Chapter 14

Relax Gabriel…Why are you so nervous? I was sitting in my car outside Emmalin’s house waiting on seven to hurry up and come around. I counldn’t wait for this to start after last night. It’s the only thing that’s been on my mind so I was welcoming something else to take me away from there for a while. Part of me wished I could talk to Emmalin but that wasn’t going to happen. Unfortunately this was a burden I was going to carry with Jace and Leon, but again at least she was able to take me away from it and that was more than enough right now.

It wasn’t all bad I guess. The incident did make the news and was a pretty big deal. It turned out the chemistry set inside the room was part of a huge drug lab, everyone including my buddies Maxwell and Junior were arrested. It was nice to hear the reporter say “At this time the police have no leads as to what happened as facts still remain unknown.” Even my dad was in a better mood this morning knowing a lab was uncovered connected to the Acolytes. It was a good feeling being associated with the Unknown even though things could have gone terribly wrong last night. That thought still hadn’t evaded my mind, sleep was beginning to be a memory but I was handling it better, there’s bound to be one day where I crash for a good day, but for now I have a new dream I get to live every night. The old ones were starting to get played out. I took a deep breath before I let myself be taken there again. I kept to Leon’s words and creed, I was doing this for the right reason, to protect those close to me. It started out small but now it was much bigger.

I looked at the clock, it was almost time to go. I gave myself a look over and made my way to Emmalin’s door. She texted she would be out but I could imagine the backlash I would receive from everyone, plus my mother raised me better than that. I knocked on the door and Emmalin’s mother answered.

“Hello Mrs. Lane.”

“Oh please Gabriel, call me Judy.” She said with a noticeable grin on her face. “Do come in. wow you been working out more, you look a lot more fit since we last saw you.”

“It’s been a couple of months. You know constant training, got to stay fit for the tournaments.”

“Oh yes. I imagine when they open up everyone’s going to be gunning after you.”

“Exactly.”

She lead me into the living room where Emmalin’s father was watching the Cavaliers basketball game. Emmalin is originally from Ohio and they were all huge supporters of any team from Ohio. Things got serious when our teams played against each other.

“David, Gabriel is here.” Judy acknowledged him as she walked towards to the Kitchen. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Water is fine, thank you.” As I made my way to the couch, “How are they doing tonight?”

“Ever since they made that trade their playing has been questionable.”

I wasn’t hardcore into sports as most guys but I kept up with my fair share of sports. With my dad he liked to watch it and it was the only time I really got to spend with him when he was home. “Yeah, I was surprised at what they gave up for someone that hasn’t really proved themselves yet.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

The game went on commercial and Judy came back with drinks in hand, “So the fair, how exciting? It’s been some time since you two went out there.”

David laughed, “Yeah those were some good times.”

“Yeah we’ve both been busy with everything that’s happening and with what’s going on, when I heard this was coming I couldn’t pass it up and there was only one person I wanted to go with.”

Both of them showed grins on their faces after my statement, it was obvious what they were thinking.

“Good to hear,” David said cutting the silence, “How’s your dad?”

“He’s been busy as you can imagine.”

“I figured as much with all this going on. It’s sad how this area let alone this city is turning into.”

Judy took a sip of her drink, “But at least it’s being rooted out. Just look at what happened last night.”

“There you go again. She believes someone is out there taking it upon themselves to expose all this Acolyte crap.”

“Well someone is.” Judy interjected. “I mean what else can explain these mysterious attacks, you know I bet it’s the police force secretly doing it.”

“I don’t know, my dad is in better spirits than he’s been in the past couple of months but he still doesn’t know what’s going.”

“Gabriel is that you?”

I turned toward Emmalin’s voice as she came down the stairs. I’ve known her for a long time and I always felt she was an attractive female, ask any guy at our school and they would agree, but I never paid attention to it because I didn’t, Emmalin was my best friend, we did everything together so I never found it necessary. I was always more concerned with her being in my life that I didn’t think about things like that, but when she came down those stairs and I took all of her in, she was beautiful.

