Author's note: Ladies and gentlemen, the Hawk has returned. That's right, I'm back and bringing you another chapter of your favorite fic. (Note the shameless self-promotion) As those of you who read my last author's note will remember, I am currently on a course and only recently have I finally managed to gain some breathing space for myself, enough space so I could start writing this chapter for your enjoyment. I promised it would be an important chapter and indeed it is. Azmaria and Joshua will put their plan into action with a little help. This chapter also serves as the starting point for the next chapter which will also be very important. Well, I've wasted enough of your time and I bet your just itching to read this chapter, so go ahead, enjoy!
The Girl Next Door
Part 10
Like Chrono had promised, he and Rosette went to see Principal Valentine the next day about the encounter with Darius. Principal Valentine couldn't thank Chrono enough for bringing the matter to her attention and for being there to help her niece out of a sticky situation.
Needless to say, not long after, Darius left Eden High under mysterious circumstances never to be seen again.
So where would this leave them? Obviously much had changed between them since the first day they met. Rosette couldn't really continue bugging Chrono, because the way things were now, she owed him one after what he did for her. A difficult situation for her, to say the least. She had a promise to keep, yet she was in his debt.
Recess came around as usual, and the normal order of business would be observed at Chrono's bench. Yet this time, Rosette was not her usual self. Instead of scheming how she could annoy him, she just sat there quietly.
Chrono, strangely enough, noticed that Rosette was not going to great lengths to make his life difficult, and this made him uncomfortable. When things suddenly change overnight, you have to know something's up. In a strange first for him, he actually turned off his MP3 player, took the earphones out of his ears, and turned to face her.
"Okay, what's wrong?"
"Huh?"
"Yeah, I'm talking to you. The whole time you've been here, you've just sat there and stared off into space. All out of ideas how you're gonna make my life hell?"
"No, it's not that. I…I just want to say…thanks for what you did for me. I did not like the idea of becoming another statistic."
"That's like the tenth time you've said that today. I get the picture, okay? Something else has to be bugging you."
"I was wondering…you know…if we could start over?"
"Start over?"
"From the beginning. I realize things have been…difficult between us the past few weeks, but I think we're both to blame here. I've learned a few things about you lately that made me think about some of the things I've said and thought about you. I guess…you're not so bad."
"Do my ears deceive me?"
"Look, I'm being sincere here. The least you can do is hear me out."
"As long as you don't start pretending you're a wannabe self-help expert."
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. Just because I saved your ass from Darius doesn't change a thing between us. It was just a temporary peace. I thought I made that clear."
"You can't be serious!?"
"Dead serious. Like I said, nothing has changed us between us. You challenged me, and now your gonna have to live with the consequences. To tell you the truth, I'm actually enjoying this. Remember what I said? I don't hate you, and that much is true. But there is that other part as well: I still don't like you. In your defense though, I will confess, you're a rare opponent indeed, and I'm gonna take my time with you."
Wrong choice of words. This is not what Rosette wanted to hear from Chrono right now. Here she was, trying to end their rivalry, and he doesn't even so much as give her the time of day. It was more than she could stand.
"You know what? I take back what I said about you just now. In fact, you're an even bigger idiot than I thought!"
"If that's your best attempt at an insult, then I have to tell you I'm disappointed. I've been called worse things than that."
Rosette's temper was reaching the boiling point fast. But she knew she couldn't start another fight with him again, not if she didn't want to pay her aunt's office a visit again. This time, it would go on her permanent record.
"I've had enough of this! You're anger and your lust for a fight is gonna be your downfall one day, you hear me?!"
"Fine talk from someone who's losing her temper right in front of me."
"Oh yeah? You aint seen nothin' yet! Hey, are you listening?"
Before she had even finished that sentence, Chrono was back to listening to the songs on his MP3 player. Using the last bit of restraint she could muster she stomped off, her face red from the rage she was trying to suppress.
Not far from there, Joshua and Azmaria witnessed the scene that played itself out. Joshua just sighed; any hope he had of resolving the issue peacefully had just died a sudden death thanks to Chrono. Azmaria noticed the expression on Joshua's face and asked, "What's wrong, Joshua?"
"Everything. Chrono just killed any chance we had."
