I Met a Vampire Down in Santa Carla

Chapter Thirteen

(TRIGGER WARNING: Thoughts of self-harm and death but no action is taken and mentions of past abuse)

I look in the mirror dreading the events of this dinner tonight. I decided to wear a brown dress with a comfy brown sweater. I was told to dress up. I do a small winged eyeliner with brown eyeshadow and light pink lipgloss. This week has been hell. I have had no contact with everyone. I just didn't want to be around anyone, especially the boys. I'm still beyond pissed with David and with what he did. Even so, he was in my head and heart which only drove me deeper into my anger. My mental health has been shit this week as well. I have yet to get a call from Oscar about the changes being made for me to be able to come back to work in a safe environment. On top of everything we had to cancel band practice which gave me zero excuse to leave the house. 

I hear a knock on my door and I open it to see my mom in her Sunday finest. I had to go to church with them this morning and barely got to meet who the hell we were supposed to be having dinner with. The entire time we were there though Steve kept boasting about how he has his girl back. He thinks it is back to how it was before I knew his true nature. Back when I was still a kid who saw the world through rose tinted lens. "It's time to go," She smiles. I follow her downstairs to see Steve in a suit. It made me feel underdressed. He eyes me up and down with a wide grin. He was eating this shit up. 

"Amazing. You look great all covered no tattoos showing. Little heavy on the makeup but besides that." He shrugs. "We are going to take your car." I knew why he wanted to take my car. It is a fucking badass car compared to his fucking minivan. 

"I'm driving then," I frown. There was no way in hell I was letting someone else drive my car.

"You don't know where we are going though," He frowns "Come on you have been so good this week don't fuck it up now." I didn't feel like fighting. I hand him the keys feeling another part of myself break. We drove to a nice sit-down Italian restaurant. When we get there we wait to sit for the family to come. After ten or so minutes a woman around mom's age comes in with a young man. Probably not much older than me.  As well as an older man who was just as clean-shaven as Steve. They hug and laugh greeting each other. 

"You must be Aroura," The woman smiles shaking my hand. I smile and nod. 

"Call me Rory" I smile I look over at her son who shakes my hand. 

"I'm James it's a pleasure to meet you," 

"Same," I lie. I did not want to be here and I was trying my best to make it not seem that way. I thought there would be more people but it was just them. When Steve told me church friends I figured it would be more than just three people. I didn't care though Steve already said he was paying for the dinner which meant free food. We get seated Mom sitting next to me and the woman sitting across from my mom her son sitting across from me. The two 'heads of the house' sat at the ends of the table. 

"So Rory," The man starts. He unfolds his napkin onto his lap before crossing his fingers together and looking me in the eye. "What do you do for work? Steve was just telling me you were looking for one." 

"Oh no sir I'm not. I still have one there are just some things that need sorting out. I'm a tattoo artist," I smile. The man seemed intrigued. 

"James here is in college for a doctorate, how harmful are tattoos son?" He asks, James is taken aback. 

"They aren't really as long as everything is sterile. Tattoos have been around for hundreds of years. Although it is against the rules of god. Leviticus 19:28 You shall not make any gashes in your flesh for the dead or tattoo any marks upon you." He qouts. "Do you have tattoos?"

"Yeah, I do," I nod I get a glare from Steve as if I wasn't supposed to be honest. "What kind of doctorate are you getting?"

"neurology" He smiles "The brain is quite fascinating I'd love to talk more about it but I don't want to hog the table," There is a bit of quiet laughter. The waitress comes to get our drinks and orders. I decided to play safe with ice water and alfredo. "You know they have ways to remove tattoos."