Chapter 7: Familiar
Word Count: 5,233
The following morning, Bliss stumbled out of bed. It usually didn't take much; she was a morning person. After her dream, she had gotten up and went to get a glass of water. She shook her head, as if to stop the multitude of thoughts that were coursing through her brain. She noticed that her hands were shaking. Bliss put down her water glass and held her hands together, trying to steady herself. She felt warm and clammy, and she was sure that her red hair was sticking to her skin. She stood in her bathroom for a moment, water glass in hand. She stared at her reflection in the mirror.
Bliss realized that she had never really looked at herself. Whenever was getting ready to go to school, or to Block 122 with Mimi, she had always put on her make up quickly and blown her hair out. She didn't look at herself for long. Now, sweat glistening on her skin, she looked at her face. Bliss's green eyes glittered in the artificial glow that was shining down from the ceiling. She looked into the mirror, watching as her pupils dilated from the light. Suddenly, Bliss was in her dream again.
The once bright light that clouded her vision dimmed and she stood alone in the alley with Dylan. They dropped their hands, but they held eye contact. Dylan smiled, and spoke carefully.
"Nos estis, preteritus, tendo, posterus. Nos estis forever." Hearing these words, Bliss stared at him with wide eyes. The Latin language that had escaped his lips flew through Bliss's ears and her brain instantly translated them.
Nos estis, preteritus, tendo, posterus. Nos estis forever.
We are the past, present, future. We are forever.
He took her hand gently. He smiled at her, looking into her eyes. She felt her jaw stretch as she smiled back at him. Without looking back, she willingly followed him into the light.
Bliss heard a loud shatter. She was in her bathroom. Surprised, she looked around for the noise. Her pajama pants were soaked, and the floor was covered in water.
She ran over to the kitchen to get something that would clean up the broken glass from her dropped cup. She must have let go of it subconsciously. She turned around to get some paper towels, and a scream was caught in her throat.
"You scared me!" she said. In front of her stood her younger sister, Jordan, who was staring at her with wide eyes.
"What?" Bliss murmured. Jordan frowned, her eyebrows furrowed. She placed a hand on her hip.
"I heard a crash. And, you are bleeding." Bliss followed Jordan's eyes, and sure enough, her feet were sporting new cuts from the broken glass. Jordan squinted, trying to look closer at the blood pooling at the surface of her sister's skin.
"You're blood looks –" Bliss turned away from her sister, to hide her from the blue that had started to stain. She reached over to the paper towels that she had come for to cover her cuts. She wiped the blood off, and smeared sapphire liquid over the rest of her foot.
"Damn!" she hissed. Bliss hobbled over to the sink to wet the wispy material. Jordan appeared at her side. She offered over three Band-Aids. Bliss grabbed them and ripped the paper open quickly. She looked over at her sister suspiciously. But then, she rolled her eyes, annoyed with herself. What was Jordan doing wrong?
"What happened?" Jordan asked. Avoiding her eyes, Bliss threw the waste in the garbage basket in a blink of an eye.
"Nothing. Why do you care?"
"Never mind." Bliss finished bandaging her foot, and when she turned around, Jordan was gone. She sighed. Her sister was slightly strange. She still couldn't seem to figure her out.
After Bliss managed to clean up the blue blood that had ceased to ooze from the injuries on her feet, she suddenly remembered what she came from her room to do. She got the vacuum from the hall closet and tiptoed back into her bathroom.
When she got back into her room, she picked up all of the larger pieces of glass and put them in her garbage. The rest, she vacuumed up. When she finished, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and stood up. She stood up, and looked in the mirror again.
Bliss's mind had wondered when she was cleaning her floor, and she was trying to remember what had made her drop the glass in the first place. She remembered getting out of bed and going into the bathroom, but then her memory had stopped. There was a fog replacing the time period between walking into the bathroom and the shatter of glass.
Still wondering about what had happened, Bliss wandered through the doorway and into her bed, leaving the lights on in the bathroom. She pulled the covers up, over her shoulders, and lay there. Her eyes wouldn't close, no matter how much she forced them. That blanket of unknown was scaring Bliss. What had happened?