“Wow, you look amazing.” Was all I was able to stammer out

She blushed, “Thank you. I take it you like.”

Her parents were standing and had gleams in their eyes as they walked us towards the front door. “You kids have a good time now. Don’t come home too late but have fun.”

“Thanks dad.”

“Thank you Mr. Lane.”

I walked Emmalin to the car opening the door for her to come in.

“Look at you being all gentlemen like.”

I laughed as she got in the car, “Get in.”

The drive was about forty five minutes and we used every minute catching up. Part ways there Emmalin busted out her phone connecting it to the car and we sang along to late nineties and early two thousand music. It was a lot of fun letting loose and yelling at the top of our lungs.

“So now that our golden pipes are loose. You must be geeking out over new reports of the unknown.”

It was interesting hearing her acknowledging the unknown and not know I was the one who was in the center of it all. The feeling of fear and death lingered in my head but I didn’t let Emmalin see it. I went along “Another one down, hopefully not much more. It’s starting to get close to us.”

“Yeah my parents were making the same comment. Hopefully it doesn’t get any closer but I’m pretty sure this stopped them for a while.”

“Yeah I’m sure it is. Think how much they lost with what was in there.”

“Hey I can see the lights.”

In the middle of a huge open field stood countless rides, tents that stretched for mile with shops, games, and food parlors filled in each one. Lights showered the fair with an impressive array of designs. I put my window down and could hear the air filled with screams and loud music.

“Wow how long has it been?”

“Four years…it looks different?”  The fair looked different in a good way, in ways it was the same but it has upgraded itself over the years.

“Oh this is going to be fun.”

After finally finding a parking spot, hiking our way to then entrance, we were standing in the middle of it all. The energy of it all mixed with the pure excitement started bringing out the smaller child in me. Everyone there seemed to be experiencing the same thing.

“So what do you want to do first?”

“Everything,” Emmalin laughed.

“Alright I like your style, let’s do it.”

We started walking but a lady stopped us with a camera. “Hello and welcome, would you like to take a photo?”

I grabbed Emmalin around the shoulders, “Of course.”

“Aww, how long have you two been a couple?”

I felt my cheeks warm up and a nervous smile form. I snuck a look at Emmalin and her face was as red as mine felt.

The lady smiled at our awkwardness. “You two make a cute couple, smile.”

I brought Emmalin closer and our picture was taken.

She looked at me, “You’ve never been big on pictures, you know from taking so many at tournaments.”

“Maybe I want this picture.”

She smiled, “Okay.”

“You can pick it up at the booth over there in about an hour.”

“Thank you”

“Have fun you two.” And she went over to the set of people.

We walked around stopping at each tent seeing what they had. There was a lot of people here but that was expected, this fair was well known and only came during this time of the year. I didn’t recognize anyone which was fine, my attention was on Emmalin and her going all girl as she looked through the different clothing tents. Once I was able to detach her from shopping we went on the rides. From spinning to twirling to being sucked up against the wall, we suspended ourselves upside down, we walked through a haunted house, we did every possible ride we could. It really brought back happy memories and new ones each time I saw Emmalin smile at the fun we were having.

What the camera lady asked still stuck in my head. The concept of a us being couple never came to mind. The team often joked about it but is there something between us? Having to ask that question would have me say no, then again I didn’t know the first thing about girls. I have been so distracted with other things like Martial Arts the notion of having a girlfriend was time I didn’t have, but do I feel something for Emmalin? Of course I do, I am happy when I with her. Is it the same towards Jessica? I haven’t talked to her in months ever since the visit but I don’t feel anything in terms of missing her. Jessica was special but I didn’t have the foundation as I do with Emmalin. Sure we kissed and it was great but we lived in two different worlds and maybe that’s where the difference lied. I don’t know and here I go again over analyzing about something I wasn’t even sure was there. Emmalin is my best friend and I was hers, we love being together and we were having a great time right now, that’s something I definitely knew.

