and there was nothing to remember, just a big, black hole.
Chapter 21: All Dressed Up
"I'm here now; let's get started," Kate sang the announcement of her presence as she burst into my bedroom, holding up a garment bag and four other satchels that were hanging off her arms. I smiled, but my head was still pounding from last night even after I showered, ate, and went for a walk to get some fresh air. If my current condition was anything like a hangover, I felt glad alcohol couldn't affect me.
"Did you bring your whole closet?" I asked, standing up from my bed to help her with the bags.
"Not quite, but close. Hair tools, makeup, shoe options; it adds up," she said and I nodded along in agreement.
"How was the rest of the party?" I asked, setting the bags on my bed.
"It was so cute… Evan kept eyeing the door like a puppy, hoping you'd change your mind and come back," Kate gushed and I bit my lip to try and hide my smile. Then a twinge of guilt hit as I thought of grinding on the dance floor with Alec, when Evan thought I was sound asleep in bed. I just had to keep telling myself that it was a necessary part in my role as a blood whore last night, and it brought us that much closer to getting Eli back because of it. Alec texted me a "thumbs up" icon which was his cryptic way of telling me the vamp he turned woke up; and we were moving into the next step. We didn’t dare put anything that might possibly be incriminating in writing.
"I see you smiling over there… What is going on with you two?" Kate asked, pulling me back to attention.
"I don't know. Things have just felt… closer lately," I said, trying to explain the new and exciting chemistry that Evan kept stirring up.
"That was pretty obvious last night," Kate said with a twinkle in her eye as she recalled Evan's demeanor toward me.
"Okay dress time, let's see it," I said, sounding borderline giddy. I even surprised myself at how excited I was for this dance. Maybe it was only because it was our last Homecoming, or that my dad took time off for me, but I think it was mostly because of the man who'd soon be at my front door, presenting my corsage.
Kate unzipped her garment bag and pulled out a silver sheath dress. It was floor-length and had a slit up one side. When the material hit the light, it almost had an iridescent purple shimmer. Beneath the slit, there was a sheer panel of purple fabric that kicked out when she walked.
"That is so pretty! I love the material," I said, picking up the bottom to inspect it further. Kate was tall and very thin, like her mom, so this silhouette was perfect for her long, svelte bod.
"Thanks, that's why I liked it too," she said, hooking it up on my ceiling fan so the bottom wouldn't touch the ground and wrinkle.
"Your turn now. After you described it the other day, I've been trying to picture it ever since," she said, clapping happily. It was like she couldn't wait to see if what she drew up in her head was the same as my real dress. I went to the closet, removing it from the garment bag and holding it up against me. She could see the hand-sewn black crystals, and the subtle, yet intricate, pattern as they dispersed further down the dress into the dark ruby bottom.
She gasped, "Where is this store?!" Walking over with her mouth agape, she combed her eyes over the whole dress, appreciating every detail, just like I did.
"I know! It's incredible. The woman had just finished it! I completely lucked out," I said, turning to hang it back up.
"I'll say; it's s
tunning. Fresh off the runway-stunning," she complimented me.
"Thanks," I said, closing the closet. There were about twenty more steps we needed to take before we actually put on our ensembles.
"I have the perfect eye shadow to go with your dress," I said, smiling, and Kate beamed back at me.
*****
There was a light tap at the door and Kate and I simultaneously said, "Come in," as my bedroom door creaked open.
My grandma stepped into the room. "Girls, or I should say, women, you both look like sophisticated young ladies," she said, sounding a little choked up, which was very surprising, since she was harder to read than a stone most days.
"Kate could you give us a moment?" Ulla asked, politely gesturing through the door for her to step out.
"Oh, sure. I actually forgot the box with my mask in my car, so I'll just go grab it now before the guys get here," she said exiting as my grandma closed the door behind her.
"Your mother is downstairs," Ulla began and my face fell.
"Why?" I asked, my anger beginning to churn.
"Your father invited her over to partake in your sendoff. Although I think it's silly since you’re the child and she's the mother, and should do as she sees fit, she still requested that I come up here and get your permission for her to stay," Ulla gritted out. I could just imagine the fight they had with their opposing views on parenting playing out before my eyes.
