Decisions Ch. 04

"You don't look so bad either, Chris." She murmured. "I can't even believe you're here. You have to tell me everything."

"I will. Let's just enjoy the moment."

We sat down at our table near the end of the ballroom, situated close to where the high table was. At the high table, there were five seats that looked different than the rest. They were more ancient, more imposing. They were already occupied by people who were looking at me intently, almost as if I was an interesting specimen. Three men and two women."Who are they?" I asked Stasi, who was still looking at me and holding onto my hand, almost as if she was afraid i'd disappear into thin air.

"Hm?" She followed my gaze to the high table. "Oh.. that's the Royal Family."

I was just about to ask for their names when Elena and Viktor sat down at our table. "Chris, that was beautiful!" Elena cackled. "That had to have been the greatest thing I ever saw, other than when you nearly tripped over the threshold and almost brought down Anna. That was freakin' hilarious."

I looked at Stasi guiltily. "Sorry." She simply smiled and gave me a peck on the lips. "You don't need to say sorry for anything for the next ten years." She said happily. "You're the best boyfriend ever, rescuing me from this dreadful event." She wrapped her hands around the back of my head, pulling me in for a kiss.

"Oi. Lovebirds. There's going to be plenty of time for that later." Viktor laughed, stretching out. Me and Stasi broke apart and interlocked fingers. I looked towards the head table, where Anton and Yulia were sitting, watching the both of us with wide smiles on their faces. They must've been surprised at my entrance. When they walked in, Stasi was miserably standing on her own, then Stasi was happily walking with me at her side.

We conversed with one another, until two shadows overcame our table. I looked up. Eva and her brother looked at us nervously, gesturing to the two empty seats. "May we sit here?" Eva asked quietly.

"Sure." I said. "The more the merrier." Eva broke out into a soft smile, the first smile I ever saw from here since I entered the lobby. "Thank you." She said shyly. She sat down next to Elena and Vladik sat down next to Viktor.

When all the seats in the ballroom were occupied, the doors were closed to the public. A man in an old fashioned suit stood up from his seat at the middle of the head table. "God... what is he wearing." Elena mumbled, making our table giggle. "I think it's pretty fashionable. I'm actually digging the top hat."

"Welcome to this year's Coven Ball and a Happy Halloween to you all! Before we begin the festivities, I urge everyone to dine, as experience has taught me, it is far better to enjoy a night on a full stomach than it is on an empty one." The audience laughed, as waiters began to exit the kitchen to take everybody's order.

I picked up my menu, looking at it. "Wow, everything on here sounds so good." Stasi murmured. I peeked up at her over the top of my menu, making eye contact.

"Share?" I asked.

"Share." Stasi confirmed. We set down our menus and relayed them to the waiter once he came around.

"So... Chris. I hear you play football.." Vladik began nervously after the waiters took our orders.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" I asked enthusiastically. So began our conversation. Even though it took some prying, I ended up learning a lot about them. It turns out Vladik, or as he liked to be called, Vlad, was only twenty and taking online college courses to finish his political science degree. Eva, on the other hand, was the same age as me and Stasi, but was home schooled, so that would explain why I never saw her at Belcourt.

Both had grown up fearing being persecuted for being vampires, substantially less than the Sokolov Family. As a result, they didn't have any friends growing up, learning to rely on each other. Slowly, but surely, the combined charming attention of Stasi, and my crude but kind-of-funny humor were drawing them out of their shell. Soon enough, we were talking and laughing as if we were old friends.

Another waiter came by, pouring a dark fluid into one of my champagne glasses, and filling up another one with iced water. I picked up the champagne glass, looking at the dark red fluid inside. "Why would they give us wine? Can't they tell we're underage?" I asked. Elena shrugged, taking a sip from it and tasting it. I followed her lead, raising the glass to my lips. I didn't usually drink, but my parents explicitly told me they saw nothing wrong with a glass of wine in a social setting as long as I didn't get behind any wheels without Stasi's permission.

Elena saw me raise my glass out of the corner and looked at me alarmed, waving her arms. "No!" She cried. "Don't drink it!"

Too late. I took a small sip from it, recoiling from the bitter metallic taste. I raised my napkin to my mouth, coughing the foul liquid into my napkin. Surrounding tables looked at us in surprise at my loud coughing. "It's an SBP." Elena finished sheepishly. I set the champagne glass down, careful not to spill it on the white tablecloth.

