Chosen Chapter 6: The Gemini Factor

Part 4

Xxx

A little over eight, as it started getting dark outside, Violet rushed to the coffee bar she was supposed to meet Arthur at. She hated being late and it was her own fault, as she had spent way too much time in front of the mirror. Usually she did not care about her looks that much, but this date was special. She liked Arthur a lot and she wanted it to go perfectly. When she arrived at the bar, she stepped through the door and looked around. She noticed Arthur sitting in a booth in the back of the bar, near the window. He looked really handsome, with a clean shaved face and a black button down shirt with a grey tie. He really seemed to like ties for some reason. She quickly walked over and sat down.

"I am so sorry I am late." Violet quickly said.

"No worries, it's only been a few minutes." Arthur said.

"Still, I feel bad for making you wait." Violet said as she took off her coat.

"You look really nice." Arthur said as he looked at her clothes, a blue top and plaid skirt.

"Thanks, you do as well." Violet said a little flushed.

A waiter came over and Arthur ordered a coffee while Violet ordered tea. She felt a little nervous, but there was also something really relaxing about Arthur and she felt comfortable with him. Probably the result of surviving on a battle zone island together.

"So how did you end up at Magic School?" Violet asked.

"Well, I was always fascinated by history." Arthur explained. "After discovering my powers, I traveled the world a lot, which eventually led me to the school. So I applied and was hired, even though I did not even had an official degree."

"So they must have seen something special in you." Violet replied smiling.

"I guess." Arthur said.

"You said when you discovered your powers, were you not born with them?" Violet asked.

"Not really, I was unaware of the fact that I was a half-wizard when I was a kid." Arthur said. "I did not find out until my powers manifested as a teenager, after my mother died."

"I am sorry." Violet quickly said.

"It's okay, she was really sick. I think death was a relief for her in the end." Arthur admitted with a saddened look. "It was one of the reasons I decided to travel, to get away."

"I understand." Violet said. "What about your father?"

"Other than the fact that he was a Wizard, I don't know anything about him." Arthur said. "My mother did not talk about him, or perhaps she couldn't. I never bothered to ask."

"I know what you mean." Violet said. "My adoptive parents were so great, that I never felt like I needed to ask about my birth parents."

"So you don't know anything about them?" Arthur asked.

"No, well I think at least one of them has to be a witch, but other than that, no." Violet told him. "And I have parents that I really love, although I don't really see them that often anymore. They don't know anything about magic and I don't want to confront them with it. I mean, look at what happened to Billie's parents."

"So you're shutting them out to keep them safe?" Arthur asked.

"Not shutting them out." Violet said. "I just call and email instead of coming over. I try to speak to them once a week at least. They understand me wanting to build my own life."

"I get it." Arthur said. "Sometimes I wish I still had my parents, even though I am an adult. I wonder about my father sometimes."

"Do you think that has anything to do with your research?" Violet asked curiously.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked with a frown.

"Well, you said you suspect wizards built all those ancient cities, even though you admitted it was a stretch." Violet reasoned. "Do you think that is because part of you hopes to learn more about them, like your father?"

Arthur remained silent for a while and took a sip of coffee the waiter just delivered. He seemed to ponder her theory. "I never thought about it like that." Arthur eventually admitted. "Perhaps you're right. My research has always been focused on Wizards. I believed it was because they were so mysterious, but perhaps it's more personal after all."

"There is nothing wrong with that." Violet said. "It is perfectly normal to want to know where you come from."

"You don't seem to want that." Arthur replied.

"I never said I never thought about it." Violet admitted. "I have thought about it, but I always had my parents to fall back on, you didn't."

"I guess you're right." Arthur said and he took hold of her hand over the table. "You're pretty impressive. Did you learn all of that in psychology class?"

"I don't know, maybe." Violet said a little embarrassed. She enjoyed holding his hand and did not want him to let go. She quickly took a sip of tea.

"I can't believe I am telling you all of this so soon." Arthur said with an awkward smile. "I mean, this is our first date. We should be taking about more fun stuff. Like what kind of music we like and other silly stuff."

"I don't mind." Violet replied. "I want to get to know you."

"I want to get to know you too." Arthur said. "And I feel like I already do."

"I know what you mean." Violet said. "I think it's the time on the island, and of course the fact that we're both magical."

"You mean we're really similar?" Arthur asked.

"I guess in a sense we are." Violet replied. "But in other things we're really different as well. I could never do what you do, stand in front a class of students. I'd get way too nervous."

"It's not so bad once you get used to it." Arthur replied.

"But you seem to have that sort of confidence." Violet said. "I don't, I mean I was already freaking out over asking you out."

"Am I that scary?" Arthur asked with a smile.

"No that's not…" Violet mumbled quickly. "I mean, you know what I mean. I just get really nervous and then I don't what to say, and then I start rambling and…"

Arthur squeezed her hand a little and she stopped talking. He had this unusual way to make her feel calm, even when he was the one making her nervous. It was just like how she helped him control her power over time. She took a deep breath and sighed.

