Chapter 21:

-

Wayne yawned widely in fatigue at the day's events, as he walked with Glenn down the hall. Glenn seemed equally tired, about ready to collapse and barely having energy enough to make it back to his room. P.E. with Mr. Horn had been murder today. Glenn was not really much of an athlete, and P.E. had always exploited this to the fullest.

"How's the knock-up?" Wayne asked as he stretched out his arms. Glenn frowned at his friend's choice of words.

"Her name happens to be Rosie, and her and the baby are doing better than you."

"Everybody's doing better than me," Wayne agreed. "I haven't had me a good make-out session in days. This James thing is causing my edge to grow dull."

"You're just afraid of competition," Glenn shot back.

Wayne passed by the school's bulletin board as they turned a corner. He stopped to give the sign-up sheets a glance over.

"Speaking of competition…" Wayne added on. "What do you think of joining something to get out of P.E.?"

Glenn looked the board over too.

"Football isn't really for me," Glenn stated.

"Well, swimming is too wet for me," Wayne put in. "How about soccer?"

"That's Roth's sport," Glenn reminded him. "You'll have to compete against his school."

Wayne's eyes lit up with a renewed excitement.

"Really, now?"

"Wayne…" Glenn sighed with frustration. "Why do you always go looking for trouble?"

"Hey," Wayne argued. "Trouble is attracted to me like the ladies, my friend. I don't look for it, it just comes to--"

Wayne stopped talking abruptly when he looked down the dorm hall. Glenn followed his gaze. Desiree was waiting by Wayne's door, wearing only a very short baby blue bathrobe. Her hand was on her hip, and she was looking hungrily toward Wayne, whose mouth had suddenly gone dry.

"I see what you mean," Glenn said with wide eyes. "Trouble, and ladies, just comes to you."

Wayne then cursed and looked for the nearest fire exit. That's when Desiree waved over for him to come.

"Wayne, honey!" she called. "I've been waiting for you for ages. Where have you been?"

"God, she's at it again," Wayne hissed, grabbing his friend by the collar. "I need help, Glenn! I need to be celibate! I gotta prove my fidelity to Bee. Help me!"

"So walk away," Glenn shrugged. "It's not hard. You just use your feet."

"Have you seen her?" Wayne insisted. "I mean, her name says it all: Desiree is just 'desire' with a little 'yay!' at the end." He shook Glenn some in his fervor. "For God's sake, I'm WEAK, Glenn!"

"If you want to prove your faithfulness," Glenn said, prying Wayne's hands off him. "Then prove it. You shouldn't need my help."

Wayne watched Glenn walk away as if his friend was leaving him to die.

"Oh, Wayne, honey!" Desiree called again. "I need you to help me with something…"

Wayne looked back to the ill-fated hallway, and that infamous woman that would surely bring about the end of him.

Just walk away, he repeated Glenn's words in his mind. He had to remember Beatrice.

Desiree began to walk toward Wayne with foul intentions. Wayne frowned, concentrating hard on getting his feet to move. They were not listening. Why wouldn't they listen? Because the temptation was too much. This beautiful woman, barely clothed, walking with such a promise in her eyes…

Suddenly, Glenn's hand reached for his sleeve and yanked him out of the hall, saying:

"Oh, com'on!"

-

Joe led the other boys through the field to the house in the distance… their larger meeting place, only reserved for the biggest of issues or the specialist of occasions… like Ascensions. He hadn't spoke throughout the entire trek through the field, and the boys didn't force him, probably figuring that he was fighting nerves.

Oh, Joe was nervous, but not for the Ascension to come upon him in the next twenty minutes. He was nervous for the question he was going to present to his father tonight. For his blessing upon his marriage to the greatest beacon of light his life had ever known. He couldn't wait until this was all over and done with, so he could rush into her waiting arms in their secret sanctum in the woods. The second the ceremony was over he was going to go to her, and not leave her until the morning demanded it.

Joe entered bravely, his head held high and proud to his disrespecting father. As was custom, he stood in the center of the room, upon a circular stone table, waiting for the Ascension to come. His legs were spread, his arms interlaced behind his back. The other elders recited some meaningless rants from the Book of Damnation, as also was tradition. All Covenant and Concordat members were present, as was some few family.

A few more minutes, and it would all be done. It wasn't long before his real birthday celebration would begin.

"Look at him," Damien hissed to Sean. "It's like he thinks he so above us just because he's gets to Ascend first."

Joe couldn't wait any longer. He ignored Damien's comments, and spoke up for himself.

"Father," he interrupted the reciting of the Book to speak his peace. "I have to ask something of you."

"Not now, Joseph," his father snapped. "You know better."

