Only Exception

No matter how much time passes some things never change. For the Walker, Varelas and Lestat families it was always the same. Ever since anyone could remember the three families had an ongoing feud, about what? No one knew anymore, now it was sort of out of habit. So you could understand the severity of the situation when the families bore three lovely little girls and they all became the best of friends. They had become each other's only exception, and eventually the families set their differences aside.

It was yet another year and the three friends were relocated to yet another high school. Rorey Lestat the shortest of the three and the eldest was growing bored of the life set out for her. Seventeen years of being told what to do was not very appealing to her. This time she was the reason the three girls had been relocated in the first place. Victoria Walker the tallest and second eldest was the more sensible and mature of the three. She had done nothing wrong in all her schooling but always wound up paying for her friend's actions. She was content with her life and where it was going. Sela Varelas was the youngest and second tallest. She rebelled against almost everything. She loved to get into trouble, and was part of the reason they'd gotten thrown out of most schools, aside from the last of course

"Alright, can we at least try to act like we want to be here?" Victoria couldn't stress the importance of good behavior to her friends enough.

"I don't see why they keep sending us to another school, we don't even need it." Rorey crossed her arms to her chest.

"Thank you! That's what I've been saying!" Sela interjected backing Rorey up.

"Just promise me you two will stay out of trouble? Please?" Rorey and Sela laughed at Victoria as she tried to remain the level headed one.

"Sela?" Victoria looked at Sela pleading. Victoria was practically on her knees begging.

"I guess. I mean if Rorey's going to behave." Sela rolled her eyes as Victoria hugged her and Rorey.

"Thank you! Now let's go" The girls linked arms and walked off to the new high school.

The school was crowded and busy with adolescence. The friends stuck together and took in their surroundings.

"Cute." Rorey's eyes followed the guy who had just passed by.

"I wonder where the science labs are." Sela looked around.

"Oh no, you two said no trouble, Rorey no boys and Sela no labs." Victoria looked at them sternly.

Rorey and Sela looked at each other. Rorey always liked the thought of choosing who she could be with. She liked the thought of choosing who her heart would go to or chose to love, while Sela loved to be in the science lab. Not necessarily to learn but to be mixing up different types chemicals, she liked the different reactions, even if some weren't safe. The last school they were at Rorey had lured poor Miguel Brooks into her trap. She had a sudden fascination with him and thought she could learn to like him. He was captain of the lacrosse team after all that was like royalty. But it didn't turn out too well for him. Then Sela had mixed a few too many chemicals together and let's just say it ended in a boom.

"You heard me, now let's get to class." Victoria left in the direction of her first class.

Rorey and Sela stood looking at each other. What were they going to do without their favorite past time?

"Good luck." Rorey gave Sela a pat on the back.

"Yeah thanks, good luck to you too." Sela gave Rorey a little squeeze before parting.

Rorey walked off to her first hour. She stopped as soon as she saw one of the occupants in the room. She went rigid as a taunting smile appeared on his face.

"Brendon, what are you doing here?" She took the only seat available which happened to be next to him.

"You're not happy to see me?" He placed his hand over his heart pretending to be hurt.

"Are Taylor and David here too?" she was curious.

"Since when do you know us to abandon you girls?" He looked at her, "someone has to keep you three out of trouble," he laughed, "so yes they're here too."

She was getting frustrated with him already. Throughout the course of the day it turned out Rorey and Brendon had the same schedule. She chose to ignore him the rest of the day. The day went on slowly. After the last class of the day Rorey went to meet up with Victoria and Sela. They were already in the company of Taylor and David. Rorey walked up to the four friends cheerfully, now that her sudden irritation had gone away for the moment. She greeted the two boys with a warm smile.

"Hey Rorey," Taylor smiled at her, "Where's Brendon?"

Rorey's smile disappeared once she heard his name, "I finally shook him, did you know he is in all of my classes?"

"So you two still can't get along?" Victoria asked.

"Are you kidding, since when have we ever gotten along, and don't say last year." Rorey threw her arms up in frustration.

"True." They all nodded in agreement.

"Hey everybody! Victoria, Sela, guys, Rorey." Brendon stood next to Rorey.

"Didn't I get rid of you?" she moved away from him.

"At least we don't have to worry about anything changing." The girls laughed at Rorey.

They all headed home, as to which they all found out that the guys had moved into the house next to theirs. Of course Rorey was upset by it and the others were happy to have each other close by. It had been a year since they'd last seen each other. After parting the tragic way they did last year they were all told to take a break from each other.

