It was a mad house. A complete and utter mad house. Home had never been so full of people since I moved in and it was so loud compared to how it usually was.
My mom had come to stay last week and she had brought along Mazey, and Andrew as well since Peter had to fly down to Florida to visit his parents. Lexi was also staying with us for now since she had wanted to help me find a dress and experiment with hair styles and make up. Not to mention, she wanted to do my make up and hair on grad day. Then we somehow managed to get permission for Katie, Leah and Jill to stay over the night before grad. Blade could be very persuasive when he wanted to be. I guess the fact that he was good looking and a vamp might have helped sway the headmistress' decision.
It was a bit weird seeing everyone interact with each other; Lexi, my school friends and my mom all together. It wasn't a scene I had pictured before and even though it was happening it was still strange to look at.
"So who's excited for graduation?" Leah asked, lying on her stomach across her sleeping bag. The girls were all bunking in my room, and surprisingly even Lexi had wanted to join in on the slumber party. So we were all stretched out on sleeping bags, scattered across the floor, since it wouldn't be fair if someone got the bed.
"Excited? I'm terrified," Katie exclaimed, her green eyes getting even bigger than they normally were.
"Why would you be terrified of graduating?" Lexi asked, peering at Katie curiously. Not surprising. Vamp life was no picnic, so graduation wouldn't even crack the top 100 things to be scared of to Lexi.
Katie sat up and hugged her pillow to her chest tightly. "We're all going to be separated and far away from each other. It's going to suck not to be able to see everyone every day like I was used to for the past year."
"Well I'm not going anywhere," Jill said with a shrug. "I'm staying right here."
"I hope you don't mean living with me," I teased.
She threw her pillow at me but missed. "Shut up. I mean I'm staying in Colorado. I can finally get away from home permanently and I'm taking the opportunity."
Jill's family wasn't the best. She had a spoiled little sister and her parents either treated her badly or they ignored her completely. That was her reason for going to boarding school; she had wanted to get away from her family and start living around people who actually liked her. Sort of a fresh start.
"It's going to be so much fun," Leah piped up, grinning hugely. They had been going out for several months now, and when Leah's cousin had decided to move back home he had offered his apartment to Leah. It wasn't too far from where I lived with Blade, about a half hour drive into town and you were there so Jill and Leah were going to live and go to college here together.
"What are you doing Katie? Are you staying or going home?" Lexi asked her.
Katie grimaced. "I haven't decided yet. I applied to colleges back home and here, but I don't really have anywhere to live around here. There's on campus dorms so I could always do that, but I don't really know how my parents are going to feel about that."
"You haven't talked to your parents about it yet?" I exclaimed, surprised. Katie's parents had come down a week ago; they were staying at a hotel at the moment until graduation rolled around.
"No. I've been afraid too. I really want to stay here, but I'm kind of scared of going to live with new people and having a whole new change of scenery."
"Katie it's going to be fine. No matter where you go to school there will still be a bunch of new people. It's just how life is," I said gently. Katie was usually quite shy around strangers, and I could just imagine how she'd be in a new school and new dorm. She was a sweetheart though, so no doubt she'd make friends easily.
"I know that, but that doesn't make it any less frightening. Even if you guys are going to the same school, we wouldn't have the same classes or anything," she directed this as Leah and Jill.
"Maybe not, but we can still study together and hang out on breaks," Leah reminded her.
"And you're going to make plenty of new friends. Everyone's going to love you, trust me," I assured her, crawling over to her to give her a hug.
She shook her head but at least she was smiling now. "They won't love me if I never say a word. But enough about me, what are you doing?"
That made me pause. I hadn't really decided yet and I hadn't talked to my mom about it either. She had been so excited about seeing Blade's house and me graduating and being here for a week that we hadn't really had a chance to discuss it. Not to mention her excitement over her wedding, which was only a few weeks away. Peter had proposed to her just weeks after the whole incident with Aros and they were set to tie the knot in the fall.
But I honestly had no clue what was going to happen after grad; stay here and live with Blade and go to college with Katie, Jill and Leah...or go back home with my mom and be with my old friends, go to college with them like we had talked about for years? How would my mom feel if I decided to stay here with Blade and not return with her?
