The Chosen - 10. No Surrender, No Retreat

[Chapter 10]

The wind blew in my face and I closed my eyes enjoying the refreshing breeze. Trees and Highway 151 rushed past with me waving enthusiastically at every passing vehicle. I tucked my head from the window and looked at Ryan beside me.

"Did you get a good angle? This is so going on my Instagram." I watched the video looping on his phone. I was having an awesome skin day. "I hope Danny sees it."

Ryan snorted and just shook his head. He had heard all about my future husband. We were finally heading to the wildlife preserve for our science projects and I couldn't even really enjoy the field trip since my partner on the assignment was He Who Gets On My Effing Nerves.

Since the revelation of me being the leader and prince three days ago Killian was extra annoying toward me. It was a good thing we hadn't had any Ever After barrier crossers yet. In a fight, I wasn't sure how we would fair as a team since Killian barely listened to my orders. I admittedly didn't know the first thing about leading, but I was trying and the snide comments weren't helping my skills along either.

I banished that from my thoughts. It was field trip time. Think happy thoughts. Then you can fly! I shook my head. That was random. I glanced down at the drink in my hand, then looked around, and found my bus seat littered with discarded snack wrappers and empty cans of Jolt Cola. My eyes widened as I mentally added up all the sugar and caffeine I had consumed.

"Chad? Why are you bouncing in your seat?" asked Ryan, somewhat fearfully, carefully inching away from me.

I grinned crazily. "That's an easy answer. I'm hyper."

The comment came out louder than I anticipated and those surrounding us heard it. Those that knew me shared frightened expressions and I just nodded and smiled darkly. A hyper Chad, compared to a normal Chad, was going to be 200 times the insanity of usual.

"Trust you to go on a sugar binge the day we observe our assigned animals," Killian quipped, turning around in his seat to sneer at me.

I cocked my head. "Has anyone ever told you that you have really pointed features? Like a troll or a goblin?"

"Look who's talking," Killian retorted. "At least I don't look like I've been bashed across the face with an ugly stick."

I gasped. "Was it that same stick I saw you go off into the corner with earlier? You were looking awfully intimate with it."

"You should get your eyes checked. That stick I went off with was actually your mother."

"Which makes you my father," I stated, with mock curiosity. "Man, now I know where I get my bad looks from."

Our verbal sparring had drawn a crowd and I earned a loud round of applause and cheers at the comeback. Killian turned back around scowling at the playful jeering and heckling the crowd was throwing at him. Grumpy loser.

"Are we there yet!" I called, startling people out of their conversations. "Are we there yet! Are we there yet!"

Ryan poked me in the side and I yelped in part surprise and part pain. I glared at him. Sometimes even when his super strength was toned down he still could do some damage.

"Child abuse! What was that for?" I asked, giving him my best glare.

Ryan rolled his eyes. "You know why. You keep this up and the teachers are going to make you and Killian hold hands so you don't act up..." He gave me a sly look and muttered under his breath, "...Or get lost."

I proceeded to annoy the hell out of my fellow classmates for the duration of the trip just to spite him. I didn't think it was that bad but when we finally came to the park everyone sitting near me proclaimed, "thank you, God" and made a beeline for the front doors. I frowned. Some people were so weird.

I jumped off the last step of the bus and thrust my arms skyward. "Finally!"

The students gathered together awaiting orders from the faculty. The teachers gave us explicit instructions to stick with our partner and we were ordered in groups of a dozen to see our assigned animals. Our chaperones would be a teacher and one wildlife preserve officer. I stuck near Ryan and waited for Killian to join me. He slinked over and Ryan's partner was some hipster kid with long bangs, who stared at us with disinterest. I gave him a hesitant smile and he rolled his eyes, pulled out his phone and began texting. Bitch.

Our guide was a man in his early thirties. He had a strong jaw, dark brown skin and eyes that screamed come to my bedroom. His khaki uniform clung in all the right places to his fit form. I made him flush at the open ogling I was doing, as I stared at him like a death row prisoner about to get his last meal.

