Brad's party is in full affect when we arrive. Music blasts from the speakers placed around his house, and it seems like the whole of Forks High is in attendance tonight.
Christine walks into the house party like she owns it. She greets everyone like she's close friends with them, laughing and kiki-ing while I stand at her side awkwardly.
I feel like a child at the store with their mother. She introduces me and I smile politely, but I want nothing more than to shift away from the interactions
When it seems like she's greeted everyone in attendance we finally settle in the living room. I plop down onto the couch, already feeling worn out.
I envy her people skills. When God has handing those out I must've been in the forehead line getting seconds.
"Okay, stay right here. I'm going to go us some drinks. What do you want?" Christine asks me.
"I'll have whatever you're having."
"I'm having a coke, I gotta drive us home after this. But there's beer, and some girl's poorly mixing drinks in the kitchen if you wanna get really fucked up."
"Nah." I shake my head. "I'm not looking at getting fucked up tonight. I'm good with the coke."
"Alright I'll be right back."
I take the moment to observe the party scene. Most of the teens are gyrating to a Fergie song across the room. There's a girl singing along, but barely catching up with the lyrics and beat. On the staircase there's a couple arguing, more like the girl is shouting at a guy while he stares at another girl's ass behind her.
I'm so invested in people watching that I almost don't see a figure approaching the couch I'm sitting on.
It's a boy, 17 or 18, lanky and wearing a tie-dye shirt. His brown hair is shaggy and lays flatly on his head, in his hands he's holding a container, which he offers to me with a lazy grin on his face.
"Brownie, mademoiselle?" He says with a slow drawl.
I look down at the Tupperware container and see a stack of chocolate brownies. I shrug and take one, then nibble on it for a taste test.
My taste buds are treated to sweet chocolatey goodness and I must have more.
"Holy shit, these are really good." I swallow the whole piece in my next bite, then reach out to grab another.
"Uh-." He pulls the container away from my grasp. "I think you're good with just the one."
"What do you mean by that?" I lean back. Affronted that this white kid has the nerve.
"I mean… They're pretty potent."
I glare at him and take another brownie out of the container anyway.
"I don't give a fuck." I say with between bites. Even though I have no idea what that's supposed to mean.
He stares at me wide eyed before laughing like one of the hyenas out of The Lion King.
"You're hard-core, girl." He guffaws patting me on my back before he leaves, probably to go offer another person his baked goods.
Christine arrives at that very moment, holding two soda cans in her hands.
"Hey. Sorry I took so long, there wasn't any coke left so I hope Fanta is okay." She hands me a can of the orange soda.
"It's alright. And I love Fanta." I open the can and take a long sip. "This party is awesome." I smile at her, hoping she buys my fake enthusiasm.
Christine narrows her thin brows at me. "Amiyah, you look miserable."
"I do?" I grimace. I thought I was playing it cool.
"Yes! Come on, let's mingle." She pulls me off the couch and grabs me by my forearm.
I force myself still. "Uh… I'm not great at talking to strangers, but you go ahead I'll just stay here and sip this Fanta."
"No way are you gonna be bored on my watch. Let's dance" She grins at me widely and continues to pull me, this time closer to the dance floor.
"I can't dance." I wince.
"I know you're lying, we're always dancing to my B2K records."
"Yeah, in the comfort of your room, when it's just the two of us. I have crippling anxiety, if I were to dance right now in a room full of teenagers, I guarantee you I will drop down and die."
She kisses her teeth at me playfully. "Amiyah, you're so damn dramatic. Imma be right here with you, you have nothing to be afraid of."
I eventually give in and allow Christine to tug me into a dance. I slowly start to lose my reservations, and soon I'm bouncing around to a Britney Spears song.
We dance to several songs, and I'm actually having a blast. We even start competitively krumping together.
In the midst of our private dance battle someone spills their beer on Christine. She doesn't make a big deal of it, just groans and tells me she's going to clean herself up in the bathroom.
"Do you want me to come with you?" I ask her.
"No it's alright, stay, have fun. I won't be long." She smiles at me before disappearing into the sea of sweaty bodies.
I frown in distaste as the song changes to a slow paced contemporary song that forces all the couples into each other's arms.