"That's what you get for trying to drink underage." Stasi murmured, patting my back.

"Oh god, how can you drink that stuff?" I asked, taking a sip of water to clear my palate.

"It's actually not that bad," Eva said thoughtfully. "Vampires have different taste buds, so even if it doesn't taste that good to us, it's not super unpleasant. Real blood is exorbitantly better, though."

Stasi looked at Eva interestedly. "You had real blood before?"

"Yes." Eva admitted. "Father used to have those special passes that let you get a ration from the local blood bank. We were super young and 'high quality' SBP's didn't saturate the market like they do now. I assume you had real blood as well, Anastasia, what with feeding on Chris and all. Hasn't Anastasia fed off of you, Chris?"

"Well, I mean..." I began nervously. Viktor, Vlad, and Elena stopped their conversation, looking at me interestedly. Stasi once told me that nonconsensual live feeding was a huge stigma in vampire society. I wasn't sure how consensual feeding was looked at.

"What he means to say is, what we do in private is nobody's business but our own." Stasi said politely, yet firmly.

Eva raised her champagne glass. "That's fair."

We conversed more after that, Stasi and Eva talking about school subjects. It turned out that Eva was adept at the biology and also a lover of science. Me, Viktor, and Elena talked with Vladik about current news and sports until the waiter arrived with our main courses, cutting off our conversation. Stasi had ordered a nice and simple scallop tartar and I, a grilled lobster with linguine. Being on the coast, San Francisco had an excellent food culture, with an abundance of seafood. It wasn't a coincidence that me and Stasi had an affinity for cuisine that came from the ocean. Just as we agreed on, we split both our meals right down the middle, sharing the half with each other.

We've done it ever since we were kids, when our parents would pack different sandwiches in kindergarten and the first grade. I would always get something generic, like a peanut butter sandwich or ham and turkey. Stasi would always have something exotic packed. We always split our sandwiches right down the middle and traded it. Our relationship may have evolved from being friends, to best friends, to lovers, but I was glad that this was something that remained the same.

After the food had been finished and most of the plates in the ballroom were wiped clean, an area was cleared of decorations, creating a space in the middle. On a stage off to the side, members of a band began to tune their instruments. I realized with jolt that me and Stasi were probably going to be opening the dance, even if Yulia said "maybe". My fears were confirmed when an attendant came to get us.

"Excuse me, Ms. Sokolov, Mr. Williams, but the Coven Royal Family has requested that you open the dance." I took a sharp intake of breath at my misfortune, looking at Stasi.

"Damn it, Josie." Stasi muttered under her breath. She looked back at me nervously. "Suuurrreee..." She said unsurely to the waiter. She peeled off her long white gloves, placed them on the table, and put her delicate hand in mines as I escorted her to the dance floor. Since vampire body temperature was so low, it was seen as fashionable that they wear gloves to avoid the cold handshakes. I knew Stasi abhorred them as a fashion statement. The only reason she liked them was because she told me she felt like Hannibal Lecter when she had them on.

"I'll see you on the other side, Chris! I'll make sure to record you and everything." Viktor called out as we walked away, making the table laugh. I resisted the urge to give him a rude hand gesture behind my back. I swore that i'd have a talk with Ricky. It was Ricky who taught Viktor all he knew about heckling.

We navigated through the tables, making our way to the dance floor. I heard Elena's wolf whistles coming from our table and decided that after this was over, I was going to go to Viktor's and her rooms and turn all their socks inside out. It might not seem like much, but have you ever tried to go through your entire sock collection and turn them back to outside-out? It gets annoying! Or I could just spike their blood packs with salt. That'll teach them!

"Do you know how to dance, Chris?" Stasi looked as nervous as I was. "A little." I admitted. I felt myself relax when she smiled beautifully at me. "You can lead then, I don't know how to dance at all."

We arrived at the middle of the dance floor, turning and facing each other. Remembering what Lucy taught me those past few weeks, I tentatively intertwined my left hand with her cold one and placed the other on her waist. She placed her hand on my shoulder, looking up at me with her beautiful, blue eyes.

"Easy." We said at the same time. We looked at each other in surprise before softly laughing. It was what we always said to each other before we took in school.

