It was still the middle of the night so we could see the Las Vegas city skyline. The whole city was filled with lights, glowing in the dark. It was so bright; it could be day for all we know. And the stars couldn’t be seen thanks to the city below. There was a huge, replica of the statue of liberty, who Chiron explained was modeled after Athena. There were also huge replicas of the Eifel tower and a pyramid.

Leo sighed, “Las Vegas, the city that never sleeps”.

Jason corrected Leo, “That’s New York. New York is called the city that never sleeps.”

“Oh,” Leo said. “I mean, I knew that. I was testing you guys. What are the nicknames of Las Vegas then?”

Piper answered, “There’s “The Gambling Capital of the World”.

Leo whistled. “Yup, I’m hitting some casinos.”

Jason pointed out, “We’re underage, and we can’t gamble”.

Piper continued, “Also “The Entertainment Capital of the World”, “The Capital of Second Chances”, and “The Marriage Capital of the World”.”

Leo asked, “How do you know all of this.”

Piper shrugged, “My dad’s Tristan McLean. We go here all the time for vacation and movie premiers.”

I gasped, completely forgetting to save up my words. “Your dad’s the Tristan McLean?”

Piper blushed, “Sorry I didn’t tell you. I’m not much of a show off kind.”

I nodded, I could respect that. Piper never seemed like the “in your face” show off girl like some Aphrodite kids are.

“You forgot that Las Vegas is also called “Sin City”, Fern mumbled. “ Just look at how much the whole city waste electricity. You can’t even see the stars. I hope Las Vegas will have a blackout for this.”

I gave him agreed with him, this whole city uses all its electricity just for casinos, parties and other stuff. It lit up the darkness of the desert. But still, the city was beautiful at night.

We conjured enough money to book a hotel. We had to hide Phoenix behind the alley; I didn’t want anyone to literally make her a circus pony.

When we got into our suite it seemed like, no adult supervision heaven. Talk about luxury, if you look up luxury in the dictionary, you’ll see a picture of out room. There were three king-size beds with a small chocolate on the pillow. There was a huge flat-screen TV with every game system you can buy in Best Buy. A chandelier hung on top of the dining table, there was a microwave, and a mini fridge. Leo looked in and it showed a buffet of candies, it looked like it was a year supply of Willy Wonka’s candies. I looked at the balcony that showed the view of the Las Vegas skyline. But the best part, what the bathrooms. It had a shower filled with a store full of shampoos, conditioners, and expensive soaps. We all crowded in to get the first shower.

After all of us were fully showered and dressed up, we looked up on the nightclub in the apple computer the suite also have. We found the address of the suite, it was owned by called Arian Dolphus.

Fern gulped, “He has the same last name as Arik. Like the school bully who used to pick on me?”

Leo smiled, “You were bullied? And you wanted me to call you fearless Fern.”

Fern stammered, “S-shut up”.

I reassured Fern that the guy probably isn’t related to Arik. But still, it was a strange coincidence that the owner’s last name is Dolphus. Dolphus didn’t seem like a common last name, maybe he was an uncle or something.

Piper pointed out, “We don’t have the right outfits for a nightclub.”

Leo grumbled, “I am not going out shopping with anyone”.

I gave a smug smiled. “Maybe we don’t have to.”

I pressed on my ring and went to the Aphrodite mode. The section was filled with clothes of every design. Piper and I picked out the boy’s outfits. Piper had Jason wear a black suit with a blue tie, and black leather shoes. Piper also wanted to have Leo wear pants suit, with a collared shirt, suspenders, and a plaid porkpie hat.

Leo whined, “I wore this exact outfit thanks to Aphrodite.”

Piper smiled, “I know”.

And we chose Fern a plaid shirt and jeans. He was glad to be overlooked. Piper and I hid away from the boys as we chose our dresses. Piper wanted to go simple. She chose an awesome light green dress with black design lace covering it, the dress falls below her knees. It was supported by one strap that hung by her left shoulder. She felt comfortable wearing black leggings with it. My 9th grade summer party was ruined by a manticore so I decided to choose a dress that will make up for it. I chose a short dress that went a little bit above my knees, my type of dress. It was a strapless purple dress with the same style as a ballerina dress that had ruffled colors of magenta, indigo, and white. We did each others hair and wore matching jewelry, Aphrodite would’ve been proud of the both of us.

We got back to the other room with the others. Jason was busy trying to fix his tie, Leo was trying to find ways to make his tool belt more stylish, and Fern was flipping channels on the TV. When we walked in all of them stared at us. I gave Piper a high five. We all then went to the address of the nightclub.

