Chapter Five

♦September's POV♦

Simple," I say plainly, "teach me to stare down mother." If she was surprised, she hid it well.

"I thought you'd never ask." She replies, her eyes glowing as she turned her slanted her on me.

Panic overwhelms me as the familiar agony burns through my body, bringing me down to my knees.

"September, September?" I hear my twin's voice faintly through my haze of pain.

"Push the fear aside, the power is inside of you, all you have to do is concentrate and harness it." She says softly her voice filled with pain.

"I'm trying." I stutter, beads of perspiration running down my forehead, my uncombed hair in a tousled disarray.

"Try harder," Selena says, her voice so soft and woebegone that tears spring into my eyes, blinking back the tears I push the pain aside, knowing that all I have to really do is concentrate, I leave my mind open for mother to manipulate and make me feel pain. All I have to do is hide every weakness, Selena is never afraid, she always meets every stare head on and if she could do it then so can I. I raised my bent head, pushed myself back to my feet and returned the stare.

  Finally after what seemed like ages of staring Selena's gaze savers and she looks away, her signature smirk on her lips.

   Panting hard I collapsed on the ground.

"That wasn't so hard now, was it?" She says, her chest heaving from exertion.

"Not at all," I lace my voice with heavy sarcasm. "As easy as pie," crawling to my feet I stumbled to the door.

"Madeline!" I yell, grinning as she appears in front of me. "A tall, warm glass for me too." I order rushing back into the bathroom, I sluice down and scrub hard storming out - to the surprise of Selena - and straight into my walk in closet.

I come out in biker shorts, a denim trench coat and sandals, a silver brush in my hand.

  Selena gives me her best poker face as she  watches me try to tame my curls and confine them with a scrunchie. Madeline returns with the blood and I down it, feeling it invigorate me.

"Now," I say, sitting beside her. "You asked me a question, well what I want to do today is go out, take me to every damned place you've ever been since we moved here." I say bluntly.

Selena stares at me like I'd grown horns in the past minute, here's the thing, she's a hot vampire of emotions - but you really can't tell if she feels emotions as her face is usually a mask. Well right now, surprise is written all over her face, "aren't you going to say something?" I forge on ignoring her look. "And where is Cyril? Are mom and dad in? Oh I almost forgot, they're dead asleep right from their party. But wait a sec... What's the time? Whoa! It's almost noon?" I trail off beginning to worry about Selena's silence.

♦Selena's POV♦

"Have you fed?" I ask, not quite comprehending her sudden outburst.

  "Umm yeah?" She replies, "my glass in right in front of you." She tags on, one eyebrow up.

"So where did those bizarre ideas come from? And why the hell are you dressed like that."

I see September's face fall at my cold approach but whatever.

"So you're not taking me or what? She asks solemnly.

I ignore her attempt at giving me a cute face. "Okay, first of all you can't go to all the places I've been because I can't even remember all the places I've been to."

     "So?"

"But we should be able to make it to a few." I say and instantly that unique 'Ember' smile is backs and she gleefully says, "let's go."

  We get up and start out, "but really, why are you dressed like that?" We never dressed alike as our fashion senses literally clashed.

"Like what?" She asks cluelessly. "Oh! The whole look? Is it wrong? Is it bad? Do I look horrible?"

"Uhh, nope. It's okay." I shrug.

"Or should I wear a yellow dress with pink flowers?" September asks, stopping behind me.

  I pause too, turning around I cup her face. "I'm going nowhere with you in a flowery dress, much less a yellow one and you know that. Besides you can't even wear yellow underwear." I taunt.

"I can you know, it's not that bad." She retorts.

"Okay, fine then. Whatever rocks your boat." I say nonchalantly, walking ahead of her.

"Ugh! C'mon, you know I can't do that." She groans, finally catching up to me in the long hallway.

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Grumbling as she walks behind me, I grasp a few of what she says or I think she says.

"My leg feels wobbly, I've been walking all afternoon and I'm done with it."

Or maybe she's just reciting Latin.

Then she seemed to muster up all her courage and tells me out loud. "Elena, you know that we can actually hail a cab, get in it and go wherever you're taking me."

I turn to face her and smile, "I didn't bring up this idea sugar," I look her over and see that she isn't really enjoying this. "And yeah, we can get a cab but I don't advice you." Then I keep on walking, not turning back.

    "Selena... Umm... Shouldn't we..." She stammers behind me.

"We're here." I say sweetly, shutting her up. Turning to our right, the queue of people by  the door seems endless.

"How are we supposed to get in there?" She asks huffily, just about done with everything. "Plus this is a different club."

