It was another fine day at Duel Achademy. It was a great time for the weekend. What's even better, there were no problems to deal with. That is, if you weren't a certain boy who was in for a terrible surprise. Alexis Rhodes was happily getting ready for the day in her dorm room. Brushing her hair in the mirror. It seemed like a normal day, but not all was completely the same.
Chazz Princeton, her friend and fanboy, was acting rather strange lately. He wasn't talking to her as much as he used to. Even more troubling, he hasn't been in the mood to duel for a while. Alexis may have been annoyed by his constant attempts to win her heart, but he was still her friend. She had a bad feeling something happened to him to make him act like this. She felt like she wanted to do something.
She nodded her head in the mirror, and decided. "All right. I'm going to talk to him." And with that, she walked out of her dorm, and headed out to find Chazz.
She checked his dorm room, but he wasn't there. She checked the student lounge, not there either. Then she ran into her good friend, Zane Truesdale.
"Hi Zane!" She and Zane are very good friends, but they never desired to date. That isn't what others think, however. Even Jaden is convinced they would make a good couple, but the fact is, the only thing they have in common is a love of dueling, and that's not enough to be a couple.
"Hey Alexis." She looked up at him. "Zane, I'm looking for Chazz. Have you seen him?" He raised an eyebrow for just a second. "I see. You're worried about his behavior?" Heh. That's Zane. He always knows the answer. "Yes. I think is anyone could get him to explain the reason for it, it's me." "I'm proud of you for feeling that way. I'm sorry though. I don't know where he is now. However, the last time I saw him, he was outside in the flower garden." Huh? The flower garden. "The flower garden? That's not like him. Well, I'll look there. Thanks Zane!" She darted off to the flower garden.
Sure enough, kneeling over the roses, was Chazz Princeton. She wasn't sure, but somehow she could tell that he was...quite sad. She slowly approached him. She couldn't see his face because she was behind him. "Umm...Chazz..."...!...No response? That never happened before. Usually he'd be enthusiastic and happy to hear her voice. Maybe he didn't hear her? She got close enough so she was right next to him. "Chazz, how are you-" "Go away!".!...go away?! He never said that to her! "Chazz, is there something wrong?" He turned to her and...he looked like he was about to cry! "Oh! Like you care? I'm not in the mood to speak to anyone right now! I just...I just...wanna..."
Before he could finish, he burst into tears. Alexis was confused, but then she thought. "Hey Chazz." "What?! What do you want?!"..."Is this about ...me?" He shook his head. "No! It was nothing to do with you! I just...I don't want...aaaaahhh!" Oh man...this was so unlike him...
She had never seen Chazz so upset before. She felt like she had to do something to help him, but he wasn't willing to tell even HER what was bothering him.
"Oh Chazz...I don't like seeing my friend like this. Please...tell me what's wrong. I swear it will make you feel better to get it off your chest."
Hey started to stop crying. He sighed heavily. "OK...I'll...I'll tell you...but.." She looked at him patiently. "But only because you're my BEST friend." "Heh! I know Chazz. Now please, tell me why you're so upset." Chazz sighed again...and began...
"Well...it's about my mom and dad...they...were always nice to me...they loved to spend time with me...but...you see...when I was seven...my dad was diagnosed with Cancer...and when I was nine...my mom contracted AIDS...my parents used to be the leaders of the Princeton family...but since they became ill...my brothers stole their posistion by force...they've been getting worse every year...
...and...a few days ago...I received word from my brothers that...that..." He started to cry again...he held back the tears long enough..."They died! They're gone! My parents are gone! Gone!" He burst out sobbing again. Oh no. This is horrible. Chazz lost his mom and dad to illness. Now Alexis understood, but she didn't know...that wasn't the worst of it...
"And that's not the worst part.." What! That's not the worst part?! What could be worse than that?! "My brothers...when they told me...they said...they said that...now that mom and dad are gone...there's nothing holding them back to...to...do whatever they want with me..." Gasp! Wh-what?! "Wh-what do you mean?!" He started trembling...in...fear? or sadness? "They're...setting up a base...on Duel Achademy...and...they're going to work there and...with them so close...I...I can't..." He's losing it again...
"I can't stand the thought of them being so close! I can't imagine what they'll do to me! I can't take it!" Alexis was curious now. "What do you think they'll do to you?" He looked down the whole time, too broken to make eye contact with her..."Hit me...berate me...
...ugh...if it was bad at home...I can only imagine what they're planning for me now...ugh!"
Alexis hated seening him like this...it was bringing tears to her eyes now. Seeing him cry...and knowing what has happened and what will happen to him. She started to cry too. Chazz then noticed the sounds she was making...and..."Huh?...Wh...Why are you crying Alexis?" "Because I feel so sorry for you Chazz...I feel so bad that you went through that...is...is there...anything I could do to make you...
...feel a little better?"
Chazz was surprised. The girl he cared about the most was sad for him. The truth is...he would want nothing more than to spend time with her to get his mind off this terrible incident. Well, ok then. "Just...spend time with me...it'll make me feel...a little better..." Alexis smiled. Then,
she held his hand. Chazz was surprised, and also overjoyed. No girl ever wanted to hold hands with him! This alone made him smile. He got up, with Alexis, and walked away to spend some time together.
Next time A lot in common. It's funny when you realize you actually have a lot in common with someone you barely talked to before.
