HELL HOUSE

CHAPTER TWO: A Dinner Party


Gabriel sat at the head of the large wooden table with Miranda as close to him as she could get and Drew on his other side, salivating over the wide range of foods.
Luka and Mie sat near Miranda, Mie half hidden behind her brother and smiling shyly at Dinah who sat across from her.
Everyone was eating hungrily, the food tasting too good to stop.
Even Gabriel had never tasted anything quite like this meal, and he had the privilege of seven cooks at his country estate.
“This is delicious!” Miranda said, taking a bite of a red and white apple, the juice dripping down her chin before she licked it away with a small pink tongue.
“Irresistible.” Gabriel said, reaching out and offering an apple to Luka, his ice blue eyes staring into the other boy’s.
Luka took the apple, his gloved fingers brushing over Gabriel slender ones.
Drew reached for the wine bottle, snatching it out of Dinah’s hands. Not bothering to pour the dark red liquid into a glass he drank thirstily before dropping the empty bottle back onto the table.
Seeing Dinah’s shocked expression Drew laughed, “What’s up sweetheart? Never seen anyone do that before?”
Dinah shook her head. She was a rather quiet girl and wild parties had never interested her. The only alcohol she had ever tasted was a sip of champagne at her cousin’s wedding when she was seventeen.
“Willing to try?” Drew asked with a smirk, seemingly pulling another bottle of wine out of nowhere. “Down it baby.”
Dinah hesitated, her hand almost reaching out but then she thought better and declined, her grey eyes smiling reassuringly at Mie across the table.
Drew followed her gaze and let his own linger on Mie who was sipping a glass of pink lemonade, her brown eyes wide and rather frightened.
If Dinah wasn’t used to alcohol then Mie definetly wasn’t. She had never tasted it in her life. Of course she knew Luka drank a bit every now and then, she had even had the horror of seeing her brother drunk but had never been in a situation where people were drinking. While Luka was allowed to roam wild and free, risking his life of his motorbike and sleeping with whatever came along, Mie was very much the sheltered baby of the Odagiri family.
“Do you have a boyfriend Mie?” Drew asked, his green eyes glowing.
Mie looked startled and immediately she looked for protection from Luka, but Luka’s eyes were elsewhere, his mind for once not focused on his little sister. But Dinah was looking at Drew suspiciously, Mie noticed that. Perhaps she would be okay with Dinah there.
“No,” she replied in a small voice. The truth was Mie didn’t get to meet too many boys, and when she did they barely noticed her. It seemed they always preferred flashy, beautiful girls like Miranda.
“Girlfriend?” Drew asked, a smile curling his lips.
“N…no.” Mie said.
Drew smirked, “I have several,” he boasted.
“Girlfriends?” Mie asked shyly.
“And boyfriends,” Drew confided, enjoying the look of surprise that flitted across the younger girl’s face.
“Have you ever been kissed Mie?” he asked.
“Leave her alone,” Dinah said, choosing that moment to interrupt. She knew what Drew was hoping to get from Mie and she also knew that it was probably a bad idea to let him get it.
Drew glared at her, “Well I certainly bet you haven’t Miss Goody-goody.”
Dinah glared back and went back to eating her rice and pork. She had never liked boys like Drew; cocky and arrogant bastards the lot of them.
Meanwhile Miranda was gazing sullenly into her glass of wine, her red lips in a perfect pout.
Gabriel had basically ignored her all evening, seeming to enjoy talking to Luka about motorbikes more than he enjoyed flirting with his girlfriend.
And as for Luka, the wretched boy seemed to enjoy the attention he was getting from Gabriel. But who wouldn’t? Miranda reasoned with herself, Gabriel was like the sun and when he shone on you everything was bright.
Gabriel might be talking to Luka now, but he was going to marry Miranda.
“Have you ever tried one of these?” Gabriel asked, holding out a little orange fruit, his eyes dancing with something Miranda couldn’t name, his high cheekbones accentuated by the golden candlelight.
Luka looked at the fruit, his full lips already red with the wine, and his obsidian eyes looking a little cloudy with alcohol. He reached long fingered hand out for the offered fruit and Miranda noticed various scars on the tanned fingers.
