paramour

chapter 15

I couldn't believe I was being dragged to another one of these things, and why our kind would even want one. Yes, I still shied away from the 'v' word because it was still pretty impossible that I was one.

This time, I knew I wasn't going to be brutally murdered. Hopefully not, anyway, but I did remember that I had had an awful time at the last one I went to, and I definitely was not looking forward to this one.

Kathy and I walked through the halls, late as she had promised so I would not attract too much attention when we entered.

"Katherine, I really think I can't do this." She scowled at me for using her full name, and for trying to weasel my way out at the last minute. She grabbed my hand firmly, and I stared ominously at her.

"There is no way you're getting away from me now. I spent all day getting you ready for this, and you are going to enjoy it with me, so just try to be a good sport tonight, all right?" Mumbling to myself in irritation, I nodded and looked away from her slightly concerned, yet patronizing face.

"Will is waiting for me inside the grand hall somewhere, so he can find me easier, and then we will join you. Is that okay with you?" I considered it until we stopped in front of the door to the dance floor, where loud dance music was pumping, and in that instant I panicked.

"No, I'd rather come with you..." But Kathy's hand was still tight on mine, and she reached to open the door to push me in.

"Kathy, no! I don't have anyone that I can hang out with in there. Can I just please stay with you till we all go in?" I pleaded with her. She shook her head, and gave me a wide, evil grin.

"No –Pat and Miguel are in there. And this is the perfect night for you to be acquainted with more people. I don't know why you would think people would reject you –it's an absurd idea. But if you open up and let yourself socialize, you'll gain some friends. Besides, Damian is in there," Her smile really turned devilish after that statement, and my eyes widened. Damian...?

Suddenly she pushed me in, shouting behind her as she turned to dart toward the grand-hall before I could strangle her, "Have fun!"

I heard her giggles half-way down the hall from where I now stood, awkward in the dark. Couples started to push their way past me to get to the dance floor. Strobe lights came on, flashing in every direction a beam of colour, and I was really very surprised no one had a seizure. It was almost an overload for my senses, anyway.

An electronica song came on again, and everyone started dancing, giving me a chance to be undetected as I disappeared to find a dark dank corner, where hopefully I wouldn't be bothered as I had before. Maybe the boys here wouldn't be so cruel as to ask me to dance with them as a joke, like before when they did in the human world. I cringed at the memory, since it was not one of my fondest ones.

The dance floor was huge like everything about this place, but unlike the dance back in Salmo, here was much more crowded. And it didn't smell faintly of sweat from the people who were dancing. Everything smelt nice now... except for the blood I still refused to drink. I didn't want to think about that problem right now, so I let it slip, and I just settled in one of the unoccupied corners yet again, but this time I did not people watch. It bored me now, for some odd reason.

Leaning against the wall, and being careful at the same time to not ruin my outfit Kathy had apparently slaved over, I sighed and closed my eyes. Why was I here? There really was no point. I didn't have a mate, so there really was no point to being here. Besides, I couldn't dance, and I had made Kathy well aware of that, but she still forced me to come.

I looked down again at my outfit, marveling at it. I still could not believe Pat and her did that for me.

Without warning, someone tapped my shoulder and sent me jumping at least a meter in the air. I landed wrong on my high-heels, and was heading towards the floor, but was caught by two steady arms. So far, this must have been the most embarrassing moment in my history. How had anyone been able to sneak up on me, unnoticed? Even though the music was being blared so much that it hurt my ears, it was no excuse.