Love Bites

The party

Tasha watched the clock along, no doubt, with every other student that lesson. The teacher had long since given up trying to teach them anything and instead left them to their own devices. The level of noise on the classroom as high and fervent, likely being matched by every other classroom in the school, in every school today.

"You want to come to mine tonight and get ready with me?" Izzy asked her.

"Yeah sure, thanks."

"This party is going to be amazing. Apparently the manor house is so secluded their is zero chance of any adult stumbling across it and calling the fuzz," Izzy smiled, then cleared her throat. "Err... Have you invited Simon, Sarah and Anson?"

Tasha smiled inside, her friend was as readable as a book. "No," Tasha lied, trying desperately to keep a straight face. "They have their own party tonight, I think. I didn't actually ask."

"Oh," Izzy's face fell and Tasha burst out laughing.

"I'm joking! Of course they're coming."

"Bitch!" Izzy slapped at her but a smile spread across her beautiful features. The school bell rang echoing up and down the corridors. School was officially out for summer.

                                                                                               ***

Cal took a deep breath, it was the moment of truth. If their plan hadn't worked he didn't know what the hell they were going to do. There was nowhere the Elders influence didn't reach. Nowhere. He honked his horn and Marcus appeared. He'd asked him to come as back up in case things went wrong.

"Yo!" Marcus greeted him jovially, then seeing Cal's darkened features sighed "Chill out Cal, seriously pal, it's sorted."

Cal smiled at Marcus, but he wouldn't relax until he'd seen it for himself. After all this was his life they were playing with. With nerves twisting they made their way to Mast Manor once more.

                                                                                               ***

As they approached, the bass was already reverberating through the trees. Making the leaves shake as though dancing to the beat. Marcus glanced at Cal, his over confident façade beginning to slip. Cal blew out the breath he was holding. The moment of truth was upon them.

The trees gave way to the clearing in which the house stood. It was crowded with teenagers, Cal could hear the hum of a generator out back; powering the strings of coloured lights lacing the trees; the music decks someone had set up to one side of the huge front doors, which stood open welcoming its guests. Teenagers milled about both inside and out. Cal and Marcus swept up the stairs their intentions clear but unspoken. More people lined the stairs and upper floors, no where seemed out of bounds or empty. Cal's gut twisted further, they approached room four with one purpose and one purpose only, to ensure their secret was safe.

He reached out for the handle. "Cal!" A voice shouted.

He turned angrily. "What?!" He spat, at the idiot interrupting him, at Tasha. Her face fell at his anger. He quickly smoothed his features and flashed her a smile. "Tasha! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you."

A look of confusion flitted across her beautiful face, but it was gone in the blink of an eye.

"Why don't we go somewhere a bit quieter?" He said motioning towards room 4 behind him.

"No point," she replied with a shrug "It's locked, we tried earlier. And everywhere else is kinda like this." She indicated to the space around her which hummed with activity and noise.

"In that case, let's go get a drink." He smiled, a true smile now knowing his plan had worked. Tasha returned his smile and took his hand. Together they made their way back into the throng of the party.

The party raged well into the night, the crowd of teens never seeming to tire. However, as the night wore on some collapsed in drunken piles, others gathered in friendship groups and others still danced to the relentless pounding beat.

Cal sat in the flattened grass, Tasha between his legs resting her back against his chest. They sat talking and drinking with Sarah, Simon, Lucas, Anson and Izzy. Cal felt comfortable, at home here with these people, these humans, with Tasha. He glanced at the manor. His eyes raking over his former playground. They alighted on a window of the upper floor, on a face which stared back at him. Elliana. On meeting his eye she began to scream, Cal smiled and shook his head slightly, no one can hear you scream he told her.

                                                                                          ***

The steely grey of dawn tinged the sky, the inky darkness receding back into itself. Tasha only noticed the darkness when there was suddenly a lack of it. Her mind had been elsewhere, the party lights, the mass of people and blaring music had faded the darkness, stolen its power.
The music had long since died down to a more subtle beat, empty bottles and cans littered the once lavish grounds. Some teens still danced, clinging on to the dying embers of the party; unable or unwilling to say goodbye to their formative college years.
Tasha lay in Cal's arms, feeling safe and secure. She knew this was the only place she wanted to be. Earlier that evening they'd found privacy in the woods and Cal had made love to her, she knew right then that he was 'the one'. She smiled at the lingering memory, she knew now that her heart beat only for him and that he would never ever do anything to hurt her.