True Fate (2 page)

Chapter 0.5

After graduation Nia and her best friend Rhea
made a pact to take a couple years to play and work before they started
college. Neither had much social status in high school, but were honors
students and Nia even graduated Magna Cum Laude. They tutored their peers and
stuck together like glue. It was easy to disappear into the masses in most
schools in Houston.

The girls had known each other forever. Their
fathers worked side by side at the port all while they were babies and into
their toddler years. When Nia's dad, Vincent De La Garza or Vince started his
own shipping company, Delgar Shipping International, he naturally took his best
friend, Albert Mitchell, with him. The girls have been through pretty much
everything together.

From first steps and all of those milestones to
adolescence kicking in early for Rhea and not for Nia. Meanwhile Delgar was
quickly climbing the ranks as one of the top five shipping companies in the
U.S.

When the girls were ten Rhea's mom Eve was
diagnosed with breast cancer. Rhea spent so much time at Nia's house, they went
"pink for the cure" crazy. Their bond only strengthened over those
years of uncertainty and pain. It was up and down with Rhea emotionally but
they did everything they could possibly do that involved a fight for the cure.

Her mom had good days and bad. Towards the end was
when Rhea came to stay with the De La Garza's. It was killing her to see her
mother's light diminishing in hospice. Although she never stopped going to
visit. It was difficult seeing her mom that way and agonizing to see her father
looking almost worse.

After two years battling the cancer Evelyn passed
away. Rhea moved in for a whole year after that. It was so hard on Albert, he
really tried to be there for her. The pain was just too much and he knew she'd
be safe with Margie and Vince. He just couldn't shake his depression, she was
his high school sweetheart. He was withering away, he wouldn't eat, and he
couldn't sleep.

Vince had finally had enough though. He gave his
best friend a year to pull himself out of the depression over Eve's death. He
basically had a one man intervention for Al. He went and got him and dropped him
somewhere to get better only telling the two demanding teen girls he was safe.

The girls never did find out where he was for
those six months but he came back a changed man. He told Rhea he would never
leave her again. He would always be there for her no matter what. His job was
waiting for him of course and he took Rhea back to live with him. After that
things were as good as they could be. Sorrows behind them, but definitely not
forgotten the girls were steadily inseparable.

Nia's mother, Margie, was super woman! Well not
literally of course, but she juggled life with grace. She has her own
successful interior design company, Du Monte House of Interior Design. She was
always there for all of the girls, Nia, Rhea and Nia's sisters Amarie and
Magdalena. There was always a hot meal or a freshly ordered one. She made sure
they had all they needed and that they all spent quality time together.
Needless to say Rhea and Al were family.

When the girls hatched operation, "Give my
brain a Break", Vince, Margie and Al were quick to say no. The girls were
plenty prepared for this and laid out their plan in great detail. The inclusion
of slides and graphs was the kicker. They were after all, eighteen at the time
and legally able to decide on their own but being who they are they wanted to
make sure their parents wouldn’t be upset.

 
The girls
didn't opt for working for Margie though. After they spent the summer doing
nothing but driving down the Texas coastline. Hitting the clearest water they
could find, that is. (The further away from Galveston the better! If you've
been there you know why. It really is a sad looking beach nowadays.)

 
Come fall
the girls got jobs waiting tables to see if that was something they would be
good at. But that lasted all of two months before Nia decided she was better
off not trying to carry a tray packed with drinks. She found out the hard way
how disastrous it could be. Rhea being the friend she was, quit right along
with her. Two weeks later they were at the Port of Houston talking to Nia's dad
about office jobs. They were great at scheduling and doing spreadsheets, filing
and everything that office needed to run. It's safe to say when it was time for
them to go to college, Vince would be sad to see them go.

They take time off every now and again for mini
vacays. The last drive was cross country to Disney World. Florida was super-hot
but they had loads of fun! The girls were opting for cooler weather this time.
Their destination, The Great Lakes and in October no less. With the prediction
of cold weather and unusual storms building up there, the girls were going to
have to prepare for anything and any weather. That's a week away from now and
the excitement for the trip is definitely brewing but for the shopping, at
least on Nia's part, not so much.

