Hellfire On The Other Side

Chapter 47

   "Where is he?" Clara said frustrated trying to grab something. "Claytin will you stop laughing at me and give me a hand?!" Claytin chuckled and came up behind her wrapping his arms around her waist. "Everything is set up. You can relax. And I am sure Shane and the others will be here soon," he reassured her. "Where is Adrianna?" "Getting dressed, calm down." Shane appears in the room. "Hey!" he exclaims. "Where's the birthday girl?" "Adrianna, Shane is here!" Clara called. "Coming! Give me a minute!" Adrianna called back down. "The ladies should be here soon. Unfortunately, they have to do more preparations for these events," says Shane. "I tried to tell them that it's just a birthday party, but they all insisted on getting dolled up." Clara nodded. "Is Gabriel and Floria coming with them?" Claytin asked. "It would be a crime if they didn't," says Shane. "So, I am going to sneak in a beer before they get here..." Clara said. Claytin hit the back of her head. "No, we agreed, no drinking today." "Fine!" Shane chuckles. "Yeah, time and place, Clara," he says. Verity appears with Tina, Charlene, Gabriel, and Floria. "So glad you could finally join us!" says Shane. Adrianna came running down the stairs. "Happy birthday baby girl!" Claytin said hugging her. "Where's Ash?" Shane whispers to Verity. "I took her to Odie. There's no way they'd expect to find her there," Verity answers. "Sweet. Adri! Come give Uncle Shane a hug!" Adrianna went over to him and hugged him. Clara looked to Claytin and nodded. He left for the backyard quickly. Charlene walks over to Adrianna. "Shane told me about the room. Luckily, he brought the key. Can you take us to it real quick?" she says. Adrianna nodded. She took Charlene's hand and pulled her to the stairs to go upstairs. "I'll be down here! Come back down in a few minutes!" Clara called after them. Shane tosses the key to Charlene. "You're gonna need that!" he calls. "Got it! Thanks, Shane!" 

   Claytin soon came in with a box, onto of it had small holes. "Really? Couldn't make them wait?" he asked Clara. She shrugged, "They'll come back down soon enough." Shane looks at the box. "Not gonna ask," he says. "It's her gift, which she might want to come down to see soon," Clara said sitting down. Shane sits next to her. "Ooh! Nice! Judging from the holes, I assume that she's really gonna love it," he says.

   Adrianna and the others came down soon afterward. "Adrianna, come on, we want to give you your gift," Clara said waving her over. Adrianna ran over her and Claytin. Claytin gave her the box. She opened it and a small black french bulldog with a white belly jumped out and started kissing her face. "Aww! That's so adorable!" Charlene squeals. Adrianna laughed and smiled. "Thank you! I didn't think you'd actually get a dog when I asked!" "What are you going to name him?" Clara asked. "Beldoin," Adrianna said after a minute. Gabriel and Floria came up and pet Beldoin with Adrianna. Tina nudges Shane. "Now you know the first thing you're gonna do once you move into your new home," she says. "I've been wanting one for years," says Shane. "Of course I'm getting a pet dog." The kids went to go play with Beldoin. Clara motioned Shane to follow her to the kitchen. Shane goes to the kitchen with Clara. "So what's up?" he asks. "Been meaning to ask. You said you quit your job. What does that mean?" Clara asked. "Oh, that!" Shane laughs. "I thought this was something serious! I mean that I'm done doing stupid things. I put a lot of thought into the things I do now," he says. "Remember when I used to say that being stupid was my job?" "Alright, I was thinking you were down with the Soul Realm mission thing and I was about to say that from what I heard, you have been doing really good." Clara glanced out to the kitchen to where Claytin was. She went over to a counter and grabbed a hair tie. "As if I'd give up on this Soul Realm thing now. I've come too far. But apparently, I'm still no closer to being able to free every soul at once," says Shane.  "You'll get there, you Shane Facilier," Clara said. She looked up on top of a cabinet. I beer bottle sat there. Glancing back out she made sure Claytin wasn't looking. She grabbed a glass and put it on the counter. She aimed the hair tie and shot it. It hit the top of the bottle, making the lid com off and it falling to where the beer poured into the glass. Clara caught the bottle when it fell and put it in the trash. She grabbed the glass. "Who knew I'd be good at that sort of thing..." Shane chuckles. "Merida would be able to teach you a few things," he says. "I am sure she could. As Mulan could teach me more about fighting," Clara said. She was about to take a sip when Claytin came in and took the glass. "Hey! That is just apple juice!" Clara lied. "We ran out apple juice two days ago and neither of us has gone to the store," Claytin said pouring out the beer. "But there is orange juice in the fridge." He kissed her cheek and went back to the others. "I swear, he sees more than you do..." Clara said to Shane rolling her eyes. "Well, dude's gotta look out for you," says Shane. "You get into trouble often." "I don't get in that much trouble..." Clara said trailing off.  "Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Shane says, sarcastically. Clara sighed before going back out to the group and hugging Claytin. "I am glad she likes Beldoin." "We knew she would, I am just happy you came home with enough time to help me choose him," Claytin said wrapping his hand around hers. "Adri, that room was incredible!" says Tina. "Yeah! We never knew we were that important to you," says Charlene. Clara and Claytin gave them a look. "You didn't?" they said at the same time. Adrianna laughed. "I kinda made it obvious."  Shane chuckles. "Well, I guess it's safe to say that you two are now officially honorary members of the family," he says. Floria asked Adrianna something in french. Her, Floria and Gabriel went into a full conversation in french. At one point Claytin gave Adrianna a look. "Your turning eleven! Trust me, not everyone gets as lucky as your papa and I or Shane and Charlene. And they met... I actually don't remember. Either way, they were older than your papa and I were!" Clara said. "Oh, goodness. I need to know what they're talking about," says Shane. Clara looked to Verity, "You understand french right?" Verity stifles a laugh. "Yeah. Yeah, I do," she says. "What are they talking about, mom?? Shane asks Verity. "Just... don't worry about it, son." Clara laughed. She looked down at her phone to check the time. "Where are those two?" "They should be here soon. I swear you stop stressing over something big and decide to find small things to stress over!" Claytin said. Shane raises an eyebrow. "Relax, Shane," says Charlene. "Yeah, I bet she's talking about Roma and Clopin," Tina says. Clara looked to Shane, "Who else would I be talking about? I don't share where I live openly, geez. I have a brain!" "But somehow they know where you train..." Claytin muttered under his breath. Clara jabbed him in his side with her elbow. "The day you let that one letter slide will be a day to celebrate. It was one letter!"