by Jones, L. A.
"Wow," said Rhonda to Aradia as they walked through the mall with their purchases hanging from their arms. "If opening an illegal secret night club is what it takes to be popular I would have done it years ago."
She nodded her head in the direction of the several eyes that seemed to be glued to their person.
"It's not illegal Ron," Aradia argued.
"Oh?" Rhonda raised an eyebrow." But you break into a place that you don't own to hold the parties..."
"It’s not breaking in if nobody lives or works there,” Aradia pointed out.
"You never let the authorities know that you are using the place for the club,” Rhonda continued to which Aradia defended softly, "Only because if the authorities knew they would never let us do it.”
"And you pay absolutely no money for rent, cleaning, food, equipment, or anything," Rhonda went on.
"Hey," Aradia stated for the last time. "We only use spaces if no one has expressed interest in renting them. If they did, you can bet we would be out of there in a heartbeat. We clean up after ourselves every time we use it as to keep up with the health codes. Most of all, the food is a donation from the SilverMoon diner, and the equipment is just beat up stuff that we fix up so we are not stealing or anything. We are basically just taking and doing stuff that we think nobody will notice."
"How is that not illegal again?" Rhonda asked her.
Aradia pulled a face at her best gal pal, which Rhonda ignored as they went into another store.
"So," Rhonda persisted, "How are things on the romantic front?"
"Not quiet," Aradia muttered.
"Explain," Rhonda demanded simply.
Aradia sighed heavily. "Things are very unsettled right now. On top of the club and school, I have been super busy and stressed and Roy has been giving me hell about it. Tristan is well...Tristan sucks enough said. Lamont is super dreamy and a great dancer and knows exactly how to treat a girl."
Aradia sighed again. "Jayce's been hanging around me a lot lately as well. I don't know if he's sincere about it but..." She trailed off shrugging.
"And Dax?" Rhonda asked.
Aradia now smiled dreamily as she said, "Dax is sweet, kind, considerate, loving, cute, handsome, funny, clever, charming, witty..."
"In other words," Rhonda stated, "You want Dax to be your man."
Aradia chuckled, and blushed.
This latest piece of information prompted Rhonda to ask, "But if you know you like Dax then why..."
"I don't know," Aradia snapped.
The two of them shopped in silence until Rhonda finally said, "The reason why you won't is because you are enjoying it. You like having five guys going after you!"
"I do not!" Aradia snapped.
Rhonda just stared at Aradia, scrutinizing her until Aradia reluctantly added, "You just don't know Ron. You just do not know what's it like to be bullied most of your life and then to suddenly be courted by five gorgeous men! It's intoxicating to go from years of being unwanted to wanted in the amount of time it takes to snap your fingers!"
"I know what it's like to be bullied," Rhonda added softly.
Aradia shook her head. "I know Ron it's just...it's just."
Rhonda held up her hand and said, "No need Aradia. I get what you are saying."
"You do?"
Rhonda nodded sympathetically but then she said, "But the sad truth is Aradia, you can't keep stringing them along like this. You cannot have all of them. You are going to have to make a choice."
Aradia defended herself by snapping, "You told me to go out with both Dax and Roy!"
"That was over five months ago! I would have thought you would have made a choice by now," said Rhonda.
Aradia just hung her head and stared at the ground. She knew Rhonda was right, she had to make a choice and soon.
Chapter Twenty-One
They had not meant to bump into Jayce, but that was what happened as soon as they turned the corner.
"Hey Rai, Rhonda what's up?" Jayce greeted them.
The girls both froze; Rhonda with fear, Aradia with nervous anticipation.
"Hey Jay, how is it going?" Aradia greeted him.
"Okay I guess," Jayce said with a shrug.
"You guess?" Aradia inquired raising an eyebrow.
Jayce shrugged again. "Considering that I am shopping for socks for my girlfriend. Well it's not chilling at MTV's spring break I tell you what."
Aradia chuckled along with Jayce.