"It's under control," I say, my relaxed expression not wavering. "Yeah it's called 202"

    I pick out my phone from my purse and dial a number and tell the person on the other end to come get us. Two men in black approaches us and lead us in through the back.

September turns to me with wonder filled eyes, "who did you call?"

"I know the manager, he's a friend." I smirk.

♦September's POV♦

I can do nothing but watch my sister in awe, it had been like this the entire afternoon. It's almost like she knows everyone in Brenton Hills, I mean we just moved here two months ago and she already knows the good the bad and the ugly.

   Right now, I just want to get in. I really have a lot of catching up on social life to, I let out a small squeal as the sound of blasting music fills my ears not realizing that we were already inside. I turned in time to see Selena saying her thanks to the guys as they walked away.

    "Let's go," she says, "we have to look for Dane."

I follow her to the bar where Dane was talking with a guy who looked really familiar.

"Hey," Selena says, leaning in to Dane's friend and gives him a peck on the cheek with a friendly hug. "Dane." She acknowledged curtly.

"Hey," they both say to me and Dane's partner turns to me.

     I instantly recognize him. "Pretty eyes?"

"September," he replies, smiling and bringing his hand for a handshake.

"Pretty eyes huh?" Dane says smirking at me before clearing his throat. "Okay for proper introduction even if you guys have already met, September meet Cameron, my friend. Cameron meet September, Selena's twin. You met her last night? My girlfriend?" He murmurs darting between Cameron and I. "Although, now I think that wasn't necessary."

"It was, I didn't know his name." I assure him.

   Selena takes a seat beside and whispers in my ear. "Looks like you've got yourself some beautiful eyes huh?"

  Not giving me time to shoot her any of my glares, she begins a discussion with the waiter before ordering drinks, completely ignoring the rest of us. Well completely ignoring Dane and partially ignoring the rest of us.

    Cameron and I both give Dane questioning looks and hr returns our unvoiced questions with furrowed brows.

Before we could say a word Selena turns to us with some drinks, a beer for Dane and Cameron, martini for her and a soda for me.

She takes a look at my expression and rolls her eyes. "The first time you were drunk, you woke up with a Russian accent. Now we don't want that happening again, do we?" She finalized like that was the most logical explanation for treating me like a toddler.

"Seriously! Soda? Not even punch?" I ask, feeling strangely inferior, like I couldn't take care of myself.

She gives me a blank face and proceeds to sip her martini ever so delicately, "drink your soda September." She finally tells me putting on her best 'mommy' expression.

I stick my tongue out at her and blow a raspberry, then I spit out in my usual blunt way. "So what's up with you and Dane, you look like you'd be better off chewing out his heart." I say, taking a dutiful sip of my soda, I'm just exaggerating about the bluntness and a week ago I would never have said those words, hell a week ago I wouldn't even have been here.

Selena scoffs without moving her lips, her expression unreadable.

"Well," I say expectantly, "Nothing," she says drily, sipping her martini.

"Oh really now?" I drawl rolling my eyes, not believing her one bit.

Cameron snickers at the scene unfolding before him, Dane just looks really tense.

"Dane," I say, peering over the rim of my glass. "If you really do like your heart where it is, you'd better do something."

"What?" Dane sputters, perplexed. "Do what?"

I have no idea why I'm pushing but there's no saving me now I'm already in too deep.

"She's right though," Cameron adds, looking at Selena warily.

"Stop staring at me like I'm going to explode." Selena grumbles, slamming her cup on the table.

After pushing and prodding Dane with our eyes and vigorous head movements, Cameron and I sighed when he finally gets to his feet.

"Um Selena?" The poor guy stutters standing beside her.

"I don't bite." She says coldly, signalling a waiter for a refill. 

Now that sounds very contradictory for a vampire to say but I highly doubt they would appreciate my input so I keep mute.

"I know and I also know that no excuse is good enough so I'm sorry." He says genuinely looking truly heart broken.

Strangely enough, Selena didn't even sound pissed when she mentioned that Dane stood her up, I know, she's weird like that.

"Uh I dunno, you're proly not convincing enough." Cameron drawls when Selena doesn't even twitch a muscle, taking a swig of his beer.

"Please, pretty please." He begs pitifully going down on one knee.

This catches her attention and she turns to him, jingling the ice cubes in her cup. "Fine Dane," she says pecking him on the cheek.  "Let's go September." She adds stiffly, already making her way out.

As I get up to follow her I catch a bit of Cameron's and Dane's exchange.

"I'm confused, is she still mad at you?" Cameron mutters, scratching his head.

Danes falls into a chair and take a long drink of his now warm beer, "I dunno man, I don't fucking know." He replies calmly, Cameron starts to say something but I'm already gone.