We had enough money to take a taxi instead of walking there. As we crowded into the taxi, the driver gave us a smile.

He asked, “Date night?”

He then looked at Fern, “Plus one?”

We all shook our heads while Fern was the only on shaking his head yes.

Jason said, “Downtown Las Vegas, The A-Lyre-Ing Nightclub”.

He started to drive then gave a low whistle. “That nightclub, are you sure you’re in the list?”

Fern asked, “What do you mean?”

The cabbie explained, “It’s tough just getting into the list, and you have that bouncer to worry about. He’s like a fort, I tell you.”

Piper gulped, “L-like a fort?”

“Yup”, the cabbie nodded gravely. “He was charge from assault when a bunch of policemen tried to capture some guy in the club.”

Leo mumbled, “How fun”.

The taxi driver took us to our stop. The nightclub was practically the brightest club in the whole city. Spotlights from it filled the sky. The sign had the words, “A-Lyre-Ing Nightclub” in bright lights. It showed a neon lyre and it shows someone’s hand plucking it. There was a long line at the front of the club, behind the red ropes.

Then we saw the bouncer. The cabbie wasn’t kidding; he looked like the Hulk, only he’s not green and not only wearing purple shorts. He was this huge buff guy, and was bald. It’s wasn’t “funny” bald, it was army hair cut bald, the tough and scary kind. He had biceps the size of basketballs that were covered with tattoos everywhere. He wore sunglasses, even if it was the middle of the night. He wore a black shirt that wrote out security, ripped jeans hung with a belt. He looked like a statue with his arms crossed, he hasn’t moved a muscles, despite the fact that everyone in the line kept on pleading for themselves to get in.

Fern muttered, “He wasn’t kidding”.

Jason spoke quietly, “We can always use our secret weapon”.

Piper asked, “What’s that?”

We all looked at Piper.

“Oh,” she said. “Right my charm speaking.”

Leo said, “Remember it’s all about confidence”.

She took a deep breath and was about to come up to the guy. But she quickly went back to us.

She stammered, “I-I can’t.”

Jason asked, “Why not?”

She stared at him. “He’s big enough to squash me like a bug.”

I said to her, “We’ll all go together.”

We walked up to the bouncer. He was a like a tower, he actually had to bend over to see us.

He grumbled, “Get into the line”.

We pushed Piper in front of us.

She said in her best charm speak voice, “Please Mr. - she looked at the name tag pinned to his shirt, Brutus Maulins- Mr. Maulins, can we get into the club. We’re meeting someone.”

He said gruffly, “Then your name should be in the list. Is your name in the list?”

Piper stammered, “I think so? Do you have McLean? My father is Tristan McLean.”

Piper told me she hates it when she plays the famous father card.

The guy looked into his clipboard and shook his head. “Your name isn’t here. And from the looks of it, your underage, run along now.”

Piper pleaded, “Please Mr. Maulins, we really need to get in there. Can you let us in? We’ll let no one know.”

The guy arched an eyebrow. He looked at the complaining people in the line. He then whispered secretly to Piper, “You’re a daughter of Aphrodite, aren’t you?”

Piper nodded her head with us nodding along.

He gave a smug smile. “And a charmspeak, too?”

She nodded again.

“Nice try, even your charmspeak won’t work on ol’ Brutus. Though you’re the strongest charm speaker I faced, you made me look at my clipboard.”

Fern gulped, “That’s how much even the “strongest charm speaker” made you do, just look at your clipboard?”

Brutus shrugged. “I’m a son of Ares; I have many exes who were charm speakers. But I have enough will power to control myself.”

I stepped forward. “Can’t you let us in? I need to meet someone important there.”

Brutus eyed me. “What’s your name?”

“Alexandria Olympia,” I replied.

He looked into his clipboard. He looked at me and the clipboard, then back at me.

“You must be the one then.”

I asked, “What?”

He smiled, “The owner put your name in the list, and he ordered me to immediately let you in once you come to the club”.

“T-the owner.”

Suddenly he seemed like a whole different person. He gave me a slight bow, as if I was royalty. “Yes, Mr. Dolphus wishes to speak with you, Ms. Olympia.”

He unhooked the red rope and coaxed me in; the people in the line gave disproving boos. He handed me a VIP pass that I hooked onto the belt of my dress. When I went in, he quickly hooked it back, not letting the others in.