Rhonda coughed causally in her hand.
She then said quickly to Aradia, "I'll see you later" and walked off.
At first, Aradia and Jayce stood together in awkward silence.
"So you want to get a bite to eat?" Jayce asked her.
Aradia grinned. "Sure."
"First of all, I want to tell you thanks for letting me and my friends hang at your club," Jayce said to Aradia after taking a huge gulp of his soda.
Aradia brushed his thanks aside. "Hey it's nothing."
"I mean seriously when I heard you opened a club I figured the first thing you would do is put me and my friends on the "do not allow in" list," Jayce explained.
"What do you mean?" Aradia asked.
"I mean you being...well...and me being a football player," he said awkwardly just realizing what he was saying.
Aradia, far from offended, laughed. "You thought when I opened the club. Me being a geek I would make it a 'geek only' club and no popular kids would be allowed."
Jayce smiled sheepishly.
Aradia then sighed. "Jay, do you know the name of the club?"
"Yeah. Amelioration," Jayce said with a nod.
"Yes. Amelioration, which means tolerating others and everyone's social status. Why did you think I called it that? It's to let people know no matter what or who you are, popular or not, rich or poor, anyone is allowed to be there."
Aradia breathed deeply after her explanation, feeling satisfied.
Jayce said nothing.
Instead, he just smiled at her and propped his chin on to his hand.
"You know?" he finally said, "I have never met anyone quite like you before Aradia."
Aradia smiled and wrapped her finger around a strand of her hair. "You have no idea how true that is."
"Want to bet?" Jayce whispered.
Aradia giggled until she locked gazes with Jayce; that was when she became softly silent. Soon she slowly felt her lips being drawn to his until they were only inches away from each other.
Suddenly, they heard a tremendous boom erupting from outside the food court!
Jayce tore his face away from Aradia.
"What the hell was that?" He shouted.
Aradia was just as shocked as Jayce after hearing that sound. She brushed away what almost had happened between them to crane her neck over the various shrieking, and running people to try to see what was happening. Unable to do so, Aradia pushed her way through the crowds to get to where she heard the sound. With Jayce in tow, Aradia ran out to the parking lot, and gasped aloud. In a blaze of smoke, fire, and ferocious smells of burning rubber and oil, a red truck lay in a heap. Aradia heard a strange howl coming from her right. She then turned to see Al and D yelling as several people tried to hold them back. It only took Aradia a few seconds to gasp and realize that the car that had just been destroyed was Al and D's truck.
But who would want to do that, Aradia thought to herself, and why?
Unfortunately, what had happened to Al and D's truck was only the beginning. In the weeks that followed, numerous incidents occurred such as Tristan's jeep being completely trashed. Someone had also heavily vandalized the SilverMoon diner from the outside to the inside, spraying paint and graffiti everywhere. According to Ginevra and Domitilla Dayton, someone had thrown bricks through the heavily boarded windows in the middle of the day allowing strong noon sunshine in. Luckily, at the time they had all been doused in sunscreen but as Domitilla kept reminding people if she, her sister, Mr. Dayton and his wife had not had sunscreen on the
m they would have been burned alive in their own home! For a while, it seemed so random, but when Lamont's brother had been jumped and beaten up violently Aradia suspected that these acts were not random but deliberate. Most of all, they were directed towards the guys who were courting her. After Aradia told the guys this, they had all compared notes, and determined that these were meant to be challenges. However, they had no idea why and from whom.
Chapter Twenty-Two
"Dax!" Roy cried out, "what are you doing here?"
Dax looked over his shoulder to see Roy barreling towards him. He grimaced before retorting, "it's a free country Roy. I can walk where I bloody well please."
Roy held up his hands and said, "sorry dude. I was just curious."
Dax narrowed his eyes as he turned to face Roy who was leaning against a tree. Roy also narrowed his eyes and straightened up. Like two predators, they circled one another for five long minutes.
"But you know," Roy said slowly, "I have been meaning to talk to you."