"Well, uh, just follow me," said `just call me Mike'.

I followed along like an obedient puppy pushing past Ryan and Killian so I could marvel at the sculpted ass trapped inside those tiny shorts. This was turning out to be a pretty good field trip. Mike led us past the gravel parking lot and into the forest where we followed a clearly marked trail.

"So how long have you worked here?" I asked Mike, smiling charmingly.

Mike blinked, confused, but answered, "A little over three years this coming December."

Mr. Collins, our teacher assigned to the group, cleared his throat, "Chad, I think it would be best if you join your partner. This is for both of you to observe and study."

I sighed and joined Killian's side who was giving Ryan a smirk that said, I told you so. I looked up ahead and saw Mr. Collins start a fast paced conversation with Mike, who was responding excitedly. So it was like that. Well, checkmate indeed Mr. Collins.

Killian smiled nastily. "Finally get your hormones in check?"

I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out. "I was just showing an interest in getting to know our guide."

Ryan made an agreeing noise in his throat. "Mmmhmm."

I puffed my chest out and stood tall. "I don't need to flirt anyway. I have a date tonight."

Killian whistled. "Who in their right mind agreed to go on a date with you?"

"Since it's obviously not you, it really isn't any of your business."

"Thank God for that miracle."

I opened my mouth to deliver a venomous retort about his face appearing vaguely inbred but stopped. A jolt went down my spine. I looked around wildly. The hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood on end as the power crawled along my skin. I shared a look with Killian and Ryan. They wore matching serious expressions. We hung back from the group and then slipped off the trail and through a cluster of trees.

"What is that?" Killian asked, rubbing his arms.

"It's the energy from a portal into the Ever After," said Ryan. His voice was deeper, more confident as the Executioner showed through his mortal guise. "The power is unmistakable once you've felt it before."

I agreed. "It's close too. And emitting a lot of energy." It kind of scared me but I wasn't going to admit it. "We need to check it out."

Killian frowned. "What about the group?"

An idea formed. "I think I can fix that. It's spell'o'clock time." I gathered energy and formed the intent in my mind. "Come to me and obey my whim. Shadows near do as I bid. Take form and shape. Take thoughts and words. Act and simulate!"

My words came out harsh with magic flooding the syllables giving them power to affect reality to do my bidding. Our shadows rose forth from the ground. They gradually churned and molded themselves into exact replicas of ourselves. I blinked a little surprised that it worked. I smiled and gave myself a little pat on the back. Our shadow clones were complete and precise copies of us, down to the last detail. I really did good work. I admired my clone and he nodded at me.

"What will you have us do?" asked Clone/Me.

That was a little creepy. Wait? Do I really sound like that? Focus, I told myself. Got to get down to business. "I need you three to go back and join our group. Pretend to be us and don't get caught. If you guys have time please go by Starbucks and pick me up a Vanilla-"

"Chad!"

I sighed. Excuse me. "Nevermind. Just follow the first order. You may go." They nodded and as one left to rejoin the group.

We got right down to business. We marched toward the source of the energy which was leading us into the thick of the forest. I was beginning to get nervous. I knew the animals were caged in their designated areas of the preserve but what if one of them got loose. I would hate to die because I got mauled by a lion or a bear. Dying a virgin would suck.

A large jutted rock surface appeared in our line of sight nestled in a grove of large redwoods. I frowned. The power was stronger now and close. I spotted an opening in the rock. It had to be coming from that cave. I pointed it out and even Killian grudgingly agreed with me. Maybe I had some sense of leadership after all.

We cautiously approached the cave and entered with a stealth that would have made James Bond jealous. At least I think we were stealthy. I admit to breathing just a tad bit too hard.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I held my hand out ready to deliver a fireball at anything that jumped out. The power grew stronger the deeper we went into the cave. I could practically taste it. It was coating my tongue making me swallow the buzzing energy that crawled along my skin and burrow deep into my veins.

