Eclipse Of The Moon ~ Book 1 of Aaron
Chapter 41
Honesty Is A Virtue

Sunday 12 October 2003

"AARON, STOP IT! NOW!!!" Anton shouts as he pushes me to sit on a couch.

Why is he yelling at me!? What the fuck have I done again?

Weirdly, he doesn't look angry; a bit exasperated but mostly... amused?

What have I done wrong? And what the heck am I doing in Ivan's office?

I feel a bit light-headed and my thoughts seem confused, but the last I remember, I was enjoying myself on the dance floor with a bunch of sexy guys. I recall we went to rest for a while around some cocktails at the lounge area and things were becoming quite hot between Bryan and me, so my presence here leaves me at a total loss.

Though... Ivan is here, and I wonder...

Holy shit! Has he dragged me here because he didn't like the guys I hooked up with? Such a motherfucker... Well, a motherfucker who looks worried at the moment and I'm not sure I want to understand why.

As he sits down beside me, his dark look and stern features send a shiver down my spine, but bizarrely, I can't feel anger seeping through him either. Nope, he just looks really worried; and upset. It doesn't explain why I'm here or what happened since my last clear memories, and it scares me. Did I breech one of the rules and he took me here? I'm pretty sure I didn't mess up. I behaved and I only got alcohol-free drinks.

"I think he's gotten his full consciousness back," another deep voice says, one that I recognize as Marcus's.

Tilting my head to the right, I eventually notice his presence and open my eyes widely at the sexy hunk standing in front of me. Holy crap! I've always considered Marcus a handsome guy, whether in his business suits when I visited his practice or in comfortable clothes when we met for dinners, but the man who's looking down at me now with eyes full of concern is smoking hot! He's wearing leather trousers that hang rather low on his hips, a black shirt only half-buttoned and some sort of combat boots. As I slowly turn back my attention toward Ivan, afraid to get an inappropriate boner, I realize that Anton and my guardian are dressed in a similar fashion.

Goodness! Is this how these men dress up to go dancing in a nightclub? I want the same clothes!!!

"I think so too," Anton agrees with a sigh.

"Hey, Menino, how are you feeling?" Ivan asks, resting a comforting hand on my knee as he sits down on my left.

"I'm... I'm... I'm feeling..." I stutter, perplexed by the entire situation.

I really have a hard time detaching my eyes from Ivan's sternum displayed by his half-opened shirt and my dizzy brain can't seem to process what is going on here. However, memories are coming in small waves; I can vaguely remember Bryan and his friends dragging me toward the back of the main room, but anything that happened afterwards is just lost. And I don't get why Anton was shouting at me just moments ago.

"Don't worry if you're feeling a bit confused, Aaron," Marcus says, sitting down on my right side.

"Yeah... I feel dizzy and... I don't know... I can't remember what happened before I was here. Why was Anton yelling at me? What did I do!?" I ask, briefly peeking at the sexy black man who tries to stifle a chuckle.

Damn! I'm not going to start lusting after straight men, am I? Though why not? I'm sure that some of them are curious to discover other facets of their sexuality.

"Hmm... Let's say that you've spent the last ten minutes trying to take off his shirt," Ivan explains sternly, scowling at his friend.

"No way..." I breathe out, feeling myself blush a bit. Fuck... I can't remember doing this.

"You have, but you weren't really conscious. I'm sorry to say you've been drugged, Aaron."

"D- Drugged...? No..."

"Unfortunately, yes, you were," Marcus concurs.

"But how? And when? And what drug!?"

"Those guys you were hanging out with, they spiked your cocktail. Have you ever heard about GHB?" Ivan asks.

"Yeah... One of the guys at the squat was a small dealer and I remember he once offered to sell some. But isn't it what we call the... rape drug?" I ask, shivering at the thought of what might have happened while I was out.

"GHB has similar effects to X indeed, but it's stronger and junkies sometimes get high on it," Marcus explains. "Mixed with alcohol, it can have disastrous effects, leading to G-holes as we call them, coma, or even worse, death. Black holes are less common when the beverage is alcohol-free, but it happens, like in your case, Aaron. It's called the rape drug because this and rohypnol are sexual offenders' favorite choice as the victims become completely unaware of their actions, yet remaining more or less conscious, and the amnesia ensures they'll have forgotten what happened."

