Gals!

Hey, people! Here it is! Chapter 2!

Today is the last day of my Thanksgiving Break. Back to school tomorrow.

It can't be helped, I guess. I promise to update as soon as possible.

Please, enjoy!

Opposite Attractions

Chapter 2 - To Be Uncovered

"Leave her alone, dumb asses. Don't lay a finger on her again! Got it!" Rei exclaimed loudly, as he stood in front of a crying Aya.

Aya watched as all three guys started to back away and she could see why. An angry Rei could scare just about anyone. The only reason she wasn't afraid of him was because he was protecting her. Aya never knew he would do such a thing for her. Sniffing, Aya wiped her eyes steadily. The three guys cursed under their breath and ran away.

"It's all bark and no bite." Rei grumbled to himself, turning to look at the girl that was behind. Aya gently smiled at him. Then, she took a few steps toward him.

"Oh, thank you." Aya stammered, looking at the ground with a blush forming across her cheeks. "Thank you for saving me from them. I was scared. I owe you one." Aya bit her lower lip before walking over to her bag and picking it up. Then, she looked back at Rei. He was standing still, staring at her without saying a single word. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble. It won't happen again." He shrugged and started to walk away, when Aya called out his name. "Otohata-kun. Please, wait."

Aya could hear Rei sigh as he turned back around to look at her. "What do you want? Haven't you bothered me enough?" Aya's eyes widen a bit, but then shook her head rapidly. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry. As my way of saying thank you, I'll help you study for the upcoming test. It's very important and you're pretty far behind."

Rei smirked to himself as he looked at her with a sinister glare. "Why don't you just fuck off? I told you before to leave me alone. I don't need your damn pity. Keep it to yourself."

Closing her eyes, Aya felt Rei's words pierce her heart. He had just helped her out, and now, he was back to his cold mean self. Aya sighed and shoved some of her hair of her face. Then, she looked up at the sky. It was getting late and she had to get home. If Rei didn't want her help, then she wasn't going to keep insisting. Why was he like that? He was so young and yet, he hated life. Aya wished she knew why Rei had such a sour attitude towards people. All people have the desire to have someone by their side to help them out, so why was Rei different? Snapping from her thoughts, Aya looked at Rei. He had his face turned away from her while tapping his foot impatiently. Sighing, Aya gripped on her bag nervously.

"Fine. If that's what you really what, then I'll go." Aya told him as she took a few steps away from him. "But, I still don't understand why you helped me if you hate me so much."

"Don't take it to personal. I just happened to be walking by. I had no interest in saving you." Rei told her without even bothering to look at her. He placed his hands in pockets while he rolled his eyes. Aya could tell that she was starting to get on his nerves. "Now, anymore questions?"

"No." Aya said quietly. He was so mean. He didn't care if her feelings got hurt or if she would start to develop a grudge on him. Of course, though, Aya didn't hate him even though he did hate her. On the contrary, Aya wanted to help him. She wanted to get to know this guy and help him see the wonderful gifts life has to offer. Why live with misery and hatred, when you can live with happiness and love? "I guess I'll get going, then."

Rei brushed his hair back with his long fingers, then smirked to himself. "Yeah, you should get going. I don't want you to ever speak to me again. Your little girly self annoys me to no end. If you get near me, I'll make you regret it."

"I see. Don't worry, I'm leaving." Aya looked at the ground, trying to prevent her tears from falling. "If you ever need anything, I'll be more than happy to help you out. I'm sorry for bothering you." Aya bowed, turned around, and ran off toward her home.

...

She didn't understand him. Something must of caused him to be like that. All that anger and hatred had to be caused by something. Maybe he had experience some very bad hardships or maybe he doesn't have a family to care for him. The only way to find out was to ask him, but there was no way he would ever tell her. In fact, Aya doubted he had any friends at all. With that attitude he carried around, Aya was sure that everyone was scared by him. There had to be someway to melt all the ice in his heart.

Aya stopped running and leaned herself on a light post, trying to catch her breath. Why was she thinking about him? No guy had ever captured her attention the way Rei had. If there was only a way to become friends with him. Shaking her head, Aya stood up straight and started walking home again.