The time ticked by, and Bliss still was awake. She was getting tired of not being able to retain information. Even though she was getting warm underneath the blankets, she didn't break her focus. Bliss scrolled through every possible thing that could've happened, but nothing rang a bell.
Frustrated, Bliss got up quickly, whipping off her duvet. She swung her feet over to the edge of the bed and stood up.
The lights in the bathroom were nearly blinding. She walked through the doorway and caught a glance at herself in the mirror. Suddenly, it was as if a movie was being fast forwarded through her brain. Memories flooded her vision, and Bliss felt lightheaded.
She sat down on the ledge of the bathtub, trying not to faint. Suddenly, the slideshow of memories paused at one still shot. Bliss was outside, smiling and holding the hand of a taller, more rugged boy who was wearing a leather jacket and had smelled faintly of smoke.
Behind her was a familiar light, one she remembered seeing before. Bliss rubbed her temple. She was so close, and if she lost it, she might never be able to think of it again.
The smile was frozen on her face until the image started to move. Bliss could see herself in an alleyway. Dylan squeezed her hand and smiled back. Bliss could almost feel the worn-in soft material that made up his jacket.
She saw Dylan repeat the same words that she remembered him speaking before.
Nos estis, preteritus, tendo, posterus. Nos estis forever.
Suddenly, everything that she had forgotten came back to her. She didn't even realize that her mouth had dropped open. Bliss watched as Dylan held on to her hand and gently guided her to the light that was behind her. When she saw herself walk into the white ray, and as soon as she disappeared, the light expanded with a flash and just like before, she was in her bathroom.
Bliss leaned her clammy face against the tiled wall of the bathtub area. The cool felt good on her warm cheek. Bliss closed her eyes for a moment, trying to focus on the epiphany.
Dylan had said those words. We are the past, present, future. We are forever. Past, present… future. Bliss could only think of one thing that was forever.
Bonding.
Bliss sat very still. Forever… She opened her eyes again, and stared at the empty space in front of her.
The people in her dream were all bonded. Mimi, Jack, Allegra, Charles. She was alone until someone had come into her life. Dylan. When he had placed his rough hands against hers, she felt like he was a part of her. Bliss shuddered at the thought of separating from him. Dylan was so important to her. It was as if…
As if they were bonded.
Bliss inhaled quickly, thinking of the idea. Was she truly bonded to Dylan? Slowly, she closed her eyes, feeling the wave of sleepiness wash over her. If Bliss was bonded to Dylan…
Bliss felt a familiar dryness in her throat. She tried to swallow, but a few tears escaped from her tear ducts and rolled down her cheeks. Dylan had been in her life, but now that was nothing more than a memory.
As her eyes closed again, Bliss fell into an empty, dreamless sleep.
Mimi awoke, with her hand still locked in her brothers. She turned over to face him. The light from her window poured through the glass and lit up his face. She studied the creases that remained even when he was relaxed. She slowly took her hand from his, careful not to wake him from his slumber. When she started to move, Jack groaned tiredly and turned onto his back, his eyes still shut. Without realizing it, Mimi brought her hand up to his white blond hair and pushed it away from his eyes.
Half asleep, Jack smiled at the contact. Mimi took her hand away, slowly turned back to her side of the bed and swung her feet over the side. She got up, and the bed moved only slightly, but enough to make Jack stir. He sat up quickly and looked around. He was still in a polo and chinos, but now they were crumpled. When he realized he was in his sister's room, he smiled over at her.
"Why, hello. Good morning, Jack." Mimi told him lightly. She found that she was in a good mood. She walked over to his side and pulled him into an embrace. He pulled her in tighter when she started to pull away. Mimi frowned, her face burrowed into his shoulder. Jack kissed the top of her head, but still didn't let her go. He inhaled the scent on her neck, and then to her collarbone.
"Jack?" Mimi questioned him. She tried to pull away again, but he put his hands on her face.
"Yes…?" Jack looked at her face, searching. Mimi pushed away from him again. Finally, he let her go. In a blink of an eye, Mimi was across the room. Jack turned around and smiled. He got up and walked across to stand in front of her.