A pale light appeared up ahead and I gasped. Cutting through the air was a tear in the very fabric of space. It was a portal that literally looked as if someone had stabbed the air and made a long jagged cut into reality. The edges of the portal shimmered silver and on the other side was a hazy view of a surreal forest.

"You guys think the Ever After is on the other side?" Killian asked, his voice quiet, but echoing off the closed in space.

Ryan nodded. "The portal has the same energy I feel when things crossover from there." He looked at me. "What do you think we should do, Chad?"

I froze. I wasn't used to people looking at me for direction. This leadership thing was going to take a while. I drew on whatever insight I could pull. In all fantasy shows the good guys usually went into mysterious portals to either destroy it or find out why it was there. I really didn't want to go but a stabilized portal into the Ever After was unheard of. To hold one open for long periods of time required enormous amounts energy. And that energy source wasn't coming from this side. This portal wasn't here by accident and we needed to find out why.

"We need to know why this is here and answers sure as hell aren't on this side," I said, trying to sound more confident than how I felt.

They nodded so I guess my reasoning made sense. With a thought, we wordlessly transformed into our powerful alter egos. I felt better at the familiar weight of the cloak draped over my shoulders. I pulled the hood off and ran a hand through my hair. Taking a breath I did the hard part and stepped through the portal. It was like moving from a desert into an oasis. I didn't feel the change on my skin but could sense it in my thoughts and in that part of my brain that told you it was going to rain soon, to run when in danger, or enabled you to pick up a car when your child was trapped under it. That primitive part of my subconscious screamed at me what I already knew. I was now standing in a different world.

The ground rolled on made of deep gray earth. The sky was a curtain of blackness that had tiny stars netted in. Instead of the usual pale silver stars I was accustomed to seeing, jewels of every color dotted this sky appearing impossibly bright and beautiful to behold.

Ryan stared at the sky in wonder."Wow."

It was stunning to witness. Alright. Time to go check out locals.

"I think we better not draw any attention to ourselves," I said quietly. "Remember we aren't liked much around here."

The Executioner held up a hand signaling to be silent. He closed his eyes and cocked his head, listening. Ah. It must be handy to have heightened senses.

"I hear something," the Executioner murmured. He opened his eyes and frowned. "It sounds like battle cries."

Solaris' eyes widened. "A fight?"

I steeled my nerves. "Let's find out."

I kept my eyes on alert looking everywhere at once, body tense and ready for anything. The others were at my side following my lead. We kept our footsteps light and talking was at a minimum. We marched out the forest with its silver leaves and gigantic boughs. Slowly at first, I began to hear the voices and then they grew louder in pitch. We carefully walked across a grassy field that suddenly dropped ahead of us, plunging into a cliff that overlooked a dry and rocky canyon.

I took a frightened step back at the host of monsters and demons of nightmare that covered the ground below the cliff. I couldn't even identify all the creatures amassing below us. The majority were ugly with knotted, slimy twisted skin and bulbous bodies. There were thousands of them. They growled, howled, hissed and made every guttural kind of noise they could that filled the canyon with sound.

"What the fuck," Solaris hissed.

I second sentiment.

There was a shimmer in the air directly above the army and from the spatial distortion appeared a woman. She was tall with long, straight black hair that stopped at her hips. She wore a green gown of silk that partially covered her important bits. It was tight at the waist fitted with a shiny belt equipped with a long dagger that rested at her hip through a loop on her belt. She was beautiful with her soft lines and curves but too perfect. It was a false perfection that marred her looks and reminded me of what she really was. A demoness.

"The time has come for you to go forth as the first wave!" shouted the demoness, her deep voice ringing clearly in the air. "Wash the Earth of the mortal filth that overruns its surface like cockroaches. You will make the way for The Lords in Shadow and they will remake the Earth again into our paradise!"

