Kelly and the others took me to a private room far from the crowd.
"Why are we here?" I asked.
"It's our turn," Kelly said.
Kelly, Silvia, and Debra got on their two knees before me, which made me surprised.
"My dear beloved mistress, I may have wealth, status, and power. I gave you so many gifts, but none of them ever come close to the gift you have given us. You've given us life, freedoms, power, and a place to call home. Mistress, even if we give you the world, it won't be compared to the gifts you have given us."
Gifts, are they talking about me turning them into vampires?
"So the three of us decided to come with a gift for you."
They gave me a small box with a picture, and what was inside filled me with shock. Inside was a picture of my mother and my sister.
Tears fell from my eyes, and I looked at the pictures.
"Mom, sister."
I was speechless. It's been far too long that I almost forgotten what they looked like.
"I'm sure you must be wondering how we got it. It was shared with us from Veelzebub," Kelly explained.
"Veelzebub, you know this?"
> > I've got a vague memory from you when we first made a contract together. I'm sorry, master, you should have consulted you first.<<
"No, it's okay," I cried, and my tears fell on the picture.
"Mom, I've missed you so much," I said.
"Happy 629th birthday, mistress," Kelly, Silvia, and Debra, and everyone else said in unison.
This was like a blessing from heaven. This is, this is…
"This is the greatest gift I've ever received," I kept crying and crying.
"Today is your birthday, mistress, you shouldn't be crying. It ruins your beauty,"
Kelly said as she wiped my tears away for me while looking at me with a smile.
.....
"So tell me," Dexter walked up to Bradley with a smile on his face.
"You seem to know a lot about Roselina.
Are you really her friend?" Dexter asked.
"Yes, she's my friend, and I won't allow a guy like you to take advantage of her."
"I'm not taking advantage of her or anything. I just gave her a piano for her birthday, which reminds me, what gift did you prepare?" Dexter asked with a smile.
"I gave her a box of chocolates."
"I see, a measly box of chocolates."
Dexter's friends started laughing.
"Are you that poor you can't even afford a necklace?"
Elle and Rachael got angry, but Bradley stopped them.
"It doesn't matter the gift. It's the thought that counts," Bradley stated.
"The thought that counts, you say? What a cool, heroic speech!" Dexter laughed.
"To be honest, you're not even worthy of competing against me." Dexter walked up to Bradley.
"I'm going to make Roselina mine, as you can't stand in my way. But watch from the sidelines as we become a couple," Dexter whispered to Bradley his evil intentions.
At that moment, Roselina and the others returned to the party for the cake-cutting ceremony. Roselina blew out the candles, and everyone applauded.
The birthday party continued. Dexter walked over to Roselina and
started to converse with her. Bradley watched as the two talked together and felt irritated.
"Don't do anything foolish," said Fray.
"I know, but I can't stand by and watch as this jerk takes advantage of my friends," Bradley walked over to Roselina.
"Roselina, I need to talk to you. Come with me," Bradley grabbed her hand and pulled her away.
"Wait, hey!" Dexter felt angry.
"Damn kid, dare stand in my way. I'll have to teach you a lesson."
Bradley pulled Roselina away until they got outside in the garden.
"I'm sorry for doing this, but it's for your own good," Bradley stated.
"My own good, what are you talking about?"
"Stay away from Dexter. He's a bad influence on you," Bradley stated.
Roselina started laughing.
"So that's what this is all about. How utterly adorable!" She stopped and looked at him.
"You don't have to be worried. I knew from the beginning."
"Wait, you knew?"
"Of course. What else is there for buying me a 55-million-dollar piano? To be honest, I don't even like music."
Roselina then takes a bow.
"Your heart is in the right place, and I respect that. Now will you excuse me? I'll have to return to the party."
Roselina turned and walked away when Bradley grabbed her hand.
"Wait, can't we talk even for a little while?"
"Sure."
Roselina and Bradley sat together. She sat across from him on the bench, and she looked up at the moon. Bradley kept staring at her as he was captivated by her beauty.
"Hmph," Roselina looked at Bradley, who blushed and looked away.
"Is something wrong? Your face is flushed red," Roselina asked.
"It's nothing."
There was a silence.
"Are you enjoying the party?" Bradley asked.
"Yes, very much. Kelly has gone above and beyond for this one," Roselina smiled.
"Yes, I think this is a great party, the greatest one I've ever been to. Thank you for inviting me."
"Of course, we are friends after all," Roselina said.
"I'm sorry I couldn't give you something grander, like a villa or a car."
"It's alright. It's not the gift, but the thought that counts."
"That's what I said," Bradley laughed and went silent.
"You know, when you and I first met, I thought you would be someone who would try and control everyone with your wealth and status, but it seems I was wrong. You help people and accept them as friends no matter how poor they are. Even without wings, you're an angel," Bradley stated, and Roselina blushed for a second.
"Oh, come now, my mother always says one thing: What's wealth and power without friends to share them with? It may be an old proverb, but its meaning has value."
