‹ Prequel: Everything I'm Not
Love's Requiem
Once bitten
“So where were you two?” Jack asked me as we went down the stairs.
“Russian bath house.”
“I though your nails looked nice!” He exclaimed grabbing my hand to look at my nails.
“Getting all dolled up for me, you make me blush.”
“What can I say?” I told him rolling my eyes.
“So what did you get for Christmas from Captain Croatia?”
“What is it with you and giving him nicknames?”
“I enjoy it, stay on subject.” He pressed.
“A dress.”
“A dress? That’s it? What kind of dress?”
“I’ll show you when we get back, it’s really pretty.”
“Okay, what else?”
“Well,” I began, “He’s taking me to Russia in January.” I mumbled really quickly hoping he
couldn’t understand.
“What?” He shouted causing a few on lookers to stare at us.
“Relax! It’s for the last friendly match for Croatia. He did it so I could meet my hero.”
“Henry Rollins is going to be there?”
“Okay my second hero, the Croatian coach.”
“Oh, that guy. Yeah I’m sure that’s the only reason why.” He said sarcastically.
“I won’t give you your presents.” I told him.
“Anyway! You hear from Alex?”
“I got a text from him, he’s showing up around 9 with Vinny.”
“See you two can get along.”
“When he doesn’t do anything stupid.”
“Who knows tonight might be the night.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll both get ridiculously drunk and bone while we’re all on your roof setting off fireworks at midnight.”
“You have this all planned out don’t you?”
“I have a story board too I plan to pitch this whole thing to MTV for a reality show or something.”
“It funny you should mention that though,” I told him, “Midnight, I plan to kiss him.”
“Who Niko?”
“Alex.”
“Say what?”
“One last try for the year.” I explained.
“You miss him.” He said smugly.
“It’s weird, when I wake up and like say Niko’s up already in the living room or kitchen my
first thought is it’s Alex but then I remember it can’t be.” I frowned.
“It’ll work out, you two are made for each other.” He assured me.
“We’ll see.” I said as we walked in to the bagel shop.
The afternoon was spent cleaning up the apartment with the help of everyone, as well as sending the guys to buy ice for tonight. Around six Kara and I kicked everyone out of my room so we could get ready. Kara changed in the bathroom while I changed in my room. I was going to be a burlesque sailor, with the lace thigh highs and all. Despite how planned out my costume was, it was actually the cheapest and easiest thing to put together, I had a white strapless dress, a sailor hat, and bright red heels. Kara was going to be Princess Peach from super Mario while I’m pretty sure Rian was going to be Mario. Whatever Jack was going to be, I couldn’t know anything because it was apparently top secret. After we did our hair and make up Kara and I headed out around 7:30 giving us a half an hour before anyone would start showing up. I slapped on some make up on Niko and fake blood earlier to make him look like the living dead.
“Where’s Jack?” I asked taking a seat next to Niko on the couch.
“Not coming out the guest room until 8.” Rian explained.
“Why?”
“Why does he do anything?”
“Point taken.” I laughed.
“You look beautiful.” Niko whispered to me in Croatian, so no one would hear him.
I looked at him and mouthed thank you.
Soon enough people started showing up and bringing tons of food that we all began setting up along the counter and the table. First Frankie and the rest of the bayside crew showed up, followed by Alex and a few of the Recon guys. By 8:30 my apartment was already getting loud and packed, Niko seemed to get along with Frankie because the two of them and Jesse were talking in the kitchen. Jack was still not coming out of the guest room.
“Jack it’s 8:30 come on!” I said kicking the door.
“Fine!” I heard Jack exclaim followed by the door unlocking.
Jesse, Niko and Frankie now were with me as we waited for Jack to come out. A few seconds later there was Jack, and I almost choked from laughing so hard. What was he dressed up as? Me, he had black jeans on, an emmure shirt, my bleeding through hoodie I thought I had lost on the road, a matching Mets fitted, and to top it all off, a blonde wig and make up.
“Everyone pay attention to witness incase she tries to kill me!” Jack shouted causing everyone to look and start hysterically laughing.
“Asshole! I thought I lost that hoodie!” I said still laughing and leaning on Frankie so I wouldn’t tumble over.
“Whatever, you want to fight me? I can take you.” He said faking what sounded like a Russian accent, as he walked past me strutting.
“Is that a Croatian flag in your back pocket?” I exclaimed at the red, white and blue cloth hanging out of his back pocket.
“Hrvatksa!” He went on shaking his ass making me laugh even harder.
“Oh my god,” I said wiping the tears from my eyes.
“He portrays you well.” Niko said laughing as we all headed to the kitchen.
I made myself a drink, as I heard “Whoa, Shut it down”, come on.
“Oh no.” I said trying to locate Jack.
And sure enough, Frankie instigated the two of them were trying to pit in my living room with Alex, and a few other friends, while Zack was taping it.
“Way brutal!” Jack exclaimed with the accent.
“I’m not Russian!” I shouted to him.
“Let’s throwdown bitch!” He shouted back.
“Jesus Christ.” I said shaking my head going back to talking with Kara and Niko.
It was almost 9 and Alex was nowhere in sight, everyone else had arrived already.
“Bella have you heard from Alex?” I asked Jack.
“Ne.” Jack responded.
“Okay, now seriously.” I told him as I handed him a beer and we leaned against one of the walls in the living room.
“No I haven’t, want me to give him a call?” He asked me in his normal tone.
“Nah,” I said as I heard my door open.
“My plus one is here!” Jack exclaimed as Gabe walked in.
“I hate you more now.” I told him, as Gabe headed over to Jack while I went to find Jesse.