"How sure are you that's what happened? We can't hear what they said from over here."
"If I know my sister, she just got angry because Chrono had to go and say something that got her mad. I mean, the reason she was even there was to try and sort out this whole mess. This just proves we can't rely on them if we want peace between them. It's time for us to step in."
"But Joshua, we don't even have a plan yet."
"Good thing you've got me to handle that. I have an idea, and it's so simple, I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner."
"So what is this idea of yours?"
"Man, it's so simple, even an idiot couldn't screw it up. Okay, listen, here's my plan…"
A few minutes later…
Azmaria didn't know exactly what to say. She tried to keep a straight face on, but that attempt failed miserably. Who could blame her after what Joshua had proposed?
"Hey, don't look at me like that! And stop looking so worried, nothing's gonna go wrong."
"Are you…absolutely sure?"
"Course I'm sure. I saw it in a movie once. It can't fail."
"But…that's just a movie."
"Come on, have a little faith. This'll work, trust me."
"Okay…I guess."
She couldn't really say anything else. But she did keep wondering that since this was Joshua's brainchild, did it really have any chance of success?
There was only one way to find out…
That same day, Chrono's house…
Joshua and Azmaria met up at Chrono's house after school, like they agreed to do. They needed Aion's help if Joshua's plan was to succeed.
Turning to face her, Joshua asked Azmaria, "So you're sure you want to go through with this?"
"We're already this far. We can't turn back now."
"Okay then, here goes nothing."
He rang the doorbell and hoped anyone but Chrono would open the door. His hopes were realized when Chrono's older sibling opened up. "Hi there."
"Hello Aion. Look, we have something we want to discuss with you, something important."
"Wait, I know you. You're Rosette's little brother, right?"
"The one and the same."
"Thought so. I remember you from the other night when my uncle invited your family over for dinner. Azmaria needs no introductions, I already know her. So what's so important that you have to discuss with me?"
"I think we need to sit down, this is gonna take a while."
Not so long after…
Aion took a moment to take in what Azmaria and Joshua had shared with him, then he looked upon both of them and said, "So let me get this straight. You two need my help with your plan to get my brother and your sister to kiss and make up, am I right?"
"Bingo. Except for the kissing part, we don't want it to go that far."
"And here I thought there was no more hope."
"No more hope? What are you talking about?"
"Sorry, it's just that…Chrono has shut out most people who could be good friends for him. I didn't think there was anyone except me and the rest of the family who would care enough about him to go the lengths you two are prepared to go. You know what; I think I'll back you up. We'll make your idea work."
"Seriously?"
"I couldn't be more serious if I tried. It's about time my brother got over himself and embraced life again."
"Just to set the record straight, we're not exactly his friends. We're just doing this 'cause the whole thing is just stupid. They shouldn't be fighting at all, but they're just too stubborn to admit that they both have a claim in this. Besides, ever since the feud started there have been a few occasions involving me and my sister that have been near hazardous for my health. Speaking of that, where's Chrono?"
Just after Joshua had said those words, he eyed the environment cautiously just in case the individual he feared the most made a sudden appearance.
"Well, even if you think you're doing it for selfish reasons, it'll still go a long way towards getting my brother out of the hole he's put himself in. Who knows, maybe you'll become friends eventually, and don't worry, he's down in the basement practicing."
With a puzzled expression on her face, Azmaria asked, "Practicing? What do you mean?"
"It was gonna come out anyway. Chrono is a brilliant guitar player, but he keeps it to himself. I thought you knew already."
"I did actually. I just didn't know what you were talking about, Aion."
"That's okay, Azmaria. Not only is he good at playing the guitar, his singing isn't half bad either. He's got a lot of talent but he doesn't bother to take it further than playing for himself."
"So he's down there right now?"
"Yeah, he should be. He was headed that way just before you showed up."
"I was wondering if…if we could see him play."
Joshua nearly jumped out of his chair when Azmaria uttered those words. How could she even suggest what she was suggesting!? It was a suicide mission and then some to Joshua.
Trying not to sound scared, he faced Azmaria and said, "Are you… sure you want to do that? I mean, we really shouldn't bother him."
"But, Joshua, I really want to see this. Do it for me, please."
