Deal.

We approached A hotel with the glowing marquee, "The Palms Resort and Casino". We arrived the entrance, where were greeted by valet and people that took our luggage. Various 'wows' and 'whoas' came my amazed friends, but Chris shrugged it off, put on his sunglasses (Which were Ray Bans wayfarers by the way; trying-way-to-hard-to-look-cool much?), and proceeded into the hotel, with everyone falling behind him, like his entourage; Execpt for me, who walked in the front, next to chris (eww.), refusing to follow him like a lost puppy. Jenni, John, Dan, and Mary, did'nt seem to notice, since they were occupied at looking at all the interesting things at the hotel, but chris turned toward me, and gave me on of his super annoying, world-famous smirks. Not saying anything, I just crossed my arms, and followed him to the concierge desk. It was a lady, and she lit up when she saw Chris's face.

"Hello, and welcome to the Palms Resort and Casino, my name is Rebecca, Is there anything I can help you with this evening?" she said smiling way to hard. I turned around to see that the four of our friends were standing by some statue taking pictures, so it was just me and Chris. I turned back around when I heard his voice. "In fact, there is, Rebecca," he said taking off his glasses, setting them on the counter and gazing at her. "Me and my friends have a hotel reservation under 'Rogers'." he said in a familiar tone. She slowly tore her gaze from him to type in 'Rogers' in her computer. "Oh yes, Penthouse suite for Mr. Rogers." she said grabbing two room keys. "Here you go. Enjoy your stay with the Palms Resort and Casino." she said in a happy, calm but slightly monotone voice that gave me the chills. Chris took the keys from her."Thank you Rebecca, Have a nice evening." he said in a smooth voice, putting his sunglasses back on, and the crew rejoining us. "So you got the keys?" John said taking one out of Chris's hand. "Uh-huh" chris said.

It was us at the front again, and I was still processing what I just witnessed. I put the pieces together; sunglasses off, strong gaze, lady acting all weird and...controlled, familiar voice, It all came back to me. "Chris!" I whispered loud enough for him to hear me."Uh-huh?" he said coolly, turning his head towards me. "Did you uhh," I said ditching the word 'mindfuck' and trying to find the word that he used earlier. "Glamour her or somthing?" I said sounding serious. He took off his sunglasses, and put them on the top of his head."well..." he proceeded. I whacked him on the arm. "Oww!" he said, rubbing his arm like he was in pain."Fine, I did," he said. I was just about to whack him again. "Wait," he said covering his arm. "I barely glamoured her; she thought I was hot before I even took my glasses off." I crossed my arms, as we walked to the elevators. "Aww Evanny, are you jealous?" he said in a baby voice, putting his arms around me. I pushed him off of me. "I hate you."I said crossing my arms again. "And not i'm jealous, you self-absored, pig." I snatched the other room key out of Chris's hand. Jenni came over next to me. "This place is SO cool." she said in her usual exctied tone. I went along with it. "Yeah, this place is amazing." I said.

.....

"You've got to be kidding me." I said standing in the penthouse corridor."I know, it's unbelieveable, right?" John said. "Yeah." I said softly, but sarcasticly. It was amazing without a doubt, but we were SHARING a penthouse. ALL of us. But the the girls had the west wing, and the boys had the east. This was gonna take so getting used to. All our luggage was piled in the middle of the corridor, while every one left to check out their rooms. I digged out my luggage from the beasty pile and carried it out to the west wing. Since there were no luggage in the rooms yet, I took the liberty to get the biggest room. Usually, i'm not this selfish; I just wanted my own bathroom. a second later Jenni popped in my room. "I'm gonna go check out the guy's room's oh-wait! why do you get the biggest roo-never mind see you later." she said and left. It must have been eight or nine, since we left the airport and checked into the hotel. I figured I would take a shower. I grabbed my loofa and hopped in the shower. I let the hot water hit my skin, and let my teal and black colored hair down from it's pontail. As I stepped out the shower, and wrapped a towel around my body I heard a door open and close. I figured It was jenni again to make some weird declaration and leave. As proceeded out the bathroom, wringing my hair. I realized that it wasn't Jenni.