There was an echoing cheer that split the air. It was so loud that I had to cover my ears.

"Now march forward and conquer the mortal bugs!"

With that last order the demon woman vanished. The ground shook beneath our feet. The massive host surged forth toward a rocky road that cut into a path leading forward to the canyon top. Our present location. I looked at the Executioner and Solaris like a deer in headlights. They mirrored my expression. I gulped.

"We can't possibly take that many!" Killian said hurriedly. He appeared on the verge of a panic attack.

The Executioner gave him a stoic look. "We can't if you start to lose it."

They both looked at me with expectant gazes, waiting for instructions. What the hell were they looking at me for? Oh wait. I was the leader. I keep forgetting that. I squared my shoulders. We didn't have any choice in this matter. It was either stand our ground or let the army go uncontested into our world. That I wouldn't allow. Not on my watch.

"We meet them head on," I said firmly with as much confidence as I could muster. "We'll fight 'till we can't no more. They're not setting foot on Earth as long as I live."

Thank you, Battlestar Galactica because without you I would've been at a loss for words.

We squared our shoulders and formed a line with our back toward the area we came from. The location of the portal leading to Earth. The noise of the army and rumbling of the ground grew stronger until the demonic host appeared on the horizon.

"Here they come," the Executioner muttered.

I looked at both of them grimly. "No matter what hold this line!"

Solaris flicked his hands and light flared around them glowing hot white. The Executioner made a motion with his right hand and suddenly his Spirit Staff appeared twirling in his grip. I pulled magic to me and my palms lit with blue, crackling electrical like currents of energy. If someone looked at me I'm sure they would see the same currents mirrored in my eyes.

When the army spotted us standing in their path there wasn't any moment of hesitation or halt of confusion. They saw us and they were spurred on with a speed of whips at their backs. Solaris looked at me and I nodded giving him permission. It was go time.

"Dawn Bringer!"

Light shot from his hands splitting the air with shocking speed. The light split into different rays and every demon it hit was vaporized by the laser lights, killing over two dozen. The demons continued on filling the gaps in their ranks and increased their speed. I raised my arm skyward, palm flat.

"Hell wont have you,
neither will Heaven.
To the fog of limbo
I banish thee to."

Garnet colored light coalesced in my palm congealing into a globe. Within the orb was a cloud of dark, gray circling mist. The mist originated from the sixth dimension, the place where energy for the spell stemmed from.

"Soul Reaper Reprise!"

I snapped my arm down and the ball of power launched forward with a loud whistle accompanying it, as it sliced through the air breaking the sound barrier. The attack tore up the dirt under it leaving dead earth in its wake. It hit the mass formation and the first front lines of a hundred soldiers melted into a steaming, smoking flesh of mess.

"Here they come," the Executioner said, getting his staff into position.

The army crashed into us and we met the assault with quick movements. The Executioner's yell echoed loudly through the air as he gave a great swing of his staff. The metal pole threw back a dozen demons with one swing. There was no time to recover. A demon jumped onto his back and Ryan grabbed its arm. He swung the demon around in a wide arc hitting every monster circling around him. He dropped the demon and crushed its neck with his boot. A werebeast lept and the Executioner kicked it in the chest sending it soaring clear across the battlefield. It pays to have super strength. Sometimes I forgot the strength to bench press a car existed in that body.

I didn't have time to continue watching my friend's back. Creatures and demons from humanity's nightmares bore down on my position with hunger in their eyes. I screamed as a hissing snake beast rushed at me with its fangs out. I panicked and threw my hands forward.

"Magic bolt thingy!"

Power flared into my palms and took the form of a dazzling ray of white light. It crashed into the beast and disintegrated it with a wet noise of sizzling flesh. Something struck my head and white spots flared behind my eyes and dizziness hit me like a bolt. I rolled over and immediately levitated backward from the Minotaur that swung an axe in the spot I vacated.