“Looks like Drew has the hots for your sister, Luka.” She said, her blue eyes flickering over to where Drew was currently smiling lecherously at the smaller girl.
Her comment worked, the strange connection between the two men was broken, Luka turning to glare furiously at Drew who in turn glared furiously at Miranda.
The table was silent for a moment, Mie moving closer to her brother and Dinah looking apologetically at Luka.
Gabriel bit into a strawberry, his sharp teeth flashing in the dim light.
“Let’s play spin the bottle,” Miranda suggested, eager to get everyone talking again, but more importantly, to get a kiss from Gabriel by the end of the night.
“Erm…shouldn’t we al least try and find out who’s house this is?” Dinah suggested, adjusting her glasses.
“Boring.” Miranda scoffed.
“I want to play!” Drew said his eyes focused on Mie who was staring at her plate. “Who’s in?”
“I’m in.” Gabriel said slowly, placing the stem of the strawberry onto an unfolded napkin.
“Me too,” Luka said, looking at the napkin.
“Mie?” Miranda asked pointedly.
The black haired girl looked at her brother but receiving no response from him turned to Dinah, who nodded comfortingly.
“I…suppose,” she agreed.
“Me too.” Dinah said
Miranda smiled triumphantly and picked up the empty wine bottle Drew had left on the table. Gabriel cleared a space and Miranda placed the bottle down on the white lace table cloth.
“Who wants to start?” she asked.
“I WILL!” Drew shouted, sticking his arm out and spinning the bottle roughly. Everyone watched it, entranced by the golden light reflected in the greenish glass. Finally it stopped, pointing directly at Mie who rightfully looked worried.
“Truth or dare, darling?” Drew asked, running a hand through his gelled red hair.
“T…truth…” Mie stammered; her brown eyes on Drew, oblivious to the spiked looks her brother was shooting at the taller boy.
Drew grinned; obviously he had wanted that answer. Miranda could almost see the wheels turning in his sick little head. The idiot was so obvious. If he wasn’t careful he would end up murdered by a rage filled Luka by the end of the night.
“Have you ever kissed anyone?” Drew asked, expectance all over his greedy face.
“No.” Mie said shyly and Miranda smirked. This girl was just waiting to be messed up by someone like Drew. She had seen Mie at the New Years Eve parties, happy to stand alone in the corner, moving only when Luka told her too. She was entirely too stupid and dependant on her brother, it was probably time that she got a taste of real life.
No that Miranda really liked Drew; she knew he was an asshole who slept with both girls and boys and then discarded them like yesterday’s fashion. Miranda herself had almost been dragged under by him but luckily she had been saved by Gabriel, walking into the room like an angel and introducing himself.
“Your turn,” she said to Mie, taking a sip of her wine.
Mie spun the bottle with a slightly shaking hand as everyone watched. That was the thing about spin the bottle, Miranda thought, it was such a childish game but when it started it filled you with fear, expectance and uncovered hidden secrets that made you see everyone differently.
The bottle pointed at Luka and Mie smiled, relief flooding her small face. Miranda almost rolled her eyes; that was no fun!
“Uh…why didn’t you go to the Rightman’s party last week, Luka?” Mie asked.
Luka shrugged, running a gloved hand through his already messy hair. “Lisa was going; I thought it would be a little awkward considering our break-up. Honestly, sis, can’t you think of a better question than that?” he asked with a slight smiled.
Mie giggled back and lit up the room for a small moment.
“You were going to go to that party?” Gabriel asked suddenly, his face serious. “I went there, we could have seen each other if you had gone.”
Luka met the blonde’s boy’s eyes and his smile disappeared. “Yes.” He said simply.
“Spin the bottle.” Miranda interjected.
Luka nodded and spun it, watching Gabriel lazily out of the corner of his dark slanted eyes.
Luckily for Miranda, whose temper was gradually building, the bottle ended up facing Dinah, who began blushing profusely.
Miranda smiled, obviously little Miss Hamilton had a crush on Luka. Perhaps they could hook up, that would stop Luka from taking all of Gabriel’s attention away from her.
Dinah fiddle with her mousy plaited hair, “Truth.” She said, not meeting Luka’s eyes.