All it took for Joshua was one look at those crimson eyes of Azmaria and all resistance crumbled. How could he possibly deny her request now?
"I…suppose a peek…couldn't hurt."
"Thank you, Joshua! I knew you wouldn't let me down!"
Right there and then she embraced him as a way of showing her thanks. In response, Joshua's cheeks turned a darker shade of red. He was quite surprised at her reaction, but he just went with the flow.
"Well, if it means that much to you…"
"Man, those eyes of hers should be registered as lethal weapons!"
Aion watched the whole scene with a smile. Joshua still had a lot to learn about women.
"This is just the start, kid. You're still a bit naïve, but you'll learn soon enough."
Aion was correct. Joshua still had to learn that often men are driven to do things they wouldn't normally do when a woman is involved. It's just an unavoidable fact.
Soon the three of them stood at the door to the basement. Aion issued Joshua and Azmaria a final word of warning before they went inside.
"Now remember, don't let him see you, okay? Just peek around the corner, but do not let him see you under any circumstance. If he does…well, I hope you're both fast runners."
"Thanks, Aion. Let's go, Joshua."
"Okay."
He took the lead just to try and show Azmaria he wasn't scared. Down the stairs they went, until they came to the corner that Aion spoke of. Peeking around it revealed the interior of the room they found themselves in. They saw a punching bag suspended from the ceiling, plus some weights and a bench like the ones you'd find in a gym.
Further peeking revealed Chrono standing in front of a pair of speakers hooked up to a CD player. From what they could see he was busy tuning a guitar which was connected to the speakers.
Whispering as quietly as he could, he asked Azmaria, "What do you think he's doing?"
"Don't know. Let's just see what he does."
They didn't wait long to find out. They observed Chrono placing a disk in the CD player, grabbing his guitar and standing ready for whatever was to come.
Azmaria was confused by this. "I though Aion said he actually played the guitar. So what's he doing with the CD player?"
"Don't know, Azmaria."
Suddenly the speakers came to life. A song was starting up, an aggressive sounding one, just like Azmaria expected, yet it did nothing to extinguish her curiosity. This was something she had to see.
As soon as the song's intro was over, Chrono started plucking the strings of his guitar vigorously. A voice coming from the CD player joined in as well.
You walk on like a woman in suffering
Won't even bother now to tell me why
You come alone, letting none of us savor the moment
Leaving me broken another time
You come on like a bloodstained hurricane
Leave me alone, let me be this time
You carry on like a holy man pushing redemption
I don't want to mention, the reason I know
That I am stricken and can't let you go
When the heart is cold, there's no hope, and we know
That I am crippled by all that you've done
Into the abyss will I run!
You don't know what your power has done to me
I want to know if I'll heal inside
I can't go on with a holocaust about to happen
Seeing you laughing another time
You'll never know how your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of my inner defenses
Leaving me breathless, the reason I know
That I am stricken and can't let you go
When the heart is cold, there's no hope, and we know
That I am crippled by all that you've done
Into the abyss will I run!
Into the abyss will I run!
It was at this point in the song that a guitar solo came up, and Chrono played it all the way. At one point it sounded like the strings were on the verge of breaking, but they held up despite what Chrono was putting them through. Now there was no doubting anymore, this was genuine because it didn't look like a random plucking of strings like a pretender would do. Now they saw for themselves just how accomplished he was.
You walk on like a woman in suffering
Won't even bother now to tell me why
You come alone, letting none of us savor the moment
Leaving me broken another time
You come on like a bloodstained hurricane
Leave me alone, let me be this time
You carry on like a holy man pushing redemption
I don't want to mention, the reason I know
That I am stricken and can't let you go
When the heart is cold, there's no hope, and we know
That I am crippled by all that you've done
Into the abyss will I run!
Into the abyss will I run!
I can't let you go!
Yes I am stricken and can't let you go!!
Azmaria and Joshua stared at the whole scene in disbelief. They never realized just how good he was up until now. Any doubt about his musical ability had disappeared like the morning mist before the sun.
"Did you see that, Azmaria?"
"I did, and I still can't believe it. Wait, it looks like he's gonna play again."
She was correct. Another song was starting up, once again aggressive.
