But, as I walked back to my dorm room, a part of me glanced back where I had left Liam. Regardless of what they would have done, I had my first professional audition today, a dream come true, and it was because of him.
Sighing, I locked my door and headed to the shower. Dreams didn’t always come true the way you wanted them to.
CHAPTER 14: LIAM
My phone rang at 8am, just as I got out of the shower. Porsche was sprawled across my bed, still fast asleep, so I grabbed it and headed back into the bathroom. Since she was here, last night’s transformation did not involve chains and a basement cell the entire night. Instead, we had driven over to the big city, and taken advantage of a night club that would not miss a few pieces of riff raff. I hadn’t had a party night like that in quite awhile, and it felt good to return to the life that had made me. But when the lights came on at the club, and the afterhours club closed their doors, we had no choice but to make our way back home; leaving me only enough time to shower and change before I was expected in morning classes. Porsche, however, informed me she had nowhere to be, and climbed into my bed. Oh, to be human again. My head was still pounding from the loud music and the booze; keeping the cravings at bay just long enough to lure someone outside.
There had been no bodies last night, only semi-drained victims that would find their way to a hospital. But I still felt more energized than I had been in a long time. Human blood gave me new life as the sun rose. My human companion however, had seemed the opposite. Normally, my antics when I was half drunk and high on blood kept her in stitches. But last night, she seemed nothing but annoyed with me, playing on her phone and refusing the long line of partners who lined up, wanting a dance with her. When the sun finally began to rise, she practically dragged me to the car, mid-transformation. The hour long ride back hadn’t been much fun either.
Her mood had gotten to me, and while I felt energized, I found the atmosphere that had once made me so happy didn’t do a thing for my attitude. The endless supply of women and booze didn’t feel like quite the reprieve it usually did, and I was glad to finally return to the school.
“Hello.” My voice came through a bit louder than I intended, and I turned on the tap to drown it out.
“Liam, darling, it’s been too long.”
“Hello, Shannon,” I said, glancing at myself in the mirror. Years ago, Shannon had cast me in a few movies before moving back to her first love, theater. I didn’t particularly like her. She was full of attitude and ego … but then, so was I.
“I got your pint size package yesterday,” she said, and I could hear her flipping through papers on the other side of the phone. “Very impressive. When she walked in, I thought for sure there was only one reason you’d pick her. But she’s got some talent as well.”
“Do you really think I’m so shallow, Shannon?” I asked with a smirk on my face as I reached for a towel to rub my hair dry. I put the phone down, pressing speaker phone and turned off the tap. “That I would put the whole school in jeopardy to cast a pretty girl?”
“That’s the Liam I know,” she replied, and it made me set my jaw. She was right, of course. Beautiful women were what got me into this whole mess in the first place and I’d once rather have a blond on my arm that couldn’t form a sentence than a bespectacled brilliant nerd.
“And so, since you know me so well, what’s the answer to the question you are about to ask?” I wrapped the towel around my waist, spraying on some cologne.
“The answer is of course, yes. I’m going to take Gatsby on the tour circuit in two months. Rehearsals start next week. Amy can join the chorus.”
“As an understudy?” I asked, leaning against the counter.