"About what?"
Roy looked uneasily at the ground. "About Aradia."
Dax rolled his eyes. "What of her?"
At his tone, Roy's eyes narrowed once again. "Are you really interested in her or are you just messing with her?"
Dax stiffened. "What the hell is that suppose to mean?"
Roy sighed. "Look Dax, Aradia told me...everything. She told me about why you went out with her in the first place."
Dax looked away. After a few tense seconds is when he sighed and said, "I am not saying what I did was right but...I can honestly say I do like Aradia but not because I want to know more about her. She's the most compassionate, insightful, engaging, and nonjudgmental person I have ever met. I have never known anyone like her before. She is so open-minded and its inspiring the way she just accepts people without even knowing them."
Roy nodded. "Yeah. She's pretty cool and she's a great friend, which is why I am worried about your reasons for hanging out with her. She's my friend so I don't want her hurt or anything."
Dax crossed his arms. "You don't have to worry about me. I would never hurt her."
"So your father investigating her blood was not for your own benefit at all?" Roy asked.
Dax's eyes widened. "How did you know about that?"
Roy didn't answer. He shifted on the balls of his feet. Meanwhile, Dax's mind raced back to that date and how unusually quiet Aradia had been.
As if it were a lightbulb going off, Dax shouted, "holy sweet mother of God! You! It was you! You told her what I was up to!"
Roy met his gaze but he didn't answer.
Dax clenched his fists. "You freaking fool! How could you do that?!"
"I was worried about Aradia. She told me that she had never gone to the doctors a day in her life so when I smelled her blood I was worried. Before then she had been getting hurt a lot and I was worried about her safety. What the hell was I suppose to think Dax?"
Dax opened his mouth to argue but Roy cut him off, "look I don't know if you really have feelings for Aradia but I sure as hell as do. Whether the feelings I have for her are friendship or more it really doesn't matter. I will watch out for her and I will protect her at any cost!"
Dax tried hard to fight back the urge to leap at Roy and rip him to shreds. Roy locked his gaze with Dax's and didn't look away. They met each other's deadly and steely gaze without flinching.
The whole time Dax processed Roy's words and slowly he felt his anger reside.
He then sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair. "You are right mate, you had to tell her. I wish I could defend my actions but truly the only excuse I can offer you is the fact that after seeing her use her powers I was curious about what she really was. I know curiosity killed the cat but it sure as hell didn't help the vampire in this particular situation."
Roy snorted.
Dax shrugged. "You had every right to tell her and I understand why you did."
"Don't get me wrong Dax," Roy pointed out, "it doesn't matter to me whether you are a vampire or not. I was just worried about Aradia's safety."
"Why?"
Roy hung his head and scratched his neck. "Do I really have to say it?"
Dax raised an eyebrow. "I get the feeling that there was a subtle hint when you said 'whether its friendship or more'"
Roy shrugged unabashedly.
"So you like her do you?" Dax couldn't help but tease.
To Dax's surprise, Roy just sighed. "Yeah I am into her, but its obvious that she doesn't feel the same way."
"What do you mean?"
Roy looked at him crossly. "You are not going to make me say it loud are you?"
Dax just chuckled.
For a while, the two of them said nothing and a feeling of understanding began to fall upon both of them.
"What is it about chicks and vampires?" Roy finally asked.
Dax laughed aloud. "I'll be damned if I know mate "
Roy laughed as well but he had to ask, "but do you really care about her? As a person and not the last witch?"
"Yes," Dax stated without missing a beat.
Roy looked slightly taken back. Eventually, he sighed and said, "then I guess you won huh? She's all yours."
Dax threw his head back and laughed. "I hate to tell you this mate but Aradia is not some trophy to be won. She's her own woman, and she will chose whatever she thinks is best. In the end, it doesn't matter how any of us feels about her. She is not anybody's property."
He then exhaled a long breath and sort of chuckled at the end. "To be perfectly blunt Roy, she's not either of ours."
