Ice and Time

Telling Everyone about Deker

Normal POV

Tracy slowly opens the front gate and hears a sloshing sound as she walks up to the porch. Before going inside, Tracy rings out all the water she can from her hair and clothes. Then tapping the toes of her shoes on the hardwood to drain the rain out of them, Tracy lets out a frustrated groan as her sneakers squeak as she walks through the front door. Inside the kitchen, Antonio and Tracy's parents turn around as the sound of Tracy's shoes alert them to her entering the room. Tracy stops in the doorway, and a tiny puddle forms as some excess water drips off her hair. Ballade sees her daughter's tear-stained puffy eyes and red nose as she walks over to her.

"Mom, I'm sorry for running away. it wasn't a mature way for me to respond to the news." Tracy says.

"Tracy, sweetie, your father and I aren't upset," Ballade says then kisses her on the forehead before continuing, "We know that learning about a tumor wasn't the news you were expecting,"

Fiacre walks up to his daughter and fixes her hair by putting it behind her ear. Then he says, "Your mother is right. we are happy that you're alright,"

"Now, go change before you get sick," Ballade says.

Tracy's POV

I nod. I have a towel wrapped around my hair to dry it off. As I walk in the room, Ashley runs up to me.

"Tracy, what happened?"

"I ran away after mom said that the doctors found a tumor on Chris's brain."

"I'm sorry, is the tumor cancerous?" Ashley asks.

"No, thankfully it is benign," I say, swallowing the lump in my throat to keep myself from crying.

"Did you run around in the storm?" Ashley asks.

"Kind of and I'll explain everything else that happened at dinner,"

"Okay, I'll leave to give you some privacy to change," Ashley says.

After she leaves, I go over to my dresser and take out some dry clothes. I change into the Sparrow - Berry Pink crop top, and high-waisted denim mini skirt. I completed my new look with the Acer black studded sneakers Aunt Mary bought me for my birthday last year. As I slip the right show onto my foot, I hear a knock at the door.

"Tracy, is it safe?" Antonio asks.

"Yes, you can come in,"

I stand up and see Antonio walk up to me. I smile when noticing Angela riding on his back.

"So, did my little sister ask you for a piggyback ride?"

"Yes, I did. Antonio protected me from the storm monsters too," Angela says.

"He did, was Antonio able to keep them away?"

"Yup and he even sang to me," Angela says.

"Really?" I gasp.

"It was a song my mom sang to me when I was little. I thought it might help her calm down," Antonio says.

"Thank you for helping my little sister. Storms tend to scare her as well as Arron and Amelia,"

I step closer and am about to kiss him when the sound of Angela giggling causes me to quickly back away.

"Sorry, little sister, but you need to thank Antonio for the ride. I need to talk to him." I say carefully taking her off Antonio's back and placing her down on the floor. 

Angela says a quick thank you then hugs him. Antonio chuckles. After she lets him go, Angela runs out of the room giggling.

"Hey, you know not to run in the house," I shout.

"Sorry," Angela shouts.

"You just didn't want her to see us kiss, am I right?" Antonio asks as he gently pulls me back towards him.

Normal POV

Tracy nods. Antonio tucks some of Tracy's hair behind her ear. Then their eyes meet as he leans in. Their lips are a few inches away from the other's when there is another knock on the door.

"Sweetheart, I thought I would do a little laundry. I could wash those clothes you were wearing," Ballade says, standing in the doorway holding a laundry basket.

Come on, mom, you couldn't have waited for one more minute, Tracy thinks.

They back away, and Antonio steps to his left to stand next to Tracy.

"Thanks, mom," Tracy says politely.

"I wasn't interrupting something was I?' Ballade asks, seeing the duo trying to keep themselves from blushing.

"No," Tracy and Antonio answer together.

Ballade chuckles as she walks into the room.

"You two look even cuter together when you try to hide the fact that I kept you two from kissing," Ballade says.

"Wow, she's good," Antonio says.

"Yeah, it's one of those things a mother is good at," Tracy adds.

"I promise not to ruin the romantic moment next time," Ballade says.

She bends down to pick up the wet pile of clothes and the towel Tracy used to dry her hair. She puts it in the basket, as well then leaves the room.

"So, how about in a few days we go into the forest to look at the stars?" Antonio asks.

"Would that count as our first date?" Tracy answers.

"Yes, is that okay with you?" Antonio asks.

"It sounds great," Tracy says.

An hour later, everyone is in the kitchen sitting down to eat dinner. Tracy, Antonio. Jayden and Ashley sit down at the island area near the sink. Everyone else gathers around the table.

"So, Tracy you said that you would talk about what else happened while you ran off," Ashley says.

"Right, after I got to a clearing and used my symbol power to make some huge blocks of ice. I broke them by slashing them with my spin sword," Tracy says.

"Why, did you do that, sissy?" Aaron asks.

"Your sister was letting out her frustration about what we told you about Chris," Ballade says.

"What happened, next?" Jayden asks.

"After destroying the third block, I felt a sudden gust of wind. When I turned around, I saw a nighlok with a red, skull-like mask with many white parts of armor covering its body standing a few feet away from me. The nighlock said that its name is Deker" Tracy says.

"Is Deker working for Master Xandred?" Ji asks.

"No, Deker is looking for a worthy opponent for the ultimate duel," Tracy says.

"Is there anything else we should know about Deker?" Jayden asks.

"Yes, he is half human," Tracy says.