Not Another Teenage Vampire Story

I was standing in a dim room. I was vaguely aware that this was the clubhouse, but I was too distracted by the thoughts racing through my mind to focus on one thing at a time. I felt someone wrap their arm around mine, I knew who it was before I looked up.
"Don't be nervous, they'll love you." He whispered in my ear.

"That's not what I'm nervous about." I spat. I tore my eyes from the wall and brought them to my enemies face. My mind flashed back to last night.

Their faces all turned towards me. Crap, do I even try and run away? I'd never outrun all of them. I closed my eyes as tight as I could and tried to make myself invisible.

"I'll check." A voice spoke but I was in too much shock to comprehend who it was. I embraced the darkness around me and tried to make myself a part of it. A pair of footsteps grew closer. I heard every step they took on the concrete. They were about three feet away. Now two.. now they were right next to me. Whoever it was would be looking right at me but I didn't have the courage to open my eyes.

"It's nothing. Just some local girl. She ran away."

There were a few scoffs and laughs as I heard a bunch of footsteps until it was completely silent. "Open your eyes," someone whispered. Slowly, my eyes creaked open until I could make out the person I used to trust more than anyone in the world.

"I don't know what's going to happen to me." I lied to him.

He just stared ahead at the double doors we were about to walk through. His eyes had some mixed form of emotion buried deep within them. "I won't let them hurt you," he whispered just as the doors flew open.

Music blared through the dark room and we took our steps into it. I was told to follow Ryan's lead and I had no idea where he was leading me. Absentmindedly, I thought about my future. Right now, it was in Ryan's hands. I had until the end of the formal to come up with some way to escape from here and maybe run to Caleb. He was only down the block, come on I can do this.

Ryan led us to the middle of the dance floor and the music changed. Oh God, no one told me I had to dance with him. He held my gloved hand outstretched and walked me around in a circle, showing off his new achievement. I could make out shadowy figures of people that looked as if they jumped out of a Victorian painting and suddenly I wished I'd opted for a longer dress. I felt exposed in front of the high society vampires.

Suddenly we stopped moving in a circle and Ryan pulled me close to him. The music changed yet again and I felt his hand on the small of my back. I never tried to dance before this but for some reason I knew exactly what to do. The dancing wasn't really the first thing on my mind at the moment. Other than trying to escape, I was way too aware of how close we were and the way he was looking at me. His emotions were so hard to read but I was starting to see glimpses of my former best friend in there. If only the killer would let him out.

"You look ravishing," he spoke and sounded like he genuinely meant it. I smiled, starting to feel more comfortable in his arms. He continued, leaning his face even closer to mine then it already was. "Might I say, your eyes are as gorgeous as your lips are sparkling." His voice had grown deeper as he spoke that line. His eyes glanced down to my lips and then back up to meet mine. Slowly, he kept leaning... about to close the distance.. I had no way out.

"May I cut in?" I shook my head, coming out of my trance. Ryan must have too because he was suddenly stiff, his lips pressed in a tight line. I glanced around to see the dance floor had crowded with couples and Craig was standing next to me, smirking, with his hand outstretched towards me.
Instantly, I took it and was whisked away. "Thank you." I whispered and we swept across the floor. Craig was a much better dancer than Ryan. I felt like I was participating in one of those Ballroom Competitions. Just as that went through my mind, he twirled me and brought me back into form.

"Don't mention it," he winked. I laughed at his attempt to be smooth. "So," he continued. "What's your plan?"

"I have no idea." I bit my lip, trying to think but my brain wouldn't focus on anything.

"I do." Automatically, my eyes shot up to meet his and my head cocked to the side pressing him on. He just smiled and nodded in a direction casually. As my glance followed his I noticed we were the only ones dancing again. The crowd had formed a circle around us and we swept across it gracefully. One figure stood out from the rest. He stood there menacingly watching us dance, his lips in a hard line, and his arms folded across his chest. That figure just happened to be the destination of Craig's glance. Ryan was my way out of here.

My mind raced as I thought about the possibilities that Ryan, the one who just yesterday agreed to kill me, would be my escape. Then a line that someone spoke last night entered my mind as if answering my question. "He quite fancies her." No, I have to use Ryan's emotions against him? Craig smiled again as the realization flashed across my eyes. I was just being pushed by him now, one half of my mind struggling with the thought of actually pretending to like my killer and the other half attempting to come up with some sort of plan. Before I knew it, I was being twirled and Craig had me leaning down in a dip. Everyone clapped around us as he pulled me up straight. "Good luck," was all I heard him say before he disappeared into the crowd.

Oh thanks Craig, way to leave me here! Turning around, I found myself lost in a sea of people. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion, including the sound roar of the crowds. Only one person stood still, it was easy to spot him in the blur of dancers around him. He stood there, just staring at me. Slowly, I mustered enough courage to lock my eyes with his. My entire persona changed, from a scared little girl, to a woman who could flirt with her eyes. Keeping that eye contact, I sauntered across the floor to the exit door. There I paused for a few seconds, trying mentally to portray the whole 'follow me' look. Who was I kidding? I'm absolutely horrible at this. Swinging the door open, I tripped out and took a deep breath.

I was in the back of the clubhouse now, where the pool was. There was no way I could make a run for it from here. I needed to somehow convince Ryan to leave me out in the front alone. My breathing started coming in short gasps desperate for air. I stood with my back to the door, staring into the pool, trying to calm myself down.

Okay, I'm ready. I can do this. I'm ready, I can do this!

The door creaked open behind me, followed by a pair of footsteps. It slammed closed.

I can't do this.