by Donna Flynn
“Mom, it’s perfect, thank you.”
She hugged me close and placed a kiss on my cheek. “I’m glad you like it. I have to get dressed now, so don’t sit or do anything that might ruin your costume before the party,” she cautioned, before rushing out of the door.
I was so excited that I decided to walk downstairs and wait for everyone to arrive. Paul and Beth were already in the foyer. They had settled on a black stone bench that looked like it belonged in an old cemetery and were holding hands, staring at each other hungrily, so in love it made me jealous. Beth made a beautiful Cinderella; Paul was a very handsome, if uncomfortable looking Prince Charming. I knew then it had to be a “forever” kind of love between them, because no other female could have talked my brother into wearing tights.
“Wow, Katie, you look amazing,” Beth said, looking away from her Prince Charming as I approached.
Paul was not so agreeable. His eyes bugged out of his head and he swore loudly, looking me over from head to toe with a frown. “What was Mom thinking? We need to put a coat or something over you.” He started for the coat closet, but my father’s voice across the hall stopped him from acting rashly.
“Leave her alone, Paul, she looks great,” he said as he walked into the foyer. He was dressed like Frankenstein, and I had to stifle a chuckle. I mean, seriously, my vampire family was dressing up for Halloween as other monsters. It was just a little too ironic not to find it amusing!
“So, what do you think?” he asked walking to my side.
“You will scare everyone in that costume,” I told him playfully.
“Good, maybe he can keep all the males away from you tonight that are going to flock around you dressed like that,” Paul said angrily.
“Settle down, Paul. She looks perfect,” my mother lectured as she walked in the room. Her hair was piled high, sprayed black with a white streak down the middle and she wore a long, white, form-fitting gown that molded to her curves. Her face was whiter than usual, with plum- colored eye shadow and grayish lips to finish the Frankenstein’s-wife costume she had chosen to complement my father’s costume. I knew she was going for scary, but she was just too beautiful to pull it off. Although I kept that thought to myself.
“You are absolutely gorgeous,” my father said, as she floated to his side.
“Don’t be silly, Duncan, I’m supposed to be scary.”
She frowned, looking upset, but I rushed in to appease her. “You look great, Mom, really scary. Thanks for doing all of this, my friends will love it.”
“You are welcome,” she said in her best monster voice.
We all laughed at her horrible imitation, but she didn’t seem to mind and even joined in.
The doorbell rang and one of the actors, dressed as a butler in a dusty tux and bald cap, moved forward to answer it. “Good evening,” he said, his voice low and spooky.
“Uh, hi,” Jess said, as he took a step back to allow Josh and her to enter the foyer.
They were dressed as Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, and I had to admit they made a striking pair.
“Mrs. Sutherland, this place is amazing. You really have gone way out,” Jess gushed.
“It’s great,” Josh said as he surveyed the house, looking slightly uncomfortable.
“Thank you both,” Mom beamed.
The door opened again and again after that, so the next hour was spent greeting our guests and trying to guess who was wearing what costume.
Chad wanted to surprise me with his costume, so I didn’t know where or who he was, but after some time I realized Dracula was following me everywhere I went and I began to suspect it was him. “Chad, is that you?” He held his cape partially over his face and didn’t answer. “Do you want to dance?” He held out one hand, keeping his face hidden, and I placed mine in it, shocked by the tingle that flared to life between us. Before I could comment, a slow haunting melody came over the speakers and he pulled me close, dancing me out of the glass doors that opened the warm room up to the outside world. I was so overwhelmed that I barely noticed our surroundings until we arrived at the gazebo. Once there he pulled me into his arms and leaned in gently, placing his lips to mine and kissing me long and passionately. My senses roared to life and I responded eagerly to his kiss. Only one person had ever made me feel that way, and I knew instantly whom it was that held me.
“Aidan,” I murmured against his lips. Chad shouted my name and he pulled away, stepping back into the shadows.
“Katie, are you out here?” Chad called again.
I turned in his direction for one brief moment, and when I turned back Aidan was gone. I put my hand to my lips and my fingers traced them slowly, feeling the coolness left behind. I sighed with disappointment.
“It’s cold, why are you out here?” Chad asked, staring at me as if I were crazy. I couldn’t answer: I was too overwhelmed by the emotions that were coursing through me after being in Aidan’s arms again. “Are you okay?” he asked, looking at me oddly.
I shook my head to clear it, feeling a million butterflies dancing on my stomach. “Umm, yeah, I’m good. Where have you been?” I asked. He said something about a flat tire and I murmured the appropriate response, but my thoughts were all of Aidan so I wasn’t really listening.
“We should go inside,” he said, taking my hand and pulling me back towards the house.
The rest of the night passed in a blur for me. I was thrilled that Aidan had come but also a little annoyed that he did not identify himself sooner. When the last of the guests finally left, I thanked my mother for another great party and went to my room to digest Aidan’s mysterious visit. The fact that he had picked Dracula was not lost on me. I assumed it was a joke, but for some reason, this time I was not laughing. Instead, my heart was breaking.
