Apprentices: Full Moon

Shimmering Mermaid

By the end of the day, all my friends know what Kir did for me. They’re all happy for me, especially Katie. She knew how badly this was bothering me. In a way, she was suffering with me. Which is why I was pretending that nothing can get to me lately. She wasn’t buying it much, but at least I didn’t let her see how guilty I felt.

With school out of sight for a few more days and nothing better to do, we start discussing our plans for the New Years Eve. There’s a party each year, all students and their parents are invited to it. And teachers too, from all the four schools. Yeah, it can get a little crowded, even if the youngest kids don’t usually attend. But at least it’s fun, because no one can control us.

Last year we got so wasted, that we spent more time hiding from my friends’ parents than actually enjoying the party. We even missed the midnight countdown, because we were trying out who’s a better yodeler. Out on the rooftop. Ah, fond memories. I wonder how this year’s going to look like. I could use some good booze to flush this year’s sins away.

The best thing about this party is, that there’s always a theme. As ridiculous as that sounds. But everyone is always up for it and no one breaks the dress code. Like ever. I remember one year in middle school, the theme was Ice Queen. Everyone was wearing something either blue or white or silver. Some even sprayed their hair with snow. It was iconic. I wonder what this year’s theme’s going to be.

The invitations are always sent out the day before. Never sooner. And everyone gets it. Usually, you can already guess the theme by the envelope. I know you might think going all out for a New Years Eve party is absurd, but it’s the only event that everyone can look forward to. In a world, where we’re trained how to fight soulthieves every day, it’s more than a welcome distraction.

It's Saturday when we’re all having breakfast together. It feels like the whole school is gathered unusually early in the morning, just so they wouldn’t miss invitation carriers going around. Soon enough, a few persons, dressed in black cloaks, enter the cafeteria.

You can hear the squeals of excitement all around as everyone realizes what is happening. I nudge my best friend excitedly, trying to see the color of the envelopes they’re handing out, but no such luck. It’s plain white. Huh? This doesn’t make any sense. What is this year’s theme, snow fun?

Before I manage to take a closer look, one man is already by our table, handing us all the plain white envelopes. And the moment he steps away, I’m already tearing it open, revealing another envelope. Well, that’s something new. The inside envelope is shimmering in green. Something to have to do with nature? Maybe a forest lake?

As I pull out the inside envelope fully, I gasp. It’s not shimmering in green. It’s actually shading from green to blue, from blue to purple and all the other colors of the rainbow. It looks like … scales. I look at my best friend the same time she looks at me. “Mermaids!” we both speak out at the same time, then giggle excitedly.

The boys all watch us like they can’t understand what we’re so excited about, but we don’t care. We’re already getting the invitations out, bumping fists while we’re scanning them through. We were right. This year’s theme is Shimmering Mermaid. I have no idea how they came up with that, but it’s going to be iconic. I can barely wait!

“Dude, how are we supposed to dress up as mermaids?” Dave wonders out loud, earning himself a smack at the back of his head by Gabe.

“Don’t say it out loud. You sound ridiculous,” he murmurs, but we’re all still able to hear him. Marcus laughs at them.

“Oh, don’t worry about sounding ridiculous. It won’t matter tomorrow, when you’re going to look ridiculous,” he tries to reassure them, his voice full of made-up empathy. I can’t help but chuckle at his teasing, knowing that the boys will need a little help from us.

“You guys are so dramatic. A little glitter never killed nobody,” I tell them, a devilish grin appearing on my face. They all look at me with a mixture of surprise and horror. “What? We always dress in black, can’t we look a little brighter at least once a year?” I defend myself, frowning at them.

“Ah, she still knows how to grunt. We’re fine, folks!” Chris remarks in a joking way, making me roll my eyes. Sometimes I really can’t believe these guys.

Katie and I spend the whole day running from one dorm to another, as we’re rummaging through the boys’ closets, helping them come up with some clothes that match tomorrow’s theme. And yeah, by evening, I’m all covered in glitter, head to toes.

