Masquerade

 

A week later, Schuyler still felt a bit woozy after the "episode," which is what she and Oliver were calling her emergency visit to Dr. Pat's office. Oliver had offered to pick her up in his car to take her to the first day back at school. Schuyler, who would usually resist such a gesture since she lived across town and out of the way, had meekly agreed to such an arrangement. Oliver was her Conduit--he was supposed to take care of her, and for once, she was going to let him.



The spring semester at Duschene was officially opened by an assembly, in which the Headmistress welcomed all the students back for another exciting term, followed by a tea of currant scones and hot chocolate in the belvedere. Oliver and Schuyler found their usual seats in the back pew of the chapel with the other sophomores.



There was a lot of cheerful greeting and exchanging of vacation stories all around. Most of the girls looked tan and rested, trading cell phones to show pictures of themselves in bikinis on the beaches of the Bahamas, St. Thomas, or Maui. Schuyler saw Bliss Llewellyn walk in with Mimi Force, the two of them with their arms linked around each other's waists as if they were the closest of friends.



Mimi's hair had been made even lighter by the sun, and Bliss sported a few copper highlights of her own. Jack Force walked slowly behind them, hands jammed in the pockets of his Duckhead chinos. He had a bit of a ski-mask tan around his eyes, which only made him look more adorable.



Oliver noticed where Schuyler was looking and didn't comment. She knew how he felt about her crush on Jack Force.



Sensing her friend's pique, Schuyler leaned down and rested her head affectionately on his shoulder. If it hadn't been for Oliver...she might have...what? Passed out forever? Joined her mother in the comatose room uptown? She was still having trouble understanding everything. What did it mean that her vampire cells were fighting her human cells? Would she always be torn in two directions?



The hunger she had felt in Venice had abated somewhat with the transfusion. Maybe that was all it was. She had needed blood. Maybe she could just get transfusions instead of having to feed. She would have to ask Dr. Pat if that was a viable alternative. It was just too weird to always look at Oliver and think he'd taste delicious. He was her best friend, not a snack.



Bliss Llewellyn looked around and met Schuyler's eye. The two girls waved shyly to each other. Bliss had been meaning to tell Schuyler about Dylan's return, to have the conversation she had started at the ball, but somehow the opportunity never seemed to come up.



The holidays had been an anxious time for Bliss. The blackouts and nightmares had returned in full force. Christmas Eve had been the worst night yet. She had woken up with a pain in her chest so excruciating that she couldn't breathe. She was drenched in sweat and the bedsheets were so wet they were pasted together. Gross.



Even more terrifying, the beast of her nightmares had begun to speak to her in her sleep.



Blissssss...



Blissssss...



Blissssss...



It only said her name, and yet it sent shivers down her spine. It was just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream. There was no beast who could hurt her. It was just part of the trans- formation. Her memories waking up and talking to her, that's what The Committee said. Her former selves, her past lives.



She clenched her jaw and sat up straighter in her seat.



Next to her, Mimi Force yawned into her delicate palm. For Mimi, the two weeks off had been nothing short of heaven. She had picked up not one but two yummy human familiars on the trip, had had her fill of them, and felt like she could conquer the world. She was eager to start the new semester. A new season always meant another excuse to go shopping. Like Bliss, Mimi was anxious, too. Anxious to get to Barneys today before it closed.



Bliss forced herself to pay attention to the Headmistress's semiannual pep talk--Another semester of excellence awaits you in the halls of Duchesne, blah blah blah-- when the chapel doors flew open with a bang.



Heads swiveled to look at what had caused the commotion.



A boy stood at the threshold.



A very, very handsome boy.



"Oh, er, sorry. Didn't mean to do that. Slip of the fingers, eh?" he asked.



"No, no, it's okay. Come on in, Kingsley. You can have a seat up here in front," the Headmistress said, waving him forward.



The boy grinned. He swaggered down the aisle, his walk a rolling, slouching gait. His black hair gleaming, a forelock saucily slanting over his left eye, he exuded a cocky confidence to go along with his model-perfect good looks. He wore a loose white oxford shirt and tight black jeans, as if he had just stepped off of a CD cover.



Like all of the girls assembled, Bliss couldn't take her eyes off him.



As though he could feel her stare, he turned around and looked at her directly in the eye.



And winked.