The song song in the mediabox is Escape by Megan Nicole (love this girl!)
A/N: Okay so I accidentally posted the beginning part of this chapter to the end of the last so for everyone who caught it before I deleted it I guess that was y'all's sneak peek lol.
I would like to share a beautiful poem written by @A_writing_fangirl_. Thank you so freaking much, babe. It's amazing!
The ballerina and the Devil,
What heaven is to hell.
Although somehow these two manage,
To fit together so well.
They both bear masks,
That stick to their faces like glue.
With the only exception to that strength is each other,
When they finally break through.
The pair are like what day is to night,
But grow a peculiar bond.
The crossovers at dusk and dawn,
Made these two of another very fond.
Darkness needs a little light,
Sun needs a little rain.
And finally soon the two,
Share their sadness and pain.
They fall victim,
To the glare of the bright.
But manage to stay strong,
Until the dead of night.
The ballerina and the Devil,
Weak and broken apart.
May be able to piece themselves back together again,
With the magic of a loving heart.
And before you start the chapter check out these amazing cover arts people have sent me. They're all so lovely!
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"Shit," Aidan swore.
"Ooooh," Briella exclaimed from next to me, her hand stilling so that it was hovering over her chalk drawing on the concrete. "You said a bad word!"
"Spare me, Brie," he sighed, throwing a glance at her. "And zip up the coat, or you're going back inside. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that."
"Sorry, Aidan!" She quickly zipped up the jacket and then continued on her fairy drawing.
I mean, I thought it was a fairy. The thing had wings.
"I don't know what the hell is wrong with this thing," Aidan tossed the screwdriver down in frustration.
I looked up from my own drawing on the sidewalk and turned my attention to where Aidan was crouched down in front of the exposed motorcycle engine.
Upon our arrival to his house after picking Briella up, he had gone back to the elementary school to retrieve his bike. When he got back to us he complained about something being wrong with the engine and had been trying (and failing) to figure out the problem.
"Do you want me to look at it?" I offered.
Aidan paused in hesitation, looking at me warily. "Umm I don't know-"
"Oh, come on," I stood up and dropped the chalk, brushing the powder from my hands as I walked over to the spot he was at on the driveway. "It's not like I'm going to ruin it."
"Yeah, you see, I'm not so sure I believe that," he quickly grabbed my wrist before I could touch anything. "Are you a mechanic?"
"Are you?" I shot back, pushing his hand off. "I've fixed plenty of engines before, Aidan."
"Handing tools off to your brother and/or dad does not equate to fixing engines."
I narrowed my eyes, but chose to let the comment slide. "So what's wrong with it?"
"Dem-"
"What's. Wrong. With. It?" I repeated slowly.
Aidan stared at me before sighing. "The engine is seized up. It isn't turning over."
"Did you try kick starting it?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's frozen."
"Can I see the keys?"
Aidan stared at me.
"Aidan!"
"Ugh," he groaned, tossing them over. "Demi if you ruin my bike I'm going to fight you. I don't care if you're a girl."
"And if I fix it you owe me four hours of your time to watch Gossip Girl," I turned my back to him and got to work.
I started by putting the engine in its top gear to see if I could try to push it. When it didn't turn over I got the confirmation I needed that it was stuck. I set the keys down and waited a bit for the engine to cool off before beginning.
Grabbing the spark-plug wrench, I carefully removed the spark plugs. They weren't in horrible condition and not seeing the point in replacing them completely, I just cleaned them up and set them aside. I grabbed the can of penetrating oil and sprayed a good amount of it on the spark plug hole so that it would lubricate the piston and melt away rust and potential dirt inside the cylinder wall.
After allowing it to stand for a good while I attempted to run the engine again by using the kick starter to see if the piston had been greased enough to move. The engine failed to start up properly, so I resorted to splitting the crankcase open. Peering inside, I found that there was a lot of grime and dirt inside the cylinder and on top of the piston. I set to work cleaning the surrounding area with a terry-cloth rag after dipping it in motor oil. Making sure the instrument I was using was blunt for the next step, I scarped rust off the gap between the piston and cylinder wall.
