Blame the Three-Eyed Cąȶ.  Alessandra often wondered if she should after what happened on the final night of the Dark Moon Month.  She didn’t know who else to blame.  How could her simple life in which she was blessed with so much be torn apart so quickly?  In one night no less.  The only thing that made sense was that the tricky Three-Eyed Cąȶ had to be involved.  Of course, Aless did not really believe in the Three-Eyed Cąȶ.  Yet blaming them helped ease her pain as she suffered being chained like an animal, almost praying for Death to find her in its search for the Three-Eyed Cąȶ. 

That night had started out great. Kay, Danny, DJ, and Aless had decided to go out dancing.  The beginning of the First Sunless Month meant school would begin again soon, which meant vacation would be over.  With Aless and Kayla both officially of legal age, they didn’t have to sneak into a club or worry about drinking.  They could just have fun and enjoy each other’s company.  Danny and DJ ended being held up at work, so the girls chose to meet them at a club called Jugᵫm.  Thinking back on it, Aless thought it was a little coincidental that that terrible night began at a club named after Death in Sᴔmian.  Jugᵫm was another one of the big dance clubs in town.  It had four rooms, each room playing a different type of music.  Depending on the night, the number of rooms open varied.  That night, in honor of the last night of the Dark Moon Month, all the rooms were open. 

Kay and Alessandra dressed to impress with Kay wearing a short, shimmering baby blue dress with a low back and Aless in a burgundy belly top matched with a skirt with a high slip on the side.  Both girls enjoyed the glances and stares from the male patrons of the club, giggling about the silliness of men.  It was Danny’s look of amazement and pride that Aless really cared about when he and DJ arrived thirty minutes after the girls.  Immediately kissing her and wrapping his arm around her shoulder, Danny stood proudly, making it clear to everyone in the club that Alessandra was his girl.  DJ would have gladly done the same with Kay, who he was still helplessly in love with, but Kay was too busy flirting her way around the rooms.  All DJ could do was watch Kay with sad puppy dog eyes and steal a dance where he could.

That night the club pulsed with life and Aless could feel it vibrating through her.  She danced for hours, taking breaks only when Danny insisted.  Everything in her felt alive that night.  The first sign of trouble came when Aless and Danny were in the classic room.  As Danny spun Aless around, again and again, she could have sworn she saw Bal on the edge of the dance floor.  Her heart stopped in her chest, but, by the time she stopped spinning, he was gone. 

“You are seeing things,” Aless told herself.  “You are just remembering when you saw him at that other club. And even if he is here, you don’t need to talk to him.  He changed his number without telling you and you promised Danny never to talk to him again.”

Mentally nodding her head, Aless refocused on Danny. Danny, her sweet Danny, looked handsome as ever, grinning as they danced, drank, and talk.  Since DJ drove, Danny drank a little more than he normally did, making his kisses grow more passionate as the night progressed.  Embarrassed at first, Aless tried to remind Danny that they were in public.  Seeing how happy he was though made her decided that passion wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. 

She was wrong. 

Towards the end of the evening, Danny disappeared to the restroom.  Kay danced with some hot stranger in the largest room while Aless and DJ watched somberly.  

 “I’m going to see what’s keeping Danny,” DJ mumbled and stood up clumsily. 

Even though he was supposed to be the DD, he had been drinking a little too and Aless could see his eyes were red. 

“Okay…I’m just going to be waiting here.”

“Fine.”

DJ wandered off and Aless watched him with great pity.  He was such a wonderful guy and it was a shame Kayla couldn’t see that.  Just as Alessandra thought this, Kayla appeared, beaming and giggling. 

“Come dance with me!” she cried.

Kay grabbed Aless’s hand and pulled hard, almost pulling Aless off of the seat she was on.   Kayla had, of course, been drinking a lot.  Aless had noticed with some worry that Kay had been drinking a lot more lately.

“No, I’m waiting for Danny to come back.”

“Aaallesss!” she whined.  “Come on!  Dance with me so I don’t have to dance with these losers!”

“You could have danced with DJ.”

“Yeah, yeah, but I want to dance with my best friend!”

“Fine, fine.”

Laughing Aless stood up and followed her best friend out onto the dance floor.  Dragging Aless deep into the crowd, Kay didn’t stop until they were in the middle of the dance floor. Once there, the girls began to dance, only pausing long enough to fend off drunk dance partners.

“Men are such pigs,” Kay giggled.

Cheeks flushed, Kay’s eyes glittered in delight at all the attention. In less than two minutes a rather handsome guy came and wrapped his arms around Kay. Not only was the guy handsome, but his clothes reeked of excessive wealth. Eying him, Kay did not protest; instead, she allowed him to pull her close as they danced.  Unable to stop herself, Aless laughed, shaking her head at the shallowness of her friend.

Around the third song on the dance floor, Alessandra felt an arm slip around her waist.  Positive it was Danny, she turned to look up with a smile.  Stuttering in her chest, Aless’s heart stopped.  Sea glass-colored eyes looked down at her as the arm around her glowed slightly in the blacklight, illuminating a large gotong.

“Bal…what are you doing here?” she asked.

In her ears, Aless’s voice sounded mildly shrill.