My stomach is churning. I still can't remember what happened, but just thinking about it makes me nauseous. As far as I can see, I'm all dressed up as I was earlier this evening; sitting on my butt doesn't hurt, and yet, I can't help an unpleasant shudder and my nails automatically start digging into the palms of my hands.

"Hey, Menino, look at me," Ivan urges as he pries my fingers to loosen up, and when I look into his eyes, I see a mix of compassion and determination I wasn't expecting. "Nothing happened, those fuckers were interrupted before they even reached the restrooms."

"How can you be so sure?" I breathe out painfully.

"Because as much as the security guard who was watching over you didn't see when the drug was poured into your glass, he did notice a ch..."

"Wait... Did you have someone spying on me?" I exclaim as relief washes over me at the same time as the information is slowly sinking in.

"Not spying on you, Aaron," Ivan grumbles. "I just asked one of the guys to keep an eye on you. He wasn't stalking you all the time, but he was supposed to check in on you occasionally. And like I was going to say, he noticed a change in your behavior, and it was enough for him to inform me. Anton and I arrived as they were taking you to those restrooms where we know people often indulge in sexual activities."

"Crap... I can't believe it almost happened," I sigh, leaning forward to rest my elbows over my knees and lay my face within my hands.

"It didn't, Menino, I can assure you of that."

Yeah. My Good Samaritan saved me, nothing happened. It's all that matters.

Once again, the stronger side of my personality takes over, and instead of mopping around things that didn't occur, anger starts coursing through my veins. Anger at myself in the first place because how could I be so stupid and let those guys have their way with me? How could I be so naïve and blind to their vile intentions. Mmm... I love hardy and tough brunettes... That fucker. I'm going to show him how tough and hardy I can be.

"Where are those motherfuckers? I'm going to smash their fucking f..." I growl, already rising to my feet, but Ivan and Marcus grab my hands and pull me back down on the couch while Anton takes a step forward and crouches in front of me.

"You're not going to smash anyone's face, Aaron," the latter grouses sternly. "They've already left h..."

"WHAT!? You let them go away!?"

"Just shut the fuck up and let me finish," he barks much louder than me as he stands back up. "They left handcuffed and escorted by policemen."

"Oh... good..." I reply, sighing partly with relief because I'm glad they'll have to face justice, and partly with frustration as I would have loved to beat the crap out of them myself.

"We'll have to stop by the police station in the next couple days to make a testimony despite the evidence we provided, but don't worry about that for now," Ivan comforts me. "It's getting late anyway, so let's all go home. Anything specific I should be careful about, Marcus?"

"No, Aaron should just rest and that's about it," the latter replies as we get ready to leave. "GHB has a very short life and usually leaves the body up to two hours after its ingestion. Unless he gets sick or feels unusual sensations, it'll be alright, but feel free to call me if you're worried about anything unusual and I'll visit."

"Okay, thanks," Ivan replies before we all head out of his office.

I am feeling a bit better, probably due to the relief that this first anniversary didn't happen with a similar repeat, but my mind hasn't recovered its entire clarity yet, and before I know it, Marcus and Anton have disappeared and I find myself in the security room.

"Guys, can you please watch over Aaron for a few minutes?" Ivan calls out to the three men watching the screens as he makes me sit on a chair.

"Sure, Boss."

"Where are you going?"

"I just need to check something out real' quick, I won't be long, Menino."

"Can't I go with you?"

"No, you can't, plus you need rest. Just give me five or ten minutes," he replies firmly, his tone leaving no place for argument.

I'm exhausted and still feeling a bit wobbly anyway, so I simply recline against the backrest of the seat and stare at all the screens of the video surveillance. Thank fuck for their existence and these guys here who are watching over the security of customers. Right now, the screens are displaying images of the main room and switching between the various angles that the cameras offer. The clock on the wall indicates that it's 4am and people are still enjoying themselves even if the crowd seems to have thinned out.

As my eyes remain locked on all the televisions, I am trying to figure out if the cameras cover the whole Heaven Water. Of course, there are many perspectives of the dance floor, the entrance, the bars, then a bit of the lounge areas, but at some point, I get to see images of a large restroom and several toilet doors. Holy shit! There's a girl leaning against a wall, holding her dress up, and a guy is literally eating her pussy!