"It can't wait…!" Joe insisted boldly.

"Hold it," his father motioned to the other Elders. "What is it?"

"I wish to ask for a certain woman's hand tonight. I know according to tradition that I must have your blessing, so I am asking for it."

"Wow," Damien piped up. "You want to marry the whore, huh?"

Glenn gasped so abruptly he began to choke, while James's eyes grew wide and Wayne frowned in displeasure. Joe shot Damien a death glare so hot that could have melted a glacier.

"What's this?" Joe's father sat up straighter in his stone seat. "A whore? Explain, Joseph! Is he speaking the truth?"

"She's…" Joe turned his head in angry shame. "It is only half the truth."

"My son is ten minutes away from his Ascension," his father boomed. "And he dares ask me for the hand of a harlot?!"

The other elders frowned in disapproval.

"Father--" Joe protested.

"Never!" he went on. "Never will I approve of such indecency. Surely someday you will get over this madness and find someone more suitable."

Joe ground his teeth, knowing better than to argue further though it pained him to hold back from shouting in rage. Damien raised his hand.

"Can I say something?" he asked without waiting to be called on.

"You've said enough," Joe growled through his teeth.

Damien spoke anyway.

"I know of a woman who is madly in love with Joe."

Every member of the current Covenant exchanged glances with one another, then shot looks of warning to Damien, as if to command: "Don't you dare say it…"

"This beautiful, perfectly nice woman could expose the Covenant if she wished… but is willing to keep her mouth shut for a certain price of which you can surely guess."

Damien cast his rotten gaze to Joe, grinning like a madman.

"She is a dear friend of mine, by the name of Meredith Slater. I'm quite sure Joe and her will be very happy together… She was hoping to be married to him by the end of the month, as a matter of fact."

"What are you, her lawyer?" Wayne sneered.

Joe's father didn't take long to consider this, writing it all down on a piece of parchment to seal the fact.

"So ordered."

"NO!" James shouted, but Joe raised a hand to calm his friend. The clouds began to gather and thunder upon the imminent Ascension, making their cavern shake in response.

James glared daggers at Damien, but the hated boy just smiled back as if to say: "I win!" Glenn put his hand on James shoulder before he could do something rash.

"There's nothing we can do," Glenn said to James, trying to be reasonable though it boiled him inside too. "Let it go."

James looked at Joe, who was standing on his pedestal with his eyes to the floor, his shoulders scrunched to his neck, his fists tightly clenched. Something quieted inside James at this sight… because something told him Joe would handle this himself this time.

"Father…" Joe breathed through a tense jaw. "For once in my life… allow me happiness… just once…"

"This woman you seek… she has been tainted, and we cannot be positive she can keep the bloodline pure."

Joe, for the first time in his life, had reached the boiling point beyond his capability to contain, and he shouted very suddenly in an outburst of rage:

"BULLSHIT!"

His fellow Covenant members were frozen with shock, for Joe ever losing his nerve, especially to an Elder, was unheard of. His father did not appreciate such an outburst, but held his tongue for a moment, as Joe lifted into the air. His time of Ascension had come at last. Lightning entered the cavern, focusing on the pedestal. Joe screamed in pain, his eyes clenched closed.

"Joseph Garwin," his father growled over the noise of the lightning. "You will obey me, because you chose to save your place in this sanctuary. You gave away your right to have what you want."

"NOO!" Joe shouted through his pain.

"You do not deserve happiness anyway!" his father shouted, rising to his feet. The other Elders tried to calm him without success. "Go against my command again, I will banish you from this town, this entire state, and make you leave everything you know! If you show yourself unable to keep yourself from distraction, I will dispose of that distraction. I forbid you to ever see this harlot again."

Joe dropped to the ground on his knees, his head hanging in defeat. His time of protest was over. He knew this was a battle he could not dream of winning. His anger was still present, though not entirely evident to anyone but those who knew him well. He breathed heavily through his exertions, speaking calmly and slowly once more.

"I will do as you will, my elder," he panted. "For that is all you have become to me. You disown me as your son, I disown you as my father."

He rose to his feet, and looked to his Covenant brothers. Each one stared back at him with enormous pity in their eyes.

"Let's go home."

"But what about--" James began, wondering if Joe had forgotten his big night with Delilah.

Joe looked at James with anger, and James shut his mouth quickly in understanding. There wasn't going to be any night with Delilah. Not tonight. Not ever.

-

Delilah glanced at her watch for the thousandth time. She straightened the crumpled corner of the blanket. She glanced around the woods for any sign of him. She smoothed out her satin dress, and rubbed her arm for warmth in the cold breeze. Then she glanced at her watch again. Where was he?

-

Please review.
Signed,
--RedRogue