"You look amazing, Cassandra." Raven squealed.
"Nuh-uh!" I gushed, "You look way better."
My dress was a long slim black dress with cute little black wings attached to the back. I wore long black and green tights with zombies on them. Quite cute. Then long green and black arm warmers.
Raven's dress was just as amazing. She wore a black and red corset dress that came down to about her thighs. She wore an old black skeleton key necklace and had cute little black socks with vampire bats on the sides.
We were planning to meet Alexander- Raven's boyfriend- in the front of the Crypt at 9:00 p.m. It was pushing on 8:40 and we were going to be running late if we didn't leave now. So Raven quickly grabbed her Corpse Bride purse and we flew down the stairs and out the door. I was seventeen but didn't own a car; or a license so Raven hopped on her black bike and I took Billy's smaller one blue one. I looked kind of goofy but who would see me? No one from this town would ever walk out at night. They would be scared that they might see a ghost... or maybe their own shadow.
We peddled our teenage hearts out but thankfully, The Crypt wasn't that far away. Once we arrived the outside lights were already on and you could hear music pulsing loudly from the inside. We put our bikes up against the back walls and I locked them together by a chain.
"Alexander!" I heard Raven yell. I turn around to see an absolutely gorgeous guy approach her. He had long brown hair and deep chocolate eyes. I had to admit, he was hot. I giggled a little and walked forward to introduce myself.
"Hiya, are you Alexander?" His eyes shifted towards me and I shivered under his gaze. I didn't know what it was but his presence was so...alluring.
The taller man nodded and I gave a small wave. "Hi, I'm Cassandra, Raven's friend."
"Nice to meet you." He said in a smooth, rich voice. "I'm Alexander Sterling, Raven's boyfriend."
Raven smiled between the both of us, then turned and pointed at the club. "Let's go!"
Ten minuets later, Raven, Alexander, and I were thrashing around on the dance floor like no tomorrow. I laughed as I twisted my body to the remixed and dub step beats booming throughout the old building. The music bounced throughout my veins and I threw my head around like I was at a rock concert.
After a while I had to stop by the bar for a drink because I was beat. I wasn't old enough to drink alcohol and I didn't plan to. I just wanted a coke. But no one was working the bar from what I could tell. Standing, I walked across not actually walking on the dance floor. There were a set of black leather couches and a coffee table. I was planning to sit down, but there was a balcony overhead and I wanted to see the view. I climbed the stairs two at a time, my combat boots thumping as I went.
When I arrived I was faced with a strange site. A balcony full of couches and chairs yet it didn't seem to be closed off. However, only one guy sat alone, looking over the dance floor like a lion watches over his prey. The man had long white hair with red tips. His face was as pale as paper and he was clad in a white jacket with a black shirt underneath, tight black pants, and large Doc Martens.
As soon as I arrived, his head turned to me slowly. He had piercing eyes, one and ice blue and the other emerald green. He stared at me as if he thought I were an old friend but couldn't put his finger on it. Then a smirk grew on his face as he looked me over. "Well, what do we have here?"
I watched him. "Am I not supposed to be here?" I glanced around at the empty chairs.
He motioned with his hand from me to come closer. When I was only inches away he patted the empty spot next to him. Slowly, still eying him, I sat down beside him."Technically this is a private area but I don't mind having a guest every now and again." His voice was had a bittersweet sound to it. It went in through my ears and echoed inside my brain. Honestly, he was quite attractive but even so there seemed something mischievous about him.
And I liked it.
This could be bad.
"I haven't seen you around town. So who are you?" He asked, looking out over the club at the room of hot and sweaty dancing people.
"Cassandra. I just moved here a few days ago."
"Ahh, welcome to the Crypt. I'm Jagger and I own this place."
Own? As in he bought it? He didn't look to be any older than I was; maybe one or two years. He lifted a nearby goblet and took a sip. I watched silently, entranced by this man. Once he set his drink back down he turned towards me and stared at me with those multi-colored eyes. I felt as if he could see inside me. Read my thoughts, emotions. It was weird.
"Well then. What brings you here on this fine night?" He lifted his arm and put it behind me- his long black fingernails grazing my shoulder slightly. I shivered.
"I'm here with some friends."
"Hmm..." He paused for a moment. "Raven and Alexander?" A shocked look crossed my face and he smirked.
