| Decisions, Decisions Written By Su |
| "Achoo! Achoo!" "Sometin' the matter, dear?" George rolled over, his eyes concerned. "No, everything's fine, go back to sleep," Alanna answered, to an already fast asleep George. She got out of bed and walked out into the hallway. Sneezing rapidly, she swore. She looked around, knowing already what the cause of her sudden sneezes were. "Hello, my daughter, it has been so long since we've last met." Alanna spun around, her violet eyes meeting those of the tall and ethereal being, the Mother Goddess. "Hello, Mother," she answered. "I thought you weren't going to visit me anymore," she asked, puzzled. "Well, even goddesses make mistakes. All is not well with you, is it Alanna?" "No, everything's fine, I'm the King's Champion, I've got a loving husband, and three wild children. What more could I want?" "But I sense a certain tiredness in your life." "Well, yes, I suppose. But I figured that was normal for people of my age. I find myself sometimes wondering what would have happened if I had made different decisions along the way." "Such as turning down the prince when he wanted to bed you. A different love maybe?" "Oh no, I love George." "Well, you might've loved someone else too, if you had made different decisions along the way." "Different decisions? Such as..." "How about this, my daughter. I will take you back in time to when you were the Prince's squire. You are in the garden, and it is the night of your seventeenth birthday." "Oh, that eventful night, wonderful." There was a hint of laughter in the Goddess's voice as she spoke. "Well, let's make a different decision this time, shall we? This time, let's not go get our cloak from the bench, and continue walking around the gardens." "Why do you want me to do this?" "So you can realize what a good life you have now, and hopefully you won't be tired of it again. My only wish is for you to be happy." "All right, I'm for it." "Time won't change here while you're gone. It'll be one long night. When you feel like coming back, rub your ember stone. Oh, and you'll have your advisor back with you again." "Faithful?" Alanna asked, hopefully. "That's right. Are you ready?" "Ready as I'll ever be." The feeling of rushing backwards through time was one Alanna had never experienced before in all her years. The air around her moved so fast, she was temporarily blinded. However, the feeling was pleasant, and Alanna let the sensation of flying settle over her. Then, as suddenly as it began, it stopped. Alanna slowly opened her eyes. Immediately rushing back to her were memories of this room, and she realized she was in her old room, where she used to sleep as a squire. She looked down at herself. She was dressed in a long, flowing gown, something Miss Cooper had made for her. "...your seventeenth birthday," the Goddess had told her. Alanna looked at her bed. Staring back into her own eyes were another violet pair. "Faithful!" she cried, holding out her arms. The cat wasted no time, and jumped into her arms. "I'm so happy to see you again." "Of course,' the cat replied serenely, cuddling up to Alanna. "But let's catch up another time, shall we? If I remember correctly, you're due for your walk outside in the gardens." "Of course." "Don't forget to resist your prince this time, otherwise there'll have been no point to this experiment," Faithful commanded, licking his paws. "Well, time to go," Alanna replied, standing up, which caused Faithful to fall off her lap. As Faithful glared at her, she heard herself giggle, something she hadn't done for a long time. Alanna walked down the stairs she remembered so well, and out into the palace gardens, laying her cloak down on a bench. As she walked around the garden, she enjoyed the feeling of the night breeze on her face. She looked up. She could make out a silhouette standing on a balcony. She noticed how it suddenly walked away. Remembering only too well the consequences of going back to where she had put her cloak, she decided to carry on with her walk. Something, though, was pulling her back. "It's almost as if you want to go back and canoodle with Jon," Alanna thought to herself. You're a grown woman, and married to George." "No, you're a seventeen-year-old girl walking alone on the palace grounds, desperate for love, remember?"a