A/N: This chapter probably has one of the most radical changes--I added a duel. Now, I worked for hours on it, researching cards and the such. It's my first written duel, so it's probably crappy. Still, I tried my hardest to make it accurate and correct. It's that important to me. Nevertheless, if you find any errors, please tell me. I will take it down and revise it--again. Because it means that much to me that it's correct.
Ok, revised AGAIN. Thank you for pointing that out quickly, King Eagle. I fixed it to the best of my ability, and I used your suggested method of planning. It really helped. But I still messed up because my brain hasn't been working lately. I apologize. D: I'll try harder and I WILL do better. Thanks for your patience.
Disclaimer: I do not own GX.
Chapter 10:
Alexis stood at the dock, waiting for Zane. She still didn't know why she let him get away with this. Why did she let him beat her? She didn't know. All she knew was it hurt her more and more each time.
Neither did she know why she even went out to meet him anymore. Maybe she felt as though she had no choice. After all, wouldn't he hunt her down anyway? Yes, she decided, he would. There was no point hiding from him. She might as well face him.
She sighed as the wind played with her hair. Shivering, she hugged herself and thought about how it was getting cold. And exactly why had Chancellor Shepherd chosen such skimpy uniforms for the girls? Perhaps he was a pervert who lacked practicality.
At that moment, Zane stepped up to his usual place beside her. She refused to look at him. No longer was she afraid of him. At that moment, she was just hurt. She simply wanted her freedom back. Part of her was completely fed up and ready to defy him, while part of her was willing to do whatever it took to keep him as mellow as possible.
"Alexis, why don't you look at me?"
She glanced up at him, fearing that he'd become angry with her if she didn't. "Hi, Zane. How are you doing?"
"Drop the formality." He muttered, "We've known each other for years."
"I'm sorry." She murmured, letting her eyes drop, "I just wanted to know how you were." It took every ounce of her self control to keep from being defiant. She managed to sound somewhat submissive. For the time being, she had to keep him calm.
"In that case, not so good."
She looked up, surprised. He was beginning to sound like his old self now. Hopeful, she looked right into his teal eyes. However, they were still cold and unfeeling. Her broken spirit sank lower. "What's wrong?"
"I can't seem to get the feeling of victory I desire. Winning all these duels means nothing to me. Nothing is good enough."
"Maybe you just want to be loved?" She suggested timidly, which was quite unlike her nature.
His eyes shifted in her direction. "Perhaps I just haven't been trying hard enough. Or maybe my opponents are just too weak."
"What happened to you?" she whispered, taking his face in the palms of her hands despite her fear, "You used to respect your opponents."
"Well, not anymore!" he snapped, slapping her hands away.
She cried out at the force he had slapped them away.
"And there's another thing too," he began, heaving with anger, "That Princeton kid, that snobby, snotty, little rich brat--what is he to you? What does he have that I don't? What can make you have sex with him but not me? Haven't you ever considered how I might feel? Haven't you ever thought that I might want to have you for myself?"
She backed away in fright, stunned at his words. How did he know so much about her and Chazz? "Zane, I-I'm sorry…he's nothing to me, I swear!"
"Then why do you treat him the way you do? Why do you give him yourself all the time? And why do you gaze at him with such tender affection in your eyes? Oh, no, of course he's nothing to you. You love him, don't you?"
"No, I don't!" she protested, shaking her head and stomping her foot, "I don't, I don't, I don't, I DON'T!!!! I don't love him, Ok? I never did and I never will!"
She felt anger rising inside her chest as she spat this out. No, she didn't love him. How could she? And why should Zane misinterpret her affections as such? They were lovers, but the love was one-sided. Yes, she liked him a great deal, but that was all. She squeezed her eyes shut convincing herself that this was true.
But, if she didn't love him, why did she have sex with him? Why did she constantly give herself to him? Hadn't she told herself she would never do that with a guy unless he was something special? And right after she'd told herself that, she'd offered her virginity to him. What did this all mean? She was terribly confused at this point.
"Well, Alexis, you do love him, don't you?" Zane snapped, taking a step towards her.
