Chapter 23 – Shedding Old Skin

Vamped

Previously, Misty takes a personal day and her mother promises to protect her better. Mark joins Misty for another yoga class, helping her to create a new experience with it.

Saturday

Mom's nerves returned the following morning. Her first Saturday off in over a month, and she kept pacing the first floor, running her fingers through her shimmering red hair. Watching her, I felt a little less embarrassed about how jittery I had been before my date with Mark's parents. This must just be how it feels before a first date with someone you really like.

Around noon, she started getting ready for real. First was the hair: she swept it to one side, styling it to be sleek and smooth as it fell around her neck. The other side held cascading curls that framed her face and showed off her high cheekbones and bold eyes.

Next was her dress, which I recognized from when I was young. It was a black, elastic, and sparkled in the dull light coming from her bedroom window. Spaghetti straps held up a twisting bodice, which then continued in straps to criss-cross down her torso. She'd put on some weight since last wearing it, but apparently it all went into flattering places, because the only snug parts were the breasts, which flashed a little under-boob, and her hips, which only accentuated how small her waist still was. The material stretched and pulled against her curves, as if she could burst from the dress at any moment.

Rei would be blown away the second she laid eyes on her. Hell, the whole club would be hypnotized.

Seeing my jaw drop lightened her mood a bit. “You think she'll like it?”

“I honestly can't see how she wouldn't, Mom. You look incredible.” She blushed and relaxed her shoulders.

As Rei pulled into the driveway, Mom turned to me. “You've had a really tough week, so take some time for yourself, okay? Put off homework, take a long bath, whatever you want. Just listen to your body today.” I nodded, then hugged her goodbye, wishing her a good time. I had no idea how long their date would go, but knew better than to wait up.

Which left me back in the same dilemma I had before dating Mark. What am I supposed to do today?

I decided to take her advice and put my satchel away for the day, not interested in starting any of my assignments from this week. I pulled a fresh bottle of blood from the fridge, then heated up a meal, trying to think of ways to relax. I let my mind drift, and it came upon the desire to eat outside before the rain started this afternoon. I took the smothered salmon and my bottle, then settled onto the back porch, facing the trees spanning out around the yard.

After eating, I sat in the lounge with the new editions of a few hematology journals. Usually, I'd go through each one article by article, not skipping a single page. This time a flipped through and only read the ones that sounded interesting or relevant to us. Henrietta came through the back door as I was finishing up, so we snuggled on the loveseat until she fell asleep. I tried to stay still so I wouldn't disturb her, and used it as a chance to practice my deep breathing. Eventually I felt myself starting to drift off and decided to try Mom's idea and draw myself a bath upstairs.

The water was steaming as it came out of the faucet, and on a whim I chose to raid her bath supplies for something that would help me rest my mind as I soaked. I found a sachet of lavender buds in the front of the drawer, stored with body oils and a sugar scrub. I scattered a few pinches of lavender into the bathtub as the water filled, then poured a handful of the sugar crystals into my palm. They were bigger than the stuff we kept in the pantry, and mixed with dried rose petals.

Sliding into the tub, I turned off the water and slid around until I was comfortable. Bringing the sugar to my legs, I started rubbing it lightly over my skin. It was irritating at first, but the hot water helped to soothe the raw spots as I continued down to my ankles. I massaged the sugar into my whole body, pouring more into my hand as needed. I did a second pass with a washcloth to rinse it all away, then marveled at how new and clean I felt after. It didn't take away the scars and callouses, but seemed to remove a few layers of dead weight that I'd been carrying around.

I leaned back in the tub and closed my eyes, contemplating all the layers I had been slowly peeling away this month. One by one, I thanked them for their protection, then let them go. Goodbye isolation. Goodbye sullen hostility. Goodbye self-sabotage.

What would I be without them? Still safe. Still here. Just a bit happier. And more pleasant, apparently. I didn't expect to be so readily accepted by Mark's friends, but I could tell it had grown past an initial kindness and into actual regard for me. I liked the people I spent my time with now, and didn't want to put them off with my old, defensive attitude. I liked accepting them and their conversations into my life. I liked feeling helpful and interesting when I spoke. And I liked hearing about their lives and interests.

