on Trial
by: Shirley Ann Burton
The Always Needed
Disclaimer:
The
Magician, and all other related material, is copyrighted by Gaumont
Multimédia. Angela Jacobs, Brad Fallon, the Rogers Family,
Ashley Brighton, George Wellington, and Rita Wisland are the original creations
of the author. Marshall, Father Sean Gregor, and Michael and Victor
Raven are the inventions of Frances Marshall. You know what to do if you
want to use them in any story of your own, and the author of this story
has received permission to use Frances's characters.
Part 1: The Difficult Trip Home
Within the
practice room of the Magic Express, home to Ace Cooper, the Magician, both
he and his trainee Angela Jacobs were busy working on their grand finale
act for the show to come the next week while Cosmo, the experienced apprentice
and hacker, watched.
After landing
on the ground, Angie noted on the trick's progress. "Ace, I think
something's missing from the trick, but I'm not sure what."
"Yeah,
I agree with Angie," said Cosmo. "It's not as exciting as it oughtta
be."
"Hmm, you
mean that extra flair for the dramatic?" he asked curiously. "Let's
see, um, we're both levitating and creating fireballs to juggle to each
other. You're right, it does sound a little less exciting
than normal. What can we do to improve on it?"
"Lemme
think. How to make this trick more exciting…" She thought carefully
about what to do to enhance the excitement level of the trick. "How
about…we add a ring of fire around ourselves, one that gets continually
smaller as we get higher? Sounds a bit risky, I know, but it would
add to the thrill."
Both Ace
and Cosmo nodded at her suggestion.
"I like
that idea," said Ace happily. "If we can work on that ring of fire
by itself first, then add it to the last trick, that would work out."
"Sounds
cool to me," added Cosmo. "Give the audience a sense of danger while
doing what appears to be an innocent levitating/juggling trick."
"Okay,
we'll work on the ring of fire around ourselves first for the rest of this
week, and then slowly add it into the finale trick. Angie, your suggestion
is a good one. That's why it's great to have both of you around;
I can get some input about what's needed, if a trick's too dangerous, and
so forth."
"What could
you do without us, dude?"
"Not half
as much as I wanted," the Magician answered in laughter.
Angie smiled
and laughed heartily herself, as she loved those who made up her "second
family." She cared that much about her friends and would do anything
to protect them. Because of the psychic bond she shared with Ace,
she knew she would never be alone because of the gift of magic she possessed.
Just then,
a holographic dodecahedron with pink and purple highlights then appeared
in the room. "Ace, the mail carrier has arrived."
"Hmm, I
wonder how much of it is real mail, and the rest fan mail?"
The three
laughed as they made their way to the front door of the Express, where
Zina, Ace's pet panther, lay in waiting.
When the
door opened, the mail carrier stood with only four pieces of mail.
"Hi, guys."
"Hey, Reggie,"
said Cosmo. "What's up?"
"Well,
I've got some mail for you, guys, while the usual fan mail will come tomorrow,
to the garage." He then gave the mail to Ace, one piece at a time.
"Let's see…you've got the power bill, you may have won $10 million, a postcard
with a bookstore's big sale coming up, and…oh, something for Angela Jacobs
from 'The State of Iowa.'"
Angie's
eyes widened. "For me? Gosh, I wonder what it is."
She took the letter from Reggie. "Thanks."
"Anytime.
Well, I've got rounds to finish, and you know the motto, 'Neither rain,
nor sleet, nor snow, nor hail, will prevent the mailman from delivering
the mail.'"
Ace and
the others waved their departures as Reggie entered his mail truck and
left.
When all
entered the living room, Ace and Cosmo wanted Angie to open her mail first.
Angie joked
around with them. "Guys, come on, I'm going to open it. Be
patient."
She tore
the envelope to get to whatever could be from "The State of Iowa."
Cosmo said,
"Who knows? Maybe she's got some unclaimed money."
As she
took what looked like four pages of paper, she stated, "Ashley must've
ran a check through the State Treasury to see if I did have anything
unclaimed. I've got to thank her later for this."
She soon
started by reading the letter to herself.
