Chapter Five

ARIA

My eyes slowly starts to flutter open, my head hurts a lot, but more importantly, how did I fall asleep when I had afternoon class. Last thing I remember is Anna walking me towards the bed and I don't think I was sleepy.

I look around when I noticed Anna backing me on her bed, she was only on her bra and undies. But that's not what caught my eyes, the bites marks on her neck and shoulder made me gasp which made her turn and look at me. Those looks like the one that is on my neck.

She instantly covers herself with her blanket. I stood up and walk over to her. "Hey" I said, she looks so..... insecure. She looks up at me with doe-eyes. "Are you okay?" I asked her. But I know something is giving her doubt and that's a bad thing...... 

I learned this back at the orphanage, many of them had hurt me and I used it as an insecurity. But Anna has more to tell. I don't know, I feel connected to her, like I know her. But what she said next made my heart ache in a way, can't explain.

"Have you been in love before?" She asked. I look at her, I sat down next to her while she sigh. I don't even know what to say or what to do. I've never known what love feels like but my lips automatically shut but I force them open.

"No, I haven't" I tell her with a sigh. We were both silence, lying back on her bed, I do the same while we both look at the ceiling, how white it is, beautiful, giving us shelter. I close my eyes and took a deep breath. "What's wrong, what happened?" 

I don't know how I find myself asking. "I'm in love with Jack" she spill. Got it. Insecurities. "Why are this words in my head like he likes me for a special reason, for not really who I am. I mean, I'm not pretty anymore. Look at me" she shows me her bitten flesh.

"Who did this to you?" I asked. I know it's not my place to ask her but I'm a curious person. I look into her eyes. "I know it's not my place to -" I was cut off by her but I was not shocked at all.

"I like it. It makes me feel comfortable with-" she slows down like she's not ready to tell me. She faces me and held my hands. "Close your eyes" she whispered, I smile and close my eyes. "Don't open it, no matter what" she tells me. Why do I feel so scared about this. "conectar" she states and the next thing I know.

I heard it again, those whispers. Everything immediately stopped, I stood in an unknown area, looking at a big mansion but I was front the entrance. "Ariana my love" I heard, it's sounded like my name so I followed the direction.

I heard a cry baby and when I entered, I saw a beautiful woman with a smile and a baby in her hands. 

"Ariana my little child. excitar la" she waves her hand to the crying girl and next thing I knew, baby was laughing and I too was laughing. The lady looks familiar and so does the baby.

"That's because she's your real mother" a voice came next to me, I saw the lady that was sitting down with a baby, she's standing next to me but I could still see her sitting there. How?

"Who are -" I was cut off when she held my cheeks.

"You're scared. My Amore, I'm your mother and that's you. You have a special power to help history. The Andres family will help you in every step. You were never crazy when you heard those voice, my daughter. I was always there for you. And I'll be." She says as tears escape her eyes. This is all too much. Who am I? But she answered my mind. "You're an Andres, don't forget that. llama círculo " she looks into my eyes, I look around to see that I'm surrounded by fire in a big circle.

"What are you doing?" I yelled.

"energía, energía,energía" she kept saying words I couldn't understand. Tears falls our of my eyes as I close it. Everything started to fade till my eyes open and I was looking at Anna.

I let go of her hand. "What did you do to me. Who are you?" I was asking what's running in my head. I need answers.

"Did you meet aunt Patty?" She asked. What? "Aunt Patricia, your real mother" she smiles. She looks at the opened door. "cerrar" and the door was shut close.

I move back. "What is going on?" I ask.

"Aria, your not ordinary, you have great divine powers gifted from your real parents. You're a witch" she tells me. This is all nonsense.

"What is wrong with all of you?" I asked, why?

"I'm a witch just like you, see...." She says. A book was floting on the air. 

"There must me a rope or something" I tell her. She chuckles. I see her grabbing a book, that book, the one that causes my fainting that night. 

"This are spell books. revelan, that's the word used to open the book and let's just say I'll give you as an assignment, I give you two days to figure out how to open the book" she handed it over to me and this time, it didn't do anything to me, thankfully. "I have to go to Jack's, please, you can't tell anyone, not even Maxine. Please, promise"

"I....I" I was wasn't sure about this. I have not fully digest all this. But what can I do, what if I may be what she claims I am.

"Promise" I assure her. She smiles and hugs me. "Where's my dad?" I asked her. Her face turn into a sad one.

"The greatest of male witches, was placed in a phoenix stone for a long time after sacrificing to save us against the vampires, they made peace but the hunters arrived and stabs him, he was trapped into the stone" she tells me. I have a lot of questions about my adopted parents and orphanage.

She stood up and grab a big shirt that I assume it's from Jack because that's what he wore when I saw him the first time. She wore the shirt and it stopped below her thighs, a side falling pass her shoulder.

