The Animals Have Come to Play (Completed) (unedited)

Dinner

(Chapter 2: Dinner)

"Hey! I'm home!" I hollered as I trudged inside my house.

"Why aren't you in school? It's only 11:30!" My mom hollered from the office.

"There was another Pureblood at the school! He got angry and shattered the classroom window. The principal covered it up as a fault window," I summarized as I walked passed the hallway that contained my parents' bedroom, the wash room, and the office. I walked into the living room and turned left to go up the stairs. My dad met me half way. A frown adorned his face.

"Another Pureblood?" he asked with concern in his tone.

"Yeah, he's from the Nanik family! It's the first time I've seen another family besides ours!" I exclaimed excitedly as I went to go up the stairs. My dad blocked me. I took in his suit. His hands were shoved into his pants pockets. His hair was tamed and gelled.

"Where are you going?" I asked him. He pulled his right hand out and glanced down at his watch.

"I have a meeting with Walter. I'll be back before dinner. As for the Nanik family... It is best to just stay away from them. They mean bad news to us. Be careful, Ariadne. We don't have much friends, but anyone could be your enemy. Even the ones you thought you trusted." I rolled my eyes, used to this conversation by now.

"Yeah, yeah, make a few good friends, keep tabs on everyone. I know, I know!" I pushed passed him and climbed the stairs. My backpack bounced off the back of my thigh with each step I took. I took a right and dropped my bag to the floor and flopped down onto my bed. Closing my eyes, I threw my arm over my eyes and let out a deep sigh. Soon, I was lulled into the dark unknown of slumber, where my imagination created scenes that danced behind my eyelids.

"Ari!" I heard a voice break through the thick veil of music and fog, sounding from somewhere far away. I ignored it, dismissing it as someone shouting at me from somewhere in the room that was currently hosting, by far, the best party I've ever been to.

"Ariadne!" The voice was closer this time and twice as clear. To my surprise, it sounded like my mom. What was she doing here?

"Ariadne Marie Roytan!" Damn, she was persistent! Didn't she know I was having a good time? I spun around, searching for the familiar face shouting my name. The strobe lights made it hard to see the entire room, and the people seemed to go on forever. I could recognize the people next to me, most of them were friends from my previous school, yet their faces were blurred and distorted. What the hell?

"Ariadne!" My eyes snapped open as my dad's voice thundered up, rattling the walls. I glanced up quickly, and jumped up, off my bed when I saw my clock read 6:23. I grabbed my dresser when black spots invaded most of my vision and dizziness along with a slight pounding behind my eyes washed over me.

"I'm coming!" I managed out weakly. I always found it hard to talk when these things happened to me. It passed 10 seconds later, and I rushed down the stairs, and turned to the left, entering the kitchen. Four chairs were placed at the island, and I sat between the head chair and the third chair. I looked down at my plate that was filled with spaghetti with meatballs and a slice of warm garlic bread. I first grabbed the garlic bread, taking a large bite into the slightly cheesy, warm piece of heaven.

"How was the meeting?" I asked my dad around the food in my mouth. My mom rolled her eyes at me and spun some spaghetti onto her fork.

"It went fairly well," my dad said, glancing down long enough to stab a meatball onto his fork. He'd changed into a simple black shirt and slacks. "Walter and I have decided you'll meet Leander next week."

I swallowed too much food and started a coughing fit. My mom gave me a worried look and handed me her glass of water. I chugged it greedily, and coughed a couple more times. I eventually cleared my throat.

"Next week?" my voice came out squeaky. My dad nodded, chewing thoughtfully on the meatball before swallowing and stabbing his next victim.

"Yes, we haven't picked a specific day, but I was hoping to go for Tuesday. Leander seems like a good kid from what I've been told, and his parents are the closest thing our family has to friends." I glowered at my plate. The closest thing he had to friends. I've made plenty of friends.

"Today's Friday," I put bluntly, not looking up from my plate. I took another bite out of my garlic bread and chewed it angrily.

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious."

"Yup," I ground out through a mouthful of food.

"You shouldn't be worried. You've known you were going to met him eventually since you were 6."

"I didn't expect 12 years to slip by."

My dad sighed heavily before he assaulted his food, spinning his fork until a large portion of spaghetti was wrapped around his fork. He then shoved it all into his mouth, to the point his cheeks were puffed out due to the large amount of food. He had lots of noodles hanging out of his mouth. I heard my mum gasp and say breathlessly "Patrick!" His eyes flicked over to her before his teeth cut through the loose noodles. My mom smiled over at me hesitantly.

"You don't have to meet with him if you don't want to, Honey."

"Of course she has to!" my dad jutted in, cutting a cold glare towards my mom. "This would be a bonding of the century! The fourth and third ruling of eight families joining together!" I sat back in my seat, my head lowered as I stabbed absently at my spaghetti. Here they go again.

"Patrick! Has it occurred to you that perhaps your daughter doesn't want an arranged bonding?" my mom said.

"Melissa, has it occurred to you that our family needs this bonding? We'll have allies to back us up! The Hallowfen clan has been closing in lately, and soon they'll try to wipe us out to gain fourth!

"But forcing our daughter into marriage is not the way to go! We are not that kind of people! It's border-lining barbaric!"

"Melissa!" Dad seethed out. His eyes flashed golden and the lights began to flicker. "We've been over this. Walter and his family agreed with the terms brought to them. The deal is made, it's just a matter of time." My mom was quiet for a moment, staring at my dad. Suddenly, a growl emitted from her throat. Her eyes flashed once, and all the bulbs in the kitchen broke, plunging us into darkness.

"Well, not that I'm not interested in your debate over what happens to me, in a life where I should have my own opinions, but I'm going to go to my room since Mom ruined my supper by spraying glass into it. Later," I spoke nonchalantly as I slipped out of my chair and headed up the stairs to my room. I closed the door behind me and slid down the length of it. I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them as I laid my head back against the sturdy support of the door.

I wanted to pick my own mate. I wanted to grow to love someone and have them be my best friend at the same time. I wasn't getting that with an arranged bonding. They were forcing a person I haven't even met yet into my life. Sure, we could be best friends and love each other like mates should, but it'd take time. As a feeling of betrayal seeped into me, I felt my cheeks get wet. I figured that when the time came of the bonding, my father would change his mind and decide to let me choose. That's the only thing that kept me hoping as I grew up. But after that conversation, the hope I'd spent my entire life on was crushed.

~~~~~~~

A/N

The picture is how I imagine Ariadne but of course with hazel eyes. As I said last time, if you don't imagine her that way, it's fine to imagine her your own way.