We stood there, simply looking at each other, until the lights dimmed and the band began. The pianist began pressing down on his piano, playing a tune that i'm sure everyone in the room knew or heard at least once. Stasi sighed. It was one of her favorite songs. I took the lead and we slowly revolved on the spot to the music. Everything began to fade away. The cameras snapping our pictures, the Coven, our families, our friends, everything. All that mattered was her.

I drew Stasi in closer, softly singing to her over the soft piano of the band and the singer's voice. "What would I do without your smart mouth? Drawing me in, and you kicking me out? You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you... down. What's going on in that beautiful mind? I'm on your magical mystery ride."

Stasi looked up at me, her eyes watery with happiness. She softly sang back into my ear, her voice a croak. "And i'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright. My head's under water, but i'm breathing fine. You're crazy and i'm out of my mind."

I twirled her, her dress spinning gracefully with her, making the audience gasp and sigh in appreciation. "Because all of me, loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections." We sang softly together, our mouths moving in unison with each other and the vocalist. "Give your all to me. I'll give my all to you. You're my end and my beginning, even when I lose I'm winning."

I twirled her again, making her face alight with happiness. Her smile and the way her eyes never left me mesmerized me completely. It was a wonder I didn't step on her feet accidently. We went the rest of the song, whispering the song together, holding each other close. We weren't even joined by Anton and Yulia, who had promised that we wouldn't be out on the dance floor alone for too long. I didn't care. I didn't really want this to end. The song summed up everything I felt for Stasi, vampire or not, she was my everything, and I was hers.

When the song concluded, we came to a stop, and Stasi stood up on her tiptoes to give me a kiss. The audience erupted in applause at our performance. After Stasi finished, she turned to the Royal Family, curtseying, as was protocol. I turned with her, bowing to the family of five, who were applauding along with the rest of the audience.

My eyes trailed to Anton and Yulia's seats at the head table, which were empty. Instead, they were already near the dance floor, ready to join us. Yulia was clutching Anton's pocket square, dabbing at her eyes. She had it, but it looked like Anton needed it more. As we walked over to him, hand in hand, he crushed me in a hug.

"That was great." He breathed. "That was absolutely the greatest ballroom dance this I have ever seen."

"It was." Yulia added, hugging onto Stasi. "Oh, I wish your parents could've been here to see it. They would've been so happy."

I grew slightly embarrassed, but hugged her right after Anton let go of me to latch onto his eldest daughter. "Thanks, Yulia. It means alot to me."

Yulia broke the hug, interlocking back with Stasi's hand. "You two can go ahead and go to your rooms now if you wish. After that performance, i'm sure everyone will want to either speak with you, or dance with either one of you"

I looked at Stasi, who looked back at me. We came to a mutual conclusion at the same time.

"We're fine, mama. We'll stay. We're having fun." Stasi said.

Anton and Yulia raised their eyebrows. "If you say so then," Yulia said. "Have fun you two. I'm sure they'll play music that's more to your tastes soon." Anton and Yulia glided past us towards the dance floor, where the band was beginning to play Pachelbel's Canon in D. The only reason I know was because my mom wanted me to play the Cello in the fifth grade and that was the easiest song. You literally had like five notes to play.

As we walked back to our table, we got a lot of nods, smiles, handshakes, and appreciative words for our dance. We sat down back at our table, with Elena, Viktor, Vlad, and Eva.

"That dance was crazy good, Chris. Where'd you learn how to dance?" Viktor asked.

"Yeah, where did you learn how to dance?" Stasi asked suddenly interested.

"You guys really want to know? I had Lucy teach me how to dance." I confessed.

"I knew it!" Stasi said triumphantly. "So that's why she and Jazz left so early that one day. They went to your house, didn't they?"

"Yep." I said, popping the 'p' as I looked back to the dance floor, where Anton and Yulia were happily dancing away amid the vampire couples.

Stasi rested her chin on my shoulder, looking at the dance floor. "That's a lot more than last year." She mused. "Oh really?" I asked. "Really. Every year, there's only about five couples that really dance, my parents included." Stasi reached with her left hand, placing it on my jaw and tilting it to the right, where her face was. She gave me a kiss.