"Well,"
said Cosmo, getting more excited, "what is it?"
"What did
you get?" Ace exclaimed in wonder. "Are you a millionaire, or did
you get a mansion!?"
Angie's
face suddenly went down and became sad. "It's…it's neither.
I've been given a summons."
Cosmo became
slightly concerned. "A summons? You mean you have to go to
court? For what—"
"No, Cosmo.
This is a summons, but not for court. I have to attend a parole hearing,
and it starts at 9 a.m. Wednesday, less than two days from now."
"A parole
hearing? You aren't—"
"I'm not,
Cosmo!" Angie snapped. "I'm not a parolee, so knock it off!"
"Wait,
Angie, what I was going to say was you aren't a witness to a crime from
a few years ago, right?"
"Oh," she
said, realizing her actions. "I'm sorry, Cosmo. I didn't mean
to snap at you."
"I know.
But, what's the story about the parole hearing?"
"This parole
hearing is a bit…personal." She then muttered, "I never thought I'd
have to face them again."
"What do
you mean?" asked a worried Ace. "Face whom?"
"The two
drivers who were responsible for killing my parents in the road-rage accident."
The two
gentlemen's eyes widened in shock.
"Oh, man,"
Cosmo whispered. "How long ago was it?"
"The trial
took place a couple months after the accident. This is the year they're
both eligible for parole. I had forgotten all about it until I noticed
the two names: Harry Rogers and Brad Fallon."
"I take
it," Ace said, "those are the two gentlemen who engaged in road rage, right?"
"Yes.
However, there is one very important stipulation which tears me apart about
this."
"What is
it?"
"When they
were both found guilty, they were both sentenced at the same time."
"So?" said
Cosmo. "What difference does that make?"
"Plenty
in Iowa. There's a law we have stating that if more than one person
committed a crime, were all found guilty, and sentenced at the same time,
the chance for parole is limited to just two options: Either they both
receive the parole, or they will say in prison to await their next chance
in seven years."
"That's
an easy one to figure, since you'll try to keep both of them behind bars."
Angie looked
at Cosmo with an angry face. "You don't understand! It's not
as simple as you've made it out to be! One of those drivers does
deserve to be out on parole because he has a family."
"He does?"
"Yes.
Harry Rogers has a wife and two kids, and he had a good job before this
happened." She soon started crying. "I know he's paid his debt,
but this one rule could keep him away from his family again, especially
with what I say to the parole board."
Ace came
up and gave her a comforting hug. "Angie, all you can tell is the
truth of what happened. I know this is going to be very difficult
for you. You want us to go with you?"
"No, Ace.
This is one I must face alone. You and Cosmo need to concentrate
more on getting ready for the show next week."
"You're
absolutely sure about this."
"Yes, I
am. Besides, the last thing needed is a media frenzy. Right
now, I need to contact Ashley and see if she's received the summons herself."
Going to
the computer room, she immediately put out a telephone call to her best
friend in Mason City, Ashley Brighton.
At her
home, Ashley was looking over the summons herself when her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Ashley,"
said her butler George, "Angie is on the telephone right now."
"Good,
put her through." She then got connected. "Angie, did you just
get the—"
"Summons?
Yes, I did. I need to figure out how to get to Mason City on short
notice. The hearing begins the day after tomorrow."
"Don't
worry, I've already taken care of that for you. You're going on flight
319 round trip tomorrow morning at 10. Is that too soon for you?"
"No, that's
just fine, thanks. Unfortunately, this means I have to cancel my
first date with Victor that was planned for Thursday night."
"Oh, your
first—" Ashley's eyes enlarged in total surprise. "Date?
You were about to go on your first date!? I didn't even know
you had a…well—"
"I guess
I didn't tell you yet," Angie said, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"I'll explain the whole story when I get there tomorrow. Thanks for
booking the flight."
"Anytime,
little sister. George and I will meet you at the airport. See
ya tomorrow."
"Okay.
Bye."
After the
line disconnected, Cosmo became curious. "Wait a sec. Why does
Ashley have to be there?"
"She was
involved in the trial, and remember, for about three months she served
as my legal guardian."
"Oh, gotcha."
