Ch. 4

The party was nothing like the ones she ad attended in the U.S. Pandora was dressed in blue tight jeans, a strapless black blouse and flats. She was seated on the farthest couch from her friends, her third beer in hand, when she felt the familiar pair of eyes on her back. She turned to her left to find the same tall, brown, strong, not-so handsome guy from school staring up at her. She looked away taking a sip of her beer; she flinched at the bad taste, even though it was her third. This is the only thing I can think of that'll make me forget him for a short period of time, she thought and took another sip. She was getting used to the taste again, she was about to take another sip and almost dropped the can when she felt a hand trace her back. She stood up, looked at the guy and said, "Keep your filthy hands off of me!" and walked away finishing her beer in one gulp. She stopped infront of the refrigerator and attempted to grab her fourth when a hand stopped her. "Toni, please. It's only my fourth."

"Yes, and you are already drunk! You are not drinking anymore and we are leaving," he assaulted her grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the door. She didn't even know who the party belonged to, or for whom it was, and she had walked in the room, a complete stranger, and had almost finished their beer. Now her cousin was taking her away, not letting her get completely drunk.

"Come on, Toni," she complained while opening the beer can. Toni snatched the bottle off her hands and threw it away. "Okay, you win. Let's go,"she finally said with a drunk smile and when she walked, she almost fell on the snack table. Toni grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to where Taniah and Andrew stood.

"We have to go," he told them and then they all looked at Pandora, who was half asleep on Toni's arm. "See ya'll at school." They walked away and until they were outside, Toni remembered he couldn't drive. "I cannot drive... I lost my license."

Out of nowhere, Antonio appeared. "I can drive you two. My brother gave me a ride, but I guess he is staying a little longer," he said looking back at the house. Toni nodded and they got in the car when they saw Pandora lying on the back seat. "Le Pavillon Jaures Apartments, right?" asked Antonio, again, Toni nodded. Mysteriously, Antonio was staying at the same apartments, thirty minutes later, when they arrived, they stood watching at each other before looking at a sleeping Pandora.

"Sorry, I have no muscle, you're gonna have to take her to her room," said Toni while giving small steps back. "Bye," he said leaving him alone.

He gave a heavy sigh and leaned down to ask the girl, "What number is your room?"

Between sleep, she asnwered, "Fifty-six." then she started snoring softly.

She sleeps so beautifully, he thoguth looking at her smooth face. It was hard to get a sleeping girl out of a car without her cooperation. First he got her out, and made her lean on his shoulder, while he held her by the waist, and pushed the car door close. Once the door was closed, he searched his pockets for the keys and locked it just in time; Pandora had started sliding from his grip. He put the keys back in his pocket, then he took her in his arms up her room. It was another strugle when he was infront of her room door, and tryed to open it without setting her on the floor, or knocking her on the floor.

He managed to open the door, he was sweating when he accomplished this second mission. He walked into the room and was surprised at the neatness of a girl's room. He set her down on her bed, took her shoes off, and pulled a blancket over her. "I've never liked a girl before, what is this feeling I have for you,Pandora?," he asked outloud. He stood there, watching her for a moment, then when she stired around, he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

It was 5:30am when Pandora finally woke, feeling terribly raw. She fixed herself a shower and told herself, "I'll never drink again!" She stayed thirty minutes under the warm, comfortable water, and then got out. She was getting dressed, it was 6:45am and she decided to stay up the rest of the morning. She put Toni's gift on her back pack, when she started wandering... Toni doesn't have muscle, so he couldn't have brought me up here. Who else could have gone through the trouble to take a drunk girl to her roon and not take advantage of her? She was brought back to Earth by a knock on the door. Who could it be at this time?

"Hello,"said the blue eyed boy.

"And what exactly are YOU doing here?" she asked him madly, no feeling in her words. Her hair was still wet and little drops of water rolled dowm her spine and forehead. The boy had never seen such a view.

"I wanted to know if you could give a ride to school? Return the favor," he explained.

"What favor?"

"Well, you see, yesterday you were fairly drunk, and since your 'cousin' doesn't have any real muscle he left me the honor of taking you..." he was interrupted by a furious growl.

"Freaking Toni! So, what are you doing here, at these apartments, right now?"

"I stayed at a friend's room, but he's not going to school today, so that's why I thought you could take me," explained Antonio, his tan cheeks turning a little pink. He looked so much like Kevin. She looked at him and figured he wasn't going anywhere until he got what he wanted.

