The Art of Dying
Dinner

We walked up to my dorm and I took the key out of my pants. I unlocked the door and Zane and I stepped in. C.C. was sitting on her bed facing the door and as soon as she saw me, she leaped from the bed looking angry. She was wearing a puffy black cocktail dress with a spiral printed, black and white blazer on top. Her hair was up in a neat bun and her makeup consisted of a deep black smokey eye (like I wear almost everyday) and a deep dark red lipstick.

“Where were you?” She asked crossing her arms. “And why did you bring him with you?” She then looked me up and down and noticed my attire. “Did you just, sleep with him?” She asked with disgust.

“I…─” I started to say but Zane cut me off.

“Hello to you too, Cassandra.” He said sarcastically. “Sadly no, we have not slept together, yet.” He gave a dramatic sigh and went on casually. “Your roommate died this afternoon, though.”

“What?!” She exclaimed and looked even more livid than when we first came in. “You changed her into a vampire! How could you? How dare you? You bastard…─” I quickly cut her off before this escalated even more.

“I’m not a vampire.” I hastily said.

That shut her up immediately but then she asked dumbfounded: “Then how come you’re alive?”

“She’s like you.” Zane answered for me. “An angel of death.” C.C. squealed at this news and ran to give me a big hug.

“Oh, my, god!” She exclaimed with a big smile on her face as she pulled away from me and jumped up and down, clapping her hands excitedly as she did so. “We’re like family!” She calmed down a little and said: “Well, not really but. Oh, my, god! How did you know? I mean despite the fact that you died but didn’t die. I’m sorry about that by the way. Wait, how did you die? And why are you wearing his clothes?” She said motioning to Zane with her chin.

“Um, well, Magdalena ─my reaper─ told me.” I said. “And I was almost decapitated by an axe in ‘Manor Mortis’ by someone wearing a ski mask. And since I was all bloody, I took a shower in Zane’s room.” C.C. looked at me, shocked with big eyes as I said that I showered at Zane’s and so I added: “Alone.” She seemed to relax after I added that last word. “And he gave me some clothes so that I didn’t have to wear my bloody ones.”

“Oh. Ok. Well, I’m sorry you had to die to replace out what you are.” She said sympathetically. “But at least now you know what you are. And OMG you met a reaper! That’s super big. I’ve only ever met one other angel of death who met one. So, how was it like? What did your reaper look like?” She grabbed my hand and led me to my bed. We both sat down but Zane stayed by the door.

“It was…” How can I describe how it felt to die? “Interesting. And Magdalena was like… a skeleton with black pig tails on her skull and she wore a white suit. She was able to smile, which was freaky and don’t ask me how a skull can smile, cause I have no idea.”

“Wow.” She looked at me in wonder. “Did it hurt? Dying, I mean.” I threw my bloody clothes in the ‘dirty pile’ and then focused back on C.C.

“No, but then again I died instantaneously, so…” I said as I thought back on my experience. “But I did have a big torticollis, though.” Which is gone, now. Thank god. “Anyway I should probably get ready or we’re going to be late.”

“Oh, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to…” She said concerned. “I can even stay with you if you want. I’d understand if you didn’t want to go spend an evening in the place that you were murdered.” She then dramatically shivered. “Spooky!” I smiled.

“No, it’s fine.” I said. “It’ll actually be a nice distraction.” Zane and C.C. both looked at me confused. “Meeting new people and stuff, it’ll take my mind off of what happened.”

“Well, if you’re sure…” C.C. said, skeptically looking at me. “Then, I guess…”

“Yes.” I said exasperated of being treated like a fragile doll. Sure I died, but… “Now, can we…?” To answer my question, C.C. leapt from my bed and went to the closet. She took out a huge black tutu skirt along with a black and white, vertically striped blazer from it and threw them at me. I caught them and then she rummaged through my ‘clean pile’ of clothes on the floor and handed me a black T-shirt.