"Now, I
need to find Victor and tell him what's going on. I think he's over
at the House Sanctuary tonight helping Michael and Marshall get things
set up for a wedding planned for Saturday. I just hope he can take
this okay."
At the House
Sanctuary, Angie entered the church and immediately found Marshall.
"Hey, Marshall."
"Angie,
hi. What brings you here tonight?"
"I need
to find Victor. Is he around?"
"Yeah,
he's over at the reception area helping Father Sean get the tables set
up. Why?"
"Let's
just say this is something important." She then proceeded to find
the reception area.
Marshall,
though, started to sense something not right. Something's been
bothering her, and it has to do with…two drivers?
In the
reception room, Angie found Father Sean. "Hello, Father."
"Good evening,
Angie. What brings you here? Do you need some guidance?"
"I may
need that after what I'm about to go through. However, I need
to find Victor; it's very important."
Just then,
a gentleman with jet black hair, blue eyes, and comfortable clothing entered.
"Angie," he said with a smile, "it's good to see you."
"I'm glad
to see you, too," said the female magician with her face going down.
"It's too bad it's not under pleasant circumstances. Can we
talk…alone?"
"Of course."
He then walked with Angie to the balcony area of the second floor.
"Angie, what's wrong?"
She then
took out a piece of paper. "We had our first date planned for Thursday
night. Unfortunately, there's been an unexpected change of plans."
Victor
took the paper and read very carefully. "Oh, no. You're required
to attend a parole hearing for two gentlemen?"
"Not just
any two gentlemen, Victor. They're the ones responsible for…taking
the lives of my parents."
The older
Raven brother was appalled because he had never heard what happened to
Angie's parents before. "What did they do?"
"They engaged
in road rage against each other, not realizing my parents were out getting
my corsage for prom night. In the process of going at each other,
one of them sideswiped Mom and Dad's car, causing it to go out of control
and flip at least 12 times. They were killed instantly. That's
according to the police report from that night. It still haunts me
to this day."
While Angie
was talking with Victor, she failed to notice Marshall, in silver falcon
form, listening to the conversation. My goodness, she thought
sadly, I had no idea about her parents. She must face those responsible,
but I'm not going to let her go alone. Scanning Angie's mind
very carefully, she formulated a plan of action. Flight 319 to
Mason City, 10 a.m. tomorrow. Doesn't give me a lot of time, but
I need to see what she will go through during this parole hearing.
Problem is…how to sneak into the plane, or…sneak on the plane. I
need to figure out a form that would work best to keep up with her and
get to Mason City.
The tears
started coming down Angie's face. "What rips me apart is the fact
I think one of those drivers deserves to be back with his family.
It's the stipulation of both of them being sentenced at the same time.
I mean, if what I say sends him back to prison and denies the parole, his
family may not forgive me, and I may never be able to forgive myself."
Victor
cuddled Angie in his arms. "Angie, you have to face one of your greatest
fears: Having to relive the awful moments surrounding what happened
to your parents. However, you mustn't make yourself guilty if that
comes to be. It's apparent this special rule about being sentenced
at the same time is the biggest obstacle to making this easy."
"Yes.
And to make things worse, I know Harry Rogers' children are now aged 8
and 10. I have a pretty good idea they'll both be there, too.
It only adds to the pain."
He then
looked at Angie. "Let me ask you something: Have you completely
forgiven Rogers for his role in the road rage accident?"
"I'm…not
sure. I guess a little of me still wants him to be guilty.
However, it's going to be what I say that matters, not my feelings.
Emotions are important, but it doesn't play a significant role. I
don't know if I can go through this with a clear head."
"For most
people who have to do these hearings on behalf of victims, having a clear
head is very difficult to do. I do know, though, that you have to just
tell the truth about that night. You can't let your emotions get
control of you. Where will you stay for the duration?"
"In the
mansion of my best friend, Ashley Brighton."
"She's
rich?"
"Let's
just say she's the wealthiest teacher in the state of Iowa. When
I called her earlier tonight, she was staggered by the fact I now have
a, well, boyfriend."
"Oh, she
doesn't know, does she?"
"Nope.
