14. New Club Members

"So, you taking care of Jenna?" Paige inquired one afternoon, passing Rocco in the hallway. He turned and met with her smirking face. It had been a month since Rocco and Jenna had kissed, and Paige, of course, was the first to know about it. Rocco didn't mind it; he thought it was kind of cute that Jenna was so eager to describe her night with him to one of her best friends. Plus, Rocco had grown fond of Paige. They were easy friends, which made Jenna just as happy.

Rocco smirked in return as he shut his locker, fixing a black knit cap over his unruly shaggy hair, displaying his gauged ears. The winter season had finally arrived and people had returned to their heavy coats and boots that Romania was famous for. The snow clouds were rolling in and Bucharest was due for a storm soon.

"Do you doubt my skills?" Rocco joked, adjusting the strap of his backpack over one shoulder. His brawny figure was drenched in another black hooded sweater, a gory picture of a body with the name of a heavy metal band printed across the chest. His legs were encased in black straight-leg jeans, his waist adorned with studded and bullet belts. He sported a pair of old Converse sneakers and his trademark spiked dog collar to complete his look.

Paige rolled her eyes and chuckled. Her figure was much more bundled up than Rocco's was. Her short, curvaceous body was wrapped in multiple black and red jackets, dark plaid skinny jeans, and a pair of leather boots. Her dark chocolate brown hair fell pin-straight to her shoulders and was topped with a fur-lined trapper hat. Her cherubic face was made up with dark make-up, like most goth girls, and a thick straight-across fringe was swept over her thickly outlined ocean blue eyes.

"How long are you going to keep this thing secret? Don't your friends question your time around her? I know Dim does, but Dim questions Jenna's time around any male that isn't himself," Paige muttered, keeping her voice down so no passers-by could pick up their conversation. Rocco looked straight ahead, but he pondered her words. He'd never kept a secret so big from his friends for so long. And he was surprised Octavian hadn't leaked anything about them either since their last encounter. Either that or he did tell his trio of best friends and they were pretending nothing happened. It was a terrible way to keep a friendship, especially so many so close, but he felt so strongly for Jenna, stronger than he had any other girl, vampire or not. It had only been a month since their expressed their feelings, but Rocco felt as if he'd liked her so much longer. He thought he loved her.

Though, he did think it was too early to be thinking that way, and he wouldn't tell Jenna, at least not yet. She might think he was moving much too quickly in their relationship.

"I don't know," Rocco sighed. "I'll tell them eventually. I'm just sick of their judging and of them trying to get me away from Jenna when all I want is to be closer to her."

"Well, if they can't understand your feelings, especially for someone as different as yourself—or me, for that matter—then maybe they aren't really your friends. A friend would accept and support your decision, whether they understand or not. It doesn't appear that your little posse feels that way," Paige said matter-of-factly.

"They are my friends," Rocco defended. "They understand me more than you know. It's just this one thing—her—that they can't come to accept. I know they want what's best for me, and, to them, Jenna isn't what's best."

"How is she not?" Paige asked incredulously. "Is it because she's not goth? Because that's stupid. Jenna is the smartest girl I've ever met. She's pretty, she's innocent, and she's sweet. Not to mention it was because of her that you are now passing your classes. Honestly, I don't understand how you can still be friends with those people if they don't think Jenna's good for you, because Jenna is the best you can get. And if it has to do with stereotypes, then tell them that I specifically said to jump in a ditch."

Rocco couldn't think of a more ironic statement, considering that sometimes Claude and his crew did jump into ditches … and slept in them too.

"I know it sounds stupid," Rocco agreed, "but I know she's the perfect girl for me, whether she be goth or not. That's all that matters, right?"

Paige sighed and nodded, finally managing a small smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But if you ever do anything to hurt her, watch out. I don't care how big you are and how small I am—I will hunt you down and cause you physical pain."

Rocco arched an eyebrow at her and scoffed. Even if Rocco wasn't half a vampire, he found it hard to believe that Paige's small frame could cause him any physical pain, but he didn't like the idea of any possibility of hurting Jenna in any way.

"Don't worry; even the thought of harming her is painful enough," Rocco muttered.

"Good," Paige said. "Well, I guess I'll see you around. Come back to the Cathedral some time so we can drink your 'special' Bloody Marys. Maybe you could manage to bring Jenna." She laughed, knowing the idea was absurd, as she knew her best friend wouldn't dare take one step into the ancient church building.

Paige turned and left and Rocco watched her disappear into the sea of heavily cloaked, traversing students. It had been ages since he'd visited the Cathedral, but that was because he spent all of his spare time with Jenna and making sure Octavian wasn't around. Would it be a good idea to visit the hipster club once again? Did he need a break from guarding Jenna? If only he knew if Octavian was going to be there too, he'd feel a lot better. He didn't want to leave Jenna alone at her house with Octavian's prying eyes. For all Rocco knew, if he were to take a night off, it could be the night Octavian launched his attack. That was what Rocco was afraid of.