I don't appreciate the feeling of jealously creeping over my shoulder. It must be nice to get to embrace your partner without the fear of someone watching.
Ugh. Now I'm getting sappy.
I need to be away from all this lovey-dovey bullshit, ASAP, no Rocky.
So I start walking. Where to? You might ask. I have no clue, just away from here.
I am ninety nine point nine percent sure that I am high as a kite right now.
My arms don't feel like they're mine, neither do my legs. And right now these foreign feet are walking me someplace I'm not too sure of.
It's pretty obvious to me now that Tie-dye was trying to warn me against taking another brownie, not because he's a weight watcher, but because they're infused with cannabis.
In hindsight it was pretty dumb of me to accept a free confectionery from a guy that looked like the physical manifestation of a bong. But I was naive. I've never been to a high school party before, sue me.
I wanted to get some air, but instead of simply stepping outside, my stoned mind thought that it would be a good idea to find the perfect tree to lean against.
So that bought me here, balls deep in the woods at night with not another human around for miles.
I will admit that the view is magnificent. Out here I can see all the stars, they shine brighter than I've ever seen them in LA. Even the moon in all its glory seems fuller and more Queen Nicki Dominate, Prominent.
I am so fucking high
I bask in the moonlight and close my eyes as its light fall unto my face.
It feels as if it is charging me with its energy, and suddenly I have the urge to dance like a white girl with zero inhibitions, hands in the air, eyes closed, the whole shebang.
I feel around in my pockets for my iPhone so I can start playing something off ITunes. Then I pause. Wait a minute. Its 2006. IPhone isn't a thing yet.
So I start off humming then belt at the top of my lungs once I hit the chorus.
"Leave me lonely for prettier women!" I start singing (terribly off key) in the middle of the woods and swaying to the beat in my head.
I haven't felt this carefree in months. Should I start smoking pot?
"I could be your supermodel if you believe. If you see it in me." I point to a tree in the distance then I start an interpretative dance to the drum solo.
At precisely that moment, a disembodied voice calls out in the darkness.
"What do we have here?"
"Holy fuck." I stumble and look around to find where the voice came from.
An exceptionally handsome dark-skinned man with locs steps out from the trees to the north, the branches casting a gothic shadow over his face. His feet are bare and his chest is exposed under his coat. Even in my inebriated state I can tell that there's something just not right about him.
Bitch, lie! My inner voice yells at me.
"Um," I swallow nervously. "Just hanging with my friends." My words come out raspy and drawn out.
Do better than that dumbass.
He stares at me, an amused smirk playing across his lips.
"I don't see anyone here but you, sweetheart."
He moves at an inhuman speed closer to me.
It finally registers in my haze that this man is a vampire. An important one in Twilight too. I can't remember his name, probably because it's taking my mind 10 times as long as it usually does to process basic information.
Frankly I'm screwed.
"I came here as a favour for an old friend, but I can't see why I can't indulge." He flashes even closer to me, his face now only inches away from my own.
"Tell me human, would you prefer a quick death or a painful one?" He picks up one of my braids and starts twirling it.
I stare at him incredulously, my mouth gaping open in disbelief. What kind of fucking question is that?
"Wait. You don't want to kill me! I've got kids." I try pleading with him, but he doesn't seem to be buying it.
"Darling, that confession has never stopped me before." He grins at me, his teeth so white they gleam.
I gulp down the fear bubbling in my throat. Oh, he's psycho psycho.
"Victoria!" I blurt out. I'm impressed that her name comes to me so quickly.
"That's the friend you're talking about right? You're here to check on Bella Swan?"
The hand he's using to play with my braid pauses mid-air and he hardens his eyes at me in suspicion
"And how would you know about that?"
The time has come for me to bullshit for my life. Good luck, and don't fuck it up.
"Carlisle told me. Carlisle Cullen." I try to make my voice come out sure and assertive.
His stops, clearly perturbed. "You know the Cullens?"
"Me and the Cullens are like this." I cross my index and middle fingers to demonstrate closeness.
"No matter," A hauntingly beautiful leer overtakes his face. The doubt that was etched across his features just a few seconds ago has disappeared, replaced with an emotion I can only describe as hunger. "They're not here now are they?"
