PART VII

 "Hey, you all right?"

"What?"

Omi sighed as he stopped Alex with his hands. She stopped walking and turned to him and yawned.

"Just what time did you sleep last night?" Omi asked.

"The same time you slept." Alex answered. "But I woke up at about one in the evening and I couldn't sleep so I went to work. I knew I fell asleep in the basement but when I woke up, I'm in my room."

"Are you feeling all right?" Omi asked. "You up to going to school?"

Alex groaned as she forced a nod but in truth she desperately wants to sleep and sleep all day. Her eyes are heavy and gritty and she wasn't sure how long she could make them stay open. Without a word, Omi decided to continue walking with her beside him.

Not long after they finally reached the school. Upon entering the classroom, Alex plopped herself down on her desk, rested her head on the table, and closed her eyes. Omi shook his head as he decided to let her take a catnap.

The day went swiftly for Omi but for Alex, dismissal seemed to take forever. She shook her head as she tried concentrating on their last subject. Then to her delight, the bell rang signaling for the end of classes.

"Hey, Alex-chan." Akira called approaching her desk. Alex looked up and forced out a smile.

"Hey yourself!" She greeted.

"You want to go for an ice cream cone or something?" He asked. Alex's eyes momentarily shifted towards Omi and she caught him studying the two of them, his eyes sharpening every second. She then turned to the smiling boy.

"If you don't mind Akira-kun I would like it very much if you would let me pass this time." She said tiredly. "I didn't have a decent sleep last night."

"Oh that's all right. Sure." Akira replied quickly. "So that explains why you're a little pale."

Alex smiled and stood up.

"Thanks for the lovely invitation anyway."

"That's nothing." Akira said flushing slightly. Then he turned to her. "May I ask you something, Alex-chan? I'm afraid this is a little personal."

"Sure. What is it?" She asked frowning. Akira cleared his throat nervously.

"Um, is Omi-kun, I mean, are the two of you, you know, like going out or something?"

With that Alex gave a soft laugh.

"No." she replied. "What on earth made you ask something like that, Akira-kun?"

"Well, you go and leave school together. Sometimes, my friends see you hanging-out-- "

"Because I work in the same shop he works to." Alex cut him off softly. "Omi and I- we are just very good friends."

"Really?" Akira couldn't help but beam. "Nothing but friends?"

"Nothing but friends." Alex nodded.

"Great! So he wouldn't mind if I ask you to be my prom date then?" Akira said hopefully.

"Prom date? Is there a prom here as well?" She asked with confusion. Boy, she hadn't known that proms are also held in Japan.

"Um, yeah. Oh I forgot, you're a transferee-- so what do you say?" He asked.

"Well, I guess there is nothing wrong with that." She said thoughtfully. Then she smiled. "Why not?"

"Great!" Akira exclaimed. "So I guess I'll see you tomorrow then and we could talk about it."

"Yes." She replied nodding. "Ja ne!"

Akira gave her a final smile before walking away from her. Alex was about to gather her books when Omi came up to her.

"What was that all about?" He asked as he noticed the happy smile on Akira's face.

"I didn't know that you have proms here as well." Alex answered as they walked out of the classroom.

"Yeah, so what about it?" Omi asked. Somehow he had the feeling that he won't like what she was about to say.

"Well, Akira-kun asked me to be his prom date and I agreed." She replied. Omi stopped.

"He asked you?" He asked.

"Uh-huh." She replied nodding his head. "Do you think Manx and the rest of the guys would mind if I go?"

Omi fell thoughtful. No, Manx wouldn't mind especially Yohji-kun and Ken-kun. Aya-kun would probably shrug the whole thing away again. But what about him? He does mind! Why didn't she think about it? Shit! He is being stupid again! Why should she anyway?

"Are you all right, Omi-kun?" She asked upon seeing his grim expression. "If you don't want me to go then I won't."

"No, no. It's all right." He quickly said. Alex smiled happily.

"So have you thought about you're prom date?" She asked.

"I was about to ask you." He thought looking at her bubbly face. "Not yet." He replied as they passed the gates of the school.

"Who will it be then?" She prodded.

"I'm not even sure if I'm going." He replied trying his best to sound neutral.

"Why not?" She asked. "Proms are once in a lifetime event. You don't stay seventeen forever." She reminded.