Goodness! I can't begin to imagine what these security guys witness, but I bet they must capture a lot of naughty things happening there. As a matter of fact, two of them are chuckling upon watching the kinky lovers. Dammit! I wish it had been two guys instead.

Anyway, that's the moment Ivan chooses to show up, dressed back in his jeans and tee-shirt, so I follow him out then through the corridors and the dancing room until we walk out the main entrance to find that Anton is already waiting for us there.

"Where's Marcus by the way?" I ask as Anton drives off.

"Already gone, but I bade him goodbye for you," he sighs.

"Sam wasn't here?"

"Yes, he was."

"So, Marcus left him alone while he was with us in your office?"

"No, Sam wasn't alone, don't worry," he grunts with a clicking noise of his tongue.

As much as my questions apparently annoy Ivan, Anton seems to find them amusing as I decipher a discreet chuckle coming from the front of the car.

"Why didn't you tell me they were at the Heaven Water?" I then accuse. "I could have spent the evening with them."

"I didn't know they'd be here at first," he replies awkwardly after a few seconds of hesitation, but his voice quickly recovers its usual firmness as he speaks on. "And when I found out, it was too late. You were already dancing with those guys."

"How about you? Were you with them?"

"No, I was working with Anton."

"Were you now? In those sexy clothes you had earlier?" I retort sarcastically, which yields another eerie moment of silence that only Anton's nervous cough disturbs.

"What? Don't you like leather?" he playfully teases me, though.

"Yes, of course, I do! I'll have to get some," I cheer, and this time, our driver titters so much less discreetly that Ivan ends up pressing the button that rises the partition window.

"Anyway, how did you enjoy your evening before the incident?" Ivan then asks in a warmer voice, effectively cutting our previous conversation short.

"Freakin' greaaaaaat," I smirk, because in all honesty, aside of the creepy feeling that this black hole leaves me, I truly enjoyed myself.

Throughout our ride back home, I tell Ivan how much fun I had, first with Scott, and then on the dance floor as I mingled with many people. It could have been better, but it remains a nice first evening at the Heaven Water, one that nonetheless wore me out. So when Anton drops us off in front of Ivan's mansion a bit later, I don't even try to linger around and we're soon upstairs, hugging each other goodnight by my bedroom's door.

"Are you feeling alright, Menino?" Ivan cautiously asks as he breaks our embrace.

"Yeah, don't worry. Just tired."

"Sure?" he insists meaningfully.

"Positive."

"If you need to... discuss what happened, you know I'm..."

"Ivan, don't worry, I'm fine," I interrupt him, pulling him into another hug. "Thanks again for letting me go to the Heaven Water, it's a great club."

"My pleasure, Menino. Sleep tight."

"You too."

After a quick stop by the bathroom to empty my bladder and brush my teeth, I hurry to my bedroom, kick off my shoes and shrug out of my jeans, and the next second, I am lying in my bed, still happy with my evening despite the drug incident. My memories of the time I spent with Bryan and his friends aren't even painful, and yet, unwanted questions rise in my head as I drift to sleep.

What would have happened if Ivan hadn't asked one of his guys to watch over me?

Were Bryan and his friends really going to abuse me?

Would he have bent me over and fucked me against a sink?

Would have other people noticed I wasn't consenting?

I can't believe it was close to happen on another October 12th, exactly a year after my life capsized. A year after two bastards assaulted me and ruined several teenagers' adolescence and souls. Thinking about these events just before I fall asleep isn't the best idea of all, but it's not like I can control my reminiscences and thoughts, and the logic consequence is that my dreams obviously turn into nightmares.

I find myself in a crappy nightclub, dancing with Bryan, but it's just the two of us on the dance floor. Out of the blue, he offers me a drink that tastes so delicious that I hastily gulp it down before the glass mysteriously disappears. As we keep dancing, I feel myself getting higher and higher, barely conscious of my surroundings, until two other hunks wearing balaclavas suddenly pop out and push me down, face against the wooden floor.