Decisions, I thought glumly. I hated them.
"I'm not sure yet," I said carefully, aware that Lexi was watching me with calculating eyes.
"But what about Blade? You guys are so serious..." Katie seemed to be confused in my inability to decide. In a fantasy land it'd be an easy decision, but in reality it wasn't. In an ideal world, I'd be able to make the decision for me; to do what I thought was best for me. But I had to consider Blade now too since we were bonded so closely. But I also had my mother to think about as well as myself. It was extremely complicated.
"Yeah, what about Blade?" Jill's eyebrows rose questioningly at me. She was in on the whole vampire conduit/master thing so she at least had an inkling of why I was so hesitant to decide.
I bit my lip and crawled over to my sleeping bag. "I don't know. I don't know anything at the moment. I really need to talk to my mom and Blade and sort this all out. But right now I just want to make it through graduation; the future can wait until then."
Lexi was shaking her head at me slightly, frowning deeply. Obviously she didn't understand why I was so confused at all.
Silence stretched on after that for a few minutes until Katie asked Lexi what she was doing.
"Nothing," she replied, taking her hair out of its bun so it fell in beautiful, dark waves.
"Nothing?" Leah and Katie echoed. "Aren't you graduating or at school or something?"
She laughed and stretched out like an Egyptian princess across her sleeping bag, looking like a model in her satiny night dress with her long legs extended. "No, I finished school. I'm still living with my parents at the moment; I'm just waiting for Alek to get back so we can start looking for a place to live."
"Get back from where? Who's Alek?" Katie asked curiously. Katie and Lexi had surprisingly hit it off this week and they had been getting along great once Katie got over her shyness. I think it helped that Lexi wasn't at all shy and got Katie to talk by asking her a bunch of questions, basically forcing her to be more social since Katie was too sweet to ignore her.
"My boyfriend. He's off with his boss on some conference but he's coming back in a few weeks." Lexi got this wonderful smile on her face and her eyes seemed brighter than usual. She was always so happy whenever it came to Alek.
Katie started asking her a bunch of questions about Alek and Lexi was all too happy to indulge her, while Jill and Leah started talking among themselves.
I just lay down on my back, staring up at the ceiling of my room while I thought about the future and the choices I had to make. After about half an hour I was no closer to deciding, and when Mazey came into my room I pulled her close to me since she always made me feel better. I had gotten into the habit of leaving my door slightly open so she was free to come and go as she pleased.
"Hey girl," I said softly as she walked across my tummy then lay down on my chest with her nose poking at my chin. "You're very lucky. You don't have to make any choices. You just get to be pampered and not have a worry in the world."
"Talking to cats are you? You know, if you didn't have Blade I'd swear you'd be an old maid with thirty cats," Jill snorted, breaking off from her conversation to look at me.
I shrugged. "I can still have thirty cats even if I'm not single."
"Somehow I don't think Blade would go for that," Lexi replied, grinning wickedly. No doubt she was already thinking of the freak out Blade would have if I brought thirty cats into the house.
"Good point. So no cats," I told her, shooting her a serious look. "How about thirty birds?"
"Bird shit everywhere? Oh yeah, that's even better," Lexi laughed.
I rolled my eyes and scratched behind Mazey's ears. Her light blue collar was crooked, so I turned it around to fix it. When I had it turned around properly, I noticed a slip of paper stuck in her collar.
"Oh look, a note," I announced, plucking it out of her collar. She rubbed her head under my jaw, purring like a tiny car engine while I unfolded the note.
Think you can escape for a little while?
"Whoever is it from?" Lexi asked in a posh voice, throwing her hand to forehead dramatically.
"Blade," Katie answered easily, crawling over to peek at the note. "He wants to see her."
"I thought this was a girls only sleep over. So no boys," Leah said, acting stern as she wagged a finger at me.
"No boys will be entering the sacred area of the all the girl slumber party...but there's nothing saying I can't go to him," I pointed out, holding Mazey to my chest as I sat up so I wouldn't drop her. "And I'm just going to see what he wants so I'll be right back."
Lexi let out a loud snort. "Ha! Knowing my brother? I really doubt it'll be something short and sweet."