Last year Rorey was barely beginning to except her fate and she let herself fall in love with Brendon. It had been the happiest year she'd ever had, until he ruined it and left her heart broken.

"Rorey, you two are still so stubborn." Victoria was following her around the house.

"Can you stop? You're acting like Brendon." Rorey hated that he always followed her.

"They're here to protect us. You know that." Sela interjected, she sat watching the two argue.

"That doesn't mean I want it." Rorey went to leave when the Taylor and David entered the house.

"Taylor, please talk some sense into her." Victoria threw her hands up in defeat.

"Rorey, you and Brendon are supposed to be together, his eighteenth birthdays almost here, five more days and…" Taylor didn't get to finish his sentence.

"I don't care; I am not going to be with him because I have to." Rorey was upset now.

"Rorey, give him a chance, he's changed." Rorey gave Taylor a look.

"I gave him a chance last year and how did he repay me? Oh yeah that's right he messed up." She remembered back to last year, remembering the pain she went through because of his actions.

"And he's really sorry for that." David tried to defend Brendon.

"It's true," everyone turned around, "I'm sorry." Brendon was standing in the door way.

"I don't want to hear it." Rorey tried to leave the room.

"Rorey, I am sorrier than you'll ever know." He looked apologetic, "I never meant for it to happen, any of it."

"Then answer me this, why were you with those girls and why did you kill my parents?" She was on the verge of tears.

"You have to know that was never my intent." He moved closer to her, "I went to that court yard to save you Rorey, Rawl tricked me into thinking he had you. It was all a plan to get me there and make me look like the bad guy. I didn't even know those girls. And when I arrived at the castle he had already killed your parents."

"Rawl." The name sent tremors through her body.

"You wouldn't hear what I had to say, you never gave me the chance." Brendon waited for Rorey to answer.

Rorey's eyes blurred with tears, now that she finally knew the truth about the death of her parents a weight was lifted from her chest. She could move on. Brendon also never betrayed her trust. Realization hit her just then and she fell to the floor sobbing. Brendon ran to her holding her in his arms.

"I'm sorry Brendon, I blamed you for everything."

"It's okay Rorey." He soothed her as their friends watched.

"I don't hate you." Shocked by it all she fell limp with exhaustion.

The next morning when Victoria and Sela went to check up on Rorey she was gone. There was only a note resting on her bed. They read it and took it over to Brendon.

Brendon.

Please don't look for me. I need time to sort some things out. Don't worry I'm not too far.

Yours Always,

Rorey

"What do we do?" Victoria and Sela were worried.

"We do nothing." Brendon shoved the note into his pocket.

"What?" Everyone was shocked.

"She said not to look for her, so were not." Brendon looked at his friends.

"But you turn eighteen in just four days!" Everyone knew that Rorey had to be there, she couldn't miss it.

"Well that s up to her." He knew to give Rorey her space.

The next two days passed by gloomily and slowly for Victoria and sela, as well for Taylor and David. Brendon was busying himself with preparations for the next day to be worried or sad, although she'd creep into his mind every now and then. When everything was ready and the four friends left town. Once they arrived to the elder's headquarters they were all held up in a small room while everything in the main room of the castle was being set up. The door opened slowly and in came Boyd, one of the head council members; Brendon's father.

"May I speak to my son?" with that everyone left the room. "Today is an important day," Boyd put his arm around his son, "You make us proud son."

Brendon gave a weak smile.

"I heard Rorey isn't here, is this true?" Boyd looked at Brendon.

"Yes." Brendon looked down.

"And how do you feel about that?"

"If it's what she wants then I'm not going to stop her. She's had more trouble with all of this than the rest of us."

"I see." Boyd led Brendon out into the main room.

When Brendon entered the room he went to stand on the platform where Victoria, Taylor, David, Sela and Rorey stood. He took his place on the platform next to Rorey.

"You're here." He was shocked.

"I couldn't miss this; it's an important day for us." She grabbed his hand in hers.

The council stepped forward to proceed with the meeting. The council member, Vladimir stepped up to the plat form. He faced Brendon.

"Brendon Boyd you turn eighteen today and that means that you are the rightful age to step up and claim your crown."