I moved toward the bed. On my pillow was a perfect, pink, long-stemmed rose with a note folded underneath. Carefully I opened the note and read. “Please don’t be angry at my deception. I needed to see you. You are all I think of and I miss you more with every day that passes. You are, as always, my Amado Uno.” Aidan.
I lay down upon the bed, hugging the note to myself and crying, until I fell into a restless, nightmare-filled sleep.
The dream I had that night was vivid and so real, I felt I was truly there. The same vampire who haunted my every nightmare had me in the cave once again. Aidan was there, fighting to save me as the vampire taunted him ruthlessly. “Do you think she is worth it? Will your people want her to be your princess? She’s just a baby, and by refusing to change her it makes all of you vulnerable.” Aidan looked at me, and that was all it took for the vampire to overpower him. I watched helplessly as the vampire attacked and killed the one man I knew I could not live without. But because I was weak and a human, I was helpless to save him. My screams echoed off the walls of the cave as the vampire turned to me, holding Aidan’s head high in the air, blood dripping from the sinew and muscle of his neck to the ground below, a smile of triumph on his face. I woke with my heart racing, a fine sheen of sweat on my trembling body, while biting back the scream of terror I knew would draw my family to my room.
*****
Late the next afternoon I walked down the staircase to the foyer. I felt refreshed after allowing myself to sleep in and enjoy the rest I was often deprived of, thanks to my recurring nightmares. To my surprise, there was nothing left of the mess from the party the night before. It was as if the party never happened and I shook my head, marveling at how efficient my mother and the people she hired were.
“What have you been up to, sweetheart, I haven’t seen you all day?” she asked as I walked into the kitchen, handing me my dinner plate. “Not much, just being lazy,” I said as I grabbed a can of soda from the refrigerator. Instead of going to the dining room as I usually did, I sat at the counter to eat as my mother moved around the kitchen, cleaning up.
I tried a few bites, but it was useless to try to eat when all I could I think about was Aidan and the amazing kiss we had shared the night
before. “Mom, did you know?”
“Know what, honey?”
“Did you know Aidan would show up last night?” I asked directly.
“I had a feeling he might make an appearance,” she said with a smile.
“Does Dad know?”
She glanced at me slyly and tossed the rag into the sink. “I’m sure he does, but he didn’t say anything to me about it.”
I was glad my father hadn’t interfered, but was desolate that once again I was without Aidan. “Why does it hurt so much when he leaves?” I pushed the food away and laid my head on the counter, too upset to eat.
“Honey, I know you don’t understand, but this time you have is a gift. Someday you will thank Aidan, and your father, for giving it to you.”
I looked up, frowning at her optimism. “I doubt I could ever be happy to have gone through this.” I jumped off the stool and went back to my room, spending the night reading and doing homework, anything to get my mind off Aidan. But nothing could take away the ache being separated from him caused.
*****
That night my dream was scattered. The vampire held me in the cave but instead of attacking as he usually did, he instead plied me with reasons why I should not be with Aidan. I was too young, not good enough, and too weak to ever be an asset to him and his people. When that failed, he tried to convince me that if Aidan cared for me as he said he did, he would have changed me to protect me. It was mental subterfuge and, to my shame, doubts about any future we might have together began to form in my head. The loud beeping of my alarm broke through the dream state, and he cursed before fading away.
I woke with tears streaming down my cheeks, my breaths coming fast and furious. A glance at the clock told me it was time to get ready for school. I dried my eyes and went to the bathroom to get ready, knowing if I didn’t Paul would come looking for me. As I dressed, I looked on the dresser and saw a fresh rose in the vase, with a note propped up beside it. I opened the note and tears rolled down my cheeks as I read the brief message. “Thinking of you always. Aidan.” My life was so incomplete without him.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Ladies and Gentleman, we have a new student today. Please make him feel welcome,” my first-block teacher announced at the beginning of class, earning everyone’s immediate attention. A newcomer in our small school was a novelty, so of course everyone was curious.
I looked to the front of the room where the new guy stood confidently, despite the many eyes now focused upon him. He had dirty-blonde hair, wore snug jeans that molded to his fit form, and had muscles that rippled under his T-shirt. He looked my way and my breath caught as our gazes collided. His eyes were the most amazing green, like the ocean of a far away, exotic beach, crystal and clear pools of mesmerizing depth that held me captive. He smiled as if he knew I was appraising him. His arrogant cockiness reminded of James Dean, or one of the rebels of a by-gone era that were considered “bad boys.” The kind of male parents warned their daughters to stay away from.
“What is your name, dear?” the teacher, Mrs. Washburn, asked. He flashed her a devastating smile, leaned close and spoke softly to her. Unbelievably, she looked flustered and I could swear her cheeks were flushed as she turned to inform the class. “Please make Orin feel welcome. If you would sit next to Ms. Sutherland, she will help you get acquainted with what we are working on. Katie, please raise your hand so Orin will know where you are.”
I raised my hand dutifully, and he flashed me a killer smile before sauntering slowly down the aisle toward me. His gaze locked with mine, and within moments he slid down in the seat next me, never breaking eye contact.
“Hi,” he said, leaning in closer to me.
Brenda made a choking noise from across the room then proceeded to glare at us.