“You’re doing you deep thinking thing. You okay?”

I smiled to show nothing was wrong. “You know me, lot’s going on up there,” pointing to my head. “Come on, I think it’s time for me to whip you in some games.”

“Oh a challenge? It’s on now.”

“Okay just don’t get mad when you lose.”

After twelve games I was standing there next to the ring toss watching Emmalin doing her victory dance. “I think the games were rigged.”

She danced a few more seconds before stopping for her applause. “Of course the games are rigged, but I still beat you.”

“I think you cheated.”

“I think I beat you fair and square.”

The fair was winding down and there wasn’t as many people compared to when we first got in. Emmalin had her arms around mine and her head against it as she started getting tired. I looked at the clock and it was almost eleven. I needed to get her home soon.

“Hey we probably should get going soon. I don’t want your parents to get mad at me for brining you home late.”

“They won’t be. They trust you more than anyone so it doesn’t matter when you get me home just as long as I get home safe.”

“Really, they trust me like that?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t they. They watched us both grow up and they know how close we are. Plus, if any one could protect me it would be you right?”

I thought back about what I’ve been doing the past couple of months knowing part of the reason for this was because of her. “Yeah, I imagine I could.”

“We’re good on time. Could we just walk around a little longer?”

“Yeah I’m good with that.” I said as she squeezed my arm tighter.

We didn’t say much and we really didn’t need to, just being in the company of each other and seeing everything around us was enough. During our walk we came across the photo booth where the pictures could be picked up. There were many displayed across stands of families, couples, and friend. You basically searched until you came across yours. I started scanning from the right as Emmalin looked from the left.

“There you two are. I was wondering if you were going to stop by.” It was the lady who took our picture earlier. “No need to look, I know exactly where your photo is.” She walked over to one of the stands in the middle and pulled it right away. I started pulling money out but she stopped me. “No, no need, this one is on me.” She smiled at both us. She handed the photo to Emmalin and looked at me, “Make sure you take care of this one.”

“I will and thank you.”

“Just so cute,” I could hear as she disappeared around the back of the booth.

I looked at the picture in Emmalin’s hand. “Wow it’s a good photo of us.”

“When have you ever taken a bad photo? I mean you would need to take them to generate bad photos.”

“Ah I see what you did there, but that’s the secret, the less photos you take the less bad photos you make.”

Emmaline laughed, but she was right I didn’t have many photos of us let alone myself. The only ones that came to mind were mainly from tournaments and I’m usually a hot mess.

“You need to make a copy of that photo for me.”

“No need she there’s two here.”

“Oh cool, that’s even better.”

We walked some more making our way out of the fair. It was getting close to closing time and I still had one more thing to do.

“Hey”

She looked at me with her soft blue eyes in full color even though it was night. “Yeah?”

“About the school dance”

She lifted her head off my shoulder “Yeah?”

“I don’t know who you’re waiting for or if this guy is ever going to come and ask, but if you want, and only if you want, I would like to ask you to the dance so we can go, you know, together. I mean like the whole thing, limo, dinner, dancing, everything.” I was so nervous my mouth could not stop rambling, I knew this was a possibility but not like this. “This is the dance you put together and I want you to have a good time and I know if we go that will happen.”

“Gabriel,” She pulled on my arm to stop from walking and talking.

“Yeah?”

She looked into my eyes and for a second they looked as if they were watery but I was too busy fighting the stupid image of Tony walking away after being rejected.

“I would love for us to go to the dance together.”

I bit my lip in response and a small sigh of relief came out. She let out a small giggle and placed her head back against my arm but this time she slipped her hand into mine. We didn’t speak until we made it back to the car and before I let her I made an obvious statement. “We have a lot of planning to do”

“Yes we do and tomorrow we will start but for now, I’m happy with this moment and don’t want it to end just yet.”

I couldn’t help but smile and nodded in agreement. Emmalin made me forget about the dangers of last night and every other thing in my life. This was the big difference, I just wanted be in this moment also.

“Me too”