Through everything they have been through
together it’s the secrets they keep for each other that are their biggest bond.
Ever since they were little they have both known that Nia was different. She
could calm a savage beast very literally.

When they were seven and walking down the street
two houses from Rhea's to Nia's a Great Dane charged them. Rhea screamed but
Nia stopped and stared. When she locked eyes with the growling dog the vicious
snapping stopped. Rhea cowered behind a bush while an eerily calm Nia held her
palm out to the dog. He whimpered and crawled to her feet like a scolded puppy.
She pet the dog and sent him on his way and the girls never had to worry about
that sort of thing again. That is only one of more than several examples of
Nia's uniqueness.

When they were thirteen they were walking across
the street at the end of their road on their way to Travis Baker's house to
help him with his homework. They were right in the middle of the intersection
when a truck came barreling fast down the street. They both swear on their
lives it was coming straight for them when Nia screamed "No!" and the
wind pushed them hard. It was so hard it knocked them off their feet but out of
harm’s way. They were sitting on the road breathing heavy when Travis came out
to see if they were okay and ushered them inside to call their parents. The
girls made a promise to each other that day to not question the extraordinary
things that happened to them throughout the years.

But then came the night before Nia's eighteenth
birthday. They had their annual sleepover and that's when their worries really
began.

At midnight Rhea was awakened by a shaking Nia,
she was clearly convulsing and twitching. Rhea tried desperately to wake her
but got no response. Violent shudders racked Nia's body hard as her eyes rolled
in the back of her head. Rhea touched her again trying a bit more forcefully to
wake her up and recoiled at the fiery temperature of her skin.

She tried to snap her out of it but she wouldn't
open her eyes. She began to really panic as the seizure made its rapid
progression. She would have taken her to the hospital if she didn't already
know that Nia was somehow different. It's a good thing she didn't too. Her body
calmed and Rhea froze as Nia sat up eerily slow and opened her eyes turning
slowly towards her. Where there was once hazel eyes with flecks of green they glowed
a molten honey, like lava. She wore a vacant expression when she spoke, eyes still
glowing bright.

"A glamour is broken, a life to trade,

History shall be remade.

To right the wrong and switch the face.

Replace the toil with elegant grace.

The path that's broken will soon be repaved,

The rightful one, no longer enslaved.

The time is now and fate has seen.

Now there will be no in-between.

Do not fear, he will come for you.

Your destiny has been made new."

Nia's body slumped to the bed as Rhea looked on
slack-jawed with a hand over her mouth. When Nia came into consciousness she
blinked, shook her head and stretched sitting up slowly as if nothing had
happened. Then she caught sight of a very frozen in shock, Rhea with tears
streaming down her face.

"What!?” was the first thing to come out of
Nia's mouth.

 
Rhea took
a minute to compose herself then she told her all about her eerie words
accompanied by eyes of fire and burning, hot to the touch skin. The seizure
would have been disturbing all on its own but add in everything else and it was
just another secret Rhea would have to keep. Nia was shocked and at first she
just didn't think it really happened. All it took was remembering the fear and
shock on Rhea's face when she woke up and that was all the confirmation she
needed.

The girls spent most of the night trying to decode
the words that still haunt them to this day. They were on their way to sleep
when Nia made Rhea swear not to tell a soul. They fell asleep with locked
pinkies sealing their promise. Rhea made Nia promise that they would find out
all they could after their year of "play" was over. As long as there
was no repeats of that night.

When Nia's nineteenth birthday came around the
girls were dreading what might happen. They set up a video camera, that way if
something did happen Nia could see it for herself. But nineteen came without
mysterious words from beyond or fiery eyes. So the girls went on like nothing
was wrong. Everything was going as planned. It was almost time for the visit
they were both excited about and dreading.