Pouring a small amount of vinegar inside the cylinder so that the acid neutralized the dirt as well as conditioned the metal, I mixed penetrating oil with a substantial amount of brake fluid to pour it on top of the piston. I let that stand for a few minutes and prepared the copper wire so I could slide it between the piston and cylinder wall to help the cleaning solution could get into the point of seizure.
I held out my hand towards Aidan without looking up from my work. "Can I have the wrench please?"
I curled my fingers around the cool metal when it was placed in my grasp and turned the crankshaft bolt to free the engine. I set the wrench down and picked up the keys to start the engine. I grinned when it roared to life in its usual beautiful manner.
"Well, that was easier than I thought," I took the time to cover up the engine. "You're lucky the engine wasn't completely screwed up. You would have needed professional help to rebuild it completely."
I straightened up and wiped the sweat that had started to build up on my forehead and turned to Aidan who was also standing.
"So the four hours of Gossip Girl," I began, stretching my strained muscles. "It really isn't as painful as you think. You are going to love it. When are you free?"
Aidan continued to stare at me with a weird look in his eyes, not bothering to supply me with an answer. I planted my hands on my hips and narrowed my own eyes.
"Okay, you know what, I didn't have to fix your stupid engine. I did it out of the kindness of my heart. The least you could say is thank you, and maybe not give me that look."
He laughed and nodded slowly. "Thank you."
"What is wrong with you?" I squirmed under his gaze. He was still giving me that look. "Why are you giving me that weird look?"
"Nothing," he shrugged. "I've just...never been so turned on in my life."
My jaw slackened, and as if on cue my entire face heated up. I rolled my eyes, ignoring the fact that my heart was mere seconds away from completely failing.
"Because me handling tools and getting motor liquid all over myself is just so hot," I crossed my arms across my chest tightly.
"It actually is," he walked over to loop his arms around me and press his lips against my neck. "It has me wondering what else you can handle."
"You're an idiot," I pinched his arm. "When did you get so sexual?"
"I've always been a very sexual person, Demi," he moved his lips to mine. "Just because you're too slow to pick up on all the innuendos most of the time doesn't really mean anything."
I stuck out my tongue automatically at the insult which didn't exactly go as planned seeing as his mouth was, you know, on mine. He pretty much took that as an opportunity to devour my face.
I giggled and tried pull away, but he had an iron grip on me that he refused to loosen.
"I'm right here, people," Briella said loudly.
I managed to break away and looked over at a very unimpressed looking little girl.
"It's not my fault, Brie," I squirmed in Aidan's hold. "Your brother has no sense of self control."
"Men," she rolled her eyes.
"You're telling me."
"And what would you know about men, Briella?" Aidan scoffed at his sister.
"Well, they're horrible people who are only after one thing," she looked between us. "Right?"
My eyebrows shot up, and Aidan nodded in approval.
"That's right," he agreed. "Good girl."
"And what's that one thing Brie?" I asked.
"I don't know, Aidan didn't tell me that part," she shrugged before going back to her drawing.
I turned to him and gave him a look. "You are ruining this child."
"I'm preparing her for the rest of her life," he corrected me.
"Aka ruining her."
"Well thanks for your unsolicited advice, babe," he kissed my nose. "I'll make sure to not keep it in my mind."
"I really don't like you," I pressed my lips against his for a lingering kiss, running my fingers through his hair.
"Mhmm," he nodded, smiling against the kiss. "I can tell you hate my guts."
I stepped back and gave him a rude hand gesture. Turning away, I climbed on the bike and flipped my hair over my shoulder.
"You should let me drive this," I flashed him a smile. "I mean, I did fix it."
"That doesn't make you qualified to drive it," he crossed his arms across his chest. "Believe it or not I don't want you dead just yet."
"Just yet?" I laughed. "Oh, how sweet."
"I try," he shrugged. "So how about going out with me tonight?"
"Tonight?" I shook my head. "I can't. I have ballet."
"Skip it."
"I can't skip it," I pretended to rev the engine, gripping the handles tighter. "My Juilliard audition is in two weeks. I need to practice till my feet fall off."
"That's kind of counterproductive, don't you think?"
