Part 1

The table is already set buffet style, the decorations glittered and shines all shades of bluish hues, and the old cafeteria still has the old moldy funk from back then. All the old friends are starting to gather around. It's been 15 years since everyone has seen one another, and yup, everyone is still in their cliques, and yup, trying to impress one another. Welcome to North Valley High School's 15th year Class Reunion. Although some never lost connection, most seem to fall off the planet. Everyone is now basically a stranger to one another.

Gracey Rose steps into the cafeteria, and much like the past it was like the room stood still. Like a movie scene where the environment grows frozen, dim, with breaths exposed, and the only forms of movements are the heaving chest with blinking eyes. All just staring. Gracey glares back at those hateful yet curious eyes, walking over to the buffet table, hearing the same whispers from before. "She's a whore". They all would say.

Gracey was beautiful, now she's just drop dead gorgeous. Her honey brown eyes are now on display since the lasik surgery, and she alway stayed fit. She kept her punk aesthetic, it simply evolved into sophistication. And not a single blemish on her smooth caramel skin. She looked down and a wisp of long black hair fell to her face, and she noticed the unfamiliar faces staring as she drew it back behind her ear. "Pigs" she muttered. They then turned away.

She's been intimidating to people for some unknown reason. She understands that she likes darker interests, and her face is constantly set on bitch, but she's never outwardly shown any hostility to anyone. She had very few friends in high school. Gracey would be considered an outcast. Gracey never understood why she was labeled as a whore. She knew that caring about her reputation served little to no purpose, especially to a group of fucktards who aren't even happy with themselves.

"Hey there, Gracey" she looked up at the opposite side of the buffet table, she was reaching for the strawberries when she heard the low silk voice. She sees a man standing about 5'9 with dark wavy hair tamed in a man bun. It was like his eyes were piercing her soul. She felt him, but she couldn't place who exactly he was. His voice even sounded unfamiliar. "Puberty must have done wonders" she thought to herself. "Hi…" she said shyly.

He let out a little laugh revealed a side smile. She thought she saw a fang. But there were very few other werewolves that Gracey knew in town, and most of them are family. Vampire? She doesn't know any vampires at North Valley High. She continued to ponder who this person was inside her mind. But it must have been the mixture of her silence and lack of awareness of the "huh" look on her face, that made him laugh a bit harder. "You're still cute" he said then walked away.

The moment was ruined by the shrieking sound of the microphone, and the equally annoying voice on said mic. The lady was an old class president for the class of '07. She was always a mediocrely pretty girl, and she's put on a few extra pounds, but still pretty; average. She announced that they needed some volunteers to gather supplies for the next big event. Some game to play together to reconnect, like an icebreaker. To Gracey's surprise her name was call along with a "Nathaniel" forced to volunteer. As like the good old days, where somehow Gracey got volunteered (picked on) to do labor work for the student body. Nonetheless they left her alone usually afterwards. But Nathaniel was a name that started to ring bells in Gracey's mind.

The lady extended a chubby pale arm covered in thick dark hair towards Gracey as she approached the stage. The keys dangled in her hand with the occasional hurry up jingles. Before Gracey could snatch the keys, someone else takes them. The lady gasped in shock then adjusted her composure. She rubbed her hands on her red knee length dress, cleared her throat, and proceeded to entertain the crowd.

Gracey sees the hand who snatched the keys, it was… Nathaniel? The guy by the buffet table that said hi to her earlier. It was at that moment she knew she must have a connection with him, they go to the same school, she just couldn't place him. He knew her, but she doesn't remember him.

" I have the keys… but where do we go? He shrugged with a cute clueless face.

Gracey got an actual look, an actual good look at his face. He was cute, extremely handsome even. He had tan skin, Hispanic or Hawaiian? His hair had wisps of dark brown nearly black that escaped the bun and highlighted the angles of his face. Tattoos peeked through his dark gray Kurt Cobain style sweater. He had some stubble and a tiny beard; manly yet feminine. Rough yet soft. Scary yet sweet. This man was a beauty, but it was obvious there was a beast inside him. It was noticeable by his piercing emerald eyes. They made Gracey fearful yet tingle. He glanced into her eyes for a bit, and they were lost on another planet. He licked his full lips, just as juicy she licked hers.

Nathaniel quickly broke the spell they were under and boldly went on stage to ask where the supplies were. The lady was hesitant because she did not expect for him to even ask, yet alone to have come on stage to ask her. He returned to Gracey and grabbed her hand and said, "Let's go, they're in the basement". She could not help but feel flustered. It was almost like she was a kid again but for some reason that part of her memory was blocked.

She continued to try to remember who Nathaniel was to her. More and more she got frustrated with the mystery of him. He dragged through the halls not even a single glance. But the connection was there, and she knew he meant her no harm. His energy was anxious though. The series of bizarre events leading to the reunion, the toxic energies that suffocated the cafeteria, and being tagged along into the school's basement by a mysterious man that she somehow knows. It all made her feel like she was out of body, and she was desperate to snap back into reality. The frustration grew into a ball of fire, unstable, that she felt under her naval that just made her feel sick.

"It's okay, we're almost there"

He pulled her closer to him where he can grab her waist, as he unlocks the basement door. They both saw the stairs that descended into darkness. With lightly painted gray brick walls. The cool winter air could be felt from below. But the cold breeze felt good on Gracey's burning skin.