Chapter One – A Night To Remember
The music pulsed incessantly in Emily's sore ears as she got constantly bumped on the crowded dance floor. Hanna and Aria were grinding up against their boys while she watched on enviously, trying desperately hard to not think of her now ex-girlfriend Paige while also trying not get dry hump by random drunk strangers. Spencer and Toby had disappeared about twenty minutes early to line up to buy some drinks and judging by the length of the line they would be a little while longer still.
She wasn't even aware of why she came out with her friends that night. Besides the fact she was feeling completely alone in a room full of strangers, this was apparently her friend's way of showing her how to forget about Paige.
It was failing miserable.
And the loud music was not helping; the club scene was never her scene and it seemed it never would be.
"Where are you going?" Hanna screamed over the music, Emily was surprised she even heard her in the first place.
"Bathroom." She yelled back before turning around and heading out of the dance floor giving Hanna no time to question her further.
Emily made her way downstairs at the other end of the club; it was significantly quieter and instead of just a line for drinks there was an actual bar that had seats.
Finding the first available stool she made herself comfortable and listened to the music that hummed gently in the background. The loud bass from upstairs could still be heard but it was faint. Emily found she was a lot more comfortable but with no music slowly deafening her she found her thoughts quickly moving back to Paige.
Emily had been with Paige for almost four years; they were high school sweethearts and even planned to go to College together but towards the end of senior year Paige was becoming angry and abusive, and not just emotionally.
Emily had heard it all before; her friends had spent several hours a week trying to convince her to leave but Paige would always catch on and then guilt trip the brunette into staying.
Out of the blue a few days ago Paige came home from work and demanded Emily to move with her to California for college, when she said no Paige began enraged and struck her, causing large black-purple bruise to form around her eye. Usually Paige would never be so rough; there were a few small bruises and pushes every now and then but nothing this drastic. It finally gave Emily the incentive to leave but now she was alone, in a club surrounded by drunken smelly strangers.
"What can I get you?" The taller barkeep asked Emily, pulling her from her deep inner thoughts.
"Scotch Whiskey." She replied to the young looking man who rose his eyebrows at her choice in beverage, Emily however decided not to acknowledge his curiosity and instead went back to playing with the pieces of napkin that the previous seater had no dubitably ripped up in a drunken haze.
She nodded a small thanks when he placed the drink in front of her before departing to serve another customer.
"He's not very customer friendly, hey?" A voice broke Emily's thoughts causing her to look away from the ice in her drink that had already begun to melt.
Next to her was a beautiful young woman, though it was dark she could still see the extravagant features of the stranger, her hair was a bleached blonde but it looked natural and her eyes were a bright blue that reminded Emily of the ocean.
It had been so long since Emily had spoken to a woman who wasn't her friends or Paige and so she was lost for words.
"No, but no one in clubs really are." Emily took a swig at her drink before drawing her attention back to the blonde. She was wearing jeans and a tight leather jacket, accompanying her clothes was a warm looking scarf, which was odd due to the temperature inside.
"True." The young woman chuckled before drinking from her own glass.
"Bit warm for a scarf, isn't it?" Emily questioned as she continued to drink. The blonde shrugged before revealing her perfect teeth in a glorious smile.
"It looks fabulous so it's a small price to pay." There was a moment silence in which Emily finished her drink and asked the barkeeper for another. She looked over at the blonde whose eyes were still on her, observing Emily carefully, almost trying to figure out something the brunette wasn't aware.
Emily tried to ignore the blonde's burning gaze and directed her thoughts elsewhere.
"Can I buy you a drink?" She asked, noticing the empty glass in front of the beautiful stranger.
"Sure." She smiled warmly and Emily flagged down the man that had been playing on his phone to pass the time.
When he placed Alison's drink in front of her he looked at her for a moment too long, his eyes scrunched together tightly almost as if he had seen the blonde before.
"Can I help you?" She asked with a sassy attitude and the man quickly straightened and walked away.
"New in town, huh?" Emily asked with a soft chuckle.
"How did you know?"
"It's a small town, if you've been here long enough everyone knows you."
"So why are you here all by your lonesome then?" She asked as she watched Emily take another large gulp from her glass, feeling like there was more to the brunette than met the eye.
"Well, my friends are upstairs but I couldn't stand the noise so I escaped. So I guess technically I'm not here alone. More than I can say for you though."
Emily sipped violently at her drink out of nervous habit, for some reason this beautiful young woman was making her more anxious than she had been in a long time, it was an odd feeling.
"What makes you think I'm here alone?" The blonde raised her eyebrow curiously.
