The black envelope came as it usually did. She stared at it in disgust as she did every two weeks. Shari McLean stormed into her apartment. She threw it on the counter and opened her phone bill to find out it went down ten dollars and that her electric bill had gone up eight dollars. Other than that no bills had come. '
The usual junk mail and the black envelope. She picked the light envelope and opened it. It ripped easily as though no one had licked it. As she stared at it her eyes grew wide. This wasn't the usual invitation to a party it was different. The note was written on silver paper with a black lining.
Dearest Shari,
I think it is time that you understood that this letter is not an invitation it is an official order from the Dark World. You have no choice. We have decided to send you a ride in case your car dies or you accidently forget. I wouldn't think of disappearing because we'll be watching.
Sincerely,
She sighed. They, whoever they were, had better not send her a vehicle. She sat down on one of her stools. Her fingers were running through her hair and tugging on them. She didn't even notice until she looked in the mirror and saw her hair in tangled knots as she pushed her fingers through it.
The phone next to her rang and she stared at the white phone unsure if she should pick it up. On the third ring she picked it up quickly before she could change her mind.
"Hello?"
A masculine voice responded. "Hey Baby! It's me, Nathan."
She sighed happily. "Oh hey! What's up?"
"Nothing. Do you mind if we come over later? We'll get some movies because my house is a wreck and I really don't feel like cleaning."
She hesitated.
"Come on please. I'll take your duty next week." He said referring to the pack they all had.
She, Nathan, Josh, Julias, and Christina got together every week and watched a movie and than crashed at each others places.
"Yeah, that's OK ;but, I got this invite to a party and I might be having a ride pick me up so I might have to run out for a half hour."
"OK! Yes, I love you! Bye babe!" Nathan said and hung up leaving her in utter silence.
There was only one thing she hated with her house and it was the fact that her shower had mirrors in it which made her assume some perverts had lived here before. She didn't mind looking at her body it was just the scar that she minded. It was down her thigh on her right leg and even though it didn't pain her much any more it was still a disgusting sight.
She knew it upset her friends that she never wore shorts and when going in the pool found some way to cover her leg. She didn't want anyone talking behind her back. That was more painful than the pain she had to endure.
She closed hey eyes and washed her body quickly and put some Back to Basics shampoo and conditioner into her hair and after scrubbing it to the roots washed it out with the massage button on her shower head. She pulled her soft black robe tightly around her and walked down her small hall to her room.
She pulled on a white tank-top with a black dragon on it and than a black jacket over it which had only two white stripes down the side. She slipped her black pants on and than her black boots on lacing them up all the way.
Shari walked down the stairs and into the family room. She heard the doorbell ring and opened the door to see Julias and Christina. She smiled and hugged Christina tightly and than Justin as well. He pulled back from the hug and after going down the full of her body stopping only at her breasts and than again at her mouth as he was on his way up. He smiled seductively and Christina who was his sister hit him.
"Just make yourselves at home. The others should be here soon, I'm sure."
After Shari had finally settled on her makeup still sure it looked bad she sat down. Almost immediately after she sat down did the doorbell ring. She let Christina answer it after she had offered and when she saw Nathan and Ellen enter the door she felt faint.
Christina had scurried ahead, her short blonde hair in wrinkled waves as her green eyes sparkled mischievously. Justin looked exactly like his sister. With white blonde hair he kept neatly trimmed and bright green eyes that showed amusement no matter what.
Nathan was the opposite of them. Instead of being tall he was short and had a presence. He had curly black hair that he would brush until it was wavy. With his dark brown eyes and dark olive complexion it was obvious there was Italian in his bloodlines.
Ellen was tall and was supposed to be wearing glasses. With straight blonde hair that she kept even blonder with lemon juice in the sun. She had always been the brain of everyone and when she had moved away in the middle of the school year Shari's grades had dropped from A's to B's. No one had said anything because no one would have suspected Shari to be a cheater nor Ellen for the matter so it was just passed off as depression.
Ellen smiled at Shari and hugged her tightly and they embraced each other for sometime until Josh walked in with a lopsided grin on his face. His bright blue eyes and red hair would match nothing together let alone themselves together but Josh made them fit somehow. Ellen had always said it was makeup but that was after Josh and she had broken up. Ellen pulled away and hugged Josh.
"Hey asshole! How are you?" He flinched when she called him an asshole.
"I'm fine. You?" Ellen smiled.
"Well I was fine until you showed up."
No one was sure whether Ellen was serious or not so Shari, Christina, Nathan, and Justin laughed uneasily. A knock on the door ended the tension and everyone looked at Shari to see if possibly she was expecting someone.
Shari ignored their curious gazes and went to the door and peeked out the peep hole and gasped.
He was gorgeous. A tall man stood outside. His gaze never shifted from the door and his black hair was falling just below the neck collar.
He had fluorescent jungle green eyes with almost a hint of silver in them and ruby red lips on pale white skin. He started to walk away and she noticed how he always seemed to be on guard.
She opened the door and quickly stepped outside breaking the utter silence because his feet had made no sounds as he walked down the hall and her heels clicked gently on the hard wood floor. He turned and smiled at her.
"Shari?" She could only nod as she listened to the voice that sounded like crushed leather.
With a flick of his wrist a dark red rose appeared in the palm of his hand as he held it to her and she picked the rose up being careful not to touch him even though she had no idea what she feared from him.
"Thank you. "She mumbled and wondered why her voice was so plain.
She turned around but his hand seized her wrist. The coolness of his touch sent shivers down her spine.
"Don't." She whispered in-between closed lips but it disappeared as his hand reached out to touch a wisp of her hair and play with it between his fingers. He had let go of her captured wrist yet she didn't try to make him let go of her hair.
"Your beautiful, Shari." Josh walked into the hall but she ignored the dark shadow that appeared across his face and looked at the man.
"What is your name?" She asked him in no more than a hushed whisper.
"Michel. It's time." She nodded and stumbled forward to grab her bag and Michel followed her pushing right past Josh.
Josh stared with a disgruntled look on his face and followed the both of them. "Uh.. You said your name was Michel correct? Well, Michel, Shari isn't going anywhere. I'm sorry."
Michel glanced at Josh and than handed Shari her leather jacket slipping it onto her as she slipped her arms through the holes of the jacket.