voice in the back of her head interjected. Alanna shook her head free of these thoughts, and started to walk faster. "Ooof!" a voice murmured. Alanna looked up. She had been walking so fast, and looking at the ground, she hadn't realized where she was going. She looked at the face of the person she bumped into. "Gary?" she asked, incredulously. "Beautiful lady, how do you know my name?" Gary asked flirtatiously, bowing deeply. Alanna was rendered speechless for awhile. What sort of excuse could she come up with? "Your exploits have spread far and wide, young sir," she answered, looking to see if her response was accepted. "Very well." Alanna breathed again. "Would you like to go with a walk around the gardens with me then, fair lady?" "That's what I was doing," scowled Alanna. "Go on, it couldn't hurt, could it?" the voice asked, back again. "Well, if you want to carry on by yourself, then," Gary answered, slightly hurt. "Oh no, no, I shall walk with you," Alanna quickly responded. "Well, let's go, then," Gary replied, a grin on his face as he offered his arm to Alanna. As they walked around the grounds, Gary inquired, "Well, fair maiden, you never told me your name." "It's A-A-Aria," Alanna stammered. "Aria?," she thought to herself, amazed. "I hate that name!" "Aria, a lovely name for a lovely lady," Gary answered. Alanna could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. "Don't be silly," she scolded herself. "There's no way you can be attracted to Gary!" "Ah, look, here's a bench. Shall we sit?" Gary asked, interrupting Alanna's thoughts. "Er...sure." "Wonderful," Gary answered as she sat down. At this moment, the cloud that was blocking the moon moved on. Alanna could hear an audible gasp coming from him. "What is it, Gareth?" she asked, feeling she should be a bit more formal, as Gary had no clue as to who she was yet. "The color of your eyes...they're purple. I'm seeing way too many purple eyes lately." "What do you mean?" Alanna inquired worriedly. "Well, a squire, Alan, has violet eyes, as do his pet, Faithful." "Really, how interesting," Alanna choked out. There was a rustling in the bushes, and Gary turned quickly to see what it was. As he did so, the moonlight caught his face. Alanna drew in a sharp breath as she saws his strong features, his beautiful eyes... "Now really, stop that!" she scolded herself. "Why? There's nothing wrong with taking a look, is there?" "Oh wonderful," Alanna groaned. "I'm arguing with myself...and losing." At this moment, the bushes rustled some more. Gary stood up, and as he was doing so, someone stepped out from behind the bushes. "Oh no," Alanna moaned. "It's Jon!" "Hello, Jon!" said Gary cheerfully. "Lady Aria, this is Prince Jonathan." Alanna met Jon's eyes fearfully, remembering how he had seen through her disguise before. She gave a clumsy curtsy and stood back up. "It's is a pleasure to meet you, my prince," she said, in somewhat of a smothered way. Jon gazed into Alanna's eyes. He grabbed Alanna's hand and kissed it. "A pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Al-, I mean Aria." "Oh no, he knows," Alanna thought to herself. "So, Jon, what are you doing in the bushes?" Gary asked. "Oh, I decided to take a walk. The air is so nice tonight," he replied, observing Alanna out of the corner of his eye. Alanna unconsciously backed away. Was that desire she saw in his eyes? "Oh. Lady Aria and I were just taking a walk ourselves," Gary responded. "Yes, well, do you mind if I talk to the fair lady for awhile?" Jonathan asked. "You've done enough flirting for one day." Gary, looking slightly put out, had to acquiesce. "He is the prince," he thought to himself. Turning back to Alanna, he said, "It was a pleasure to talk to you, lady Aria. I am sure we will meet again." He took her hand and kissed it, his lips lingering for a moment longer than they should have. Alanna blushed furiously. "My, this is fun," the little voice blurted out from the back of her head. "No, I can't be attracted to Gary!" she thought. She didn't make any move to pull her hand away, however. Jonathan, noticing this, grabbed Alanna's elbow. "Come, Lady Aria, let me show you the palace grounds." As he dragged her away, Alanna looked back at Gary, until he was out of sight. When he turned back to face Jonathan, he