Amelie (ON HOLD)

VIII

  ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴅɴᴇss ᴏғ the night bit at my exposed skin as I wrapped my arms around myself. Tonnes of students from the dorms stood amongst me, half looking as if they were to fall asleep any minute and half looking as if they might bite your head off if you spoke to them. I kept quiet, knowing if they knew it was me who started the fire, I would never live to see the light of morning.

  I knew the emergency services would figure out it was my room soon, so I was expecting to stay up for a while. I already felt too awake for my own good.

  The whole event of tonight was too much to bear let alone think of, but when I thought of Vincenzo's desperation, it made me worry. Vincenzo was a Prince and I had not only rejected him, but soaked him in scorching water, stabbed him in the shoulder, and, let's not forget, kicked him in the balls...twice now. The Vampire Royal Family would not be a happy family if they found out what I did, and then I won't only have Vincenzo to worry about. My life could well be in danger.

  I took in a deep breath and watched it turn white as I puffed it out. I was screwed. However, this was far better than being locked in Vincenzo's mad embrace. I would take standing in the freezing cold in the middle of night over that any day.

   "Amelie?" a familiar voice made me turn around. It was Enrica.

   "Enrica?" I said. She walked over to me and pulled me into a hug. "I didn't know you lived in this dorm." I looked down at her outfit to see no pyjamas but instead a tight, short black dress and thigh high boots.

  "I don't. I was at a party and someone said they heard fire engines and then told me that a dorm had set fire. We all went to check and here I am." She gestured to her feet. "What happened?"

   "My dorm room caught on fire." I said.

   "I'm sorry, what?!"

  I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "I must've forgotten to blow out a candle or something." I lied right through my teeth.

   "Oh my god! Are you alright?!" she took my face between her cold hands and examined my face for any burns.

   "I'm fine." I lightly chuckled at her sweet concern. "But I don't think my dorm room is." My dorm room, most definitely, was not.

   "Where are you going to stay?"

   "I don't know. Probably my parents." Great, now I had to get ready for another lecture. My mom would constantly go on about how irresponsible I was whilst my dad complained about the money.

  Enrica frowned at the displeasure on my face.

   "Or you could stay in mine? I have a spare bed from a roommate who got expelled a few weeks ago." I had only known Enrica for a little while, but she was the only friend I had made and I saw no problem with her at all. In fact, she stood up for me against Jaqueline, the most popular girl on campus, and didn't care. If anything, Enrica had acted like a long time, true friend in the short time we've known each other.

   "Are you sure that's okay?"

  She quickly nodded. "Absolutely! It'll be like having a sleepover! I've never had a sleepover." Urgh, sleepovers. That was what got me in this mess in the first place.

  The wind gave a harsh brush against my skin sending prickly goosebumps up my arms. If I stayed out here any longer, I was going to become an ice sculpture.

   "Camden!" Enrica shouted out to the crowd. A man with black hair and olive skin emerged from the crowd. He also was dressed up but not as much as Enrica, it was more... serious, with a pair of black jeans, black boots and a stylish leather jacket zipped up as a guard from the cold. I already assumed the shirt underneath was also black. I noticed how he hand the latest iPhone in hand and car keys in the other, as he walked towards us, I saw the Lamborghini logo shimmer against the moonlight.