Checking her watch, Aya realized it was past 5. Aya gave out a big heavy sigh and wondered if her parents were home. Even though it was very unlikely, Aya still had hope. It would be nice to eat dinner like a normal family would. Aya stopped as she stood right in front of her house. It was a very attractive two story house and it had a very big front yard. It had an averaged sized living room and kitchen in the bottom floor, while the top floor had three rooms. What was the point of having a very nice house if it was empty most of the time? During the weekdays, Aya spent her hours by herself with her dog, Dylan.

Aya walked to the front gate and opened it. The front yard had very beautiful flowers planted around the bottom of the fence. Stretching her hands, Aya walked toward her front door. She took out her keys from her bag and unlocked the door. Inside, she could hear Dylan barking. He knew that it was her. Smiling to herself, Aya opened the door to find her dog wagging it's tail, happy to see her.

She tossed her bag on the floor and leaned down to hug Dylan. "Hey, boy! I'm sorry I'm late. I had some complications on my way home, but everything is okay now." Aya told him, as he barked and stuck out his tongue. Aya laughed to herself. She had no one else to talk to, so she always ended up telling her dog everything that would happen to her.

"C'mon. You're probably hungry." Aya got up and placed her hand on her right shoulder. For some reason, she felt very tired.

Aya dragged her feet to the kitchen and walked over to the food cabinet. She pulled out Dylan's food bag, and opened it. Then, she poured the dog food onto Dylan's dish. Dylan happily walked over to his bowl and started eating while he wagged his tail. Then, Aya was going to pour water on Dylan's water dish when she spotted a note on the refrigerator. Rolling her eyes, Aya walked over and grabbed the sticky note. She read even though she already knew what it said.

To Aya

Hey, honey. Just stopped by to pick up some important papers. I'm afraid your father and I won't be coming home tonight. I have an important presentation to attend to while your father is preparing to travel overseas. If you need anything, just give us a buzz.

-Mom

Aya crumbled the paper and tossed it in the trash. If they really cared about her, then they might consider to spend some time with her. It was almost as if they hated her. Aya felt her tears starting to form in her eyes. "It's okay, Aya. Your parents do love you, they're just a bit busy lately." Aya told herself. Grabbing the water jug, Aya poured water inside Dylan's dish.

Leaning her hands on the counter, Aya watched Dylan eat as her mind traveled somewhere else. She wondered what Rei Otohata was doing. Aya sighed to herself and looked around her big empty kitchen. Maybe Rei was just as lonely as she was. Even if he was lonely, he had no right to treat people the way he did. Aya could never treat anyone badly or with cruelty. Since she tried to be nice to everyone, people usually ended up bullying or making fun of her. The only friends she had were Ran, Miyu and Yuuya, but lately, they had been ditching her. They still said hi to her and talked to her, but they stopped inviting to places or to go shopping. Aya tried to understand them, though. They probably found her boring and too nerdy.

After Dylan was done eating, he walked over to Aya and started barking while wagging his tail rapidly. Aya snapped from her thoughts and smiled at him. "Do want to go for walk? Already?" Aya asked him, leaning down and scratching the back of his ears. "Alright, then. Let's go for a walk in the park."

Aya grabbed Dylan's black leash that was laying on the counter. She bent down and placed the leash in his collar. Then, Aya noticed a purple bruise around her wrist. That ugly guy from the alley must have done that to her. Those horrible memories came rushing to her, sending a shiver down her spine. Aya tried to shake it off as she stood up.

"Well, let's go, Dylan."Aya smiled as she walked toward the door. Before she walked out, she grabbed her cellphone from her purse. Then, she opened the door and walked out, completely forgetting to eat something herself.

…

There was a cold breeze in the park that made Aya's feet quiver. Of course, Dylan didn't mind the weather. He was just happy being outside. Aya walked down the sidewalk while the trees rustled with the wind. Dylan would stop every now and then to sniff something in the ground. Aya would just stand next to him, looking around the park.

The playground was empty. There were some people walking or running for exercise, but other than that, it was pretty deserted. Aya sighed started walking forward when Dylan starting moving around. The sun was starting to set, making the sky an orange yellow color. Big gray clouds were dragged across the sky, following the wind's movements. Then, Aya spotted a familiar figure a few feet away from her. Aya quickly pulled Dylan behind a tree and stood motionless.