What if Rocco did bring Jenna with him to the Cathedral? She'd be terrified of the club, but they wouldn't have to stay for long. He just needed to get her away from her house. Octavian wouldn't know what they'd planned because he'd still be sleeping.

He searched the crowds for Paige and pushed past them. If Jenna was going to go to the Cathedral, then she'd definitely need a new wardrobe for the time being.

"The Cathedral? That goth club you're always going to?" Jenna asked Paige during lunchtime. Rocco had suggested the idea when they'd arrived at their table and, as predicted, Jenna didn't look too keen on the idea. Her bright smile had dropped when he'd offered to bring her to the club tonight.

"It's not just for goths," Paige defended. "I mean, hippies and punk rockers go too."

"Isn't that place supposed to be filled with vampires or ghosts or something?" Dimitri piped, waving one half of his sub around while he spoke before taking a bite out of it. Rocco rolled his eyes.

"Don't be stupid," he snapped. Dimitri glared at him.

"Anyway!" Paige exclaimed before the boys could break out into argument. "Don't you think you should get out more, Jen? I mean, it's always great to try something new."

Jenna shyly looked down at the table, her lunch tray in front of her consisting of a healthy salad and bottled juice. Everybody knew that Jenna need to eat healthy foods to keep her figure slim; the girls across campus were immensely jealous of her fast metabolism and ability to eat whatever she wanted without gaining pounds.

"I-I don't know … It's not my kind of place," Jenna murmured.

"That's for sure," Dimitri remarked, earning foul glares from Paige now. "Jenny, if you don't want to go, you don't have to."

Rocco sighed. "He's right," he said reluctantly. "But—" He leaned down into her and whispered in her ear, which bought a puzzled and outraged expression from Dimitri. "—you've shared so much with me. I'd love to share something with you."

Jenna's fair cheeks blushed feverishly as she bit down on her bottom lip, suppressing the excited smile that Rocco always brought to her when he decreased the proximity between them. It was times like this that he really wished he didn't care what others thought. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her passionately and nuzzle his nose against her dainty one.

But he didn't, and before he could draw any more attention, he withdrew from her and slumped in his chair, stabbing a piece of raw meat he brought from home with his fork and sticking it in his mouth.

"Well … I guess it could be an interesting experience to go to the club," Jenna started slowly. Paige grinned from ear to ear, and Rocco arched an eyebrow while producing a smirk. Dimitri widened his eyes in fear.

"Are you kidding, Jen? Do you even know what you're saying? That place isn't for girls like you," he said. "I won't let you go."

"I'm sorry, but since when did you become her father?" snapped Paige before Jenna could say anything. Rocco rolled his eyes again.

"Jenna will be fine. As long as I'm around, nothing is going to jump out and get her, like those vampires or ghosts you were talking about," snickered Rocco. Paige scoffed and shook her head. Jenna smiled shyly at him and secretly rested a hand on his thigh. Rocco felt his face heat and his heart pounded in his throat. That did it for him. He was ready to pounce on her and liplock until the end of days.

"You could come too, if you're so worried about Jenna," Paige offered. "I mean, I don't know what you're worried about; I know she's dainty and everything, but you act as if she's going to pass out on the spot the moment we arrive at the club."

"Well she might," Dimitri muttered under his breath. "You don't know her like I do."

"Dimmie," Jenna said gently. Dimitri's narrowed eyes glanced over Jenna's way, and Rocco noticed them shift attitude. His face had relaxed and he almost wanted to smile at her. "I'm not a little girl. I can take care of myself. I understand you want what's best for me"—she looked up at Rocco briefly—"but Paige is right; you're not my father and I know what decisions to make for myself. Sometimes you get a little too overprotective. It needs to stop."

Dimitri stared at her for a long time in silence. He was at a loss for words, and he appeared to have been slapped in the face by her. His eyes were wide and his lips were pursed shut. Rocco and Paige exchanged curious looks, before glancing back at Jenna, and then Dimitri again.

Finally, Dimitri sighed heavily and he shut his eyes. He placed his face in his hand briefly and when he withdrew it, his eyes were open again.

"Well, fine. Do what you want," he said stubbornly. Jenna's lips turned into a frown based on his attitude. Dimitri narrowed his eyes at Rocco's direction. "But I'm going with you guys."

Rocco scoffed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, whatever," he said with a shrug.

"And," Dimitri continued, still looking at Rocco as if it were he who had accused him of this, "I am not overprotective."