Eighteen Summers (3 page)

The Hokey Cokey... The Conga... Christ Almighty!

I could take my iPod I suppose and screen it all out with some of my louder stuff. There's only one good thing about tonight. Open access to drink. I can have a nice big session on the sly. Hopefully no one will notice if I get a little trashed.

I dress up for the Cub Scouts party as best as I can with my overwhelming lack of enthusiasm... I put on my black skinny jeans, black lacy top and heavy biker style boots and give my hair a minute with the straightening irons, doing a little flick over on my long grown out fringe. I apply some strong eye liner and a lot of mascara. On a whim, I paint a little spider web on my cheek with the eyeliner for fun. Then I find my ancient bright orange lipstick lurking in the back of the drawer and apply a generous helping. Finally, I add the finishing touch. A pair of massive, black cross Gothic earrings with a loop at the top. I stand back to admire myself in the mirror. I really do look very Halloween-y and Pumpkin-ish. It makes me smile. Who knows, I might even enjoy it tonight. I never go out. Anywhere. I'm really worried about my blood craving though. I must keep that under control, whatever else I do, and being around all those people is going to be hard.

We set off with the car loaded up to the roof with gifts for the draw, various snacks, and crates of beer, wine, spirits, and just about every beverage known to mankind, plus a sea of soft drinks for the boys.

We arrive at the country club and cart everything into the function room. I start to sort out the bar. Putting all the drinks underneath it and opening the bottles of spirits, positioning them upside down in the optics on the wall, and uncorking a few bottles of wine, putting them in the wine cooler fridge. My dad sets out the tables and chairs. The DJ arrives and I go up on the stage and have a quick hopeful word.

“
Hi Barry, I was wondering if you could knock the party hits on the head this time?” I give him a little smile.

“
It's my show sweetheart.”
He replies without even looking my way.

Jesus, he's such a grumpy old bastard.

“I know that, but last time it went on for like, a whole hour.”

“
They all like it. It gets the mums and dads and the kids up together. They're the ones I'm here for, not you love. Now hoppit, I'm busy.”

Oh well. I suppose I am being selfish really.

Ed arrives shortly after that and he stands chatting to my dad at the bar. I've never liked Ed. He gives me the creeps. I've seen the way he looks at me. Running his eyes over my chest and licking his lips when he talks to me. It's repulsive. He's older than my dad is.

“
Hi Candy. How's things at school?” He asks as I walk up and my dad wanders off. I stand at a distance. Zoning his scent out.

“
Okay. What about you?” I keep things pleasant. Always have.

“
Fine, fine. Busy actually. Got a big order in from Germany this week.”

“
Good for you. That's cool.” Ed owns an aviary. He breeds exotic birds, like canaries, parrots and budgerigars. I don't like it much. It's cruel caging birds up. But who am I to preach after my spot of animal cruelty yesterday?

“
Should be a good do tonight, takings wise. It's a sell out.” He says, eyeing me up with a lick of his lips.

Lecherous creep...

“
Nice get up by the way.” He says motioning at my spider web decoration.

“
Ummm, thanks.”

“
We're all set up I see.”

“
Yep, just need to get the plastic cups out for the kids.”

The evening kicks off and I'm busy. I manage to avoid any close up contact with the mass of people by staying behind the bar most of the time, apart from my essential glass gathering sessions. I pass out the chicken and fries boxes, when the catering company arrives, with a fair degree of nausea. Having said that, the strong greasy smell does surpass and smother the scent of blood for a while, so in a way, I'm grateful. I've had a large glass of wine and now I'm on my first G & T. I'm happy enough with my evening so far. It's uneventful, mildly entertaining, busy, and distracting me from my issues for a while.

I'm leaning down to get a new bottle of white wine out of the cooler when Ed touches my ass. This isn't a quick feel. He slides his finger down 'there' and prods me hard...  I jump up in disgust and turn to face him.

