Pavane for a Lost Boy (Or Rather, How to Survive Loss after Rejection)

Chapter Seventeen

Demario's POV

It's lunchtime and I'm sitting with Derrick, Holly, and a few of the guys from the football team as I recapped them with my encounter with Jillian and her friends during break period. Needless to say, no one was pleased to hear about the offer the blonde bombshell made towards me.

"It's extortion, if you ask me," Holly said snidely, rolling her eyes as she popped a fry into her mouth. "I'm glad that VP Callaway was smart enough to lead you away from her and over to Bermudez-Estrada."

"Definitely," a beefy dark-skinned linebacker commented. "You need to focus on your audition for the bands later on today. As for Kendricks' offer, you gotta refuse man. To even give it a chance is like committing suicide."

"How so?" I wanted to know as I polished off my Frito pie.

"For one thing, Jillian Kendricks' offers never really come to fruition unless she sees you as 'educable,'" Derrick replied, making air quotes. "She wants to make sure that anyone who is deemed a possible threat towards her so-called claim on Ryan is out of the picture. If she sees you as someone with potential, she'll definitely keep you busy with so many plans that'll never come to fruition that you'll be too tired to do anything else. And like Mosley said, the plans for anyone to become a star never come fruition because she'll lead you on a wild goose chase until you're humiliated."

"What about Sutton and McVeigh, her minions?"

"Epiphany and Serenity aren't really bad people, just got themselves caught up with Jillian's plans," a stocky pale-skinned football player replied. "And from what I heard from Jason Yen back in AP Calc, I heard that those two decided to cut ties with her."

"Better late than never," Holly replied. "I mean, those two should've never been around Jillian in the first place since that incident regarding Artem not too long ago."

There was that name again. Artem. "And who is Artem?" I asked, looking at the gang. "I keep hearing how the guy was almost dead by almost everyone when it came to Jillian and-"

"That's Ryan's story to tell, Demario," the linebacker named Mosley interrupted. "But let's just say that Artem was one of the coolest people that ever graced the halls of Pacifica Glades High and had to suffer because Jillian Kendricks was too damn envious for her own good."

"Right," Derrick nodded. "Trust us, Demario. The less you have anything to do with her, the better off you'll be."

From the way these guys talked about her, Jillian sounded like someone who could make and break promises as easy as how Mom hinted of how she wanted me gone.

And like the old saying goes, if something looks or sounds too good to be true then it was.

"Hello, Bader," came the crooning voice of the blonde bombshell as we all saw her sashay towards our table. "I hope you're considering my offer of singing at Serenity's party. I promise you that you'll be paid handsomely and there'll be some music executives who will be falling at your feet once they hear you sing. Think of the many contracts that'll be at your doorstep. And with a little more polish and flair, you'll be the next big hit at the Grammy Awards."

"Blow it out of your ass, Kendricks," spat Mosley, shooting her a glare. "Your promises aren't going to be enough for Bader to say yes to."

"At least he won't be after what's mine," Jillian shot back. To me, "These people can't tell the difference between good talent from their own assholes, Demario. I solemnly promise you that once you sing at Serenity's party you'll be the talk of the entire Lone-Star State."

"Kendricks!" boomed an irate Principal Callaway as he and my foster brothers came to the rescue, the older man ready to place her in a casket. "Why can't you leave Demario alone?! And there's no way on earth that he'll accept your false offer to become a celebrity."

"I'm being sincere, old man," Jillian rebutted as she caught sight of a glaring Ryan hanging back. "And Demario hasn't even given me his answer yet."

I sighed, knowing that it was time to put this to bed once and for all. "I have given this a lot of thought, Miss Kendricks," I began. "And though your offer is tempting, I must regretfully decline since I am mainly focusing on my mental health and academics. I have no qualms with you as I have said before and I want no problems. But I cannot accept."

Jillian looked nonplussed. "Come on, Demario," she wheedled. "Think of what you'll miss out on if you let your talent be wasted in this dump- private parties, the rush of the paparazzi, awards ceremonies, lots of suitable lovers who are more better for you than Ryan is since he's mine and mine alone."

"And I'm flattered, if not confused since I want no dealings with Ryan Peavey," I replied, keeping my tone even and professional. "Still, you already know my backstory with my late family and my failed suicide attempt. I need to focus on me and I cannot accept."

Jillian batted her eyes, looking ridiculously coquettish. "I get it, you're just shy and insecure," she said smoothly in her snake-charmer purr. "And yes, you have your issues with your dead mommy. But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that many guys like you should never refuse. And no one says 'no' to me, Jillian Victoria Kendricks."

I gave her a hard stare. "Well, I believe I just did."

"And that's good enough for me," Principal Callaway hummed, looking pleased as punch. To Jillian, "You heard him, Miss Kendricks. He turned you down flat, and you just earned yourself a week's worth of detention."

Jillian smiled thinly. "My offer still stands, Demario Bader," was all she said. "You have until Homecoming Week in two months to think this over. I know you'll make the right choice."

She walked off, brushing off Callaway's grasp and storming out of the cafeteria to the approving applause that was aimed at me.

"Thank the Lord that you turned her down, Demario Bader," Mosley commented, smiling widely at me. "You got big balls to turn her down."

"Yeah, but something tells me that this is far from over," I couldn't help but comment, my nerves on high alert. "I almost considered saying yes just to get her off my back. And now I really think that something is about to go down and I'll be in the middle of it."

Shouldn't have turned her down, boy, Mommy Dearest's voice rang in my head. But at least if you get killed, my wish for you to die unhappy will be granted.

Holly saw my clouded look, knowing that my mother's venom was starting to seep into my head. "Don't let that woman win," she said to me. "She and Jillian are too damn alike."

"I bet they are," Mosley commented. To me, "Was your mother really that hateful towards you?"

"More than you ever know," I replied, fighting the tide of goose flesh that raced down my spine.

And from what I could tell, Jillian was my mother incarnate. They would have loved each other. That's for sure.

Sheesh!

If this doesn't sound foreboding, then I don't know what is. And folks, let's just say that Jillian will be more persuasive with her methods to keep Demario away from Ryan and for our hero to accept her offer.

But in the next chapter, Demario is at the piano once again and ready to wow the people for his audition! Don't miss out!

Dedication: RanyTheStoryTeller (Their story is so legit! Check out the profile and read the masterpiece! Tell them that Jay sent ya!)

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