There were so many monsters. Everywhere I turned there was another one. I swallowed. We had to see this through. There was no retreating. I snatched a hair from my head.

"Champion Chain!"

The hair grew in my hand until it was a glowing cord of gold. I had a wicked Sailor Venus flashback. I grasped the chain and it whipped through the air, grazing the bellies of a line of man-goat creatures advancing toward me. The whip ripped open their stomachs and smoking, hot intestines coiled out as the shrieking monsters fell to their knees.

I screamed when a rotting demon, dripping ooze from its pores tackled me hard to the ground and sent the whip flying away. My ribs felt like they were about to break as the demon dug his elbows into my sides. I cried out as dagger slit open my wrist. My magic reacted to my pain and lashed out. My eyes snapped open and I roared as power built up inside of me and exploded outward from my body. Every creature within a meter of my position was vaporized before they could scream.

I jumped to my feet as quickly as I could. I caught bright flashes of light in the distance and could make out a black clothed figure within the unbearable brightness. Solaris. He was still alive and fighting. Good. I rubbed my hands together and raised them heavenward.

"Ares, God of War, bless me,
empower me, and humble this
warrior with grace and power."

A foreign feeling of courage and strength that wasn't mine filled me. My very bones seemed energized and I bounced lightly on the balls of my feet. The demons continued filling the holes in their ranks pressing forward. A muscled demon that looked like the Swamp Thing sprinted at me. Skills I never before had spurred me to plant my heels. I gathered my strength and delivered a brutal uppercut with my right fist. It fell to the ground with its jaw hanging at an odd angle. I aimed my palm and fired a fireball at the fallen body watching numbly as its body incinerated in magical flame. I spun around with my leg, roundhouse kicking a furred beast sneaking up on my blindside.

I battled on like this fighting with the will of the Greek god of war until the foreign power left me. It couldn't last since I was neither a god nor an avatar of Ares.

"Chain Lightning!" I yelled throwing my arms forward.

A huge shaft of blue electricity charged wind raced from a nearby cloud and struck the monsters separating me and the Executioner. The monsters jumped around like broken back snakes as the energy ate through their skin and organs, frying them into piles of black ash. I ran to Ryan's position firing a beam of red tightly controlled fire into the demonic horde advancing on him.

My beam went high so I dragged it down and it sliced into the creatures. Some found their heads cut clean off and others had their bodies torn in half. Blood rained from the sky as most just exploded from the energy boiling through their bodies. I reached Ryan's side and we fought back to back. I concentrated on throwing attacks that would take out large numbers. Ryan kept the demons at bay literally tearing creatures in half as he fought with a viciousness I hadn't seen before.

I caught a flare of light out of the corner of my eye and paused as demons on my left side turned to dust. Solaris fired another attack disintegrating another battalion of monsters. He was relentless in his attacks, not letting up and dialing up the intensity as he neared us.

"You boys miss me!" he yelled over the detonation of an attack that he set off behind him. He gave a cocky wave as he obliterated a line of demons with a sweep of his arm, showering their bodies with raining beams of focused plasma that melted right through their flesh.

I rolled my eyes. Somebody was getting overconfident. I opened my mouth to call this fact out to him but instead yelled, "Watch out!"

Solaris didn't have time to dodge the big meaty arm that slapped him to the ground. I yelped as the hulking form of a large demon, dressed in bones designed as armor, loomed over Solaris. He snatched Killian up and dangled him in the air by his neck. I gathered magic readying a thunder bolt. It seemed time slowed to a quarter speed.

I saw the desperation and pain on Killian's face as he clawed at the arm holding him up. I flung the bolt just as the demon hurled Killian far off, high into the air and right over the deep canyon beyond. The bolt hit the demon and it fell to the ground with blood pouring from its ears. But it was too late. The Executioner's scream echoed mine as we watched Killian plummet to the canyon's bottom.

