Tainted Blood

Chapter 13

by. SilverWolf-Ryuki

A/N: Joy to the world, I have updated, and clothes have been flushed down the toilet. The little gathering thing is an excuse to put down some of the things that happened in church, with the 'younger than adults' group (teens) and our testimonies. It's funnier than you'd expect... but I'm sorry I can't capture the humour of the moment. If you're in no mood for stupid side stories, skip the first giant chunk of paragraph.

¤

From Last Time...

"Remember the first day you woke up?" Kai said quietly after a period of silence.

"Yes,"

"Someone who understood,"

Mariam was silent. Someone who understood?

¤

In China

¤

The meeting wasn't as bad as Lee thought it would be. The kids were, in fact, more mature than their last visit. In fact, they've been through a lot. A foreigner would expect these Chinese kids to be village brats that are dirty and rugged, but over 90 percent of the families here have moved into more of a city surrounding.

They lived life like everyone else. And they shared their life like everyone else.

"And I just kept walking, for hours and hours... but not walking as in anger, but I was walking and thinking about everything. About life, about death, and I blamed everyone for the mistakes. I was bitter of why some people would get a better family than me. But my dad... he just expected so much, and... Oh god, 99 percent average... he reads those Chinese newsletters about the talented people...

"I said to myself, like, if nobody wants me to live, then I wont, right? I vowed to myself that I'd jump down the moment I come to a bridge. So I just kept walking straight, and I came to a bridge. It was a pretty tall one, and I looked down, and this is it. I could hear music from the day I went to church, and I could almost feel him walking beside me and telling me not to make a big mistake like that..." The speaker was close to tears. "But everything's OK, because he's always there, and because of that, everything will be OK."

·

Around the room, voices of support rose. It was a small room, and there were only around 10 people.

"So you ran away from home?" One of the less mature and more trouble making boys grinned. "I remember I did that, once, or rather 3 times,"

"For fun?" Zeo frowned. "Why so?"

"Well, my mom threw a flower vase at my head." He replied.

"The third time, what about the other two?" Zeo asked, curious.

"The other two weren't really running away. I got put into a foster home on the third one, and it was really cold outside, and I had on like, a t-shirt." The guy said almost in a bragging voice.

"That is to be proud of?" Zeo questioned.

"No...But my thing was pretty serious. So I told my mum I'll go back as soon as she buys a house, so she did. So I went back. They even filed like one of those things, like one of those suitcase things,"

Silence cast its webs upon the audience. Everyone was thinking of the same question... suitcase?

It wasn't until Lee, whose mouth was full, spoke up. "You mean a law suit?"

¤

Meanwhile...

¤

Kai and Mariam didn't talk since then. Kai left silently after an hour or so towards the nearby woods. A kind-faced woman came in with a racket of dresses and gowns. Mariam's mouth dropped open at the grandness of it all.

"I was sent by Robert to help you get a dress," The woman said in a light German accent.

"Oh, OK," Mariam stuttered. What else do you say in this situation?

"Dear, you have gorgeous green eyes, maybe we should try to bring it out like, with a dark green, perhaps," The woman took a long heavy forest-green dress with many folds and held it to Mariam. She frowned. "No, not this, not this one,"

"Perhaps a red dress would do," She muttered to herself, rummaging through the racks. Mariam sighed. Now she's got a nice lady (who you cannot yell at) who talks to herself.

After a good chunk of an hour, Tala and Rei, who had been done their fitting and were both bored, wandered into Mariam's room to help her and her self-talking 'stylist' to pick out a dress or gown.

"I liked the red one, but it was too..." Rei waved his hands around, almost as if hoping to catch the word.

"Yes, I get what you mean," The woman nodded. "What about the blue?"

"I like the dark blue one a lot," Tala motioned towards the blue one. Kodak moments – Tala picking out a gown. "It's very light..."

"Yes, that one's much better," Rei agreed.

Mariam's eyebrow twitched. The guys were conversing happily, discussing how colours go together, while Mariam hasn't talked since the very beginning. Now, it is so true when they say that men enjoy fashion. Look at these two...

The scene would be funny if you just walked in. There was Mariam, on one site, reading a book while trying not to be bored. There was also Tala and Rei, who were both nodding at the kind-faced plump lady with a large dress, feeling the material and making suggestions.

Tala I don't care, but if Rei's gay... wow, poor Mariam, Mariam thought, amused.

¤

Finally, after a long debate, they picked out the dark blue one that wasn't too heavy or traditional and was comfortable. Or at least it was according to the lady, Tala and Rei. It was very humorous to see Lee and Tala in tuxedos, too bad Ren wasn't planning on attending. The woman also gave her a mask, saying it was necessary for her to have it, and a clutch, one of those little purses.