"How do you kn-" but he lifted his other hand and put a finger to my lips. He leaned his face closer towards mine. "Shh." He smirked. "I know a lot more than you." His green and blue eyes pierced my own brown ones. I felt paralyzed. Completely weak- as if I had become useless putty in his presence; my mind completely blank.
"Jagger! Stop!" A voice yelled. His eyes snapped up and I shook my head, getting myself together again. When I had all my thoughts back in order I looked up at Jagger and he was sneering."Cassandra!" I whirled around to see Raven and Alexander standing beside the couch.
"Oh hey guys..." I said wearily. Raven's eyes were wide orbs of fear. She bent down and rubbed her pale hands on my neck.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
I stared at her, confused. "No... should I be?"
She looked at me for a moment, biting her lip. Then she shook her head. "No." She grabbed my hand and pulled me off the couch. Turning to Alexander, she said softly, "Let's go." He nodded and started to walk back down the stairs with Raven and me following behind.
"Cassandra." Jagger said thinly. The way he whispered my name made my blood run cold and shook me from my head to my boots. I turned to him and Raven watched me worriedly. Jagger lifted the goblet upward into the air. "I'll see you later?"
It sounded more like a command than a question but I heard myself quietly mumble, "...Yeah."
The next day all during school my concentration was broken. And not from the usual lack of sleep. I couldn't get a certain man by the name of Jagger off my mind. It was strange. He haunted my thoughts like a widow thought of their spouse.
"Miss Dempsey, will you please stand and read this passage out loud. In Italian." Mrs. Henderson glared at me from three rows ahead. Those stupid narrow eyes looking directly at me.
Sighing, I stood and read the passage aloud. "So di non avere nessun futuro con te ma ti desidero ancora e provo dei sentimenti per te." Everyone looked at me completely confused. They had no idea what I was saying. They were just in this class for their credits.
She parted her thin lips. "And what does this mean?" I sighed. I knew what she was doing. Just because I wasn't paying attention she thought she could catch me and embarrass me in front of the class. But unluckily for her, my father was Italian. Being in league with the mob, had to know several languages. So I too, knew many. Fifteen to be exact.
"I have no future with you but I still desire you and love you."
With me having risen to her challenge, she stood up straighter. "Yes. So why did she say this to him?"
I yawned loudly making her visibly uncomfortable."It means that she won't have a future with him. But she loves him so much that she doesn't want to let him go no matter what."
She coughed awkwardly, "Um, yes that's right." Turning away, she started to write something on the board.
Smiling smugly, before I sat down I mumbled, "Prostituta."
After school that same day we were sitting on the bleachers (Raven, Becky, and I) watching the soccer team practice for their game on Wednesday.
"So you got sent to the office for calling your teacher a prostitute?" Raven asked looking over at me. She held a newspaper over her head so the sun wouldn't get into her eyes, or make her skin tan.
"Yeah..." I mumbled. I just had the hood of my My Chemical Romance jacket up and some random white sunglasses I found in the hallway.
"In Italian no less. That's awesome." She leaned back and put her boots on the hand rails.
"Well they called my mom and she is pissed. She's going to ground me, I'm not gonna listen and it's will be stupid."
Becky yelled excitedly, interrupting my train of thought, as Matt got possession of the ball and kicked it down field.
"Yeah." Raven agreed, rolling her eyes at Becky. "I have that same problem."
Sighing, I looked around. "So why in the hell are we here anyway?" I was sweating in this horrible heat. Plus I hated soccer. I hated the sun. I hated being outside.
"Cause. Matt."
I looked out over the field. There were many boys I didn't know, but I could easily pick out Matt. I could also see Trevor. He was totally in his element, he had possession of the ball almost every other minuet and when they got anywhere near the goal, the ball would instantly be passed to him.
Raven looked over at me. "Hey. Remember yesterday?"
I turned towards her, "Yeah?"
"Jagger. I don't mean to sound blunt, but stay away from him. He's bad news."
"Do you know him?" I stood to stretch my muscles from sitting here for over an hour.
She stood too. It seemed as if we were about to leave. "Yeah. He's a bad guy. Him and Alexander go way back and he said that Jagger has always been the rough and rowdy type."
"Okay." I said simply. I valued Raven as a friend but I was allowed to make my own choices. And I chose to see Jagger again. Even if I didn't want to, I had a feeling we would meet again.
Okay guys~ Time to check my Italian(:
Mwaha. Can you guess what Cassandra's fifteen languages are? (Including English) I plan to reveal every one so keep an eye out~