The monsters ignored our plight and continued coming at us with no mercy. Tears fell down my face as my soul cried out. We were best friends in our past lives and I felt the pain as if we were still that close. My brain knew differently but my heart and soul were filled with grief. I let out a rage filled yell as anger at the unfairness of it all slammed in my thoughts until it became uncontrollable. A wild windstorm roared to life throwing back everyone nearby and forcing the monsters to stagger back.

"Warlock!" the Executioner screamed over the harsh gale. He gripped my shoulder and I turned to him. He gasped. "Your eyes!"

I could see my reflection within his gray irises. My normally blue eyes were pitch black like a starless night, an inky black from edge to edge that hinted at the power I was channeling. The power of dark magic.

I shook off the Executioner's hand from my shoulder. "Get back, Ryan. Find cover."

I turned back to the mass of demons ahead of us. Though we had made a sizable dent in the army, the host of dark creatures was still more than a thousand strong. The air temperature dropped and the wind howled louder. A door in my mind had been opened at Solaris' downfall. My soul cried out for vengeance and it opened the knowledge of how to my mind. Words tumbled from my lips, my voice resonating like a choir of voices speaking as one.

"Darkness against the moonlight,
Blight in the souls of all men,
In the heart of the universe
is where all great Power breeds."

Sharp slivers of red and black light, the usual colors of a spell of the darkest magics, began to slide up from a cone around my feet until they had all congealed in my hand. I shivered as the black magic crawled along my soul feeding me energy from the source of its power, a dark god of destruction from eons gone by.

"I feed to you my word of honor,
that the bounty bestowed to me,
is paid in blood and devastation."

I struggled as the power fought against me. Concentrating hard I willed the magic to hold together and stabilize. The power I was drawing from was never meant for mortal hands and here I was bringing it forth into reality. One wrong word or act and I could annihilate myself and this world in the blink of an eye. My feet left the ground as gravity itself twisted and warped around my body causing me to levitate a half foot. My hair stood on end and the magic gathered within my hands pulsed in time with my heartbeat. Almost there. Just a little bit more.

"Destruction is what I pledge to reap
upon my enemies, that beholds the power
invested in me. In thy great name. Amen."

The power in my hands solidified and my control was total. Power spiked and I sent a prayer that Ryan was somewhere safe. I narrowed my eyes and finished the final incantation with the trigger command.

"HELL... GROUND... ZERO!!"

Everything went white.

When I came to my senses silence reigned in the area. The Executioner slowly approached the destroyed region. There was nothing left within the spell kill radius. Nothing. Where there was once a rocky, grassy plain there was now a deep crater. I sat in the center of a perfectly smooth sphere of depressed terrain. Around me, eleven hundred meters of landscape was missing. Completely gone. The Executioner joined me in the crater falling to his knees to my level. We sat in silence for over five minutes. There was nothing we could say. We just lost a comrade. A friend.

"Chad, how? They're all gone."

"I don't know. I just did it." I felt tired. Sluggish. The shrug took more energy than it should. "I feel like I need a good nap now. I don't think I can manage another spell for a while."

There was a noise behind us that sounded like air being displaced. We spun around and tensed as a man-size orange sphere floated down from the sky. The sphere popped and in a shower of yellow and orange sparkles formed Killian's shape, then became solid.

"Whoa!" Killian gasped. "Now that was a rush."

We both gaped like fish. The Executioner broke from his stupor first. He embraced Killian and they laughed, a long laugh filled with happiness and a shared relief. I shook off my amazement. I staggered to my feet and pretty much fell into Killian's arms. Relief flooded my senses and I couldn't even muster up a catchy joke at the moment. If I was at a loss for words then deliriously, emotionally and physically tired was what I was. Killian true to form didn't let the moment go.

"Wow, Chad. You look horrible."

And the bitch was officially back.

I took the comment for the joke that it was and grinned. "How are you still here? We saw you fall!"

Killian smiled. "I teleported! I remembered how to do it as I was about to kiss the ground at ninety miles per hour. I guess I figured how to use a forgotten power. Nathaniel's going to be over the moon."

