Josephine turned up her bass. The room was dark again after their performance and now she was getting ready for their last one of the night. The club was filled with so many different people. But the punks stayed around. And so did Serena, Stanton, Michael, Vanessa, Catty, Derek, Tianna, Jimena, and Collin. All night Josephine had been playing their own songs but she usually finished the night up with an unoriginal. The bar was filled with a haze from the smokers' lit cigarettes. Everyone stared intently at her as everyone on stage got ready.But the guys were staring at her for the way she was dressed.
She wore a black corset top with devil-red lace lining the bra area and the straps. Her black dress pants reached all the way down to the floor if it weren't for her thigh-high, high-heeled leather boots that she was wearing. Josephine looked at the drummer (which was Michele) and nodded. Everyone else on stage got the signal and everyone immediately began to play. It was time to play something that reminded Josephine of her pain with the Atrox. It was Linkin Park's 'Breaking the Habit'.
Memories consumeLike opening the wound
I'm picking me apart again
You all assume
I'm safe here in my room
Unless I try to start again
I don't want to be the one
The battles always choose
'Cause inside I realize
That I'm the one confused
Stanton listened intently to the lyrics of the song. He had heard the song before and loved it. But they had a different meaning as they were screamed into the microphone by Josephine. Wow, he thought, it must've been hard for her. And it was all my fault. "What are you talking about?" Serena's voice interrupted his thoughts. And as he looked down, he realized. She could hear his thoughts. "Er, nothing. Just thinking out loud." He looked back towards the stage. He knew Serena was staring at him. And he could feel her trying to pry into his mind. But he kept a steady wall.
I don't know what's worth fighting forOr why I have to scream
I don't know why I instigate
And say what I don't mean
I don't know how I got this way
I know it's not alright
So I'm breaking the habit
Tonight
It was hard for Josephine. She had sung this before at home when she was by herself or in the car. But now, singing it in front of the very man that caused it, she was flooded with emotion. Trying to steady her voice, Josephine began the second verse.
Clutching my cureI tightly lock the door
I try to catch my breath again
I hurt much more
Than anytime before
I had no options left again
I don't want to be the one
The battles always choose
'Cause inside I realize
That I'm the one confused
I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
I don't know why I instigate
And say what I don't mean
I don't know how I got this way
I know it's not alright
So I'm breaking the habit
Tonight
Josephine's voiced cracked slightly. It was no longer steady. But with all her might, she failed. Just like she failed to see the deception in Stanton's eyes that 'magical' night. Her emotions burst through like the Hoover Dam breaking. She had had enough. But she would not get physical.
I'll paint it on the walls'Cause I'm the one at fault
I'll never fight again
And this is how it ends
I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
But now I have some clarity
To show you whaat I mean
I don't know how I got this way
I know it's not alright
So I'm breaking the habit
Tonight
The song ended and thankfully the lights dimmed till it was complete darkness. Josephine unplugged her guitar sharply and walked off the stage briskly. She leaned against the stone wall that connected the stage with the club. Sliding onto the ground, she began to cry. She heard footsteps and Michele appeared before her, crouching so they were eye-to-eye. "You should have never played that," he said, taking her guitar from around her neck and leaning it against the wall. It was silent except for Josephine's cries. Then Michele spoke. "Do you regret us, Maman?" he said. Josephine stopped crying and looked at her son. Then suddenly he looked as if he were five years old again. He had asked the same question then. When he first asked her, it felt as if someone reached into her chest and ripped out her heart. That someone being Stanton. "No, no. Of course not," Josephine said, the tears coming back. She took Michele in her arms. He began to cry also.
The DJ had come back and began playing some other rock music. He looked around and saw the girls' dismal looks. Except for Vanessa. She sang in Michael's band so she was used to rock and enjoyed it. But the others went to clubs with heavy techno beats. Stanton only went to Planet Bang for Serena. Before her, he went to heavy rock clubs, staying out all night, leaving with a girl he hardly knew almost every night. But then again, he never slept with them. He crossed them over to the Atrox. He didn't have time for such follies. 'But Josephine was an exception,' said a voice in his mind. Stanton looked at Serena. She was talking to Catty and Tianna. It couldn't have been her. Stanton looked around. 'You'll never find me,' said the voice again. It was the voice of a man. But that would mean he was part of the Atrox if he could talk telepathically. But someone had to be powerful to break into Stanton's mind. And only the Atrox himself could do that. He was caught totally off guard. 'We'll meet eventually,' said the voice. And Stanton felt it leave his mind. "Are you okay, Stanton?" Michael asked. He looked at Michael. "Yeah. I'll be right back."
