Earth to Eli

Chapter 5

                                                                              
                                    ~Vance~

Getting Eli ready for Veronica's party is a task I was not mentally prepared for. After hours of drilling social cues and things you should and shouldn't say to girls into his head, I decide to question him on the subject matter.

"Now, what is the worst thing you can do in front of a girl you like?" I Quiz Eli for the hundredth time today. Bracing myself for an incorrect response, I am shocked when he answers correctly.

"You said to never ever EVER burp the ABCs because she will probably dump her drink on my head and never speak to me again," Eli sighs like a child receiving a harsh lecture from his parents.

"Exactly! See? you are learning," I praise, admiring my handy work. Step one on my checklist is almost complete. I have now molded Eli into the cookie- cutter image of a college frat bro. That was sarcasm.

Right as I'm allowing myself to be proud of this accomplishment, he sneezes into his hand, wiping the slime on his pant leg. I smack my hand over my face in dismay. Okay, so he's still a work in progress.

"Now whatever you do, don't do that," I reprimand, wondering not for the first time today if Eli was discovered in a dumpster.

When 9:00 P.M rolls around, we begin getting dressed for the party. I sport a jean jacket with rips and patches, overtop of my usual messy outfit and put a dime sized amount of gel in my hair before mussing it up again.

A mischievous smirk turns the corners of my mouth as I peer at my reflection in the mirror. The messy look always suits me well. Whoever the priest was that once said that demons hate mirrors, has never met me. 

My mind is already racing at the thought of how her soft, sugar cookie scented skin had felt the last time my vampiresque teeth had grazed the crook of her neck.

I shake my head clear of this thought, before it gives way to more images of last night. There's a task at hand. I have to get Eli to this party and help him make a decent first impression on these frat twats, so he'll be invited in the future.

Upon arrival, I notice that Eli has somehow accumulated sweat stains on his white shirt, covering his forehead and running down his cheek. I sigh, shrugging off my jacket and passing it to him.

"Sorry, bro, I'm a nervous sweater," he shivers, wiping his forehead with the inside of my jacket. Put that on the list of things to burn with this town when all of this is over.

Veronica answers the front door beaming, and launches herself at me, knocking me off balance. She wraps her slender arms around my neck and lures me past the threshold.

"You look and smell good," she flirts softly, her voice rising in intonation only when she talks to me. Even if I hadn't smelled the vodka on her breath, I would still know that she's had a few drinks. This is evident in the way she sways slightly on her feet and rambles a bit too much. Her laugh does irritate me slightly.

My eyes hungrily search around the room for the vodka she's been drinking. I don't have to wait for long as one of Veronica's stunning sorority sisters saunters over and puts a drink in both mine and Eli's hands.

"Oh, no thanks, I don't drink," Eli says hurriedly. I send him a disapproving look and he holds onto the drink without taking a sip.

Her eyes linger on Eli, and he blushes a deep shade of crimson when she sends him a wink before turning on her heels and going to the next room. I push him in her direction, and he follows her with stars in his eyes.

For the first time I realize how excruciatingly loud the music is and wonder how many noise complaints the NYPD has received about this house tonight.

The moment we're alone, Veronica turns her hungry attention to me, looking like a tiger sizing up its' prey.

"So, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about," she murmurs tentatively, taking my hand in hers. Oh no, I can only assume where this is going.

"I think we should make it official," She continues, eyes sparkling with hope. In this moment I realize I will have to crush her heart like a bug under my shoe, though I won't find any pleasure in doing so.

It's not that I dislike Veronica per say, she's a lot of fun and has been really good to me. It's simply impossible for me to fall in love with a mortal, and it would be entirely against the rules.

Before the inevitable heartbreak and tears ensue, the corner of my eye catches on a yellow light peeking in from the living room. Confusion and intrigue peak in my chest, and I push past Veronica to catch a better glimpse of the light I am seeing.

After pushing past a group of obnoxious frat bros, I find the source of the glow. My curiosity makes way to dread when I realize it's not a light but a golden aura. My mouth gapes open in aghast.

Charlotte sits prettily on the couch with her legs crossed and a red solo cup clutched in her hands. She's in the middle of laughing at a lame joke that some frat twat is currently telling her. I watch in horror as the guy's hand moves further up her leg, grazing underneath the hem of her little black dress.

She doesn't try to stop him, but leans into him, whispering a seductive secret in his ear. I feel my hands clench tightly around my cup until its' contents overflow onto Veronica's polished wooden floor.