Try as I may, there's no sound echoing from my screams, and despite my intense writhing, I can't fight against the guy restraining my arms while another is holding my legs for the third one to rip off my jeans and underwear.

"Aaron! Wake up, Menino!"

As I pull out from my terrifying slumber, I find myself constricted in Ivan's arms, once again saved by my Good Samaritan. Instead of panicking within his tight grip, his warmth and scent feel safe, and I quickly manage to calm down.

"It's okay, Menino. I'm here, the nightmare's over," he whispers softly, achieving to lower my heavy breathing. "Are you okay now?" he asks as I disentangle from his embrace.

Still shivering a bit, I sit up and irascibly wipe a few uninvited beads of salty liquid from my cheeks before I gather my knees to my chest and fold my arms around my legs, yet keeping my head high. Of course, I know full well what enhanced my nightmare and these painful memories when my subconscious hasn't recalled them in months in my sleep.

I won't let them creep back up, though. I won't let them ruin my life.

No way.

A year ago, I decided that those events wouldn't prevent me from living the life I wanted to live, and I well intend to keep it this way.

However, I know that expression on Ivan's face. There's concern, even worry, but there's resolve too. His stern features clearly express his determination to make me talk and I know he won't give up until I spill the beans.

Perhaps it's time you tell him, Ron...

"I was raped a year ago."

The words are out before I can think twice. There's no going around the truth, there's no breeding lies about nightmares being a simple consequence of what happened last night.

"At last..." he grunts in a barely audible voice, and while my eyebrows furrow in a curious expression, compassion and sorrow overwrite the brief relief that displayed on his face. "I know, Menino."

Now, that's a cold shower.

"Wh- what? How do you know?" I breathe out, struggling to give some sound to my strangled voice.

"Tony. Tony Jacobson," he sighs after a long minute of silence, which leaves me even more bewildered. And speechless. "I've been in touch with that gentleman about once a month since July."

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" I shout, jumping off the bed. "How come? How did you contact him? How did you even get to know about him? FUUUUUCK!"

"AARON SIT BACK DOWN AND WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE!" he barks so loudly that it makes me startle, but my brain naturally sends a direct order to my muscles to comply immediately. "I didn't contact him. He contacted me," he says more softly once I am back on the bed.

"I still don't get it," I deadpan, and it surprisingly makes him chuckle.

"Your friend Joshua is one tenacious and caring friend, Menino," he replies with a warm smile. "I'm sure all your childhood friends are, but that Joshua is the heck of a driven strong mind. Do you remember that phone call you had with your friends a few days after you settled down here? He did mention a certain Tony and said how he was going to ask him to investigate on me."

"But I told him it was pointless!"

"I guess he had a mind of his own," Ivan retorts without any form of anger.

"And?"

"And not much, Aaron. Tony did investigate and although he couldn't find anything suspicious about me or my activities, he decided to call me for a talk."

"What did he want to talk about?"

"It just turns out that he and his wife worried a lot for you, so they wanted to make sure you were doing well."

"But how do you know about what happened?" I insist.

I don't get why Tony would reveal such information if he just wanted to know I was fine. There are a few long seconds of eerie silence then, with Ivan looking as if he was brooding over the reasons why he would know about this, but as usual, he quickly recovers his natural self-confidence.

"You know how I can be persuasive, Menino, right?"

"No kidding..."

"The first time Tony called me, he seemed genuinely worried about you, but the questions he asked sounded odd," he explains quite naturally. "He kept asking if you looked anxious, if you had panic attacks, if you slept well or if you had nightmares. I just felt something fishy, so during our following call, I worked him to speak. I had already managed to pass off as some sort of father figure who really cared for you – which I truly do, as you know – and I coaxed him to tell me more about you to ensure your well-being. It helped that I'm the owner of several nightclubs and that he feared you'd come across older and less thoughtful guys. That's when he told me about what happened in New Jersey last year."

"How dared he?" I grumble, a bit upset by the revelation.

"Don't be mad at Tony, Aaron," Ivan argues soothingly. "Actually, we kind of made a pact. Tony said he'd tell me only if I accepted to keep in touch with him and update him on you. He didn't mean any wrong."

"How much did he tell you exactly?" I ask bitterly, feeling my stomach churn a bit, but I need to know.