“I come here to dance all the time.  It’s my favorite place,” Bal smiled. “What are you doing here?

His eyes searched her as they both unconsciously danced. 

“I’m here with my friends and my boyfriend.”

“Yes…I saw.”

His voice sharpened as his arms wrapped tighter around Aless.  Struggling a little, Alessandra tried to pull away. Bending forward, Bal whispered in her ear.

“Aless, I just want one dance and then I will leave you alone.  Please just one dance.”

“Bal, I don’t think it would be a good idea.”

 “Please, Aless, just one dance.  It won’t hurt.  Your boyfriend won’t mind one dance.”

Knowing this wasn’t true, Aless looked around to see if Danny was near.  She had promised Danny she would not talk to Bal anymore.  Dancing probably fell under that promise. Yet she was afraid to make a scene and part of her wanted to know why he had disappeared.

“Only one?” she confirmed with trepidation.

“That’s all I want.”  

Stomach twisting, Aless knew it was a mistake and that she was being too nice for her own good again.  With a nod of her head, Aless continued to dance with Bal.  Bal danced as well as Alessandra remembered and she struggled not to have a good time. Trying to keep space between them, Aless kept taking small steps forward or to the side. Yet Bal wasn’t having it.  Every time Aless tried to create distance, he would pull her closer and tighter to his body until she felt as if they were practically one.

One song passed, and Aless tried to pull away.  Bal’s grip did not loosen.  To her horror, it tightened.

“Bal,” she said over the music.

He didn’t respond.  Focusing on freeing herself from his grip, while simultaneously not causing a scene, Aless didn’t notice the careful way in which Bal maneuvered them through dance steps.  Soon Kay had disappeared into the crowd and Aless and Bal danced alone among the throngs of people. Noticing at last what Bal had done, Aless gasped.

“Bal! What are you doing?” she protested.

“I just want to be with you a little longer.  I don’t want to be around anyone but you.  Just give me a little longer.  You have no idea how much I’ve missed you!”

“Bal!  Let me go.  We agreed to one dance!”

Ignoring her protests, Bal seemed to engulf her with his arms.

“Haven’t you missed me at all, Aless?” he asked.

Freezing, Aless didn’t know what to say.  The truth was yes.  Despite her promise to Danny, Aless missed her friend.  She had kept an eye out for him every time she saw a package truck. Yet he was the one who had disappeared on her.

“You’re the one who changed his number,” she responded coldly.

Working on his fingers, Aless tried to push her fingers under his to break his grip. She could have used her nails on his cuticle lines or between the small bones of his hand, tricks she learned in Pakido, but Alessandra didn’t want to hurt him.

“I had to. I was trying to respect your relationship.  I changed my number. I changed my route.  I did everything I could to forget about you.”

“Forget about me? Bal, we were supposed to be friends.”

Spinning her around so they faced each other, Bal’s face was deadly serious.

“I don’t want to be your friend. Do you know what it’s like to like someone so much even though you know it’s wrong?”

Wrong?  What was he talking about? Sure, Aless had Danny and they were eight years apart but calling his feelings wrong seemed extreme.  Nothing could or would ever happen, but not because it was wrong. 

“I have always been in control of myself. It is something I pride myself on,” he continued. “But with you, I can’t. I want to be with you.  I want to hold you and kiss you and…”

“Bal!  Stop this!  Let me go.”

Bal was crushing me to him as if he was trying to immerse her in him.  Gasping, her ribs started to hurt as he locked his arms tighter. 

“Aless, please…I tried to forget you but I can’t.  I keep thinking about you and me on your birthday.  Do you think I planned this?  I never thought I’d want someone like you…someone as young as you…”

“Bal…please…my boyfriend…”

“Yes, your boyfriend. I have never been so jealous of another guy in my life.  Your boyfriend doesn’t deserve you.”

Venom soiled his words as he looked around the dance floor. Becoming angry, Aless narrowed her eyes and fought his grip harder. She began to not care if she hurt him or not. Her nails found soft spots in his wrists and pressed.  From personal experience, Aless knew how painful those places were, but Bal didn’t even twitch. Who was this man?

“You don’t know what you are talking about.  Don’t talk about Danny like that. You don’t even know him.”

“That is where you are wrong.  I know your precious Danny.  I didn’t know I did until I saw him tonight, but, trust me when I say, I know him.”

A spiteful gleam flashed in his eyes.  It spoke of an ugly history that made Aless pause.  How did Bal know Danny?

“How do you know Danny?” Aless asked momentarily distracted.

“That’s not important.  What is important is how I feel about you and that Danny is not the guy you think he is.”

“Stop, Bal. You are just trying to mess with my head.”

“No, I’m not.  I would never do that to you. I…”

Bal’s voice trailed off midsentence.  He seemed to focus on something behind Aless.  Shaking her head, she gave up trying to break his grip and pushed hard against his chest.  Bal didn’t move an inch.  Eyes narrowing, Bal’s aura became intense.  The hair on the back of Aless’s neck stood up and suddenly she felt in danger.  Turning to look behind her, Aless wondered what Bal was staring at.  Not allowing her to look back, Bal grabbed Aless’s face in both hands and kissed her.