"Mimi-" he started. Mimi silenced him. She pushed her hair behind her ear.
"Listen, I've got to get dressed. See you, downstairs. Okay?" She watched him leave her standing in the corner of her room. Mimi was taken aback by his actions. It was very different than Jack had ever acted before. He was never forceful, and he was shy. Mimi was the more outgoing one, whereas Jack was reserved. What had gotten into him?
Mimi turned on her computer and loaded her planner. She saw that the whole day was open. It was Monday, and the next day they would have to go back to school after the long weekend. It was the last day of vacation, and Mimi wanted to celebrate it somehow.
But, she had to go shopping first.
Mimi arrived at Barney's, and went straight to the back room as usual. Her personal shopper had picked out a multitude of dresses and outfits. Mimi brushed through each piece slowly. She pulled out a diaphanous black blouse. It had a tie in the back and a silver gleam that reflected the light. The deep v-neck was slit down to the band that eventually went around to the opposite side to be tied. Even though it had no sleeves, Mimi was sure she wouldn't be cold tonight.
She quickly grabbed a few other pieces of clothing off the rack, including an azure tank top that hit at the navel, and a small slit from the collar to the navel as well, and a black mini skirt that bordered on inappropriate. She walked into her dressing room and quickly changed into the first shirt. She stepped out of the dressing room and spun around. She looked at her reflection. Mimi knew that this was a good distraction for everything that was going on lately.
She looked at her reflection when suddenly the memory of her sallow face from before flashed through her mind. She was suddenly the girl she had been before. Her mascara had stained her cheeks and the dark circles came back. Her hair was stuck to her face that was glistening with sweat. As soon as the memory arrived, it left. But, it still haunted and roamed through her mind.
Mimi blinked, and everything was back to how it had been. She was in the back room at Barney's, wearing the shirt that still had the tags on, and staring at her reflection. Shuddering, she turned away from the face that taunted her. She quickly walked back to the dressing room and changed into her clothes. Taking the pile of clothes that she had not yet tried on, Mimi walked to the register to buy them all.
As soon as Mimi got home, she ran to her phone and text messaged the other Blue Bloods in the school. Instead of text messaging her, Mimi decided to call Bliss. She hadn't seen her for a long time.
"Hello?" Mimi heard Bliss answer from the other line. Something in Bliss's voice sounded sad and out of place. She dismissed it.
"Hey, Bliss! Do you want to come over tonight?" she said nonchalantly.
"Um, tonight? I don't-"
"Around nine? I hope you can be here…"
"I really don't think I can. Sorry!"
"Why?"
"I… have a dinner with my parents." Mimi knew fully well that Bliss's parents were out of town until next week, but she didn't confront her friend. Mimi rolled her eyes.
"Alright, fine. Miss you!" She heard a click on the other end. What was up with Bliss these days? She finished texting all of the other Blue Bloods, with open invitations. For familiars, of course.
Mimi was glad that her parents had gone away for a few days. She realized that Charles needed a break, which he rarely took. After the decision Jack chose to make... Mimi grimaced at the thought of her brother with Schuyler. She hadn't seen her lately, for Schuyler had been staying inside the walls of her room for the majority of the hours in the day.
Mimi made sure that things were in place downstairs, and rushed upstairs. It wouldn't be as great at the Llewellyn party, but it was enough on a days notice. She had ordered the buffet and party favors from well known shops in town, and she had the ceiling-high stereo system and surround sound speakers put in, and the DJ would have to arrive in minutes. There were people carrying appetizers, and others who were in charge of the bar.
As for the furniture, Mimi knew that her house was styled after Victorian times, and she also knew that no one would dare ruining her furniture.
She went back to her room and quickly changed into the black top that she had actually tried on. The gauzy fabric fit her perfectly, and she turned to look at herself in all angles. She paired the blouse with a similar skirt to the black one she had just bought. Because of the silver sheen to the top, Mimi chose to pair it with silver diamond hoops that skimmed the top of her shoulders, and diamond studded bangles. She put on a pair of kitten heels and looked at her reflection. She smiled in spite of herself. Mimi knew one thing: she was going to have fun tonight.