hissed, "What are you doing, flirting with Gary?" Alanna's temper flared. "I can flirt with whoever I want. You're not my mother!" "I am your prince." "Jon, I do believe you're jealous," Alanna responded, teasing him. Jon sensed this and calmed down. "I am not jealous. However, I do believe it is unfair that you are leading Gary on. He'll never see Lady Aria again!" Alanna snorted. "I can't believe I came up with the name Aria!" "Neither can I," Jon replied, nonchalantly placing his arm around Alanna's shoulder. After debating with herself for a few minutes, Alanna chose to ignore the arm. "I want to go to sleep, Jon." "So do I," Jon replied, pulling Alanna in closer while his hand traveled down Alanna's dress. It soon reached the bodice and lace that held the front of the dress together. "I mean now, Jon," Alanna demanded. She was starting to panic. "Should I let him go on like this, as not to change the past?" "Don't forget the whole point of this experiment is to change the past. Tell him to get off you now!" "I don't believe it. You don't care when Gary flirts with me," she argued. Jon, oblivious to the disagreement taking place within Alanna's head, started fumbling with the lace, and finding it very hard, considering he was only using one hand. "Jon, what are you doing?!" Alanna cried, her voice a note higher. "I think you know, Alanna. You can't deny the signs that surely want us to be together," Jon replied. Alanna pulled away. "I don't give a damn about signs! I don't want us to be together. I have enough complications in my life already without going to bed with my Prince!" Jon, looking hurt, replied, "Alanna, I want to be with you. Please just consider." Alanna cocked her head. "No!" she responded, after thinking for a few seconds. "All right, Alanna. I don't want to rush you," Jonathan sighed. "Come, let's go to bed." "Okay," Alanna replied, calming down, now that all danger was gone. Lying in bed alone that night, Alanna never felt more lonely. She was stroking Faithful, and thinking about Jon, she absentmindedly ruffled his fur the wrong way. "Do watch what you're doing!" Faithful yowled. "Stop acting like a lovesick puppy and get your head on straight." "Should I go to Jon?" Alanna asked, tears filling her eyes. "No, you have me. So you aren't lonely. Besides, tomorrow you'll see all your friends, including Gary." Alanna blushed at the thought of Gary. She hadn't forgotten how handsome he had looked in the moonlight. "He's even more handsome than Jon and George," she murmured. "Of course I am," Faithful replied. "Now go to sleep!" Alanna curled up, and soon was fast asleep, dreaming about strong-jawed men. ************* Alanna woke up along with the sun, and lay in bed for a few minutes, thinking over her night. "It wasn't bad for a second seventeenth birthday," she thought to herself. "Damn right, it wasn't." "Oh shut up," Alanna murmured to herself, rolling over onto Faithful. Faithful yowled. "Watch where you're going, will you?" he cried, and started washing himself. "I'm sorry, I'm not used to sharing a bed with you. I usually share it with Ge-." she stopped in the middle of the sentence. "Oh no, George. How can I even think about Gary when I'm still married to George," she asked aloud, still preening. "You're not married to George," Faithful replied. "I believe you are currently a newly turned seventeen-year-old, and a very stubborn one at that." Alanna threw her pillow at Faithful. "I forgot how 'honest' you were." "I try. My only service is to keep you humble." Faithful retorted. "Now if I remember correctly, you should be doing your sword exercises right about now." "You're right." Alanna pulled herself out of her bed with a groan. She walked to her chest and pulled out her sword. As she started doing exercises, she found how easy it was to get back into her old routine. "I'm not that old, I guess." "I keep telling you, you're seventeen," replied Faithful, jumping onto the windowsill. Soon Alanna was done, and she went into her bathroom to wash up. There was a quick, sharp, rap on the door. "Squire, are you decent?" a low voice asked. "That's Jonathan, and that question means we've got company," Faithful said to Alanna. "Yes," Alanna answered. Jonathan opened the door and stepped in. "Hello Alan, sleep well?" he asked, his eyes