I said I'd tell her all about it when I got there. Is that okay with
you?"
"Of course
it is. Ashley is your best friend, after all."
"Yeah,
and until I came here to Electro City, the only person who knew my magical
secret."
"You didn't
tell your parents about it?"
"I wanted
to, but they were killed before I could tell the truth. That's why
I kept my secret hidden for so long."
Victor
held Angie's chin to make her look at him. "You're a special person,
Angie. It's just all this pain you've been carrying…it still haunts
you a lot, doesn't it?"
"Yes…I
can never get over that completely. I'm struggling to come to terms
with it one day at a time." After wiping her eyes and face clean,
she added, "Victor, can you ever forgive me for causing the cancellation
of our first date?"
"I already
have." He then reached over and kissed her on the mouth for a few
seconds.
Even in
falcon form, Marshall's eyes grew big. Wow! This is some
relationship going, but I've got a more important job to do, starting tomorrow
morning.
After releasing
the kiss, he added, "Angie, I do love you, with all my heart. I'll
be thinking about you while you're away."
"And I
love you, Victor. I'll be thinking about you and my friends while
I'm there. I know you'll all be in my heart during this hearing."
She then looked at her watch. "I've got to go. I need to pack
for the 10 a.m. flight tomorrow."
"Okay.
Will you be all right?"
"I hope
so. Well, good night." She then walked down the stairs and
left the House Sanctuary for home.
Victor
looked at her carefully. "Godspeed on your journey, Angie.
It will not be easy finding peace within yourself in this situation, but
you must try."
Back at
the Express, Angie came back in.
Ace, sitting
on a sofa in the living room, asked, "How did Victor take it?"
"He understood.
He knows this is a family matter, so he took it okay. We'll reschedule
our date when I come back. I just hope it won't be too long.
Well, I'm gonna start packing now and get some sleep right afterward.
It'll be important I get to the airport on time tomorrow morning."
"Okay.
Good night, Angie."
"Night."
She then went to her room and grabbed one suitcase out of the closet to
pack some comfortable clothes. "I don't want to get too formal, but
blue jeans won't help, either." She then found the right clothes
needed for the hearing. After some careful folding, she closed the
suitcase and soon went to bed herself, knowing she was only hours away
from taking a flight back to her hometown…not for the reasons she had hoped,
though.
The next
morning, Angie was already dressed and on her way to the airport with Ace,
Cosmo, and Victor in the Magic Racer.
At the
House Sanctuary, Marshall heard the 9 a.m. chime of the bell, meaning she
had to make her move to follow Angie to Mason City. "I've got to
get out of here, first." Realizing everyone else was busy in different
areas in the church, Marshall found this to be the opportunity to get out.
She then ran to the second floor and was about to shift and leave by the
second floor balcony.
*Hold it,
Marshall,* a voice said inside her head. *Where are you going?*
She turned
and saw it was one of the mage cats, Loremaster Shiel. :I'm
sorry, Loremaster, but I have to follow Angie.:
*Why?*
:She
faces a difficult journey ahead, and I need to know more about something
she said to Victor last night, something about trying to forgive one of
the two drivers who took her parents' lives. Please, you've got to
let me do this.:
*What will
Father Sean say when he questions why you are not here?*
:Very
well. Please tell Father Sean, but only Father Sean. I do not
want anyone else to know. If I don't take off now, I won't be able
to catch up.:
The mage
cat let out a sigh. *Very well, Marshall. Please, though, be
careful.*
:Thank
you, Loremaster. Thank you so much for giving me this chance.:
She then shifted to her silver falcon form and took off for the airport
herself.
The mage
cat looked out the window. *Peaceful journey, Marshall. Take
care.*
At 9:30,
Angie had placed her luggage through baggage claim and went with her friends
towards the gate.
Marshall
arrived and placed herself at the top of the control tower. Hmm,
which plane is it? I've got to find the right plane. Come on,
which one is Flight 319? She was able to tag Angie's mind and
learn it was the plane to Marshall's right. That's the one.
Okay, now, when the plane takes off, I need to change into a form that
could fool anybody, like a…dragon, one that will blend in nicely with the
sky, like a blue cloud. That's it! A blue cloud dragon.