I slid my hands down my new, slightly sensitive skin and imagined the conversations I've had recently that required me to remove the tough buildup and reveal the true, healthy, yet vulnerable Misty beneath. They didn't try to hurt me when I exposed my real self. And I believed now that I could heal. It would just take time, and patience. I relaxed again, letting my thoughts drift away so that I could enjoy the rest of my bath without distraction as my skin was caressed by the warm water and calming smells wafting from the flowers in the tub with me. After an hour or so, the water was cooling enough that I was ready to get out.

The sleepiness wore off immediately after stepping out of the water, but the relaxation and peacefulness carried me through toweling off, dressing, and drying my hair. I decided to use the extra time I had to practice doing my hair. One day Mark might want to go out like Mom and Rei, and I wanted to be able to make myself look nice if Mom wasn't home to help me. I tried to recreate the double bun she gave me for our first dinner with the coven. I grabbed the bulk of my hair and pulled it into a simple ballet bun, then grabbed what I had left above the nape of my neck to create a smaller one snug below it. I shook my head a little, and both stayed put. I decided to forgo pulling out the baby hairs this time. I wasn't really looking for 'nymph' so much as 'put together.'

At that point I became bored enough that I actually did do my homework. It was going by much quicker now that I was following along during class and I was able to finish the whole workload in a couple of hours. I went through some snack preps while working, so I postponed dinner. I wasn't hungry, and hadn't done much to wear myself out after lunch anyway.

After another hour sitting around and doing nothing, though, I could feel the urge to boredom snack coming back. I slipped on my shoes and walked over to Mark's, figuring there was nothing wrong with seeking company so long as I wasn't dependent on it all weekend. His parents were both in when I knocked, but explained that he had gone out with friends, and I should check their houses for him.

“Before you go,” his dad interjected, “come take a look outside with me.” I pulled my hood back up to keep off the rain and followed him around the house to the edge of their woods. “We know you're in the early stages of planning your garden, but I thought I'd show you our set-up while you're here.”

He led me over to the cluster of mounded beds I had seen Sunday. They were still crowded by pots and covered with mats of bright clover. Briefly he told me what he liked to grow and asked what sort of foods I liked to eat. Then he showed me the beds he had under the tree canopy. They weren't beds, exactly, as they were in ground and not sectioned off. But along with the chives and sage I had seen before, he was growing a series of salad greens, pea shoots, root veggies, and pansies under the shade. They were all clustered in bunches or wrapped around various trees. He pointed to each tree, explaining that he transplanted a group of fruit and nut trees to protect and provide for the plants underneath.

“We don't get a lot in the winter, but it's nice to see that life goes on,” he said, smiling at the leafy vegetation at our feet.

“Mark said you might be willing to teach me how to cook while Mom is working for new job?”

Chris gave me a full, toothy smile. “I didn't want to pressure you on Monday, but I was hoping you'd ask.” He walked back to the porch with me and we discussed what I would need, how often I could come over, and what would be good starter meals for me.

Sarah was excited to have me over more, too. “Want to get started now? We were planning to make pumpkin soup, and would love an extra hand!”

I smiled at her kindness. “Thanks, but I was hoping to spend the night with Mark. Can I come over another time to help?” They agreed to have Mark reach out to me before the next weekend, and wished me luck finding where he had wandered off to. I couldn't imagine my mom not knowing where I was and not assuming the worst. But I guess they knew he could take care of himself without getting into further trouble.

I doubled back toward my house and then on to Ash's, hoping I wouldn't have to walk any farther to find them. It occurred to me that I should have texted him before heading out, but I also liked the idea of my appearance being a pleasant surprise. Especially with my updo. I was feeling spontaneous for a change, and wanted to satisfy that urge.

Once I had made it down Ashton's driveway, I walked up the stairs to the porch, hopping over the middle step, then lightly knocked on the door. “It's open!” I heard Amber call. If she was here, maybe he had the whole gang around.

When I stepped inside, though, it was just Amber, Ash, and Mark, leaning against the kitchen island together. The boys were adjusting the curls around her throat to showcase a great, gold princess necklace decked out in dark, muddy green gemstones that were the exact shade of her eyes. The top layer of her strawberry blonde hair had been dyed a deeper red, the curls revealing reels of her natural lighter color as they wound around her shoulders and cleavage. She wore an incredibly low halter dress covered in gold sequins spiraling around her chest and waist as if she were wearing a very thin, sheer tapestry. It would have looked too showy if it weren't for the cropped leather jacket and hightop Chuck Taylors tying the whole 'casual school dance' æsthetic together.

She looked like a movie star.