"She didn't say anything to Dad about me knowing, did she?" I asked since my dad was acting so strange. I still wasn't convinced that I had single-handedly changed our relationship just by being nice.
"No, she will leave that choice to you, if, and when, you want to tell him," she reassured me.
"I don't want her here! Just the idea of even looking at her makes me angry," I said bitterly and a cold spike shot through my stomach. My eyes began to blur with a strange cloudiness I'd never felt before, although it seemed familiar at the same time. Ulla clutched my arms and forcibly lifted my chin so I could only look into her eyes.
"Calm yourself, look at me, take deep breaths and think of Eli, now think of Alec," she said hypnotically over-and-over. I concentrated on the rise and fall of my chest as I pictured Eli's angelic face, while refusing to bring Alec into it. Slowly, the clouds cleared from my eyes. I shook my head as if I were coming to from a dark Trance.
"What was that?" I asked, feeling a bit of dementia as the headache started to pulsate once again.
"Daniella, I've warned you about that. It is a dark, sinister demon squatting inside you and waiting to find your weakness. As soon as it does, it'll exploit you. It will pull you down into its soulless tunnel from the inside out, until there's nothing left. You must control it always; you must prevail in your strength," Ulla said. Then, I had a flashback of the summer I was turned. It felt like I was sitting in the middle of that circle again, surrounded by candles and choking on incense. Ulla and her elderly witch doctor friends, prayed and chanted while intermittently saying things to extract the dark demon. I was stronger, and I planned to prove it to that disgusting toad of a squatter, for even thinking it could control me.
"It's fine if Mom stays, however, I'd request a bit of space," I said and Ulla squeezed my arms.
"That's my girl," Ulla said.
"Woman," I corrected her, tilting up my chin. Her face curled into a deeply pleased grin, and the creases on her face substantiated her elderly wisdom. She left to wait for Kate and me downstairs. Kate hadn't returned from her car, but I wanted to wait upstairs and hide out from my mom for as long as possible. A few minutes later, Kate popped back into my room.
"Hey, sorry my parents just got here, and well… you know my mom. As soon as she saw me all dressed up, she wouldn't stop gushing," Kate said in an exasperated tone. I turned to face her, laughing at how little she realized she and her mom were exactly alike in that sense, but the laugh was lodged in my throat.
"Where did that come from?!" I cried out, already knowing the answer, as my eyes popped out of my head.
"Oh yeah, when I went outside, this was on your doorstep. Do you think they’re from Evan, like a little pre-dance present?" she asked, waggling her eyebrows, but unfortunately, she was way off.
Kate set down her box and untucked the other one from her arm before handing it to me. In the other arm, she held a striking bouquet of flowers that mostly consisted of black calla lilies and reminded me of my dress. The flowers were held in the same vase that Alec finished in our Senior Sculptures class. Kate plucked out the little card that said "Dani" from the bouquet and passed it to me. I hesitantly opened the envelope, feeling my heart rate picking up as I turned over the note.
Saw this and thought of you, save me a dance… The note was scrolled in Alec's handwriting. I untied the ribbon in one pull and lifted the top of the box, my breath catching when I saw what lay inside. It was the most beautiful mask I'd ever seen. The black and ruby crystals looked like they came right off my dress, and swirled and weaved over the cutout backdrop, appearing almost like handmade lace. As the pattern spun outward past the temples, it widened, giving the shape of a cat’s eye effect. It was mask only fit for a ball; and when I picked it up, my hands shook so hard, I was afraid I would break it.
"Oh my God," Kate said, equally stunned by its beauty as I lifted it from its resting place; but I remained speechless. Kate grabbed the note from my other hand, squinting her eyes as she read it like a detective, analyzing a piece of evidence.
"There's no name," she whined, wanting the mystery solved immediately.
"Alec…" It came out raspy from my dry throat.
"But it's so perfect how could he…?"
"He was there when I bought it," I confessed, quietly cutting her off.
