The Awakening by Jenna Moreci

Author:Jenna Moreci [Moreci, Jenna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Published: 2015-08-11T21:00:00+00:00

***

Eve awoke the next morning on a cloud—a soft, shimmering cloud that was

the color of red wine and smelled of warm vanilla sugar. She opened her eyes,

her senses hazy until she finally recognized her surroundings: the cream walls

with their golden crown molding, the rich hardwood floors, the massive

canopy bed draped with burgundy silk sheets—she remembered it now. Alicia

LaFleur had so many guest rooms to choose from, but she had insisted that this

one was the best, a bedroom fit for a queen, and Eve had to agree. She breathed

in deeply. The room was so peaceful, she could hardly find the will to pull herself from her pillow. And then she recalled Jason’s fast-approaching

twenty-first birthday party.

With a grunt, she hoisted herself from her sheets and tromped out of the

bedroom, heading through the hallway and down the winding staircase in

search of any sign of humanity. She followed the red and gold rug until she at

last reached the kitchen, where Percy and Alicia sat at the counter giggling like

best friends.

“Eve, darling!” Alicia squealed, rushing to her side and squeezing her

tightly. “I suspect you slept well, yes? You look rested.”

Percy snickered before biting into a shiny green apple. “Nice ensemble,” he

teased through munches.

Eve looked down; she was wearing a pair of Alicia’s pajamas, made from

burgundy silk to match the bedsheets.

“What? They’re your mom’s.”

“Yeah, well, it’s also two o’clock in the afternoon.”

“Son of a—” Eve stopped herself, blushing as she glanced over at Alicia.

“This time zone thing has me all messed up.”

“Oh, ignore Percy. He forgets that not everyone is used to the constant

traveling. Your body thinks it’s the a.m., and so we should get you some

breakfast,” Alicia chirped, scurrying through the kitchen.

“Oh, that’s not necessary. We probably have to get going soon anyway—”

“Nonsense,” Alicia smiled. “You have plenty of time. I’ll have the chef

prepare you a plate. Until then,” she grabbed a crystal flute and two bottles of

juice, “how about a morning cocktail? Cranberry and vodka? Or maybe

pineapple and rum?”

“Um,” Eve stammered, “isn’t it a bit early for that?”

Alicia shot Eve a blank, confused look, then quickly masked it with yet

another picturesque smile. “You’re right. I’ll go fetch you a bottle of champagne.” She pranced from the room, teetering in her six-inch heels.

The room went quiet. Percy studied Eve, watching as her face dropped and

her gaze became distant, as if she was preoccupied with something.

“Don’t you dare.”

“What?” she asked.

“You’ve got that look in your eye,” he said, taking one last bite of his apple.

“The one that says you’re thinkin’ about aliens.”

Eve frowned. “The Interlopers aren’t going to take the day off just because we’re going to some ball.”

“Eve, we’re in Manhattan,” Percy declared, spreading his arms wide.

“We’re getting ready for a top-drawer party tonight— Jason’s party. And we’re going to eat, dance, laugh, and get drunk—well, I’ll be getting drunk. Not you two.” He tossed his apple core into the trash and took a swig from his

afternoon cocktail. “I promise we’ll get back to alien hunting tomorrow.”

Eve slumped over the counter and rested her cheeks in her hands. “Fine,” she

pouted, “but we can’t stay here much longer. We’ve got a flight to catch.”

“Don’t be silly,” Alicia cooed, startling Eve as she waddled into the kitchen

with a bottle of champagne in hand. “We have so much to do before you leave.”

“We do?”

“Of course!” She popped the cork and promptly poured two glasses of

champagne, one for Eve and another for herself. “The beautification process

takes time. It’s an art form—a ritual, even—and you absolutely have to slow down and savor every last bit of it.” She grabbed Eve’s chin and examined her

face. “Tell me, when was the last time you had a facial?”

“A facial?” Eve asked. “I washed my face this morning, if that’s what you mean.”

Alicia let out an adorable giggle and turned to her son. “Isn’t she a riot?”

She released Eve’s chin and strolled toward the hallway. “I’ll call my beauty team. They’ll be over within the hour. You’ve waxed, yes?”

Eve hesitated. “Um…”

“No worries, I’ll add it to the itinerary. Afterward we’ll have lunch—well, brunch for you, thanks to our pesky time zone debacle—and then we’ll finish

off with nails. It’s going to be such a fabulous day—us girls doing our girl thing, and Percy, too, of course. He’s such a good sport.” She let out a tiny squeal of delight before bustling down the hallway, her hips swaying with

every step.

Percy slapped Eve across the back. “Guess we’re going to be here for a

while.” He winked. “Hope you don’t mind being fashionably late.”