"Excellent!" Ryan beamed. He looked like he wouldn't ever stop smiling. "Can you do it again?"

Killian nodded and looked toward the sky, shouting, "Sun Rise!"

The orange bubble materialized around him and lifted his body in the air. He landed behind us and appeared in the same shower of sparkles, grinning from ear to ear.

"Ta da!" he said, throwing out his hands and bowing. "We stopped the army and we know why the portal was there. Mission accomplished."

I nodded. "That demon lady said The Lords in Shadow are pulling the strings. Whoever they are."

"Probably the same mysterious source that Abholo mentioned at the bookstore. I remember him saying he was the herald of something much powerful than him," said the Executioner.

I remembered that too. "We've got a lead, boys. I say we leave this place before more baddies come after realizing we cosmic moon powered this army. And we need to collapse the portal on the way out."

Solaris frowned at me. "Let's hurry then. You look terrible. You're obviously about to faint. We don't need you passing out here, Warlock."

I rolled my eyes as the Executioner supported me with one arm around my shoulders. "Everybody's a critic."

And true to my word I slept the rest of the night when I got home. I napped during school the next day and was thankful that no one noticed our absence during the field trip yesterday. We took our shadow clones places and they resumed their post as shadows. Nathaniel wanted to meet with us about the fight but he thankfully put the meeting off until two days. We needed a break after the day we just had. Plus I had plans for the night.

I threw another shirt on my bed. That was the third one. Fuck. I picked another shirt from my closet and slipped it on. It was blue and tight, clinging to my upper body quite nicely. I smiled at myself in the mirror. Nice. My bedroom door opened and Kevin walked in. He gave me a long look and smiled devilishly.

"You gays sure love your clothes."

I flicked him off. "I have a date tonight."

Kevin raised his eyebrows. "It is Friday. I almost forgot you had your big date tonight."

I nodded smiling stupidly. The thought of Danny often made me react like a schoolgirl. "Yeah," I sighed dreamily. "It's my first date with the guy from the arcade."

"Danny, right?" Kevin asked, jumping on my bed and sprawling out.

I leaned against the dresser and held out my hands to display myself. "Do I look okay?"

Kevin grinned and shrugged. "I'd do you."

I rolled my eyes. "As much as that image filled me with disgust. Thank you."

"That's what I'm here for. When is he going to be here?"

I glanced at the clock. "He should be here within the next ten to fifteen minutes."

"Then I guess I'll just be making my way down the yellow brick road," said Kevin. He stood up and flashed me the peace sign. "Deuces, bitch."

Kevin wandered out and I watched his exit with a fond smile. Kevin really was a great best friend. He didn't have to say it but I know he stopped by to make sure I wasn't too nervous for tonight. I tended to work myself into a ball of anxiety and get stuck in my own head sometimes. I loved that he always could calm me down and bring me back to myself.

The doorbell rang as I was doing my hair. I looked myself over in the mirror. My smile was simultaneously anxious and happy. I grabbed my phone, keys, and wallet from my bedside table. I went downstairs and was thankful that both Mom and Morgan were gone this evening. I really didn't feel like being grilled on who I was going with and where.

I opened the door and Danny spun around and gave me a grin. He looked good, dressed in blue jeans, a white shirt with a dark blazer worn over it. His mahogany hair was in a ponytail and his hazel eyes were warm as they landed on me, looking at me the same appraising way I was going over him.

"You look good, Chad," Danny said, smiling brightly.

I blushed. "You, too, I mean. You look good too."

"Too cute," he chuckled. Danny extended his hand. "You ready?"

I nodded and took his head. He led me toward his car. It was an old school Mustang from the 60's painted a gray-blue. I sighed in envy. I would love a sports car but Mom always ranted about drag racing and pink slips. I didn't know what she was on but she definitely needed to come off it. This was not 1965 and this was not Grease. I looked way better than John Travolta.