"What the fuck!!" I screamed, nearly dropping my towel, but cluthing with a death grip so that would'nt happen in front of this douch pocket."SHHH!!" Chris said putting his hand over my mouth. I stopped screaming, and he let me go. "What are you doing here!?" I shouted. " I needed to talk to you!" he shouted back, just as loud."You needed to talk to me while I was naked?" I shouted back at him.
"NO!"
"So you did'nt need to talk to me!"
"I do!"
"Can I put some clothes on?!"
"Alright!"
"Get out!
"Uh, ok." he said turning around and walking to the door.
"Wait!" I said stopping him dead in his tracks.
"What?"
"Uh, will you go get my suitcase from out of the hall, please?" I said, calmly.
"Yeah, sure." He said leaving my room and comming back in a flash with two semi-heavy suitcases. He stood there, turned around as I dragged my suitcases and my dignity back into the the bathroom. About five minutes later, I had a outfit complete with a dark blue boatneck tee, white denim shorts, and long striped socks. I looked myself in the mirror and took a deep breath. DEEP. I slowly came out the bathroom and made my way to the comfy couch that was strategically placed in my room. Chris was reclined in a chair, but stood up when I opened the bathroom door. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" I said in a tired, monotone voice.
"Uh, I wanted to talk to you about me." He said quite akwardly, brushing his fingers through this hair, standing in front of the chair.
I gazed at him. "What more is there?" I said sitting up. "Great, you're a vampire. whoop-dee frickin' do. Alert the media-" I said, my words drenched in sarcasm, until he cut me off.
"That's not just it." He said, very slowly pacing back and forth. I started to get a little nervous.
I crossed my legs. "SO, what else is there?"
He put his hands in his pocket as he turned to look at me. "I'm half vampire."
My eyes lit up in fake surprise. I gasped "What?? Oh my god! No! Are you serious?" I said, still with a strong sarcastic accent. Jeez, I don't think he understood that I heard him the first he announced this.
"You really think this is a joke, don't you? " Chris said lightly, his voice getting serious, with just a tone of agresssion so suble, you could almost miss it. But I did'nt.
"Actually, you know what, I believe you. " I said unconvincingly, getting up and standing to the window that overlooked the illuminated city on such a beautiful night. "It's pretty hard not to trust you, you know, even after lying to me after all these years, and all the shitty pranks, and just being a complete ass in general, i'm surprised we're not bffs'; with all the trust in our relationship." I looked directly at him. "Yeah, the relationship you failed to tell me about until the very last day of school?" I felt my voice getting progressively louder. "Yeah, this is the makings of a healthy, loving relationship. Wait, last time I recalled, we fucking hated each other guts." I said venting, forgeting all about what he was saying. I turned to look at him. He stood there, across the room, with his arms folded across his chest, looking unfazed, unemotional, unaffected. Once I was finshed talking, he took advantage of the silence."Are you done?" he said calmly, having no need to raise his voice in any way. "No, really, are you finshed? Because if you wanna sit here and blame for me your problems, you can go right ahead, but it still does'nt change the fact that we're stuck in this fucked-up situtation together, " he said in the same unaffected tone, that made me think, and kept me quiet. "And actaully, I never lied to you. This is a much a shock to me as it is you, and if it was my decision, I so would'nt have chose to marry you, so who's the ass now?" he said finsishing his statement. I scoffed.

"Still you, asshole." I said walking over to the mini bar- bar, and poured myself a shot of vodka. (Which looked expensive by the way, but what do I care? I'm not paying for it.) I took the shot, right before he sat on the barstool at the bar.