“Go change.” She said with a small smile. I headed to the bathroom and closed the door. I took off Zane’s black sweatpants and grey T-shirt and put them on the counter then I changed into the long and puffy black tutu skirt, black T-shirt and striped blazer, C.C. gave me along with my ‘Converse’. Once that was done, I decided to apply my everyday makeup of black smokey eye and a little blush before walking back into the other room.

C.C. was playing with her engagement ring with a thoughtful expression on her face as she sat on her bed while Zane looked as deep in thought as her but he was sitting on my bed. What’s up with them?

“Guys, what’s wrong?” I asked and they both looked up at me startled as if they just took notice of me standing there. C.C., I can understand but Zane has vampire hearing… Zane zoomed to me and offered me his arm, I automatically looped mine through it.

“Nothing.” He replied casually. “Shall we…?”

“We were just wondering who could have wanted to kill you.” C.C. said as she stood up and put on her black, five inch heel shoes.

Well, there was Dixie but Oliver erased her memory and then there could be Abbigail but I saw how guilty she felt about the fact that I almost died at C.C.’s party, so I don’t think she’d have the nerve to kill me. She’s all talk but no action.

Zane glared at her. “What? It’s true!” C.C. exclaimed angrily. “Anyway, we should get going. I’m sure Olly’s waiting.” C.C. said before grabbing her white, wool, winter coat and stalking out of the room. Can’t leave these two alone for more than five minutes.

“Let’s go.” Zane said stiffly.

“Yeah, just a sec.” I untangled my arm from him and went to grab my room key off the black dresser as well as my black, wool, winter coat. I put it on and then looped back my arm through his before we walked out the door. I locked the door and we found C.C. waiting for us by the elevator wearing her coat.

We all entered the elevator and I pushed the button for the third floor. After about a minute of tense silence, the elevator doors opened with a ding and we all got out. We then marched silently to the garden/terrace and we found Oliver sitting at our usual table reading a book. He was dressed in a long, black, wool, winter coat, a classic, black top hat and had a pair of round, little, black sunglasses on his nose. I could see his black shirt and black ascot tie peeking from the top of his coat. C.C. almost ran to him as soon as she saw him. “Olly!”

He looked up, bookmarked his page, put the little book in the pocket of his coat and stood with arms wide open to catch C.C. She slammed into him and wrapped her arms around his neck for a deep kiss. “Not to cut this short or anything.” Zane said, making C.C. and Oliver stop their heavy makeout session. “But we got to go.” Oliver laughed a little while C.C. glared daggers at Zane. She then stomped over to us and grabbed my arm, dragging me away from Zane.

She then looped her arm through mine and we began to walk towards ‘Manor Mortis’ together with the boys following a little behind. “Well now that you know what you are, it’ll be easier to look for your parents.” She said with her usual bubbly persona without a hint of the anger she felt earlier. “I’ll talk to my grandpa about it, he knows about every angel of death out there so he’s sure to know who you parents are.”

“Thanks C.C.” I said as we walked through the light covering of snow, through the sinister, abandoned cemetery and towards the big grey mansion on the hill.

“Oh, and I could teach you all I know.” She said all excited. “I wonder what your wings look like. Oh, I’ll have to cancel your meeting with Oscar. Did you know that we can see when someone is about to die. I didn’t see you die but that’s probably because you didn’t stay dead so it didn’t count.” Something then occurred to me.

“Can we also, feel, how the person will die?” I said as I thought back to the last time I saw my grandfather and what I felt when I hugged him.

“Yes, though you have to touch the person for that.” She said. “Why?”

“I think, I felt my grandpa die before he did the last time I saw him.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Del.” She said sympathetically. “I can’t relate since I never lost anyone but I’m really sorry.”

“It’s fine.” I said, easily. I still miss my grandpa but if I don’t think about it, I don’t feel the pain that goes with missing him. “Anyway, I can’t wait for you to show me how to summon my wings.”

“Yeah, me too. It’s super easy, you’ll see and…─”

Zane stepped up to us and cut C.C. off saying: “We’re here. Can I have my date back?” Before he had an answer from either me or C.C. he grabbed my arm and looped it through his. “Thank you.” He said to her, mockingly. We then climbed the porch’s step and rang the doorbell.

