A Battle For Her Heart

Chap 9 "Old Habits"

Amethyst's POV
I just got done getting ready for the day when the doorbell rang. "I got it," I sighed. I opened the door. "Moose?"
"Hey Amethyst," Moose smiled as he hugged me.
"Come in," I smiled. He did with another guy. "Who's your friend?"
"This is Luke," Moose smiled.
"This is your friend?" Luke asked.
Patrick walked through the door. "Amethyst, I got the movie," he smiled.
"Guys, this is Patrick," I smiled. "Pat, this is my friend, Moose, and his friend, Luke."
"Nice to meet you guys," Patrick shook their hands.
"Moose showed me some serious videos of you dancing back in high school," Luke smiled.
"Yeah, that was like about four years ago," I replied. "It was all great in high school but it's time for me to face the real world aka life."
"But you're a B-FAB," Luke sighed.
"What's a B-FAB?" I asked.
"Born from a boombox," Luke replied.
"No, no, no," I nodded. "If you're looking for someone to dance, it'll be this guy. I don't dance." Moose looked at me. "No anymore, anyways."
"Some people learn to dance, others are born to," Luke smiled. "Check this." He handed me a flyer. "It's the biggest battle ever. There's never been this kind of prize money. We just passed some guys in the park gearing up for this." I looked at him. "You're good enough. You should be in this. Wanna come and see what dancing is really all about?"
"I'll bite," I nodded. "Let me grab somethings and I'll follow in my car." I grabbed my utility belt and strapped it around me. Patrick stopped me. "What?"
"Are you sure it's a good idea?" Patrick asked.
"It's my friend Moose," I sighed. "If Moose trusts Luke, then I trust him." I looked at Patrick. "Besides, you might find it in you to do dance again too. Come on." I met Luke and Moose out at a car. "Yeah, I'm going to ride in my Aston Martin if that's alright with you."
"Yeah," Luke replied. I got in to my car and followed him to what seemed like an abandoned warehouse. We parked our cars. "This is it."
"What the heck is this place?" I asked. We followed him inside. "Welcome to my house. The House of Pirates." People where everywhere dancing. "Whoa."
"Dance is your identity here," Luke nodded. "We can be ourselves here." A guy walked up to us. "This here is Jacob. Moose, you go and hang with the Ticks."
"Luke, can I talk to you alone?" Jacob asked.
"You okay with that, Amethyst?" Luke asked.
"Well, if I can help in anyway, I would," I sighed. "What's the problem?"
"We're five months behind on our payment," Jacob sighed. "If we don't pay them, they're going to put the Vault up for public auction."
"I'm not going to let you guys lose this place," I looked around. "This is a home for you guys. Let me see if I can pull some strings."
"If we win that battle, we won't need your help," Luke nodded. "We can use you here as a dancer. Moose even wants you here." I sighed. "Come on. Moose battled Kid Darkness in the park today. Kid Darkness, is part of The House of Samurais. They're our biggest rival." I looked at Moose. "They're going to battle him but not one on one. It's going to be a while group against him. You wouldn't let your friend get that beat down, will you?"
"Not if I can help it," I nodded. I looked at Patrick. "This is our chance, Patrick. It might stop Uncle Tony from shipping me off until after the competition."
"Let's do it," Patrick smiled.
"We're in," I smiled at Luke. "But I'll stay at my place because it looks like you guys got enough of your hands." I looked at Patrick. "Also, I have some errands to run, but if you can get me a rehearsal schedule, I'll make it on time to every practice."
"Let me show you to the club," Moose smiled.
We went downstairs. "Whoa," I looked around. Dancing was everywhere. "This is amazing."
"I'll be back," Moose nodded as he left.
No more than five minutes, the dance floor was cleared and Moose was pushed onto the dance floor. "Moose," I sighed. I got him up. "Are you okay?"
"Nobody battle's the Samurais once," said a guy.
"Julian," Luke replied. "To get to him, you gotta go through us."
"That's cute," Julian smiled. "Considering how this place won't be yours anymore."
"You and your trust fund won't be able to touch us after we win the World Jam," Luke responded.
"Luke, I got this," I sighed. Luke got out from in front of me. I kept Moose behind me. "I suggest you get your boys and leave here at once."
"Or what?" Julian asked.
"You'll have to go through me to get to him," I replied. "And I assure you, you do not wanna mess with me." He was getting angry. He raised his fist and I pulled my gun on him. He lowered it as everyone got quiet. I smirked. "You're fast to talk, aren't you?" I got out my badge and showed it to him. "Now, round up your boys and leave." Moose, Luke, Patrick, and I went back upstairs. "Those guys were the Samurais?"
"Yeah," Moose sighed. "Why are you packing?"
"I'm a special agent," I sighed. "We all got to make money one way or another, so I'm working." I looked at my phone. "Look, I gotta go and run some errands really quickly. Get my number from Moose and you can text me the schedule." Patrick and I walked out to my car and got in. I started driving. "Okay."
"Where exactly are we going?" Patrick asked.