I can stay on her tail the whole time. When I'm close enough to Mason
City, I'll convert to a red-tailed hawk, as I believe that type of bird
is appropriate for the location. I've got to keep close tabs on her
through this whole thing.
As 10 a.m.
approached, Angie looked at her friends. "Guys, I'm sorry things
have been messed up because of this parole hearing."
"Don't
worry about it, Angie," said Victor. "This is a very important family
matter for you. Just be truthful and do the best you can."
"And above
all," Ace added, "don't let your emotions get the best of you. You've
got to maintain composure, or you may end up in jail yourself."
"Yeah,
I've seen all those situations on those reality shows before. Fortunately,
Ashley's mansion does have an exercise room, so I can take my anger and
frustration out there before I get to the hearing. I'll also do my
normal morning meditation to help me prepare for each day. I just
hope I do what's right."
"Don't
worry, Angie," said a reassuring Cosmo, "you'll do fine, I promise."
Then, the
intercom sounded, "Flight 319 bound for Mason City, Iowa, now boarding
at gate 24."
"That's
my flight. I'd better get going."
"Good luck,
Angie," said Victor, who then pecked her cheek.
"Thanks.
I'll call you when I get there." She then took her carry-on luggage
and went into the gate for the flight.
When she
was out of sight, Victor told Ace, "She's really torn about this parole
hearing."
"I know.
I sensed a lot of pain within her last night."
Cosmo then
noticed about what Angie had said just before she left. "She said
she'd call you, Ace. What about the telepathy?"
"Cosmo,
our telepathic link is limited to about 300 miles. Where she's going
is about 1500 miles away. There's no way we can make regular contact
once she's out of range."
"Oops,
I forgot. Telepathy can only go so far."
Meanwhile,
Marshall noticed Angie in the gate. There she goes. Now,
it's time for me to follow her. The shifter switched to the blue
cloud dragon form and flew straight up over the clouds. I just
wait for the plane to take off, and I follow closely. After all,
only a little child would believe there's a dragon in the clouds.
Taking
an aisle seat, Angie placed her carry-on luggage into the overhead compartment
and then sat down.
The passenger
next to her carried her little baby, which soon started crying. "Oh,
honey. It's okay. It's okay."
Angie looked
at the baby and tried to comfort the little one. She made a little
squiggle appear with her magic.
The baby's
eyes sparkled in joy as he laughed at the squiggle.
The mother
looked at Angie and said, "That was beautiful, Miss Jacobs. Thank
you."
"You're
welcome." She then created a little pacifier for him. "Here,
maybe he needs this."
As soon
as the baby took it, it calmly went to sleep.
"So," said
the passenger, "you're going to your hometown?"
"Yes, but
only for a few days. I have a…personal situation to deal with, but
Ace is not coming with me because of the media frenzy it would create."
"I understand,
especially after Paparazzo's stunt."
"He got
what he deserved…demoted from star reporter."
Soon, the
stewardess gave instructions to buckle their safety belts, as the flight
was ready for take-off.
Within
a few minutes, Angie was on her way home, if only for a few days.
Marshall
followed closely enough to avoid being detected by any radar. If
Angie thinks she's going alone, I'm not about to let her out of
my sight for a second.
Back at
the airport, Ace, Cosmo, and Victor were about to leave for home when a
frantic Michael and Father Sean found them.
"Mike,"
said a worried Victor, "what's going on?"
"It's Marshall.
We can't find her anywhere in the Sanctuary."
"You don't
think she—" Cosmo realized what may have been happening. "Oh, no.
Marshall must be following her."
"It's a
'tag,'" said Michael. "Marshall must have picked up on something
from Angie's mind and figured out what was going on."
"Who else
would know about it?"
"I don't
know," said Michael. He then closed his eyes to concentrate on anyone
who may have discovered Marshall's plan. "I've got it! Loremaster
Shiel saw Marshall just before she left."
"Can you
track Marshall now?" asked a worried Ace.
"Yeah,
she's following Angie's plane closely, as a blue cloud dragon."