"I feel like I am talking way too much." Violet admitted.

"I don't mind." Arthur replied with a smile. "But if you want, we could go watch a movie or something, to ease the pressure."

"I would like that." Violet said, thinking she could use the time to regain herself and stop her from making a fool out of herself.

"Okay. I'll go pay for our drinks." Arthur said. "Meet you at the door?"

"Sure." Violet replied.

As Arthur grabbed his coat and walked over to the bar, Violet quickly grabbed her phone and texted Billie about what had happened and what she should do. Her reply was short and simple, but that didn't make it any easier. "Relax, sweetie, he likes you. Just have fun and stop doubting yourself. Xoxo." Violet smiled as she put on her own coat and headed to the door. She was met by Arthur, who gracefully opened the door for her. Just have fun, she repeated to herself.

Xxx

Shortly before the band was supposed to perform, Billie arrived at P3 in a cab. She was dressed to impress, with her high heels, cute leather shorts and bright blue top. It was the perfect blend of being sexy without being too sexy or being trashy. A huge crowd had gathered in front of the club. Luckily, she had called Piper and managed to get on the list, so she could avoid the endless line. She figured Nick would already be inside, as she was running a little late.

As she walked toward the entrance, Billie got a text from Violet and quickly sent one back for good luck. She then spotted Duncan standing among the crowd and worked her way up to him. With his grey jacket and dark shirt and jeans, he looked good. When he noticed her, he waved her over.

"Hey, you look great." Duncan said.

"Thanks." Billie remarked with a smile. "Sometimes a girl just wants to feel pretty."

"If you say so. Not really my area of experience." Duncan remarked. "So did you manage to convince Taylor to come?"

"I hope so." Billie said as she looked around.

At that moment, Taylor emerged from the crowd, dressed in a perfect little black dress with a jacket over it, classy and casual at the same time. Billie greeted her with a hug.

"I am so glad you decided to come." Billie said. "This is Duncan, a friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you." Taylor said as they shook hands.

"You too." Duncan replied. "Want to head inside? I think the band is about to start playing."

Billie nodded and they soon made their way through the line. The bouncer initially refused them, but when Billie passed on her name, they were let in. She loved having connections. Once inside, she saw the place was packed. Loud music was playing and the stage was still empty, meaning the band had not started yet. She instantly started looking around if she could spot Nick. He was not the primary reason she was there, but she still hoped to see him. However, if not, she would just spent the evening with her friends.

"I'll get us some drinks." Duncan said and he quickly made his way to the bar.

"Taylor, I am really happy you're here." Billie said loudly as she leaned in to her friend due to the loud music. "I know I haven't been the best of friends."

"Billie, it's okay." Taylor replied. "Let's just have fun and forget about it for tonight. We can talk another time, I'm sure we can work it out."

"Sure." Billie replied.

"So where is this mystery guy of yours?" Taylor asked.

At that exact moment, Billie heard someone call her name from the crowd. She turned and saw Nick heading their way. He looked really hot, with his hair styled neatly and with a button-down grey shirt and dark jeans. However, she was shocked to suddenly see a clone of his standing next to him. The clone had more spiked hair and was dressed in a black deep V-neck shirt and jeans. Both were holding a beer in their hand and were almost identical.

"Wow, you weren't kidding about the brother thing." Taylor remarked.

"Actually I was." Billie replied. "I had no idea."

"Hey, you made it." Nick said with a smile as he finally reached them. "This is my brother…"

"Nathan?" another voice added in surprise, and Billie turned around to see it was Duncan holding their drinks. "Hey, what is going on?"

"Duncan, hey." The clone, apparently called Nathan, said quickly. "I told you I had a brother, right? This is Nick."

"You never said anything about a twin." Duncan replied confused.

"And you didn't say anything." Billie said accusingly as she looked at Nick.

"Okay, I'm sorry." Nick quickly said as he raised his hands. "People tend to be a little surprised when two of us show up. We should have been clearer."

"On the other hand, it is always funny to see how people react." Nathan added, causing Duncan to smile a little.

"Okay, this is really weird." Taylor remarked. "I'll take that drink now."

There was some movement around the stage and a moment later it was announced that the band would start playing. The crowd gathered around the stage and Billie and her friends managed to find some great spots at a standing table, not too far the stage. There was a loud cheering when the band arrived on stage and started playing one of their most famous songs.

"I hope we didn't freak you out." Nick said in Billie's ear he leaned toward her.

"No of course not." Billie replied. "Besides, we're here to have fun. Let's go dance. Taylor, come on, let's see if we can get closer to the stage."

"You guys go ahead, I'll watch the table." Duncan said.

As Billie headed forward through the crowd with Nick and Taylor, she noticed Duncan and Nathan staying behind at the table. As they reached the stage, Billie cheered at the band and started to dance as they started playing. She did not want to think about magic or the bank robbery, all she wanted was a nice, normal night out with her friends. She started dancing with Taylor, who was quickly distracted by another cute guy, so she began dancing with Nick instead.