She stepped back. "No!"
"You do, don't you? Why aren't you telling me the truth?" He continued his advance towards her.
"No, I don't!" She continued to back away.
"Well, then, are you a slut? Why else would you have sex with him? Are you a gold digger who just wants his money? Did he pay you? Or does it just look good for a billionaire like him to be with the most beautiful, popular, and talented Queen of Obelisk blue?"
"No, stop! You've got it all wrong!"
"I suggest you tell me the truth and refrain from speaking to me in such a manner!" he snapped, quickening his pace towards her.
She took one last step back. Her foot slipped on the edge of the dock, and she lost her balance. She gave a small cry of surprise as she started to fall.
Even more surprising was Zane's reaction. His eyes grew wide as his hand shot out, seizing her wrist and preventing her from falling into the murky water.
He pulled her close as she shivered from the adrenaline rush. "I'm sorry."
She jolted at these words. "What?"
"I said, I'm sorry, dammit!" He glared down at her, "I never meant for you to fall."
"It's no big deal. I can swim. It's not like I would have died."
"Alexis, look at me."
When she looked up into his teal eyes, she gasped slightly. In them, she saw the overprotective older brother Zane had been to her. He leaned down and brushed his lips gently to hers. Feeling her heart beginning to pound, she wondered if he had returned to her.
As she felt herself begin to kiss him back, she wondered why she was feeling this way over him. Why should she? She knew she shouldn't, especially after the way he'd treated her.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she let her hands drift into his thick, dark teal hair as she pulled him into a deeper kiss. He gently touched his tongue to her lips. She hesitated, but finally let him in.
After a moment, he pulled away a little to tell her, "I don't want you messing around with someone else. I don't want you sleeping around, either."
She gulped as he leaned in for another kiss. She really hoped he wasn't asking her to sleep with him.
He rubbed her back and pulled her up against him. She blushed as she felt his hand sliding down her back until he had placed it over her bottom. She jolted when he slipped his hand up her skirt.
"Zane," she told him, pulling slightly away, "don't get any ideas. I'm not putting out for you."
"Why do you put out for Chazz?"
She worded her response carefully. "Because…I don't really know why. All I know is that he adores me and is very careful with me. I know he won't talk about me behind my back, and I know he'll respect me. He won't hurt me and he'll treat me like a lady. He's very kind to me and I know he doesn't just want sex from me. He doesn't expect it."
"Oh, but he will. He probably asks you all the time."
"Actually, it's me that asks him." She admitted, blushing.
"That's not exactly lady-like." He murmured, frowning.
"I know. It's just…I can't help it. Something about him intrigues me…something about him keeps me coming back for more. And not just for sex…he's exotic, fun, and exciting. He's rich in personality, I mean."
Zane scowled. "And you don't think I could treat you like that? You don't think that of me?"
She felt trapped. "I-I…you're different from Chazz. But it's not necessarily bad; at least, when you're Zane and not this person. You're…you. Besides, you haven't exactly treated me well as of recently. You've not been yourself. How can you possibly expect me to respect you for that?"
As soon as she'd said it, she wished she could take it back. He glowered down at her. "You think what of me?"
"I-I…"
"Look, Alexis, I don't want you near him again. Do you hear me? I don't want you around any other guys any more."
His eyes searched hers, hungering for her affections exclusively. He looked at her so maliciously, it caused her to recoil and attempt to wrest free of his grip.
"Let me go!"
"Never again…" he snarled, "Now listen to me; you are going to come with me."
"Where?" She looked up at him with eyes that shimmered like diamonds in the moonlight.
He dragged her towards the Obelisk boys' dorm. "You're coming to my room."
Her heart sank. "Why?"
"You're going to have sex with me."
Her heart began to pound. "No, I don't want to!"
Despite her cries, he dragged her up to his room. As she became increasingly louder, he grew all the more annoyed. Finally, he gave her a sharp blow across the face to shut her up.
"All right! Listen, here's how it'll work," he snapped, dragging her in his room, "We'll duel for it. If you win, you go free, however, if I win, you have to have sex with me."
