Tales from the Darkside (Currently Being Rewritten)

13

Stupid high heels. I rubbed gently at the red mark on my heel, glaring at the high heel I'd recently removed.
"Cora!" My dad called as I whipped my head around to find him standing near one of the doors leading from the patio to inside the hall, gesturing for me to come over.
Groaning, I slid my foot carefully into the high heel I'd taken off. I probably could've taken off both high heels and just walked in bare feet but I didn't want to carry my heels and I also didn't want one of my feet to be stabbed by an unaware stiletto.
"Your mum wants you to come meet some people." Dad explained as I came to a stop in front of him. "She's somewhere." He waved his hand in the direction of the crowds of people inside; young and old.
People? I didn't want to meet new people. They had a habit of asking questions that I didn't want to answer.
"If your mum asks where I am, tell her I'm talking to some friends." Dad informed me as I nodded before he moved closer towards me to whisper, "I'm not really. I'm going to go grab a large plate of food and hide in a bush to avoid having to listen to people complain about their taxes."

I finally spotted my mum talking with two blonde-haired women, her green dress standing out in a sea of pinks, yellows, purples and blues. Trying to make my way over to her was like trying to navigate a maze, people were constantly moving and then stopping to talk to people or walking in one direction, only to hear someone tell their name and then suddenly it was a quick pivot and a change of direction.
"There you are, Cora." My mum smiled warmly at me before she frowned, eyes no doubt searching for dad. "Where's your father?"
"He's talking with some friends." I repeated what my dad had told me to say if mum asked where he was.
She recovered quickly, her smile returning. "Let me introduce you to some people. They've recently moved to town." She smiled towards the women she'd been talking with. "This is Daphne," She nodded her chin towards the older blonde-haired woman with brown eyes. "And this is her daughter, Paige." She nodded towards the familiar looking blonde-haired and green eyes girl.
I froze. "Hello." I muttered, recovering quickly. My mum gave my hand a comforting squeeze.
"This is my daughter, Cora." Mum informed Daphne and Paige. I'd forgotten that she didn't know that Paige and I had already met.
"I know." Paige replied, at our mums' raised eyebrows she amended, "We take some of the same classes at school."
My mum's head turned towards me slightly, surprised that I hadn't mentioned it. Not that I had the chance since she had the night shift at the hospital and I was at Liam's. I hadn't realised that I had zoned out but when I returned to the conversation, Paige was recounting to my mum how we had met and the party she had invited me to go to.
"So that's how you got to that party." Liam breathed in my ear, standing close behind me but not touching. "Hey, Mrs Marshall."
"Liam." My mum exclaimed, smiling as she noticed him behind me. She looked back to Paige who was watching Liam cautiously as if he was about to snap her neck, but she quickly hid it with a smile when she noticed my mum's gaze on her. "Have you two met?"
"No." Liam's hands gripped my waist, firmly enough that I wouldn't forget he was standing behind me but not hard enough to cause bruises. Not that I would forget he was there. "Ben and Abby have though."
"Are you two?" Paige's mum looked between us as I shook my head quickly, noticing the fact that Paige was giving her mother an exasperated look.
"Mum!" Paige whispered. "You can't ask people that."
I felt as though Liam was about to open his mouth and say something.... something that would lead to a lot of questions from my mum who would demand to know why I hadn't told her.
"It was nice to meet you." I blurted out to Paige and her mum. "Liam has to go now."
"No, I don't." Liam scoffed behind me, rubbing the tips of his fingers back and forth against my hips.
"Yes you do." I said, more forcefully than before. "You have that thing, remember?"
"Right. The thing." Liam was probably smirking behind me. "That you said you were going to help me with." Wait.... what?
"You were going to stay at my house again, remember?" No I wasn't.
"You never told me this." My mum stared at me as I smiled apologetically.
"I forgot."
"It was nice to meet you." Liam said to Paige and her mum, sounding rather sincere. "It was nice to see you too Mrs Marshall."