"What?! But Harper…"
"I know; don't say it," I stopped her from finishing the thought. I looked in my vanity mirror as an intense, but indiscernible feeling coursed through me. The cloud of decent threatened me and I saw it in my eyes, waiting, churning, until it began to fog over the amethyst light that promised to take me to a safer place where I wouldn't feel a thing. I chanted what Ulla said over-and-over, desperate to keep the darkness away as I concentrated on the beat of my racing heart while commanding it to drum on.
Chapter 22: Smell of Roses
I walked down the steps with Kate as the light bulb flashes immediately started going off from multiple different cameras and angles. I decided to wear the mask that Alec gave me. Honestly, that was because it was too beautiful not to wear and would have been a waste. Evan stood frozen at the base of the steps, only moving his eyes, which swept over me like he was frantically trying to remember every detail of this moment, and the way I looked in my dress.
My stomach trembled at my first impression of him, looking unbelievably sexy in his crisp, black tux that flawlessly matched his dark hair and onyx mask. I reached the base of the stairs and smiled at him, but he didn't smile back. Instead, his eyes seemed to smolder with desire, and more intensely than I had ever seen. He tilted his head to the side, brushing my waved-out hair past my collarbone and exposing my strapless neckline. Then he leaned over and gently kissed the peak of my shoulder, radiating the heat from his lips and blanketing my body with his warmth.
"You’re breathtaking," he whispered in my ear. Standing up straight, he left the curve of my shoulder, and once more, like at last night's party, I felt self-conscious in the ensuing silence as everyone stared, wide-eyed, at our exchange. Seeing his reaction was better than any verbal compliment he could ever think of. Another flash of a camera’s light bulb gleamed, snapping everyone to attention at once, before the room buzzed back to life.
"Mom! Enough! You're going to blind me," Kate chided.
"Just a few pictures by the fireplace, please…" Kate's mom squeaked and her dad gave her an encouraging look that translated to: just do it. Kate made a disgruntled sound in her throat and grabbed Bennet's hand, dragging him into the living room with her parents following close behind.
"Here. This is for you," Evan said, holding up a small square box. I opened it to find two red roses that were tied with black, iridescent ribbon in multiple, over-exaggerated loops. They were all fastened to a sparkly bracelet that I could slip onto my wrist. Between the dress, the mask, and now, the beautiful corsage, this may have been the most perfect ensemble I'd ever wear.
"I love it! How did you know?" I asked as he lifted it and gently slid it onto my wrist.
"I asked Kate the color of your dress, and the florist did the rest," he explained. I held it out in front of me to admire a while longer.
My dad came up then, holding a camera, "Smile," he said and I leaned into Evan when he put his arm around my waist right as the camera flashed. I caught my mom standing next to Ulla, less than a pace behind my dad, keeping her distance as requested and she gave me a meek smile. I nodded a silent hello and she let out a long sigh that she must have been holding since I confronted her days ago.
"Oh, your boutonniere is in the kitchen," I said, remembering it as I grabbed Evan's hand and took him with me. I lifted the box out of the fridge and pulled out the simple white rose with a little stem that curled into spiral, nothing more. I stepped closer to Evan and began to pin it onto his lapel.
"How'd you know?" he said with relief, repeating my question. I'd been to my fair share of dances with the same group of people over the years, and I distinctly recalled Evan and all the tacky crap he had to endure, dangling off his boutonnieres in assorted girly colors, to match his dates’ dresses. I remembered them only because I could always tell he wanted to rip them off his chest, and they were usually found in the trash before the dance even ended.
"I figured you'd appreciate a classic beauty," I said, fastening it tightly. I pulled my hand out from behind his lapel, but he clasped it with his, pressing them together against his chest.
"More like spectacularly one-of-a-kind," he rasped, looking deep into my eyes. I could see the gems from my mask reflecting like glitter in his eyes, emphasizing the glint in his expression. I swallowed down a gulp, closing my eyes as Evan slowly moved to my lips. I felt the heat of his breath on my skin and my stomach leapt with excitement as we prepared to share our first kiss.