He opened the passenger door for me and I slid in.

"I guess all that flirting paid off," said a voice from the backseat, with a southern drawl.

I spun around and groaned. Sitting in the back was Adam. His sunglasses glinted in the light of the streetlamp and I frowned in confusion. What the hell was he doing here? I glared at Danny as he got into the driver's side.

"Look, I don't know what type of party you think this is," I said harshly. "This ain't no gangbang or freaky threesome or whatever you got planned. I'm not into the kinky stuff. You can kiss my-"

I trailed off seeing their gaping faces with their dropped jaws. I shut up and looked back and forth between the two. I think I just messed up. Fuuuck my life.

"Wow. I knew you were as dumb as a box of rocks but-"

Danny cut off his cousin, who was smirking at me. "Oh stop, Adam." He looked at me. "This isn't some gangbang." They both snorted. "I'm just dropping Adam off near the restaurant we're going to. He's meeting some people and needed a ride."

I'm sure my face was so red that astronauts in orbit could probably see it. I chuckled nervously and mumbled a quiet apology feeling like the biggest jerk in the world. You know, like Killian.

The car started up and we drove off with a heavy silence filling the car. I suddenly became very interested in my hands. Anything would be better than this awkward tension. Wow, those hangnails were getting long. I really needed to clip them.

"Now isn't this just the most pleasant evening," said Adam sarcastically from his seat in the back.

I snorted. "Understatement of the year."

"Now that you mention it things could be a little bit livelier," Danny added, grinning his usual bright smile.

I smiled in relief glad that things would be getting back on a happy track. I steered the conversation to mundane topics. Things I really had no interest in but just anything to keep the conversation going. Then the subject turned to home life and I told them about my parents, my dad's death, and Morgan's Satan worshipping ways.

"Adam here is the closest thing I have to a sibling so I feel your pain," Danny said, nodding solemnly.

Adam delivered a slap to his head. "Hush up, clown. You aren't the easiest to live with either thinking your God's gift with your-"

"Adam!" Danny said, clenching his teeth.

That was kind of freakily weird. I looked in the mirror to see Adam sit back in his seat and cross his arms, his lips set in a thin line. He looked pissed. I couldn't blame him. He did just get verbal slapped down. This must be what people felt like when they were around Morgan and me.

The car parked in front of a café and Danny turned around. "Adam, we're here in front of the coffeehouse," he said, his voice gentler and lacking the harshness of his earlier tone.

Adam got out without a word to Danny, moving expertly without the use of sight. He extended his cane and made his way into the building without saying goodbye. I frowned feeling something stir in my chest at watching him leave so sullenly. His feelings must have been really hurt. I glanced at Danny as he sighed sadly and pulled the car away from the curb.

"You alright?" I decided to ask.

Danny nodded, giving me a small smile that lacked its usual brightness. "Yeah. I didn't mean to snap at him. It's just that Adam has a mean streak sometimes and I didn't want our date to be ruined. I could tell he was getting ready to start saying some nasty stuff."

I didn't know what to say. I was touched that he cared so much about our date though. I felt the familiar dumb grin spread across my face and I wanted to slap myself. Cleanup aisle three, I needed someone to mop up the mess my hormones are about to make all in my pants.

I smiled. "You're really sweet."

Danny parked in the lot of a restaurant that sat at the end of a busy strip. He ran a hand down my cheek and I practically melted at the look he was giving me. It was soft and the little smile that played at the corner of his lips made me want to kiss him until he couldn't breathe.

"It seems you just bring out all the sweetness in me," he whispered, leaning in for a short and featherlight kiss.

I sighed happily as he pulled back looking deep into my eyes. My heart was beating wildly in my chest. I felt like I could fly to the moon right now.

"You ready for the best date of your life?" he asked, that roughish grin back.

I nodded with a bashful smile.

It hadn't even begun and it was already the best damn date of my life.