"Might as well jump"
"Jump" by Van Halen
THE NIGHT GREW increasingly chaotic, as she predicted. The boys cheered their recruit on, Marko even taking David for a ride in his wheelchair. Once Michael succumbed to the drugging effects of the blood, he became more agreeable to every suggestion the boys made.
Star, seemingly disturbed by the unfolding chaos, excused herself without a word.
At no point did the boys offer Sevyn the blood, understanding that it wasn't the right time. She had made it abundantly clear that not only was she not ready – a lie she was telling herself and them – but their plan hinged on her remaining awake during the day.
The boys would be lying if they said her denial didn't worry them. She hadn't explicitly stated her feelings about the transformation. If anything, she warned them that she might not be able to take a life. However, they decided as a group to cross that bridge when they came to it. They were confident that they could sway the pink-haired thief to their side by the time this was all over.
Knowing she'd only be partaking in pot otherwise, Marko kindly procured a bottle of rum for Sevyn, for which she was truly grateful. This act of kindness even earned him a genuine kiss, which quickly escalated into a passionate make-out session right in the middle of the cave.
Of course, Sevyn appreciated the alcohol far more than the food.
The night continued with a flurry of dancing, smoking, and drinking. Sevyn was having a blast, flitting between the boys, laughing and dancing with unrestrained joy.
Michael continued to drink from the bottle throughout the night. The damage was done. Michael was well on his way to becoming one of them. This both pleased Sevyn and filled her with a growing unease.
What if her plan didn't work? What if she lost these boys, for whom she had grown to care so deeply, outside of their roles as characters in a movie? She didn't know what she would do if she lost them at this point. They were an anchor for her in a universe that wasn't her own.
Instead of dwelling on these depressing thoughts, she drowned them out by smoking more pot and drinking more rum until she was pleasantly intoxicated.
Everything was great now. Everything was fine.
At one point, Paul dramatically whipped off his jacket and spun it around as he pranced around the fountain. Sevyn jumped up and joined him in a spontaneous dance. He stopped swinging his jacket and draped it over her shoulders, pulling her into a dance of his own.
He was having so much fun partying with Sevyn and his brothers. He couldn't help but imagine what life would be like when their girl finally embraced immortality. He was completely smitten, and he knew at least Marko and Dwayne felt the same way. She complemented them all in different ways – even David.
Finally, they reached the part of the night Sevyn had been anticipating most. She was grinning so widely, her cheeks were starting to hurt. Of course, the boys caught that manic grin and chuckled. After getting to know her so well over these past months, they knew how much she wanted to join them for what came next.
Dwayne swaggered over and draped his arm around the smaller girl's shoulders, kissing the top of her head. Sevyn purred happily at the affection, pressing herself closer to his side.
The vampire felt a surge of pride swell in his chest. Sevyn was by far one of the most gorgeous girls in Santa Carla, and he was proud to have her on his arm. Everything about her calmed him, from her scent to the insightful conversations they shared. He even admitted to himself that her book recommendations were usually spot on. She always suggested a mix of classics and books from her own time, opening up new worlds for him through the written word.
After settling onto his bike, he helped Sevyn climb on behind him – despite the playful protests from Paul and Marko – and ensured she held on tight. He kept in mind that she was still under the influence of both alcohol and pot but knew she would be annoyed if he treated her too gently.
When they reached the train tracks, Sevyn leaped off the back of Dwayne's bike with a loud cheer, causing the group around her to chuckle at her enthusiasm. Once they all set off down the tracks, Sevyn playfully threw herself onto Dwayne's back, clinging to him as he carried her off.
"Perfect timing," David remarked.
"What's going on?" Michael questioned, starting to look a little uneasy.
"Michael wants to know what's going on," David mocked, while the boys laughed. "Marko? What's going on?"
"I don't know. What's going on, Paul?" Marko replied.
"Wait a minute, who wants to know?" Paul cackled, attempting to maintain his balance on the track.
Meanwhile, Sevyn was whispering the lines into Dwayne's ear before he playfully covered her mouth with one hand. "Michael wants to know," Dwayne said, his voice colored with laughter.
"I think we should let Michael know what's going on," David offered, seemingly taking pity on the boy.
They all stopped walking in the middle of the bridge. David draped an arm over Michael's shoulders, giving Marko an expectant look. "Marko?"
Marko, completely in character, gave Michael a mischievous smile. He wiggled his fingers in a wave. "Goodnight, Michael," he crooned. "Bombs away!" he shouted before plummeting into the darkness below.
Michael jolted forward instinctively, but David held him back, chuckling at his expense.
Now, it was Paul's turn. "Bottoms up, man." He snapped his fingers before shouting and dropping down to join his brother.
After carefully depositing Sevyn on her feet, Dwayne took his turn. Of course, he did so silently, shooting Michael a couple of finger guns before disappearing into the void.
Without a word, Sevyn blinked in front of Michael and David, the former practically jumping out of his skin while the latter rolled his eyes. She simply giggled and winked before gracefully joining the others.
David released the boy and gave him a chillingly seductive look. "Come with us, Michael," he crooned, another tempting offer. Finally, he joined his brothers and Sevyn below.
Terrified, Michael got down on his knees to peer over the edge. What he saw filled him with a mixture of apprehension and dread.
All five of them dangled precariously above a deep, yawning chasm in the earth, cheering and laughing as they waited for Michael to join them. Once again, the group egged Michael on, trying to lure him down with them.
"Michael Emerson. Come on down!" David called raucously.
He looked utterly terrified, but the boy eventually began to ease his way down, taking the slower, safer route. As he descended, his fear intensified. Even with the group congratulating him, a cold dread gripped him.