I can’t say how relieved I am the next day, as we finally meet up to get to the party. In a way, I’m feeling nostalgic. It might be our last New Years Eve party together. Especially if everyone won’t go to college. I can’t imagine being here again, one year from now, without every single person from our friend group present.

For once, Katie and I are the ones doing the waiting. In a way, it’s a welcome change. But in another way, I’m not used to it. Why are they taking longer than us to get ready? It doesn’t make any sense.

Soon enough, they come from around the corner. Damn. We could be stylists. They’re matching the theme perfectly with shimmering ties, belts and even shoes. But they’re not as shiny as the two of us are. Katie is wearing a black blouse with a glittery skirt in blue and green shades, while I chose a dress, made of shiny rainbow beads.

“Oh, look at our little mermaids,” Katie beams with pride, making me chuckle. The boys don’t look that happy, but I’m sure they’ll let it go sooner or later. Well, as soon as they get some booze.

We get up from the bench, mingling into their midst. As I get to Jake’s side, he pulls me closer by my waist, seeming a little possessive. “I’ll have to keep my eyes on you tonight. I don’t want you to get kidnapped,” he murmurs into my ear, making sure that I’m the only one who hears him.

I look up at him in surprise, turning my lips towards his ear. “Why would anyone want to kidnap me?” I ask, a little confused about his words. He offers me an amused smile.

“Because it would be a crime if no one tried to snatch you away in that dress,” he finally says, making me laugh. Damn, that was a good one.

“What did you tell her? I want to hear it, too!” Tim whines behind us like a little baby, but we both just shrug and smile in response. He groans in frustration, but we don’t fill him in on what he missed. Well, on what everyone missed.

The party takes place at the college building, because they’re the only ones who have a hall big enough to keep us all in. Anyway, we get there when the hall is already crowded, and it seems pretty impossible for us to see anyone familiar.

Especially not with the way the lights are shifting between green, blue and purple, resembling the changing colors of a mermaid’s scales. Also, the music is quite loud, so calling out to anyone is out of the option.

This is how we find ourselves heading straight to the bar, taking the first drinks that we spot. From the adult section, of course. Before any of the bartenders, who are busy making new drinks, can tell that we’re underage, we’re already long gone.

“To this year’s end and the beginning of a new one,” I speak up, hoping that my friends can all hear me. They all howl in agreement as we clink the glasses together, then carry them upwards with an excited ‘o’.

We drink up, then decide to get a new round. I’m all down to getting wasted tonight. But I do hope that no one sees me. No, I have to correct myself I hope that no one tries to talk to me. I’m not in the mood for schmoozing tonight. I just want to have fun.

Suddenly, someone grabs my arm and yanks me away from my friends. I can hear Jake’s angry shouts behind me, but whoever is kidnapping me, is ignoring him. Why did he have to joke about kidnapping?! It’s coming true now!

I realize we’re moving through the crowd with an unlikable speed, which makes me look up and notice a very pale face of an unfamiliar man. He’s not really matching the theme of the party, which makes me realize he’s not someone I can play games with.

I try to protest and yank my arm away from him, but his grip is too strong. In fact, it’s so strong that it’ll probably leave bruises on my upper arm. Soon enough, we reach the end of the hall, walking through a door that leads behind the mirrors.

As I see who’s standing inside the room, I stop in my tracks. My dad offers me a cold smile in greeting. “Evelyn, dearest. You made the time for me,” he speaks up, making me feel the need to puke. Did he really have to do this?

“That’s one way to put it,” I grunt, not feeling happy about this at all. “Couldn’t you just text me to meet you here, like any normal parent would do? Why have a gorilla drag me here and take me away from my friends? They’ll come looking for me, you know?” I continue, knowing that it’s very important for me to express my emotions the moment I feel them. Unless I want to make people bleed again.