"Okay,"she sighed. " But just this time, don't get used to this! Come on in and wait untill I get my hair..." she said inviting him in. Once again, Antonio was surprised to find the room even more neat than the night before. "Want something to drink?" she asked him using all the courtesy she could to not sound rude. Antonio shook his head.

She was taking her shirt off and putting on a dry one, when she heard it. That little voice made her mad and exhousted. "What are you doing here?" asked Toni. His voice was so high, she tought the lower-floor neighbors would hear him clearly. She quickly fixed her curly hair and walked to the leaving room, where Antonio waited for her and his ride.

"Toni! Hi, Ant... whatever, asked me if I could give him a ride, you don't mind that, do you?" she explained, said, and asked between clenched teeth. Her cousin only shook his head and a mischivious smile appeared on his face. "Let's go, then." She grabbed her backpack, keys, and locked the door once everyone was out. Toni took the back seat, thinking Antonio and Pandora would want to socialize. But all the way to school, it was akward silence.

She does need a guy, he thoguht, I wonder... "Antonio, why don't you tell Pan about..." he started.

"No! Stop it, Toni. You know I can't drive and... talk at the same time," she complained quickly. What was he trying to do to her? She didn't need some random guy to tell her stuff, and that guy was defenetely NOT Antonio. Toni was hushed and Antonio was crushed. Why didn't this girl want to talk to new people? He wanted her to talk to him, he wanted her to be with him, he wanted her to be his friend, and he wanted her to be much more than all that. They arrived at the shool just in time to see the twin Chrysler park; the guy who was driving the car was none other than Anotnio's brother. Pandora was surprised to see the same guy from the party, and yesterday's lunch, coming out of the driver's side.

Rigth when her car stopped, Antonio got out of his seatbelt and walked away without a single word or even a 'Thank-you'. Pandora didn't understand that kind of behaviour, specially when Toni literary ran to the cafeteria. She was walking calmy to the front office, to leave her car keys, and as she entered, the most dreadful conversation greeted her. She didn't want to hear, but something about Antonio and his brother made her think she would need to know what the ladies were saying.

"We can't have him here! Not only is it bad for our reputation, but, girls are being sucked up completely!" exclaimed a woman while the other just listened and grabbed her head on her hands. Pandora was surprised, but she calmly knocked on the door and peeked to see the ladies and to know they were looking at her. "Yes, sweety?" asked the old lady with gray hair and green eyes.

"I... was just going to leave my car keys, "she said looking at the scared women.

"Oh, no! From now on you keep you keys and leave campus on time!" said the other green-eyed lady. When they turned their backs on her, Pandora walked out of the room thinking, Weird!

As she walked down the hall and towards her locker, an annoying voice caught her attention. "Gee, Anna! Can't you leave me alone!" she said outloud She kept walking, focusing on her moving feet. It all happened so fast, the last thing she remembered was darkness surrounding her, and a terrible pain... on her neck.


Antonio was walking to the office when he heard a loud, high pitch cry. He ran towards the echoing sound and found her laying on the floor; blood oozing fromo her neck. He covered his nose, and walked to her slowly. The smell was too strong, too good, too... "Panodra! he exclaimed. "Darn it, Ivan! Why her?" He leaned down to her and saw she slow breathing, he lifted her on his arms, again, but was surprised to find her a little heavier than before. After five long seconds, he disappeared with her. They arrived at Pandora's apartment in a blink of an eye. He went into her room and settled her dowm slowly to her bed. He put his palm on her neck, and with a mysterious magical power, her neck stopped bleeding. He then went to the kitchen and took a little water to her, he poured it down on her face and saw how slowly she awoke. He helped her up, putting a hand on her back, at that moment... he touched it.

"What the!" he whisperd. At the sound of his voice, Pandora got away from him and and started to cry. "No!" she screamed.

"You're a... ohmihell!" he exclaimed while his eyes got more wider. He saw the tears on her face and felt betrayed. "I just betrayed my race... to save YOU!" he said getting up and walking towards her. "Pandora Heewitt, you have always being my murderer and life long enemy." The girl cried harder now, all her tears running down her face and falling on the carpet floor. She looked at him with sad eyes, she desperately wanted to explain everything to him. "But now..."

"Just shut up!"