Bite Me

'Why did I accept her invitation to attend her eighteenth birthday party?'

The party was held at a friend's house (whom I had never spoken to) on a Friday night. I lived down the street so I chose to walk there. Cars lined the street, and I was glad to have chosen to walk. Parking was a bitch. I didn't have the money to pay for towing fees. The house was a generic new construction home. It made me miss our old home that had been built in the 70's; it at least had character. I walked up the driveway and entered the house through the fairly clean garage. Inside, it was dark with the exception of the colorful strobe lights placed on counters and end tables throughout the house. At that moment, "Everybody's Fool" by Evanescence was blasting from the speakers in the living room. A few people were up and dancing. The rest were scattered about engaged in private conversations. I wished I had taken Sasuke up on his offer to tag along so I wouldn't look like an idiot. As usual, I found a lonely wall to stand against and be lonely with. I realized that, by doing this, it was very possible I wouldn't run into Natsumi at all that night. I sighed.

"Itachi!"

My head snapped up and I saw her. She was dressed in a red and black front lace corset with a black tutu skirt. She (for whatever reason) had on half finger elbow length gloves, I suppose to showcase her fingernails, painted to match her outfit. She also wore black flats with bows made of the same material as the skirt. Her black hair had been styled in pinned up ringlets to complete her lolita outfit and a crown was perched on top of her head. Why is it as we get older, we want to be younger? "Natsumi." I tried, and failed, to smile.

She looked down, her own smile flickering like a dying light bulb. "I'm glad you came. I know you said don't like crowds...or parties...but I'm seriously glad you came."

'My evil knows no boundaries.' I swallowed a sigh of irritation. "I'm sorry. I'm not as social as your friends but--"

"I still consider you a friend, Itachi." She looked up at me, a frown chasing away her joy.

I managed not to roll my eyes. I deserved a cookie for my efforts thus far. I even smiled. Make that two cookies. "Thank you, Natsumi. For inviting me, and for your friendship." I took her hand, bowed, and kissed the back of it.

She giggled. A warm, infectious sound that made me chuckle too. "I love your outfit. You should be my escort, since you match me."

I looked down at my own outfit.  A red and black plaid flannel shirt over a solid black t-shirt, black skinny jeans and socks, with red and black checkered Vans. I needed to start looking in a mirror more often before leaving the house so I'd know what the hell I had on; I had to look surprised. "Wait For You" by Elliot Yamin came on and her eyes lit up. 'God, no.' I started to tell her I didn't dance when she grabbed my hand and dragged me over to the stereo. People cheered as her hands took the proper position for a slow dance. Part of me was thankful she wasn't asking me to do much more than sway from side to side; the other part of me wanted to skin her alive for dragging me into the spotlight.

"Thanks." She whispered.

"For?" Curiosity killed the cat, after all.

"Dancing with me. I honestly expected you to pull away from me, or worse just leave me here by myself." She put her head on my chest. "Would you believe this was the only thing I really wanted for my birthday?"

"A party?"
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She smiled. "No, to spend a little time with you. Are you wearing Axe?" I nodded. I guess she felt it because she proceeded as if I had said yes. "Kilo?"

I wanted to hold her at arm's length away from me. She could have been a potential stalker for all I knew. "How did you know?"

"It's my favorite one. I've been buying the brand since it came out." 'Didn't consider that as a possibility.'

"Cake time!" A friend of hers parted through the crowd of dancing couples (I briefly wondered when they had joined us and why we were in the center) and grabbed her by the wrist. "Come on, birthday girl!"

I watched them form a congo line and go into the kitchen. I hung back as I had little desire to be a part of it. I listened to them sing happy birthday to Natsumi and cheer as she blew out the candles. I needed to go outside, bad. I went back out through the garage and around to the backyard. The pool was pretty clean for it to be autumn. I was even more surprised that no one had decided to go skinny dipping. I reached into my flannel shirt pocket and pulled out my pack of cigarettes. It was a clear night out and the constellations were easy to pick out. I lit up and took in a deep puff. I heard the kitchen patio door slide open and Natsumi staggered out, hugging her abdomen as if she had a bad stomach ache. This time I did sigh. I put out the cigarette using the bottom of my shoe. "You okay?"

She didn't answer but fell to her knees. 'Great. She's gonna die on me.' Inside, no one even noticed the reason for the party outside in pain.

I looked around and noticed a picnic table underneath a gazebo on the other side of the pool. I swept her up into my arms and carried her to the table. "Natsumi? Talk to me. What's going on?"

"I-I tried to eat the cake..." She stopped and gasped with pain. "Itachi, my stomach hurts so bad." She began to rock back and forth as she clutched her stomach.

"Okay, that sounds like poisoning. I'll run down the street and get my car then take you to the hospital. Sound good to you?"

She looked up at me. Her expression wounded me. Tears filled her eyes and she pouted. "Will I make it? I-I feel like I'm dying." Her voice was hoarse as if she had swallowed a handful of sand.

I nodded and kissed the back of her hand. "Just give me a minute." I turned away and felt a tug on my shirt. I turned back to her. The tears had fallen.

"I'm scared. My parents are out of town." She lowered her voice even more. "I don't want them to come back to a dead daughter."

She must have felt worse than I thought to be all morbid over a tummy ache. "I'll be right back." I pried my shirt free and took off jogging. Maybe it took me five minutes to reach my car. Maybe it took me two minutes to drive back to the house. When I came back, she looked like shit. Still, no one inside had noticed a damned thing.

"Itachi..." She was pale. I mean, zombie pale. If this is what it looked like when someone was dying, then driving her to the hospital wasn't an option. I'd have to call the paramedics and end the party.

I took out my cell phone and started to dial 911. "Hold on."

The next thing I knew, she was in my arms. For someone who looked like they were dying, she was amazingly fast. "I-I don't know what's wrong...but I'm so thirsty."

'Maybe dying screws up your priorities...' "I'll get you a drink of water in a sec--"

Her tongue trailed up from my neck to my ear. I shivered. I actually shivered. I tried to push her away from me, but her hold on me was strong. "Just...one...sip."

"What's the matter with you?!" I yelled and twisted away from her. "Natsumi?" She looked at me innocently enough, but her eyes glowed blood red. 'What the--?! Oh hell no.' "O-kay. Well, you seem well enough now. I'm gonna go home--"

She pounced on me. She bear hugged me, pinning my arms to my sides. I couldn't break out of it. She licked my neck again. "Itachi..." She sighed dreamily. Pain exploded inside of me. From the top of my head down to the bottom of my feet. I felt like I was dying. Suddenly, I could hear the roar of increased blood flow in my ears as I became light-headed. It became harder and harder to even want to break her hold. I didn't know what she was doing to me, but I wasn't a masochistic person even on a good day. I tried taking a step backward, and I succeeded. I took another and another. I lost my footing and we fell into the pool.

Of course, I blacked out.