My head is ablaze with anger. I grab his throat and shove him back against the wall behind the bar.  I snarl in his face in a deep voice I don't recognise as my own.

“Keep your hands off me you filthy bastard.” I look into his eyes with a deadly hard stare. I realise I'm holding him aloft. His feet are dangling in the air, above the floor.

How can this be?

I let him go in surprise and he drops the glass he has in his hand in shock. It lands with a loud crash at his feet.

“
Shit,” He gasps, rubbing his neck. His face is a picture. He's terrified. I'm enjoying his discomfort enormously. “What's the matter with you? That was an accident. I didn't mean it.” He is staring at me in horrified confusion.

“
Like hell it was,” I snarl again. My eyes hurt, they're burning.

“
What's happened to your eyes?” He asks shakily. “They're glowing. Bright yellow.”

“
It's mood contacts. They react to my mood. And it 'aint fucking good at the moment.” I don't know what he's talking about but I'm so hot with my quick witted lies.

He gulps and bends down to pick up the broken glass at his feet still looking at me wide eyed. He misjudges his aim and brings his finger down on an upturned piece of shattered glass. His finger slices on contact and the blood oozes fast, dripping onto the floor.

OH FUCK NO...

I can't stop myself. I drop to the floor and take his finger in my mouth in a split second, sucking like a lunatic. He tries to push me away but can't. I clamp my teeth around his finger hard and suck like never before.

“Get off... You crazy bitch! PHIL... GET HER OFF ME,” He shouts out loudly.

I can't stop, I'm driven by a primal inner need that is far too strong to resist. I feel my dad trying to pull me away, and hear him shouting at me in anger. For some reason he's not strong enough to do it. I hiss at him and flash at him with angry hot eyes and continue to suck wildly at Ed's finger. Ed kicks me hard in the head, several times, but although I feel the impact, it doesn't hurt at all. The buzz and heat grows and grows inside me. The taste is sublime, like the nectar of life. I'm getting so high. Warm pleasure is saturating my every cell. Suddenly I'm lifted in the air roughly by a lot of hands and pulled free from my source of orgasmic nourishment with a scream. I can feel my eyes blazing with a strange heat and I shout loudly at the top of my voice.

“
FUCK OFF... LEAVE ME ALONE!”
Everyone is staring at me. A little boy starts to cry.

“
CANDACE!!! What the hell...? Are you on drugs or something?” My dad is looking at me in complete and utter horror. I don't know what he is seeing, but it isn't good.

My God, I've really done it now.

I take off at high speed, running to the door and out into the cold damp night air. I run with a velocity and agility I've never experienced before. I whip so fast through the lanes and streets. My head is alight, buzzing, and free. I can see everything so clearly, as if it were day. I leap over our gate with ease, flying high in the air. I'm obviously hallucinating or the drink I've had is affecting me somehow. What's happening isn't possible. It's not human. I'm not even out of breath after running two miles. I stand outside the house for a moment, calming myself and thinking. Mum's car is here. I have to go in and somehow explain all this to her before my Dad does.

I take a big gulp and go inside.

“Oh, you're early..." She says in surprise. I catch her having a big G & T in the kitchen, listening to one of her Elvis Presley CDs. She seems a little guilty. Maybe this isn't the first one.

“
Yeah. Ummm, Mum, there's been a problem, at the party.”

“
Really? Your dad's okay, isn't he?”

“
He's fine. It was me. I did something bad.” I turn off the CD player.

“
What Candy? What did you do?” Her worried eyes search mine.

“
Ed cut his finger badly and I sucked it and couldn't stop.”

“
You did WHAT?”

“
I learned in First Aid class that saliva can stop the flow of blood. And it started off like that, giving him first aid, I mean. But for some odd reason I couldn't let go. It was like my jaw locked onto him. My teeth were stuck in his finger. It was dreadful Mum. I can't tell you.”  This is my version of events and I'm sticking to it.

“
NO... Where's your Dad? Let me speak to him.”