A tall intimidating man answered the door. He was wearing a black and white tuxedo and asked in a deep, gravely voice: “Names, please?”

“Zane Saxton and Delphine Valiquette.” Zane said.

Then C.C. added: “And Oliver Pratt-Lambert with Cassandra-Claire Mortis.”

The tall man opened the door wider and stepped aside to let us through the massive, black, double doors. We stepped inside and the man closed the door. He then asked in his deep voice: “Coats?” They all began to take off their coats or in Zane’s case, his jackets and I copied them. They then handed their coats to the man and I did the same. The man just bowed his head then left us where we were.

“Let’s go.” C.C. said jovially as she looped one of her arms through mine and the others through Oliver’s. I grabbed Zane’s hands with my free hand and we walked through the dark corridors to the living room where Zane and I came through when we visited, earlier today. The space was filled with about fifteen people all dressed in black and white, mingling and having a good time.

There were also waiters, wearing black and white tuxedos walking between the people carrying various trays with either glasses filled with liquids of various colors or some hors d’oeuvre. The keys of the piano in the corner of the room were moving by themselves creating a soft melody that softly drifted through the room and the candles atop its surface were lit up.

“Come, I want to introduce you to people.” C.C. said as she let go of Oliver’s arms and began dragging me away. I looked at Zane; he gave me a small smile and mouthed the words ‘go’ before letting go of my hand. I returned his smile and let C.C. take me wherever she wants.

She introduced me to her aunt Trish Mortis and uncle Andrew Valastro. “Aunt Trish, uncle Andrew. I would like to introduce you to my roommate and best friend Delphine Valiquette.” Her aunt Trish was a short woman about five foot five, in her late twenties or early thirties, blond and with a rocker chic style. Her uncle Andrew was a short Italian man about five foot six, in his thirties also, with deep black hair and a Victorian style.

“Oh, hi.” Trish said. “C.C. talked about you. She said you didn’t know what species you were?”

“Actually we found out today that she’s like us.” C.C. cut in. “An angel of death.”

“That’s marvelous.” Andrew said as he looked at me with his head cocked to the side, studying me.

“Yeah.” I said timidly. They both smiled wide at me.

“You know, it’s aunt Trish that taught me how to sing.” C.C. said. “She’s an amazing singer.”

“Thanks, hon.” Trish said.

“You’re welcome. And uncle Andrew here, taught me how to paint. He’s very talented.” He winked at her. “They’re very well known artist in ‘Ellithia’.” C.C. said to me. “Anyway, see you guys later.” C.C. said to them before she began to drag me away.

“Nice to meet you.” I just had the time to say before C.C. dragged me to the other side of the room and to a young teenage girl.

“Del, I would like you to meet my little sister Deana-Dea or as we like to call her Dee-Dee.” She said.

“Hey.” I said.

“Dee-Dee that’s my roommate and best friend Delphine Valiquette.” C.C. said, introducing us.

“Sup.” She said with a small smile.

“Dee-Dee lives in ‘Ellithia’ with our parents.” As she mentioned her parents, the sisters both rolled their eyes.

“Yeah, you’re so lucky they let you go to the boarding school.” Dee-Dee said, crossing her arms. “They are driving me nuts.” She whispered.

“Cassandra, Deana. There are my girls.” Came the voice of a girl about our age. She was a tall, skinny Latina girl, with incredible high cheekbones and next to her was a brunette boy with blue eyes of, I’d say, eighteen years old. The girl walked forward and gave a big hug to C.C. and Dee-Dee. She pulled away from them and looped her arm through the brunette man’s. “Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?” The girl asked both C.C. and Dee-Dee.

C.C. reluctantly said: “Del, those are my parents: Tatyanna Fuentes and Cliff Mortis.” I was shocked. How could those two be her parents? They looked barely older than C.C. and I. “Mom, dad, this is Delphine Valiquette my roommate and best friend.”

“Nice to meet you.” I said timidly.