I've told you this once before can't control me
If you try to take me down you're gonna pay
I feel your every nothing that you're doing for me
I'm thinking you oughta make you're own way
I stand alone inside
I stand alone
You're always hiding behind your so-called goddess
So what, you don't think that we can see your face?
You resurrected back before the final falling
I'll never rest until I can make my own way
I'm not afraid of fading
I stand alone
Feeling your sting down inside me
I'm not dying for it
I stand alone
Everything that I believe is fading
I stand alone inside
I stand alone
Now it's my time (now it's my time)
It's my time to dream (It's my time to dream)
Dream of the skies (dream of the skies)
Make me believe that this place isn't plagued by the poison in me
Help me decide if my fire will burn out before you can breathe
Breathe into me
I stand alone inside
I stand alone
Feeling your sting down inside me
I'm not dying for it
I stand alone
Everything that I believe is fading
I stand alone inside
I stand alone inside
I stand alone inside
I stand alone inside
Once the song had ended, Joshua noticed Azmaria looked a bit sad. "What's wrong, Azmaria?"
"That song…does Chrono really believe he's alone that much? What could've happened in his life to make him think that?"
"Good question, though the song does sound familiar. Can't put my finger on it right now. Doesn't matter, it'll come to me sooner or later. Hey look, he's gonna play again."
Listen up, turn it up and rock it out
Party on, I wanna hear you scream and shout
This is real, as real as it gets
I came to get down to get some fucking respect
Taking it back to a hardcore level
You better be ready, put your pedal to the metal
Taking it back to a hardcore level
You better be ready, put your pedal to the metal.
Go!
Whoa! I'll never give in
Whoa! I'll never give up
Whoa! I'll never give in
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved
Whoa! I'll never give in
Whoa! I'll never give up
Whoa! I'll never give in
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved
I want domination
I want your submission
I see you're not resisting
To this temptation
I've got one confession
A love deprivation
I've got a jet black heart
It's all fucked up and it's falling apart
Whoa! I'll never give in
Whoa! I'll never give up
Whoa! I'll never give in
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved
Whoa! I'll never give in
Whoa! I'll never give up
Whoa! I'll never give in
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved
I've got another confession
I fell to temptation
And there is no question
There was some connection
I've got to follow my heart
No matter how far
I've gotta roll the dice
Never look back and never think twice
Whoa! I'll never give in
Whoa! I'll never give up
Whoa! I'll never give in
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved
Whoa! I'll never give in
Whoa! I'll never give up
Whoa! I'll never give in
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved
Take your past and burn it up and let it go
Carry on; I'm stronger than you'll ever know
That's the deal; you get no respect
You're gonna get yours
You better watch your fucking neck
Take your past and burn it up and let it go
Carry on; I'm stronger than you'll ever know
That's the deal; you get no respect
You're gonna get yours
You better watch your fucking neck
Whoa! I'll never give in
Whoa! I'll never give up
Whoa! I'll never give in
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved
Whoa! I'll never give in
Whoa! I'll never give up
Whoa! I'll never give in
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved
Whoa! I'll never give in
Whoa! I'll never give up
Whoa! I'll never give in
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved
Whoa! I'll never give in
Whoa! I'll never give up
Whoa! I'll never give in
And I just wanna be, wanna be loved
After the song was done, Joshua took the opportunity to comment on the situation. "So what do you think? Is he as good as Aion said he is?"
"Yeah, he is, although I would've loved to hear him sing."
"Maybe now you'll get your wish. He's getting ready again."
I'm not listening, not anymore
The more I learn, the more I ignore
I'm not listening, not anymore
The more I can, the more I ignore
I'm not listening, not anymore, no
Cause you gotta be bigger, and be faster, and be stronger
If your gonna survive any longer
In this lifetime it better be the right time
'Cause the first time might be your last time
Am I a failure if I got nothing to lose?
No, I'm not a failure, I've got something to prove
I'm not listening, not anymore
The more I learn, the more I ignore
I'm not listening, not anymore
The more I can, the more I ignore, the more I ignore
Cause I've lost my innocence
And I'm a stranger, a life changer
I'm a man that's not afraid of danger
I walk my own path, and blaze my own trail
Because I'm not afraid to derail
I won't get in line or be a middle man
So fuck you I'll make my own plan
And I got respect and I don't neglect
The people that I really care to protect
Am I a failure if I got nothing to lose?
