Flames;Sparkles...

chapter six

Chapter six

'Okay Ghalia! Truth or dare?' Maya asked cuddling her blue dolphin slippers. 'Uhm... Dare, is safer.' Ghalia answered. 'I don't think so, but go ahead.' Mandy said. 'Okay,' Maya said while thinking of something 'put on so sexy stockings and run down to that nerdy federal agent on the third floor and ring the door bell. When he opens the door pretend to fix your stockings higher and look offended when he looks at you and yell: "I want payment for that you perve!" If you refuse, Alex will take your black nail polish and throw it out of the window!' Maya said with a sardonic smile on her strangely beautiful face.  Ghalia had gone pale and Alex couldn't contain her laughter. It's been so long since she had so much fun, since she had felt so alive. The last time she had felt like this, even better perhaps, was when she was looking for her real father in the dimension of lost lords. Prince Carlos had found her beaten half to death. He nursed her back to health on his ship, one he had designed himself. He was the only one who had made her forget about her terrible past. She watched Ghalia walk to the front door and she joined the other girls to the door there was no way she was going to miss this! Ghalia knocked on the door four times and her room mates and Alex was stationed around the corner. Alex and Rez were to do mind analysis on the poor nerd. He opened the door and looked at Ghalia fixing her fishnets. It would have been safe to say that he could see a lot more than he would have been used to from his sisters. The poor boy had no thoughts at all, just feelings; shock, fear, suspicion and curiously. 'You perve! I want payment for that!' Ghalia yelled and spit at his feet in a fake Spanish accent. The girls laughed as she stubbed on his toe and walked away. They all rushed to the apartment and crawled back to their sleeping bags on the floor. When their laughter subsided, Alex's turn came. 'Alex, truth or dare?' Ghalia asked. Before Alex could answer the door bell rang. Alex opened the door, and came face to face with the aforementioned nerd, flashing his badge. She nearly chocked on a laugh before she put her fore finger on his chest and pushed him against the wall outside the door. 'Honey, if you came for a show, you're too late. I'm so-oh-oh sorry.' She whispered softly to him. He stuttered a little and broke away from her. She heard laughter from companions and turned to them with an I'm-the-best look. 'Truth or dare?' Ghalia asked again. 'Truth.' Alex answered. 'Where did you learn to be such a seductress?' Maya interjected, unable to believe it of the girl she knew years ago? 'Uhm, from a woman in France, kind of.' Alex answered vaguely. She didn't want to tell them that it was part of her training. Yes, she was a little innocent girl who did nothing wrong and who always followed the rules, not anymore. Now she was a highly trained assassin, and guardian. She devised prison breaks, and fought battles that would let mortal hair stand on end. Maya thankfully let go the subject and the night preceded with laughter, and fun, and more decoration plans.

'So when did you decide men weren't all bad?' Rez asked Alexa later that night. 'When I was in the Dimension of Lost Lords.' She answered; she turned to listen for eavesdropping minds. 'You were there searching for your father?' Rez asked her eyebrows rose in question. 'Yes, I was. I fell ill on an island and a prince found me.' She said, she wanted to confide in her friend but she promised her self not to give unwanted details. Therefore she was waiting for Rez's questions. 'And this prince, he cured you of the curse, which HE left on you?' Alex appreciated Rez's attempt to not bring up the name of the family friend of her royal mother. 'Sort of, he was very kind. He let me have his courtiers on the ship and he bunked with the crew.'

'And how did he exactly cure you?'

'Uhm... Well, you-' Alex decided to tell Rez as much as she could without offending the prince's honor. 'He proved to me that not every male I encounter is like Peter. I realized that Lucy was wrong, I did not love Peter. I never have. Because what I felt for Carlos, was what I should have felt for every guy I dated ever. '

'Did you... You guys... You know?' Alex enjoyed the flush on Rez's cheeks. She felt her own burn up. 'That I will not tell you anything about! My diary entry of that day will be the new space heater in Antarctica.' She joked. She didn't say it but that was the best month of her life. Carlos was just what Alex needed.  Images, of a young man only a few years older than herself, flashed through her mind. She sighed. Her mind now far away on a ship with a gold and red sail. She could feel the spray of the ocean on her face. She felt gentle fingers on her neck and flashed around. Carlos stood behind her, a grin on his face. He laughed as she chastised him and tried to pull her closer. Hurt flashed through his eyes when she resisted him and turned back to the blue waters.

'So, tell me what happened?' Rez's voice breaks her train of thought.

'Well, nothing happened really. I only realized that he was quite the opposite of Peter. The end.' Alex didn't want to elaborate about the night Carlos had kissed her or the night a week later... 

'So there was nothing R-rated that would put Maya to shame?' Rez asked a little disappointed. Alex laughed at her reaction. 'No! And even if there was I would not tell you. You know I don't kiss and tell.' She said as Rez pouted at the no. 'Yeah, I know, we had to torture the detail of your first kiss out of you!!!' Rez said grumbling about getting blood from a stone. Alex laughed and shook her head. 'So, you're in love with him?' Rez asked excited with the new subject at hand. 'Well, I haven't seen him in a while, he could have gotten married by now...' Alex began but Rez cut her of, 'no, I want to know how you feel not when you last saw him!' Alex hadn't known her friend could be so firm. 'Yeah, all that training your Dad forced us to do really paid of. But, don't change the subject!' Rez must have seen the shock on her face. 'Okay yes! I still dream about him, I still wish I could have stayed with him forever, no, I have never felt as happy as I was with him. Yes I still love him.' Alex confessed her chest tightened and tears built themselves up behind her eyes. Her breathing became hard and she looked at her friend. 'And if he had gotten married, there will never be another.' She whispered, as she slid to the floor, hugging her legs to her aching chest. 'And this Bruce guy? He looks like he could move mountains for you?' Alex shook her head feeling even more miserable than she had a moment ago. 'I'm sorry, I don't feel the same.'

Rez felt sorry for her friend, but another part of her was ecstatic; her best friend had fallen in love, if she could only meet this man, he could be Alex's soul mate.  But, there was one question that Rez did not know the answer of; how would Bruce react if he heard about this. Well, she wasn't going to tell him and she was sure Maya and Mandy would share her thoughts.

Maya woke up and heard hushed voices. She got up and walked to the kitchen to investigate. She came to a startled stop. Her three new friends were standing in the middle of the room.  They looked… mystical. Maya was wearing what looked like a cloak made of flowing water, there was small balls, like pearls in her hair, and her skin shone silver-ish. Mandy was wearing a black cloak that seemed to be made of velvet. With gold stars on the hood that hang past her shoulders, her hair was straight down her back. Rez wore a long coat like thing with a vampire-like collar that had a red satin lining. From the little illumination Ghalia could see that the coat was indeed a rich purple. They seemed upset some how and yet happy. Rez head snapped towards her and she hissed in a cat-like way. Mandy looked towards her as well. 'Go back to sleep, Ghalia. Forget what you see.' Mandy whispered softly and without hesitation she turned and walked to her make shift bed. Her dreams were filled with Alex and Mandy grappling on wrestling mats. She had numerous other dreams but they all ended the same, her joining Alex and this weird gang they seemed to be in.