"I'll have to thank Lucy. That was perfect." She sighed. "This whole thing is perfect. Way better than I ever thought Halloween would ever be. Even without the 'eating myself sick with candy' part, this is better than I ever dreamed." I gasped, sitting up straight. "Hold that thought."

"What? What is it?" Stasi asked, concerned.

"I said hold that thought." I repeated, reaching into my tuxedo jacket for the silk parcel. I hope the heat hadn't done any damage to it. I withdrew it from my tuxedo jacket, placing it on the table. I untied the skillfully tied knot, opening up the parcel and turning it upside down. Numerous candy bars tumbled out and landed on the table.

Stasi picked up a gold-wrapped Twix Bar, her favorite, and stared at it in shock. Even though it was soft and slightly melted from the heat inside my tuxedo jacket, it was still a twix bar. Elena picked up a Hershey's Bar, examining it.

"I thought that since I wasn't going to be collecting any candy, we could have our own eating ourselves sick thing going on here at the ball."

With a cry, Stasi melted herself against me, giving me another deep and passionate kiss. "You are seriously the best boyfriend ever." She cried. From the way she tightly wrapped herself around me, it did little for anything except to create an erection. I prayed that it wasn't so noticeable as Stasi peeled the wrapper away from the chocolate, biting into it with her fangs, moaning at the taste.

I looked at everyone else at the table. "There's enough for everybody." I began distributing the bars of candy. I was right. There was just enough for everyone to get one. By the time the band had finished a few more songs, Elena and Viktor were munching on a shared Hershey's Bar, Vlad was biting into a Reese's, and Eva was chomping on a Starburst. Stasi was polishing off her Twix Bar, and I was popping Skittles into my mouth.

The band finished their final performance of a rendition of a Mozart song, getting applauded off the stage.

"That's it?" I asked.

"I think they're replacing them with someone else." Stasi said.

Sure enough, as the band packed their instruments and left, they were replaced by a man setting up a computer. The lights in the room began to dim, until the only illumination came from the candles on our tables. "I hope he plays something good." Elena muttered under her breath, taking a sip from her SBP to wash down her chocolate.

"At least we have a DJ." Viktor snorted. "Last year we had an orchestra."

I cringed at the picture of the elderly getting down to Beethoven. On the stage, the DJ opened up his laptop, connecting his setup to the speaker systems. After announcing who he was and how much fun he intended to have with everybody tonight, he began to play songs on the laptop. Pop music began to blare from the speaker system. I looked around the ballroom. There had to be close to 600 people in the ballroom, yet no one was heading to the dance floor.

I turned to Stasi, who was gently bopping her head to the music. I took hold of her hand. "Let's go."

She looked at me confused. "To where?"

I gestured to the empty space in the middle of the ballroom. "The dance floor!"

Stasi looked at me as if I grew a second head. "Chris, there's a reason nobody dances. Nobody wants to look stupid. I'll go with you if you want to go, but we'll be out there by ourselves."

I looked back at the dance floor. It was still empty. Suddenly, there were two things I could see myself doing. One, I could sit here and enjoy my time with everybody at our own little island, or two, I could go out on the dance floor with Stasi and have a ball. Both were equally attractive, but one had the slight advantage over the other.

I took hold of Stasi's hand, standing up. "Later." I said to the rest of the table.

"Back to the room already?" Elena asked, wagging her eyebrows.

"Nope, dance floor." I said, pointing to the empty dance floor. As we walked, a thought hit me. I looked at Stasi. "I only know one dance."

"Doesn't matter. I'm leading this time." Stasi said. Once we had reached the dance floor, Stasi led me through a dance that was fairly simple, a nice two-step to the music. We began having fun, ignoring the eyes on us. Screw them. We were having fun.

Our little time together didn't last for long. Just as the second song began, we were joined by Elena who dragged Viktor to the floor, then Eva, and then Vlad. As we danced away I noticed more vampires began to edge towards the dance floor. All I did was wave to them, beckoning and gesturing for them to come and join us.

Only by the third song did everyone really start to have fun. Dancing was no longer seen as stupid and lame. Rather, it was quite the opposite. Dancers soon took up the majority of the dance floor and me and Stasi were in the middle of the mob. Viktor and Elena were nowhere to be seen, swallowed up in their own little areas. It didn't even register in my mind that I started a freakin' dance party.