"I'll answer all your questions when I get back." She tells me before walking towards the door and walk out of the room. I admire their relationship.

I look at the ticking clock on the wall. I gasp. 8:03pm. I grab my shoes and wear them before rushing out of the room.

I rushed towards the elevator. I made it down to the lobby and rushed to the  oys lobby. I saw Ocean glaring at me. I stopped in front of him, panting with my hands on my knees.

"You are twelve minutes late" he says. I look up at him and his eyes were on my dress. I look down to realize I was wearing shorts and tank. Anna must have changed when I fell asleep that I didn't notice. He looks upset about my dressing. "You dress this way to the boys fuckin' lobby? You think there's anyone to protect you like Jack protects Anna?....." He asked. I felt embarrassed. "Come" he says 

I follow him towards the elevator, his hand in his pocket as he opens the the elevator, we walk in. It was awkward for a while, just like the feeling when you want to say something or have a conversation with someone but end up keeping shut because of embarrassments.

We made it to the top floor, he walks out and I follow, he opens a door. Why am I here again? Why did I follow him? I was just curious with what he wants. He waited for me to walk in and when I did I was in awe. This place is like an apartment.

It had a living room, with TV, cream color sofa, red soft carpet. I walk further in and the smell of orange fills my nostrils. I inhale. His kitchen was so neat, maybe he's a neat person or he doesn't cook. 

A bar table was at the corner, filled with wine glasses and bottle, I quickly look away, another door, it had a sign on it 'Gym' says. We made it to the room.

This was his room, but the color was not appealing. It was all black and red which screams danger.  "So......." He utters. I look at the red bed. "Mendez-" 

"Aria-" I tell him but he cut me off.

"Mendez..... Tell me more about you" he falls on the bed, his eyes boring into mine intensively, he taps the bed, and I find myself walking over and taking a sit.

"What do you want to know about me?" I asked him but I was not comfortable being in a room with someone like Ocean, even after everything I've heard about him. 

"For starters, why do you care about the Andres?" He asked, shaking his legs which I find cute. 

"I...... I....." I stutter.

"They are letters more than I, you know?" He asked. "And I didn't ask for the ninth letter of the alphabet" he says. But the way he says it, it's like he's telling me not to make that mistake again. Why do I feel scared of him.

I took a deep breath so I couldn't make a stuttering mistake again. "I was sponsored by them and I didn't know Anna was their daughter" I tell him.

"Good girl. So confident" he mumbles. "Tell me about your life with you parents, what were their name?" He asks.

"Why are you asking about my family?" I ask irritated, but the heat in the room only makes me feel like it's his anger.

"Look, Dove, I'm anything but nice, watch your tone" he warns so calmly. I can't stay here anymore, he's starting to freak me out. 

"I want to go back to my dorm, I wanna sleep" I tell him before getting up but he pulls me back down on the bed with my wrist.

"You'll sleep here tonight, I asked you to come, I didn't say you could leave. And.....we haven't even had our drink" he gestures towards the nightstand were two glasses of wine sat. 

"I don't drink" I tell him. 

He sigh. "We'll see" he said, getting up from the bed, he was about to grab the glasses when I ran towards the door, I twist the doorknob but it didn't open. I felt a soft breath on my neck and I freeze. "I see Anna's rubbing off on you. I  just want to have a drink that's all, if you drink with me, I may let you go" he says. Tears stream down my face as I start to sob. "Shhhhh.....don't cry. I hate that shit. Now come" he grabs my arm and pull me towards the bed.

I sat down. "I can't drink" I tell him through sob, I held my cries before he gets angry.

"Why? Are you pregnant?" He chuckles, looking me up and down, waiting for an answer. I shake my head negatively. "Good" he handed me a glass, the smell of alcohol filled my nostrils which causes irritation, I look at him to see that he had finished his on the bed. He scoots closer to me. "Let me help you" he says before pressing the glass to my lips and forces me to drink it all. He groan, lying back down. "You're a fun sponge" he groan with pouty lips.

My throat was burning and I cough out, I feel sick. "Can I go now?" I ask.

"No. I haven't had my drink yet" he said with a smirk that reveals fangs. I look into his eyes as they dilate, it's happening again. "Stay calm, if you struggle, it'll hurt" he says and I relax. He grabs my wrist and bite on it, I moan in pain. I watch as my blood rushes out to the tumbler underneath.

It fills half of the glass, I felt so dizzy and drowsy. He drops it on the table close by. Grabbing my face, my eyes secured on his eyes. No again.

"You were here, we talked, drank, nothing else happened, you got tired and fell asleep" he said and I nod, he bit his wrist and push it close to my lips before my eyes close.