“
He's still there.”

“
But how did you get home?”

“
I got a lift,” I lie.

All I do is lie, lie, lie ... 

She sighs heavily. “This is so odd Candy. And, how did you stop it, removing your teeth from his finger, I mean?”

“
Some of the men had to pull me off him.”

“
Christ!” She has her head in her hands in shame. I start to cry. So does she.

“
I'm having extreme stress and anxiety issues Mum, I've been meaning to tell you about it, but I didn't know how. I'm seeing Dr Heinz on Wednesday. And my tutors know as well. I'm going to see the school counsellor about it too.”

“
Oh Cand, really? I never realised. Is that the reason why you've gone off food and things? You've been acting so strange lately.”

“
Yeah. It's just pressure at school and hormones, I'm sure of it. I'll get it sorted. Maybe I need some tablets or something for a while, to calm me down, y'know.”  She puts her arms around me but I can't do that anymore, the cuddling thing. I move away and sit on the stool sniffing.

The phone rings and Mum answers it. It's obviously Dad. She walks off to have a private conversation, returning a minute or so later.

“I told him you were here. He said you ran off and he couldn't find you anywhere around the club. He also said he is very worried about your behaviour. You seem to have bad anger issues and a strange eye affliction.”

“
I told you. I got a lift from one of the parents. They were leaving when I went outside. And there's nothing the matter with my eyes. I don't know what he means.”

“
He said they turned yellow and glowed.”

God, what the hell is going on with my eyes?

“It's just coloured contact lenses. I borrowed them from Kirsty at school. It was supposed to be fun, a Halloween joke. I'd just put them in before he cut his finger.” My voice starts to rise and change tone. I'm so sick of lying, I want this conversation to end.

“
Look. Let's keep calm shall we? I'll come with you to see the doctor if you like...”

That's so NOT a good idea...

“No Mum. I'm an adult. I can go to the doctor on my own, and sort out my problems on my own. Some girls have kids at my age and run their own lives and families. I can look after 'me' perfectly well. Don't worry, for God's sake! I'm going to bed now. I had a bad night last night and this evening has been the absolute pits. I'll catch 'ya both tomorrow and we'll talk then, okay?”

“
Go on up then love. Maybe that's best. Sleep on it. We're getting the shopping in tomorrow morning, like usual, but we'll have a proper talk after that, hmmm?”

“
'Night then Mum.” She kisses me on the cheek affectionately as I pass her by, holding my breath.

* * *

I wake up at eleven the next morning after a long, deep, and beautifully dreamless sleep. I hear Dad's car leave the gravelled forecourt and the gate clanging shut. I drag myself up, wash and dress, and go down for a cup of hot water. I've got my story straight now. When they come back I'm ready to tell it, in every detail. My adapted version, that is. I'm still worried that my dad might be harder to convince than my mum. After all, he was there.

I put the small radio on for some background noise and company and flop on the living room sofa. I listen to Kiss. It's mostly crap, but better than the Radio One chart fest anyway. We don't have a lot of choice with radio reception around here. I sip at my hot water and sigh miserably. Hopefully this torturous period of my life will be all over by Wednesday. I'll get some Temazepam or something like that and get back to my old self again. My old, old self. I can put all this behind me and get up straight at school, maybe even force myself to interact a little with the other students that I used to be friends with, Brigitte and Lauren. Maybe I'll even fancy eating properly again. I used to love my food. I was permanently hungry. It's odd how despite my lack of eating lately, I've not lost any weight at all. In fact I seem to be blossoming. Well up top I do, it's remarkable how much they've grown. Not that I mind as I hated being so flat chested. Things are definitely looking up on the figure front. I sit on the sofa and look out of the window opposite, daydreaming about better days ahead.

I catch sight of something out of the corner of my eye.  I turn my head and start with shock. There is a tall young man standing in the kitchen doorway. I jump up slopping my water all over the sofa, edging back in fear towards the hallway and the back door.