"Not much, Menino, just the minimum. He told me about that shack where you used to hang out with your friends, about the birthday party you were going to have there, and that you'd been assaulted there before your friends arrived. He also said that one of the offenders accidentally died and that the other one escaped. He wouldn't tell me more, but at the end of the day, I didn't need more details. Tony was scared about potential psychological traumas, but I reassured him the best I could without telling him in what conditions I had met you. I simply said that you seemed to lead a normal teenage life."

I exhale a long sigh of relief at this, glad that Tony kept the creepiest details about the dead corpse he got rid of, because I don't want Ivan to be involved into this mess.

"If you ever feel the need to... discuss this, Aaron, I'm here to listen, or I could find a therap..."

"No," I cut him firmly. "I don't need to discuss what happened, and I don't need a therapist either. Like you told Tony, I'm leading a normal teenage life."

"But..."

"There's no but, Ivan. I'm fine. I resolved to get over what happened and I'm sticking to this," I reply with strong determination. "Okay, it was a traumatic experience physically speaking, I can't deny this, but I'll tell you something. Watching Camden forced to witness that and then Mark and Josh fighting with those bastards was a thousand times harder. I'm stronger than you'd think. I decided to get over it because at the end of the day, what hurt even more is that they also hurt my best friends. I don't care if it's sick, it's my way to cope, so deal with it. I don't need more talking, not even with a shrink."

"I can accept this, Menino. It only adds to the bond with your friends. I can tell you deeply care for them."

Like I care for you, jerk...

"Like they care for me too."

"Nonetheless, if you ever need to, j..."

"Okay, okay, got it. I'll tell you if I need to, thanks, Ivan. Thanks for having saved me again tonight, and thanks for being here now," I reply with genuine gratefulness.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. With what I knew from Tony, I guessed that it might trigger something tonight."

"Are you telling me that you've been expecting the nightmares?" I ask, and he just nods at the armchair by the window where a fleece blanket is resting. "Seriously?"

"I told you, I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Thank you. Thank you so much," I reply, quite bewildered. "I'm just wondering... Does Josh know about all this?" I add after a few seconds of reflection.

"About what? The fact that I speak with Tony on a regular basis?"

"That and the fact that Tony told you things."

"No, he doesn't, and as much as I usually praise honesty, I'd rather you keep this to yourself," he replies awkwardly. "When Joshua asked him to investigate on me, Tony just told him that I was clean and that he shouldn't worry."

Double standards, I see... Is honesty a virtue only when it's in his interest? Now, that actually puts me off a bit.

"Why didn't you tell me about it earlier? Why didn't you tell me that you knew?" I accuse in a tone that comes out harsher than I meant.

"Why didn't you tell me? What do you think, Aaron?" he snaps back. "Do you really think I could go and say Hey, I spoke with a Tony Jacobson, and he told me about certain events under the condition that I'd keep him updated on your situation? No way, Aaron. I would have told you if you had told me what happened to you. Exactly like I did today. And it's not like I didn't throw you lines before. I was just waiting for you to open up. I was waiting for you to prove me that you'd learn that lesson I gave you on honesty back in July."

"I could return you the same remark," I retort, scowling at him. "Have you always been honest with me? Aren't you hiding things from me?"

"There might be things I've hidden from you, but it's either to protect you or because I don't deem you ready to hear them. However, I've always strived to answer your questions honestly, Aaron, and like I've told you multiple times, I'm always open to communicate. Just ask whatever you want, and I'll answer."

"Ugh... I can't think of anything right now, I'm too tired."

"You should rest, indeed. It's only 6:30. I need more sleep, and so do you. We'll just talk later, Menino, okay?"

"Yeah," I grumble as I lie back down, yawning noisily. "Ivan?" I call out just as he is about to get up. "Can you just stay until I fall asleep?"

"Of course," he chuckles, and as he settles beside me, I snuggle against his firm body. "Are you okay, Menino?"

"Yeah," I reply casually, already drifting back to sleep. "Just need you here..."

"Good night, Aaron."

"You too."

Dark thoughts are weakly trying to resurface, but loyal to my former positive attitude, I force them to the back of my head. I know that people can react differently in front of such experiences, but not me. I don't want to dwell on the past. That past. It's here, I can't deny it happened, but brooding over those dreadful events won't make me move forward.

