"Gosh, Mamma, I can't breathe!" I gasp when she tightens the strings to my corset.
"Oh hush, yes you can," she pulls the straps tighter and begins to tie them.
I step into my simple black dress and Mamma pulls it up while I slip my arms into the thin single straps.
Mamma wears a pretty blue dress that is the shade of her eyes.
"What mask are you wearing this year?" I ask Mamma.
"Well, Papá and I are wearing the gold ones I showed you," she responds.
Mamma places a kiss on my cheek, "Meet me downstairs before guests arrive, okay?"
I nod my head and watch as she leaves the room. When I lean down to look at myself in the mirror, the leftover lipstick from Mamma's kiss is stained on my cheek. I lick my thumb and rub the red off.
I open the vanity drawer and pick up my mask. It is a skull mask that only has a top jaw. It almost looks like it was plastered from how it is all cracked. I put it on but don't pull it down to cover my face. I take my knife, Allegra, and slip it underneath my dress.
I make my way to Matteo's room to make sure he is getting ready. I crack the door open and see him adjusting his curly dark hair. Good. He will be on time, unlike last year.
Last year it was five minutes before we had to be downstairs and he was still snoozing, drool running from his mouth. It was a mess in his room by the time he was done getting ready because he was throwing clothes everywhere.
I quietly shut Matteo's door and walk the length of the hall to the staircase. At the bottom Mamma and Papá stand near the front door, greeting guests.
These guests look to be a couple from the way they keep their hands clasped together and their wedding bands shining from the light above. The lady is a few inches shorter than me and the man is easily a foot taller than her. The lady's gown is a deep violet which matches the eye masks the couple wears. Mamma and Papá shake their hands and gesture down the hall that leads to the ball room.
"Do you need help with anything?" I ask my parents.
Papá shakes his head, "We've got everything taken care of," he dismisses.
Before I leave I hear the lock of front door, meaning they are not allowing any guests in the house other for ballroom, which has its own door from outside.
When I get to the ballroom door I pull my mask down to cover majority of my face. The moment the door opens the sound of 60s music, the song in particular being 'Emotions.'
The door I entered is off to the side of the room, so my entrance isn't eye turning or anything.
Not everyone takes participation in the whole masquerade theme. The first person I notice of who didn't is Lucas, an old friend of my father. In his dark suit you can still see his tattoos from the collar.
I don't hesitate to go over.
"Lucas," I say when he notices me.
He smiles, just a tad, "Donatella, happy birthday."
"Where have you been staying?" I ask, knowing he's always moving around for buisness.
"Around," he says simply.
I roll my eyes, "You know you can stay at my place. Mamma won't let me because I was gone so long.
"Oh no, I don't need to," he replies.
I raise a brow, "And why is that? A lady?"
He scoffs, "No."
Excusing myself I walk around, trying to see how many people I can recognize. My eyes land on the back of a man. A man I instantly recognize.
On my way over to Damien he turns around and I almost stop in my tracks, he's wearing a skull mask nearly identical to mine, but his is more of an off white, as if it was real bone.
I approach him and shake my head at him, "Really? You just can't be original."
"You're accusing me of copying you?" he assumes.
"Uh-huh," I nod, crossing my arms.
"How was I supposed to know what you would wear?" he asks, seeming genuinely confused.
"By being the creep you are."
A small tilt of his lips creates a tiny smirk. I finally take in how handsome he is right now is his suit and his hair untamed, yet so perfect.
There's something about him in the mask the makes my blood pump faster.
Damien's eyes move to just behind me right before a feel a tap on my shoulder. Damien's jaw clenches.
I turn to see who it is and the corners of my lips tugs down. Remo. One of my brother's friends I've never liked. He's been practically obsessed with me since we were in our early teen years.
Remo stares at me with a smile, "Does the birthday girl care to dance?"
I internally cringe.
"Fine," I say through clenched teeth. I have to say yes or else Remo will go fuss to Vincenzo.