Chad watched us with a frown, looking angry at the attention Orin was showing me, and I offered him a wan smile hoping to appease him, but it was the male beside me who held my attention. There was just something about him that drew my interest.
“Hi, I’m Katie,” I told him, despite the rapid beating of my heart and the shaking of my hands. It was odd how instantly attracted I was to him, but there was just something about him that called to me.
Orin leaned closer, dropping his hand over mine to caress my fingers lightly, his eyes glued to mine. “I’m really good at Algebra, so I won’t bother you much.”
“Oh…it’s okay…anything you need,” I stuttered, keenly aware of the warmth of his body so close to mine and uncertain why I was reacting in such a way to someone I had just met. Especially when I was in love with Aidan.
“I might take you up on that,” he said with a wink then leaned back in his seat staring at me instead of the teacher for the rest of class.
When the bell finally rang, Chad stormed to my side, scooped up my books, and grabbed my hand, pulling me from the room. I looked over my shoulder to find Orin watching it all with a frown and a shake of his head.
Chad walked me to my next class in icy silence, leaving me at the door without a word, which was very unlike him. So I knew he was really angry.
“Man, Chad looked pretty pissed off. What’s wrong?” Chris asked as I sat down at the desk next to him.
“He didn’t like me talking to the new guy, Orin,” I mumbled.
“New guy, huh? Haven’t met him yet, but I can’t see why Chad would care if you were just talking to him.” He eyed me speculatively and frowned. “You were just talking to him, weren’t you?”
Before I could answer, I heard a male voice ask, “Is this seat taken?”
I looked up to see the object of Chad’s unhappiness smiling down at me.
“No. Please, sit, Orin.” I waited for him to settle then introduced him to Chris who said hello politely, but eyed him warily. Thankfully, Orin didn’t seem to notice or care.
“I’m sorry if I made your boyfriend mad,” Orin said.
I wasn’t sure why, but I felt the need to explain my relationship with Chad. “It’s okay, and Chad’s not really my boyfriend. We just go out sometimes.” Chris coughed next to me but Orin beamed.
“Good to know,” he told me with a flirty smile.
Class began so there was no more conversation between us, but when the bell rang, Orin put his hand on my arm as I moved to leave, stopping me.
“Would you show me where the gym is?”
“Actually, I’m on my way there now. We can walk together.”
As we walked, I asked where he had moved from, to make conversation and appease my curiosity about this male who had suddenly appeared in our small town and managed to take my breath away.
“I just moved from Washington state”
“Why did you move here of all places?” I questioned. Don’t get me wrong, our town was nice, but Orin seemed more like a city guy.
“Something just drew me here,” he told me as we arrived at the gym.
“What could possibly draw anyone here?”
He looked uncomfortable. “See you in there,” he said, ducking into the boy’s locker room before I could ask him anything more.
“Smooth, Katie,” I chastised myself.
“Talking to yourself, Sutherland,” Brenda said arrogantly as she passed. “Isn’t that what crazy people do?” she called out, earning laughs from the group of girls that surrounded her.
I ignored her taunts and strode into the locker room where Jess was waiting, wringing her hands anxiously. “What’s going on, Katie?”
“What are you talking about?” I asked as I dressed for class.
“Chad is really upset that you and that guy were talking,” she explained grimly.
I could tell she was upset too. For some unknown reason Jess really wanted Chad and me together, but that wasn’t what I wanted. In fact, she had never asked what I wanted. “Jess, Chad and I are not together. People just made that assumption about us,” I explained.
She glared at me, angrier than I had ever seen her. “Chad really likes you and I would hate to s
ee him hurt.”
I didn’t want to hurt him but I knew I was going to. I had let it go on because he was safe. I knew I would never feel more for him than friendship, and that was all I wanted as I waited for Aidan to return to me, but I realized by his reaction to Orin that he wanted more. “I know, but is it right to string him along when I know I do not feel that way for him?” I hoped she would understand, but by her reddened cheeks and irritated expression, I had the feeling she did not.
“Whatever,” she muttered before walking away, shaking her head.
I walked out to the gym by myself and sat on the bench, feeling the weight of my mistake weighing heavily on my mind. I should have confronted Chad sooner about how I felt, but I hadn’t wanted to hurt him. Now it looked like there was no way to avoid it.
“Excuse me?”
I looked up to see Orin standing in front of me.
“Coach told me to take a seat. Do you mind if I sit here with you?”
To be honest, I wanted to be alone, but one look into his eyes and I couldn’t voice my feelings. “No. Of course not.” I moved over to make room for him and he settled next to me.
“We have to stop meeting like this,” he joked.
I laughed softly. “I’m okay with it if you are.” Did I say that? Was I flirting? How was that even possible when my heart belonged to Aidan?
“Anytime,” he answered, moving a little closer. “What do you all do around this town for fun?”
“Most of the time we hang out at Kelly’s. They have the best food in town, video games, a pool table, and on weekends, they have a local DJ come in. Coming from a big city like Washington he probably thought that sounded lame, but really, that was all our small town offered for entertainment. Aside from its scenic views, history, and of course the local park where all the kids went to make out, there was little else to do for the teenage population.