"Not really."
"You're already perfect, D," he sighed. "What exactly is the goal at this point?"
"The goal is whatever's beyond perfect, Aidan," I gave him a stern look. "This is Juilliard we're talking about. If I don't get in, I'll literally die."
"No, you won't literally die. Do I need to get on my knees and beg?"
I cocked my head slightly and a slow grin began to form. "Now that would be a sight. Yeah," I nodded. "Yeah, I want you to get on your knees and beg."
Aidan stared at me for a pretty good stretch of time. "Demi, you're one of the most annoying people I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. I don't know why I'm dating you."
"Because you adore me too much to deny that's why," I made a motor noise with my mouth. "You think I could do a wheelie on this?"
"Yeah," I looked up to see him shaking with laughter. "You could also crack your skull on the street."
"Don't laugh at me," I frowned.
"I'm sorry, I can't help it. You look absolutely ridiculous right now," he motioned a hand towards me. "How old are you?"
"Older than you so shut the hell up," I stuck my nose up. "If you aren't going to let me actually drive this thing I might as well use my imagination."
"Hmm...I forgot I was dating an older woman."
I took in his stupid grin and couldn't stop my eyes from rolling. "You're sick."
"I didn't say anything that would indicate anything of the sort."
"You were thinking about the fact that I'm technically an adult, and you're technically a minor," I lifted my eyebrows. "Right?"
He paused. "I mean..."
"See?" I waved a hand. "Sick."
He shrugged, completely unapologetic. "It's a slight turn on."
"Okay, well, everything's a turn on for you," I shook my head. "I'm sure if you were to see some random girl walking down the street you would get turned on."
"If the random girl is you, yeah."
I smiled despite myself and nodded. "Very nice."
Aidan walked up and pressed a lingering kiss on my lips. "Go out with me please."
"Get on your knees and beg."
"You actually want me to beg you to spend time with me?" He demanded. "Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? You're my girlfriend that's your job."
"If that's my job then where's my paycheck?" I asked expectantly.
"Demetria."
"Don't call me that," I pushed him, my voice going up in a whine.
"I don't understand why you don't like the name. It's beautiful, but anyway," he leaned down so he was at eye level with me. "I would really like to take you out tonight."
"How about tomorrow night?" I proposed.
"I can't," he immediately shot down the idea. "I'm busy."
"Doing what? Hooking up with other girls?"
"That's exactly what the plan is."
I swatted his stomach and sighed, tilting my head back so I was looking at the sky. "You're asking a lot of me, Aid. Ditching practice deserves the death penalty as far as Michelle is concerned."
"Well, as long as she kills you afterwards then I don't really see the problem...," he trailed off.
"Aren't you just an upstanding man," I scoffed. "Fine, I'll just pretend I'm suffering from a life threatening illness."
"That's my girl," he rubbed my head.
I shoved his hand away. "Why do people do that?" I demanded. "I'm not a dog."
"You kind of act like a dog," he mused. "All jumpy and eager...kinda clingy."
I blinked. "Is that suppose to be a compliment?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Dogs are loyal."
"Okay...," I shrugged and decided to take the somewhat backhanded compliment.
¥ ¥ ¥
"You are not going out tonight," Mom said firmly, turning her back to me so she could continue on the dishes she was washing.
"Why not?" I asked, barely able to keep my voice down or the frustration I was feeling at bay.
"Because I said so that's why."
"Because you said so? That's not a reason, Mom."
"I don't need to explain myself to you, Demi," she said calmly, setting a pot down inside the drying rack. "I am your mother, and if I say you're not going out, you aren't going out."
"I'm a legal adult," I reminded her, crossing my arms across my chest. "If I want to go out I think I'm well within my rights to do so."
Mom shot me a warning look over her shoulder. "Watch it. You live in my house, eat my food, use the phone I pay for, and sleep in the bed I have provided for you. Until you start doing those things on your own, you're going to listen to me."
"Mom," my voice went up in a whine. "This is not fair."
"Who said life was fair?" She asked. "Demi, you spend way too much time out of this house. It won't kill you to spend one night in."
"Yes, it will! I have a date tonight."