Taking deep breaths, Aya peeked her eyes out and sure enough, she saw Rei Otohata walking by. Aya bit her lower lip, wondering if he had seen her. Aya shook her head sadly. He probably hadn't since he seemed so lost in thought. Aya watched him sigh as he sat down in a bench that was right in front of the tree she was standing behind off. Placing her hand on her chest, Aya could feel her heart starting to pound loudly. Despite the cold wind, Aya felt her face getting warmer and warmer. What in the world was Rei doing in the park at this hour? Maybe he had brought a little brother or sister?

Aya looked down at Dylan. He was laying down with his tongue out in the air and breathing calmly. She wondered how long he would stay like that. Rolling her eyes, Aya turned to look back at Rei. He had his hands behind his head as he stared up at the sky. Aya wondered what he was thinking about. She wondered if he was okay. His face seemed a little paler than before. Suddenly, Dylan started panting and stood up as he saw a butterfly fly by. Aya kneeled down next to him and started scratching the back of his ears so he could keep quiet. Then, she turned her attention back to Rei.

"Is he asleep?" Aya whispered to herself. There was no movement from him. Aya relaxed herself a bit when she heard him sigh heavily. Then, Aya saw her cellphone blink on. Looking at it, Aya noticed it was a text message from Ran, asking if she was home so that they could come over. Instead of replying her, Aya ignored it and turned back to look at Rei. She couldn't believe she was more interested in spying this guy than spending some time with her friends. She was definitely the worst.

Then, in an instant, Dylan started barking, startling Aya and causing her to fall back. Dylan barked some more and then started running off. Aya tried to grip on tightly to the leash, but for some reason, it slipped off her hand. Aya felt her face flush pale when she saw Dylan running over to Rei. It was all over. Dylan stood in front of Rei, barking and trying to get his attention. Aya saw as Rei sat up straight slowly and looked down. Then was taken aback when she saw Rei crouching down to pat Dylan in the head. Then, he looked up and stared straight forward. "Hey, why don't you just show your face." He said coldly.

Aya winced and stood up nervously. Then, she walked from behind the tree and stared at him shyly. Like always, he seemed angry. Aya gulped and took a few steps toward him. She grabbed Dylan's leash carefully, making sure that her eyes didn't come into contact with his. Sighing, Aya sat next to Dylan and made sure his leash was properly attached to his collar. After standing up, she shifted her eyes to Rei. "I'm very sorry. Dylan doesn't usually do that." Aya told him, pulling Dylan away from Rei.

"I wasn't asking and I don't care." He told her bluntly, standing up from the bench. "What the hell were you doing behind that tree? Were you spying on me?" Aya could hear the anger starting to build up in his voice.

"N-no! No, I wasn't" Aya stammered, looking down at her dog. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me." She didn't know what to say to him. It was obvious that she had been looking at him. She didn't know that he had noticed her spying on him. Aya could feel her face bright red and hot. "Dylan was using the restroom."

Rolling his eyes, Rei shook his head. "Whatever, just stop following me. I don't understand what your damn problem is. Leave me alone and stop stalking me."

"But, I'm not stalking you. I just happen to come across you." Aya couldn't believe Rei actually thought that about her. She wasn't following him, much less stalking him. "I was just walking Dylan. I don't like to take him out when it's late." Aya paused then look at him curiously. "What about you? How do I know that you're not following me?"

Rei smirked, placing his hand on his chin. "You're joking, right? Who in the world would be interested in ugly nerdy girl like you? Do you even have friends?"

Aya's eyes widen as she looked down at ground. She should already be used to this. Every time she talked to Rei, he ended up hurting her in some way or the other. Closing her eyes, Aya could hear Dylan barking as he jumped around, trying to catch a few dragonflies that would zoom by. "For your information, I do have friends." Aya looked straight at him with tears in her eyes. "Friends that you will never have in your entire life time. It's better to have a few friends than none at all."