Leo cried, “Seriously? We’re with her.”

He shrugged.

I gave a sly smile and said, “I’ve always wanted to do this.”

I tapped on Brutus’ shoulder. “They’re with me.”

He nodded and unhooked the rope and let the others in.

Leo asked, “Where’s my VIP?”

Brutus shooked his head. “Only Mr. Olympia may have the pass.”

He then added, “Say, ‘Buster says hi,’ to Chiron and grumpy Mr. D, they’ll know what I mean.”

When we went in, we put our coats into the coat room. They exchange our coats with masks.

The coat check lady explained, “The nightclubs theme is costume party.”

She gave Jason a, well, a Jason hockey mask, Fern a batman mask, Leo Groucho Marx glasses, and she gave Piper a cute green mask on a stick.

Leo whined, “A Groucho Marx glasses, really?”

The lady only replied, “You get what you get, and you don’t get upset”.

She then eyed my VIP pass. She looked my name in the pass then looked into a clipboard. She went at the back of the room, and then came back with a mask. It was a beautiful Venetian half-mask. It was white and gold, covered in matching sequences. It also had black and white feathers glued to each side.

I said, “That is so not for me.”

The lady nodded. “It’s for you; the owner picked it out just for you, Ms. Graham.”

I put the mask on.

I asked, “Well, how do I look.”

Leo cried, “I got these glasses while you get that. I demand to meet this owner.”

He was right, maybe the owner is the guy I’m suppose to meet.

I asked the lady, “Where can I find the owner of the club?”

She giggled. “He ordered me not to tell you. He’s a man with mysterious ways; he wishes to find you in the mask.”

With that she went back to the room. We went into the club. The DJ, some guy in a red and black Venetian jester half mask. He started playing some pop rock music. The music blared in the club, with people in different mask dancing on it. To me, this place looked more like a “modern” masquerade ball. All of the couches, counters, and chairs glowed in neon colors, probably so people can find there way it. The whole building was very roomy, and there was also a second floor with more people dancing. Spotlights and a fog machine made it crammier. It was pretty luxurious, with a bar (not going there) and pool table. And, whoa, is that a hot tub?

Fern said, “Act natural, we have to find this “owner”.

Piper then grabbed Jason and headed out to the dance floor. It was a huge area at the middle of the building, with flashing tiles in different colors. Leo looked at me expectedly.

I said, “I should go with-”

I turned around but Fern wasn’t there. I then found him surrounded by a bunch of girls dressed like fairies.

Leo coughed.

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, all right.”

The DJ played some rock music. More people started to get on the dance floor. It was like a rock concert only everyone was forced to dance to the music in a crowded room Mayday, mayday, I want to evacuate the dance floor. The song “Evacuate the Dance Floor” came up, how convenient. I was bruised all over by being stabbed by a high heel, elbowed in the waist, and stepped on my foot. Everyone started dance as if they didn’t care how dumb they look like. Some drunken guy in a Jigsaw mask started do a bunch of mix dances, everyone surrounded him in a circle as he made a total fool of himself. The music turned to some slow music. Leo and I grasped each other’s hands and I set my other hand on his shoulder. I tried to look at Leo like it was normal, but he looked really dumb in the Groucho Marx glasses. I couldn’t help but smile.

He smiled back. “What’s so funny?”

I started to laugh. “It’s hard to take you seriously with that mask on.”

“You’re the one to talk.” He spit out a feather that was in his mouth. “I’m dancing with a molting chicken.”

Then I stomped on his foot, hard.

I smirked, “Whoops”.

I saw Jason and Piper doing a slow dance with each other. Then I saw something that caught my eye, some guy sitting on a couch was surrounded by a semi-circle of girls. He saw me staring, and winked at me.

“Is something wrong?” Leo asked.

I asked, “What?”

I glanced back at that guy, and he was gone. The girls surrounding him looked puzzled.

Leo asked again, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I quickly said, “I-it’s nothing.”

He looked back to who I was staring at and saw the group of dumbfounded girls. He slowly stopped dancing and continued to stare at the beautiful girls. Wow, Leo hasn’t changed a bit. The song changed to “Makes Me Wonder”, seriously it’s like the DJ is reading my mind. Suddenly some guy bashed between us, grabbed my waist, and danced away with me. I watched as Leo stood there confused on what just happened. I stared at the guy who literally stole me away.

“No One” began to play; I swear the DJ is not helping out the mood right now.

The guy said in some sort of accent. “Why, you must be the most stunning girl I’ve ever met.”

