Disclaimer: I don't own Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaete mo Omaera ga Warui!

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Tomoko awoke with a gasp, while feeling sweaty as well from that nightmare she had to live, just moments ago.

'Ugh! Last time I watch a horror movie, before bed,' grumbled Tomoko, before rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes as she checked the time. It was in the middle of the night. Great, I need to use bathroom now an-when did my room get so small?

Tomoko looked around, her room wasn't this small nor her bed this low or have a second bed next to it. It took her five seconds, before she realized were she was - sleeping in the bed next to her was Alex; herself sleeping on an inflated matress.

'Damnit!' cursed Tomoko, reminded on where she needed to go, yet she was too afraid to do it - at night and in somebody else' home. I hope he won't be mad.

Slipping out of her make-shift bed, Tomoko scurried over to where Alex slept and gently tugged on, where Tomoko thought, his hand was - it was hard to see in the dark.

"Что? Tomoko?" groaned Alex from his wake-up. "What wrong?"

"U-uhm. Bathroom," said Tomoko shyly, rubbing her elbow.

"Ah, okay," yawned Alex, putting two and two together, before rising from his bed. "Come on, I sleepy."

Alex took Tomoko' hand and let her through the dark apartment, being careful not to hit any furniture or a table. Opening the door to the bathroom and flipping the lights on - causing some minor discomfort for the young girl, who shielded her eyes.

"Thankkk~" Tomoko started, but lost her words halfway.

"Is fine," yawned Alex, closing the door behind her.

Tomoko handling her business, while trying to get the image of a shirtless Alex out of her head. Thank goodness he wore pants, otherwise I'd have had a nosebleed right there.

"Done?" questioned Alex, when she exited. Tomoko managing a shaking nod, while trying to avoid eye-contact. "I'll go too then."

Tomoko meanwhile, headed back to Alex' bedroom and collapsing down onto the bed infront of her - where the exhaustion slowly took her.

"-Tomoko tha..." she heard, before falling asleep - in Alex' bed. The former boy looking confused, but simply shrugged it off - no need to wake her, and kudos for any male, to get a girl to sleep in their bed. The awake in the morning could've been less louder though.

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"Ready?" grinned Alex, standing ontop of mediocre snow-hill.

"D-do I have to?" asked Tomoko, feeling scared as usual.

"The kids are having fun," said Alex, pointing at a group of younger children sliding down the hill and cheering along the way.

"I-I feel to mature for this," replied Tomoko, trying to get out of this.

"Just have fun," spoke Alex, before pushing Tomoko down the hill.

"AAHH!" screamed Tomoko, as she held onto sled for her life - feeling it bump a few times as it raced down the hill and soon slow down. Then she dared open her eyes. 'I'm alive!'

"Had fun?" asked Alex, running down the hill.

"I could've died!"

"Nobodies ever died, from sliding down a snow-hill. Maybe hurt, not actually die," said Alex in his defense. Tomoko having the shakes in her legs from her first snow-sledding experience. "I'll ride with you, next time."

"Seriously!?" replied Tomoko, feeling shaken up from her first ride.

"Yeah," said Alex, grabbing the sled with one hand and Tomoko' hand with the other.

'Nononononono!' repeated Tomoko in her head, as she was lead up the snow-hill and seated upon the sled again. NO!

"On three - one, two, три!" counted Alex, seated behind her - then he pushed them down. Halfway down from the hill, Tomoko' squeals of fear turned into half-laughter as she felt more secure and more having fun with Alex behind her.

"Well, that was less scary," spoke Tomoko, getting off the sled.

"Told you," grinned Alex. "Again?"

"Yes, please," replied Tomoko, running up the hill again. They would be at this for two hours straight - for Tomoko to get a feel out of a season that she would normally stay indoors for and an activity she'd never dreamed of doing; as for Alex, he got the chance to show his girl-friend the seasonal-stuff he used to do back at his home-country, every snowy-day.