trying to ask her something. "He's probably wondering why I didn't change my mind and go to him last night after all," Alanna thought to herself. Out loud, she answered, "Yes, my prince." Looking up, she saw Gary and Raoul standing next to Jon. Her heart skipped a beat, when her eyes locked with Gary. "Alan, you missed a great party last night," Gary told Alanna. "I can't believe it was your birthday, and you didn't come! There were some really breathtaking girls." "Don't blush," Alanna told herself. "You know I don't like parties," she answered. "Gary says he met a stunning woman last night. Oh, and she had purple eyes, just like you," Raoul informed everyone. "Isn't that strange? Before you showed up, Alan, I didn't even know people could have purple eyes, and now they're everywhere." He reached down to pet Faithful. Faithful purred contentedly. "I hope Gary likes cats," he told Alanna. "Oh, be quiet," Alanna retorted. Realizing her friends were staring at her, she hastily tried to change the subject. "Well, Raoul, did you meet a nice girl?" she asked. "I thought you were trying to change the subject," Faithful asked. "This is not going to help at all." As if on cue, Raoul answered, "Not one as beautiful as Gary's. From what Gary says, she was really beautiful. But we do know how Gary tends to exaggerate." "I'm not exaggerating!" Gary cried. "She had raven locks that were beautiful as the night. Her purple eyes were more lovely than any I have ever seen; no offense Faithful," he added, looking down at the black cat. Before Alanna could blush any further, or Gary could continue, Alanna asked, "Well, shall we go get some breakfast? I'm starving." * * * The four friends walked out the door, Alanna trying to keep her distance from Gary. Alanna sat down at the table where she ate lunch. her workout as a squire todayy had been really fun and nostaligic. And, so far she had managed to avoid Gary totally. “You know that you’re going to end up with him. Why bother resisting?” the irritating voice asked. “You never go away, do you?” Alanna asked out loud. “Talking to yourself again, Alan?” someone asked, plopping down next to her. Looking up, she saw it was Gary and promptly choked on her bread. She started coughing and hacking, and struggled to stand up. “Alan, are you all right?” Raoul asked, thumping her on her back hard. Though the thump sent her flying, it worked, and she swallowed. “Raoul, you don’t know your own strength.” She grinned weakly. “It’s not him, it’s just that you’re so light,” Gary replied, squeezing her arm. “Oh, Great Mother Goddess, tell me he did not just touch my arm!” she thought to herself, stomach churning. “Well, of course he did. Yes, he touched you, and admit it, you want him to do it again.” “Alanna, you’re blushing,” Faithful chimed in. Just then, Alanna was saved by Jon. “Alan, Duke Gareth wants to see you.” Alanna stood up, glad for an excuse to leave. “I’ll be back soon,” she told everyone. She started walking down the hall to Duke Gareth’s chambers. She stopped in front of his door and knocked. “Open it, and come in,” a baritone voice called out. Alanna opened the door and steped in. “Good afternoon, Alan,” the duke said. “Good afternoon, your lordship,” Alanna replied, bowing. “Well, you’ve been good for a whole month now. You know what that means, don’t you?” Alanna’s heart lifted. “I can go to the city!” It would be good to see George, even though, surprisingly, she realized she did not want to see him for romantic reasons. “That’s right. Now, let’s see, Gary has the day off as well tomorrow. Would you like to go with him?” “YES!” Alanna answered so vehemently, she surprised herself. “Very well, Alan. You may leave now. Have fun in the city.” He looked a litttle taken aback by the assertiveness of Alanna’s response. “Thank you, milord.” Alanna walked out of his chambers, thinking to herself. “A day with Gary. This should be most interesting.” “You look like the cat who caught the mouse, if you’ll pardon the expression,” Fatithful said, walking at Alanna’s heels. Alanna ignored him, and so did the other side of her brain. “Ooo, I’m so excited! This is going to be fun!” ************* Alanna sat up in her bed and stretched. Suddenly, she remembered. She nudged Faithful, and whispered, "Come on, Faithful, I'm going to the city with Gary today. I need to get ready." Faithful let out a big cat yawn which showed all his teeth. "How are you supposed to get ready? You're a boy, remember?" Alanna's face fell. "I wish I could be like Kel. She doesn't have to worry about hiding her sex." "Kel?" "She's a girl who's trying to become a knight in the future." She pulled herself out of her bed. