Chapter Ten – Some party!

Long chapter alert (well, long for me)! I'm making up for the two weeks that I won't be able to post, cos I'm going to Malta next Thursday (whoop!)

Life continued in the new normal. I talked to Damon a lot and we became really good friends. I dyed my hair completely purple, but so dark purple that it looked black – it's only purple when the light catches it. I liked it. It was way more adventurous than anything I'd ever tried before. It was a lazy Saturday afternoon, two weeks after I went round Damon's, and I was sprawled out on my bed, with music playing full blast, doing homework on my laptop. I heard knocking on the door, and looked up. Elena was standing there.

"Hey hey. What can I do you for?" I smiled at Elena. I hadn't caught her and Stefan doing anything more than kissing since my warning, so we were friends at the minute.

"Just wondered ... one of my friends is throwing a party tonight – I'm invited and I wondered if you wanted to come with?"

"What time and where?"

"8 till midnight at Bushwackers."

"Are you sure that would be ok?"

"Of course. I already called her and she said it was fine that I bring you." Elena looked hopeful. "So, will you come?" I debated for a moment, then relaxed.

"Oh, why not?" I didn't have much homework, and I hadn't had a decent drink in months!

A few hours later I was ready. I'd got out one of my rarely-worn dresses – short, black, with a diamante belt and a heart shaped neckline. I slipped on my black, cut-out ankle boots and looked with satisfaction at myself in the mirror. I'd lined my eyes with black eyeliner, and there was dark purple eye-shadow brushed over my lids. I put on some tinted lip-gloss and pouted at myself in the mirror. I looked pretty good. I turned to see Elena standing in the doorway, in a red thigh skimming halter neck dress. Her hair flowed wavy down her back. She looked stunning, and I suddenly felt less over dressed.

"You look really nice, Ree!" Elena sounded almost surprised. Gee, thanks.

"You too!"

"Thanks. Shall we go then?"

"I'm right behind you." I grabbed my black shoulder bag and my jacket. I checked my flats were in my bag, then followed her out.

When we arrived, the party was already in full swing. Music was pounding and alcohol free flowing. Elena introduced me to a few of her friends, but then Stefan arrived and swept her off. I saw Sophie, a girl from my year and we sat gossing and drinking. I ordered another vodka and coke and surveyed the room. Elena had disappeared long ago, and I hoped she hadn't just abandoned me here – she had the car keys and I didn't have my moped. There were couples making out everywhere, and I'd already seen at least three people being sick. It was wild. My kinda party. I stood up and grabbed Sophie's hand. We ran squealing to the middle of the dance floor and danced – and we rocked. After half an hour, we grabbed a couple of chairs and collapsed, giggling.

"What's the time?" I shouted across the music.

"Time you got a watch!" She shouted back and we both collapsed laughing again. I got out my phone and checked the time – half eleven.

"I need to go find Elena." I told Soph. She nodded. I stood up, perfectly stable and headed outside to the car park. I turned round once and Sophie was already pretty involved with a guy I didn't know. I smirked and walked through the doors. Cold air whipped through me like a knife, and I clutched my jacket round me tighter. I looked where the car had been parked and groaned. It was gone. I looked round the rest of the car park. No sign of it. I cursed under my breath. I'd have to see if I could blag a ride of Sophie, but even as I thought it, her car pulled out and went away. She had the guy she'd been kissing in the passenger seat. Fast work, Soph! I went and walked by the pond at the side of the club – if I was gonna get a bus then I needed to be a bit sober. A gang of guys were walking towards me, and I quickly stood up and walked the other way.

"Hey Purple!" One of the shouted after me.

"Hey, don't leave yet, we haven't asked your name yet?"

"Where you going?" Suddenly they were all around me, pushing me and pulling at my jacket.

"Leave me alone please." I tried to push round them. They formed a wall around me, pressing closer. "I'm a black belt in three different martial arts. I could kill you in 30 different ways from this position, all within 6 seconds. Unless you want me to demonstrate, I suggest you move out of the way."

"Oooh, feisty." One jeered.

"We like them feisty don't we boys?" A roar of laughter met that. I sighed. Well, they can't say I didn't warn them. I wheeled round and gave one a ferocious back kick in the stomach. While he was still coughing and spluttering, I shoved the heel of my hand towards another ones face and there was the crunching noise of nose cartilage breaking. I stood there in a defensive stance, ready to spring back into action if they tried anything. They looked wary now, but alcohol made them brave, and before I knew it, I had been dumped in the pond, which I realised now was deeper than it looked. The drunks ran away laughing, as I choked up some manky pond water. I trod water for a couple of minutes while I got my breath back. In my head, I cursed everyone even remotely to blame, and also mourned my dress – it was ruined. I dragged myself out of the water and shook off a bit. Ew. No really, ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Gross. I now had shit all over me. Fab party.

To my relief, my phone didn't get wet, so I called for a cab. I stood by the road side waiting, when a car drew up. It wasn't a taxi.

"Rhiannon, what happened?" Damon sounded really worried, and also slightly dangerous. Oooh err.

"Elena sodded off with Stefan leaving me with no ride and then I got pushed in a deep pond full of crap by some drunken idiots, and now I'm waiting for a taxi." Damon looked furious.

"Where are they? The people who did this to you?"

"They disappeared ages ago."

"Damn. I can't hunt them now." He still looked really mad. I went to put a hand on his chest to calm him, then saw all the crud on my hand and thought the better of it.

"And there's no way you're getting a cab, not in that state. Come back to mine and you can shower off and stay there. Elena and Stefan are round your house." I was too tired to argue. I was about to get in the car when I stopped. He looked at me oddly.

"I'm covered in crud, I'll get your car all messy."

"Get in the car Rhiannon."

"But…"

"Get. In. The. Car." Damon's eyes flashed brighter blue, and I found myself sitting down. He put the car in gear and drove us home.

He showed me where the shower was.

"Give me your clothes and I'll put in them in the wash. I'll find you something to wear."

"Okay."

"When I hear the shower go off, I'll knock on the door with some clothes. Do you trust me enough to open the door while you're in your towel or shall I hand them in through the window?"

"No, it's okay. I trust you." He smiled, a heart-warming smile, and left me to get clean. I quickly stripped off and wrapped a towel around myself. I held it there securely as I padded over to the door and opened it.

"Damon?"

"Yes?"

"Here are my manky clothes. You sure you want to touch them?"

"No. Never mind." He came round the corner and, averting his eyes (thank you!) held his hand out for the dress. I gave it to him and then closed the door again.

Once I was clean (and it took longer than strictly necessary) I wrapped the towel around me and was about to open the door when I paused. I got this funny feeling that tonight would be a turning point in mine and Damon's 'relationship'. For better or for worse I didn't know. I opened the door just as he was about to knock on it. We laughed and he held out a pile of clothes.

"They're your size, I checked."

"What, you went and robbed a shop or something?" I held up the clothes and realised they were all designer label.

"Damon. Where did you get these?"

"Stefan had a friend over a little while ago. Lexi left these."

"Bloody hell, she could just leave Prada and Burberry? She must be rich."

"She didn't leave them as such." Damon looked really uncomfortable now.

"How come these clothes are here and she's not then? Will she mind me borrowing them – they're worth over £300!"

"If I tell you, do you promise not to judge until you've heard the whole story? It's quite complicated, and to be honest, quite disturbing."

"Oh course – what could be that bad?" Damon took a deep breath, as if psyching himself up to something huge.

"Lexi didn't just leave these clothes. I killed her."