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"Do you miss the snow sometimes?" asked Tomoko, as they trecked through the snowy streets, sipping on some hot cocoa.

"Sometimes, I got used do it," replied Alex. "When you need to move, you adapt."

"Is it hard?"

"Yeah, made friends and lost friends," sighed Alex. "I thought that Britain, final stop. But no, we move again. Father has odd-job, in emotional sense."

"Yeah, I understand, sort of," replied Tomoko, continuing to sip on her hot drink. Until she saw two of her class bitches approach them from farther down the street. Bitch-alert!

Tomoko' eyes darted around for an exit, when that came up short she instead looped her arm over Alex's - looking like a couple.

"What're doing?"

"Can't we hold hands?" asked Tomoko, with her usual smile.

"That my arm, but sure," replied Alex.

'Good,' smirked Tomoko, as they soon walked past her classroom' bitches, who clanced at them for a second - seeing them arm-in-arm, before resuming their own chatter. What! They! They didn't even...

"Why you shaking? Cold again?" asked Alex, breaking her brooding, after realizing that she had been shaking in anger at the moment.

"No, I'm fine," replied Tomoko.

"You look...mad...why?"

"ITS NONE OF YO-" yelled Tomoko, before her brain realized who she was yelling at and stopped it. "Sorry, I'm sorry."

"Is okay," replied Alex, feeling no ill-will for her. "You can tell me, I want to help."

"Its those girls...one's we passed...I hate them!" said Tomoko, feeling a bit angry as well.

"Why?"

"They are popular!" said Tomoko, managing to say/scream her point out.

"That it?" asked Alex, feeling confused.

"Yes!" sighed Tomoko.

"You're serious?" repeated Alex, to which she looked annoyed - that would mean yes. "Really, what the deal with this everywhere?!"

"What's bad about wanting to be popular?" asked Tomoko. "They're so perfect...I want that!"

"You want to be popular?"

"Yes!" replied Tomoko.

"Why?" he asked, stating an obvious question - yet one that she suddenly didn't know an answer for.

"I...I...just do!" she said, unsure of herself now. "They're always so lively, happy, going out, surrounded by friends. I...I'd like that..."

"Not many friends?"

"Yeah - well, except for you and Yuu-chan," replied Tomoko, saddened as she sat down on a bench. "I've been trying, everything, to get popular. But I always end-up embarrassed or a mess."

"Do you want it?"

"I don't understand," said Tomoko.

"Is this your dream or you just want friends, and not be alone?" asked Alex.

Tomoko thought about her answer, neither one was the truth or a lie; maybe both. "I guess it's both."

"We'll, then I'd say - it wrong way," replied Alex.

"Huh?"

"Tomoko...I was like you," confessed Alex.

"Really? But your-"

"-not running along with a large group? No," said Alex.

"Why not? Don't you want friends?" asked Tomoko.

"I want real friends, you understand?" asked Alex, to which she shook her head. "Well, when I was younger: I was shy, akward. Couldn't speak to many, too scared. Then I moved, I thought it good time to start over, but also too scared, because I new."

"I thought, I'm an idiot or just stupid - I couldn't speak with others, yet when some asked me to 'hang-out', I told them I too busy. Why you ask?"

"Why then?" asked Tomoko, growing interested.

"I thought - maybe I sick, so I did research, find out why I am different. It turn-out, I'm not freak, I found why I was - I was just being me," chuckled Alex, to his memories.

"I don't understand."

"Tomoko - there are two types of people: those who like attention, want it and know how to get it. Then there are people: who don't want attention, silent and shy types; in-tro-verts," explained Alex.

"So I have a label? Great!" sighed Tomoko.

"Let me explain the word. Person, who doesn't like much attention, usually fine by themselves or in a small group of very close friends, draw strength from within oneself," said Alex. "You seem like one."

"I-"

"When did it start? You want become popular?"