No, I'm not a failure, I've got something to prove
I told you before, won't listen no more
I told you before, let's settle the score
I told you before, won't listen no more
I told you before, let's settle the score
If not me then who?
If not now then when?
If not me then who?
If not now then when?
I told you before, won't listen no more
I told you before, let's settle the score
I told you before, won't listen no more
I told you before, let's settle the score
Slowly the song faded out and died down. Azmaria, having seen what she wanted to see, decided to leave. "Let's go, Joshua. I've seen enough."
"You sure? We could always stay a bit longer if that's what you want."
"No, its fine. I know you're uncomfortable being here and I've seen and heard enough. Come on, let's go."
"Who said I was uncomfortable-"
Smiling, she responded, "I know you better than you think. I'm a pretty good judge of character if you haven't realized. We can talk about it later but not here. So let's go already."
Joshua couldn't quite figure out how Azmaria managed to be one step ahead of him all the time, but he just accepted that trying to understand it wouldn't help at all. Wisely, he just went with the flow for now.
Soon they had left the confines of the basement and found themselves back in the kitchen. Aion was waiting for them. "You're not running, so I guess he didn't see you."
"He didn't, but on the other hand we couldn't believe what we saw. He's absolutely amazing. Does he do it often?"
"Pretty much, Azmaria. When he was younger, our mother had him take guitar lessons. That's when his talent was discovered. After just a few lessons, he was capable of playing a song after only having heard it once. It wasn't always perfect, but it got even better as he practiced more and more. Soon his skill level was so high that his teacher couldn't teach him anything more."
"But why doesn't he do anything with his talent? Other people would be pestering the record companies just to give them a chance. I'm sure he would've had a whole string of deals lined up by now."
"You know as well as I do he's a lone wolf, he doesn't run with the pack. I'm not at liberty to talk about his past. When he's ready he'll talk. He sticks to himself a lot, in fact our relationship isn't what it used to be."
"But why does he always listen to aggressive rock and metal? From what I heard these songs always promote violence and revenge on your enemies."
"He's an angry guy, Azmaria, angry at the world and at people who did him wrong. He's filled with hatred at just about everyone and everything that ever gave him a hard time in his life. The stuff he listens to is just his outlet."
"I see. Well, we have to get going. Joshua and I still have some homework to do."
"Okay. I'll stay in touch."
A week later, Eden High…
The normal order of a normal school day could be observed at the halls of Eden High. Students were coming and going, some heading to their lockers while others were going outside because the bell for recess had rung. Normally Rosette would be at Chrono's side, but she was a bit slow getting out of Mr. Remington's classroom.
She was still unsure how to handle the situation with Chrono. This was new territory for her altogether. A direct confrontation never worked before, nor did talking to him in a civilized manner. To put it shortly, she couldn't figure him out.
While she was thinking about this, she was hardly paying attention to where she was walking. Her thoughts were occupying her mind too much for her to even notice she was about to bump into someone coming around the corner…
Before she even knew it, she crashed into something that felt distinctly like another person, and nearly landed on the floor. She looked up to see who the other person so she could apologize.
"Sorry about that, I didn't mean to-"
Her sentence was cut short when she saw who the other person was. "You!"
The other person responded with,"Well, well, if it isn't that blondie from the school dance that had a problem with the way I dressed."
It was none other than Satella Havenheit that fate had decreed should cross Rosette's path today. This was the last thing she wanted. The claws were about to shown…
Satella was not alone. With her were her friends, a group of the richest and most popular girls in school. One of them asked, "Is this the little tramp that had a problem with you at the school dance, Satella?"
"Who are you calling a tramp!?"
"Yes, that's her alright", Satella responded.
"In case you didn't know, if you have a problem with one of us, then you have a problem with all of us."
Rosette was quick to respond. "Look here, I'm no one's tramp, you got that? I didn't bump into Satella on purpose, it was an accident!"
Satella didn't wait to speak her mind. "Oh look, it talks."