"I have two theories." Emily murmured gently. "I'm thinking if you were with other's you'd be upstairs dancing, or at least drinking with them. So I'm guessing you're down here because you needed a place to think but had to get away from certain others to do it."
The blonde raised her eyebrow even higher at Emily's accuracy but didn't say anything; she merely took a sip of her drink and watched the brunette's hair flow effortlessly passed her shoulders.
"And the other theory?" She pushed.
"You're a vampire." The brunette mumbled before taking another sip from her drink, the remark made the blonde almost spit hers at the barkeeper at the other end of the bar who looked up at the sudden loud laughter coming from the pair.
"Off what logic exactly?"
"Well, its night time, you're drinking a beverage you are pretending to like which might mean you're actually in disguise while scoping out some meal tickets. Plus, you are like physically flawless, a main characteristic of a modern vampire."
The blonde observed Emily for several minutes, in which she ordered another drink; it seemed she was drinking away some dark sorrows.
"Interesting theories."
"Which one is it? I'm never wrong so it's got to be one of those two." The blonde laughed quietly before putting her fingers to her chin as if deep in thought.
"Well one of them is definitely correct." She noted sarcastically.
"You're a vampire! I knew it!" Emily slammed her hand on the table dramatically as she spoke causing the blonde to laugh with her.
"I'm not a fan of alcohol; I'm just drinking it so I don't look completely out of place."
"No offense but look around, you're still very out of place." Emily pointed around the room at the other few occupants in the dark room, most had their heads tipped in drunkenness or slumped on a table.
"What's your name?" The blonde asked, smiling at the brunette's compliment.
"Emily." She stretched out her hand and connected it with the blonde's smooth and very soft hand, it felt rough in comparison but she didn't seem to notice.
"Vivian."
"That's not your real name." Emily counters with confidence she didn't know she had, it seemed she had reached the stage of drunk where she was no longer the shy one. At least her words weren't slurred.
"You're good." The blonde chuckled softly.
"I can understand though. I'm betting it's still a three syllable name still, something beautiful but everyone shortens it out of laziness." Emily finished the last of her drink but decided that she had had enough; she wanted to remember this beautiful young woman forever.
"You're very smart, Emily. Tell me more about yourself." Vivian moved closer to the brunette and propped her arm up on the bar while watching the brunette watch her.
"Me? There's not much to know, you however seem mesmerizingly interesting." Emily turned to face Vivian and she was still wondering why she was wearing such a puffy scarf, it almost covered her face.
"I want to know about you. And like you always being right, I always get my way."
"I kind of got that vibe." Emily chuckled as she pushed some hair that had fallen across her face away, bumping her bruised eye accidently.
"So tell me, are you like a boxer or something?" She replied, noticing Emily's eyes scrunch at the pain.
"What an odd question." Emily laughed.
"Not really considering you winced in pain when you touched your eye, that's suggesting you either had some boxing class earlier this week or you seriously pissed off someone." Emily looked away slightly embarrassed, she hadn't realised her eye was so noticeable in the dark.
Sensing the brunette's hesitant Vivian quickly changed topics. "Sorry, that's not my place. Where did you go to school?"
She asked, letting Emily recover from her slight abruption.
"Here in Rosewood, been here all my life. I was going to go to college after I graduated but, well, life got in the way I suppose." Emily felt that even though the blonde was astonishingly kind and beautiful, she wasn't ready to talk about her relationship with Paige to anyone, let alone a complete stranger.
Quickly Emily flagged down the barkeeper and asked for water; Vivian raised her eyes quizzically at the choice but didn't say anything.
"What were you going to study?" Vivian's hand went to Emily's, noticing the brunette's scrunching eyes in discomfort thinking about whatever was circling in her mind.
"Um... I-I hadn't really thought about it." Emily found herself becoming distracted at the contact; no one had touched her so gently in a long time. "What about you? Are you in college?"
"Something like that." Vivian replied, revealing her pearly white teeth once again. When the man returned with Emily's bottled water her hands quickly moved away, unsure as to why however. It wasn't like she was ashamed to hold another girls hand, it was more this Vivian girl seemed private.
"You know, I think I'm gonna go with the vampire theory. You're very mysterious." Emily chuckled.
"Me? Emily, you're the mysterious one." Vivian's hand played with her scarf briefly before going back to the bar. At that movement it revealed some of her neck and momentarily Emily's thoughts went to kiss it but she quickly shook the thoughts away.
"You could sum my life up in under half an hour, Vivian." Emily didn't like calling the blonde by the fake name; it didn't seem to match her at all.
"Well you'd better get talking then."