She shook her head. "I can't agree to those--"
He smacked her sharply across the face. "SHUT UP!!! You will agree or I will hurt you…and Chazz."
She bit her lip. "Chazz can most definitely fend for himself."
"Not against me." He assured her, then commanded, "Now duel me."
"But, I--" She tried desperately to escape.
He seized her wrist and refused to let her go. "Not on your life!"
Finally, accepting defeat, she sighed and agreed.
Smirking, he said, "Good. Now put these on."
"What are they?"
Ignoring her question, he strapped two bands around her forearms and one around her neck. She shivered as he did so. Then, he put the same bands around his own forearms and neck.
"Let's get this over with."
"But, what are--"
"Just shut up and duel."
"Fine. I'll go first." Scowling, she drew her cards, then smirked. "I play Blade Skater in attack mode (1400)." She watched as her purple skinned monster appeared, balancing on the tip toes of her skates. She could not help but smile as she thought fondly of her. How many times she had used the skater; she had never failed her. Quickly, she turned her thoughts back to the duel. "Now, I lay a face down and end my turn."
"Is that all?" Zane scoffed, "Whatever. I play Cyber Dragon in attack mode (2100)."
Immediately, a sleek, silver dragon appeared on the field. Alexis gazed up at it, feeling sad. How could something so beautiful be in the hands of one so wicked? It felt as though the poor creature were calling out to her to help it. However, there was nothing she could do to save it. In order to do that, she'd have to save Zane first.
Zane continued his turn, pulling her from her thoughts. "If you're wondering how come I could summon a Level 5 monster so quickly, then let me introduce you to his special ability. Since you have a monster on your side, and I have none on mine, I'm allowed to summon him. Nice ability, don't you think?"
She frowned and bit her lip; her reply dripped with sarcasm. "Yeah sure."
"Well, I guess I should drop all this small talk, then. Cyber Dragon, attack!"
Alexis growled. "Not so fast! I activate my trap card. Negate Attack! This cancels out your Cyber Dragon's attack. I'm safe for this turn." She breathed a sigh of relief as a strong wind blew the dragon back to Zane's side of the field. If Zane wanted to get to her body, first he'd have to win the duel. She wasn't just going to give in without a decent fight.
Zane frowned deeply. "Fine. I lay two face downs and end my turn."
Alexis took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and drew. She knew that she'd need a miracle to win this duel. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at her hand. "I summon Etoile Cyber in attack mode (1200)!" She watched as a lithe girl with slightly curly red locks appeared. She stood proud, the cream ribbons flowing from her arms and the sheer tutu falling against her figure. Once more, Alexis had to tear her attention away. Even then, she was still fascinated by her monsters and their great power. "Now, I use Polymerization to fuse Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater to form Cyber Blader (2100)! Now, attack!" Even though he didn't have any defense for his monster, she didn't let her guard down or relax. Rather, she tensed up all the more. She hoped with all her heart her attack would go through to his life points. She bit her lip as she watched the raven haired beauty skate gracefully towards the metallic dragon.
Zane only kept smirking as Cyber Blader destroyed Cyber Dragon. In fact, he seemed to think the resulting explosion was funny. "Both our monsters will be destroyed. It's a draw, so it really doesn't matter."
Alexis shook her head. "That's not true, Zane. Remember, Cyber Blader's special ability keeps her from being destroyed. Your monster, however, is sent to the graveyard." She shook her head as the smoke cleared. "I don't get you."
"What's there to get?" He asked, smirking, "Cyber Dragon was destroyed. So what?"
"The old Zane would have never allowed that card to be destroyed. He would've done anything in order to save his monster." She glared at him.
"How boring," Zane yawned, "So predictable. I'm growing old here. Hurry up and finish your turn."
"Aren't you going to do anything more?" She asked, aghast.
"No, I think I'll save that for next turn." He smirked, glancing down at his face down. "Go on, finish up already!"
"Yeesh, Ok!" She clenched her teeth and looked over her cards. "Fine. I lay a face down and call it a turn."