"Well, I'm still not sure." He said slowly.

"Couldn't find a date?" She asked. "You know, a lot of our female classmates will be dying to go out with you. Maybe I could hook you up with one of them… oh and the girls who frequent in the flower shop… Omi-kun, you are not paying attention!"

<I'd rather be with you… >

"I'll think about it." He said with finality. Alex pouted at him.

"Come on, Omi-kun who knows, one of them might be Ms. Right?" She asked. "What have you got to lose?"

"I'll think about it." He repeated when they reached the flower shop. Omi opened the door and motioned for Alex to go first.

"Tadaima!" They both greeted. Alex and Omi frowned as they looked at the messy flower shop, swamped with schoolgirls. They looked at the three men and bit back their laughter upon noting their different reactions.

Aya was desperately glaring at everyone, his hands flailing in the air every other second as if swatting a group of eager and noisy flies with a swatter ineffectively. Ken, due to his confusion and his legendary clumsiness, let out another show as he tripped on his shoelaces. He immediately braced his hands against the table therefore preventing him from eating floor but it terribly cost him the ceramic pot as it shattered on the floor. A true Hidaka Ken moment! To Alex's surprise, the girls giggled as they deemed it cute and sweet! Yohji, on the other hand, was immensely enjoying every second of it!

"O-okaeri, Omi-kun, Alex-chan." Ken managed to say as he bent down to pick the broken pieces. "Help us will ya?" He asked his hands full of the ruined flowers with schoolgirls going crazy about him to boot.

"Hai." They both answered as they slid on their apron.

"Omi-san is already here!" one girl squealed. Omi put on his best Omi smile as a couple of schoolgirls went up to him.

"What do you want to have this time?" He asked his voice alight with friendliness.

"Oh Omi-san we've been waiting for you like forever now." one girl gushed.

"Yeah what took you so long?" one complained.

"Where have you been?"

"Oh, never mind that. I'm already here at your service." He said his voice rich with gallantry. The girls giggled with delight.

"I think Ken-san is so cute." Alex heard one whispered, loud enough for her to hear as Omi went to the greenhouse to get some roses.

"No, I think Omi-san is much cuter." One argued.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Alex thought as she detached herself from the group. She decided to work in the greenhouse to get away from the annoying female chatters who are annoyingly fawning over Omi. They look silly and stupid at the same time.

Then it hit her! Could she be jealous?

"No way!" her mind screamed as she saw Omi entertain one female customer after the other. She felt something rise up from her, she felt irritated and annoyed. Strange, just a while ago she was coaxing Omi to get a prom date and now that he could choose she suddenly felt strangling him and the lucky girl later.

"Hey, Alex-chan what are you doing sulking in there?" Ken suddenly asked as he stepped inside the greenhouse.

"Sulking? Who's sulking?" She asked innocently. "I'm not sulking. Nobody's sulking." She said her eyes narrowing.

"Whatever." Ken mumbled absent-mindedly. "Go where the action is, will ya?" he asked as he gathered a couple of yellow roses.

"Let me help you with that then." She said as her hands grabbed half of the roses from him. Ken smiled gratefully as he made his way towards the shop with her following close behind.

"So Omi-san, who are you going to bring to the prom?" One hopeful voice asked.

"I'm still thinking about going though." He answered as he wrapped one flower. There were a couple of disappointed complaints that followed.

"What? Not go to the prom?"

"Well, I'm still not sure…"

"Omi-san!" They all cried.

"I think I'll be going to the library." Alex announced as she took off her apron. "I have books due to be returned today."

"I'll drive you there." Aya suddenly said taking off his apron as well. "I also have something due." He added grabbing the opportunity to get the hell out of this place.

Alex nodded her head and went off the get her things. Aya turned to the three men.

"Manage things for us, we will be back in a second." He said as he took off.

"Whatever happened to the word please?" Ken retorted after his leaving figure. Omi couldn't help but look after Alex, his face clearly showing jealousy and longing.

==========

"That was a war out there, wasn't it?" Alex asked in slow Japanese as she sat next to the red-haired man who was silently concentrating on the road.

"Everyday, every after school." He replied curtly. Alex nodded her head.

"So how was the novel?"

"Good." He replied simply. "I haven't finished the last two Mandino's though." he added as he carefully turned towards the curb.