Remo locks arms with my and starts to lead me away. I look over my shoulder to Damien and mouth, 'I want to die.'
We get to the dance floor and start to dance. Remo asks, "Who was that guy? I haven't seen him around here before."
"It doesn't concern you," I dismiss.
Remo spins me and my eyes lock to Damien, who is watching us intensly. The hands on my body feel grimmey, making me wish I was dancing with someone else.
"You know, I've always-" Remo starts just as the song ends. I don't listen to the rest of the sentence and quickly walk away, wiping my dress on the way.
I reach Damien and he has two glasses of whiskey, one of which he hands to me.
"Thank you," I say before taking a swish.
"You looked like you might've killed him," he tells me.
A laugh a little, "I'm suprised I didn't."
He opens his mouth like he is going to say something, instead he brings his glass up to his lips. I turn around, stepping beside him. I slightly lean back to where I'm putting a little bit of my weight on the wall.
Through the crowd I can see my parents dancing to 'Till There Was You' by Etta James. Papá spins Mamma in a circle, letting everyone get a quick glimpse of the huge smile beaming acrossed her face.
I can't help but be jealous of the love they have for one another knowing no one will love me like that.
From beside me, Damien takes my hand, lifting his chin towards the dance floor.
I shake my head, "Not in front of everyone, coniglio. I don't want them to make up senarios that aren't true."
"I didn't think you were one to care what people thought of you," he pushes.
"This is not the same, Damien," I scold.
"It-" Damien doesn't finish what he says. Instead he forcefully grabs my forearm and drags us to the ground behind the bar counter. Barely a millisecond after we hit the floor a loud boom echos around the room, along with blood curdling screams. The sounds of feet shuffling immeditaly grow. A pair of muscular arms wrap around my body, pulling me back so my back is met with his chest. I try to crawl out of Damien's arms but he holds me tighter, whispering, "No, stay, пожалуйста"[Please] into my ear.
"But my family, I need to make sure...." my voice draws off when I feel the racing of his heart against my back.
I relax in his arms, letting him hold me while he calms down. His chin rests on the top of my head and then I feel his lips press down of my head.
"Donatella! Where is she?!" I hear what sounds like my mother scream.
Damien unwraps his arms around me, getting to his feet, then giving me a hand to help me get up.
Mamma runs over to us and places her hands on the sides of my face, looking me over. She mumbles something that sounds like 'Thank god.' She steps over and that when I see it. A body. A body in a pool of blood with a hole right through the side of his head.
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
"This is....nice," Damien says look over to Alek, who is drunk from the party. with a strappy shirt that you can't really tell what it is unless you put it on.
I roll my eyes and take it from him, setting it into my suitcase. My parents thought it would be best for me to stay at my house. Thought I don't have any guards there, I do have a strong secruity system as well as the house being in another name. No one knows it belongs to me, well except my neighbors but they don't know who I'm related to or what I do.
Once I finish packing, Alek and Damien grab their suitcase and we load them into my car. Upfront I drive, Alek my passenger, and Damien in the back.
Alek messes with the radio until he can find a song he likes, which happens to be 'I Kissed a Girl' by Katy Perry. The way he is bopping his head to the beat tells me he is enjoying it.
He turns around and leans as close to Damien as he can and starts saying the lyrics to him. Damien keeps a straight face.
This continues until the song ends. Then he chooses another song, 'I Knew You Were Trouble' by Taylor Swift, which he also sings to me. At one point I jerk the wheel to scare him in hopes to make him shut up, unfortunately, that did not work.
I pull into my driveway and open the trunk to my car. We take our suitcases and I lead them to the porch and unlock the door and flick the lightswitch on when I get in. My house isn't big, no where near my family home. It's a simple two story home with little decor.
"This is so...average," Alek says.
"I'm rarely here and never have people here," I shrug.
"Oh there's also only one bed, but the couch is a pull out so you guys can share that," I say before turning around to head up the stairs.
"You can sleep on the floor," I hear Alek suggests to Damien on my way up the stairs.