"Good. In that case, I play Mystical Space Typhoon and destroy your face down."
"Great," She muttered as a large, dark whirlwind caused her Rising Energy trap to be destroyed.
"I thought you'd say something like that," He said, shaking his head. "You can't win, Lexi."
"Don't call me that!" She seethed.
"I'm getting bored," He yawned again, "Let's speed this up, shall we? I play from my hand Pot of Greed. This, of course, allows me to draw two more cards. Then, I play Monster Reborn. I call back my Cyber Dragon to the field. Next, I play Polymerization! With it, I send Cyber Dragon and the other two Cyber Dragons in my hand to the graveyard to call forth The Cyber End Dragon (4000) !"
She stared up at his trademark monster, unfazed. The way she saw it, she had enough protection to shield her from a great loss. Still, she had to be careful. Gritting her teeth, she braced herself. She knew what was next.
"Cyber End Dragon, attack!"
Alexis clenched her teeth as the monstrous dragon shot an electric blast at her monster. "Sorry, Zane," She smirked, "But Cyber Blader's special ability keeps her from being destroyed in battle."
"I wouldn't be worried about your monster," He told her, "Be worried about yourself."
"What?" As her life points dropped to 1900, she soon realized what he was talking about. Electric pain shot through her. She screamed and dropped to the floor, clutching her arm.
Zane laughed wickedly. Alexis found this to be more than slightly disturbing. She gaped at him, horrified. Was he really planning on killing her?
"What's your problem?"
"My problem? What's yours?" Zane asked, laughing a bit more, "You don't have any clue what's coming for you. Now, I lay a face down and end my turn."
"Yes, I do know what's coming!" She snapped, "I know what you're doing. And mind you, I know what I'm doing." Scowling, she stood up and turned back to her cards. She drew then said, "I place a face down and end my turn."
"Very well." Zane muttered, drawing. "Now I draw. Next, I'll play De-fusion to turn Cyber End Dragon into three Cyber Dragons. Then, I play Power Bond and fuse the three Cyber Dragons back together to create a more powerful Cyber End Dragon (8000)." The three-headed metallic dragon appeared once more. It spread its great wings out, floating by some unseen power above the field. Alexis could not help but tremble in its awesome presence this time. Never before had she fought such a powerful monster, especially with such little defense. At this point, her confidence dropped. She did not know what she could do. "Now, Cyber End Dragon, attack!"
"Not so fast, Truesdale." Alexis growled, still shaken, "I reveal my facedown. Dimension Wall! With this trap, I can turn the battle damage around to you. Looks like I'm still here." She smirked a little as she began to regain her self esteem.
Zane laughed, unable to contain himself. "Did you really think I'd let you off that easy? Yeah right. You're only an amateur. Reveal facedown! Trap Jammer will take care of that one. So, once again, you are defenseless. Sure, your Cyber Blader won't be destroyed, but you will be."
Alexis gasped as Cyber End Dragon attacked, knocking her life points down to zero. Dropping to her knees, she felt as though her life had been stripped of her. Before she had time to begin to recover her emotional shock, the electrodes strapped to her forearms and neck activated, sending electricity through her body.
"Zane!" She cried out in agony, "Make it stop!"
He smirked. "You'll learn to love it. I live for it. It's so invigorating and it reminds me why I enjoy dueling: to watch my opponent writhe and scream in pain, and knowing that I am strong enough to resist it. In fact, I've gotten to the point that I enjoy it! The pain is pleasurable to me."
Alexis stared at him with teary eyes. "This is madness, Zane, stop it now! You're hurting me…and yourself! Is this really what you do all the time?"
He smirked in response.
"Please make it stop!"
"What happened? Did Chazz soften your heart? You don't know what it's like to be a true duelist. You don't know the true definition of victory until you've seen your opponent in pain. No, you don't know the true meaning of dignity. You hardly can even be deemed as a worthy opponent. In fact, you hardly tried at all. That wasn't exactly your best shot out there. It was pathetic. It was almost as though you had forgotten all that you had learned."