“Nice to meet you too, Delphine.” Tatyanna said. “Isn’t it nice to meet her Cliff?” She asked her… husband? “Cliff?” She repeated a little bit more forcefully.

“What?” Cliff said confused as he looked at Tatyanna who looked angry. “Uh…? Oh, yes, yes. Very nice.”

“So Delphine what…─” Tatyanna began but was cut off by C.C.

“Oh, hey sorry mom but I just saw grandpa so I’ll go introduce Delphine. Ok? Bye” C.C. said and she dragged me away before her mother had the time to utter a single word. “Hurricane Tatyanna, avoided.”

“Hey C.C. How can those two be your parents?” I asked her as we walked. “They look barely our age.” She stopped walking and turned to face me.

“They were stupid and eloped when they were fifteen.” She said as if that explained everything. I looked at her still not understanding and she sighed before she went on with: “When people of our world get married. We have this blood exchange ceremony that binds us together and we both stop aging. We can live forever if we are careful but if one of the two in the couple die then the other dies also. That is so that we both end up together in the other world. In death ─except for angels of death, it’s a bit more complicated than that, for us.” She then began walking again towards an older gentleman sitting on the couch next to the piano. “And they eloped like idiots when they were fifteen so they stopped aging at that age. Grandpa!” She exclaimed as we reached the man on the couch. He was about forty-five years old with light brown hair and deep blue eyes. He was also wearing a Victorian looking black and white tuxedo and held a cane with a silver skull at the top with his right hand. She hugged him and then said: “Grandpa this is my best friend Delphine.”

“A pleasure to meet you Delphine.” He said softly with a strong British accent.

“And Delphine this is my grandpa Mortimer Vital Mortis, the founder of our school.” She said proudly.

“Nice to meet you, sir.” He beamed at me.

“Hey, grandpa, where’s grandma?” C.C. asked him but before he could answer her, Blake appeared.

“Hi, Mr. Mortis, C.C.” He said.

“Blake!” C.C. exclaimed as she hugged him. He returned the hug but then pulled away and looked between C.C. and I.

“Sorry to interrupt your conversation but I need to speak with Delphine.” There was a sense of urgency in the way he said it that made me think something was wrong.

“Alright.” C.C. said, Blake then grabbed my hand and led me away from the living room. I felt a spark of electricity starting from where his hand touched me go through my entire being.

On the way, I spotted Abbigail wearing a vintage, black polka dots, white dress having a conversation with Zane; she was laughing and seemed carefree. Blake pulled me to a bedroom at the top of the stairs and closed the door behind us.

The bedding of the king size bed was blood red and the black walls were covered with posters: ‘Green Day’, ‘Iron Maiden’, ‘Black Veil Brides’, ‘Kiss’, ‘Sixx A.M.’ and many more. There were dozens of twinkling lights around the room and various black clothes were littering the floor. There was a drum set, an electric guitar and an acoustic one in one corner of the room opposite the bed and a black desk with tons of paper on top of it, in the other. I’m guessing this is his room.

Blake let go of my hand and sat on the bed with his head in his hands, looking lost. “What’s wrong?” I asked tentatively but he didn’t answer. He simply stayed where he was on the bed, deep in thought. Ok… “So, is this your room?” I tried again. This time he leapt from the bed and began pacing the room.

“What’s this I hear about you dying?” He asked angrily. He paused in his pacing to look at me but then he immediately looked away and resumed his pacing.

“Where did you hear that?” I whispered.

“Oliver… Zane told him.” He stopped in front of me. “But it’s true, isn’t it? You died.” He seemed pissed off and for some reason I felt bad, even though it’s not like I wanted it to happen.

“Yeah. But it’s not like I wanted to.” He laughed sarcastically and stepped away from me. I jumped as he suddenly punched the wall, leaving a dent in it. Whoa. What the…?

“How could you be so stupid?” What?... How dare he? “I’m sure that if you hadn’t canceled all those self-defense classes we were supposed to have, all of this wouldn’t have happened. I mean, why did you let yourself be killed? What if you weren’t an angel of death and you had died for real? Then what?” Wow… Is he for real?