My face heated in embarrassment. "Well I'll make sure it's short and sweet, no matter what he had in mind." I went over to the door, holding Mazey in my arms like a baby. "So if I'm not back in ten minutes send out a search party."
"I don't think we'd like what we'd find," Lexi quipped while Katie burst into a fit of giggles.
"Hey if Jill finds me at least she'll know what it feels like," I said with a wink in her direction before I slipped out of my room.
I went straight down the hall to Blade's room and opened the door, peering inside. He was lying flat across his bed, hands under his head with his eyes closed.
"You rang?" I asked, closing the door. Knowing my friends, it wouldn't surprise me if they came to listen at the door.
He grinned and opened his eyes, crooking a finger at me. I skipped over to his bed before I jumped on, folding my legs while Mazey made herself comfortable in my lap.
"How's the sleepover going? Any pillow fights yet?" he rolled onto his side and propped his head up on one had, stretching his other hand out to stroke Mazey's head.
"Yup and we did it in our underwear. And then we talked about hot guys and what we'd like to do to them, then we played some truth or dare, and performed a ritual sacrifice. Just a typical Friday night you know."
"Very funny." He stuck his tongue out at me and I shot him an unamused look.
"Very mature. So what do you want?"
"I feel so loved," he said dramatically before he sat up. "I just wanted to say goodnight."
I shot him a suspicious look. "That sounds too innocent."
"What? Now I have to have an ulterior motive?" he sat up and kissed my cheek.
"No...but usually you're not so well behaved," I said slowly, still not believing him one bit even though he'd been nothing but innocent all week. It was a little strange.
"Your mom is down the hall. Do you really think I'm going to do something inappropriate?" he raised his eyebrows at me.
"Oh wow. Sorry, I didn't think of that," I said, feeling somewhat sheepish. The thought really hadn't crossed my mind at all.
"Did you really think I had some sort of hidden agenda or something?" he asked, looking incredibly amused. "What could I possibly gain by being on good behaviour?"
"Um...I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it," I mumbled. "And besides, like you said; she's down the hall and the door is closed."
"Are you trying to tempt me into doing something I shouldn't, sweetheart?"
I lifted my hand and held my thumb and index finger apart by just a few millimetres. "Just a little...is it working?"
He scooted closer and kissed my neck. "Just a little," he mocked me.
"Hey now, what happened to your good behaviour? I do believe this is heading towards violating your good boy image," I teased.
Letting out a groan, he pulled away and took my hand instead. "Fine. But as soon as everyone's gone I want some time with you."
"And you will." I smiled at the thought before I leaned forward and gave him a kiss. Mazey didn't like me wrecking her comfortable position and dug her claws into my leg. "Ouch!"
"What?" he asked, startled.
"Let go Mazey," I said through gritted teeth, grabbing her around her stomach. "I have enough scars thank you very much. You do not have to add to them."
Blade started gently stroking her neck and almost immediately she started purring and retracted her claws. He took her from me and put her on the bed, to which she walked up to him and started rubbing her head against his side. When he ignored her she started meowing loudly to get some attention.
"I swear that cat is so self absorbed," I said, eyeing her for a moment before I turned to examine my leg. I now had eight tiny holes in my skin and some were starting to bleed.
"This is why I haven't done anything. I can't even kiss you in front of your cat without some sort of consequence," he said, laughing slightly as he ran his fingers along the holes.
"Maybe you had the right idea. It wasn't as painful when we didn't kiss or anything."
"Kiana! Oh Kiana, where are you?" Lexi called from behind Blade's door.
I sighed. I kind of missed it just being the two of us. After all those months of hell with Mona being around and then with the Aros incident, I'd been enjoying the nice calm life together that we had managed to achieve. "I guess I'd better leave; they already sent out the search party." I slid off his bed and headed straight for the door. "You know I didn't think you guys were serious."
Lexi looked me up and down and lingered on my leg. "Obviously it was a good thing we came looking for you. What were you guys doing in there?"
"Absolutely nothing," Blade replied, coming up behind me. He rested his hands on my hips while Mazey slunk past our legs and then trotted off down the hall. "Mazey was the one causing trouble."