"...when I started high school," replied Tomoko.

"And why?"

"...I don't know, when Yuu-chan left I felt...something..." said Tomoko, looking deep-in-thought.

"Tell me - did it bother you, before high school?" asked Alex.

"...actually, no!" said Tomoko, suprised at the school-life she had.

"Then that problem - we cling to people more. We don't mind others, as long as we have our best-friend. If they leave, we become...sad..." sighed Alex. "...but we still friends..."

"I don't get it?"

"I can count, people who'd help me and aid me with anything, on one hand," said Alex, smiling happily. Then he raised three fingers up. "True friends."

"Only three?"

"All I need - people who are miles away from me, yet still call and ask who I am. True friendship," he spoke with confidence. "I bet you have too."

"I don't think so," replied Tomoko.

"Think hard, long and then raise your fingers," supported Alex.

'Alright, think...think...true friends...who?' thought Tomoko, as several names passed by her head. Then she realized she was holding up two fingers suddenly - a smile gracing on her face. "Two...I got two..."

"That great - I hope I am there," chuckled Alex nervously, Tomoko replying the same way.

"But what about others? The 'better' ones, with their karaoke's and eat-outs?" asked Tomoko, still feeling small and unnoticed, compared to her more popular classmates.

"I answer - who cares, my life," said Alex, suprising Tomoko with his blunt-ness "Is simple - is my life and I choose how to live it. Who gives them the right to judge or make-fun of? We all have problems - I live how I want and do what I want: be it surrounded by friends or...just chatting with my girl."

"Uh, really?" asked Tomoko, blushing, as Alex took her hand and they started to walk again.

"Just live, how you want to live, Tomoko. Not how you think other people want," replied Alex. "Hasn't bothered me at all, that I have only handful of friends."

"I believe, it maybe hard for me..." said Tomoko.

"I also in your class. What you worry?" chucked Alex, as his leading had lead them to the Kuroki house. "Popularity doesn't mean friends or happyness; it may give you friends but are they really your friends or just 'hanging-out' with you?"

"Well anywho, thanks for letting me stay over," spoke Tomoko, before whispering something. "And the advice, too."

"Your welcome. Couples to that..." said Alex, before getting a bit red in the face. "...I...I suppose."

"Bye, Alex!" spoke Tomoko, hugging him and giving him a very-quick, bold peck on the cheek, before withdrawing rapidly. However, she was instantly tugged back by her arm and kissed on the lips.

"Bye, Tomoko!" grinned Alex, withdrawing after that and waved good-bye. Tomoko herself frozen in bliss infront of her house, as she half-dizzily waved back, smiling the entire time.

"I'm back!" called Tomoko, upon entering the house, not so loudly as she wanted though.

"Hi, Tomoko. Dinner will be ready soon," replied her mother, who was busy in the kitchen, looking rather smug. "Warn us next time, before you pull a suprise sleep-over, understood?"

"Yes, mom. Sorry!" replied Tomoko, snapping out of her daze as she removed her winter clothing.

"I hope you didn't go hungry there."

"No I didn't. Alex made some food," replied Tomoko. "His family has a nice apartment."

"So? Alex is it? The boy, who I saw outside? Kissing?"

"MOM!" squealed Tomoko, louder than she wanted, going red from embarrassement.

"What? I can't ponder about my daughter' personal life?" asked her mother, continuing to chop vegetables for dinner and eyeing Tomoko with one eye. "Okay, I won't ask anything...yet."

Tomoko took that, as her que to leave and ran up to her room in haste, shutting her door with a bang. Panting a bit, but soon calming down and giggling a little as well as she remembred what Alex said. Who cares...

She soon got out her laptop from under her pillow, and after logging-on had started to write a message to Yuu-chan.

TK-2: Have I got a story to tell you.

Lilyflower77: I'm all ears, Mokocchi. n_n

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A/N: A little snowy-fluff, ;-).

Please review.