My phone rings even before I have time to bask in the soothing solitude of Beth's absence.
I am pulling off my clothes as I pick up the receiver "Hi Cassidy"
But it is Peach who says perkily "Hey there, Flamehead ."
Peach's really alive, peachy voice reminds me of the nasty vision I had yesterday and a cloud of horror slides up my spine. I am trying to erase the horrendous image from my mind. A girl lying bloodied in the woods. Not so alive. Peach Thubman.
Cassidy's voice chimes in "Is she on now?", And then a perky "Nightie, can you believe Dammy got us tickets to Solstice.".
"Dammy?" I mentally skim through a list of names . But I come up blank ...
"Dammy Brentwood" It is Peach this time "Moon Sol"..
I remember now. The dark brown one.
"That must be really nice" I try to sound excited but I am stark naked, unimpressively staring at my self in the mirror, mentally making a note of starting gym soon to remedy the unglamorous flatness of my bum.
Peach is still talking excitedly "And the best part of it is that they are coming to pick us themselves. Which literally means we will be rolling in the limelight..."
Cassidy adds "VIP. God. All those paparazzi and throng of reporters ..and the nasty look on the faces of those other girls ...."
Peach takes it from there "I can't begin to imagine " And then excited giggles and laughter. "Night, are you there?"
"Yes" I say listlessly.
"We wanted to tell you that.." Cassidy says
"Oh my . She will get mad" Peach tells her
"Nightie, promise not to get mad " Cassidy whines
I am about to reply when there's a pounding knock on the door. I roll my eyes. Definitely Beth might have forgotten something. I look around the room. Her bed is messy. Her phone sits there in the cluster. Yo. She has forgotten her phone in that fluttering haste.
The phone is still pressed to my ears while I waltz naked to the door.
"Cass, I won't get mad. You can tell me" I say flatly, while I open the door and instantly regret it.
Because Beth Camper is not the one standing at the door. Jordan Files stares back with me with a twinkle while his eyes skim through every inch of my stark naked body. I give a shriek and bolt the door instantly, panting with all shades of embarrassment.
"We are SORRY" Cassidy and Peach say in unison.
"I will strangle you both" I yell into the receiver before cutting off the call and flinging the phone to my bed while I stomp my feet furiously and think of a dozen impossible ways to reclaim my lost dignity.
I shroud my eye_defiled body in a too big t shirt and a pair of pants. Long cargo pants that also swallows up my frame. I take in a couple of deep breaths and saunter once more to the door, fuming silently.
Jordan Files was still standing there, hunched in the doorway with a hateful smile on his face and a shopping bag in his hand.
"Less alluring" He remarks "I prefer the.."
"Shut up" My face is hot. Very hot. "To what do I owe this unwanted, unpleasant visit."
"I don't do doorway talks" He sneers "Don't keep a celebrity standing ".
I am livid "Well it might interest you to know that I am not one of your moonstruck idiotified fan girls".
"A toast to that." He carelessly brushes past me while I glare at his hateful back making their way to MY BED. I close the door with an angry semi bang.
Jordan sits on the bed with a carefreeness that irks me. His frozen eyes flicker round the room amusedly and then comes to rest....on the pair of red lingerie I had just stepped out of a couple of minutes ago. The pant is lying right next to him on the bed.
I instantly sit on it. And clear my throat
"Well this is awkward.." I begin
"Very awkward" he says and my face is of a paler shade than embarrassed crimson.
"Well" my throat is suddenly parched.
"Well what?" His voice has that streak of his trademark cockiness. Bastard.
"Well what are you doing here, Jordan Files" I snap.
"There are a lot of things to do here" His voice has toned down a little and he has somewhat drifted closer. Too close. I can feel the goosebumps on my skin."It's just you and I and this comfy little bed."
"Don't get any silly ideas " I croak out, my eyes darting across the room . For what exactly. A dagger. Or a hammer. Something to slice his cocky heart out. Bastard.
"What kind of silly ideas?" Okay. Now his breath is hot on my face and as bad as that sounds, I am embarrassed to admit that it was the right kind of hot. His hands are gently massaging my shoulders and this time my face is not the only part of me that feels hot. Too hot .
I slap his hands off. "Okay that's enough". My voice is calm. To calm for the tremor I am feeling inside.
He laughs "Relax, " and then he frees me.
I struggle to relax. I take a couple of deep breaths. My body is proving to be quite treacherous. Jordan flings the shopping bag at me.
"And this is?" I ask flatly.
"A dress for Solstice" He says simply.
"What makes you think I'm going to that shit show " I snap.
"Because it is not a shit show and you obviously look like you need a life" He scoffs.
I fling the bag back at him . "Jeez. Thank you very much but not interested."
I watch him close his eyes and take in a deep breath. Then I watch the claws spring out . Okay this part freaks me out a little bit but they are gone almost as soon as they appear.
When his eyes open, he drifts further close and whispers "You will look absolutely stunning in that gown. Although personally I like you better without clothes. " Okay. His voice is not supposed to be honey-sweet. But it is. Smooth as milk. My stomach does a flip. Traitor.
"Me without clothes is a sight you will never get to see again." I say firmly, pushing him away. It doesn't look like a shove. I had meant to shove him in some shade of anger. What i do instead seems like a flirty cutesy push. Which is honestly not my intention. I mean, it's not my fault he's so breathtakingly hot and my hands are somewhat wobbly.