I stopped dead in my tracks however, two seconds after Gabe walked in Alex and his date showed up.
“Russian bath house.”
“I though your nails looked nice!” He exclaimed grabbing my hand to look at my nails.
“Getting all dolled up for me, you make me blush.”
“What can I say?” I told him rolling my eyes.
“So what did you get for Christmas from Captain Croatia?”
“What is it with you and giving him nicknames?”
“I enjoy it, stay on subject.” He pressed.
“A dress.”
“A dress? That’s it? What kind of dress?”
“I’ll show you when we get back, it’s really pretty.”
“Okay, what else?”
“Well,” I began, “He’s taking me to Russia in January.” I mumbled really quickly hoping he
couldn’t understand.
“What?” He shouted causing a few on lookers to stare at us.
“Relax! It’s for the last friendly match for Croatia. He did it so I could meet my hero.”
“Henry Rollins is going to be there?”
“Okay my second hero, the Croatian coach.”
“Oh, that guy. Yeah I’m sure that’s the only reason why.” He said sarcastically.
“I won’t give you your presents.” I told him.
“Anyway! You hear from Alex?”
“I got a text from him, he’s showing up around 9 with Vinny.”
“See you two can get along.”
“When he doesn’t do anything stupid.”
“Who knows tonight might be the night.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll both get ridiculously drunk and bone while we’re all on your roof setting off fireworks at midnight.”
“You have this all planned out don’t you?”
“I have a story board too I plan to pitch this whole thing to MTV for a reality show or something.”
“It funny you should mention that though,” I told him, “Midnight, I plan to kiss him.”
“Who Niko?”
“Alex.”
“Say what?”
“One last try for the year.” I explained.
“You miss him.” He said smugly.
“It’s weird, when I wake up and like say Niko’s up already in the living room or kitchen my
first thought is it’s Alex but then I remember it can’t be.” I frowned.
“It’ll work out, you two are made for each other.” He assured me.
“We’ll see.” I said as we walked in to the bagel shop.
The afternoon was spent cleaning up the apartment with the help of everyone, as well as sending the guys to buy ice for tonight. Around six Kara and I kicked everyone out of my room so we could get ready. Kara changed in the bathroom while I changed in my room. I was going to be a burlesque sailor, with the lace thigh highs and all. Despite how planned out my costume was, it was actually the cheapest and easiest thing to put together, I had a white strapless dress, a sailor hat, and bright red heels. Kara was going to be Princess Peach from super Mario while I’m pretty sure Rian was going to be Mario. Whatever Jack was going to be, I couldn’t know anything because it was apparently top secret. After we did our hair and make up Kara and I headed out around 7:30 giving us a half an hour before anyone would start showing up. I slapped on some make up on Niko and fake blood earlier to make him look like the living dead.
“Where’s Jack?” I asked taking a seat next to Niko on the couch.
“Not coming out the guest room until 8.” Rian explained.
“Why?”
“Why does he do anything?”
“Point taken.” I laughed.
“You look beautiful.” Niko whispered to me in Croatian, so no one would hear him.
I looked at him and mouthed thank you.
Soon enough people started showing up and bringing tons of food that we all began setting up along the counter and the table. First Frankie and the rest of the bayside crew showed up, followed by Alex and a few of the Recon guys. By 8:30 my apartment was already getting loud and packed, Niko seemed to get along with Frankie because the two of them and Jesse were talking in the kitchen. Jack was still not coming out of the guest room.
“Jack it’s 8:30 come on!” I said kicking the door.
“Fine!” I heard Jack exclaim followed by the door unlocking.
Jesse, Niko and Frankie now were with me as we waited for Jack to come out. A few seconds later there was Jack, and I almost choked from laughing so hard. What was he dressed up as? Me, he had black jeans on, an emmure shirt, my bleeding through hoodie I thought I had lost on the road, a matching Mets fitted, and to top it all off, a blonde wig and make up.
“Everyone pay attention to witness incase she tries to kill me!” Jack shouted causing everyone to look and start hysterically laughing.
“Asshole! I thought I lost that hoodie!” I said still laughing and leaning on Frankie so I wouldn’t tumble over.
“Whatever, you want to fight me? I can take you.” He said faking what sounded like a Russian accent, as he walked past me strutting.
“Is that a Croatian flag in your back pocket?” I exclaimed at the red, white and blue cloth hanging out of his back pocket.
“Hrvatksa!” He went on shaking his ass making me laugh even harder.
“Oh my god,” I said wiping the tears from my eyes.
“He portrays you well.” Niko said laughing as we all headed to the kitchen.
I made myself a drink, as I heard “Whoa, Shut it down”, come on.
“Oh no.” I said trying to locate Jack.
And sure enough, Frankie instigated the two of them were trying to pit in my living room with Alex, and a few other friends, while Zack was taping it.
“Way brutal!” Jack exclaimed with the accent.
“I’m not Russian!” I shouted to him.
“Let’s throwdown bitch!” He shouted back.
“Jesus Christ.” I said shaking my head going back to talking with Kara and Niko.
It was almost 9 and Alex was nowhere in sight, everyone else had arrived already.
“Bella have you heard from Alex?” I asked Jack.
“Ne.” Jack responded.
“Okay, now seriously.” I told him as I handed him a beer and we leaned against one of the walls in the living room.
“No I haven’t, want me to give him a call?” He asked me in his normal tone.
“Nah,” I said as I heard my door open.
“My plus one is here!” Jack exclaimed as Gabe walked in.
“I hate you more now.” I told him, as Gabe headed over to Jack while I went to find Jesse.
I stopped dead in my tracks however, two seconds after Gabe walked in Alex and his date showed up.