KING IN THE SHADOWS

CHAPTER 2

You're moving?! Why? When?”, the questions came pouring after I told Marie I was moving with my mom. “She has a family she doesn't like very much, and wants me to come with her, because she suspects that's where I was born.” I said to answer most of her questions. “So how long has she known about your magic stuff?” “Long enough to sum up that I might be part wolf. Which she believes comes from my ‘real’ mom. Told her to never call the woman that gave birth to me that, because she's the only one who's a mother to me and no one else can take that away.” I said proudly with a smile. Marie already knew about my powers for as long as I had had them. She was actually the first victim. We were in freshman year when I set Vittoria's good on fire for bullying her. It was due to my outrage, and she noticed it immediately I did. About three times that week, I was also responsible for a couple of events that broke out in school. Like when I set the gym on fire so we could skip class and hang out at a dangerous lagoon nearby. Or when I made the school's pool boil and gave Vittoria a couple burns. We did a lot of things with my new found powers until we both got bored. Just then I realized Francesco was giving me eye signals. Like dude, what the hell! What are you twelve? That method was outdated and ineffective these days. Jeez, look up a better way to… OHHHHH! “What?” Marie asked, looking at me with a surprised look. “I think your boy finally noticed you, but he's too shy to meet you one on one.” I said, holding Marie's shoulders to avoid her from turning. But that wasn't about to stop her, and she still tried anyway. “No, don't look! He's winking at me to come over, probably to talk to you for him. So just stay here and I'll do my best to get him to ask you to the party on Friday. Try your best not to pay attention, ok.” I said, standing up to leave. Marie held my hand tight and whispered “Thank you, Elena.” I smiled back and gave her a thumbs up. I walked over to Francesco and gave a light smile. “Ok lover boy. Get this over with, before I change my mind.” “Yeah…sure, um…of course. I…uh, just um… wanted to…you know…” “Speak up, I don't have all day here. So hurry it up.” I said, while he was still trying to talk. “Yeah right. If you could just let me catch my breath a little. I'm a bit freaked out here.”, he said still a bit shaky and not so confident. “Jeez! Dude, you haven't even approached her and you're freaked out? What happens when you ask her to the party?” I said looking back at Marie. She was calm where she sat, not looking our way, but I still noticed her thumping her foot in a certain rhythm. Like she always did when she got nervous. I smiled at the thought of what was going on in her head. “What? No, I meant to ask you to the party. Who are you talking about? Why'd you think I called you here?”, Francesco asked, surprised. “What?!” I nearly screamed - except it was in my head of course. I was actually shaking and could barely reply. “Me? You want to ask me to the party on Friday? Why'd you want to take me to the party, of all people? Your joking right?”, I said, preventing myself from stammering. Because I would have sounded worse than him if that happened. “Yeah, of course I'd want to take you. Why wouldn't I want to take you? I mean your smart, pretty, hot in a lot of ways and very, very funny. I think we would make a great couple actually. So would you please go with me, Elena Domenico?”, he asked with his hands together at his chest level. I was thinking of what to say, what time do, what time tell Marie. No I couldn't possibly tell Marie, she'd never talk to me again. But who was I kidding? Francesco was hot no doubt - not as hot as Drason, but still hot. To be honest, this motherfucker was the reason I swore not to fall in love in high school ever again. I was into him in freshman year, but hell he never would have taken note of the weird girl who walked around with the even weirder girl with braces. And I eventually gave up on it after Marie made her fantasy known. And now this? How was I supposed to feel about it? This wasn't part of the things I wished for at the beginning of this year. “I um… can't…”, I blurted out after a couple seconds. But some part of me wanted to say something different. Yes, maybe, I don't know, but it was different from whatever I just said. “Why not? Someone hasn't asked you already, have they?” He said confused. Now I couldn't say yes, because who the hell would ask me out? Apart from the guy in front of me. We were in an open space outside the classrooms, by now a few people had thrown a couple glances at what was happening. And Marie was beginning to lose patience by now. I had to think of something, and fast. “No, no one has. But I…uh… I… have someone else in mind.” Yes, that was perfect. I could wait this out with that response and think of someone to go out with. But who the hell would I ask to go with me? I mean obviously no boy would ask, so I had to do so myself. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!” I don't know if it was just me or he suddenly sounded quite cunning that last time. He was thinking of something.

“Who is he?”

“Why do I have to tell you?”

“Just curious.”

“I'm not saying.”

“You're lying.”

“How would you know?”

“Instinct, I'd like to say.”

“You don't know me.”

“Then just tell me the boy I lost to.”

“Lost to?”

“Yeah, I'd like to know the boy who's hotter than me, and took your heart first.”