"What did you just say!? Why I oughta-"
"Leave her, she's not worth the time and effort. Let's get out of here. We wouldn't want to be seen talking to the commoners. Just remember to stay out of our way."
With that, they all turned around and walked off, leaving Rosette absolutely furious.
"The nerve of that German witch and her friends! I should've given her a piece of my mind!"
She made her way outside so she could cool off and encountered her brother and Azmaria. Joshua, noticing his sister's rather hostile disposition, asked, "Hey sis, what's up?"
"What's up? I'll tell you what's up! That Satella and her friends are all a bunch of arrogant, stuck up, spoiled brats who think just because they have more money than we do they can do and say whatever they want!"
"Are you saying that you had a fight with Satella?"
"It was more of a misunderstanding. I bumped into her by accident, and they had the nerve to call me a tramp! They wouldn't even listen to me!"
Azmaria, silent thus far, added her own bit to the conversation. "You're lucky that's all that happened. Satella's friends…let's just say their not the friendliest group ever. With other people it never stayed with words…"
"Let them try it! I'm ready for 'em!"
"Don't go doing something you'll regret later, sis. Aunt Kate can only cover you so many times before she has to start giving out detention, get my drift?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Rosette sat down at a nearby bench to cool down. When she wasn't looking, Azmaria and Joshua slipped away. "You don't think this is gonna make any change to our plans, do you, Azmaria?"
"I hope not. Today is the only chance were gonna get for a long time."
Indeed it was. Aion had informed them that Chrono's uncle would be working late that day and that Chrono's aunt would be visiting a friend in a hospital all the way in New York. Joshua also knew his father was working late as well and that his mother had an appointment with the local book club. This was as good a chance as they were going to get.
That afternoon, after school…
"Okay, so everyone knows what to do, right?", Joshua asked his two partners.
"Of course we do. We've come this far, we can't turn back now, Joshua."
"I'm with Azmaria. It's now or never."
"Alright, let's do this."
The scene was set at Azmaria's house. Aion, Joshua and Azmaria had agreed to meet there before their plan was put into action. Now all that was left was for everyone to play their parts.
Aion didn't have to do much since Chrono was already down in the basement, exactly where they wanted him. His role was still important though; he had the key to the basement, and the key was integral to their plans.
Meanwhile, Azmaria and Joshua went over to Joshua's house. They had to set the bait for his sister to fall into their trap. They found her in her room, lying on her bed, still angry about what had transpired between her and Satella.
"So what do you want? Can't you see I'm still mad?"
"If you would stop being mad for a minute, I've got something to tell you."
"It'd better be good to wanna interrupt me."
"Trust me, it is. You're not gonna believe this but-"
"Oh, for the love of Mike, just spit out already!"
"Fine. Sheesh, have a little patience. I was gonna say, before I was so rudely interrupted, that Chrono told us he'd like a word with you."
That made Rosette sit up straight immediately. For a moment she thought her ears were deceiving her.
"Did I just hear you say Chrono wants to talk to me?"
"That's what I said. In fact, he'd like to see you now, if you don't mind, sis."
"Wait a minute, this a bit too good to be true. Are you up to something, Joshua?"
Joshua nearly panicked. The last thing he wanted was to have Rosette realize something was up. It would put the whole plan in jeopardy. Azmaria, seeing which way the wind blew, quickly intervened.
"It's true, Rosette. I saw it all with my own eyes. He approached us outside and told us he'd like to talk to you now if you wanted to. He's waiting for you over at his house."
Rosette knew when her brother was lying, but she had no reason not to trust Azmaria. Still, something did not feel right here. Despite the warnings lights going off, she decided to take a chance.
"Okay, I'll go see what he has to say for himself. But I'm warning you, Joshua, if this is some kind of trick, you'll be getting one of my super-special noogie attacks."
"Now sis, would I lie to you? Don't answer that! Anyways, you don't want to keep him waiting, so get going already."
Joshua uttered a sigh of relief as quietly as he could. Everything was going according to plan. His sister may be a bit suspicious, but by the time she knew what was going on, the trap would already have sprung on both her and Chrono. Across the street they went where they came to a standstill to the front door of Chrono's house. Aion opened up after the doorbell was rung. "Oh, hi Rosette. My brother's expecting you."