“Would you ever consider anyone in this room?” Luka asked.
“Consider them for what?”
“Just *consider*.” Luka said with a lazy smile.
He was playing with her, Miranda realised. Perhaps Luka did like Dinah as well.
“Yes,” Dinah answered with a little smile of her own. Obviously she thought that Luka was flirting with her as well. Miranda normally would have scoffed at that, after all, Dinah was about as plain as you could get. But that evening she desperately wanted Luka to fancy the older girl.
As Miranda was thinking Dinah span the bottle, it turned a few times before coming to rest on Gabriel, whose eyes finally left Luka to focus on Dinah. Miranda felt jealousy bubbling up within her. What had she done to deserve such treatment? She had never flirted, never even looked at another boy since getting together seriously with Gabriel. He was like an angel, hell, he was her angel and she wasn’t about to let him go. The Kynaston family was the best family around and Miranda fully intended on becoming a part of them.
“Truth or dare?” Dinah asked, seeming a little more confident when she addressed Gabriel. Obviously she didn’t fancy him then, Miranda thought, good.
“Dare.” Gabriel said confidently. Miranda smiled at this, it was evidence she knew the pale boy best. At every party she had ever been to where they had played spin the bottle Gabriel had always been the first to choose dare.
Dinah frowned, she was terrible at thinking up dares, whatever she thought of it was always crap.
And Gabriel, she didn’t even know him, how could she think up a dare that would be good? Although she had noticed that the looks he seemed to be giving Luka were getting a little weird. She had also noticed Miranda’s distaste at these looks, and Dinah had never really liked Miranda so maybe she felt like egging Gabriel on. After all, it wasn’t fair that such a prize bitch as Miranda Madsen had her claws firmly dug into such a handsome man as Gabriel. But then, Dinah had a little thing for Luka, she had always kind of fancied him ever since Wai Lin had told her that the wild motorcyclist was her boyfriend. But Dinah had never dreamed that she would ever get the chance to speak to him, and now here she was at the same dinner table. She didn’t really want Gabriel to give Luka any more of those funny looks either. But then Dinah’s eyes caught Miranda’s. The beautiful orange haired girl was looking at Luka in annoyance and Dinah smiled. Perhaps one dare wouldn’t hurt. After all it was only *her* dare, it’s not like it would even be anything good. Dinah thought hard…if only she could think of something really good…
“Take one of Luka’s cigarettes.” She said, cursing herself the moment the words left her lips. She knew it was a crap dare; it was just that Luka had taken his pack out the moment before. Miranda was smirking at her; obviously she thought that Dinah’s dare was pretty crap as well.
Luka had frozen, his own newly lit cigarette dangly rather fetchingly between his lips. Gabriel rose and advanced on the darker boy, every movement exuding grace and class.
“Gabriel, you don’t even smoke!” Miranda protested, now looking a little worried.
Gabriel waved her comments away with a flick of his narrow wrist and reached for Luka’s cigarette pack. It was crumpled, a little dirty and looked odd against the smooth skin of Gabriel’s hand. Dinah watched, as transfixed as everyone else in the room.
Gabriel took a cigarette and held it limply in his fingers. “Got a light?” he asked softly.
Luka’s eyes widened a little, startled, and he began to fish in his pocket but Gabriel stopped him with a sudden gesture.
“Never mind,” he said, placing the stolen cigarette between his own pale lips. Leaning forward he placed the tip against the smoking end of Luka’s cigarette. The Japanese boy closed his eyes momentarily, his fingers tensing against the table. Miranda looked incensed, her cheeks flushing red with anger. Dinah supposed she would be angry too, if her boyfriend was plainly flirting with another *boy* in front of her. Not that she wasn’t a little annoyed anyway, she did like Luka after all, but perhaps it was too much to hope that he would ever like her in return.
Meanwhile Mie was looking positively shocked and Drew was watching with slack eyes, looking like he was enjoying the show a little too much.
Finally Gabriel’s cigarette was lit and he backed away, sitting back in his own seat at the head of the table and blowing smoke in Luka’s direction.
“A cigarette kiss…” Drew drawled, “Nice one Gabriel!”