"Oh, my, god there you are! We've been looking all over for you!" Hanna almost shouted as she made her way to the brunette that was sitting at the bar by herself. Vivian had excused herself to the bathroom and Hanna, Spencer and Aria had arrived less than two minutes later.
"Sorry, I got distracted."
"I was about to say, that's a long bathroom break. You've been down here for almost two hours at least." Aria said as she looked at her watch.
"Come on, Spencer is being a grandma and wants to go home, plus the clubs closing soon anyway." Hanna pulled at Emily's arm but when the brunette remained still she looked up curiously.
"I'm gonna stay a little longer." Emily muttered, even if it was almost closing time she would say goodbye to the beautiful blonde stranger that made her forget about Paige for more than a few seconds.
Her friends looked at each other curiously; Spencer being the only sober one even raised her eyebrows knowing that there was a specific reason for her staying but decided not to voice it.
Giving everyone a hug goodbye Emily remained behind and waited for the blonde to return.
"Were those your friends?" Vivian asked as she sat down next to her again.
"Yes, a bunch of odd balls they are." Emily laughed.
"Which one was which?" Vivian had caught a quick glimpse of them leaving as she exited the bathroom and since Emily had spent almost an hour talking about them she a least wanted a name to the face.
"Tallest is Spencer, blonde one is Hanna and the shorty is Aria."
"I'd like to meet them one day." Emily watched as Vivian pulled out her phone and looked at the time. Her eyebrows rose at how late it was, she didn't intend on staying out this late but meeting the brunette was an even better turn out to the night than what she was expecting.
"Time to go?" She asked with disappointment dripping in her voice.
"I'm afraid so." Vivian mumbled, quickly handing the brunette her very expensive new iPhone. "Put your number in."
Emily paid for both their drinks before standing and continuing to enter her number into Vivian's phone.
"You didn't have to do that." The blonde insisted.
"It's just another excuse for us to meet again." They made their way to the nearest exit which led to a cold alleyway. Emily understood why Vivian had worn the scarf now, however ignoring the chilly air that seeped into her skin she handed the phone back to Vivian.
"Buffy?" She asked, looking at the contact curiously causing Emily to laugh.
"The vampire slayer." She said with a wink, quickly she wrapped her arms around her body trying to keep as much heat with her as she could. Vivian smiled and removed her scarf from her neck, quickly she wrapped it around Emily's and rubbed the brunette's jumper covered arms.
"You didn't have to do that."
"Think of it as another excuse for us to meet again." She smiled, the cold air biting at her neck but for the first time in a long time feeling completely warm all over.
Emily's hands reached for Vivian's, closing the distance between them.
"We will meet again, yes?" She asked hopefully and Vivian nodded with a beautiful smile. "Tonight has been the most magically night, Vivian."
"Alison."The blonde almost whispered, leaning up to the brunette but still leaving space. "My real name is Alison."
"I like that a lot better." Emily closed the distance between them, slowly placing her hands onto Alison's cheeks to bring her into a chaste kiss. It was magical; Emily felt the fireworks move from her lips to the pit of her stomach as Alison's arms reached up around her neck, pulling her even closer.
Emily's own hands left the blonde's cheeks and went to her waist, wrapping her up so the rest of the world didn't seem to exist. Their tongues having a silent battle for dominance as the kiss remained innocent, though the passionate fire was lingering behind both lips. Suddenly a loud beeping came from Alison's pocket, causing the pair to disconnect.
"I have to go." Alison slowly unwrapped herself from Emily's embrace and pulled her phone from her pocket, ignoring the call that was buzzing her phone to life.
"What?" Emily asked mildly surprised at the blonde's sudden change of behaviour.
"I have to go." She repeated when her phone began buzzing again, locking it once more she leant up to kiss Emily lightly on the cheek before turning and walking down the alley. Emily chased after the departing blonde and grabbed her arm, trying to stop her from leaving.
"Stay." She said, panic in her tone.
"I must go." Hastily Emily brought the blonde in for another kiss it was full of passion and desperation, the sound of thunder echoing in the sky as they parted once more. "You can't follow me. Goodbye, Emily. " Alison warned before turning and running down the alley and out of sight.
"Goodbye, Alison." She whispered as a hard rain began to fall from the sky. Turning the other way Emily looked up at the sky that had opened up in under a minute. "Wow it's raining. My life is a walking clique."
Hope everyone enjoyed. I don't really know where I'm going with this one yet but I just started writing and I liked it. -Aemstar xx
Also, I have nothing against Paige's character in the show I just think she'll do for where I'm hoping the story to go.
Anyways, hope you guys liked it so far. Let me know what you think :)
Follow and favourite if you like, I'm hoping for regular updates.
And reviews are greatly appreciated as always! Thanks guys!