He was the same guy I saw being surrounded by those girls. He looked about my age; he had dirty, blond hair. He was slightly taller than me, quite well-built and had a strong grip as we dance. He had a black buttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He buttoned it making it able to show his necklace, a lyre. He tucked his shirt into his jeans, showing a belt. He was wearing a pirate Venetian half mask kind of like mine, only it was silver and black. The thing is, he seems so familiar to me.

I answered back with tongue, “More like stolen”.

“It’s very hard to imagine”, He laughed, his familiar green eyes rolling back. “That you’re still not enchanted by the charming guy who just whisked you off your feet.”

I snorted, “More like the drunken guy who kidnapped me while I was dancing with someone else”.

His breath smelled normal, he doesn’t seem drunk.

He gave me a wide grin, “Oh?”

“Yes, now if you can let go of me, I can go back to-”

I tried to pull away, but he just held me tighter.

He cut me off, “That friend of yours? That seems to have found something more interesting instead of looking for you?”

He pointed behind me. I turned and saw Leo talking, being surrounded with the same semi-circle of girls. He probably said something funny, because the girls burst out laughing. I clenched my fist, forgetting that I was still dancing with the guy.

He chuckled, “How rude of him. And you must be angry at him, no?”

I snapped, “That’s none of your business.”

“Even though you’re still dancing with me”, He gave me a sly grin. “When you can freely let go, you still stay?”

I tried to pull away again, but he had a firm grip and wouldn’t let me go. What am I doing? I’m wasting my time and words with this guy.

I smirked, “Says the guy who refuses to let me go”.

He chucked, “I guess you’re right. But I think I will continue to refuse, I find this very-”

He paused and smiled, “Enchanting”.

“You’re dancing with me against my will, and you find this… enchanting”.

“Yes, you’re right.”

I sighed, “Thank you”.

“I find this… amusing.”

“Seriously?”

“You’re adorable when you’re obnoxious.”

I couldn’t believe it. “You’re already judging me? You’re describing me as obnoxious?”

“It’s a very cute trait if you wish to know. And why, you don’t see me as a judging type?”

“No, and I have every right to judge you.”

He gave me the most sincere smile he could make. “Then by means, go ahead. Give it your all; tell me my most horrifying traits.”

“Okay then, but I’m not going to hold back.”

We continued to dance. He smiled, “Give me your best shot”.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re the most despicable, disagreeable, unlikable, and repulsive guy I have ever faced.”

He said nothing, as if my words didn’t move him.

He scratched his head, “You weren’t kidding when you hold back”.

This time I said nothing.

His face broke to a grin. “But I guess I have a few of those flaws, nobody’s perfect. And I may be a little persistent, but look where my flaw got me.”

He twirled me as we dance.

I muttered, “Some flaw”.

“But I have many other characteristics.”

I rolled my eyes, “Like what?”

“I’m so intelligent it’s contagious, quite handsome, and great to be around.”

I added, “And very modest”.

“Oh, I guess I forgot about that, too.”

I smiled, “What about me, what are my traits you seem to like”.

He began, “If I must, you seem like an alpha female and a guy magnet.”

“I guess that’s true.”

“Well, you’re very impendent and way out of that league of that dork in the glasses.”

I scanned the room and saw Leo had moved on to his next victim, some girl who was dressed like a runner-up in America’s Next Top Model.

“Continue”.

“Quite pretty and have a great sense of style.”

“Quite?”

“You’re not very boring, like many girls who fall for me.”

I coughed, “Falling to their death when they see how repulsive you are”.

He looked sad, “That hurts.”

“So who are you, mysterious stalker guy?”

He frowned, “Alexandria, who do you think I am?”

“I think I already answered that question, some wanna-be prince charming who-”

Then I just noticed, how did he know my name?

I asked, “Do I know you?”

“You should have found out by now. Charming personality, the accent, and what about this-?”

He lifted up my chin, “Only if I can get you alone”.

The lyre necklace, blond hair, same green eyes and unlikable personality.

I stammered, “A-Arik?”

He gave me a satisfied smile. “In the flesh.”

Now I really wasn’t to get away from him. I tried to pull away but he held me by the waist, tighter.

“W-hat is you doing here?”

He shook his finger in front of me. “The owner of the club has my last name, Dolphus, so I so called pretended to be in the list. And why should I, I told you that I’ll get you with my spell.”

“You dirty, cheating-”

“My, what language, who taught you such things?”