"No, you don't," she shrugged. "I suggest you call your boyfriend and cancel because I'm not changing my mind."
"You let Deacon go out," I reminded her furiously.
"Deacon is studying at a friend's house," she replied.
I snorted. If "studying" was a code word for getting high with Jordan and his other idiotic friends then sure, I had absolutely no problem believing that.
"Don't snort, Demetria. It's very unladylike."
"Why do you insist on calling me that?"
"Calling you....what? Your Christian name? The name I gave to you after I spent hours and hours in labor with you?" She pinned me with a look. "Gee, I have no idea. I guess I just want to see you miserable."
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. I really don't see the problem here. If I was going to dance you would let me go."
"That's debatable," she placed a glass bowl on the rack.
"Mom-"
"Demi, I'm not arguing with you anymore. You are staying home. We can spend some time together," she suggested.
I stared at her for a good thirty seconds before asking the obvious question.
"Why do you hate me so much?"
"Wanting to spend time with you means I hate you?" She shook her head with a sigh. "I can never win with you, Demi."
"You can win by letting me go out," I smiled with extra sweetness.
"I think I'll take the loss this time around."
"Ugh!" I spun on my heel and stormed out of the kitchen.
After stomping my way up the steps I made sure to slam the door shut to make sure my mother knew how pissed off I was. With another groan of agitation I pulled my phone off the charger and clicked the first name in my contacts list.
"Hello, beautiful," Aidan greeted pleasantly in my ear. "What can I do for you today?"
"You could not get super super mad at me," I flopped down on my bed and shut my eyes.
There was a short pause before Aidan's voice was heard again.
"What did you do?"
"I love how you automatically assume I did something wrong. It's nice to know you have faith in me."
"I have plenty of faith in you," he assured me. "That doesn't have anything to do with me being able to address your poor judgement calls, and your lack of good decision making skills."
"I'm just going to ignore that," I sighed. "I can't go out with you tonight."
"Why not?" He asked, very clearly sounding disappointed.
"Because my mother doesn't love me as much as she claims she does."
"Well that sucks," he exhaled.
"No need to tell me."
We sat on the phone in silence for a while after that, mulling over how unfair life was.
"Would I be a bad influence if I suggested that you sneak out?" Aidan finally asked.
"Would I be easily influenced if I said that was a great suggestion?" I smiled, sitting up.
"I knew there was a reason I liked you so much."
I laughed and checked the time on my alarm. "Okay, so it's eight o'clock right now. My dad usually passes out at nine, and my mom is going back to work at eleven thirty. Is midnight a good time to pick me up?"
"That's perfect. Briella's spending the night at a friend's house, so that shouldn't be a problem."
"DEMETRIA," Mom screamed from downstairs. "Get your ass down here and spend some time with me! I'm not going to be here forever, you know. When I die you're going to regret being such a little brat to me!"
I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily. "I gotta go. See you later?"
"Later, babe."
I clicked off the call with a happy smile and climbed off the bed.
"DEMI."
"I'M COMING."
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I pulled my brush through my hair one more time before deciding that it was as close to perfect as it was going to get. I set it down on my wooden dresser and turned to my full length mirror to examine myself.
The only thing really visually appealing about me was my outfit. I was dressed in dark blue skinny jeans, knee high dark brown boots, a black blouse with a light blue jean jacket overtop of it, and a white infinity scarf around my neck to tie it off.
At least that was cute.
I pursed my lips and fingered my hair wondering what it would feel like to be pretty. To feel absolutely confident in my skin. The jealousy I harbored towards girls who didn't have to spend an hours in front of the mirror in order to look perfect was something completely inexplicable. Even the girls who simply didn't care what they looked like and went on with their lives was a cause for jealousy.
While they were at complete ease with themselves here I was stressing myself out to the max because I couldn't get the look I was striving for. It seemed like perfection was in everybody's reach but mine.
My phone vibrating on my side table pulled me out of my train of thought abruptly. I walked over to pick it up and read the text on my lock screen that told me Aidan had arrived.
I grinned in excited anticipation and pulled it off the charger. I was halfway out the door when my feet came to an abrupt halt. Glancing back over at my very evident empty bed, I frowned.