"Are you guys scared?" Mariam swallowed hard.

"Kind of," Rei admitted. "There are world-famous people out there,"

"I'm used to it." Tala said curtly.

"What if you trip on your dress and like, fall on your face in front of everyone?" Mariam said in a tight voice.

"Mariam, we're not wearing dresses," Tala assured her, and received a glare in return.

"OK, I'm going to leave you two at this table, and I have to go meet my father." Robert announced and helped Mariam get into her seat. He then walked away.

Soon enough, people started to file in by the dozen. In no time, the big hall was filled, but not to the point where you are in 5-meter-range from anyone you don't want to be.

"Wonderful music, c'est vrai?" One of the French girls smiled from the next table over. She looked, in fact, made for these situations with her wisps golden hair and a turquoise gown. She had on a butterfly mask that covered her eyes, which she took off.

"Remind me what year it is," Mariam grumbled. Rei smiled with sympathy.

"Do you two know how to dance?" Tala asked Mariam and Rei.

Mariam blinked. "Oh crap..."

"Qu'est que c'est? Crap?" The French girl questioned.

"I am going to die," Mariam buried her face in her hands.

"Don't worry; c'est simple, you get into position, and the men will lead you." The French girl shrugged. "I show you,"

And somehow, no one knows how, she was immediately surrounded by teens in tuxes, not including Tala and Rei.

"Watch," she put her left hand on the other guy's right shoulder and her right hand held onto his left. They walked up to the dance floor and danced a flourish twirl, toes and everything. Mariam watched them with disbelief. The guy leads all that?

The two came back and the girl shooed the guy off. "By the way, je suis Mimette." The girl said with a smile as she sat back down. "Il n'est pas bon..." She motioned towards the guy. "Too stiff,"

Rei blinked and gulped. "I better stay here tonight," he said hastily. "Maybe just the last one..."

"I better stay here too," Mariam nodded. "I can't dance, and just to keep you company."

"Oh, non! C'est stupide! Mariam, is it? Les garçon will ask you to dance, of course," Mimette exclaimed in her oh-so-French-and-graceful way.

"I'll just say no. Would they buy it if I told them I didn't speak English?" Mariam asked.

"Oh, that will be a problem; most of the people here know at least 10 languages, so you might have them around for even longer. Mariam, why not try?" Mimette replied with a shrug. "Just make sure, whenever you are on the dance floor, to have your mask on."

Mariam sighed and as she looked around, she spotted Tala asking a black haired girl in a red gown to dance. She turned to Rei, who was gulping down another glass of Champaign.

Oh boy, this should be fun, Mariam thought dully as she sank back into her chair. Kai better be grateful.

¤

It was approximately 2 hours after sunset now and almost everyone had gotten giddy from drinking. The band was sweating like crazy trying to play fast songs. As Mimette said, a few people asked Mariam to dance, and she turned them all down.

"Don't be too much of a spoil sport," Rei mumbled.

"Gee, coming from someone like you, that means a lot," Mariam retorted.

Mimette was busy dancing on the stage, and Tala was gone again, dancing with another girl but with blond hair and a light blue gown.

"I'm going to the washroom," Mariam sighed and stood up.

It took her a while to find the washroom, which was on the other side of the dance floor. Inside the washroom was very clean and pink. The mirrors had borders and the sink knobs were crystal clear. She put some cold water on her hands and splashed her face with it to keep her awake, in the least. She tried to ignore the many people speaking in Italian in the stalls to what she hoped was the cell phones.

After she dried off her face, she tried to slither her way back to the other side, where her table was, and Rei was watching her, amused at her attempts to push through.

The song slowed dramatically as she slithered through, making her very conspicuous. Just as she was about to get off the stage, she nearly ran into a teen just a bit taller than her. She muttered an apology and started past, but he sidestepped her. He held out a white gloved hand. Mariam blinked. "No, I'd rather not..." She started, but before she knew it, she was back into the middle of the dance floor. "What are you -?"

"We're waiting for the Last Waltz," He whispered.

"Excuse me?" Mariam was overwhelmed as she felt herself twirling on the dance floor. No, she didn't know how to dance, but somehow as Mimette said, it was easy. "Who are you?"

"You know," He replied.

Mariam frowned. The only people she knew with golden eyes were Lee, Mariah and Rei. Rei was at his table, and Mariah and Lee were in China.

"Do I really know you?"

"Unless you have forgotten,"

Mariam frowned. Who was he?

"Come with me,"

¤

A/N: - -; Wow, this is Cheesy. I had it better pictured in my mind. Well anyways... thanks for everyone who reviewed! xD Hope you liked the chapter. Next chapter featuring a song by The Rasmus. xD