Miranda glared at the green eyed boy, she obviously wasn’t as impressed as he was.
Gabriel smiled, looking as strangely satisfied as the cat that got the cream. And just to illustrate that fact, he licked his lips before spinning the bottle himself.
The bottle span and landed on Miranda, whose expression immediately changed to a dazzling smile aimed directly at Gabriel, who stubbed his cigarette out on the plate in front of him.
“Dare,” Miranda said immediately, determined to prove that she was no chicken. If she did Gabriel’s dare, perhaps he would start paying attention to her again.
Gabriel smiled at her and Miranda’s heart jumped. That always happened when he smiled at her; it was true that he made people feel a million dollars. He just shone; it was that quality, as well as his looks that had won him a modelling contract.
But then Gabriel’s almond shaped eyes flickered over to Drew and his smile grew wider.
“Go and kiss Drew.” He ordered, turning Miranda’s stomach cold. “With tongue,” he added as an afterthought.
Miranda felt like crying, previously, before this night Gabriel had always done everything he could to keep her away from Drew, as he knew what his best friend was capable of. But now he was sending her right to him? It wasn’t fair.
Miranda managed a small smile, determined to save face. “Okay.” She said. Perhaps this was her chance, perhaps she could make Gabriel jealous; give him a taster of what she had been feeling for the last hour or so.
Miranda reached Drew and, tilting his smirking face up to hers, she swallowed her disgust and kissed him with all her passion. Imagining that it was soft white blonde hair she was threading her fingers through, that it was pale, pouty pink lips against hers and aristocratic fingers that were dancing across her waist.
Finally the kiss ended and Miranda broke away, discovering that the reality was indeed much different.
She also discovered that Gabriel hadn’t even been watching her, his eyes were on Luka, who was currently biting into a juicy red cherry.
Miranda stalked back to her seat and span the bottle. If God was on her side it would point to Gabriel and she could dare him to kiss her.
Sadly, God had other plans. The bottle landed on Drew who was smiling from ear to ear while downing a shot of some green drink.
“Dare.” He said.
Miranda thought hard, she hated Luka for taking Gabriel’s attention away from her. After all, the two had only met around two hours ago, how could the rebellious boy have fascinated Gabriel so deeply in that time? Then her gaze fell to Mie, who was looking at Drew with a kind of timid curiosity.
“Drew, kiss Mie like I kissed you.” Miranda said, earning a grateful look from the red haired man.
Mie froze in her seat, her eyes immediately looking terrified. Luka turned to Miranda, a deep frown in his handsome face.
“What’re you playing at?” he asked, flicking a cherry stem at her. Miranda flinched but didn’t back down.
“It’s a dare, he has to do it.” She said.
Luka looked at his sister who now had a faint pink blush across her cheeks. “Mie?” he asked; the rest of the unspoken question alive in his eyes.
Mie looked at Drew, who was licking his lips suggestively. Miranda thought he was positively repulsive but Mie was looking like she hadn’t ever seen anything quite like him before, which she probably hadn’t. After all, Miranda bet that Mr and Mrs Odagiri didn’t normally let their daughter associate with such people.
Mie looked back at her brother and nodded, “its okay.” She said in a small voice, “It’s only a game after all.”
Drew looked positively ecstatic and reached across the table almost violently, pulling Mie into an almost obscene kiss. Luka looked anything but ecstatic however, he was now regarding Drew with a kind of restrained death wish.
When Drew let go, it was with a satisfied lick of his own lips. Mie sat back, stunned.
“Now you’ve been kissed sweetheart.” Drew said, “Later I’ll teach you something else.”
“Shut your fucking mouth.” Luka said, his fists clenching in a silent warning.
“I think we should stop this game now,” Dinah suggested. “Perhaps we should try and find the owner of the house. After all, we’ve just spent over an hour eating their food and drink, we should probably thank them. And find out why we were invited here.”
“Yes.” Mie said, her eyes leaving Drew.
The others nodded slowly and Miranda scowled. So she wasn’t going to get Gabriel back by playing spin the bottle? That was fine, she would find another way. She just had to do all she could to keep him away from Luka.


(a/N) as always please please review......please!!! it only takes a minute of your time!!