"What on God's green heaven are you doing here, Adamson?" Melinda bellowed, face full of anger as she takes in the young man and his group of allies. "I made it clear that you and your ilk were not to come to this place."

"Bitch, ask me if I give a rat's fat ass," Ja'Marco shot back. "My crew and I weren't going to be bullied by your slut of a stepdaughter, your niece, or even those old people into staying home and watching movies- not when my best friend is in need of a familiar face. And speaking of which, what the hell happened to him?"

"Ja'Marco just had a cleansing swim yesterday that was long overdue," Francis said smoothly as he and his male family members joined Melinda at her side. "Turns out, he's a more-talented swimmer than he thought."

"I'll bet," Kimani spat. She sneered at the now-glaring Martin and Joseph. "And it looks like our former allies are now super-studs who drank whatever Kool-Aid that you gave them."

"We just gave up with the foolish games," Joseph replied in a snide tone before shooting an apologetic look at a glum-faced LaVanna, her family by her side. "I don't regret spending my time with my ex-girlfriend, but my family and I just needed to...well, shake off the agnostic ideals and start going for the gold."

At that, two well-dressed older Hispanic men- both of them being older clones of Joseph- came to his side while two older "Martins" joined his best friend.

"Shameful," Mrs. Adamson remarked. "This is a nightmare."

"No, the Cuban Missile Crisis was a nightmare," Chanel piped up as Gwen stood at her left and Mrs. Lancaster at her right. "This is a catastrophe. But there could be home for Ja'Marco once we get him out of this town and back in California where he belongs."

"That won't be happening, Miss Freeman," Frederich said, his booming voice full of anger as he and his family's eyes glowed sea-green alongside the students and teachers while the town police officers arrived. "You all are lucky that this is the first week of school, so you're getting off with a slap on the wrist. Next time, however, I will not be so generous or courteous. I am banning all of you from this campus effective immediately. Not only that, you will have ZERO contact with my nephew or even be allowed to see him unless I feel otherwise. Any attempts to do so will be met with the most-severe punishment."

"You can't stop us from seeing Ja'Marco," Ro'Niah shouted. "Mothafucka, I may come from the church, but I ain't afraid to cut me some bitches wide open."

"Such filth," one of the older women sniffed. "That young man's friend doesn't need to be associated with him or his friends."

"I feel sorry for Hedare," one of the GVA freshmen said sadly. "If he's been around that kind of group if he remained in California, who knows what might happen."

Ja'Marco shook his head in dismay.

"Leave, trash," Melinda commanded. "Leave, or I WILL have you all arrested."

Ro'Niah shook his head. "This ain't over," he vowed as he and his crew began to leave. "This is far from over, Melinda Hedare. Whatever's going on is going to end once Ja'Marco finally sees right through your self-righteous ass."

"Bradenton, you and the boys take Ja'Marco to dinner and then make sure he stays in his dorm after that," Francis instructed his nephews. To Ja'Marco, "You see? Those kids are nothing but trouble. The less you have anything to do with them, the better off you'll be."

But the more I spend time with these guys, the less original that I am, Ja'Marco thought as he let Reichen and Martin escort him out of the ballroom through another exit. And if Ro'Niah is right, then I will become more in danger the longer that I stay in Glenview Academy.

**************

Morrissen's Diner, ten minutes later...

"Sorry that tonight turned out to be a bust," Lachlan said as he, Ja'Marco, the Estrada twins, Martin, Joseph, Broderick, and Bradenton sat down at a private table at another roadside diner similar to Coral Bay, but had a more cleaner and masculine approach. Surprisingly enough, this retro-centric restaurant catered to the students and teachers of GVA while Gwen's place was for the general public. "If it wasn't for those nobodies, the night would've gone off without a hitch."

"Definitely," Broderick agreed as the waiter arrived with plates of burgers, fries and shakes on hand. To Ja'Marco (who was on his diet and had to settle for a simple grilled chicken sandwich and fresh fruit), "I'm so glad that Aunt Melinda took the initiative to ensure that you're staying on campus with us, Jay. That riff-raff gang are a bit too extreme for anyone's tastes. Who knows what might happen if you stayed with them?"

"Probably being brainwashed into being a hater," Joseph remarked. "Martin and I are so glad that we left when Francis picked us up after our run. And besides, being a Triton isn't really that bad. I never felt so alive in my life."

Why does it feel like I'm trapped in 'Disturbing Behavior?' Ja'Marco thought sourly as he sat up and sipped on his glass of water.

"Hey, Jay, did you have any other friends besides that group you were surrounded with?" Felipe asked.

Ja'Marco shook his head no. "Ro'Niah thought that I needed to stay with him and our friends," he answered.

"Fine friend he is," Felix sniffed. But at least you can have friends here. And as long as you're with us, you can never go wrong."

Ja'Marco only nodded, deciding to keep his true feelings to himself. After finishing his meal and making chit-chat with everyone, he excused himself and stepped outside.

"Hello, young man. You look out of place despite being surrounded by the boys of GVA."

He turned to see a young woman dressed in a flory dress with her hair wrapped in a headscarf. "Hi," he said uneasily. "And yeah, it's a bit complicated for me right now. I'm Ja'Marco."

"Melina," the woman said in a musical accent as she approached him. "I'm a fortune-teller, if you haven't figured it out. And I bet you could use some guidance right now."

"I'm feeling so confused right now since I arrived and met my birth father and his brood- the Quitmans," he replied.

Melina frowned at the mention of Francis Quitman. "May I see your hand? I want to read your palm."

Ja'Marco looked around, grateful to see his male company being lost in their camaraderie. "Might as well." He extended his hand and took a deep breath while Melina studied his palm. "What do you see?"

"Oh, my," Melina breathed. "Young man, you are indeed from a long line of powerful men. But you face two paths in life: one that leads to safety yet hatred and one leading to forbidden fruit and prosperity. I cannot say anything else in danger of scaring you away, but you will have to make a difficult choice once you learn the truth. You can either fight against your fate, lose your birthright and your family's respect, and go home with the ones who will take you deeper down their road. Or you can play the most dangerous game and live the life that is truly meant for you. Sometimes, you have to play that game of sensuality in order to truly enjoy it all. But be warned. There will be many secrets that will question your sanity and your worth. And there will be people who say that they care, but will exploit you for their gain. But most of all, there is a secret that will finally push you to make the final decision that will change how you see the world."

Ja'Marco stared at the fortune-telling gypsy, unsure of what to say.

"I can only show you the door, young man," Melina finished as she let go of his hand. "It'll be up to you to make the choices before the final secret is revealed and you decide which path to take. Live well, Ja'Marco Hedare, but be warned. All is not what they seem to be. Look beyond what is apparent."

With that, she turned and walked away.

Gentle reader, like Melina, I can only show you the door. It'll be up to you to decide if you want to go further. But once you do, there will be no going back. As for Ja'Marco, the stage is set for what will be a saga like none other. Turn the page if you dare to dive in. Or even better, turn the page if you don't.

END OF ACT ONE

And there you have it, folks! The stage is set for what will be a thrilling and chilling act two! With Ja'Marco in the middle of a war between amazing sensuality and austere sustenance; there will be no telling what is reality and fantasy. There will be forbidden passions, family secrets, and more transformations before the big secret is revealed! The game is on and all the players have their roles.

The prologue for act two is coming up with another set of journal entries from S.G. Hedare while Adamson and his team gear down for an imminent war with one Melinda Hedare. Stay tuned!

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