The only person who even came to. Nia's mind to ask
about it all was Crazy Great Aunt Amarie. Now you would have to know her to
know why they call her "Crazy" Aunt Amarie. She talks of elemental
magicks, glamours and a different world inside of our own. It all sounds like
insanity to most people. Everyone thinks she's certifiably insane. Everyone
that is, but Nia, her sisters and their mom.

They have always listened to Aunt Amarie's
stories with wonder and curiosity. Margie has always told the girls that all
they are is really, really vivid stories. Nia almost knew better, she couldn't
have been the ONLY one that felt the hairs on her neck stand on end listening
to Aunt Amarie. Rhea thinks she's absolutely nuts but she is willing to go see
her up north. That's part of the reason for their trip to the Great Lakes. She
would do absolutely anything for Nia for some reason and she always insisted on
calling her princess.

They will see the Great Lakes. They even have
plans to visit Chicago and New York. Then it's on to Canada across Lake Huron
to see Aunt Amarie. They're keeping their fingers crossed that she will be able
to shed some sort of light on the strange things that have happened to Nia. She
is sure one of two things will happen she will either come away with hope that
it's mental and can be controlled or fixed. Or her world will be forever
changed. Either way she is glad they'll have the road trip from Houston to
Canada to have fun before everything changes for better or worse. No matter
what she was sure they'd have each other.

Chapter 1

Nia hid behind a long sheet of dark brown hair that
you would have sworn was black. Her hazel eyes that were bright golden amber
with a touch of vivid green, peeked over the top of her book. She gazed into
the masses every now and then, keeping an eye out for her sisters. Nia’s not
big on shopping to say the least. She has her favorite comfortable clothes and
that is enough for her. Nia knows she could have whatever she wanted. She could
stay home all day and still be pretty spoiled. But then she would be just like
the droves of plastic people she can't stand. The fact that she is genuine and
a hard worker gives her some peace. She used to hate having money. Her parents
reminded her of where they came from and that they're grateful for everything
they have.

Her oldest sister, Amarie Nadine is named after
their great aunt. Then there's her little sister Magdalena "Lena"
Celeste who is the smartest thirteen year old evil mastermind there ever was.
They are so close, Amarie and Lena, even though the age gap is rather large,
Amarie being twenty one. All Nia can figure is that their love of shopping and
all things chocolate gives them a bond she will never understand. But she loves
them both just the same.

Not that Nia's name is any easier on the tongue.
Epifania Marguerite De La Garza is her full name but she never uses it. When
she was quite young she started insisting everyone just call her Nia. She was
glad they got the hang of it, she knew that it was a family name and it was
just different. No one ever pronounced it right and it was frustrating because she
loved the uniqueness of it.

When Nia and her sisters go to the mall it's
always the same, she takes a book to get lost in while her sisters shop till
they drop. Or window shop if they don't really need anything. The mall they go
to the most isn't huge but it's packed with all the necessary stores to not
make it lame. She sighs in relief that her sisters are still preoccupied with
their clothing filled endeavors. It gives her a chance to keep reading the book
she's into today.

Although it's wasn’t long before her stomach
reminded her that she’d skipped breakfast this morning. If she doesn't eat
something soon she'll be fighting nausea for the rest of the day. She zeroes in
on the smell of Chinese food while her stomach growls again. Chan's is her
favorite here, it's nestled in the corner of the courtyard. It has its own
dining area so she eats here more often than not. She orders the pork fried
rice and a large Coke absentmindedly while checking her phone. She has a bad
habit of missing texts from her mom so she checks it often.

There's a text from Rhea, her best friend. It's a
reminder about their road trip next week and their need for cooler weather
clothes shopping. She cringes at the fact that she'll have to actually shop
sooner rather than later. Nia texts her back quickly while she hands over the
ten dollars she had ready and takes her receipt and change.
Preoccupied with
correcting her auto correct fiasco, formerly known as a text, she slams hard
into what she's certain is a body.