He grabbed the bottle of scotch and poured himself a drink. I pulled out the chair behind the bar and sat down right before pouring myself another glass. I found myself glancing upon him, the way the swirled the scotch in his glass, inhaling the scents of the aged alchol, almost as you would if you were drinking a fine wine. For a moment, he looked much older than he was. I sighed, and as he heard me sigh, he looked from his glass, up at me. "So, your half vampire right?" I said staring into my glass, as if I was waiting for my drink to respond. He breathed into his glass one more time before setting it on the bar. "Yup." he said, raising his amber, gold-speckled eyes up at me, his drink in his right hand. Before I knew it, our gazes latched onto each other, my eyes stuck on his gaze and his on mine. "So, your not even a little worried about what I am?" He said, both of us still looking deeply into each others eyes. As he spoke, his eyes that were once amber, gold-speckled, now mixed array of sparkling gold that swirled in his eyes like a molten gold amber lava lamp."Nope." I said with no hesitation. I had no fear whatsoever towards Chris. Even though we hated each other, i'm pretty sure he'd never intentionally hurt me. Thinking about this make me break off Chris's gaze. "So, if your a vampire, then how can you drink alcohol?" I asked , watching him swirls the contents in the cup again "And how and why do yo do that?" He looked up at me just before taking a sip from his glass and setting it down again. "Half, vampire. and I can pretty much eat and drink anything, its a part mainly that keeps me human. " he said, looking at the bottom of this glass. "And the thing" he said, lifting his glass "Is courtesy of many summers spent at my aunt's and uncle's wine vinyard in Italy." He said with a smile. I looked up at him quesionly. "Brief history lesson, When I was younger I would experiment with alcohol. Since, I refused to drink blood, and blood is most important when your young, I would experiment with alcohol since it affected me difffently with normal human beings." I swallowed deep in my throat. "So does that mean..." I started, hoping he would finish my statement. He looked up at me. "No, I don't drink blood." He put his thinking face on "The last time I had human blood mabye about, 9 years ago?" he said taking another sip of his scotch. I did'nt say anything, I just sipped my vodka, processing everything that the was telling me.

I caught my self looking at the window, the vast window that looked over the city; a sea of lights in the night that seemed endless. After moving my gaze from the window, to the room, and the furniture, I looked at chris, who was sitting directly in front of me. He was still, leaning over the bar, with his eyes on the glass in his hands. I looked at the expression on his face. Usually, his cocky, sarcastic, smug attitude made it hard to know what he was feeling, but for these brief moments, without him even knowing, I could see right through him. He had emotions and feelings, just as any human would. I could see that the whole-marriage crap was weighing on him, just like it's weighing on me, if not more. For these brief moments, I could feel eveything he was feeling; I could see though his protective exterior, making him seem like as transparent and fragile as glass. I understood his protectiveness, and I could completly relate. I could tell that this wasn't for me to know. Whatever he keeps hidden away, I dont think i'm ready to know. Just by a subtle expression on his face, I saw a world of experiences, a sea of secrets and emotions. I think that is why i'm not ready to get married. Just looking at Chris, and I can make all of these justifications; I am not the one for him. he deserves someone who is in complete love with him. He deserves a Bella. And I can't promise him anything. I can't promise through sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, to love and cherish; I may be a bitch, or stubborn or whatever, but I, of all things, am not a liar.

I look at shot glass directly in front of me, grab the bottle of scotch and poured myself a last shot. Chris looked and slighly smiled.
I lifted up my glass, as a toast. "To now." I said. He lifted up his glass. "Now? Why Now?" He asked "Because, my unmindful romeo," I started humorusly."There's no sense in toasting in the future. When you think about it, we can't predict or control what happens in the future. All we have is now." He flickered his eyes slightly. "To now." He said right before taking a sip of his liqeur. "But wait," He said, setting his glass down. " It does make sense to toast to the future; even though we can't control or predict what will happen in the future, It's pretty much saying 'even though we really don't know what lies ahead for us, I hope it's amazing, beautiful, and terrible all that it should be.'" Chris said, in a positive tone."Well," I said standing up and walking over to the couch and turing off the lamp."I think my opinon is right, and yours is a bunch of baloney." I grinned at him like a child. "Well," Chris stood up from his barstool. "Your opinion is a bunch of baloney." He argued back; it was like we were kids again. "Ohh, nice comback." I said walking over to my bed, and pulling back the covers. He walked to the foot of the bed. I hopped in the bed, slipping off the bracelts on my wrist. He walked over to my nightstand right about when I was just about to turn off the lamp. His eyes got big. "What are you doing?" He said in semi-shocked tone. "Uh, what does it look like? I'm going to bed." I said getting comfy. "Uh, no your not." he said pulling back the covers. "What are you doing?!" I said, clenching the covers. "Don't make me pull you out of bed." he said sounding completly serious. "No! why? you're evil..." I exclaimed into a super plushy pillow. It was at that exact moment Jenni busted in. "Eva!" she said screaming " Are you sleeping!? GET UP!" I sat up. "Why? I'm tired..." I whined. Jenni came over and pulled my arm. "Cause we're going out!" She finally admitted, explaning why she would'nt let me sleep."Now get UP!!" Now everyone was in my room. "Evanny, get up!" Chris said. "No!...." I said turning around and seeing every one surrounding my bed.