"Wait,"
said Father Sean, "maybe it's best if we allow Marshall to follow her.
This way, Angie will not feel completely alone. I have a pretty good
idea if she were not compelled to go, the Loremaster would never have let
her go, despite the shifter Council's words that she is free to leave at
any time for any reason. All we may do is pray that she and Angie
come home whole."
"Maybe,"
said Cosmo, "but will Marshall be all right? I mean, the people in
Mason City more than likely have never seen a shifter before."
"If there's
one thing Marshall is good at," said Michael, "it's camouflaging
herself in the area. The red-tailed hawk is very indigenous in Iowa,
hence the name of the University of Iowa's sports teams, the Hawkeyes."
"Let's
just hope," said a concerned Ace, "both Angie and Marshall will be all
right."
On the flight,
Angie was very relaxed as she listened to the music on her headphones.
As Vivaldi's Spring was being played, she thought about the times
she had shared with her parents, the happy times of fun and play, the times
where she asked them for help…basically, the times they were alive.
After a
sigh, she whispered, "I need to be relaxed for now. I shouldn't worry
about it until tomorrow."
At a window
seat not too far behind, a little girl noticed a beautiful cloud on the
outside. "Mommy, Mommy! There's a dragon outside the window!"
The mother
looked and smiled. "Yes, sweetie. That's a pretty dragon-shaped
cloud."
Marshall
was doing well with her special disguise. So far, so good.
I'll keep a close watch on Angie from beginning to end. She continued
flapping her wings proudly as she continued making her way towards Angie's
hometown.
Within a
couple of hours, Angie's flight landed at Mason City Regional Airport.
Marshall
stayed above the clouds and quickly shifted into the red-tailed hawk. Whew,
I made it. Now, I need to find Ashley's mansion and a tree close
enough. She then flew down and noticed Ashley standing by with
George the butler. Oh, I can follow the car or limo straight to the
mansion. Marshall then perched herself on the top of the building
where the three would leave for the car.
Angie entered
through the gate and then claimed her luggage. She then went to find
Ashley and George, who were standing by with a sign that said, "Angie."
The female
magician smiled as she came up to her longtime best friend and hugged her.
"It's good to see you, Ashley. Just too bad it's not in good circumstances."
"I know.
C'mon, let's get up to the mansion. You need to rest up and get ready
for tomorrow morning."
"Thanks.
Let's go."
George
led them to the car and soon took off with his passengers to Brighton Estates.
Marshall
started pursuing them immediately to reach the mansion.
Less than
30 minutes later, the car arrived at the mansion, and Marshall found a
tree nearby at which to perch for a couple of days. This will
do nicely. I can keep up with Angie every step of the way from here.
Of course, I have to follow her tomorrow morning to find the building where
the parole hearing takes place. For now, I need to rest. I've
flapped my wings way too long today.
Ashley,
George, and Angie entered the large home of Brighton Estates, the mansion
Ashley inherited from her grandparents along with the inheritance.
"Wow,"
Angie said in awe. "This house is beautiful."
"Thanks,"
said Ashley. "When I'm not home, George takes care of things.
When I am home, I do some work around the house to make his job a little
easier."
George
smiled and said, "Believe me, Angie. Ashley would rather feel like
a million dollars than have a million dollars. She has even allowed
her first-grade students to spend the night here in the mansion before."
"That's
great. Ash, you're really making sure they're ready for a bright
future."
"You know,
for a while, my future was in doubt because of what had happened between
my mother and me. I was scared to death to tell about Mom being Faceless,
but when I explained it by phone at the Town Council meeting, they were
all supporting me. You and Ace gave me some encouragement, but I
was just unsure. After the meeting, though, my self-confidence came
back. Oh, and your shifter friend, Marshall, she gave me a feather
and a poem to remind me I'm not alone, either."
"Marshall's
a talented poet," said Angie happily. "Even though she caused a bit
of tension at the Magelight when you were there—"
"She was
still around to help me out when I was scared to face anyone with the truth
about Mom. Anyway, I don't think you feel like doing anything today,
do you?"
"No, but
I do need to call Ace. Where's the telephone?"