“I did! I was planning on asking anyway.”, up until that moment I didn't realize how much I loved that voice. I turned around to find an angel clad in his usual black garments. Drason stood towering over me like I was a child. “Yes, I planned to accept if you did get the courage to ask. Because I still promised to show you around the school, and a party would be a nice way to show you a taste of our extra curricular activities.”, I said, smiling at him, I almost thought I would hug him. “Oh! The nosy kid who can't mind his business. He's the one you choose over me? A new kid you barely know?” Francesco said looking disappointed. “My friend Marie would love to go with you. I'm sure…” “Funky Marie? No, I'll pass.” “ Don't call her that, you jerk!”, I said, really pissed he would address her by that name. It's what they called her back when she had braces. And of course Vittoria was responsible for that name calling. I glared at Francesco and completely forgot myself, not even noticing I was loud. By now a couple of kids had stopped and were looking at us. I was so angry I almost tried to wave my hand and try setting his jacket on fire. But Marie rushed to my side and clasped her fingers with mine, locking them. I felt bad as I looked at her and thought she might have heard him say that. I fought so hard to make sure no one called her that ever again, and now the boy she was always fantasizing over called her that. “Ok, I might have a solution to all of this.” Drason said, taking a look at all of us. Now a couple students had gathered, because wherever you saw a sight like this it meant a fight followed afterwards. I hoped that wasn't his idea. “I challenge you one-on-one. I win, you have to take whomever I choose for you. You win, I take whoever you want me to take.” “And who gets to take Elena?” Francesco asked. “Oh no! This is about me and you. The winner gets to be point guard in the next game against the Salvatore school. The loser has to do what the winner says. You in or out?” Francesco seemed to think about it for a while. But I knew he wouldn't refuse Drason, so he accepted. “So what's the challenge? A fight? A race? What?”. “Oh come on, no. That won't be fun. I mean you'd lose in both, so I wouldn't enjoy either. Humiliating you would be nice, so I should even the playing field by giving you an upper hand. So with that being said, it'd have to be basketball. Meet me in the court in an hour from now. Do we have a deal?” Drason said not seeming in the least worried he'd lose. Francesco on the other hand seemed embarrassed, and students nearby couldn't help gasping and giggling at the classic insult in Drason's words. “Why wait? We should do it now,and get it over with.” Francesco said, trying to save the little bit of his honor Drason had just thrown in the mud. “You seem in a hurry to get humiliated. But don't worry I don't mind at all. Very well, then let's go. Lead the way young sir.” He said stretching his hand for Francesco to lead the way to the court. “I'm going to kick your ass, newbie.” Francesco whispered as a couple of students followed behind him, cheering. “After you, My Little Angel.” He said motioning for Marie to lead the way for us. “I don't really know what is going on. But I think you made the wrong call. Sorry!” Marie said following the rest of the students. “If only you knew, pretty angel. If only you knew.” Drason whispered after her. Then he turned to me and said,”Sorry for the surprise. Couldn't think of another way to help out. Can't really mind my business, can I?” “You don't have any idea how helpful that was! I was lost in what to do. Thanks a lot, I really appreciate it. But can you actually beat him at his own game, I mean he's really good at it. And apart from the Salvatore school, he doesn't lose to anyone else.”, I said, feeling unsure if the whole idea now. “Well of course, he's good and all. But I'll still wipe the floor with him anyways.” “If you say so.” Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea, if he won he'd tell Francesco to take Marie to the party, and I'd go with him. And also I had to commend the way he challenged. He kept me and Marie out of it - for now that is. He didn't make it look like I was better by saying that the loser had to take her and the winner would have to take me. He was really smart about it. But was some part of me really wanting to go with him to the party, or was I just spouting nonsense at that moment? Did I actually pick him over Francesco without knowing it? There was no time to worry about that now. Plus the fact Marie didn't ask me about what me and Francesco talked about, meant she didn't hear what he said about her. Thank goodness! I would have messed stuff up if she did. Just then we reached the court, and Francesco was already heading for the changing room to put on something more appropriate. Drason smiled at me and headed to the changing room too. About five minutes later Francesco stepped out first, then Drason followed shortly. They both agreed to a freshman calling the game for them, in order to avoid favoritism by classmates. Surprisingly a lot of students were here, even the Phys. Ed teacher in charge of the school team; Mr. Frederico. This started as a simple ‘guy asking a girl out and being rejected’ kind of thing. “Okay! The rules are simple. Each person takes half of the court and scores on the other half to earn a point. Each basket makes one point. No two, or three point shots. First to concede, take his shirt off. The score limit is 20 points. Are we clear?”, the freshman gave the rules and waited for them to answer the question. They both shook their heads in unison. “This is going to be fun, you know. We get to see your hottie without a shirt on. Cool right?”, Marie said with a light chuckle, and for some reason I was blushing and thinking the same thing. “You are so not it, Marie.”

