Chapter 22 (A/N: DAMN! It took SO long to do this!)
As Stanton walked through Planet Bang, he grinned at the party jumping around him. The day off did him a world of good. He had woken up at noon, a real sleep in. He first spent some time around the city, almost going into Tattoo You to get one of his ears pierced. But he decided to consult Serena first. Then at the mall, he had bought a one-pearl choker for her to make up for his recent neglect. And he recruited two kids afterwards.
Completely content, he searched for Serena, not noticing the new band on the stage. When he found her, she didn't look happy. She was waving her hand in front of her brothers dreamy face. When he went to see what was happening, she turned to him immediately. "Thank god you're here!" His brows pinched. "What?" She showed him the row of guys that were staring dreamily at the stage. Even Chris was staring.
"What happened to them?" She shrugged. "They've been like that since the new band set up. Don't!" She grabbed his face as he tried to look at the stage. "I don't want it to happen to you too!" He nodded. "Can you at least describe it for me?" The other girls finally noticed him. "That girl you picked up yesterday is in the middle, with Yvonne and Cassandra on either side, dancing like strippers." Vanessa said.
"And she seems to be okay now!" Tianna said, indicating the white bandage on her head. "Are you?" Stanton asked. "Yeah. But if she was searching for someone then why is she trying to steal all our boys?" She said angrily. Catty turned to him, " She's caught Michael, Collin, Derek, even Chris!" Unable to resist any longer, Stanton turned to the stage. Immediately, he was entranced by what he saw.
"Oh great! She got him too!" Jimena said, frustratingly throwing up her hands. Stanton didn't hear her, or feel Serena shake him to death. The girl in the middle was wearing a white tee, and a long black skirt with a slit up the side. She was moving sinuously, and incredibly slowly. Yvonne and Cassandra were following her moves.
The familiarity returned with such force, that he almost collapsed. But Serena caught him, and with the help of the others, steadied him. When he was standing again, a vision hit him strongly. This time, he landed on the floor. But he had no idea of what was happening around him. The vision took hold of him.
The same sight he saw in the morning, but this time, the little girl said something. "I wuv you." Having a strange idea one what was going to happen next, Stanton tried to bite his lips to keep the words out, but they escaped. "I love you too." His eyes widened at the power he had put into those words. Was this what the Atrox had been keeping form him? Who was this girl he claimed to love? The one on stage?
She wasn't on stage anymore, as they jumped off, and strutted through the audience, in complete synchronization, even though they weren't performing anymore. When Stanton finally managed to get on his feet again, the first thing he saw, were the lovely, sea colored eyes. Serena asked him if he was ok, and the only thing that he could manage was nodding it off.
"I can't believe how many stares we got." Cassandra said. "I can, do you realize how hot we were looking up there?" Yvonne bragged. "You know, I actually watched how many were staring at us, at there were like, twenty!" The girl said. Her voice was like that of a siren. Stanton stared at her laughing face.
She was close, and the world stopped. She saw him, and she seemed to be lost in a trance. Cassandra and Yvonne tried to find the source of her stares. When they saw Stanton, they smiled brightly, and dragged the dazed girl to them. "Hey everyone!" Yvonne said cheerfully. "What are you talking about? You guys stoned our guys!" Jimena said, pointing at her boyfriend who was staring dumbfounded at the stranger.
"Why is everyone all of a sudden lost?" Catty questioned. "Sorry about that." Cassandra snapped her fingers. "Rachel, Rachel! Say something to him! He might remember you." Stanton raised an eyebrow. "Would you be meaning me?" Cassandra grinned. "Come on!" Finally, Rachel came to.
She was letting out rapid breathes, and tears were swelling mightily in her eyes. "Oh my god." Stanton looked at her. "Do I know you?" She shook her head. "I deserve that. Oh god. I've missed you." His brows pinched. "I don't know anyone named Rachel." She raised a brow. "I knew this would happen, but no. I had to go and remove your damn memories." She shook her head at herself.
When she looked at him again, the familiarity came to him even more stronger. And his head began to pain. Serena held his arm when he clasped his head. Rachel walked up to him. "Stanton." She whispered. Before Stanton could do anything, he fainted away. However, before he fell completely into darkness, he heard the words come out of Rachel's mouth. "We loved each other more than anyone."