Meanwhile, Sevyn was having the time of her life. Soon, the train would arrive, and then the exhilarating fall. The fall! The glorious, terrifying fall that promised such a thrill. She was practically vibrating with excitement.
The other boys noticed her exhilaration and teased her mercilessly. Paul even managed to land a playful kick to her shin before she retaliated.
"Fun, huh?" David teased Michael, who looked paler than a ghost.
Suddenly, the train's horn blared through the night, piercing the air. Before they knew it, the train was thundering overhead, causing the bridge to shudder violently. If possible, the group cheered even louder, as if trying to outdo the roaring train.
"Hold on!" David yelled, his eyes gleaming with manic excitement.
"Jesus Christ!" Michael exclaimed, his grip on the bridge weakening.
"Don't be scared, Michael!" Marko yelled before plummeting into the swirling mist below.
"Fuck yeah!" Sevyn shrieked as she let go, falling like a stone.
She crowed with delirious laughter as she plummeted through the air, the wind roaring in her ears. She could feel her heart pounding a frantic tattoo against her ribs, adrenaline surging through her veins. This was incredible! This was the highlight of this entire situation; she knew it would be difficult to top this.
But she knew her boys could deliver.
As she fell, she saw Marko soaring below, moving to catch her. But at the last moment, he pulled his arms back and let her plummet past.
Maybe it was the intoxicating mix of alcohol and drugs, but all Sevyn could do was cackle and shriek excitedly as she continued her descent towards the bottom of the crevasse.
Marko watched at first with amusement, but his expression quickly shifted to concern. Why wasn't she blinking away? He was known for his cruel pranks and dark humor, but even he wouldn't have intentionally put Sevyn in serious danger – nothing that she couldn't get herself out of.
So why wasn't she blinking away?!
Without further hesitation, Marko flew as quickly as he could, still hearing her insane glee echoing around them, until he finally caught her in his arms. She shrieked at the sudden stop, the two of them staring down at the ground below, at the death she had narrowly escaped.
"What were you thinking? Why didn't you teleport away?" Marko demanded, his anger tinged with a hint of genuine concern.
Sevyn just gave him an unrepentant grin, her pupils dilated from the adrenaline rush. "Because I knew you'd catch me," she cooed before pecking his cheek.
Marko wanted to yell at her, to punish her somehow, but when she looked at him like that – like he was her hero – it made him smile. Anyone else would have been met with derision for such a notion. But Sevyn? No, she was his girl. He could play the hero sometimes, for her.
But not too often. Their little freak wouldn't like it if he was anything less than villainous for too long.
So, he simply shook his head and slowly flew them up to meet the rest of the boys, who were waiting for them with a passed-out Michael cradled in Dwayne's arms.
"What happened to you two?" David questioned, hiding his mild concern behind an unimpressed stare.
"I just had the best time of my life is what happened!" Sevyn exclaimed, her voice unsurprisingly raspy after all the shrieking and laughter earlier.
"This little daredevil decided to do the stupid thing and trust me to catch her when she let go. She just dropped like a rock right past me and didn't teleport away like I expected her to. Instead, she made me catch her."
Of course, he would say she made him. As if anyone but David could truly compel Marko to do anything. But Sevyn remained silent, simply grinning at her boys and letting Marko indulge himself with his lies to make himself feel better. The rest of the group just rolled their eyes, unsurprised by her antics.
"I'll bring him home," Dwayne remarked, gesturing towards the unconscious Michael.
"We'll see you back at the cave," David agreed.
No one asked Sevyn where she wanted to go. Instead, they made the decision for her, escorting her back to the cave.
Marko carried her to her room while she remained silent. It was a peaceful silence, though her body was still trembling with the adrenaline rush. She knew it would likely be an hour before sleep finally claimed her.
Good thing she had left her phone there.
As if reading her mind, Paul entered the room and handed Sevyn her phone as Marko gently placed her on her feet. She offered Paul a sweet smile and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, sunshine."
If vampires could blush, Paul's cheeks would be ablaze right now, he just knew it. Instead, he simply tilted his head down and pressed a kiss to her lips, giving the lower lip a playful nip. "Goodnight, babe."
It was Marko's turn to bid her goodnight. He reached over and gathered her close, one hand resting possessively on her ass while the other intertwined with her hair. It was such a stark contrast to Paul's tender farewell that it jarred her. She gasped in surprise, her eyes widening as she stared up at him.
"Don't you ever do that again. If you do, I'll have to punish you," he threatened with a low growl, emphasizing his point by squeezing her more firmly.
Sevyn couldn't suppress a moan from escaping. Damn him for teasing her like this right before bed! She glared at him, opening her mouth to retaliate. Before she could utter a word, he sealed his lips to hers, stealing a kiss.
The dazed look she gave him when he broke away caused him to chuckle. He picked her up under her arms and abruptly dropped her onto the bed. "Goodnight, pixie girl!"
"Goodnight, asshole," she croaked, glaring at him playfully.
Sevyn was alone for all of five minutes when David came into the room, surprising her. She didn't expect him to come in here. Was he angry at her for the stunt she pulled earlier? What could he possibly want from her?
"Good job tonight, kitten," was all he said before offering a nod and walking away.
Oh, how she wanted to pout. What the hell was that shit?! She was way too… so many things, to be thinking about this. So, she didn't. Sevyn just sighed and lay down on the bed, starting to read on her phone.
This time, she was alone for twenty minutes before someone came in. She huffed and put her phone down to see who it was. The bed dipped as someone sat beside her.
Sevyn peeked over her shoulder and saw Dwayne, his boots already off and lounging back against the headboard, engrossed in a book in the abundant candlelight. He sat silently beside her, reading in the warm glow.
She couldn't help but smile. Not feeling the need to break the silence, she simply turned back over and went back to reading.