"The bank," I replied. "I'm going to make the payments for the Vault and it's his choice if he wants to pay me back or not." I could feel Patrick looking at me. "Look, I stayed at Moose's for a couple weeks, if not months. Now, the Vault is his home and I don't want him to have to move out."
"Don't pay it off just yet," Patrick nodded.
"Fine," I sighed as my phone vibrated. I looked at it. "Time for a meeting." We went back to the Vault and walked inside. "What's up?"
"World Jam is right around the corner," Moose smiled. "But to get there, we gotta get through the two qualifying rounds. Which means we got a lot of work cut out for us."
"Natalie, Amethyst, Patrick," Luke looked at us, "you guys in?"
"I don't know," I sighed. "I got work and I gotta let my uncle know."
"I'm with Amethyst," Patrick responded. "I got a job too."
"We'll figure something out," Luke nodded. "As long as you say you'll do your best and work your hardest on  the dances."
"Of course," I nodded. "Patrick?"
"Yeah, okay," Patrick sighed.
"Natalie?" Luke asked.
"House of Pirates!" Natalie stood up holding her drink.
Everyone cheered for us. "Just so you know, I'm not sleeping here in the Vault with you guys," I smiled. "I have my own life, yes, but trust me when I say that you do not want my uncle finding me here." I looked at Luke. "He'll much rather know I'm safe at home than have him freak out that I'm staying here."
"Let's get to work," Luke nodded. We started rehearsing. After a few weeks, we woke up early on a Saturday morning. "Alright, Pirates. Today is the Battle of Red Hook. So, let's go out there and show them what we can do. Considering some tables have turned since we took a risk of having a FBI agent on the team."
"She could help us with serious spy gear," Moose nodded. "So, it'a a good thing. Amethyst, how many can you drive?"
"I can take three more," I smiled.
"Alright," Luke sighed. "Moose, Natalie, and I will tag with Amethyst and Patrick. The rest of you guys in the van." We went to the Battle of Red Hook. "The competition is pretty heavy."
"Have faith," I nodded. "It's the best thing we can have."
"Let's have Red Hook versus Pirates!" the guy announces. "Let's get 'em!"
"Let's do it," Patrick nodded. We got through the two rounds to make it to World Jam until I got a very angry call from Luke. Patrick and I went to the Vault right away. "Do you know why he was yelling?"
"I don't know but we're going to get it figured out," I sighed as we walked inside. "Luke, what the hell? You yelling at me was so uncalled for." I gathered around the table around everyone. I looked at the laptop. "How the hell did our entire routine get leaked?"
"They know our whole set," Moose replied. "Who would do that?"
"Julian and the Samurais," Luke sighed.
"How could they get our rehearsal footage?" Patrick asked.
"Does everyone have their DVDs?" Luke asked. I nodded as I got mine and Patrick's out of my purse. "We're still in this, alright? We just got to figure something out."
"Yeah, don't yell at me again," I sighed. Jacob pulled Luke and I aside. "What's going on?"
"The bank's put our house up for auction," Jacob handed Luke the papers. I looked at the paperwork. "They're selling it."
"I'm going to deal with this, alright?" Luke sighed as he left.
"I didn't want to say anything but I can pay off the Vault for you guys," I looked at Jacob.
"If you do that, Luke's going to do everything he can to pay you back," Jacob responded.
"I don't care about the money, Jacob. The Vault, you guys have a family here and it's hard to relocate considering how big the crew is," I replied. "If you guys don't have this place after the World Jam, believe me, I'll get it back for you guys. I see how happy you guys are. I'll be back tonight. Patrick, come on." Patrick and I went to the bank. "Excuse me, Mr. Winthrop?"
"Yes?" he answered as he looked up at me. "Amethyst?"
"The warehouse that Luke missed five payments on," I sighed. "Is there anyway you could get a suspension on the foreclosure?"
"I can try," Mr. Winthrop sighed. "But the bank could take it from him anytime. That time could be today."
"That place is a home to several people, Mr. Winthrop," I responded.
"The only way to stop this is to pay for it," Mr. Winthrop sighed. "It will be better than trying to suspend the foreclosure."
"He won't let me," I nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Winthrop." Patrick and I got back into my car and I started driving. "Okay, so, what do we do?"
"I don't know," Patrick replied. I drove around a little bit to relieve stress. We went back to the Vault and everyone was standing outside. "What the hell?"
"Please, not tonight," I sighed. I got out of my car and ran up to the door. I pulled the paper off. "Damn it."
"It's Julian," Jacob responded. "The World Jam is right around the corner."
"But we have nowhere to rehearse, nowhere to sleep," said a girl.
"We're fooling ourselves thinking this place was going to last," a guy replied. "I'm out."
"Anyone else?" Jacob asked the guy walked away. A girl walked away. "Damn."
"Hey, it's not your fault," a different replied. "Julian started all of this."
"You guys deserve better than this," Luke nodded. "There's nothing more I can do. I screwed up. The Pirates are done." Everyone left but Patrick, Moose, Luke, Jacob, and me. "I tried." Jacob left. "I'm sorry you guys."
"I'm sorry too," I nodded. Patrick and I got into my car and I drove us to my place. We walked inside. "He doesn't want our help. There's nothing more I can do."