“Hey! We were just talking about you! Come on in, I need your help with something.” She grabbed my hand and dragged me up the stairs with her to Ashton's room, where a bunch of lingerie was scattered about his bed. I was worried that we were entering the aftermath of her early evening with Ash, but everything looked clean.

She patted a clear spot on the bed and we sat down together. “Okay, so all of these show, either in the straps or panty lines, and I'm not sure which I'd rather be seen in tonight.”

My eyes glazed over at the different styles of thongs and cheekies. “What kind are you wearing right now?” I asked, picking up one of the smallest panties and trying to figure out how something so tiny could show through anything at all.

She giggled. “Nothing, silly! I didn't want it obvious while Ash and Mark were helping me.” My eyed bugged out and dropped to her lap. She huffed a sigh and stood up, flashing me her ass momentarily. “But it's not comfortable with all the stitching from the sequins, and I don't want to be scratching my cooch all night. So you're going to help me decide which looks the least trashy.”

My eyes trailed over to the door, seeking a tactful exit. “Why can't Mar– or, um, Ash help you?”

She rolled her eyes. “You know how boys are. It's like they want to see the most detail. Ash goes crazy for panty lines anytime I let one go, so I can't trust him to tell me which is the most discreet. So you get to,” she finished, poking me in the rib with her black fingernail.

“I guess…” It was hard to argue with, Boys are horny pervs, so I need the prude's help.

She clapped her hands together. “Perfect. Let's try seamless first.”

We must have gone through every pair of underwear she owned. There were slick seamless ones like the pair I had at home, classic string thongs in every color, and lacy ones with bows and fringes over the hips and cheeks. The seamless undies still showed the edges, even through the brocade of plastic swirls spreading down from her lower back. The simple thongs were a dead giveaway, due to the thick straps holding everything together, and the fancy ones made it look like she was hiding a diaper under her dress.

“I'm starting to see the wisdom of going commando…” I murmured after she had modeled the last one. “None of them really work well. Do you have another dress, maybe?” She turned around suddenly, eyes blazing like her semi-permanent hair. I backpedalled before she could kick me out of her – Ashton's – room. “Maybe instead of getting rid of the lines, you could just move them?”

“Move them where?” she pleaded. “It's either my hips or my ass,” she said, gesturing from one pair of undies to another.

“Down? Like, to where the dress isn't tight enough to be flush against your … flesh?”

Her head popped up and her eyes flashed like she had a literal light bulb flicker on in her brain. “Boy shorts!” She knelt down to the bottom drawer of Ashton's dresser and dug through a bunch of clothing that was obviously her own. I wondered when Mark would give me a drawer to store half of my wardrobe. I would have to buy more clothes so that I could afford to lose anything I had to another space.

Amber pulled out a peach-colored pair of underwear that looked like what I wore – without a day of the week on hers. “You're completely brilliant Misty. You've saved my night, and my yearbook pictures.” I rolled my eyes. It was funny to see how easily playful, down-to-earth Amber got flustered and fancy for a silly dance, but I wasn't going to miss it when she was back to normal on Monday.

She slid the new pair on and spun around for me. There weren't any panty lines to see. It would also be harder for her to accidentally slip a lip out, but I was sure Ash wouldn't have minded that either. She bobbed on the balls of her kicks, smiling, then pulled me by the wrist to take me back downstairs to show the boys.

“It's okay! Everything's fine. Misty saved the day,” she assured them.

“More like she ruined the day,” mumbled Ash. Both he and Mark ducked their heads a bit when she spun before them, showing the lack of visible panty line, and giving the three of us a full view of her actual underwear. “Damn, babe, you should do that for everyone. It looks great.”

Having missed their lingering glances, she misunderstood the compliment. “Thanks, honey. I'm just glad the dress wasn't ruined by something weird like that. Now the night will be perfect.” She beamed, and the whole look came together once more. Her curls bounced in time with her breasts, the sheer fabric swished across her glowing skin, and the gaudy necklace made her striking, deep teal eyes pop. We were all mesmerized for a moment.

Then she spoke and broke the spell. “So Misty, is there something you wanted to ask Mark while you're here?” Her eyes flicked to him and she gave a devilish grin.

He looked like he was about to protest, then sighed instead. So I said, “Actually, that's why I'm here. I was wondering if you were free tonight.”

He perked up. “Totally. I'd love to.”

“You'd love to be free?” I asked, cocking my head at his odd phrasing.