Her messenger bag hits the linoleum with a crack! She's hoping beyond
hope that it wasn't her MP3 player. Nia stifles a groan as she digs in her bag
as a hand comes into her vision and a decidedly male voice says, "I am so
sorry, please, let me help you up."

Nia hadn't even really look at who she ran into, but was sure to have
pink cheeks. She spends so much time in her head, she doesn't ever notice much
around her. She stood speechless, staring at the lightest blue eyes she has
ever seen igniting her blood like it was on fire. The tips of her fingers
tingled from his touch and her heart felt like it was running on rocket fuel.
She couldn't shake the shuddering warm butterflies from infiltrating her
insides.

"Oh, no, it's my fault. I.....I wasn't looking where I was going.”
Nia replied shyly. 'Who was this shy girl!?' She internally chided herself.

Was she the only one feeling this hum of energy? It's an almost
tangible feeling, but by the odd look on his face of familiarity mixed with
wonder. '
Maybe he feels it too
', she thought.

His radiant smile made a dimple in his cheek, causing her breath catch
in her throat.

"Nah, it’s okay, really.” he simply replied.

She gave a small smile biting the inside of her cheek and took that
moment to look him over. He's not too short and not too tall, if she had to
guess he was five, nine or five, ten. His short hair was dark as night and she
noticed black scrolling filigree peeking out of his barely rolled up sleeve's
on his light olive skin. His comfortable attire was almost her favorite part.
She was utterly embarrassed to be caught enjoying the view. But she knew she
had indeed been caught. She could tell by the confident look on his face,
almost approving her ogling.
'Snap out of it Nia!’
she shook herself
mentally.

Barely coaxing herself to speak, for fear of seeming like a total
creeper staring at him.
'Say something!’
she commanded herself as she
fumbled a question out, "Well... maybe... I mean if you're not here with
someone or, umm… Do you wanna have lunch with me?” Nia asked wanting to kick
herself.
'That was smooth, real smooth. Ugh!’

He held out his hand for the second time and his dimple ignited fully,
causing Nia to gape like an absolute fool, "Name's Aaron Pierce and I
would absolutely love to."

"Epifania De La Garza. But you can call me Nia.”
she responded with an easy smile.

 
The
conversation came surprisingly easy for them. They ate and talked for over an
hour about anything and everything. School and the upcoming road trip, her
college break plan and his business. He started a company with his best friend
Leo Vermucci in their senior year at MIT.

Friends since high school, he and Leo had been
housemates too. Their sophomore year at college Leo's dad passed away and left
everything to his only son. So it was a cinch to have the startup capital for
their business. Solar Conversions Intl. was a new to Texas Company and so were
Aaron and Leo. A month ago they made the move because apparently, "Texas
is very interested in 'A Brighter Future Today." That's their slogan
anyway.

They talked about her job at her dad's company
and her best friend Rhea and how they were closer to each other than she was to
her than her own sisters.

Family facts like her sisters and parents, his
nine year old twin sisters, Alice and Ava who are his world. He loves those
girls like they are his own. It was one of the most painful decisions of his
life, coming to Texas from Michigan.

His mom, Miranda had complications when the twins
were born. She only had three days with her new baby girls before her ailing heart
gave out. Ever since then Aaron helped with everything. He did everything and
anything to make them smile. He didn't mind taking care of them one bit. It
helped him with his own grief. All business, Aaron’s dad hired a nanny whom he
later married.

It didn't happen like most "Nanny
Takeovers" though, Anna was great and taking on newborn twins wasn't an
easy task. Aaron was thirteen when he lost his mom and Anna understood that he
needed his space. She let him help out as much as he wanted to. He learned to
change diapers and make bottles. He felt connected to his mom when he was with
the twins and Anna told him often how proud she would be of him.