If someone were to check on me....
I rushed back over and shoved my pillows under my blankets. That wasn't something I had ever tried before, but it worked for the main characters in all the movies I watched so what the hell?
I raced out of my room, taking care to shut my bedroom door behind me, and flew down the steps as quickly and quietly as possible. The frosty December air hit me as soon I stepped onto my porch, reminding me that I forgot to bring a jacket.
I shrugged and walked over to the truck parked by the curb. What was a little coldness? Besides, my outfit was cute and a jacket would throw off the whole dynamic of the simple, but super cute look I was going for.
I climbed into the truck and smiled brightly at Aidan who was seated in the driver's seat.
"Hey," I greeted.
"Where's your jacket?" He frowned, eyeing me in disapproval.
Why was it that whenever Aidan looked at me it was either with disapproval or he was seconds from mauling me? There was no in between.
I clicked my tongue and gave him a hard look. "What are you, my father?"
A grin lifted his downturned lips. "Just call me daddy."
I dug my fingers in his arm as he threw his head back and laughed.
"There's something wrong with you," I huffed, buckling my seatbelt.
"I'm kinda joking," he chuckled.
"Kinda joking," I rolled my eyes. "Okay."
He leaned over and pulled me into a kiss without any real warning, not that I was complaining or anything. I gripped his shoulder and prolonged the kiss for a few seconds more before pulling away.
"So," I smiled, sitting back. "Where are we going?"
Aidan started up the engine and took off down the darkened street, with only his headlights and the lamp posts illuminating the road ahead.
"I have no idea," he replied.
"I'm sorry repeat that?" I raised my eyebrows. "You don't know where we're going?"
"No, not really."
"You said you wanted to take me out tonight," I reminded him.
"Which I do, I am. I just...don't know where."
"Uh huh," I nodded slowly. "Okay...You know this is usually the part in the movie where one of us ends up dead."
"What movies are you watching?"
"Never mind what movies I'm watching," I waved a hand. "You can't just not know where we're going. What, are we just going to make a bunch of random turns and end up wherever we end up?"
"That's exactly what we're going to do," he nodded, making a sharp left.
I gripped my door handle to steady myself and threw him a glare. "I don't know about this."
"This isn't something to think over, Demi. We're going on an adventure. Scratch that, we're running away. Just for tonight. We're leaving our shitty ass lives, and our shitty ass problems behind us for a few hours. Tonight's the night I just want to....get away. I want to escape for a while...," he glanced over at me. "Don't you?"
I drummed my fingers against the arm rest and smiled slowly. My head nodded as it shot down the logical part of my brain (as it always did) that was bound to come up with a reason why this wasn't a good idea.
"Yeah...I wanna escape. I wanna runaway."
"Then let's do just that."
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A/N: Hello my beautiful humans. I hope everyone is well this evening (or day depending where you are in the world). Another chapter up, what did you think!?
I was planning on posting this Friday morning, but that was Graduation day and it was a lot busier than I anticipated it would be. I had multiple anxiety attacks, but it all worked out and now I am an official high school graduate. How crazy is that? It still hasn't hit me two days later.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this bit of the story. I, of course, want you tell me your thoughts, ideas, criticism, etc. as it is always welcomed. If really you liked it make sure you vote.
I would also just like to put it out there that my thoughts and prayers are with Christina Grimmie's family, friends, and fans. I didn't pay much attention to her as of late, but I do remember having a slight obsession years ago with YouTube singers and she was one of the people I listened to daily. She was an amazing talent and a beautiful human being, and she'll be missed by everyone. It's incredibly saddening that someone with so much to offer the world was snatched up so quickly and so unfairly.
Rest in Peace, Christina. 👼🏻❤️
My thoughts and prayers also go out to the families of all the individuals slaughtered in Orlando. It's a sad and pitiful day when people are targeted and taken out one by one because they choose to love somebody who just so happens to have the same parts as them. Every single one of them will be missed. The only upside to this tragedy is that they're in a place far, far better than this world.
Rest in Peace. ❤️🙏
xxx,
Jess