Reapers - Thirteen Brothers

VIII - Fate (2 of 2)

--XIII--

"Told you we'll be fashionably late," Carter said as he parked his bug on the road side.

More cars were already there and I could readily hear the excited screams and shouts of party-hungry teenagers.

Before we got out, I tugged the sleeves of my midnight blue turtle neck pullover and shrugged my jacket on, wondering if I looked okay. Carter said I looked better with my hair up. He must have just said that so I wouldn't make a fuss.

We made our way into the crowded living room of a big three-story house.

The night was still young but the place already smelled of booze and cigarettes. The loud blaring music made me lightheaded, the bass seeming to pound on my chest.

I took a puff from my inhaler before we nudged through dancing drunks. We headed to the backyard pool where all the fun was supposed to be happening. Automatically, I recognized some familiar faces; jocks led by Joey Blake who was by the way a total jerk in Spanish class. He was with Sam Goodwill and Mikey Ramirez who were equally loathsome bullies.

I was considering turning back and heading straight home when Carter grabbed my hand. Soon, I heard squeals from the pool. Mira Webber ran to us, dripping wet in her two-piece bikini.

"You came!" she said mostly to Carter, tossing her wet bleached blond hair practically to my face. "Hey guys! This is my friend Carl!" she raised a tall booze-filled paper cup as she called to her other popular and-slash-or cheerleader friends who screamed and laughed as their almost naked bodies swayed with the loud music.

"It's Carter!" said he to her ear, his voice drowned by the noise. He was smiling like an idiot.

"Uh... yeah! I know that!" Mira rolled her eyes and giggled for no apparent reason. "Let's go to the pool." She towed him by the arm as another cheerleader, Shelley Carlton joined them.

Carter threw me a diffident look. I mouthed to him that it was okay. I wasn't very excited about hanging with those people anyway.

I shoved my way to the second floor.

The floorboards shook with the earsplitting noise from the sound system downstairs. After passing by a junior throwing up all over the bathroom, I almost bumped into a couple making out in the corridor. Another two were laughing hysterically as they ripped the clothes off each other before they could even go inside the room to the left.

Ugh. Seriously, that's just so wrong. I groaned silently.

When I reached the top floor balcony, there was nobody there.

Perfect.

I sat down the bench, admiring the stars. I pulled my jacket closer to my body as the wind blew a little harder.

"Not in the mood to party?" a baritone voice said from behind me.

When I turned to look, Vincent Sinclair was making his way up to the balcony. I was so startled I couldn't even speak. The corners of his lips slowly pulled up slightly like he was trying not to smile but couldn't help it.

I didn't know what was so funny though.

"You scared me," I breathed out, clasping my chest.

"I... tend to have that effect on people," he said, almost amused while walking up to me with his hands in his pockets.

"That came out wrong, didn't it? I... I don't mean it that way. I wasn't scared 'scared'. Just... startled," I stuttered, unable to breathe.

"May I?" He eyed onn the other end of the bench.