Schuyler was sitting in her room, on her bed, watching television. Neither Oliver nor Bliss had called her back, and that worried her. She knew that she was being selfish, but she truly needed Oliver. In her mind, Schuyler could form the mental snapshot that she had taken when she turned to see her best friend. She found that she deserved it; Oliver was probably doing the right thing. She felt bad about what he had seen, but she wanted to see him again.
Schuyler knew that moping around in her room would do no good, but the dizzy feeling had never really gone away, just faded. Even in the shower, after only taking few steps, the blackness had started to cloud Schuyler's vision. So, she had spent most of her time in her room. Not that she didn't want to.
Suddenly, a loud boom echoed through the mansion. Sitting up in bed, Schuyler felt the walls vibrate. She turned off the television and listened. A loud rap song sent the floor underneath her feet to vibrate as well. The bass was turned up, she could tell. The doorbell rang, and she could hear Mimi's musical voice greet the people at the door. It sounded like a large group.
Making her way over to open her bedroom door, Schuyler listened to hear if she recognized any names. When she didn't, her curiosity took over, and she headed down the hallway.
Schuyler looked over the railing and saw a vast amount of people flooding through the hallways and rooms of the Force abode. All of them were familiar to Schuyler; they were the Blue Bloods from school. There were others, but they weren't shining in the dark, like the Blue Bloods were. Schuyler came to the conclusion that they were familiars. She saw a familiar disarray of white blond hair, and before she could see the face, Schuyler bolted back to her room. Within a few seconds, the person who she did not want to see the most was standing in front of her.
"Wait!" Jack said, holding his hands up in front of his body. Schuyler looked bewildered. Why was Jack talking to her? Schuyler continued in the direction in which she was heading in, trying not to look at Jack. He retreated, but continued.
"Schuyler." Jack reached over and grabbed her hand. She stopped struggling, but wouldn't look in his eyes. She could feel his eyes boring into her head.
"Don't you want to come down to the party?" Schuyler refrained from grimacing. "Let's go!"
Schuyler backtracked. Let's go? He wanted to accompany her? Schuyler became confused. She was under the impression that they would never talk to each other again, unless completely necessary. As much as she wanted to follow him, she didn't know if she should trust him completely, yet. How could she forgive him?
"Um… I just was going to my room. You know, I'm kind of tired. Not in a dancing mood." She used that as an excuse. Not an open invitation to join her.
"Oh, really? We won't go down, then. Follow me." Schuyler watched his lips as he spoke, unable to work her own. She was nervous. Why was Jack doing this? They were going to get caught… and get in trouble. And, Mimi was just downstairs.
Nonetheless, she still was being led by her hand down the hallway opposite to hers. When Jack opened the door, Schuyler looked around. The room was completely neat, but the walls were painted red and the wooden furniture matched perfectly. It looked like a boy's room. Schuyler mentally froze, but continued to follow Jack.
He sat down on his bed, and patted the seat next to him. Sitting down, Schuyler still refused to look Jack in the eye. She looked down at her hands instead, waiting for him to say something first.
"I just wanted to say…" Jack started. Schuyler looked up, hearing the unsure wavering in his voice. She watched him intently. He didn't break his eye contact with her. He looked like he was contemplating telling her something. Even though Schuyler was afraid of what he would say, she was silently begging him to continue.
"I just wanted to say… that what I said before… it was not called for. I didn't mean to – hurt you. In any way." Jack searched her face for any hint as to what she was thinking. Schuyler stared at him. When she didn't say anything back, Jack felt the need to fill the silence.
"I wish I could take back the words I said, but I can't redo what has already been done. Sky, I am – really – so sorry. Please, forgive me." Schuyler had the same sudden urge to touch him. The look in his eyes was that of sadness and wonder. He looked vulnerable.
Without even saying anything, Schuyler leaned her head on his shoulder, as if to comfort him. He wrapped his arm around her, and held her close to his chest. He leaned in towards her ear, and whispered, "I am so sorry."
Schuyler leaned back farther, to look at Jack, to see his expression. Just like before, everything about him was inviting her in. She needed him.
