Aaron and Mei Ling entered their theater box to find another couple

  there, who looked around as they entered.

  "Cousin Mei?

  Mr. Zakhrov?" exclaimed the man in surprise, while the woman

  smiled and waved.

  Recognition flashed

  in Aaron's eyes. "Ms. Kate? Father Abel? You look very different

  without your cassock," he responded.

  Father Abel

  chuckled, he was dressed in an expensive-looking sharp black suit,

  with a black cleric shirt and a small golden Society of Jesus pendant

  pinned to his suit lapel being the only indications of his profession

  as a priest. He stood up to shake hands with Aaron.

  "I see you've

  met my cousin. And I believe you already know my college classmate

  Kate Summers," he said as Kate smiled warmly at him.

  "It's good to

  see you again young master Aaron" she said as she shook his

  hand.

  "Likewise Ms.

  Kate." he said.

  "So, what

  brings you here Mei?" asked Father Abel as Aaron and Mei Ling

  took their seats.

  "Young master

  Aaron was kind enough to ask me to be his escort for the evening,"

  said Mei Ling.

  "It's my 13th

  birthday. Father took me to Mr. Thompson's shop to get me fitted for

  a suit before coming here," explained Aaron.

  Father Abel raised

  his eyebrows. "I see! Happy birthday, Aaron," he said.

  "Thank you,

  Father Abel," replied Aaron.

  Just as the curtain

  was about to rise, the door to the box opened, and Ivan entered with

  a sulking Annette on his arm.

  The curtain rose and

  the play began. It was a symphonic power metal adaptation of Andrew

  Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera with a Norwegian symphonic power

  metal band collaborating with a Broadway orchestra and theater group.

  Aaron watched the

  play with rapt attention, the symphonic power metal music and the

  deep, gravelly voice of the actor playing the Phantom resonating deep

  within him. He now knew what kind of image and voice he wanted to

  project.

  During the

  intermission, Kate and Mei Ling quickly took charge of Annette,

  hauling her reluctant, partially shaved form off to the ladies' room.

  Aaron, sensing that

  Father Abel wanted to speak to Ivan privately, excused himself as

  well, exiting the box to buy a soda.

  As soon as they were

  alone, Father Abel turned to speak with Ivan.

  "You and Aaron

  seem to be getting along quite well. I heard you even let him drive?"

  he asked Ivan.

  "Well, I'm

  doing what I think I can to help him socialize," said Ivan

  cautiously. He felt that these new experiences were a net positive

  for Aaron, but still felt a little doubtful, and was grateful that he

  ran into Father Abel.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  "It appears to

  have some positive effects. Aaron seems to be opening up and has

  gained more confidence in his interactions with women," observed

  Father Abel. "However, I feel it is coming at a cost to Annette.

  You are pushing her well past her comfort zone," he cautioned.

  Ivan nodded. "I

  know Father, but she is a little too rigid with Aaron. She has

  started to view his preferences and choices as odd, and potentially

  problematic. While I find them unusual myself, it does seem to work

  for him," sighed Ivan.

  "I would also

  venture that Annette holds different views from Kate and Mei Ling.

  She believes that they are a bad influence on Aaron," said

  Father Abel.

  "That's

  complete nonsense! Mei Ling is a beautiful and intelligent woman and

  so is Kate! I'm sure your cousin and your friend from college would

  never be a bad influence!" said Ivan.

  "You and I know

  that Ivan, but Annette feels that they are encouraging Aaron to adopt

  a more dominant persona around women and that is not something she

  wants Aaron to cultivate," said Father Abel seriously.

  "So you're

  saying she feels Kate and Mei Ling's encouraging Aaron to be more

  assertive is harmful," sighed Ivan.

  Father Abel shook

  his head. "I'm afraid it is more complicated than that.

  Assertiveness is essential to prevent you from being taken advantage

  of. However, Aaron also has a strong desire for controlling his

  environment. Right now, he is practicing control over himself. Before

  you arrived, both Mei Ling and Kate attempted to tease him and get

  him to choose which of them he found more attractive, his ability to

  control his adolescent impulses was almost inhuman. When he reached

  the limit of his patience, he stood up and commanded them to stop,

  and they meekly obeyed. His command seemed to have a profound effect

  on at least Kate. I couldn't ask Mei's thoughts," he said

  worriedly.

  Ivan scowled at

  Father Abel. "What are you trying to tell me? That Aaron is not

  attracted to women but just wants to control them?" he demanded.

  Father Abel sighed.

  "Aaron is definitely attracted to both of them. However, he

  refused to get caught up in their teasing game. Which means that he

  values control in a relationship. In moderation, this can be a good

  thing, but it can be dangerous and harmful to both Aaron and whoever

  he is with if it goes too far" he explained, as Aaron returned

  to the box with a tray of sodas.

  Annette, Kate and

  Mei Ling returned just before the warning bell that signaled the end

  of the intermission rang. Annette's bare arms were now hairless, and

  she looked much more presentable in her dress and pantyhose.

  Ivan observed Kate,

  Mei Ling and Aaron as the play resumed. Kate and Mei Ling tried to

  engage Aaron in conversation, but he firmly commanded them to keep

  quiet and enjoy the play. Despite his firm and somewhat authoritative

  response to them, they seemed happy to hang on his arms and rest

  their heads on his shoulders.

  He smiled at the

  warm affection Aaron was receiving from them and refocused on the

  excellent performance of the play, glad that Aaron was enjoying the

  pure and powerful fusion of sounds brought about by mixing powerful

  electric guitars with classic organ and orchestral accompaniments.

  Annette shot Kate

  and Mei Ling a venomous glare.

  Her bare arms still

  tingled from the hair removal cream that Mei Ling had used on her,

  and her legs felt stifled in the sheer black pantyhose that Kate had

  forced on them.

  The way that they

  clung to Aaron, hanging on his arms like trophies, made him look even

  more villainous.

  With a huff, she

  waited with folded arms for the ordeal that Ivan called a play to

  end.

  Mei Ling shot

  Annette a look of pure disdain.

  The choices Ivan had

  made: Shimmering black cocktail dress, sheer black pantyhose and

  strappy flat sandals, and even coordinated lingerie, fit her

  perfectly, and would have made her look stunning, if she had not been

  so intent on being difficult.

  In this day and age,

  men like Ivan were an increasingly dying breed. Something Annette

  seemed oblivious to.

  With an internal

  sigh at Annette's behavior, Mei Ling refocused on the play.

  The symphonic power

  metal adaptation of Phantom of the Opera was a masterpiece of sound

  and fury, and she was glad to be able to enjoy it with Aaron and

  Kate.