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door connecting her to Jon's room. Without even waiting for an answer, the door opened and Jon walked in. "How long are you going to make me wait for you like this, Alanna? You know we were meant to be." He crossed the room in a few steps and stopped inches away from Alanna's face. She looked up into his eyes. "I'm sorry, Jon. I just don't love you that way. Please find someone else. You're breaking my heart." He sighed. "Alanna, if you really, truly, feel that way..." "I do." "Then I'll leave you alone," he finished. She smiled up at him. "I'm sure there are other wonderful girls just waiting to meet you, Jon," she told him, thinking of Thayet. He returned the smile. "Of course there are. I am the most handsome man in all of Corus." "I wouldn't say that," Alanna answered, her thoughts landing on Gary. As if Jon read her mind, he said, "Well, I suppose you're getting ready for your day with Gar-." He stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Alanna, and he looked like her just had an epiphany. "Gary?" he squeaked. "You like Gary?" "No!" Alanna immediately cried. "I wonder what took him so long," Faithful meowed. "You were only fawning all over him yesterday." Alanna glared at Faithful. Turning back to Jonathan, she answered, trying to restrain her voice, "Well, at least I don't think I like Gary." Jon laughed. "Well, if it wasn't me, at least it was Gary." He ruffled her hair and turned to leave. "Have fun." He walked out and closed the door behind him. "Men!" Alanna muttered. * * * Alanna met Gary down at the stables. "Ready, Alan?" He asked, already on his horse. "Just a minute," Alanna answered, trying to avoid eye contact with Gary. She walked up to Moonlight, and started getting her ready. It felt so good to be back with all the people and animals she loved. As she mounted Moonlight, she put Faithful in the cup she had made for him. "If I start staring at him or do anything out of the ordinary for 'Alan' today, you stop me, okay?" Faithful gave a little nod, if it was possible for cats to nod. "I'll try, but it's not like you'll listen to me anyhow," he replied. He received another glare from Alanna for this answer. Gary rode over to Alanna and reached over her to pet Faithful. As he did so, he brushed against her. Alanna had to take deep, steadying breaths to calm herself down. "You've got it bad, dearie," her brain told her. "I know," she muttered to herself. When Gary was done petting Faithful, he pulled back onto his horse. "Well, let's go. We've got all day to be in the city. I'm looking forward to meeting George again." Alanna's stomach jumped up to her throat. "Goddess, what will I do when I meet George?" she asked herself. Faithful seemed to know what she was thinking about, and meowed, "Just act like you normally do." Alanna gave a slight nod, and she and Gary rode along in companiable silence. Well, it was companiable for Gary, but quite uncomfortable for Alanna. Soon, they were amid the hustle and bustle of Corus. They came to a stop in front of the Dancing Dove, and got off their horses. They got inside and spotted George quite quickly. Gary walked over to him, and Alanna had no choice but to follow. George saw them coming toward him and walked over to them. He shook Gary's hand and sat down, gesturing for them to do the same. "Hello, George," Alanna squeaked. George smiled at her, and Alanna found that his smile didn't have the same effect on her as it would ten years in the future. She already felt herself calming down. She, Gary, and George continued making small chit chat. George then introduced Gary to his cousin, Rispah who was visiting for the day. They soon were engaging in deep conversation. Gary motioned for Alanna to follow him. They went into George's chambers, and Alanna plopped down on a chair. "Are ya alright, Alanna?" George asked. "You seem far away today." "I'm fine George, just a little