Chapter 5: First party

Morticia's cheeks burned under Klaus' intense gaze. Was this the right thing to do?

His expression shifted quickly, replaced by his usual cold demeanor.

"How do I look?" she asked, excitement clear in her voice.

"Good," he said with a shrug, and Morticia's face fell. "Let's go," he added, leaving the room first.

Good? Just good, after all the effort she put into dressing up?

"I don't think he even noticed me," Morticia muttered as Nica drove them to the party. Dimitri and Klaus were in another car, already ahead.

"Tsk... Sin never tells a girl she looks good. He usually tells them to fuck off. But you, you're different."

"That's not the first time he's said I look good," she mumbled. What was the point of all this? Though something felt different this time, she couldn't quite place it.

Maybe he only said it to avoid hurting her feelings because she was Vincent's sister.

Morticia expected the birthday party to be a typical event, filled with well-wishes and gifts, but it was nothing like that.

It was completely out of her league.

A frat house filled with unruly people smoking, drinking, and indulging in intimate activities and drugs. She swallowed nervously.

Klaus was right. She didn't belong here.

"Come on," Nica nudged, leading her inside. There was a line at the entrance, but Nica pulled her straight to a large, tattooed guard who looked dangerous.

His gaze flicked to Morticia, then back to Nica.

"She's with me," Nica said, and the guard stepped aside for them to go in.

Morticia was immediately hit by loud, wild music and a crowd of young adults dancing. She was thankful she had brought her inhaler, as smoke filled almost every corner.

It was too late to turn back now.

She finally spotted Klaus, Dimitri, and some unfamiliar faces, all tattooed and smoking. She couldn't be with them, the smoke would definitely affect her.

"Wait," Morticia stopped Nica from taking her over.

"Is everything alright?"

"I can't be around smoke. I'm asthmatic," she admitted, biting her lip.

"What? Oh my God, I'm sorry. Let's find somewhere better," Nica said, leading her away from Klaus and the others.

"This is Jamie," Nica introduced a new guy. He seemed calm, handsome, and unlike the others, not tattooed.

"Hey," they greeted each other.

"Who's she?" Jamie asked with a calm smile.

"A friend of mine. She doesn't like smoke. Can we sit with you?" Nica asked.

"Sure."

"I'll be right back," Nica excused herself to get drinks, leaving Morticia feeling nervous sitting with a stranger at a party that was completely out of her comfort zone. Though Jamie seemed cool-not rogue like the others.

"What's your name, pretty?" he asked, their eyes meeting.

"Morticia."

He frowned and chuckled. "Morticia? Like Morticia Addams?"

"Huh... How do you know?"

"Your last name is Addams? Morticia Addams is a character from 'The Addams Family'. How did you end up with that name?"

"My mother gave it to me."

"You don't know what it means, do you?"

"No, I've never thought to find out. Is it weird?" she asked.

"Find out for yourself," he smiled, and Morticia began to enjoy his company.

He turned out to be a freshman like her, studying the same courses. They had a lot in common.

Soon, Morticia's phone buzzed. It was a message from Klaus.

~If you're ready to leave, Bunnie, let me know. I'll take you home.~

She glanced over at him and met his gaze from across the room, then replied to the text.

~Okay~

Jamie noticed and asked, "You know Klaus?"

"Yeah... He's my brother's best friend," she replied, and Jamie's jaw dropped.

"Are you related to Vincent Addams, the dancer?"

"Yes, I'm his younger sister," she confirmed.

"Wow. That's a surprise. You don't seem like a girl that should be around Klaus though"

"What do you mean?"

"Nevermind. Is this your first time to a party?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to see what college looks l-" she paused as her eyes landed on Klaus.

He was kissing Dimitri. Not a light kiss, but a passionate, rough one. She could literally see their tongues entwining and rolling against each other. Dimitri's eyes were close, her fingers were buried in Klaus' dark hair, pulling him closer.

Morticia quickly looked away, her hand gripping the hem of her dress tightly. Her throat felt dry.

She had seen Klaus with other girls before, but this... this hurt more than she could have imagined.

"Are you alright?" Jamie's voice snapped her back to reality.

"I.. I'm fine," she forced a smile, masking her discomfort. "I am just thirsty"

"Oh, you can have this," Jamie offered, pouring her a cup from his drink.

"I don't drink."

"Me neither. It's just Coke," he assured her, and she thanked him before taking a sip. It helped calm her a little, but the image of Klaus and Dimitri kissing made her heart clench.

She tried hard not to look again but failed-and instantly regretted it.

Dimitri was now on top of Klaus, their lips still locked. She noticed Klaus' hand trailing up Dimitri's thigh, then groping her ass hard. Dimitri broke the kiss, throwing her head back in laughter while Klaus kissed her neck.

"Morticia," Jamie called her back to reality again, and she averted her gaze. Her breathing became ragged. She was on the verge of an asthma attack.

"The restroom," she managed to say, grateful that Jamie didn't ask any questions as he directed her to it. She could see the concern in his eyes.

Morticia barely made it to the restroom before pulling out her inhaler, taking several puffs until the tightness in her chest eased.

She couldn't stop the tears from falling. It hurt so much. She hated her heart for beating for someone like Klaus.

She would never be the girl he liked. She would never be with him.

The cold wind hit her skin as she stepped outside, and all she wanted was to escape. She longed for the comfort of her room, just like every other night.

Not here, trying to impress a jerk. This was all wrong.

She headed for the exit, weaving through the wild crowd, resisting the urge to look back until she finally made it outside.

"Bunnie."

His voice made her stop, and she clenched her purse tightly.

"I've been looking for you. You shouldn't have disappeared like that. Are you leaving?"

Morticia scoffed. Why did he sound like he cared?

"Bunnie."

"Yeah, I'm leaving," she responded, continuing to walk. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her tears.

"Okay... wait up. My car's in the other direction."

"I'm not going home with you," she said, quickening her pace.

"Bunnie," he caught her within three long strides and spun her around to face him. His face was a mix of concern and anger. "What the hell? Were you crying? Who hurt you? I swear I'll kill that motherf-"

"Let go," she jerked her arm away.

"Just give me the name, Bunnie, and I'll deal with him-"

"Go kill yourself!" she snapped.

"What?"

"You're the last person I want to see right now. So stay away!" she yelled, turning to leave. She was relieved when he didn't follow.

Confused, Klaus pulled out his phone and made a call.

"Keep an eye on Bunnie. If she gets hurt, I'll fucking kill you," he ordered before hanging up.

Thinking about Morticia's cold attitude, he muttered, "Is she on her period or something?"