"How'd you know he was expecting me?"
"He told me. He's waiting for you in the basement. I don't think I'll need to show you where, you've already seen where it is."
Rosette eyed the whole lot of them with suspicion. The whole thing felt orchestrated somehow. If it hadn't been for Azmaria, she would've never gone along with it all.
"I'm here now, so I might as well go through with it."
She stood at the entrance to the basement, a familiar sight since she had been there before. That little voice in her head that told her it was too good to be true was working overtime, but she ignored it all the same.
"Here goes nothing."
She slowly turned the knob and looked inside. Everything was quiet.
"Are you sure he's down there?"
"Of course he is. He wanted to meet here for a reason", Aion responded.
"And that reason is?"
"Man, why's she askin' so many questions for?"
"Well…the basement is where he feels comfortable…yeah, that's it! He said his room wouldn't be right because he didn't want to give you the wrong idea and the basement was the next best thing he could think of."
Rosette looked at Aion with suspicion. He tried his best to look like nothing was wrong, even smiled a goofy-looking smile.
Rosette issued them a final word of warning before she descended the stairs down into the basement. "I don't know what the three of you are planning, but I'm warning you, if I don't like it, you're all gonna be sorry."
With that, she went through the door, closed it behind her, and made her way down the stairs. Fearlessly, she went around the corner and encountered Chrono tuning in one of his guitars. At first he didn't notice her, but he felt a distinct presence, one that didn't belong there, and thus he looked up. He nearly dropped his guitar when he saw who was with him in the room. He thought his eyes were playing tricks. It didn't take long for him to regain control of his vocal chords though.
"What the hell are you doing here!?!"
"That's a funny way to greet someone you invited over. I was expecting a bit of a warmer welcome."
"What the hell have you been smoking!?! Why would I ever invite you over?"
"But my brother and Azmaria said you told them you wanted to talk to me."
"What!?! Did he say that? The next time I see him, he's a corpse!"
"But I thought-"
"You thought wrong! I never told him anything! You've been had by your own brother!"
Rosette had known something was going on, but now she knew it for sure. Her brother had taken her for a ride, and now it was payback time.
"That little S.O.B! He's so gonna get it now!"
She stomped off to the door and turned the knob, but to her surprise the door wouldn't open. She tried again with the same result. Repeated attempts yielded the same results.
"What the hell is going on here!?! Who locked the door!?!"
Chrono, who was close behind her, was also wondering the same thing when a familiar voice answered from the other side.
"We did, sis."
"Joshua, is that you? Open this damned door now!"
"No can do, sis."
"And why not!?!"
"I'll be honest with you, sis. Your feud with Chrono is just plain stupid and should never have happened, but both of you are just too stubborn to admit you're both to blame here. So now, we're giving you a chance to work out your differences, and neither of you are coming out until you do, so I suggest you get started."
Chrono's anger was reaching the boiling point pretty fast. This is not how we wanted to spend his afternoon, especially not in the company of his greatest rival.
"So help me, you little punk, when I get out of here I'll show you what hell on earth really is, and the same goes for you Aion, 'cause I know you had a part in this!"
"You know tough guy, I speak for Joshua here when I say that feud of yours is stupid. You've been hiding from the world for too long now, bro, and don't think Uncle Ryan or Aunt Kathy are gonna save you because their both coming home late. So take my advice, work out your differences and do it fast."
"Go to hell, Aion!"
Aion was not easily offended. "Why, thank you bro. I'll make sure to book a reservation there some time. Now have fun, and play nice with each other. We'll be checking up on you every now and then, so see ya."
Rosette and Chrono heard the faint sounds of footsteps fading into the distance, then there was silence. Rosette banged on the door a few more times, but no one would have answered.
"That little bastard is so dead when I see him again! He'd better start running now 'cause he would not want me to catch up to him!"
After she had finally stopped ranting and raving, the reality of what had happened finally set in. Here she was, stuck in a stuffy basement with her greatest rival thus far, and the only way out was to make peace with him, something she really didn't want to do. Chrono was having similar feelings.
They both sat down but never said anything, just stared at each other. Both were obviously upset but the only way to get out of it was to do the one thing they didn't want to. Half an hour later they were still sitting there just staring off into space. Finally, Rosette said something.