Jack looked down at Schuyler with wide eyes. She wanted him to want her as she did. His mouth was formed in a straight line, and for the second that she looked away from him, he pressed his body against hers. Their embrace was short-lived, and Schuyler felt that the hug was out of place. She didn't want him to hug her.
He leaned in and kissed her cheek. She stopped breathing. What was he thinking? Schuyler expected him to back away, but he didn't. Jack brought his lips from her cheek to her neck. He inhaled deeply.
Schuyler sat, rigid, not moving. Exhaling, she tried to relax as she leaned against him. He got down to her collarbone when he kissed her. Even though she knew it was wrong, Schuyler felt a wave of pleasure course through her body. She shifted herself so she was nearly on his lap. The arm that was not wrapped around her was sitting on her leg, in which Schuyler took advantage of. Slowly, she let her fingers drift up his arm until it wound around his neck.
Suddenly, she felt something sharp against her neck. The only thing she could think of was… teeth? Not thinking one thing about it, Schuyler distracted Jack by draping her arms over his shoulders, kneeling in front of him.
They looked at each other, waiting for the other one to make a move. Schuyler began to grow impatient. She wanted this... so why was she having second thoughts? Quickly trying to dismiss those particular thoughts from her mind, she distracted herself by gliding her long fingers along Jack's cheeks and down his neck. He closed his eyes.
"Schuyler," he started. He grabbed her arms and held them at her sides. To stop the frown that was forming on her face, Jack leaned down to kiss her. Releasing her arms from his grip, he brought his hands up to her waits and the small of her back, pushing her against him. Schuyler kissed him back with as much confidence as she had built up.
Flashbacks of their most recent date sprang to Schuyler's mind. The kisses they had experienced while at the beach were nothing compared to this. Those were sweet and gentle, but she could feel Jack's eagerness through his body language. In his room, things seemed more wild and passionate. Nothing could compare to how she felt when she was with Jack at that precise moment. He slowly leaned on to his back, Schuyler following him, never separating them.
A million thoughts were racing through Schuyler's mind. One part of her was questioning why she was being so physical with a boy who nearly told her that she could never talk to him again. Another part was rooting for them to be together.
Her heart was competing with her brain. Trying to make sense of her feelings and thoughts, she tried to lean away from Jack. When she did, he just pulled her onto him. He continued, all while Schuyler was trying to push away from him. She was nearly completely on top of his chest, and his arms were around her; her muscles were non-existent compared to his. Schuyler had never realized the extent of his strength until just then.
"Jack –" she mumbled, her lips crushed against his. She tried to kneel, to help push her off of him. She felt frustration pour through her veins.
She could feel his lips go from her neck to her collarbone. She shivered. Suddenly, the familiar blackness formed in the corners of her vision. She felt the fog start to overtake her. She shut her eyes.
Jack noticed right away; the clenched fists, the helpless scowl, and the tightly closed eyes. He pushed her away from him, but reached out for her.
"Sky? Sky? Are you alright?" He started to panic. He laid her on her back, and he kneeled over her. She managed to open her eyes, but she could not see him in front of her.
"Schuyler? Answer me!" His voice started to rise. He thought for a while, trying to get her to answer him.
"Wake up, Schuyler please!" he begged her. He could see her skin, which was once luminous, now dull. She mumbled a few unintelligible words in response. He lay there next to her, and kept his hand over her heart.
Schuyler opened her eyes and looked around. She sat up quickly, which made her feel lightheaded.
"Jack?" she questioned quietly. Jack was still next to her, and he put his arm around her carefully.
"You passed out. It's been about fifteen minutes." He looked like he wanted to say more, but didn't.
"What?" she asked him. He was looking at her uncomfortably. He looked at her forehead, avoiding her eyes.
"When was the last time… you fed?" he asked her awkwardly. Schuyler blushed. "You seem very weak, Sky. I'm just worried. Please."
"Um…" she felt nauseous. She couldn't get a hold of Oliver. After how badly he had been hurt, she didn't think she was good enough to call him.
"Are you okay, now? There are plenty – you know – at the party, downstairs." Schuyler tried not to roll her eyes. That was the last thing she wanted to do.