Ashley
was a little astonished. "Wait, you can't use your telepathy to contact
him?"
"'Fraid
not. Our telepathy is limited to about 300 miles."
"Okay,
there's one in the exercise room. Go to the end of the hall and make
a right. The phone's right near the table."
Angie made
her way to the training room and noticed how big it was. "Hmm, maybe
I
should do some working out in here during the time, help me vent my anger
before I get to the parole hearing. This way, I can stay a lot calmer
and not get into a raging outburst."
She soon
found the telephone and contacted her kindred brother out west.
At the
Magic Express, Ace heard the telephone and quickly answered. "Hello?"
"Hi, Ace.
I made it."
"Good.
Was the trip smooth enough?"
"Yeah,
just had a crying baby next to me, but I helped keep it comforted.
I'm at Ashley's house—I mean, mansion—now. Found an exercise room,
just what I needed."
"Okay,
will you be all right during this?"
"I'll try,
Ace. Believe me, all I can do is try."
"All right,
Angie. Good luck."
"Thanks,
kindred brother. Bye."
After Ace
hung up, Cosmo was concerned. "Um, dude, why didn't you tell her
Marshall followed her to Mason City?"
"If Angie
knew Marshall was there, it could affect her emotionally.
Better not to let her know what's happening."
"She's
basically on her own over there."
"No, she's
got Ashley, George,…and Marshall. I just hope she can keep her emotions
in check while going through this."
A few hours
later, after finishing a good dinner, Ashley wanted to know one thing.
"Okay, Angie. Please tell me. You got a boyfriend now?"
"I don't
know if I can call it a 'boyfriend' yet, but I do know I have fallen in
love with someone for the first time."
"Tell me
about him, please. You're making me nuts by keeping quiet!"
"Okay,
okay. His name is Victor Raven. I met him out on the reservation
a few months ago. You remember Michael, right?"
"Yeah,
he's a shifter. Is Victor a—"
"No, Victor's
not
a shifter himself, but he accepts the existence of shifters, mainly because
he's Michael's older brother."
"Whoa!
Michael has an older brother? Wait a minute. How old is Michael?"
"Let's
see now…I had a pretty good conversation with Khentura Fire Eagle about
age. Mike is 20, Victor's 27, Khenta herself is just 21, and Marshall's
19."
"I believe
Marshall's age, but not the others. I thought they were a lot older
than that."
"Wanna
know the biggest surprise? The head of the Council, Ashanti, is only
28 years old, but she's been the head since she was just 15."
"Oh, my
God!" Ashley exclaimed. "We were going through our sophomore years
of high school at her age."
"Exactly.
But, back to the subject of Victor. I met him on the reservation,
and somehow I started having feelings for him, but for the longest while
I was scared to admit it…especially after I saved his life."
"You saved
Victor? How?"
"In almost
the same manner I saved you: from a death fall with levitation. Ace,
Marshall, and Khenta were all trying to tell me I was falling in love with
him, but I went into denial about it."
Ashley
recalled the incident from the past. "Oh, yeah. What Bobby
Riggins planned on doing to you if you and he both won the Homecoming titles.
I've never forgotten that. That creep got what he deserved."
"Well,
I finally admitted my feelings to Victor, who in turn, also had feelings
for me, but he was also scared to tell me himself. It eventually
ended up with us…kissing."
Ashley's
smile went wide. "That's wonderful. You finally found true
love, and that part of your heart was finally able to accept someone."
"Yeah,
and we had planned our first date for Thursday night, but it was called
off because of this."
"Oh, I'm
sorry."
"Me, too,
but Victor understood because this is a family matter. I'm
lucky. Most guys probably wouldn't be."
"Angie,
it doesn't appear Victor is like most guys at all. I'd like
to meet him one day, but not to steal him away or anything."
"Hey, I'd
love to introduce you to him." Angie then noticed the clock.
"Man, it's later than I thought. I have to get to sleep and be ready
for tomorrow. It's not going to be easy to get through this, though."
"Yeah.
Let's get some shut-eye. We've got a long first day tomorrow."
Angie and
Ashley went to their rooms and went to bed for the evening, both knowing
the next few days would be very emotional…