I snapped, “The dictionary for persistent stalkers”.

“Really? Never heard of it.”

I gritted my teeth, “What gives me the…pleasure?”

“I was in the club when I saw you in this beautiful dress. And, well, I couldn’t help myself.”

“I was dancing with some other guy, and you felt it’s alright to steal me?”

He shrugged. “I did you a favor, he looked more interested in other things.”

“You’re a spoiled rich kid who wants to get everything he wants.”

“If you put it like that, it seems mean.”

I saw my chance and let go from his grasped. I started to walk away, trying to hide myself in the crowd. I slipped passed Piper and Jason, so cute. Then I left the dance floor. I sat on one of those couches with the low tables on it. I plopped myself to the chair and sighed. All of those hours of dancing were tiring, my feet ached. I felt sad for Terpsichore, always dancing since she is the muse of dance. I suddenly felt an arm around me. I looked to my left and saw Arik.

He said in a scary-like voice, “You can run, but you can’t hide”.

I took arm off of me. “I’m sorry, I don’t talk to strangers.”

He transferred to the seat across from me. “But I’m not really a stranger, now am I?”

I glared at me. “I have pepper spray, and I’m not afraid to use it.”

He chuckled, “We both know that you don’t carry pepper spray, not like you don’t need it”.

Celestial bronze can’t hurt mortals, but I swear I will use it to threaten him.

“What do you want, Arik?”

“I’m not really Arik.”

I sarcastically gasped. “Really? Are you his evil twin, plotting to take over the world?”

He grinned, “Maybe I am. But other than that, I’m also known as the Arian Dolphus.”

I burst out laughing.

He smiled, “Um, this is funny?”

“You expect me to believe that you’re Arian Dolphus, the owner of the A-Lyre-Ing Nightclub?”

Arik-Arian gave me a serious, blank stare. “Yes.”

I stopped laughing. “Oh, you’re serious.”

He replied, “Quite”.

“Why are you telling me this?”

He dug into his pocket and got a pen. He wrote something onto a napkin and set it before me.

“Because I want you to spend a day with me.”

I snorted, “Why will I want to do that?”

“I have something that you’ll want.”

I paused, did he mean what I think he meant? He stood up, and walked towards me. He leaned beside me and whispered into my ear.

“One word,” he whispered. “Muses.”

He then walked past me, into the crowd of the nightclub. I stood from the couch and grabbed the napkin. I had to group the others and we headed back to our hotel. (P.S. We got to keep the masks.) Once we were back, I crashed into the bed. I then sat up and quickly took off my high heels.

Piper also took off her heels. “That was fun.”

Leo sighed and fell into a chair. “Yeah.”

I glared at him.

Fern asked me, “What happened?”

I explained, “I met the owner. He’s really Arik, posing as Arian.”

Fern gulped. “Oh no, Arik’s here?”

Leo asked, “When did you meet him?”

I gritted my teeth. “He was the guy who stole me away.”

“Seriously? That guy needs to learn some manners.”

“Yeah, where were you when that happened? He could have been a monster or something.”

Leo dug into his pockets and started to make something out of some bolts and nuts.

I barked, “Well?”

“I got occupied and-”

I snapped, “I’ll save you the trouble of explaining. I already saw you being “occupied”-”

“I could explain-”

I rolled my eyes.

Jason quickly changed the subject. “So did he give you, whatever you needed?”

I shook my head. “He wants to “hang out,” maybe he’ll give it to me by then”.

Fern said. “A whole day? Do you think we have enough time with wasting a day?”

“I think it’ll be fine. We only have four more days left until the sing-off, wasting one won’t hurt.”

“So,” Piper said. “Did he really sweep you off his feet?”

I nodded. “Like an eagle.”

“Wow”, she sighed. “I wish Jason could do that.”

Jason cleared his throat. “I already did, remember when you fell into the Grand Canyon?”

I said in awe, “You fell into the Grand Canyon?”

Piper nodded. “Now tell me what happened with this Arik guy?”

“He-”

I was about to tell her but my voice was gone. Darn, I literally talked too much. I wasted all of my words. I dug into my backpack and took out whiteboard, then started to write down what happened. I handed it to her, and she began to read it. I knew it would take a while since she’s dyslectic, so I took a shower and went to bed.

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Hellooo readers of my book.Thanks for waiting for me to finish this chapter. I was working on my other book, 'Clueless Cupid' also has something to do with Greek/Roman mythology. So I hope you can read it too. 

Anyway, Vomment!!!