Blood and Chocolate

Vivian stared balefully over Aiden's shoulder. She knew Aiden would be too embarrassed to leave now. I may kill you for this, she thought at Kelly.

Kelly must have read her thoughts. She backed away from the car. "Coming?"

"Guess we better go in," Aiden said reluctantly.

Inside, a subset of the Amoeba sat around two tables dragged together under a ceiling fan that barely moved the thick air.

"Hey, Vivian," Jem said. Vivian decided his haircut wasn't so bad once you got used to it.

Others called their greetings, and Bingo toasted Vivian with her Coke.

"Wow, Vivian! Still beautiful!" Peter Quincey exclaimed as if surprised, and the girl who hung on him hit him in the arm.

The gang talked about videos while they ate, and Aiden and Quince argued amiably over something that had happened years ago in grade school. Aiden's left thigh pressed tightly against her right, and she yearned to be alone with him. She piled her hair on top of her head, hoping to catch a breeze on her neck from the fan. There was no relief from the heat. She thought again about the riverbank, but realized now what a stupid idea that had been. She couldn't be sure the Five wouldn't be prowling there.

They hung around outside the pizza place after they'd eaten while they discussed what movie they might go and see. The sky in the west was an angry-red, and the heat wouldn't leave with the night. An air-conditioned theater sounded good to Vivian. She would find them a nice dark corner.

A motorcycle roared down the access road and came to a stop in front of the automotive parts store down the strip. She recognized it at once. Gabriel, helmetless, clad in jeans and tank top, silenced the growling machine.

He saw her, raised his eyebrows slightly, and stayed seated, staring at her with an inscrutable look on his face.

So what! she told him silently and turned away.

"What do you think, Vivian?" Aiden asked. "Killer death robots or sloppy love story?"

Before she could answer she saw a look of apprehension slide over Kelly's face, and Jem took a step back. Firm hands descended on Vivian's shoulders.

"Gabriel," she said without turning.

"Hi, babe," came his rumbling voice from somewhere above her head.

Aiden looked annoyed and hurt at the same time.

"A friend of my mother's," she told him, then, "Get your hands off me," to Gabriel.

His hands tightened on her shoulders instead, and she felt his breath on her cheek as he bent his head closer. "Let him go," he whispered in her ear. Then the pressure of his hands was gone.

She turned to see him strolling toward the parts store. How dare he?

There was a moments silence; then Bingo hummed her appreciation. "Ummm-mmm. Buns of steel, absolutely."

"Who was that?" one of the gigglers asked breathlessly.

"A jerk," Vivian said, putting her arm around Aiden.

"He hasn't been bothering you, has he?" Quince asked, making a fist.

Vivian was touched by his concern. "No, he just irritates me," she said. Quince wouldn't last a second against Gabriel.

Aiden squeezed Quince's arm and shook him affectionately. "Come on, you guys," he said. "We've got a movie to see."

Chapter 14

14

When Aiden called the next night he had bad news. "Don't tell anyone," he begged. "They'll never let me live it down. Guys don't get grounded."

Oh, yeah, Vivian thought. Like, who am I going to tell? She didn't imagine she'd see the Amoeba without Aiden to take her out with them. "How long?" she asked.