I just want a happy life full of love, sex and fun. That's what I have always wanted, so there is no way I'm going to let these revolting memories crush my hopes and desires. I have done pretty well so far, why wouldn't I keep it this way?

At least, these positive thoughts enable me to enjoy a peaceful and dreamless end of night, and when I wake up again around 3 in the afternoon, I feel serene, entirely rested and in a merry mood. The sun is shining through the windows at its full brightness, meaning it's another beautiful day in Los Angeles, and I almost smirk at the lower temperatures that I would be facing in New Jersey at this time of year. Almost. The truth is that I'm a bit nostalgic of these cold winters I have always loved. If I am to stay in L.A., I might never experience those ever again, but who knows? I might not spend the rest of my life in California.

Well, for now I am in the City of Angels and I definitely rejoice in the beautiful weather and its temperatures at an average sixty or seventy degrees. I can't say if Ivan spent the rest of the night in my bed or if he simply got up a long time ago, but the space beside me is cold. Anyway, that's enough time wasted in bed, so I eventually get up and after a quick stop by the bathroom for my morning routine, I put on some shorts and head out.

As I near the staircase, I decipher voices coming from the living room and their animated tone catches my attention. Stepping down as silently as I can – the perks of a tiled staircase – I finally get to make up some of Ivan's and Anton's words.

"Bullshit, Anton... not all about Aaron's safety... other customers..."

"I agree, Ivan, but what can we do? These drugs are such a plague!"

"What about sniffer dogs at the entrance?" Ivan suggests, his voice becoming clearer as I reach the bottom of the staircase.

"I don't think they can detect GHB because it's usually packed in small bottles and it's odorless."

"I still think it'd be worth looking into that option. And good afternoon, Aaron!" he calls out louder. "Glad to see that the baby's finally gotten his beauty sleep!"

Fuck! How did he know? I haven't made a sound!

"Hey, I'm no baby," I grumble as I show up and take a seat around the dining table where they have actually settled. "Did you hear me coming?" I ask, causing Anton to spit back some coffee into his mug. "Eww gross... You're such a perv..."

"I didn't hear you. You just need a shower, Menino," Ivan chuckles playfully.

"Oh wow... Did you guys have clown for breakfast?"

Briefly sniffing my armpits, I realize that a good shower wouldn't be luxury, but it's not that bad and certainly not to the point he would have smelled my presence from such a distance. Anyway, the shower can wait; my stomach can't. Helping myself with tea and a couple of toasts that I cover with marmalade, I also get a glass of pineapple juice.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Anton asks more seriously.

"I'm fine, no worries. And by the way..." I trail off a bit shamefully as I suddenly remember the embarrassing flirting, "I'm sorry about last night... you know... It seems like I didn't know what I was doing."

"No problem, Aaron," Anton laughs out as a smug smile cracks across his lips. "But if you have a thing for black hunks, I'll introduce you to my younger brother. At least, he's gay."

"Can't you shut the fuck up, Anton?" Ivan growls with exasperation.

"Oh, come on, Ivan, Mike's a good guy!"

"Stop it."

"I didn't know you had a brother," I chip in, grinning at Anton.

"I do. He's a real stud. Two hundred pounds of muscles."

"Jeez! He'd make a good bouncer then," I chuckle, causing Anton to burst out laughing.

"That's his job actually."

"Oh nice! In one of your clubs, Ivan?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. At the Heaven Water?"

"Depends on where we need him," Anton replies.

"Next time I go to the Heaven Water, I could meet him then."

"Next time you go to the Heaven Water isn't anytime soon," Ivan grunts.

"Why is that?"

"Because after this relaxing weekend, you'll focus on your studies until you take the GED."

"Come on, a little evening out won't kill me," I counter.

"Thank God, it won't. Nonetheless, I'd rather you take your exams first. And speaking of the club, I'd like to apologize, Menino. I should have lectured more on fundamental safety rules when you're clubbing," Ivan says with genuine sorrow. "It's fine to accept drinks from strangers, but you should never trust a glass that you didn't get straight from the bartender. Never drink from your glass if at any time you lost sight of it, because you went to the restrooms for example. Is that clear?"