"Daijoubu." She replied. "You can have them as long as you like."

Aya just nodded as he drove in silence. Just then Alex turned to him, a soft smile on her face.

"Arigato."

"Are…" Alex laughed softly.

"For carrying me up into my room." She answered. Aya tried his best to hide his surprise by merely nodding. How the hell did she know?

"I just knew it would be you." She began. "I would be too heavy for Omi-kun and Ken-kun would probably not sense anything going on in the basement. Yohji-kun wouldn't dare since you would give him a good thrashing if he ever did that to me."

"Just don't do something as stupid as that again." He said unfeelingly. "It will hinder your growth. Do you want your friends calling you midget?"

With that, Alex laughed and turned to him fondly. Aya tried his best to act nonchalant about it. It's too late anyway. He had let down his cold façade for a moment there without him being aware of it.

"You know," She began as Aya stopped on red light. "You sound like my older brother."

Aya turned to her, his violet eyes grazing over her bubbly smile.

"You have an older brother?"

"Yes. Actually you remind me of him." She replied. "Same height, same built, same attitude, he wasn't good with women though." She added thoughtfully as if scanning her memory for a girl.

"Now that's a resemblance." Aya thought as the light turned green.

"So you left him back home?" Alex nodded her head. His brows furrowed slightly upon noting her sudden sad expression.

"He is dead." She said quietly. He turned to her, his mind scrambling for something to say. What should he do? Should he say something like, that's life, death really is a part of life…

"Nah, I sound like Ken." He thought with disgust. He shook the idea away.

Or, don't worry about it at least you're still alive. You are still young and alive so you must enjoy your life to the fullest…

"I sound like Yohji." He thought with repugnance. He hurriedly put the thought out of his mind. Then a thought hit him. What would Omi say?

"How did he pass away?" he asked his voice unusually soft.

"You know the poison energy drink?" She asked. He nodded his head. Ken's ex-girlfriend, Yuriko, was a victim too.

"He was poisoned. He has a very promising career in professional basketball." She continued bitterly. "It was too late when we brought him to the hospital. It- it ruined everything… Christmas, my family…"

She stopped as she heaved a deep breath. Then she continued.

"My father later joined Kritiker, seeking out vengeance for the people responsible for his death. I loved my brother so much that it really left me shattered, bitter… without my father knowing it, I joined Crashers for the same purpose."

Aya momentarily turned to her and was surprised to find her looking straight, not a single tear rolling down her face. She took another deep breath before opening her mouth.

"My father died in a mission and my mother and my younger sister were killed by unknown people. I was away at home back then, training with Manx. I presume the one that killed my mother and sister are the ones involve in this case. My father was working on in this one before he was killed."

"So you think that the people who killed your family are the people we are targeting now?" He asked.

Alex nodded her head.

"When they killed my father, my whole family came next. You see, my sister became involved with the drug ring… she was a headstrong foolish girl, always dealing with something she wasn't supposed to deal with… " Her voice trailed.

"Very distinct." Aya thought. "A sister fighting for justice and another one for crime…"

"I- I also have a younger sister." He began his voice cracking a little. "In fact you remind me of her. Same hair, same eyes, same smile, same attitude…"

"Where is she?"

"She's in Canada right now." He answered. "Studying."

"So I take it that she is the reason why you joined Kritiker."

Aya just nodded and kept silent. Alex decided to keep her mouth close. Spending almost a month with him made her learn that Aya is the silent type, the one who would rather keep everything inside him, the one who would rather be alone. But when he is ready, he would eventually turn out as someone who would open up his feelings.

They sat there in silence till the national library came to view. Aya carefully parked the Porsche in the huge parking lot. He turned off the engine as Alex unbuckled her seat belt.

"What should I borrow next?" She found herself asking as they walked towards the massive building, pile of books in their hands.

"How about something with philosophy in it?" He suggested as they entered.

"Appealing…" She said thoughtfully. "Um… I was thinking something about Greek mythology and Japanese art."

"Interesting…" He replied nodding with approval. He couldn't help but think that Alex has a good taste when it comes to reading materials.

"What do you say I get mythology, you get philosophy then lets exchange?"

"All right." He agreed. Alex smiled and bounded away from him, leaving him calling after her to be quiet with the guard looking daggers at him.

Heck, go figure.