Rei stood silence to Aya's pleasure. It probably stung him to hear her words of reality. Aya smiled as she turned to look at Dylan. "Let's go, Dylan. It's clear that we're not wanted." Aya pulled her dog gently and started walking away.

Sitting back down, Rei leaned his head on the back of the bench. That girl. Who was she really? Why did it seem like she was everywhere? Why did she want to help him? Why was she even talking to him when he kept shoving her away? Also, to make things worse, why couldn't he take her out of his mind?

To many questions, and no answers.

…

"What a cold hearted guy!" Aya stated as she plopped herself on the sofa. Dylan walked over to her and sat on top of her lap. Aya patted his fur down while he wagged his tail. "But, still, I feel bad after everything I said to him even after he said all those mean things to me." Dylan sat up and Aya hugged him like a baby. "Can you believe he actually said that I was nerdy? And top things off, he said I was ugly." Aya placed Dylan on the sofa and walked over to her bookshelf.

"He's handsome on the outside, but on the inside, he's an ugly person." Aya continued to say to Dylan, who was, of course, not paying attention to her.

Aya looked at the picture that on top of her bookshelf. It wasn't an ordinary picture. It was a family picture she and her family had taken back when they were a family. Her father and her mother were smiling as they stood on the right side. Aya was sitting down on a chair in the center with her big brother standing right next to her. She picked up the picture frame and hugged it tightly. Tears swelling in her eyes. She remembered those days and deep down in her heart, she wished she could return to the past. Of course, that was impossible. Sighing, Aya let go of the picture and placed it back in it's spot.

Then, Aya noticed the stack of books that were beside her family picture. She had gotten them from the library so she could study for the test. She had completely forgotten about them. Aya opened one and skimmed through it. If only Rei had one of these, then he could at least study on his own. Aya wondered if he even cared about school.

Suddenly, Aya felt a strange flutter in her heart. She didn't understand why her thoughts kept jumping on to Rei. She had barely met him today and yet, she couldn't stop thinking about him. With a determined face, Aya grabbed all her books and dropped them loudly on the table, causing Dylan to jump to his feet. Aya smiled and shook her head. "Sorry, Dylan. Didn't mean to scare you. Go to sleep, now."

Aya walked over to her bag and pulled out a clean journal. She flipped through the pages to make sure that it didn't have anything written on it. After checking, Aya walked back to the table and sat down on a chair.

She knew that Rei didn't want her to tutor him or help him out with anything, so she decided to make him a study guide. She could write down all the notes, tips, problems he needed to know for the test. Opening the journal, Aya grabbed her pencil and started to write down everything that Rei probably didn't know. She wrote it simple so Rei could understand it and so that he might actually feel encouraged to study. She would write a math problem, followed by a step by step process on how to solve it. Then, below it, she would write similar problems so he could try to solve them on his own.

Time ticked by while Aya kept on working. She didn't know exactly why she was doing it. She just wanted to help Rei and win his trust, so they could be friends. If he tried, Aya knew that Rei could be a very kind person. Every person is kind by nature or at least her brother had told her so. She also wanted to say sorry for all the mean things she had said to him.

After a couple of hours, Aya was finished. She closed all the books and looked at Rei's study guide. She had done a pretty good job, she just hoped Rei would at least take a look at it. Standing up, Aya stretched her hands in the air. She looked around and found Dylan fast asleep on the sofa. Smiling, Aya walked over to him and moved some hair from his closed eyelids. "You poor thing," Aya whispered to him. Aya was about to lay down next to him when she heard her stomach rumbling. She placed her hand on her stomach and closed her eyes.

Aya sighed and checked her watch. It was already past midnight; she couldn't possibly eat dinner now. Aya walked over to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Either way, there was nothing to eat. Aya grabbed the gallon of milk and a cup. She poured herself some milk and placed it back in the refrigerator. After she drank it, Aya sighed again. A glass of milk wasn't really a good dinner, but it at least calmed her down a bit.

Looking down at herself, Aya realized that she was still in her Hounan uniform. She walked out the kitchen and went upstairs. She changed into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and went back downstairs. She carefully picked up a sleeping Dylan, but despite her efforts, he still woke up. Aya carried him, placing him on top of her shoulder while her hand touched his back. She took him upstairs and into her room. She placed him on the bed as she sat down. Aya watched Dylan do several turns before he laid down and fell asleep again. Aya laid her head on the pillow and slowly began to close her eyes.