His eyes glisten in a disapproving way. “Friends? Friends? You’re keeping werewolves as your company and even call one of them your companion. Why do you have to disgrace me like that?” he wonders, adding a gigantic pitch of drama into his tone. I can barely prevent myself from rolling my eyes.

“Seriously, you don’t get to tell me who I hang out with. I’ll make my own choices, whether you like them or not. Besides, why do you even care? I was an accident, remember dad?” I remark, speaking the last word with so much cynicism, that it’s practically dripping off my tongue.

But the man apparently takes it to his heart, because he starts talking to me in a much nicer way. “Now, now, I can still tell you my opinion, can I not? If you’re dating, make sure you’re dating quality, not … a sample,” he explains in the best way he can, making me sigh.

“Okay, enough small talk, what am I here for?” I want to know, raising my eyebrows in a questioning way. He tilts his head curiously, staring at me in such a way that I feel like my own eyes are staring back at me. It’s a weird feeling. I never had that, the luxury of looking at a person and seeing their similarities with me. It’s new and I’m still deciding if I like it or not.

Viktor sighs and glances through the glass, only then making me realize that we’re looking at the hall. Wow, so no one knows about this place? Everyone just looks at a mirror and doesn’t realize there’s a room hidden behind it. That anyone in that room can see them. A little … unsettling.

As he turns his gaze back to me, he seems a little sad. “You never respond to any of my messages. And I truly thought you’d be wearing my gift by now,” he remarks, making me freeze. s**t. Right. The gift that I left sitting at the bottom of my first drawer. After the fight that I had with Jake, I completely forgot about that. “You did … get my gift, didn’t you?” he then adds as he sees the look on my face.

“I did … I … Kind of forgot to open it?” I try to explain, but my statement sounds more like a question. And I just know he’s going to be offended now. In the next moment, he pouts like a child, making literally the same grimace as I do, when something’s not to my liking.

“Let’s say that I buy that. But I’m still disappointed. I literally gave you the theme of this year’s party, wrapped in a box, so you could know it sooner than anyone else. I made the committee choose this theme, because I thought you’d like it. Now … Now you tell me you didn’t even open the gift?” he speaks up, taking me aback. Oh, wow … What … What do I even say to that?

“I meant to, but I put it away because I was busy at the time, then there was some drama and it just slipped … No. You know what? I’ll save you that. The truth is, I feel like you’re trying to buy me. Buy me with gifts, so I’d give in and accept your offer. You’re trying to paint this picture of everything I could have if I agreed to become one of you … But I’m not a materialist. If you want to be my dad, be my dad. Don’t try to force me into something I can’t accept,” I tell him, finally revealing what’s on my mind.

He stares at me for quite some time, not even blinking. Uh-oh. Do vampires eat their children, or is it forbidden? Somebody help me, my own dad might murder me right now! “You’re being really unfair. This whole theme was made for you. I had a necklace made for you. Everything I’ve been doing lately is for you. I’m not trying to buy you! I’m trying to be your father and own up to my mistakes!” he bursts out, his eyes shooting daggers at me.

I swallow nervously, knowing that I failed. He’s not going to stop. He’ll keep trying and trying, because he decided that he has to make it up to me somehow. And I realize we’re similar in that way. Whenever we get something into our heads, we’ll go through with it.

I straighten up, staring right up at him and speak up in the politest way that I can: “I appreciate you trying. But you don’t have to give me anything. I’ll be happier if you stop by from time to time and just … talk to me. Now, I’ll be returning to my friends, because the way you reached out to me, upset me. You really need to work on that.” He raises his eyebrows, but doesn’t say anything else. “I’ll see you around.”

With that, I turn around and walk back outside, not taking a single glance back. I thought he might send his gorilla after me again, but nope. I can walk away freely. As I pass the mirrors, I look inside one of them, knowing perfectly well that he’s watching me. I smile and give him a little wave, then try to get back to where I last saw my friends.