“No, I – What? What are you asking?”

I looked nervously at Ash and Amber, who seemed like they were both waiting for something. “I wanted to know if you could hang out tonight. My mom has that date with, um, you know, and I guess it's an all-day affair…” I trailed off, knowing he knew better than to make me say more in front of Amber, who happened to be the only full-human in the room. Crazy how that wasn't as dangerous as I once expected.

“Damn, bro, that sucks,” Ashton said, patting Mark on the back. He hung his head.

“Why, are you busy already?”

Mark gave a sort of grimace. “I was hoping to be.” He wouldn't meet my eye.

“Oh, well I can just hole up in my room, then. Henrietta's been lonely lately, so it would be good for me to spend the night with her.”

Mark shook his head. “Don't you want to go to the dance?” he said sharply.

“Are you asking me to go with you? Because I thought the girls were supposed to ask the guys to this one.” I gave a cheeky grin, but no one returned it.

Ash just nodded. “It's always a surprise.”

Mark snapped his head back to glare at Ashton, then returned his hurt gaze to me. “Yes, that's why I haven't asked you. But why haven't you asked me?” In hindsight, I should have realized they were going as a group. Why else would he be here with them, wearing a knitted sweater?

I shrugged. “Because I don't want to go.”

Ash and Amber both arched their eyebrows at that. Ashton leaned forward and said softly. “You don't?”

I shook my head. “No, I hate dances. Of course I don't want to go.”

Everyone visibly relaxed. Mark's face grew kinder. “Why not?”

“Because they're stupid. It's just a bunch of cheap decorations in a cheap gymnasium filled with cheap people who want to feel rich for a night. You buy a dress you'll never wear again, wear flowers that will be all but wilted by the end of the night, and pretend you enjoy spending your evenings crowded around people you hate. It's just a dance bar for minors.” I looked over to Amber, who really did fit the role of gorgeous co-ed, going to a nightclub in a college town. “No offense.”

She lifted her hands up and shrugged. “Honestly, I've stopped being offended by you.”

I couldn't tell if she meant that I kept making too much sense or she stopped caring what I thought of her teenage traditions, so I continued, “Everyone tries to hard to show they're having a good time, and that ruins the chance to actually have a good time. So I don't do dances.”

Mark eyes were wide and his mouth hung open, obviously at a loss for words.

“Hang on,” Ash said, smiling. “What experiences are you speaking from? Is this another one of those assumptions you've made based on classic teen movies?

“No.” Yes.

He chuckled and sighed. “Okay, so let's say – hypothetically – that we went as a group and didn't spend the entire night trying to impress everyone or pretend to have a good time. Would it be a better dance?”

“What would we do?”

Ash rolled his eyes. “Anything! There'll be dancing, food, a photo booth, other friends –”

I cut him off. “We can have all of that here, though. What's the point of going out?”

Mark finally spoke. “Because it's nice to go out sometimes, Misty. It's nice to spend your night with people outside your immediate social circle. It's nice to have your picture taken, so that you can remember that dance and the people you spent it with. It's nice to try something new and get out of your comfort zone for once.”

That last part hit me like a slap in the face, and I knew it was showing in my eyes and cheeks. Amber pushed herself off the center island and leaned against the counter with me, wrapping her arm around my shoulder.

She looked up to Mark. “To be fair to Misty, there are a lot of students who go solely to chat up the popular kids and pretend they're happy inside. I think if that's what you've seen at each school, it's probably hard to imagine the normies going out to truly enjoy themselves for a night.” She looked to me for confirmation, and I sniffed and gave a small nod.

Ash nudged Mark gently. “If Misty agrees to try this new thing tonight, could you agree to make it something both of you will enjoy?”

Mark looked straight into my blurry eyes and nodded. “I know what you like. We'll have a good time.”

Amber leaned her head against my shoulder. “What do you say? Wanna try to make this a choose-your-own-adventure dance?”

I breathed out an, “Okay,” soft but resigned.

“Excellent!” she squealed. She grabbed my hand for the hundredth time that night and pulled me to the foyer. “Field trip to my place!”

I turned back to Ashton as she dragged me out of the house. “Please let this be a normal field trip.”

He laughed. “This is definitely your makeover scene.”

I groaned. “I've already had a bunch of those.”

“Two,” said Mark, smirking at me. “You've had two.”

Amber pushed us all into her bright blue compact, smiling like a maniac.