Chapter One
New York, 15th may 2015
It was Friday night and the first evening of spring break. Maximilian asked Hannah, Hannah asked Richard, and Richard asked me if we wanted to go out for dinner. Everybody had said yes, and now here we were: in one of the many Burger Kings in New York City.
„Richard, would you please give me a napkin?“, Hannah asked, and I became furious. It’s not as if I don’t like her, but actually her behavior was very annoying. She was here with Maximilian! Not with Richard.
First, I have to point out that Richard is NOT my boyfriend. He is just a friend. And because I had no one else to be with, I was sitting here with him – and Hannah and Maximilian. The whole evening she spent fishing for Richard‘s attention. And that was just annoying.
Maximilian was staring at her – or to be precise, a little bit lower than her head. I didn’t know why we were here. I thought Richard and me would watch a movie and then go to bed early. But Maximilian and Hannah had destroyed my plans.
„So guys, I’ve finished. How about we go?“, Maximilian asked. But I replied: „We are out! We’re in the fucking burger king! Okay, I’ve had enough. I’m going to go home.“ And I meant it. But before I could stand up, Richard grabbed my wrist and begged me to stay. And because he was giving me his I’m-a-little-puppy look, I couldn’t bring myself to leave him with the (not so) breathtaking Hannah. Mostly because she now was leaning on his shoulder and partly because I could feel Maximilian’s annoyance as well. He was enjoying himself just as much as I was: Not one bit.
„Okay, you convinced me. I’m coming with you.“ I turned to Hannah. „But please stop it. I can’t stand you when you behave like this.“
„Dorothea, don’t be a little crybaby. I’m just trying to figure out which of these guys is the hottest“, Hannah claimed. Bile rose in my throat and I had to turn away. She was simply unbelievable!
„Let’s go, then, ladies. Oh, and gentleman, of course“, Richard grinned and Maximilian rolled his eyes.
Together we left the Burger King and went to a nearly invisible little club near Central Park. Dirty Bones was written in pink glowing letters over the entrance.
„I wonder what kind of people are in there“, Maximilian muttered to himself. Nobody bothered to answer him because at exactly that moment, five tall men left through the main door. They were entirely covered in black sheets – sheets? I wanted to say capes. Or jackets? I don’t really know what they really were. They were very long and fell from their broad shoulders all the way to the ground. I couldn’t see their arms or legs, because the capes hid them. One of the men caught me staring at him and grinned. He revealed white pointed teeth. They were like the teeth of a vampire. No Dor, I told myself, there are no such things as vampires.
None of my friends perceived the odd creatures. I shook my head and followed Hannah inside the club.