The next few hours flew by like a tornado—except this tornado was filled

with scented candles, moisturizers, and soothing botanicals. Eve sat back,

passive and helpless as several bodies hovered around her, ripping hair from

her flesh, painting fruity paste across her cheeks, and buffing her nails to glossy perfection. It was the strangest ambush she had ever been subjected to,

and despite all of her ranting and protesting, Percy insisted on watching the spectacle and reveling in her torment. Time came and went, and soon Eve’s

stomach was full, her nails perfectly polished, her skin glowing, and her legs

silky smooth, all thanks to the LaFleurs. Before she knew it, the process had come to a close, and she stood with Percy and Alicia in the building’s lobby.

“All right, darlings,” Alicia said, “if you want to get to your party on time,

you should probably leave”—she peered at her watch—“twelve minutes ago.”

She smiled and shoved Eve’s dress bag into Percy’s chest. “Give or take a few

minutes, of course.”

“Shit,” Eve mumbled. “We’ll be late for sure.”

“Don’t think of it as being late—think of it as making an entrance,” Percy said, tossing the bag over his shoulder. “I’ll load up the car.”

As Percy filed from the lobby, a line of people followed suit, each wearing

an all-black ensemble and dragging a silver suitcase. Eve looked back and

forth between the troop and Alicia, who casually sipped her evening cocktail.

“Where are all those people going?”

“Oh, that’s your hair and makeup team,” Alicia responded nonchalantly,

swirling her drink in her hand much like Percy always did. “You can’t forget

about the hair and makeup. They’re just as important as the dress itself.”

Eve smiled; as ridiculous as the whole charade seemed, she knew that Alicia

had planned it all just for her. It was an act of selflessness and care that Eve hadn’t experienced in so many years.

“Thank you.” The words felt feeble and almost inadequate. “You’ve been so

kind— too kind to me.”

“Oh, you stop it,” Alicia cooed, sauntering toward Eve’s side and grabbing

her hand tightly. “It was my pleasure.”

Eve looked down at her hand and then up at Alicia. “Percy is really lucky,”

she stuttered, awkwardly. “You’re a great mom.”

Alicia giggled. “God, that makes me sound so old, doesn’t it? I’ll never get

used to being called Mom.” She cupped Eve’s hand and brought it close to her.

“Please, don’t be a stranger, darling. You’re part of the family now.”

Without another word, Alicia flung her arms around Eve and hugged her

firmly. Her embrace felt warm and loving, and Eve couldn’t help but hope and

pray that her words were authentic and true—that they were family.

Knowing there was no time to spare, Eve made a mad dash to the limousine.

Cameras flashed and paparazzi barked inane questions—it was still just as

terrifying as the first time—and she hurried past them, diving into the car and

parking herself alongside Percy. As the limo drove away, she sat in silence, her

eyes glistening, and a strange, unfamiliar stir of emotion surfaced within her.

Percy glanced over at his friend and smirked. “Need a tissue?”

“Shut up, dick-squeeze.”

“Atta girl,” he chuckled, wrapping his arm around her.

They continued on their trek to the airport and, upon arriving, eagerly boarded

the LaFleur jet. Eve had expected a smooth, carefree journey, much

like her initial flight to New York, but their flight back to Billington felt exponentially longer and even hectic. There were no hologames to distract her

—instead, she sat less-than-patiently as makeup artists dusted her cheeks and

glued her lashes and hairstylists tugged and wrapped her locks around burning hot irons. She tried to keep track of the time—she even asked Percy on

multiple occasions, but he proved to be utterly useless, too busy directing the

finishing touches on his tuxedo jacket. The entire flight was a chaotic blur—a

random flurry of colored powders, harsh-smelling hairsprays, and seemingly

needless accessorizing—and when the captain signaled that the jet would be

landing shortly, Eve breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as Eve relaxed in her seat, Percy grabbed her by the shoulders and

hoisted her to her feet.

“All right, woman, take off your clothes.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, don’t be such a prude. We have to get changed, and we have to do it now.”

“Now? While we’re landing? Can’t we do it back at Billington?”

“The party starts in exactly six minutes and thirty-two seconds.”

“What?”

“The second we land, we have to bolt to the Rutherford ballroom. Now,”

Percy ripped off his shirt, exposing his svelte chest, “get naked, and do it fast.”

Eve glanced at the hair and makeup team, who sat only a short distance away

and watched the pair with curious eyes. Eve sighed and glared at Percy.

“Fine,” she groused, unzipping her sweatshirt and pulling her top over her

head, “but you should know that I hate you a little bit right now.”

Percy stood in nothing but his boxer briefs, fiddling with his white dress shirt as if time and nudity were of no concern to him. He eyed Eve’s gangly figure

and smirked.