Brendon nodded. It had been since the ongoing feud of the three families; the Walker, Varelas and Lestat family that the Boyd family had had a successor. All the families had ties. They were all trivial to each other's destiny. So he would be the first Boyd in so long to regain the thrown. At the moment The Dark Lord Rawl occupied the royal thrown.

"I would like to present you with your crown Brendon Boyd, King of Decay Dance."

Vladimir presented Brendon his crown and the first half of their duty was done.

"Now I also understand that Rorey here is only seventeen, so she is not yet ready for her part yet?"

They all nodded. Once Rorey turned eighteen she would be married to Brendon and regain her crown as queen. After that was all done with Sela, Victoria, Taylor and David would be dubbed as protectors of decay dance and official guards of the royal court, and then they could destroy Rawl. Rorey took a step forward.

"I want to marry Brendon now." She looked at Brendon.

"But, you're seventeen." Vladimir interjected.

"I know, but I want to do this and get rid of Rawl as soon as we can." She knew what she was doing.

Everyone agreed and began to quickly prepare for a wedding. Everyone was running around as the girls were separated from the guys. The girls were changed into elegant gowns, being fussed over, as the guys were suited in tux. When everything was all ready for the ceremony to begin they all took their places. Brendon stood at the altar with his best men at his side; Taylor and David. Victoria and Sela left Rorey as they walked down the aisle to stand next Taylor and David. They all exchanged words of encouragements.

Rorey stood in front of the mirror looking herself over once more before leaving the small room.

"Absolutely breathe taking Rorey Lestat."

Rorey turned around to be faced with the guy she wanted to take down more than ever.

"Rawl." She said his name through clenched teeth.

The music selection in the main room changed cueing Rorey to walk down the aisle. Brendon stood there waiting for her to walk out at any moment. Soon murmurs erupted throughout the whole room. Brendon ran out and into the small room.

"Rorey?" He found a note on the mirror and read it.

B,

Don't worry I'll take good care of her.

Rawl

Brendon stormed out of the Room, Victoria, Taylor, David and sela following.

"What's going on?" They all wanted to know.

"He took her," Brendon had a half crazed look in his eyes, "Rawl," the name sent Brendon running.

"Brendon just calm down." They all tried to calm him to no avail.

"I'm not going to let him get away with this," Brendon ordered an army and sent them over to Rawls castle.

When the army reached the castle it was a total war. Brendon had made sure no one touched Rawl. Rawl was his. Victoria, Taylor, David and Sela fought alongside the army, putting their best defenses in to use. Brendon would finally confront Rawl, his older brother. It had been over the course of 3 years since Rawl had stripped the Boyd family of their crown and took over. It had been a year since Rawl had framed Brendon and killed Rorey's family, shattering his happiness. Now he was going to pay. Brendon busted in through the high ceiling gate.

"Where's Rorey?" Brendon cut strait to the point.

"The lovely bride to be, don't worry She's fine," Rawl stood from his thrown, "she's just a little preoccupied at the moment."

The smirk that danced on Rawls face sent Brendon's blood boiling and he charged. The two brothers fought and fought, neither wanting to give up. They were all over the decrepit, warn out castle. Rawl slammed Brendon into the wall, a satanic smile on his calloused face. Brendon threw Rawl across the room into a full length mirror, while around them it was bloodshed.

"You can't kill me brother," Rawl laughed, "your too weak."

"That's where you're wrong, I'm king now remember." Brendon kicked Rawl into a glass case. "And you've messed with me for the last time!" Brendon struck his dagger into Rawls chest, piercing through the heart.

Rawl staggered backwards falling into Brendon's arms. Rawl held on to Brendon's shirt. With one last gasping breath Rawls eyes glazed over and the life went out in them. With no remorse Brendon threw his brothers lifeless body aside and began looking for Rorey. He searched around the castle frantically. He found her tied up in the basement, a gag in her mouth. He untied her and carried her out of the castle.

"You... came for me." Rorey's wrists and ankles were red from the rope.

"Of course I came for you." Brendon said as he peered down at her.

"Is he…" Rorey couldn't finish her sentence.

"Yes, he is dead." He had confirmed her dream come true.

The fighting around them seemed to cease all at once as Rawls body lay lifeless in the castle. They all rode back to the elders. As soon as they arrived Brendon and Rorey could be married and Rorey could be queen. Taylor, David, Victoria and Sela could now be a part of the royal court for they had proven their loyalty and their bravery. With Rawl dead everything was as it should be. Peace was near and on its way to Decay Dance, and everyone could be with their only exception.