Challenges

By J.C. Thomas

Chapter Seven:

An Understood Attraction

Pietro and Allana had the kind of friendship that had taken roots sometime in elementary play ground. Pietro had been something of a bully and in true tomboy fashion; Allana had taken him down a peg or two. Later on Pietro repaid the favor. It was the beginning of a long standing understanding for one another that later softened into a friendship.

In times of turmoil with their mismatched family life that they pretended didn't exist, they found support in one another each clinging to the other for his or her strengths.

Neither had ever considered the other a romantic possibility, but they were too competitive with each other for it to work anyway. When they reached high school, Pietro took his place as an object of desire and Allana filled her title as the unattainable best friend. But what began as some flirting fun, turned too serious too fast when Pietro had set his eyes on his rival, Evan Daniel's, younger sister Jasper.

Allana never did care for Pietro's fan girls, but Jasper became Pietro's girlfriend fairly quickly and just seem so entitled to the position that Allana would have gladly seen her fall off the face of the earth then to have to look at them together.

Their relationship ended when Pietro had said the wrong thing at the wrong time about his level of seriousness and bragging about their sexual escapades. A minor infringement, given Pietro was a guy after all, but coupled with the act of publicly cheating; it brought all of wrath of a scorned woman down on Pietro. Jasper made the most of her loud and rather articulate speech patterns to take him down to feeling now more than a piece of gum stuck to her shoe.

Allana's respect level for Jasper rose miles after the public berating, finally someone else that didn't fall all over themselves and get walked over by someone who really didn't need the extra ego boost. The girl's were now quite close, but Jasper had never quite gotten over her distaste for Pietro, telling any girl he'd gotten close to liking about his past.

Jasper across the room gave Allana a look that conveyed all of her animosity and wonderment of Pietro. Rogue still stood in the dance floor looking quite confused.

This was a first, Pietro escaping from a challenge. Allana's eyes followed after the form of her retreating friend and shook her head. What had gotten into him all of a sudden? Dante stood beside her, his presence was subtle, but she could still feel him beside her.

"Your hair is curly," he said. It was the first time he'd spoken since his arrival. With even such an obvious observation which would normally annoy her, coming from Dante it felt more like a compliment.

She smiled at the thought and opened her mouth to ask if he wanted to dance, but Rogue reappeared with Jasper not far behind.

"Oh boy," she sighed and suddenly she looked up and she was inches away from Dante, he looked down at her with his searching gray eyes and she felt the panic rising in her blood, "Oh boy."

"Allana," Rogue asked, "What's wrong with Pietro?"

She swiveled around so her back was to Dante, but had put a steadying hand on her back out of site from the other two girls. Her nerves were on fire, but the panic had settled back into the pit of her stomach.

"I'll tell you what's wrong with him," Jasper opened her mouth prepared with a speech on her favorite subject, Pietro bashing.

She rubbed her head where she felt the start of a headache coming on. "Jasper, keep it short, Alex looks spazzed," she indicated Jasper's replacement on the turn-table.

Jasper rolled her eyes, but was grinning, "Just watch out for Pietro, he can be a jerk when he wants to be," she said to Rogue before leaving them to check on Alex.

Rogue raised her eyebrows in question, but Allan shook her head, "It's a long story."

Rogue nodded and made an excuse for the bathroom. Allana was surprised she'd been able to think with Dante's hand on her back but she'd avoided a possible bad situation beautifully.

After his sister was out of view he'd moved his hand to her waist and gently pulled her against him. She fit quite nicely there if she did say so herself. Was she willing to risk her most safe guarded possession, her heart, for a bet? She didn't know the answer to that question. She stayed there for a second relishing in this silent communication of mutual attraction before it was over and he had pulled away leaving her aching for more.