"OKAY! fine...." I said steping out of bed. God.... Jenni turned to me and scanned me up and down. Then she turned toward where everyone was standing. "Everyone, get out!" and with that, they fled the room with no hesitation. "What are you doing?" I asked as she pulled me into the bathroom, enchanted with expensive Italian marble and exquisite gold accents and a giant flat screen hanging up in the corner. "Wait here!" she shouted, dashing out of the bathroom making this night feel much longer than it should. I leaned against the tub, admiring the architecture and elegance that this bathroom possesed as I waited for Jenni's re-arrivial. She came back, bearing A suitcase filled with her crazy party clothes and a colossal make-up case that contained I would say about, 2 tons of MAC make-up. She unloaded her arsenal of stripper apparel, super expensive make-up and accesories and shoes. I am I going to a club or getting ready to start my shift at the nearest strip joint? I though, as Jenni quickly grabbed some kind of dress thingy, a pair of black stilettos and a strapless bra. She looked up at me, "Put it on, and hurry up." she said tossing the items at me in her urgent voice."Fine..." I said going around the corner, to change out of Jenni's sight. I quickly put on the bra, the dress and the shoes, struggling with all of them, but succesfully put them on. I steped out from the corner and revealed my self. It was a black strapless dress, with a high waist and pencil skirt, and set with high black stilettos, that were painful. "Oh my ghost!" Jenni said, gazing at me "Your boobs look amazing! I think I did an amazing job." Jenni said, acomplished. I looked in the mirror. "Hey, " I said aloud. "My boobs do look good." I smiled, I acutually look hot. "Yeah, you look great in that dress," Jenni said. "Bet Chris is gonna love you in it. Maybe even better without it." I instantly wiped away the smile on my face.

"What? Chris? Eww, are you insane? Never in a million years.." I said averting the whole 'Chris' Situation. I did'nt want anyone to know what was going on, let alone Jenni. She was my bestest, but I couln't let her in on our whole 'arrangement'. Not yet. "Yeah, I see how he looks at you." Jenni said all as-a-matter-of-factly. "Pshhh, you have no idea what your talking about. I despise Chris and have been since, well, forever and you know that." I said killing any assumption that me and Chris had any kind of ties together at all. After a minute or two of silence and her putting make-up on me, I spoke. "How does he look at me exactly?" I asked. She put down the brush she was holding. "Well, I can't really explain it, but it's like a...hmm, like a dazed, 'feels like forever' kinda look, you know?" She said, realizing what she said hardly made sense. "Like the movie the notebook, in slow motion on his face." I laughed lightly. " I still have no clue of what you are trying to say." Jenni put the last of mascara on my eyes. "Well, don't worry about it, you'll know what I mean soon enough." She finshed, stashing away the mascara and standing in front of the mirror. "Well, thank you very much, fairy godmother. " I said, cursty-ing formal-like. Jenni laughted. "I wish fairy godmothers had hips like these!" she said grinning. Jenni always loved her hips. Jenni was dressed in similar dress as I, strapless, but in a deep purple with taffeta, with a cinched waist and a corsetted back. Was there a 2-for-1 sale at Whores-R-Us? I thought again, laughing this time. Jenni let me borrow a matching black clutch, which held, of course, a condom inside. Gotta love that whore, I thought as we exited the make-up and lingere ridden bathroom, and into the corridor where my other equally dresses roomate were. Looks and stares at each other was going around the circle we so happend to form. Elevators, small conversations, and the illuminated night, took us to our destination with booming music, and a long line at the front entrance.