“Black bra and panties? Someone has a naughty side—”

“Shut up, ” she spat, stumbling as the plane shook slightly. A light flicked on above them—it was the fasten seatbelt sign, and Eve glanced over at Percy.

“Ignore it,” he ordered, grabbing her dress from the rack. “Lift up your

arms—you’re going to need all the help you can get maneuvering into this

monstrosity.”

The cabin shook once again, this time much more severely. Eve tumbled

forward, colliding into Percy’s chest, and the two of them toppled to the floor

in a pile of tangled limbs. As she pushed herself up, she realized that he was

sprawled beneath her, nearly as naked as she was, and her eyes widened with horror.

“This never happened,” she barked.

“I don’t know, Eve. Is it weird that I find this strangely sexy?”

“Ugh!” She pushed herself off of Percy’s body and staggered to her feet.

“You’re fun to screw with, did you know that?”

“DRESS. NOW.”

Eve stretched her arms into the air, and Percy slid the gown over her head,

dragging it down past her hips until the skirt touched the floor. He tugged at the back, pulling both sides of the zipper close together.

“Suck in.”

“I am sucking in.”

“Not enough.”

“I thought this dress was tailored to fit me?”

“It was tailored to fit you. Just not while you’re breathing,” Percy scoffed.

“Suck in, now.”

Eve emptied her lungs, most likely for the last time that evening, and winced

as Percy forced the zipper up her back, sealing her into her dress. She shoved

her feet into her strappy black stilettos, teetering across the jet just as the wheels touched down. Percy took a second to admire his jacket—solid white

with a thin black lining across the lapel—then quickly slid it over his arms and

shoulders. The jet finally slowed to a stop along the runway, and Percy stepped

away from Eve, eyeing her from head to toe.

“Yup. That’ll do.” He cocked his head toward the door. “Time to get our

asses out of here.”

“Wait,” Eve interrupted. “I almost forgot.”

She rummaged through her pile of clothes and pulled out a sleek black gun

—the gift from Percy. With little grace, she shimmied her dress up her leg and

strapped the firearm to the inside of her upper thigh.

“You’re bringing your gun?”

“I bring it with me everywhere. Never know when I’ll need it.”

Percy opened his jacket, exposing one of his pistols tucked in the inside

pocket. “My kind of woman,” he quipped. He took one last look at Eve before heading for the door. “Hope you can run in heels.”

The two of them tore from the jet and raced to Percy’s car, fueled by an anxiety

that only formal occasions could bring about. Eve sat anxiously in the

passenger seat, bouncing her knee up and down and picking at her perfectly manicured cuticles. She groaned aloud, hoping that time would slow down just

a bit, but with each passing minute she found herself more and more restless.

The car peeled onto the Billington campus, screeching to a stop behind

Rutherford Hall, and Percy and Eve flew from their seats and raced up the dormitory stairs. They barged through the lobby—heads turned, but they paid

no attention—and piled into the elevator, and with a deep, exhausted breath, Percy slammed at the button for the third floor and watched with relief as the

doors closed in front of them.

“Twenty-three minutes late,” he panted. “Not too bad, right?”

Eve was silent; for the first time all day, she didn’t feel rushed or panicked.

Instead, she was nervous. She turned to Percy.

“How do I look?”

He smiled. “Like a tall glass of water.”

Whatever that means, she thought to herself, and suddenly she realized she truly had no idea how she looked. Nervously, Eve turned toward the shiny wall

of the elevator and gazed at her own reflection.

Her hair was parted to the side and cascaded down her shoulders in loose, voluminous waves; her eyes were elegantly lined in black to offset the sweet,

supple appearance of her full red lips. A large diamond necklace hung from her neck, a perfect match for her teardrop earrings and the glittery bracelet

adorning her wrist.

And then there was the dress. God, the dress was perfect. It was simple yet stately with a heart-shaped neckline that plunged ever-so-subtly between her

small breasts. The material followed the shape of her body, accentuating her narrow waist and delicate curves, then flowed away from her figure at the mid-thigh, creating a short train that trailed behind her.

Eve could scarcely believe the reflection staring back at her was her own.

The elevator dinged, signaling their arrival at the third floor. Percy

scrutinized Eve’s ensemble one last time and then nodded at the opening doors.

“I have to run to my room for a minute, so this is where I leave you.”

“But—”

“Go,” he urged, “crotch-breath.”

And with that, Percy shoved her out of the elevator just before the doors closed

again. Eve cursed to herself as she stumbled down the hallway, nearly tripping

over the lining of her dress before regaining her balance. She tugged

the fabric from underneath her heel and smoothed her hair into place, and just

as she recovered a hint of confidence, she looked down the seemingly infinite

hallway and immediately felt faint.

Waiting for her at the end of the corridor was Jason.