“Yeah, as if I was just there, begging to be killed.” I said sarcastically. “For your information, I didn’t even hear my killer. She came at me from behind and the next thing I know, I was dead. I didn’t do anything wrong! So, yeah, if I were to have died then I would have died but I didn’t, so... You know what? Fuck you! ” I said seething. “I’m not the one that cut my wrist by my own choice.” I didn’t miss the hurt look he shot me before I stormed out of the room, fuming. I know that what I said was a low blow and I feel bad about it, but I can’t believe the nerve of this guy. Gosh!

I stalked down the stairs and went back to the living room just as the tall man who took our coat earlier said in a monotone: “Dinner, is served.” Zane then appeared at my side.

“Milady.” He offered me his arm and then led me to the dining room.

The room was in varying shades of black with a long, rectangular, black table in the center of the room. The chairs were black and Victorian (like most of the house) and on the tables were chandeliers with red, lit candles and loads of dishes covered by silver cloches. Everyone stepped forward and took a seat. There were little cardboards with our names on it. I found the one written D. A. Valiquette between the one written Z. R. Saxton and the one that said C. C. Mortis.

I took my seat and I saw Blake sat down right in front of me with Abbigail next to him. Great ─not. He seemed really sad and I had to force myself to look away from his adorable, sad puppy face since I was still angry about earlier and I didn’t want to forgive him just yet. Zane put his hand on my thigh and leaned close to whisper: “Are you ok? You seem tense.”

“I’m fine. Thank you.” I whispered softly while I looked down at my empty plate.

“Master Mortis informed me that he will be with you shortly.” The tall man that took our coat and announced that dinner was served said. “He apologizes for the inconvenience and asked for you to start without him.” The tall man bowed and then disappeared through the kitchen doors. Several waiters with jugs filled with green liquid and one jug filled with a deep blood red liquid began to circulate and fill our glasses. Everyone but Zane got green juice, so I’m assuming that the crimson liquid in his glass is blood. Ewww.

Mr. Mortimer Mortis (C.C.’s grandpa) stood up and said: “Let’s eat!” The waiters uncovered the dishes and left carrying their empty jugs and silver cloches as C.C.’s grandpa sat back down in his seat near the end of the table where I’m assuming Mr. Mortis is supposed to be seated. C.C.’s grandpa raised his glass and said: “To the peace between our worlds. May it ever stay as it is.” Everyone raised theirs glasses and there was a chorus of cheers before we all took a drink out of our glass. It was the same sour apple taste that we had at C.C.’s ‘Mertell’ party.

I leaned towards C.C. and asked: “C.C. what’s this?” I held my glass filled with green juice and she smiled.

“It’s ‘sime’ juice, we more commonly call it slime though.” Slime, ewww. “It comes from the ‘sime’ fruit in our world. It’s sort of a slimy green apple, with the skin of a lime.” She explained.

“Well, it’s delicious.” I said as I took another sip. Even if the name makes me think of a big pile of guck.

“I know, right.” She was handed a plate of macaroni and offered me some. I took some and passed it over, the other dishes got passed around also and then we all began to eat, or in Zane’s case, just drink. I did a pretty good job of avoiding looking at Blake; instead I focused more on my boyfriend beside me and the food in front of me.

We were almost done eating, when the doors on the other side of the room, opposite the kitchen, suddenly opened and in came a man dressed in dark grey jeans, a black shirt, a grey, vertically striped waistcoat, a black and white striped scarf, and a grey fedora hat. He also had several necklaces and a leather cuff bracelet making him look like a rock star. His blue eyes were lined with black kohl, he had a stubble beard and his hair was longish and brown. He was smiling widely at all of us as he approached the table. “Friends, family. I’m sorry you had to start without me. My fiancé won’t be joining us as she appeared to be sick. She is sorry but she can’t attend tonight’s festivities.” He took his seat at the head of the table but I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. “Please, do not stop on my account.”

“That’s… impossible.” I muttered under my breath, shocked.