Billie let herself get swept away by the great music and things between her and Nick were getting hotter, with their bodies moving close together. However, when an image of Jake suddenly shot through her head, she backed away. Why did she have to think about him?

"Something wrong?" Nick called out over the music.

"No, it's fine." Billie replied. "It's a little warm. I am going to get a drink."

"Okay, hurry back." Nick said.

Billie forced her way through the dancing crowd and headed back to the table. However, when she got close, she noticed Duncan and Nathan were preoccupied at the table. They were just talking, but Billie could definitely see something going on by the way they looked at each other and how they were subtly touching while talking. Because she did not want to interrupt, she decided to get a new drink at the bar instead.

As she sat down with a drink, Billie grabbed her phone and noticed a few missed calls from agent Murphy as well as a text with picture. She opened it and read it. "Got the footage, need to see this, there are two warlocks." Billie opened the image and saw two figured heading into the bank through the shattered window. She could not see they faces, but they had the same build and height. Two warlocks, with the same build, could it be possible?

As Billie turned around and started heading toward the table, she was intercepted by Nick. "Hey I was just coming to find you." He said.

"You were? Why?" Billie asked as she backed up. Could it be that the twins were the warlocks they were after? Their sudden appearance at school seemed suspicious all of the sudden.

"Just to check on you." Nick replied. "What is wrong?"

"Nothing." Billie quickly said. "Let's head back to the table."

As she started walking past Nick, he suddenly grabbed her arm with an iron-like grip. She tried to shake free, but he was too strong. A smirk appeared on his face as he formed a small Fire Ball in his other hand, as a warning not to make a scene. In the busy crowd, nobody seemed to notice.

"So you're the bank robbers." Billie said softly.

"How did you figure it out?" Nick asked.

"I didn't, you just confirmed it." Billie replied. "Why play these games, what do you want?"

"Just to have a bit of fun." Nick replied. "After all, this is all a game. A test to see how much we would get away with."

"So what happens now?" Billie asked.

"We finish the game." Nick replied. "Catch us if you can."

Nick looked up and Billie followed his gaze. Suddenly she noticed a fire alarm right above them. Before she could make a move, Nick pushed her aside and threw the Fire Ball up in the air. As soon as it hit the alarm, it went off and instantly the crowd started to panic. A second later, the sprinklers went off and everyone was soaked in water. When Billie looked around, she saw Nick had disappeared in the crowd.

Xxx

Duncan smiled as he took a sip of his beer and looked at Nathan. With Billie and the others dancing, they had some time alone and started talking and enjoying the band perform. As Nathan finished telling a story, he placed a hand on his arm and looked at him. There was definitely something between them, but it seemed to be happening too fast. And why did he keep getting the feeling he was missing something?

"So you never mentioned your parents." Duncan noted.

"Yeah, they are not around." Nathan replied as he looked at his beer. "Never been around really, it's always been me and my brother."

"That must have been hard." Duncan said.

"We get by." Nathan replied. "We always supported each other, no matter what. Whatever it takes to survive."

"What do you mean?" Duncan asked confused.

"It's complicated." Nathan said. "I don't really want to talk about it, we came here to have fun, right? So let's go dance or something."

"I'm a horrible dancer." Duncan admitted.

"So am I, who cares?" Nathan replied.

Nathan grabbed his hand and led him to the dance floor. However, he suddenly stopped and turned around with a frown on his face. Duncan wondered what was wrong and wanted to ask, though before he could, the fire alarm went off and panic broke out. A moment later, they were soaked by the sprinklers.

"What is going on?" Duncan yelled over the screaming crowd.

"I am sorry." Nathan replied. "This wasn't supposed to happen like this."

Duncan frowned and wanted to say something, though Nathan suddenly turned around and disappeared in a blur. Duncan stood there speechless, unsure about what had just happened. He moved at superhuman speed, how was that possible? What was he? Before he had time to think about it, Billie ran over to from the crowd.

"Billie, what is going on?" Duncan asked.

"We need to go. We need to go after them." Billie said.

"What are you talking about?" Duncan asked.

"The twins!" Billie replied. "They were the bank robbers, they are warlocks!"

"What?!" Duncan called out shocked. "How?"

"No time, come on." Billie replied.

Billie grabbed his arm and started dragging him out of the club. However, as everyone was in a panic, it was near impossible to get to the exit. When they finally managed to get outside, Billie yelled as she spotted the twins running around a corner and ran after them. As Duncan followed her, he still could not process the fact that Nathan was a warlock and it made him feel sick to his stomach. It had all been a lie, a stupid trick.

They followed the twins through a couple of streets and lost sight of them. As they stopped, they suddenly heard a loud crash and an alarm. Before Duncan could stop her, Billie ran toward the sound. How the hell could she even run with heels like that? When Duncan ran after her, he saw the twins had busted into another bank building, and the alarm would soon attract the police. However, Billie did not seem to care and ran after them.

"Billie, wait! It's a trap." Duncan called out, though she did not seem to hear him. Duncan sighed as he ran after her, knowing full well he was heading straight for trouble.

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