tired," she answered. "You also keep looking at Gary," he said slyly. "It seems everyone except you has figured it out," Faithful yowled. George looked at him queerly, and shook his head, as if to dismiss his thoughts. He walked over and kneeled down in front of Alanna. "You fancy Gary, don' you? I can see it in yer eyes." Alanna looked down at him, twisting her hands nervously. "I-," she began but was cut of as George planted his lips on hers. At first she struggled, thinking of Gary, but then settled against him, enjoying the sensations flowing over her. She had always liked George's kisses. George broke it, looking at her. "Don't get serious, now. I jus' wanted to give you a token of my affection before you go pursuing Gary's." He looked a little flushed. "Well, let's go back outside. They'll have noticed we're gone by now," Alanna said, breaking the awkward silence. George acquiesced, and they walked out, joining Gary and Rispah again. Gary caught Alanna's eye. "Well, Alan, we must leave. We have to go back and get ready for the party tonight." "I had forgotten all about it," she told Gary. "Well, then, let's go." She looked back at George and Rispah. "Bye, lad," George said before turning back to Rispah. Gary and Alanna walked out the door. "Do you mind terribly if we stop by the marketplace, Alan?" Gary asked. "No. Why?" Alanna asked, petting Faithful. "You're staring," Faithful interjected. Alanna quickly pulled her gaze from Gary. Gary didn't notice. "Well, I don't know if Aria's going to be there or not, but if she is, I want to buy something for her, you know, as a gift." He was turning red. "Aria? That's her name." Alanna wrinkled her nose. "Fine, I'll accompany you." They soon got to the dusty marketplace, and went to the jewelers. Gary dismounted, but Alanna stayed on her steed. "What are you waiting for? Aria is you, remember? Pick out something nice!" "But I want it to be a surprise," she muttered. Gary was soon done and came back outside. "Do you want to see it?' he asked. "No," Alanna answered, trying to muster up as much distaste in her voice as possible. Gary chuckled. "Alright," he replied. This time the ride back to the palace was not quiet, as Gary wanted to talk about Aria as much as possible. Alanna was thankful by the time they reached the palace, hoping that Gary was not noticing how red she was. They rode over to the stables, and both were about to dismount, when Faithful jumped out of his cup and landed on Gary's horse. "Faithful!" Alanna cried, reaching around Gary with her left arm, trying to grasp him. But Faithful darted around it, evading her grasp and landed on the other side of Gary, who was watching all this with a look of confusion and amusement on his face. Alanna threw her other arm on the other side of Gary trying to pin Faithful between her arms. However, as Faithful jumped back onto Moonlight, with a triumphant look on his face, Alanna realized she had pinned Gary instead. She turned even redder than before, and looked up. She was startled by how close his face was too hers. "Ala-." Gary was cut off as Alanna reached up and placed her lips tentatively on his. She was surprised when Gary didn't kiss her back. Suddenly, she realized. "Oh Goddess, he thinks I'm a boy!" She pulled away, and rode Moonlight top speed into her stall. She dismounted and ran back into the palace, passing a very confused Gary on the way in. **************** Alanna ran up to her room, half in tears. "Why?" she asked herself, "why did I feel the need to just plop my lips on his?" She reached her door, and fumbled with the lock, trying to get it open. Finally, she threw open the door, slammed it shut behind her, and lay down on the bed. After crying silently into her pillow, she looked up right into a pair of purple eyes. Suddenly rage cursed through her. "Faithful! Why in the Gods’ names did you do that?!" Faithful, the picture of calmness, replied, "I didn’t think you were going to KISS him." Alanna seriously thought she was going to maim Faithful when all of a sudden, the door connecting her room with Jon’s flew open. "Uh, Alanna," he began, unsure of what he was going to say next. "He told you, didn’t he?" she asked glumly. Jon sat down on the bed next to Alanna, and ruffled her hair. "Gary? Yes. He was quite shocked and wasn’t sure if