Josephine was leaning over the sink of the unisex bathroom. She was reapplying her eyeliner and mascara. As she started to put eyeliner on her left eye, the bathroom door opened. Now she would have greeted anybody who walked in but this person was an exception. She stared at the person using the mirror, still in the position of putting her eyeliner on. Stanton looked at Josephine, her eyes unwavering. She looked good from behind, her skin showing a little where her corset finished and her pants began. And her hair fell over her shoulders like cascading water. Her face looked the way it did when she was seventeen, the age she joined the Atrox. But it also dared him to say something. "Didn't know you were in here," Stanton said. "Wouldn't expect you to," Josephine said and continued with her make-up. Stanton stood at the door for a few seconds. "Don't let me stop you from taking a piss," Josephine said as she put her eyeliner away and took out her lipstick. As she turned the dial, he saw what the color was. Devil-red.
Josephine smirked to herself as she saw Stanton strangely rush to a stall. She heard him take a piss while she applied her lipstick. And as she was putting all her make-up away, he came out, the toliet flushing loudly. "I'm surprised you didn't jack off," she said, fixing her hair in the mirror. "Why would I do that?" Stanton asked, washing his hands. His hand came in contact with Josephine's left breast. His face flushed slightly. "I know what you are thinking," she said quietly. So she had been reading his thoughts. "How do I know it was not you who was thinking that way?" Stanton asked, trying to rebut the statement. He hadn't noticed his hand was still on her breast. "Go on," she said smirking. Stanton pinned Josephine against the wall. His arms were on either side of her as he breathed in her sweet, natural scent. "Luckily, you are not wearing perfume," Stanton said in her ear. "Why?" Josephine asked smirking. "So Serena wouldn't be able to smell you on me." he began to kiss her neck roughly. "Well it seems you have missed me for quite some time," Josephine said as she ran her hands through his hair. Stanton answered with pressing his body against her, causing her to wrap her legs around him. "I need to remember what happened that night," he said evilly. "I don't need to see, I need to feel." He gave Josephine one hump, sending her head back and sighing. It was a tempting offer and Josephine was glad to take it but there was a feeling in the air. And it was approaching fast. "Serena's coming," Josephine said. Stanton let her down and she ran to the nearest stall. He slapped her ass as she passed him.
Carefully, Josephine balanced herself on the toliet seat. As she did so, the bathroom door opened and she heard Serena's shoes clack against the tile floor. "I was looking for you," she said. Josephine watched Serena's shadow go over to Stanton's. "I was just in the bathroom. Nothing to worry about," he said sweetly as if his passionate 'conversation' with Josephine didn't happen. Josephine saw Serena's shadow lean against Stanton's. They kissed. "I'll be out in a minute," he said and Serena walked out of the bathroom. Josephine felt her presence walk down the hall and back into the throng of people. She came down from the toliet seat and walked out. Stanton leaned against the graffitied tile-wall. Walking over to him, she was immediately pressed against him. "I'll come later tonight," Stanton said, running his hand down her thigh.
Josephine came out of the bathroom, wearing only a towel. Her hair was dripping wet along with the rest of her body. She walked to the side of her bed and opened the curtains. It was a full moon tonight, the Daughters were at their peak. Luckily Serena didn't catch Josephine in the bathroom. Even though Serena might not know a single fact about Stanton and Josephine, Josephine thought that she knew Josephine was part of the Atrox. If not, well that was all good for Josephine. Josephine removed her towel, still facing the window. "You were one to advance quickly," said a gentle voice behind her. Thinking it was Michele, she quickly covered herself again. "Who is this...Michele?" Stanton asked as he came out of a dark corner. Josephine sighed. "You'll find out later," she replied, looking back outside the window. The next thing she knew, Stanton took off the towel and started to carress her body. "And I'm the one who advances quickly?" she asked smirking. Stanton laid her on the bed and sat upon her. "We haven't done this in more than five hundred years," he said. "Let's skip foreplay." Josephine started to remove his clothing.
