8.
Rafael was waiting in the clearing near the Moondance camp when Jason and the others materialized.
Rafael's text had said that he had a pretty good idea who had been helping Morton snacks get their hands on Blue Heart nectar.
As soon as they arrived Rafael filled them in. when he had told his grandfather of his suspicions and Nick Santini's sudden affluence, had had been given permission to conduct a search of the Santini family trailer. He had found a huge amount of cash hidden in every corner of Nick's room in the trailer. In the storage compartment under Nick's bed he had found several shopping bags full of Blue Heart flowers, and Lisa wasn't a bit surprised.
"I should've known," she muttered, "What's going to be done about it?" she then asked.
"That's up to my grandfather and the clan court." Replied Rafael as they all turned and headed for the camp, "I've gotten permission to bring Nick before my grandfather and the clan tribunal, but first we have to find him."
"Any Idea where to look?" asked Lisa.
Rafael shook his head,
This is a circus troop so it's somewhat bigger than most Romani camps." Replied Rafael, "It may take us a little while to find him."
"Well, most people are creatures of habit," said Jason, "That might help."
"Yeah," said Carole, "What are Nick's habits?"
"Sleeping till noon and chasing every girl he sees!" said Rafael in a voice dripping with sarcasm. Almost as soon as these words were out of his mouth, he stopped dead in his tracks.
"That's it!" he exclaimed pulling out his pocket watch and looking at it.
"What's it?" asked Stevie confused.
"For the past week, at about this time, Nick has been in the same place every day!" replied Rafael.
"Where?" asked Lisa
"Over by the tumbling mats bugging Jaina for a date." Replied Rafael
"You mean Jaina Vincent," said Lisa, "That new acrobat from the Blue Star clan that your grandfather hired last week?
Rafael nodded.
"That's her."
"Poor thing." Said Lisa, "Nick can really make a pest out of himself!"
"Well, the sooner we get over there, the sooner he stops bothering her," said Rafael beginning to run.
The others took off after him and they raced down the camp's main drag and into the big top. Sure enough, there was Nick over by the acrobats training area leaning on a post and trying to look cool.
Jaina, for her part, was trying really hard to concentrate on her routine, but every time she got ready to do another tumbling pass and launch herself through one of the hoops. Nick would start talking to her.
Rafael, Lisa, Jason, Carole, Stevie and Ashley were just about over to them when Nick's incessant pestering distracted Jaina causing her to crash land knocking the hoop and stand over. They both crashed to the mat.
Rafael and the others raced over to make sure she was alright.
"I'm alright," she said getting up and untangling herself from the mangled hoop and stand, "Thank goodness I wasn't on the finale. That's done with a flaming hoop that's much small than this one!"
Rafael was about to say something when they interrupted by the sound of Ty Barton one of the twin sibling knife throwers crying.
"No, Sis!"
The groups' heads whipped around to see what the problem was. What they saw was Ty stopping Cat from throwing a knife at Nick.
"I wasn't going to kill him," insisted Cat annoying at being stopped, "I was just going to give him a haircut!"
"And knowing your temper, 'accidently' skin his head while you're at it!" said Ty giving his sister knowing look.
Rafael fought the urge to laugh.
"Cat and Jaina have been, pretty much, best friends from the second they met" he explained.
"And Cat's a little protective of her friends." Nodded Lisa in understanding, "I know."
Rafael walked over and grabbed Nick.
"Nikolas," he growled, "The Clan Tribunal wants a word with you!"
An hour later, the Clan Tribunal, consisting of Vito Sr., Rafael's grandfather, Cassandra Meadowlark the Clan apothecary, and Max Regnery Co-Owner of Pine Hollow stable whom the clan pretty much thought of as one of their own anyway, convened. Nick glared daggers at Rafael knowing that he was the one who had brought the charges he was facing.
"Nikolas Santini," said Vito Sr. solemnly, "You have been accused of selling secret and potentially dangerous Romani knowledge to Morton Snacks of Willow creek. Knowledge that they used to turn one of their sodas into a narcotic! You have been called here today to answer these charges."
"I protest this whole proceeding," yelled Nick indignant, "Max Regnery cannot serve on the tribunal he's not one of us no matter how well thought of he is in the clan, so I move, no I demand, that that these charges be dismissed on grounds of a mistrial!"
Nick stood there looking smugly at Rafael thinking he'd outsmarted him.
"Both your motion and your demand are denied!" said Vito sr. almost immediately.
"Just for the record," smiled Max, "I am one of you." He reached under his blue button up shirt and pulled out his crystal.
Lisa's mouth dropped open.
"When did you take your trials, Max" she asked.
"When I was fifteen," replied Max with a smile. "The Moondance clan and the Regnery family have been friends for a very long time."
"That's correct," confirmed Vito senior. He turned to Nick. "And as a member of our clan he is fully entitled to serve on this tribunal." He finished scowling at the young man the whole time.
The smugness vanished from Nick's face as he realized for the first time that was really in trouble.
It wasn't really much of trial. After Rafael presented the cash that he had found as well as the bags of Blue heart flowers, as evidence, the tribunal was pretty much convinced.
It was Jason and Lisa, though, who really sealed the deal when they spoke up. On a hunch Jason had lifted Nick's new cellphone and now he and Lisa showed the tribunal the texts Nick had been getting from those crooks at Morton snacks.
The Tribunal was back with its decision in minutes. Nikolas was banished from the clan. Max confiscated Nick's crystal and Nick was sent packing.
Three weeks later:
Jason was fidgeting nervously in the lounge at Pine Hollow as Lisa, Carol, and Stevie were hovering around him brushing off his Jacket and fussing with his hair as Phil stood by snickering.
"Shut up Phil, Lise, I can't believe I let you talk me into this!" Said Jason, "I was never this nervous facing down crooks with guns!"
Lisa just smiled her patented 'trust me' smile.
"Speaking of crooks," said Phil, "How did things go in Court?"
"It went great," replied Jason, "The Morton guys and their lawyers were dead in the water once the judge and jury saw all the evidence we had, and heard from Nick, who turned states evidence by the way."
"That was just to keep himself out of jail," as she started to comb Jason's hair for the third time.
"Well for whatever reason he did it, it sure helped to bury those jokers," said Jason, "They'll be in jail for a long time on drug trafficking charges!"
"Morton Snacks' new management took that doped up Blue Ice soda off the market," said Stevie.
"That's great," said Phill, "At least no one else will end up hurt or addicted to that stuff!"
"Now on to more important things," said Stevie as the girls finishing their picking and prodding at Jason, "Ashley will be here in few minutes I told her to meet me here." Lisa handed Jason a bouquet of wildflowers. then the girls and Phil went to hide in the hallway. Stevie stuck her head back the room.
"Jason, don't bungle this!"
"Thanks, no pressure." Muttered Jason
Phil's hand reached out and pulled Stevie back out of sight.
A split-second later Ashley walked into the room.
"Hi Jason," she said quirking an eyebrow at the sight of Jason standing there holding a bouquet.
"H-Hi, Ashley," stammered Jason, he took a step forward and almost fell over the coffee table.
"Um t-there's a dance coming up at the school in two days and I w-was wondering if you would like to go with me-as my date?!"
Jason held his breath after he got the words out.
Ashley's face was expressionless for about two seconds, then, a smile began to creep onto it.
"It took you long enough to ask!" she grinned.
Jason let out the breath he was holding and smiled. Ashley launched herself at him throwing her arms around him. Jason was almost knocked off his feet.
"Um Ashley," said Jason, "You're crushing the bouquet!"
In the hallway Jason's four friends grinned.
The End…Thanks for Reading