it actually happened or not." The tiniest hint of a smile was on Jon’s face. "How could you smile like that? It’s not funny! I just got carried away, that’s all." She looked up at Jon with a sad look that melted his heart. He looked down at her and pulled her into his arms, giving her a huge hug. "Well, you know what you have to do now, don’t you?" he asked. "What?" she replied, though she already knew the answer. "Tell him you’re a girl." Alanna stared at him. "How can I? He’ll be too scared of my homosexual advances to come near me again." "Well, he’s not afraid of Aria, is he?" "Jonathan, you’re absolutely right," she said jumping up. "I love you! But you do need to get out now!" "Why?" "I need to get ready for the party tonight!" She shooed Jonathan out of the room and sat down by her trunk. She opened it ands rifled through it. She only had another dress in there, and she pulled it out. "It’s a good thing I’m telling him tonight. I’m running out of dresses." "Girls are so vain," was Faithful’s reply. "Don’t think you’re forgiven!" she yelled at him. She went back to inspecting her dress. She had forgotten how pretty it was. The green brocade shimmered in the light, and it was complemented by a gold lining. She smoothed it out and tried it on. The neckline was tantalizingly low, and the green contrasted perfectly with her eyes. "How do I look, Faithful?" "You look like you might be a little cold tonight," he answered staring pointedly at her neckline. "So, hopefully that will make him want to warm you up." Alanna scowled at him and opened her door carefully, making sure there was no one watching before she ventured out and down to the party. * * * At first she mingled, casually chatting with Delia, who glared at her when she saw Jonathan winking at Alanna. Alanna decided it would be best for her to leave the situation as quickly as possible. She started walking toward the door that led to the gardens. She suddenly found herself face to face with Myles. "Hello, young lady. What might your name be?" he asked, a knowing smile on his face. Alanna sighed inwardly. She loved Myles, but didn’t want to officially tell him who she was. She knew he probably already knew. "Aria, sir." "Aria? And which part of the region would you be from?" "Uh…" Luckily, Alanna was saved by a big man whose face she couldn’t see since she was staring at the floor. "Hello, Myles. Are you deep in conversation or may I dance with the lovely Aria?" Alanna almost fainted. It was Gary! She looked up. "Come on, Aria, let’s dance." She gladly took the hand Gary offered her and let him steer her on the dance floor. For the first few minutes of dancing, Alanna stared at the floor, afraid she would blush if she looked up into his face. "I should tell him now," she thought to herself. Before she could say anything Gary put his hand under her chin and propped her face up. "Look at me, sweetling." She had no choice to face him as she felt the heat rising to her cheeks. Soon the song was over. "Should we go outside?" she asked, surprised that she asked such a thing. "I was just about to suggest it myself. Gary took her by the hand and led her outside. They found an unoccupied bench, and while she sat down, she looked up. Alanna saw that the moon was still full, and again thought about the night being one for lovers. They sat in silence for awhile. "This is ridiculous!" she thought to herself. "I’m telling him right now. She turned at looked up at him. "Gary, I-," she stopped dead. The look in his eyes excited her. She had seen that look on George’s face many times, and on Jon’s face, too. "Shh," he replied, and without warning, slowly, positioned his lips on hers. Alanna nearly fainted. She settled into the kiss, drawing closer to Gary. Their kiss was suddenly put to a halt by a yowl. Gary pulled away and looked down. "Faithful?" he asked, incredulously. Before Alanna could say a word, Faithful pounced and landed directly on top of Alanna’s head. "Ow!" she exclaimed. "Get off!" Faithful, for once, listened to Alanna, and jumped off, and ran away. She turned around to face Gary again, half smiling, but stopped when she saw the look an Gary’s eyes. She put her hand to her head and suddenly realized…Faithful had run away….with her black wig! She looked up into Gary’s eyes nervously. "Alan?" |