Jordan laughs. He snorts "We will see about that. " And then he vanishes. I roll my eyes irritably. The shopping bag sits quietly on my bed.
Sick , cocky bastard. I will so so murder Peach and Cassidy. My eyes are drawn to something on the bedside table. I stretch my hands and pick it up.
It is flat and card like. I peer more closely. A ticket to Solstice.
______________________________
Bodies pressed shoulder to shoulder, half-feral with the promise of midnight. Perfume and sweat tangled in the air; laughter cracked like firecrackers. It smelled exactly like rebellion.
The crowd was so massive I am struggling not to loose sight of Beth who by the way is gorgeous in the bold, cleavage revealing hot ASF gown she's wearing.
According to her, she's wearing it so that "Asher knows what he's lost". I snort when I think of it .
Okay so I wasn't planning to attend this Solstice of a thing. I wasn't planning to wear this dress either. It is studded with tiny specks of gold and stops exactly where my knees begin. It is also surprisingly giving me curves I never knew I had. Which literally translates to the fact that I am been ogled. Not just looked at. Which is not exactly helping my plan of being invincible in this hot, moonlit jungle.
Did I mention that it is the gown that Jordan bought? When Beth had seen it, she had gone white with excitement turning it over countless times and confirming that indeed it is from DruxaLuxe, the highest designer in the entire White Colony. Duh. Had he meant to impress me? Anyways I am walking very much impressed in this jewelled gown that must have cost a fortune.
Beth and I sit somewhere in the middle row of the crowd. There are a thousand other seats, all fully occupied and a thousand people standing and booing. In one mad rush of ecstasy. The location is the Tishian Stadium which has a really huge 5 thousand _people capacity.
So this is my first time outside The Academy but since it's night , I don't think I have a good view of this town called Tish. After successfully sneaking out of school, Beth and I had hitched a cab in a twenty minute ride that brought us to the stadium. Which literally translates to the fact that Tish is a huge town. Beth says it is the capital of the White Colony and it is quite the largest one amongst the four towns. The Academy stands regal in the large strip of land serving as boundary between Tish and a much smaller town.
I drown a glass of sherry in one gulp. Beth is mixing two different drinks together because she plans to thoroughly enjoy the night.
My eyes scan my phone. Two missed calls and texts from Peach and Cassidy. I do not reply the text. Yes it's petty, I know. But why on earth would they give out my dorm address to Jordan Files. Of all people. I snort trying to extinguish some remnant stray thoughts that had stayed long after his very heat-extracting, but somewhat tantalizing visit.
I drown another glass of sherry. I guess Beth is not the only person who plans to thoroughly enjoy the night.
"He's here" Beth says, looking up from her phone.
"Who?" I start to say but then I remember that we are waiting for her twin brother. The tennis fanatic without a social life.
The guy who joins us is tall and slender and has very striking sun-spiked blonde hair. Okay. Beth is a blonde beauty. But this guy is surprisingly much more stunning than Beth. His eyes are warm and his skin, like Beth's, is so friggin pale.
But somehow the face is vaguely familiar.
"So sorry am late" He says apologetically, sliding into the seat next to Beth.
"It's a miracle you showed up at all" Beth says drily. New guy smiles, baring neat white fangs. And then I remember.
"Alex Camper" I blurt out, remembering a photo Barbie Mullen had shown. A flawless Vampyre in tennis shorts and shirt about to swing a bat.
"Yes that's him" Beth snorts, surprise crowding her face . She turns to Alex, who is just as surprised as she is "This is my roomie, Night Carter" ..
He extends a very cold hand which I shake wondering if there was never a warm vamp without the corpse cold skin .
..
"A pleasure to meet you" His eyes meet mine and I smile "My sister must have said a lot about me. "
"There ain't shit to tell about you" Beth smirks and then adds, to me "Please dont tell me his fame has somehow slipped into the Black Colony. "..
I laugh "Alright I won't tell".
Suddenly there was a wild roar and shrieks of "Moon Sol". Beth almost upturned our drinks in her starstruck craze to get to the front where she could get a clearer glimpse of the stage. And the singers.
"So you are from the Black Colony" Alex asks .
"Yes" I nod, hearing the very smooth twang of a guitar. The crowd stops yelling. Everywhere is tensed.
"I hope you are enjoying your stay in the Academy"
I shrug "What can I say. At least I get the rare chance to sneak out and enjoy a blissfully exciting night".
He smiles. A little silly movement of the mouth that makes me yearn to hear his voice so I say "Tell me about yourself. "
He shrugs "What can I say. Nothing much anyways. Supernatural Sciences. Tennis practices later. "
"Please don't tell me you are exactly the stuffed up owl that Beth says you are. " I say in a tone that somehow is sitting undecided between casual and flirty.
The lyrics of Moon Sol's song drifts to me in the quiet but enchanted throng of crowd. I know this voice too well. Although on stage it sounds more silky. More honeyfied. Less gratingly arrogant. Jordan Files.
'let me love you
In a thousand different ways
For a thousand thousand years '
Alex Camper says "Well am afraid Beth is right" We both laugh and then he says quietly "I paint".
Okay so this is fascinating because I have always been fascinated by paintings even if I am a total idiot in front of a canvas.