“Not what?”, she said, laughing now. “Just watch the game girl. I don't want to be distracted.”, where the hell did that come from? Marie was shocked at it too when I said it, “No distractions, got it. Enjoy the view.” We both laughed and turned our attention back to the game which was just starting, as the freshman blew his whistle.

As expected, Francesco got the first basket from a shot and Drason had to take off his shirt. I was completely lost at what I was seeing. He was extremely hot and made me burn with something I hadn't felt before. He had a tattoo around his right forearm of a crown of thorns with a writing in the spaces. Then another on the left side of his back, of a phoenix with flaming chains for its tail. Francesco probably picked that rule in order to humiliate Drason, but it backfired. Because there were a lot of gasps coming from the stands, even Marie couldn't help it. The game continued and it didn't even look like Drason was trying to win. Francesco was ahead with ten points and he had none. Was this his idea? “What happened, newbie? Regretting your challenge?”

“Oh no, not really I just want to make your humiliation more enticing. So I'll let you score nineteen points, then I'll score the first twenty.”, he sounded pretty confident and didn't seem to be joking. But a lot of people, or everyone found this funny and were laughing, even Mr. Frederico. “Oh please man. Spare me your proud attitude. I don't need it right now.”, Francesco said, bouncing the ball and charging forward for another point. Drason still stood in one place and even moved from him to pass through without any sign of taking the ball. Francesco made nineteen points and then what happened next was a blur. He tried to make a no-look shot for the basket, but just as it was about to enter, Drason jumped into the air and caught it. He started bouncing and moved forward. “You finally wake up, newbie? Fine, let's play.” Francesco barely finished talking when Drason shot the ball from more than half the court and hit a virgin shot. It slipped in so quietly the hall followed suit. Then it exploded with cheers and screams of awe. Even Mr. Frederico was shocked and could barely say anything. “Lucky shot. For a newbie. I bet you couldn't do it ever again.” Francesco said, checking Drason. But right before he could finish talking, Drason did it again. Everyone was shocked and had their phones out to take videos for the Internet. Francesco gave a smug look and checked him again, and Drason down right repeated it again. Now the gym was wild. Once, maybe. But three times in a row? Not luck, Drason was good. Francesco checked him again and immediately stepped in to block the shot he was expecting. But this time Drason faked it and let him jump into the air before bringing the ball down and making a run for a clean lay-up. Before we all knew it Francesco was sitting in the ground looking absolutely stunned, not only at the level of difference between their skills, but at how well he kept his word of humiliating him. Drason not only made an incredible comeback, but won the game by scoring the twenty points first. And every basket was as flawlessly humiliating as the last, he performed a poster perfect basket everytime. And by now sweat was trickling down his chest, making him look hotter than usual. He would have won the MVP awards if he was playing like that at the nationals or professional levels. He then walked up to Francesco and squatted down beside him and whispered something in his ear. Francesco looked scared for a minute and then stood up and walked to the changing room. Mr. Frederico ran up to Drason and started begging him to join the school team in the next game, which was tomorrow. He gave him a pat on the back and said something, then walked away. He gave Marie and I a quick look and gestured for us to come over. “Wow! You were awesome out there. How long did you know how to play?”, Marie asked, still pretty shocked. “A couple years, had a pretty good coach too.”, he replied, taking a sip from a bottle a girl had handed him while leaving. “Already got fan girls, i see.”, I said, trying not to look at his obvious body. “Oh! Someone's jealous? Didn't know that was possible.”, Marie said, avoiding eye contact with either of us. “No! Of course not! Why would I anyway? I don't do that kind of stuff, remember?” I shot really fast, forgetting I was letting too much emotion show. “No, I don't think I know that. Have you told me before? I can't say I remember, really.”, Marie said, still avoiding eye contact with me, and twisting her hair. Drason just watched the drama unfold and laughed at my failure in hiding my emotions. “Ok, you sort yourself out. And Marie, someone wants to talk to you. See you later, My Little Angel.”, he said walking toward the changing room. Marie turned around, to the direction Drason pointed out while talking. Francesco was standing there looking like he was about to explode with anger. But Marie- in her usual way managed to get him to loosen up. Though I'm not sure the smile came from his heart. But what did I care? If he broke her heart, I'd just set his clothes on fire and be done with it. What I wanted to worry about now was the fact that Drason called Marie, ‘My Little Angel’. Where was that coming from? Did he like her, or did he just call her that? Why was I so bothered anyway? Marie came back with a wide smile on her face. “Guess who gets to go to the party with Francesco?!. I can't believe he actually asked. Thank you Elena, you're the best.” She was clearly overjoyed with this news and was probably already praying for the party to start right away. But first we needed to win this game. Then it would be really good.