Chapter 14 Behind the Gates
Bellatrix walked quietly beside Alonso toward Elvira’s massive house. The manor sat at the edge of Emerald Park, an area where the city’s wealthiest residents lived. The deeper they walked into the neighborhood, the larger and more expensive the homes became. Bellatrix felt a flicker of nerves; she had never had a reason to visit this part of the city before. She gripped her purse tightly with both hands, holding it in front of her like a small suitcase.
"You didn’t really have to walk me all the way here," Bellatrix said.
Alonso smiled. "Mayzie would want me to do so. She thinks anyone with money is up to no good."
Bellatrix laughed softly. "I know. Sometimes I wonder if she’s just jealous, but then I remember how people treat her at school. She has a point though."
"Maybe, but she’d have more friends if she smiled more and snapped at people less."
"You’re suddenly very hard on Mayzie now," Bellatrix noted. "What seems to be wrong?"
Alonso shrugged, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. "I don’t know. I think today just bothered me."
"What do you exactly mean?"
"She’s always telling us to watch out for these people and saying we’re the only ones she trusts. Then today, she ditches us to go off with them. The more I think about it, the more I realize I don’t actually know her."
Bellatrix looked down at the sidewalk. "I think about that too. She never talks about her past, only what’s happening right now. She says she’s an orphan, but that’s it."
"I’m afraid to ask," Alonso admitted. "I think I'm worried she has some tragic backstory, and I'll never be able to look at her the same way again."
Bellatrix nodded. "You’d always feel sorry for her. I get it." She looked up at him and smiled. "But you know what? She’ll tell us when she’s ready. Does her past really matter? She’s a good friend to us now. Let’s not go looking for trouble."
Alonso smiled back. "I guess you're right."
"Here it is!" Bellatrix squealed as they reached a set of large gates.
"Smaller than I thought it would be," Alonso muttered.
"Yeah, it looks like a big Victorian house with a huge yard." She shrugged. "Still, my house is a quarter of this size, so I can't really complain."
Alonso watched as Bellatrix pressed the intercom button.
"Yes?" a man’s voice answered softly.
"Hi, I’m Bellatrix Saunders. Elvira Summers is expecting me."
After a long pause, the voice asked, "Who is the gentleman with you?"
Bellatrix pressed the button again. "This is Alonso, a friend of mine."
"Miss Summers said you would be coming alone," the voice replied.
Bellatrix raised an eyebrow at Alonso, remembering Mayzie's warnings about these people. "He walked me here to make sure I got here safely."
Suddenly, Elvira's voice broke through. "Bella! Sorry, Melvin is a bit picky about these things. Come on in, both of you."
"Oh, Alonso was just dropping me off," Bellatrix called out.
"Nonsense! He can come in for a quick drink, can’t he?"
Bellatrix looked at Alonso for approval. He gave a small nod. "Alright," she said.
The gate buzzed loudly and swung open. They walked up to the house where Elvira was already waiting at the door. She wore a pink summer dress with blue flowers, her red hair pulled into a neat bun. As soon as Bellatrix was close enough, Elvira pulled her into an enthusiastic hug.
"I'm so glad you came!" Elvira stepped back but kept hold of Bellatrix's hands. "Good news... I changed it to a casual dinner, so you don't need to worry about being fancy. But," she winked, "I can still lend you a dress and do your hair if you want."
Bellatrix's smile widened. "That sounds like fun!"
Elvira squealed. "I hoped you’d say that!" She turned her attention to Alonso. "And who is this handsome guy?"
"This is Alonso Martinez. We were supposed to meet Mayzie today, but she stood us up."
"Oh, a friend of Mayzie's," Elvira shook his hand. "Nice to meet you. Any friend of Bella's is a friend of mine. Come in! I’m so excited I’m forgetting my manners."
As they stepped inside, the atmosphere changed. The house felt dark and gloomy, filled with heavy, dark wood furniture that didn't match Elvira's bright personality at all.
"Everyone!" Elvira announced as they entered a large recreation room. The room had two TVs — one for movies and one for games — along with a pool table and a bar. Through the window, they could see a swimming pool in the backyard. "Bellatrix is here, and she brought a friend!"
A tall, thin blonde boy named Calvin stood up first. He was the one who had first invited Bellatrix to sit with their group at school.
"Bellatrix, good to see you again." Calvin looked at Alonso. "I don’t think we’ve met."
"This is Alonso," Elvira chimed in. "He’s friends with Bellatrix and Mayzie."