She watched as Jack got up from his bed and offered her his hand. She gladly took it, and he helped her gain her balance. On the way to the stairs, Jack let Schuyler run to her room and get cleaned up.
As soon as she reappeared, Schuyler felt a little bit more confident. She had washed her face and brushed her teeth. Because of all the rest she had lately, her skin was nothing less than glowing, as were her eyes. She put on a few layers of mascara and liquid liner, and brushed her hair out.
She even changed her clothes. Schuyler didn't know what to expect, but she wanted to take this seriously, even though it wasn't Oliver. She didn't want to do this, but she hoped it would help her. Plus, Jack was going to help her. That alone made her want to try her hardest.
When Schuyler emerged from her room, Jack smiled at her, his teeth glinting in the artificial light. He helped her down the stairs, and led her into the party.
Schuyler sat on one of the barstools with a drink in hand. Jack had left her be, but she knew he was watching her out of the corner of his eye. She drank slowly from her glass, when a dark figure joined her. She turned, trying her hardest to turn on the seductive charm.
"Hey. You're Schuyler, right?" the boy asked. He was a dark brunette, and his blue eyes were almost as bright as her own. He had large eyes and his lips were slightly smaller than usual, but he was handsome, for a Red Blood. Schuyler put down her drink and smiled.
"Yeah, I am. Who wants to know?" she leaned in closer to him. Even though she had that silly smile on her face, Schuyler was mentally rolling her eyes. How did she ever think that she could pull this off? She wasn't even that good at making friends. Her best friend had been her friend since she was young.
But, it seemed to be working.
"Hmmm. I'm Kyle." He smiled, and Schuyler caught a glance of his perfect teeth. She recognized him. Kyle Gillan. He was on the Lacrosse team, and he was a senior. A slightly drunk senior. She realized that she could take advantage of that. Schuyler stopped herself. Who was she to be "taking advantage" of anything? Sometimes, Schuyler wished that she was Mimi, with no second thoughts and no conscience. One who could take a million familiars and not care at all.
But, she was not like that.
Schuyler got up from her chair, trying to just trust her instinct. She brushed back her hair with her hand, and then put hers in his.
"Do you want to dance?" she asked. She noticed that he was staring at her lips, which she wet subconsciously. He nodded, transfixed by the gleam of her eyes. Schuyler ended up leading him to the outer edges of the dance floor. The rap music continued to pound through the speakers as Schuyler began to sway her body close to Kyle's. She put her arms around his neck, and slithered closer, moving her body to the beat. Still aware of Jack's watchful eyes, she blushed.
Trying to forget about Jack, Schuyler began to feel dizzy again. She willed the feeling to stop, knowing fully well that she would have to take care of it soon.
"Let's go somewhere… quieter." Schuyler forced the seductive blaze into her eyes, forcing him to watch her, as if he was in a trace. She took his hand and led him upstairs, to her room. He stumbled up the stairs, but Schuyler managed to keep him on his feet.
She padded across the hallway, and opened her door slowly, smiling at him the whole time. She led him to her bed, where he sat down, nearly tipping over. Schuyler looked at him, while he stared at her shirt.
"Um." she paused, not knowing what to do next. She looked away, and as soon as she looked back, Kyle's lips hit hers. He pushed his drunken body onto hers as he started to take off his shirt. Schuyler's eyes widened as she witnessed it. She didn't stop kissing him, because she would be too mortified to start it up again. When he finally got it off, he started unbuttoning Schuyler's. She pulled his hands back, and leaned him against the wall. She grimaced.
It just felt so wrong. His lips felt foreign and odd to her, and she didn't like it. While his hands roamed over her body, she tried to ignore the nausea that washed over her. She brought her lips down to his neck and slowly shifted her jaw until her fangs were completely extracted. Slowly, she leaned her face closer to his neck, and she could feel the warm blood rush from his veins. Like Oliver, she felt and saw his feelings and memories.
As soon as she was finished, she retracted her fangs and wiped her mouth on a tissue. She made sure he was comfortable sitting there, because he had fallen fast asleep. She propped up her pillow, and waited for her new familiar to wake.