She looked at the ceiling while she pulled a blanket on top of her. "Goodnight, mom. Goodnight, dad." Aya paused before she turned her body sideways slowly, making sure she didn't hit Dylan. "Goodnight, brother." Aya closed her eyes and just before she fell asleep she whispered to the air, " Goodnight, Rei, wherever you are."

…

At school, Aya sat down in her desk and kept a close eye on the doorway. She waited for Rei to come in. Her face secretly lit up, when she saw him. He looked as casual as usual with his brown hair covering part of his eyes. Aya smiled as she gripped on the journal that lay in her lap, but then she slowly frowned. She couldn't give it him now. There was no way he would ever accept it with all these people watching. Aya secretly slid the journal back in her school bag. She sighed as she watched him sit down. She couldn't even get herself to say hi.

…

"Hey! Otohata-kun! Please wait!" Aya called him as she watched him walk outside the school gate. Aya ran next to him, panting and trying to catch her breath. She looked up at him with a smile.

"What the hell do want? Didn't I tell you to not bother me?" Rei asked her as he lifted an eyebrow. Aya watched as his hands slid into his pockets. Blushing, Aya opened her bag and started to look for the journal she had worked so hard on. She moved several books around until she finally found it. Aya's worried frown turned into a warm smile. Pulling it out, Aya sighed with relief. "So, what do you want? You're wasting my time. I'm leaving."

Rei was about to turn around when Aya stopped him. "No, wait! Don't leave." She exclaimed, grabbing on to his arm. Then she noticed, Rei's eyes had widen as he looked down at her hand pressed down in his arm. Blushing, Aya quickly let go. "Ah, I'm s-sorry!" Aya stuttered, gripping tightly on the journal. She was surprised when she received no response from him.

"Oh, right!" Aya suddenly said, holding out the journal to him. "Here. I made this for you." Rei looked at the journal curiously before grabbing it while Aya's heart pounded rapidly. She could feel her legs trembling with nervousness. Rei didn't say anything as he continued to stare at the journal in her hands. "Please, take it. If you do, it will mean a lot to me."

Rei hesitated to grab it. "What is it?"

"Well, I know you don't want me to help you, but please take it. It's a study guide. If you go through it, I'm sure you'll be ready for the test. It's like a review, I guess." Aya told him without looking at him. What would she do if he turned it down? She had worked so hard on it.

Rei grabbed it and opened it to Aya's surprise. She watched him as he carefully flipped through the pages. "And this is suppose to help me?"

Aya blinked slowly as she stared at the ground. "Yeah, it is. It's better than all those thick wordy books that really don't explain things properly. If you go through all of it, I'm sure you'll be okay for the day of the test."

Closing it, Rei looked at her. Aya blushed a deep shade of red as she looked around. Luckily, there wasn't anyone around. If any girl would catch her talking to Rei, she would never hear the end of it. Her eyes looked back to Rei. He was looking away from her while he scratched the back of his head.

"Thank you." He suddenly blurted out, quietly.

Aya couldn't help, but smile at him. "You're very welcome. If you there's something you don't get, then you can always ask me." Aya paused, placing her small hand on Rei's arm. "I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." To her surprise, Rei didn't say anything, but took a step away from her. "Well, I'll get going then."

She took a few steps forward and then turned to wave at him. After receiving no response, Aya turned back around and walked away. Smiling happily, Aya looked up at the sky. "Could this mean that were friends?" She asked herself.

Rei stood in silent as he watched that girl leave. He had told her to stay away from him, but she didn't listen to him. She wasn't like the other people. That girl wasn't afraid of him. Rei looked at the journal that girl had given him. He wondered how long it had taken her to make it. No one ever think of doing such thing for someone. Then again, that girl was so weird. She said sorry for everything when things weren't even her fault. Then he didn't understand why she was trying so hard to be friends. He had no interest in having friends in the very least.

Maybe, though, he's willing to make an exception just for her.

TBC..