After five years and birthdays and what seemed
like a normal family life for all of them including Anna, who had moved in when
the twins were two months old. It was Aaron who suggested that his dad, Thomas
ask Anna out for a night away from the kids. Aaron was seventeen going on
eighteen and confident he could handle the twins on his own for a night. He had
been suggesting this for a while and dropping match maker hints. Anna was
beautiful with her honey skin and raven black hair, she admired his father and
he could see the adoration there in her chocolate brown eyes when she looked at
him. He was happy when they started spending more time together.

When he got the news that Thomas had asked Anna
to marry him he was ecstatic. He knew then he wouldn't have to worry so much
about his dad. He wasn't a bad father, he handled his mom's death the only way
he knew how.

Aaron wasn't quite sure why he felt comfortable
practically baring his soul to Nia. He was sure that he'd never been more
comfortable around another human being in all his life. He was intrigued to say
the least and he had to figure out a way to not let this end here today.

Time flew or at least it seemed like it to Nia
and all too soon she saw Lena and Amarie coming her way. She waved them over
with their bag clad arms.

"Aaron, these are my sisters, Amarie and
Magdalena."

Lena shot out her hand immediately. "Please!
Call me Lena!" she exclaimed a little too eagerly and batting her lashes
at him.

"Okay Lena." Aaron responded with a
snicker.

"It's nice to meet you Aaron and please
don't mind her." Amarie says quickly interjecting, cutting Lena a glare.
"I may have gotten her an iced Mocha she apparently didn't need."

He shook Amarie's hand "Oh, its fine. I
happen to have two sisters myself, I've pretty much seen it all." he
replied with a wink for Amarie and a bright smile for Lena causing her cheeks
to heat.

"We should get going, it's almost time for
me to go to work. Mom texted and I have inventory tonight." Amarie sighed
with a huff and snagged Lena by the hand shouting over her shoulder,
"We'll meet you by the car!" already well on her way towards the
door.

It was just the two of them again and the silence
and smiles started to get awkward quickly when Aaron blurted, "Nia? Would
you mind if I called you sometime or texted?”

Rubbing a hand behind his neck nervously he
stammered an excuse that would make him seem less desperate than he felt. “I am
new here and I would love to see where the locals hang.”
 
He bit his lip sending shivers through Nia
again.

"Of course!" she responded immediately,
too quickly probably. "I mean, sure," she said turning an odd shade
of crimson.

They exchanged phones and put in their numbers.
Nia was the first to break the stare that commenced when they returned phones
and inadvertently brushed fingers. Causing a heat wave to spread throughout her
entire body.

Unable to contain the grin Nia glanced at his
blue eyes again, "Well I guess I have to go then. It really was nice
bumping into you.”

"I’m very glad we bumped into each other
too." Was his answer as he grabbed her hand to shake it or kiss it she
wasn’t sure but the moment they touched she felt dizzy and his eyes glassed
over. Nia let go of his hand needing to regain sanity and balance.

Softly locking eyes almost searching he said,
"Bye, Nia." So low she strained to hear.

As he whispered his breath brushed her neck and
she shivered as her butterflies went absolutely mad.

"Bye."

It took every ounce of fortitude she possessed
but she turned and walked away.

Going off in opposite directions, both smiling
and wondering if anything will come of their chance meeting, pretty certain
there was more to it. The connection was too odd to think otherwise.

Nia wasn’t sure why but she'd been certain
something odd had happened back there but what was that? The low hum and dreamy
weirdness. She walked to the car in a daze, wondering if he felt what she did
when their eyes met and when they touched. By the time she made it outside
Amarie was waiting in her Red Volkswagen Jetta, Nia got in and was silent with
the goofiest smile smeared on her face.

 
Absentmindedly
staring out the window Nia sighed.

"So...” Lena started. "Did you just,
just
meet Aaron because I haven't heard you talk about him before?"

Jeez...
'Here we go',
Nia thought.

 
"I
sort of bumped into him.”

"Oooh...” Lena said and then started making
kissy faces.

"Cut it out Lena!” Amarie interrupted while
Nia rolled her eyes.

"Well, are you going to see him again?”
Amarie asked angling her head towards Nia.