As Stanton walked through Planet Bang, he grinned at the party jumping around him. The day off did him a world of good. He had woken up at noon, a real sleep in. He first spent some time around the city, almost going into Tattoo You to get one of his ears pierced. But he decided to consult Serena first. Then at the mall, he had bought a one-pearl choker for her to make up for his recent neglect. And he recruited two kids afterwards.
Completely content, he searched for Serena, not noticing the new band on the stage. When he found her, she didn't look happy. She was waving her hand in front of her brothers dreamy face. When he went to see what was happening, she turned to him immediately. "Thank god you're here!" His brows pinched. "What?" She showed him the row of guys that were staring dreamily at the stage. Even Chris was staring.
"What happened to them?" She shrugged. "They've been like that since the new band set up. Don't!" She grabbed his face as he tried to look at the stage. "I don't want it to happen to you too!" He nodded. "Can you at least describe it for me?" The other girls finally noticed him. "That girl you picked up yesterday is in the middle, with Yvonne and Cassandra on either side, dancing like strippers." Vanessa said.
"And she seems to be okay now!" Tianna said, indicating the white bandage on her head. "Are you?" Stanton asked. "Yeah. But if she was searching for someone then why is she trying to steal all our boys?" She said angrily. Catty turned to him, " She's caught Michael, Collin, Derek, even Chris!" Unable to resist any longer, Stanton turned to the stage. Immediately, he was entranced by what he saw.
"Oh great! She got him too!" Jimena said, frustratingly throwing up her hands. Stanton didn't hear her, or feel Serena shake him to death. The girl in the middle was wearing a white tee, and a long black skirt with a slit up the side. She was moving sinuously, and incredibly slowly. Yvonne and Cassandra were following her moves.
The familiarity returned with such force, that he almost collapsed. But Serena caught him, and with the help of the others, steadied him. When he was standing again, a vision hit him strongly. This time, he landed on the floor. But he had no idea of what was happening around him. The vision took hold of him.
The same sight he saw in the morning, but this time, the little girl said something. "I wuv you." Having a strange idea one what was going to happen next, Stanton tried to bite his lips to keep the words out, but they escaped. "I love you too." His eyes widened at the power he had put into those words. Was this what the Atrox had been keeping form him? Who was this girl he claimed to love? The one on stage?
She wasn't on stage anymore, as they jumped off, and strutted through the audience, in complete synchronization, even though they weren't performing anymore. When Stanton finally managed to get on his feet again, the first thing he saw, were the lovely, sea colored eyes. Serena asked him if he was ok, and the only thing that he could manage was nodding it off.
"I can't believe how many stares we got." Cassandra said. "I can, do you realize how hot we were looking up there?" Yvonne bragged. "You know, I actually watched how many were staring at us, at there were like, twenty!" The girl said. Her voice was like that of a siren. Stanton stared at her laughing face.
She was close, and the world stopped. She saw him, and she seemed to be lost in a trance. Cassandra and Yvonne tried to find the source of her stares. When they saw Stanton, they smiled brightly, and dragged the dazed girl to them. "Hey everyone!" Yvonne said cheerfully. "What are you talking about? You guys stoned our guys!" Jimena said, pointing at her boyfriend who was staring dumbfounded at the stranger.
"Why is everyone all of a sudden lost?" Catty questioned. "Sorry about that." Cassandra snapped her fingers. "Rachel, Rachel! Say something to him! He might remember you." Stanton raised an eyebrow. "Would you be meaning me?" Cassandra grinned. "Come on!" Finally, Rachel came to.
She was letting out rapid breathes, and tears were swelling mightily in her eyes. "Oh my god." Stanton looked at her. "Do I know you?" She shook her head. "I deserve that. Oh god. I've missed you." His brows pinched. "I don't know anyone named Rachel." She raised a brow. "I knew this would happen, but no. I had to go and remove your damn memories." She shook her head at herself.
When she looked at him again, the familiarity came to him even more stronger. And his head began to pain. Serena held his arm when he clasped his head. Rachel walked up to him. "Stanton." She whispered. Before Stanton could do anything, he fainted away. However, before he fell completely into darkness, he heard the words come out of Rachel's mouth. "We loved each other more than anyone."