Oh, he's got me there.
"Don't worry. I will make it quick, I don't believe in playing with my food, I find it so juvenile."
My eyes widen in pure disbelief. This cannot be happening. Well, if I'm gonna go out, I'm gonna go out swinging.
With the very little strength I have, I quickly crouch down to gather some soil into my hands and fling it into his red eyes.
It does nothing but make him narrow his crimson eyes at me, a deep scowl etching across his perfect features.
Oop. Now I done pissed him off.
Taking the same arm I used to fling dirt at him, he grabs onto it tightly and twists it to an unnatural angle. I can hear the bones in my arm break, but I don't have enough time to react before he grabs my shoulder and throws me like a rag doll into a tree 6 or 7 feet away from him. I feel my back crack against the trunk and I immediately scream in agony.
"You shouldn't have done that. What I hate more than anything is disrespect."
Am I really about to get killed by a man wearing a fur coat and leather pants?
I wonder if they could get Beyoncé to sing at my funeral? I know she hasn't released it yet but it would be pretty cool to hear her sing Halo live. Shit I wouldn't hear it, I'd be dead.
The revelation that I'm about to die sobers me enough to have one critical thought run through my mind.
I'm going to fucking die a virgin.
I'm so lost in my thoughts that I almost don't see a huge black shape stalking towards Laurent. He noticed it before I did and has been backing away from me in a frenzied pace.
It's huge, almost as big as a horse, but frighteningly more muscular. It looks like a wolf on steroids.
The animal isn't alone, 3 more beasts ease out of the woods, growls emanating from their vicious snouts, luckily their gazes haven't yet reached me, they're instead fixated on Laurent. It's not looking good for him. Hey better him than me.
I watch in dazed wonder as the massive wolves run after Laurent, their paws thumping so hard against the ground it sounds almost like thunder.
One however stays behind, it has dark silver fur and yellow eyes, and it stares at me for the longest time. Eventually it does turn away, but not in the same direction as the rest of the pack. It runs to a tree, a few feet away from where I'm lying on the ground.
In a complete twist the wolf returns as a very naked, very ruffled looking Paul who is currently running towards me at full speed.
My mind cannot and is not processing things the way it's supposed to. I definitely should be freaking out more than I am.
"Paul is that you?" I ask groggily, a lone tear falling from the corner of my eye.
"Yeah. Yeah Amiyah I'm here to help you." He crouches down and starts inspecting my broken body.
"Paul, I'm dying." I reach out to grasp his shoulder with my unbroken arm.
"You're not dying Amiyah, He gives me a strained smile. "You just got the shit kicked out of you. You're gonna be fine."
"Upon my death I bequeath unto you… deez nuts." I start laughing uncontrollably at my top tier joke. It hurts like hell so soon my laughter turns into gasps of pain.
"Fu-uck." I whine as I clutch my side. "Tell my momma I love her. POP hold it down." I wheeze out.
Paul stares me and I stare back unblinkingly.
"Are you high right now?"
"Just a little bit." I pinch together my index finger and thumb.
"I'm gonna take you to the hospital, okay?" He says to me softly.
"Maybe we could stop by a McDonald's drive thru? I'd sell my left tit for an egg McMuffin."
Paul gives me a blank look. "Amiyah. I'm pretty sure you've got a broken rib, and you've definitely got a broken arm. I'm no doctor but I'd say getting you medical attention should be priority number one."
"Look, my truck's not far from here. I'm taking you to the hospital."
He lifts me gently up from the ground and carries me in his arms bridal style.
"Hey Paul." I squint up at him
"Yeah?"
"Totally random, but why are you naked?"
I look up and can see his russet cheeks have turned scarlet.
"How 'bout I'll explain that later." He mumbles to me.
"Okay."
"You're so warm." I nestle into his chest "I'm gonna take a little nap."
"That's probably not a good idea." He frowns down at me.
"Yeah." I yawn. "Probably."
The last thing I see before I pass out is Paul's pecs bouncing as he runs with me through the forest.
Hey everyone. Sorry for the long wait. I had a bit of a health scare last year and had to stop school for a while. I'm fine now, but that's why I wasn't updating. Please don't forget to vote and comment.