"Nice to meet you," Calvin said, shaking his hand.
Alonso looked a bit out of place as the rest of the group gathered around to say hello.
"Where’s the big guy?" Bellatrix asked. "The one with the twin?"
"Ariel doesn't like these kinds of parties," a girl named Waynona answered. "He spends the weekends with his brother since they don't see each other much during the week."
"It breaks my heart," Elvira joked, giggling. "Anyway, Bella says we can dress her up. Let’s leave the guys to it."
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Alonso watched the girls leave the room. He was left with Darrold, Irvin, and Calvin. They offered him a seat on the couch. Even though they were clearly under eighteen, they were all drinking beer. Alonso didn't say anything; he didn't want to make things awkward for Bellatrix.
"Are you dating Bella?" Darrold asked. He was tall and thin like Calvin, but with dark hair and a tired expression.
"No, we’re just friends," Alonso said. Calvin handed him a beer and sat down.
Irvin, who was quite short, sat in a large recliner. He looked a bit grumpy. "You want to, though, right? Why else would you walk her all the way here?"
"Because our other friend would kill me if I let her walk alone," Alonso replied, taking a sip.
"Mayzie?" Darrold asked.
"Yeah."
"So, are you dating Mayzie then?" Calvin asked.
Alonso shook his head. "No. I'm just friends with both of them."
The three boys looked at each other, confused. "Are you gay?" Irvin asked bluntly.
"I’m not gay," Alonso snapped. "I’m just their friend. You have two girls in your group. Are you dating them?"
"No," Irvin said. "But we aren't friends by choice, exactly. We hang out, so people at school leave us alone. We have all the same classes, so it’s just easier this way."
"It’s not that we don't want to date them," Darrold added. "But we need this group to survive school. If two people dated and then broke up, it would ruin everything."
Calvin nodded. "That’s why we have a 'no dating' rule. We all agreed to it."
Alonso took another drink. "That’s very mature. Also, a bit sad."
"Waynona wants Calvin to change his mind," Irvin said. "She wants to date him."
"I can't do it," Calvin insisted. "It would cause too much drama. I told her today that’s just how it is."
"It’s nice that you put the group first," Alonso said, leaning back. "But maybe you could just agree that if things go south, one person leaves, or you promise to stay civil?"
"We can't risk it," Darrold said, sounding annoyed. "You don't deal with the stuff we deal with every day."
Calvin noticed the tension. "Are you interested in either of your friends?" he asked Alonso.
"No. Just friends," Alonso said quickly. "Are any of you interested in them?"
"We think Ariel might like Mayzie," Calvin said. "He watches her at school. But when we ask, he says he doesn't like 'poor girls,' so we leave it alone."
"What about Bellatrix?" Alonso asked, looking toward the door.
"She’s going to be part of the group," Darrold answered. "So she’s off-limits too."
"You guys are making things difficult for yourselves," Alonso remarked. "You make friends with girls and then immediately say you can't date them. How are you supposed to find anyone? Just pick people at random on the street?"
"We just don't date girls from our school," Darrold hissed.
Alonso raised a hand. "Just an observation. No need to get mad."
"Ignore Darrold," Calvin smiled. "He has his own issues with the rule."
The room went quiet for a moment before Irvin spoke up. "I can't believe you're not thinking about being with Mayzie."
Alonso rolled his eyes. "She’s my neighbor. We’re more like brother and sister."
"You live next door to her?" Darrold leaned forward. "I don't know if I could handle that without making a move."
"I’ve heard enough about Mayzie today," Alonso said, trying to stay calm. "Let’s talk about something else."
Darrold chuckled. "Oh, you tried and got rejected, didn't you?"
"I didn't get rejected!" Alonso yelled. He caught himself and cleared his throat. "Sorry. I shouldn't have yelled."
Calvin patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. Darrold likes to push buttons. Just ignore him."
Irvin glanced at the door. "I wonder how long they’ll be."
"Do you guys have plans, or are we just sitting here all day?" Alonso asked.
"We’re going to a club," Calvin said with a grin. "Don't worry about the cost; I’m paying."
Alonso looked down at his T-shirt and jeans. "I’m not really dressed for a club."
"You’re wearing the same thing I am," Irvin pointed out. "You'll be fine."
"But Bellatrix isn't twenty-one..." Alonso started.
"Don't worry about it," Darrold waved him off. "We give the guy at the door a few hundred bucks, and he lets us in. No 'underage' stamps, nothing. We go there all the time."