"All clear."

"I should have told you that before, I'm sorry, Menino."

"Don't, Ivan. Don't work yourself up. I should have guessed that much, you warned me to be cautious, but I just got carried away and lowered my guard. It's not your fault."

"I still think I should have been more precise. Too many people get tricked with such vile actions."

"Does it often happen?"

"Thank goodness, no!" Anton snorts angrily. "But unfortunately, it happens. Innocent and careless people sometimes get drugged with GHB or X, even if we try our best to keep that shit out of the club."

"You know," I say a bit hesitantly, "I heard what you were saying before I arrived, and... why don't you guys arrange some sort of prevention campaign?"

"Hmm... carry on," Ivan encourages me as a glint of excitement and pride shines in his eyes.

"Well, I don't know, but... it could be Scott making regular announcements at the peak hour of the night... or you could get some flyers distributed at the entrance once or twice a month..."

"You were right, the kid's pretty smart," Anton comments with high appreciation.

"I'm not a kid!"

"Still a bit, but you're a smart kid, so take it as a compliment," the security manager chuckles.

"I never had a doubt," Ivan concurs, and his approving look goes straight to my heart.

Throughout the next hour, the three of us seriously discuss options for a prevention campaign and I feel proud when Anton says he'd like to include me in the meeting he will schedule with the security managers of all of Ivan's clubs. He even offers me to help designing the flyer they'd give to customers.

I can't say that I'm deeply shocked by what happened last night, but would it have been the same if Ivan didn't have me watched over and if I had ended up in a gangbang? Just thinking about it makes me shudder, but I also think about poor rape victims whose naivety – like mine – led them to become easy preys for assaulters. I absolutely loathe the idea that evil people can use and abuse weaker ones.

Above all, I fear for my best friends who are just beginning to enjoy their young adults' life, going out and partying as often as they can. However, I am learning a lot from Ivan, and like he has often told me, honesty is a virtue that I should apply myself to delve in. That's why I ask him if I can use the phone in his office a bit later that afternoon – one that allows several numbers to connect in some sort of conference call – and solicit his help while I speak with my friends.

"Can you hear me, guys?

"Yep. Hey, Ron, we got your text for an urgent call, so I'm worried now," Mark says right away with concern. "Something happened?"

"Nothing too bad, but I thought it'd be better to speak to you all at the same time. By the way, I'm on speaker and Ivan's beside me," I add in a meaningful tone.

"Oh... hi, Ivan!" my three friends funnily cheer in sync.

"Hello, Boys."

"So, what happened, Ron-Ron?" Cam prompts very quickly.

"Ugh, will you stop calling me that?"

"Okay, okay, I know, only Sony's allowed to. Whatever, spill the beans."

"Right... So, I have great news to break, but first, there's something else I need to tell you," I reply a bit hesitantly, seeking Ivan's support which he brings as he gently grabs my right wrist over his desk. "Last night, I finally went to the Heaven Water, Ivan's biggest nightclub..."

"And?" Josh encourages me warily.

"And it was great, the club's really huge, the music was good, but I was fooled by a group of guys I was flirting with. Now, you shouldn't worry because it ended well, but it could have turned into a drama if it weren't for the security guard that Ivan had assigned to my surveillance, and..."

"Ugh, Ron... What happened?" Joshua urges impatiently.

"These guys spiked my drink with a drug called GHB and..."

"Oh my God... no... not again..." Cam blurts out with such angst that my heart constricts in my chest.

"Cam, I said it ended well, don't worry," I repeat as an attempt to calm him down. "The security guy noticed a change in my behavior and reacted before things could escalate."

"Are you sure?" Mark insists.

"A hundred percent sure, Boys, nothing happened," Ivan interferes. "We've got the video footage. These guys were arrested, and we'll file a law suit this week."

"Oh, good," Joshua whispers. "Are you alright though, Aaron?"

"Yes, I'm absolutely fine, you needn't worry," I reply with much more self-confidence. "I had some sort of black-out, so I can't even remember much."

"All the same, it sucks, Ron. You gotta be more cautious, Bro."