Roy couldn't help but acknowledge the validity of Dax's argument but before he could say anything. He smelled a familiar scent. He turned towards it and inhaled deeply. "Aradia? What's she doing out here?"
Dax shrugged. "Probably out gathering more herbs for her potions..."
Roy smiled at that and the both of them would have parted right then there if they hadn't heard what sounded like Aradia shrieking.
"Hey there little red riding hood, you lost?" Dunc whispered in her ear.
Aradia jumped, and tried to back away. Only to bump into Korrigan who firmly grabbed her in his arms.
"God how I have been missing this! Holding you and feeling you struggle," he moaned.
"Feel this perv!" Aradia shrieked, thrusting her head back and hitting him in the forehead.
Korrigan stumbled and Aradia then pushed past him and ran. Once again, she collided into someone. This time it was Tavis who crouched down to meet her eye level In his hand, he still fondled his beloved switchblade, but instead of picking at his fingernails, he was slowly waved it in front of Aradia's face menacingly.
"The last witch I presume?" Tavis asked silkily.
"Who wants to know?" Aradia snapped.
Tavis blinked and said, "I am surprised you are not denying this. God knows how difficult a position it must currently be."
"Yeah well," Aradia snapped as she struggled to get up. "If I denied it, it's not like you would believe me!"
Tavis chuckled as he said, "True. Very true!"
He slowly reached towards her, his other hand now holding the switchblade.
"You know?" Tavis finally said, "I have been told that a witch's blood is not only capable of giving whoever drinks it the strength and power of the witches themselves, but it is also one hell of a damn good tasty drink!"
"So," he said with his voice dropping more softly as he stood and swiftly made his way toward her. "How about letting me see for myself if I can separate the fact from the fiction eh?"
"Eat me!" Aradia cried kicking him in his knees, and dashing as fast as she could.
Tavis stumbled but still managed to shout, "Oh I intend to!"
In spite of her own super-human speed, Aradia did not get far. Dunc headed her off, and as she doubled back, Korrigan suddenly appeared. She looked back from Korrigan, to Dunc, and to Tavis who had now shown up. All three of them circled her, and stared at her with in
tense hunger in their eyes.
A few tense filled moments passed until Dunc asked her sarcastically, "Well aren't you going to run?"
Aradia snorted scornfully. "And give you the guys the satisfaction! No way."
"Well then," said Tavis smiling, "I guess you are pretty screwed. Aren't you?"
Aradia, however, laughed and held out her hand.
"Still got my powers you know," she said smiling as she made a ball of fire appear in her hand.
Suddenly, Korrigan grabbed her from behind, gripped her wrist, and just like before he made the fireball disappear. Aradia struggled in Henry's iron grip, but also like before she could barely move. Tavis then put his switchblade back in his pocket, flexed his hands until Aradia could hear his finger bones crack. He then began to move in such a way that Aradia felt sure he was going to pounce on her. Aradia still struggled as hard as she could, trying to sabotage Henry's efforts to hold her down.
Tavis began to move towards her until Dunc called out at the top of his lungs. "Stop!"
Aradia looked at him, relieved, but only to become frightened again when he said, "You might want to take off your coat. No sense in getting some of her precious blood on your clothes."
"Oh right thanks man," said Maurice.
He then shed off his black jacket, and began once again to move towards Aradia. Finally, he leapt at her like a predator would on to its wounded prey. Aradia braced herself, but just as Maurice's fangs barely brushed her neck, he was thrown back into a tree.
Aradia looked at what had just saved her neck, literally. It was Dax with his fangs bared, claws drawn, and looking mad as hell!
"Why you..." Dunc sputtered as he moved towards him, but was knocked down with one swipe from a werewolf's paw that suddenly emerged from the forest.
Aradia seized the opportunity to pry herself from Henry's arms. Turning, she grabbed both his arms, drove her knee into his shins, and threw him into the center where Dax and Roy now stood. The three of them then circled him, dangerously.