"So…you got any ideas on how to get out of here?"
Chrono didn't respond immediately, but finally answered, "I've got nothing."
Silence reigned once again for a while. Rosette, in a change of character, thought maybe she should do as her brother wanted, even though the thought sickened her to the core of her being.
"Don't you think we should…you know…just do what my brother said and…well, talk about this?"
Chrono looked at her like she was saying the craziest thing he had ever heard. "Are you stoned or something? What makes you think I'd try and work things out with you just like that?"
"Dammit, I'm trying to be the bigger person here! What is wrong with you?"
"You should have thought about being the bigger person when we first met."
"Well, I would have if certain people didn't have an attitude that stinks!"
"You looked in the mirror lately?"
"Oh, you're really asking for it now!"
"Oh yeah, tiger, you're fighting skills are really impressive. I'm shaking now!"
"Yeah, laugh it up, tough guy, but the thing is neither of us are getting out of here unless we work out our differences! Now I don't know about you but I don't want to be stuck in here until who knows how late! So we can either work it out or be stuck here until who knows how late!"
"Forget it!"
Now, Rosette could take a lot of things. She had a lot more endurance than people gave her credit for, but this she couldn't stand any longer. Feeling like she had nothing to lose, she let out everything she ever wanted to say to him but never could.
"You know, I've thought and said a lot of things about you over the past few weeks. There was even a time when I thought you weren't so bad, but I guess you've done a lot to prove me wrong. So here's what I think of you: I think you're a total ass, who thinks he can do everything by himself, and thinks he impresses everyone with the lonely tough guy when in reality he's a sad individual hiding behind a mask he puts on for the masses and pushes away everyone who ever cared about him-"
"SHUT UP!!!!"
Those last words of hers must have really struck a cord somewhere within Chrono's being, because she never saw it coming. When Chrono looked up at her, she saw an anger in his eyes she had never seen before.
"Who the hell do you think you are!?! You know nothing about me or my past, so don't pretend like you know everything, because you know NOTHING!"
"Oh yeah? Then why don't you tell me?"
"Fine! You wanna hear my story? Then sit down and listen up!"
Now, normally Chrono would never agree to tell just anyone his life story, but he was so angry he wasn't thinking straight. He was especially angered that Rosette would dare to pretend she knew what he was all about if she didn't even know what he had been through in his life.
"My story begins two years ago in New York…"
Author's note: Well, I hope this makes up for the long wait you've had to endure. Luckily, my course will be finished soon so maybe I'll squeeze in another chapter before what's left of the year is over. As for Satella's appearance: well, she's in the fic now, so I had to do something with her. Don't worry, she'll be making an appearance again, but for now the focus is on Chrono and Rosette's relationship. The next chapter will be revealing a lot more about Chrono's past, so expect a lot of flashbacks and such. Well, I think I've said enough about the next chapter, I wouldn't want to spoil it before its even finished.
You'll also have noticed I finally included some lyrics again in this chapter. The four songs are my favorites at the moment, what I listen to the most.
The first song is by the band Disturbed and the song is called Stricken. For those people who are fans of their work I suggest you check out that song pronto, 'cause in my opinion its one of their best. I especially like the impressive guitar solo in the middle. The band's guitarist is an absolute genius with a guitar.
Joshua was right when he said he recognized the second song. It's an old favorite of mine, and I really thought it said a lot about Chrono since he does believe he stands alone. The song is I Stand Alone by the band Godsmack. The reason Joshua recognizes it is because the song appeared on the soundtrack of the movie The Scorpion King, starring pro wrestler turned actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the lead role.
The last two songs are by the same band. The band, of course, is Papa Roach. The third song in this fic, which is their work, is called To Be Loved, but don't let the song title fool you, it's a very fast-paced song and on a personal level, a fun song too. The last song is called Not Listening, and when I first heard it I thought it really says a lot about Chrono the way I've portrayed him in this fic. I think you'll agree with me if you read the lyrics
That's about enough trivia from me one for one day. Hopefully the next time I see you you'll be reading the next chapter.
Until next time, this is the Hawk signing off (cue sound of static)