"Cockblocked by a cat? That's a new one," Lexi remarked, looking amused.
"Not that this isn't fun, but it's kind of getting late and I would like to be well rested for grad tomorrow," Jill said, folding her arms.
"Lighten up," Leah said as she poked Jill's side. "We're graduating! We should be allowed to stay up late and party."
"You forget we're graduating tomorrow. So we can stay up late and party tomorrow, which would be easier to do if I actually got some sleep tonight."
"Sorry to say but I kind of agree with grumpy pants over there," I said.
"Oh you girls have so sense of fun," Lexi grumbled. Blade snickered and she shot him a dark look. "Shut up Blade. I can imagine you're not having fun either since you can't be with Kiana every minute of the day."
I felt myself blush. Must our relationship be brought up every two seconds? In front of my friends on top of it?
He shrugged and wrapped his arms around my waist, leaning his head on my shoulder. "I don't have to spend every second with her. And I do have other things to do you know."
"Before you guys get into it, I'm going to head to bed. Goodnight," Jill said, obviously not at all caring about this conversation. Katie seemed a little awkward but Leah seemed interested. Jill had to drag her back to my room while Katie followed them with an uncertain goodnight. I was about to go after them, but Blade didn't let me go. I really didn't want to be in the middle of their conversation, especially if it might turn into an argument.
"Do what? The only friend you have is off traveling across the world and taking care of business. He's actually working and doing something with his life while you sit at home and do nothing. When was the last time you even talked to Ace?" she asked, shooting him a sharp look.
"That's none of your business." He straightened up and let me go. His voice was tight and I knew Lexi hit a nerve. Ace had been a touchy subject. Even if it had been nearly six months since the whole Aros-kidnapping-torturing-manipulating-then-being-killed-by-Ace-thing, it was still something that really bothered Blade to think about. Ace changed after that whole catastrophe. At Aros' funeral he was quiet and drawn in on himself. That itself was normal; he was probably messed up and confused about the whole incident.
We went to the funeral to support Ace but didn't stay long because it was far too uncomfortable. It felt wrong to be there. But Ace had no choice but to stay the entire time while people offered condolences, since he was Aros' only other relative and the only person who could take his place.
The funeral had been the last time we had seen or heard from Ace. I knew Blade really missed him, even if he'd never admit it out loud. Ace really was one of his only close friends, so it must have been hard to suddenly just lose him like that after all those years. He put on a brave face whenever Ace was mentioned, but I knew it bothered him a lot.
"Lexi come on, let's just go to bed. It's late and we've got a busy day tomorrow," I said hastily, hoping she wouldn't open her mouth and say something that would just set Blade off.
"Fine, let's go." She turned abruptly and marched back to my room. I was surprised she had given in so easily, but maybe even she saw that this was a bad idea.
I turned around to ask Blade if he was alright but I was greeted instead by his door closing. I stared at the door for a moment, contemplating whether I should knock and ask if he wanted to talk or if I should leave. In the end I decided I'd leave him be. He didn't really like me seeing him when he was upset, plus I was sure he wanted some time to calm down. If he wanted to talk he could always summon me.
So instead I went back to my room and once everyone was settled into bed, I turned off the light and carefully made my way to my sleeping bag while attempting not to step on anyone in the dark. We were mostly quiet now since we really did have to get some sleep in order to party tomorrow night, but I couldn't sleep. Lexi had a point. He hadn't talked to Ace in months. Even though he never mentioned him in any way, I knew Blade was still missing him a lot.
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Et voila! La premiere chapitre de l'histoire! Aren't yall glad now that you have the whole thing here? And Blade made an appearance too!
I was technically gonna post this only once I finished school on May 12th, but eff it man I'm a total sucker and you guys seem to really want it and you've been absolutely god-like with your patience so HERE YA GO THE FIRST WHOLE CHAPTER AND MORE WILL BE COMING SOONER THAN YA THINK. Not right now, but I will try to update this story again soon and more often! I'mma hop to writing some more stuff right now so that way I'll be able to update a little more quickly :) Tootles babes!
Much love and good vibes,
xxLaura <3
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