Blood Bond Bonus Scene 2
Blood Bond
Chapter One
Cambria
I know every teenager thinks their life is boring or sucky or the grass is always greener and whatnot … but mine takes the cake.
It’s a Friday night and I’m stuck in the mountains, in the middle of nowhere, at a mandatory school dance that smells like cheese balls and desperation and no one is allowed to bring dates outside our grade. Have you met eleventh grade boys? Lame.
Not that older guys are any better. See “example A” where I almost got it on with a psycho-incestual-crazy dude with overly gelled hair and a penchant for pleather. Not my finest hour. Ugh. Moving on …
I surveyed the crowd, looking for some form of entertainment until Tara gets back from her “walk” with Alex. If she came back. But I knew she would. Because of Wes. That girl should be in the circus because damn if she didn’t know how to juggle ‘em.
Eye roll. Some weird Asian kid was doing the “jerk” to The Killers. The Killers! Who does that? It doesn’t even go together. Dumbass.
And, oh look. There’s Demi—Queen Tramp—draping herself all over Levi.
Ugh. Every time I saw her face, or her and him trying to meld their bodies together, it made me wish for a sharp stick.
Something to poke myself in the eye with.
It would’ve been less annoying. I’d never hated a person before I’d met Miles.
But now, Demi was number two on that list.
While I watched, Levi untangled his arms from Demi’s hip and pulled something from his inner jacket pocket.
Hmm. What was he doing? Was that a flask?
No way. Boy just spiked the punch. Gawd, finally a decent distraction.
I hesitated, though. Drinking and I don’t really have a great relationship.
It sort of goes like I drink then do dumb shit then regret it.
A trait inherited from my mother. *sigh* But it’s not like I had other options. And Tara still wasn’t back.
Ah, what the hell…
I manage to snag a cup before Professor Kane—or Snape as I liked to call him—caught on to the special flavor Levi had added. Which wouldn’t have happened if he and all his jock friends weren’t laughing and toasting each other’s genius idea. Morons.
I watched as Kane reamed them, his voice rising with every denial from Levi and his crew.
Other kids caught on and soon a crowd formed around them.
Kane’s face was red with temper, making his face and scar match in coloring.
The DJ finally noticed the disturbance and cut the music.
The Asian stopped dancing. At least something good was coming out of this.
“ … teach you myself!” Kane’s last words rang out in the sudden silence. He blinked, obviously surprised by the sudden change in volume, and glared at the crowd gathering.
“Disperse!” he shouted. And they did. “Resume the music!” The DJ fumbled to comply. Kane made a motion for Levi to follow him out and they left. I hung back, not really caring where Levi went but enjoying the furious look on Demi’s face, and searched for what they’d left behind.
I spotted the punchbowl in the hands of Thelma, one of our lunch ladies who’d been “voluntold” to help with the dance.
“Thelma, wait!” I called, hurrying after her. Time to go snag one more cup using my special powers of persuasion…
Don’t judge me.
By the time I’d finished that drink, I’d come to an important conclusion: Christian Norton was the exception to the “eleventh grade boys are lame” mantra I’d adopted. Long legs. Dark denim that hugged. A jaw line that could cut granite. Mmm.
I took a step toward where he stood talking to Justin but halfway there, I realized I was hot.
Not attractive hot—although, that too—but temperature hot.
I could hardly breathe. Geez. Were they sucking the oxygen out of the room and pumping in carbon dioxide mixed with desert air?
Okay, maybe it was just me since every time I drank, I overheated like a car with a bad radiator.
I made for the front door and pushed it open. I almost ran into Tara and grinned at the clouded look in her eyes. “Where’ve you been? You’re missing all the drama,” I said.
She leaned away, frowning. “Have you been drinking?”
Buzz kill. I tried to ignore her lecturing tone. “Professor Kane caught Levi spiking the punch and they got into it. The DJ cut the music so all you heard was the yelling. It was hilarious.”
“How does that explain the alcohol on your breath?” she asked.
“I might’ve charmed the kitchen lady into letting me have a cup of the punch before they poured it out.”
“A cup?”
“It was a really big cup.”
“Cambria!”
“Relax. No one saw me. They were all too busy watching Kane ream Levi out. Demi was pissed. You should’ve seen her face.”
“I’m quite content not having seen her face. In fact, if I never see it again, I’ll die happy.”
“Can’t disagree.” I caught sight of Demi draping herself all over Levi’s friend and tried not to barf as I remembered how she’d done the same with Miles in that cave a month ago.
The girl was shameless. “Ugh. I still can’t believe I liked Phillipe or Miles or whatever. Leave it to me to pick the psychos.”
“It’s not your fault. He used you.”
“It’s still gross. I feel weird about it.”
“Well, I’m off like a dirty shirt.” I tried to pretend I didn’t wobble as I tried to slide by her.
“Where are you going?”
“Christian Norton.” I smiled, enjoying the mental picture of him in those jeans.
“Who is Christian Norton?”
“He’s a senior. Long legs. Tight jeans. Mmmm.”
“You’re half drunk.”
“So?”
“So I am not letting you run off with some guy you barely know. What if something happens?”
“Um, that’s the idea, genius.” I met her eyes and felt the compulsion rise to the surface.
It would be so easy to just do it … to convince Tara to let me go be stupid.
Stupid sounded fun. And hot. I felt my power begin to exert itself, watcher her expression begin to relax.
Then, at the last minute, she shook her head and the power waned.
“Are you compelling me?” she demanded. Her eyes were almost bugging out of her head.
“No! … Not anymore.”
“Cambria.”
My shoulders sagged. “Sorry. It gets a little out of control when I drink.”
“Point proven. You’re not meeting Christian like this. We’re going to bed.”
I knew I was pouting by the look I gave her. The alcohol didn’t care. “You’re no fun tonight. Did something happen with Alex?”
She sighed. “Absolutely nothing happened with Alex, nor will it. Let’s go.
” She took my hand and led me out. I almost pulled away—hand-holding wasn’t exactly my style, unless you were Christian Norton—but something about the gesture tugged at me.
Whatever had happened between her and Alex, Tara needed me.
So I let it be and let her pull me into the night.