The room broke into a buzz of conversations as most people stood and began to make their ways toward the exits. The majority of the people in attendance knew Aaron well enough to understand it would do them no good to ask questions once he’d said the discussion was over. Cadence noticed her friends beginning to congregate to the front right hand side of the first row, and she planned on going over to talk to them just as soon as possible. Before she headed that way, she turned to Aaron, who had clicked off the mic and was straightening up the dais. Once she had his attention, she asked, “Do you think that went okay?’
He shrugged. “Sure. As well as expected. I could have done without Paxton’s question.”
“And Ashley’s,” Cadence added, trying not to roll her eyes.
“Yes, but I expected someone to ask that.”
“I didn’t,” she muttered, her arms crossed. He patted her on the arm, and Cadence stepped down off of the stage in an effort to go join Jamie, Christian, Meagan, Aurora, Hannah, Brandon, and Shane, who were still carrying on their conversation nearby.
Before she made it the ten feet over, Ashley stepped away from a group she’d been conversing with, “Cadence,” she called blocking her path. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure,” Cadence replied, leery. “What’s up?”
“Well, I… I just wanted to apologize if my question offended you. I was just thinking about the blue moon and how any time there’s a full moon weird things seem to happen. Anyway, I hope you aren’t mad.”
“Mad? Why would I be mad?” Cadence asked, realizing her voice was a little higher pitched than she intended. “No, I’m not mad.”
“Okay,” Ashley said, her face frozen in some sort of a half-smile, half-surprised expression. “Good. All right, well, thanks for your time.” She turned and hurried away as if she’d just let down her role model, and Cadence couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for the way she’d treated her. Still, there was just something about the girl that made Cadence very apprehensive of trusting her.
“Hey,” Aurora said, wrapping her muscular arm around Cadence’s shoulders. “Nice job explaining the unexplainable.”
“Yeah, thanks,” Cadence mumbled. “Thanks for not asking any stupid questions.”
“I think Paxton handled that for all of us,” Christian offered.
“Uh, yeah, you mean Elliott never died?” Shane began in a mocking voice. “’Cause I swear we all came to his funeral in this very room not that long ago.”
“Paxton is… Paxton,” Cadence shrugged, not wanting to encourage Shane to go any further with his horrible impression.
“So…,” Meagan began, looking around at the rest of her teammates, “I know you’re not going to tell everyone else what happened… but you’re going to tell us, right? I mean, we’re your best friends.”
“Yeah,” Aurora agreed. “We covered for you while you were gone, so you’ve got to spill the beans. You said you would.”
“Yeah,” Brandon chimed in, and Cadence just stared at him, wondering what his angle was since he clearly already knew. “We wanna know, too.”
Before Cadence could even open her mouth, Aaron was behind her, his hand on her back. “I don’t think this is the time or place to discuss it,” he said, nodding at a few other groups of teammates who hadn’t left. “Some of you already know; some of you may learn in the next few days. Some of you don’t need to know, and as far as I’m concerned, you won’t ever find out.”
“I did say I’d tell Aurora and Meagan when I came back,” Cadence admitted, gesturing at her friends.
“It’s not fair for them to get to know and not the rest of us,” Shane scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Yeah,” Brandon said, crossing his arms, too.
“It’s the kid’s dad, after all,” Shane continued.
“Oh, will you quit, Brandon!” Cadence exclaimed. “He already knows, Shane.”
“He does?” the muscle bound trainer asked, surprised.
“Yes. And so do Christian and Jamie.” Both of the Guardians standing to her right nodded.
“I think I do, too,” Hannah added, breaking her silence.
“So...?” Meagan repeated.
“We may as well tell them,” Cadence said over the IAC only to Aaron.
“I don’t mind you keeping your promise, but why does Shane need to know? I don’t trust him not to tell everyone,” Aaron replied.
“I know, but if I tell Meagan, he’ll find out anyway.”
“Then don’t tell her.”
“I promised.”
A very long pause, crossed arms, and then a reply of, “Fine.”
Cadence surveyed the room and saw that there wasn’t really anyone close enough to hear. She considered using the IAC but didn’t think it was necessary. “All right. There is a highly dangerous portal that can open only during the blue moon. I used it to bring Elliott back. That’s where I was. But you cannot tell anyone,” she emphasized this by pointing at each of the gasping friends who were just hearing for the first time, particularly at Shane. “And no we cannot ever use it again. I may have unleashed the Apocalypse upon the world.”
“Oh, wow,” Aurora mumbled, placing both of her hands on her hips. Meagan and Shane looked equally surprised, but Hannah must have already known because she was only nodding along.
Aaron’s cell phone rang and he excused himself to answer it as Cadence continued to survey the reactions of her friends.
“Well, thank you for telling us,” Meagan finally replied.
“I guess Ashley was right,” Shane said, his arms still crossed. Cadence wanted to punch him in the face but kept her hands at her sides instead, her hands now fisted.
“I don’t think Ashley suspected that,” Hannah offered.
Cadence didn’t get a chance to speculate before Aaron was back beside them. “Guys, can we move this conversation to the conference room. We have a problem.”
“What’s up?” Cadence asked for everyone.
“That was Det. Abby Watson in Philadelphia. We’ve got a body.”