Their eyes met; Jason froze, his lips slightly parted as if he had been stunned

into silence. Eve took one step forward, and then another; the walk down the

hall felt endless, like a perilous journey, and all the while Jason watched her, his stare sincere and penetrating. Finally, his chest rose with one long, deep breath, and he smiled the biggest, most joyful smile Eve had ever seen, and she

couldn’t help but smile back. She made her way to his side—he looked handsome and dignified in his black tuxedo and matching silk tie—and before

she could nervously squirm or fiddle with her bracelet, he took her hand and

brought it to his lips for a soft kiss.

“Sorry I’m late,” she murmured bashfully.

“Don’t be sorry. Good parties never start on time.” His eyes danced across

her, and again he smiled. “You look… incredible.”

She blushed. “Thank you. It was Percy—”

“No, it’s you, Eve,” he interrupted. “Percy has nothing to do with it.”

He stared at her for a moment longer, then cocked his head toward the

double doors. “You ready?”

Eve apprehensively linked her arm with his and stared at the doors with

wide, fearful eyes, as if she were looking at the gates of hell.

“I have no idea what I’m doing.”

He offered her a playful wink. “Neither do I.”

“You’re lying.”

“I know.”

Eve held her breath as the doors opened in front of them, revealing a large,

grand ballroom. Long sheets of ivory silk were draped across the windows,

secured with thick golden tassels that matched the gold place settings. Crystal

chandeliers hung from the ceiling, reflecting twinkling lights across the floor,

and lush bouquets of white roses adorned every table. A large, hardwood dance floor lay in the center of the room, accompanied by a well-dressed string

quintet. And at the back of the room shuffled a line of reporters and

photographers, all vying to get a glimpse of the man of the hour—the man at

Eve’s side. As the two of them walked into the room, arm in arm, a sea of exquisitely dressed guests, all in black and white tuxedos and gowns, rose from

their seats and applauded the guest of honor.

Jason assumed a half-smile—Eve could tell right away that it was contrived

—and humbly nodded to his guests. As he did, Eve noticed two figures in her

peripheral vision—Jason’s parents, headed straight toward them, both wearing

toothy grins that reeked of artificiality. Mrs. Valentine glided across the dance

floor like a ghoulish demon and nudged her way between Eve and Jason,

breaking their hold and wrapping her son in an embrace that made his body go

rigid with discomfort. Mr. Valentine patted Jason on the back and raised his glass of champagne to his guests.

“Tonight, we celebrate the coming of age of a fine young man.” He paused, turning to look at Jason. “A good, hardworking member of society. A man I am proud to call my son. Jason, do you have any words for your guests on this very special day? A speech, perhaps?”

Jason looked out at the crowd: cameras flashed, and small clusters of

reporters inched their way closer to the dance floor, eager to hear what the now infamous chimera had to say. He took his glass of champagne from his

father ’s hand and raised it slightly and with little enthusiasm.

“Thank you all for coming.”

And with that, he shouldered past his parents, stepping out of the spotlight.

He hurried toward Eve—she had made her way to the side of the dance floor,

as there had seemed to be no place for her beside his parents—and grabbed her

hand, escorting her to their seats at the central table a short distance in front of them.

“How you holding up?”

“I should be asking you the same thing,” Eve answered out of the corner of

her mouth.

Jason leaned in to her, whispering into her ear, “God, did you hear him? ‘A good, hardworking member of society.’ I swear, if there was one night where I

wish I could get drunk, tonight would be the night.”

Eve’s eyes panned across their table. They had been seated alongside two

other couples, both much older and clearly uninterested in Eve and Jason’s

company. They arrogantly lifted their chins and turned to one another,

mumbling most likely about the scandalous senator ’s son and his undoubtedly

classless date.

“Hello, mutants,” Percy interrupted, approaching Jason and Eve from behind

with a glass of champagne in each hand. He kicked out a chair beside Eve and

took a seat. “What are you two doing here? I thought this party was for humans only.”

“Thank God you’re at our table,” Jason sighed. “I thought it was just going to be my parents and their horrible friends.”

“And it is, because this isn’t my seat. I’m just stopping by to let you know I

won’t be staying long.”

“What? Why?”

“You know, this wasn’t really what I had in mind. Stuffy parties filled with half-

dead, elitist butt plugs aren’t exactly my thing,” he scoffed. “I’m skipping

out early to hit up the Meltdown.”

Eve wrinkled her nose. “The Meltdown? What’s that?”

“It’s an underground chimera club downtown, in the alley across from the

new Pier Lorent Hotel.”

“A chimera club?” Jason asked. “Those exist?”

“Of course they do. God, shouldn’t you of all people know these things?”

“But, why are you going?” Eve pried.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.