Secrets Kept, Lies Told

Secrets Kept, Lies Told
©1999-2000
By Sarah
Chapter 11


    "Can we go somewhere?"
    "Yeah, can we?"
    "Please?!?"
    "AJ, Alexa, you two whine like that again, you'll both be spending the rest of tonight and all tomorrow in your rooms," Denise threatened, wagging her finger at her children.
    "Come on, Ma, please?  I just want to go out and enjoy the night, please?  It's so nice out, and we're in a really nice town, come on, please?"  AJ whined, smiling at Alexa.
    Denise shook her head, knowing exactly what they were up to.  "Absolutely not, no one can go out, you saw the crowds today!  I wouldn't be surprised if they were waiting outside like they did in Montreal," she said, turning back to the paper work she was suppose to be doing.
    "But Mommy, I want to go out!"  Alexa whined, smiling back at AJ.
    "But nothing, Alexa, I said no and that's final," Denise said firmly.
    Alexa looked at her, pained, then at her brother.  "AJ, she's being mean," she said, pouting.
    "Really, Mom, how could you?  Just trash her hopes, why don't you," AJ said sarcastically, hugging his sister.
    Denise sighed and looked at the two of them.  They were both very good actors, it would be the third or forth time that they'd be getting their way.
    "Ok, fine, go, but watch out for each other, understand?"  She said.     Alexa and AJ jumped up and ran to the back of the tour bus, laughing and cheering.  Denise shook her head.  'I have to stop giving in to the two of them, they're going to run amuck one day and I'm gonna let them,' she thought.  She glanced back up from her paper work as the two came back to the front.
    "And one more thing, you two," Denise said before they jumped off the bus.
    "What?"  AJ and Alexa asked together.
    "You have to take Mike or Q with you," she answered, smiling.
    "Aww, Ma!"  Alexa whined.
    "Nope, Aly, I think this is where we stop," AJ said.  "Fine, Ma, don't wait up for us," he said, pulling his sister out of the bus.
    Denise looked out the window and watched as they ran over to Mike, who nodded and walked with them to a waiting cab.  Denise smiled as they got in, they had it planned all along, they knew she was going to give in.  'And why not?  Let them have the fun they deserve, it's been a month since we started this, Alexa must be going insane.  I'll let them do this for a little while longer, but not too much longer.  Boundaries must be set,' Denise said to herself.  'But where are the boundaries?'


    "This was such a great idea," Alexa said as she and AJ walked in the club.
    "Hell yeah, it was.  I'd say that it was my best idea yet," AJ said, smiling.
    Alexa elbowed him in the stomach.  "No way, bro, it was my idea and you know it.  I'm gonna go have some fun, are you coming or are you gonna go and wait at a table for some girl to come and get you?"  She asked him.
   "I think I'll go relax for a little bit, but if I see you doing anything you shouldn't be doing, Aly"
    Alexa elbowed him again.  "You will do nothing, just because you're my big brother doesn't mean you can boss me around.  If I need your help, I'll ask for it.  Otherwise, butt out," she said, wagging her finger in his face.
   He grabbed him hand and lowered it to her side.  "Please, you're starting to act like Mom already.  Go have fun before I change my mind," he said, giving in.
    Alexa smiled and kissed AJ on the cheek.  "I knew you'd see it my way!"  She exclaimed, just before walking away from him.  'This club isn't half-bad,' Alexa thought.  'For Seattle, its really not.  I was expecting it to be boring, but I guess every place is a little like Orlando.'  She danced her way to the middle of the floor and found a dance partner.  She smiled to herself and moved with the beat, and the guy she was dancing with.  'Maybe I will have some fun tonight'


    AJ sat down at a table, placing his drink in front of him.  He could see Alexa on the dance floor, already finding a partner, and smiled.  She was a lot like him, in more ways than one.  They both liked to have fun, they acted so much alike, and they almost always had the same ideas.  AJ watched her, making sure she was ok, and reached for his drink as someone walked up next to him.
    "Mind if I join you?"  A sultry voice asked.
    AJ looked up and smiled at the medium-height brunette.  He gestured to the chair next to him and followed her with his eyes.  He reached for his drink and took a sip.  'Maybe I will have some fun tonight'


    Alexa looked around as the song ended and spotted her brother sitting at a table across from some girl.  Alexa couldn't help but feel alarmed, the girl looked familiar from the back.  She saw the toss of thick brown hair and caught a glimpse of the girl's face.  Alexa did a double take and edged her way across the floor, stopping at the bar.  She asked for a bottle of water and watched her brother and the girl out of the corner of her eye.  The girl tossed her hair over her shoulder again and Alexa instantly recognized her.
Her blood boiled.  'How dare Cindy show her face after what she did?  I don't care that this is a different state, she should've never left the confines of her cell,' Alexa thought.  She started for the table, all smiles, and walked up behind AJ.  She hugged him from behind and kissed his cheek.  'AJ, please don't say anything stupid, I'm doing this for your own good,' she thought, praying he would get the message she was sending through her eyes.
   He did.  "Alexa, honey, what's up?"  AJ asked, looking at her, feigning his tone and expression.
    "Come dance with me, AJ," Alexa said, taking his hands in hers.  She dragged him away from the table and to the far side of the dance floor.  "AJ, don't get involved with Cindy, I'm warning you right now," Alexa said, trying to keep her voice down.
    "Alexa, what the hell was that?  I can take care of myself," AJ said, dropping her hands.
    "AJ, you don't know Cindy like I do.  She's a worse criminal than I was, she was in jail for the last three years, and I'm surprised they let her out.  She's a slut, a beggar, and a liar, stay away from her," Alexa said urgently.
    "Alexa, I can take care of myself, I'm perfectly capable of choosing someone to go out with, just like you are.  I'm leaving you alone, why can't you leave me alone?"  AJ demanded.
    "Goddamn, AJ, listen to me!  Cindy should've stayed in her damn cell because she knows someone will find her and kill her before she has a chance to run.  I know what happened, AJ, you don't.  She and I got in a lot of trouble and her life was threatened.  Instead of taking the threat seriously, she nearly got herself killed, killing an innocent person in the process.  She was in jail for murder and I'm willing to bet she was paroled for good behavior because she can twist anyone around her little finger, and all it'll take is a few nights of feigned passion.  Don't let appearances fool you, AJ, I know what I'm talking about," Alexa warned.  She walked away from him, leaving him to make his own decision.  She walked back to the dance floor and tried to forget everything.


    AJ pondered what his sister told him.  'Murder?  Jail?  I don't want any of that,' he said to himself.  He walked to a table on the opposite side of where he was sitting before and ordered another drink.  He kept Alexa in his sights while looking for someone to hook up with.
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