"And that's why everyone is drawn to you and is falling for you… To be honest, even I think I'm in love with you."
Hearing that, Roselina's smile turned upside down.
"It sounds stupid, I know…"
"It is stupid."
"Huh?"
Bradley looked at Roselina's angry face and felt worried.
She got up and left.
"Hey, wait," he held her hand.
"Get your filthy hands off me," Roselina said.
"Wait, Roselina, did I say something wrong? If so, please let me apologize for it," Bradley asked with concern in his voice.
"I suggest you stay away from me. I can't believe a guy like you would fall in love with me… You have three girls fighting for your attention, and you want to make me #4?"
Roselina looked at him with an angry expression.
"You disgust me. Guys like you disgust me."
Roselina dragged her hand away from him.
"Roselina, please, it's not what you think. They're just my… wait."
Roselina had already walked away.
"I think that's enough," Dexter called out.
Bradley turned around and saw Dexter standing there with a group of boys behind him.
"What do you want? Can't you see I'm talking to my friends here?" Bradley asked.
"I don't see a friend. All I see is a little boy who's trying to take advantage of an innocent girl," Dexter walked closer.
"I'll give you one chance… Grovel at my feet and beg for mercy, and maybe I'll get you off with just a broken leg. What do you say?"
"Haha, I think the sweets have gone to your brain… I'll never bow before punks like you," Bradley declared with a little bit of heroism in his voice.
"A foolish decision. Beat him," Dexter's men stepped forward ready to fight.
"You think I'm afraid of losers like you? I'll take you on all by myself."
"Well, see how long you can keep that cocky attitude for."
In the meantime,
Roselina was about to return to the party when Elle, Fray, and Rachael walked up to her.
'Aw man, I think I overreacted a tad bit too much. But it's kinda his fault for passing me off. I mean, there's no way I would fall for a guy and that must have triggered me,' Roselina thought to herself.
"I need a drink," she sighed to herself.
"Roselina."
"If you're looking for Bradley, he's in the garden," she walked past them.
"Wait, I think something is wrong. Earlier, Dexter seemed pretty angry at Bradley, and I think he might be plotting something," Rachael explained.
"That's not my problem."
"What?"
Elle and the others were surprised.
"What do you mean, not your problem? Isn't he supposed to be your friend?" Elle asked.
"A friend? I wouldn't ever be friends with a man," Roselina stated.
"How could you say something like this? This is like you?"
"Oh," Roselina walked up to Rachael.
"What do you know about me? Do you know that all my life, the reason why I hate men? Do you…"
"You."
"That's right. I'm a misandrist, and even though I talk to boys, I'm not into them. Bradley is no exception. I can't believe he had the nerve to confess to me."
Roselina was furious.
"Well, he does love you," Elle stated.
"Well, you can see it in the way he looks at you, different from us. I don't know why you hate men, but that doesn't make it an excuse for hurting Bradley… He's kind, helpful, and he's funny, and I've been with him since we were kids, and I don't know why he would fall for you."
Elle ran off crying, and so did Fray and Rachael. Roselina felt guilty about what she had done.
'Tch, why should I fall for a guy when I'm a guy myself? This is pathetic.' Roselina thought to herself.
"Sigh, well, I suppose I could help, just this once."
In the meantime.
Bradley threw a punch at one of the guys, and in exchange, he received a knee to the stomach.
"Gyaaaaah!" He coughed up blood and fell on his knees.
"Damn, is that all you got? I expected more after a bluff like that," Dexter asked.
Bradley stood on his feet and wiped the blood from his mouth.
"Damn, I'm not finished yet."
Bradley ran forward while making a battle cry. He threw a punch at one of the guys who dodged it and hit him in the back with a bat.
"In the end, you're at my feet," Dexter said.
"Bradley!"
"Brad!"
Elle and the others ran up to Bradley and helped him up.
"Six against one, how could you be so cruel?" Elle shouted.
"He was getting in my way. I needed to teach him a lesson. Now move aside before your next…" Dexter said.
Rachael and Fray moved in front of Bradley and Elle to protect them.
"You bastard, you play for this, do you know who I am? I work for Kelly and a friend of Roselina. I report this to them, and…"
"And what?" Dexter asked.
"You work for Kelly, so what? You are a friend of Roselina, so what? Roselina will be mine, and once that happens, getting rid of people like you will be easy as killing cockroaches. After all that's what you country bumpkins are."
He wore a face of insanity and laughed as well.
"Hahahahaha… I make all of you scream and beg for mercy as I squash you under my feet… Hahahahahahah… Ahahahahahahahaha…"
"And what do you find so amusing?" A voice asked.
"I'm just excited to see what will happen when I crush them. I hold all the power, and I hold all the wealth."
"Is that so?"
"Eh?"
Dexter turned around and saw Roselina sitting on top of the fountain. Her long white hair shimmered under the moonlight, and her cold gaze penetrated Dexter's heart.
"Ro… Roselina?"