"Josh's right, be careful, it could have been serious," Cam also grumbles, but before Mark can add a grain of salt, I decide to speak up.

"Hey! How many times have you been out to clubs and pubs and accepted drinks from strangers since you got more independence?" I accuse, and it effectively shuts them up.

"Boys," Ivan interferes again after a few quiet seconds, "your silence says it all. It could happen to you too and that's another purpose for this call. I did warn Aaron on potential dangers in nightclubs, he was pretty much lectured on the flow of drugs, alcohol prohibition under 21, the use of condoms for safe sex and what's not, but perhaps not enough because there are specific rules you should always follow in private parties, clubs and pubs."

"Like what?" Mark enquires.

Ivan basically repeats what he told me earlier about accepting drinks from strangers and never drinking from a glass that they may have left without surveillance, and he also seizes the opportunity to lecture them on other sensitive topics like safe sex and unhealthy addictions. I can totally picture them suppressing their sighs and rolling their eyes, and that makes me chuckle inwardly.

"We got the message, thank you, Ivan," Mark says when my guardian eventually ends his speech.

"You're welcome, Boys, just stay safe. Now, on a lighter note, I believe Aaron has other news to break," he concludes, winking at me.

"Some good news hopefully, Ron-Ron!" Camden cheers, making me grunt.

"The good news is that I'll soon be able to kick your butt in person if you keep calling me that."

"Are you going to Boston?" Josh-The-Smart-Ass exclaims.

"Boston or wherever. Ivan offered three plane tickets for my birthday to visit you all, but..."

My friends don't let me finish, and before I can pursue my explanations, there is a loud uproar of cheers and screams of excitement which turns into a cacophony of unintelligible words as everyone begins to speak at the same time.

"SHUT UP!" I shout louder than them. "Ivan came up with an even better idea. Rather than visiting each of you separately, he suggested that we all meet in one location, and it could be Boston indeed. He'd pay for Mark's and Joshua's tickets in addition to mine so that we can reunite for a long weekend, depending on your class schedules."

"Before you start protesting about expenses, consider this as a gift to Aaron," Ivan adds firmly. "He needs to see you, and I believe it'll be better if the four of you can gather in one place."

I'm really glad that my friends don't try to protest too much and in fact, it's not long before we are making plans for our reunion with Mark suggesting to schedule it around Veterans Day in November. Of course, it means that I will have to take the GED and make a decision for my future before that, but right now, I feel like I could deal with just any shit. As Ivan leaves us to our conversation, throwing me a warm smile before he heads out, a warm wave of utter happiness and eagerness washes over me.

I just can't wait to see my childhood friends again. And to hold them. Even if only for a few days.

Published on 10 April 2020

By popular demand, this chapter is being published earlier, and I hope you enjoyed it.

If you expected Aaron to get out of control or anything dramatic, well, sorry, you must be disappointed. Each victim of abuse have their own reactions and their own coping mechanisms, and as you have already seen in the previous chapters, Aaron was much more traumatized by his friends' pain than by what he physically endured. And in fact, it fits in that whole logic of deep friendship, and it also adds to the strongest side of his personality. So, of course, there are (and there will be) reminiscences and sometimes triggering events, but all in all, Aaron will keep dealing with that part of his past quite well, and what happened at the club was mostly the trigger he needed to open up to Ivan.

Speaking of, a few words about the sexy Master Dom... Once again, remember that you've only gotten Aaron's POV so it's on the reader to interpret Ivan's words and actions. From the little hints scattered into this chapter as well as the two phone conversations that Ivan had with Tony in two previous chapters, you can imagine that he distorted a few aspects, but as usual, some truths will be revealed much, much later. Same about Marcus' presence at the club obviously, though that will be revealed quite soon now.

And finally... it's funny because people have sometimes asked why it said A name that should ring a bell under Anton's name in the list of characters at the end of the book. Well, I guess you have found out now, and if you still haven't, I encourage you to reread chapter 14 of The Darker Side Of The Moon.

Anyway, it will soon be time to see Mark, Cam and Josh again for a couple chapters, but before that, another little something needs to happen, and we might make an interesting encounter in the next chapter ;)

Next update will be on April 22nd but you will get the promised one-shot on Wednesday as it should be finished by then ;)