Chapter 39 - What Have I Done?

"Oh Aadi, this is so horrible," Genie moaned. "What have I done?"

"Girlfriend, you just tell Aadi all about it," Aadi said soothingly.

"Carlos and I broke up," Genie said. "Just before Yule...

"Oh Aadi, he asked me to move in with him," she continued. "He was so... I don't know... excited about it. Like he had all these plans for us... but... Aadi, I couldn't! I'm not ready for that!

"Girlfriend, you gotta listen to your Heart," Aadi said.

"... and he got so angry. He said I'd broken his heart and I'd ruined everything."

"Oh, Red Flags are flying, Girl," Aadi shook their head. "Sounds to me like you made the right choice. You and Carlos had a good run and some good times... but this does not sound like this was going to a good place."

"Do you really think so?" Genie asked sadly.

"I do, girl, I do," Aadi nodded.

"Oh but Aadi, that's not the worst part," Genie whispered. "You can't tell anyone this, Aadi. Not even Miranda and Mariah... oh especially not Mariah."

"What is this, Girlfriend?" Aadi asked.

"Promise me, Aadi," Genie insisted. "Promise me you won't tell."

"I promise, I promise," Aadi said earnestly, hoping they wouldn't regret it. "Now spill!"

"OK, you've got to understand," Genie said, "I was sad about breaking up with Carlos... and it was the Yule party and I think I was a little drunk..."

"Girl, spill it," Aadi said.

"I hooked up," Genie groaned. "but he's married... and..."

"And?" Aadi prompted, already aghast.

"It was Mr. Alto!" Genie whispered.

"Mr... Alto?" Aadi blinked, stunned. "Nick Alto? Mariah's 'Uncle Nick' Alto?

"Yes," Genie moaned. "I mean... I'd had a couple of glasses of punch... and I was sad... and he was so charming..."

"Look," Aadi said calmly, "like you said, it was just a hook-up... a crazy, dumb, one-time thing. It was a is a one-time thing, right?"

"Yes, absolutely," Genie said desperately. "I mean... no... yes, a one-time thing. I would never..."

"Let's leave it there," Aadi said. "I mean, Girlfriend, if you really want to go all Girls-Gone-Wild, you be you... but maybe let's stay away from Mr. Alto, OK?"

"You promise you won't tell anyone?" Genie implored. "Especially Mariah?!"

"Promise, sweetie," Aadi said seriously. "Aadi can keep your secrets. Aadi just can't keep Aadi's secrets." 

Oh, crappity crap crap, Aadi thought to themselves. We'll just have to keep poor Genie away from gangsters ourselves. Mariah's got enough of her own stuff to deal with.

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Madonna, what have I done? Mariah thought. This... this is a horrible idea. What have I done?

Well, there's no turning back now, she thought

"Hey, are you done hogging all the hot... wow," Miranda popped into the bathroom. "Oh, wow."

"What do you think?" Mariah asked.

"I like it," Miranda smiled.

"You do?" Mariah blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah, I do," Miranda said. "I really do."

"I decided it was time for a new look," Mariah said. "You know..."

"I know exactly what you mean," Miranda nodded, remembering when she'd first dyed her hair.  "It's a good look."

"Thanks," Mariah grinned. "I wasn't sure..."

"It's a good look," Miranda repeated. "Come one, let's show Genie and Aadi."

"I'll be right there," Mariah grinned.

OK, she thought. New look, new plan... I got this.

We've got this.

Chapter 38 - Who Am I Kidding?

What am I going to tell her when she asks me how Winter Break went, Mariah thought. 

It was a question that had been circling in her head the entire flight back from Tartosa. 

I found out my dad was an informant for the Agency. He was murdered by a vampire... the same vampire who, oh hey, I kind of didn't tell you, has been actively trying to seduce me for weeks. Now I'm coming back to school with plans to spy on the Altos, while training to be a vampire hunter and trying to avoid getting seduced and maybe eaten by the murdering puttana... Mariah sighed. Yeah, she's going to think...

Who am I kidding, Mariah grinned. She's Miranda Silveroak-Goth. Fighting gangsters and vampires is pretty much her idea of a normal break.

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"... all while still passing Psych," Mariah concluded. "Oh, and I'm not supposed to tell anyone, especially you, about any of this. So. clearly I'm off to a great start."

"I'm glad Danielle is alright," Miranda said. It was, she thought, the safest response to Mariah's tale. Certainly it was the one topic on which her own feelings where clear.

"Yeah, she's... she's fine," Mariah replied carefully. "She was a little lightheaded for a couple of days but she recovered. Londyn doesn't really seem to remember what happened... just that some stranger was in their bedroom when Danielle collapsed. She thinks it was a crazy fan or something. It wouldn't be the first time, and it was enough for me and Liberty to convince them to be a little more serious with security."

"That's good," Miranda nodded, her tone guarded. "That's really good."

"Is that... I mean, is that all?" Mariah burst out. "That's all you've got to say?"

"What do you want me to say, Mariah?" Miranda said, suddenly heated. "Since I saw you last, you've gone from being a maybe-gangster to a maybe-spy and wanna-be vampire hunter!"

"What do you mean 'wanna-be'?" Mariah bridled.

"Listen tough-girl, do you understand how dangerous this is?" Miranda stormed over her. "This isn't 'Londyn pays your fine' kind of trouble or 'do a little time in juvie' kind of trouble. This is serious! Nick died, Mariah! He was my friend and he was nice and sweet and kinda dumb... and a freaking werewolf... and he died going up against vampires! And the Altos aren't just some street toughs either. They're just as dangerous as the damn vampires... maybe more."

 "Miranda..." Mariah started.

"I want to tell you not to do this," Miranda gasped. "I want to tell you to stop... but I know you. I know you. You won't... you can't."

"Mia amata, I..." Mariah breathed. She'd try, she thought. If Miranda asked her to, she'd try.

"Shhh," Miranda hushed her. "All roads lead to the same place, anyway. You need to see thing through. We both do. I can't tell you to be careful... because there's no careful way to do this." Spent, she leaned against Mariah. "Just... be smart. OK, be smart and be... you." 

"Yeah, I can do that," Mariah sighed. "Te ama... you know that right?

"Yeah, I do," Miranda smiled. "I love you too."

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Later that night, as she hung braids of garlic next to the doors. Mariah though, I can be smart and I'll keep you safe. I'll keep all you guys safe.