Alexis writhed on the floor, still in incredible pain. Once more, the electrodes sent a bolt of electricity through her spine. The resulting shock was so strong it caused her to cry out loudly. Before he could prevent her from making any other noise, she curled up in a ball on the floor and screamed.
Quickly, he moved to quiet her. She would not be silenced. As electric agony shot through her, she fought to suppress it, but the screams came anyway. None of his futile attempts could even muffle her cries. Soon, there was a loud knock on the door.
"What the hell is going on in there?" Chazz's voice snapped.
Zane scowled as he clamped a hand over Alexis' mouth. "Nothing. You may go."
Alexis sobbed, biting his hand harder and harder, and fighting with all her might. She thrashed and wriggled and squirmed. She would have hit him or kicked him had he not been restraining her and had her limbs not suddenly gone numb. Weakness overpowered her.
Sensing that something was wrong, Chazz banged on the door again. "If you don't open up, I'll call Dr. Crowler."
"What can he do?" Zane snorted, realizing that there was no sense in trying to hide it. "Even you can't do anything."
"I know you've got Alexis in there. What have you done to her? I swear, if you hurt her, I'll kill you!"
Zane merely laughed at Chazz's threat. Alexis, on the contrary, shuddered at how serious and cold he sounded. She knew he would if he could.
"You hurt her, didn't you?" Chazz was sounding increasingly colder, "If you don't let me in, Zane Truesdale, I'll bust the door down."
"Like you could. Like you'd dare."
"I can and I will."
Alexis cringed as she heard Chazz attempting to break the door down. Zane just scoffed at the youngest Princeton's attempts.
"You're a coward!" Chazz snapped.
"You're only saying that because you can't open the door."
"No, I'm saying that because you won't face me!"
"You're the one threatening to go get Dr. Crowler."
Chazz growled in response.
"Can't break the door down, can you? Well, I'll tell you what, I will open the door. But you'll regret it. I'll give you five seconds to leave. If you don't, then I will open the door, and it won't be for a welcoming party either."
"Fine! Bring it on, Truesdale, I'm up for the challenge."
"You don't know what you're up for."
"Oh, I know all right!"
Zane smirked. "As you wish. Five…four….three…two….one. Time's up, Princeton. Let's just hope you're man enough to back up all that tough talk."
Zane flung open the door. Chazz rushed in, looking flustered. When he saw Alexis lying on the ground, unable to move, he whirled towards Zane.
"What the HELL did you do to her?"
"I didn't do anything to her. Nothing that she couldn't have prevented with one word, anyway."
"Truesdale, I swear, if I don't kill you…then may I go to hell."
Zane ignored this. "What are you planning to do to stop me? You can't do anything. You're weak. You haven't figured out the true meaning of dueling like I have."
"That's it!"
Chazz swung at Zane. Zane merely ducked his blow and tried to return one. However, Chazz dodged it nimbly and landed a heavy kick on Zane's leg, sending him flying to the floor. Before he had time to recover, Chazz grabbed his arms and twisted them behind his back.
"I'm the weak one, huh? More like you are!"
Zane growled and swerved his feet towards Chazz, knocking him with such force it made him release his grip. Alexis winced as Chazz hit the wall.
"You filthy son-of-a-bitch!" Chazz gasped, picking himself up.
"Talk is cheap," Zane snapped, seizing him by the throat, "you should know that by now."
Chazz kicked at his legs again, and tried to flip him. It was to no avail. Zane merely shut his hands tighter around Chazz's throat.
"I told you you'd regret it," Zane hissed, digging his fingers into Chazz's neck, "And now you're going to pay with your life. This will teach you to mess with my girlfriend!"
"You…bastard…" Chazz wheezed, glaring sharply, although he was facing death.
Alexis struggled to get to her feet. Seeing she was coming to, Zane reached his foot out and dealt a heavy blow to her head. She collapsed back to the floor.
Chazz clawed at Zane's hands and did his best to free himself. Zane only smirked and held his neck tighter.
"Soon, you'll be dead. Then, no one will ever take my Lexi from me again."
Seeing that Zane had let down his guard, Chazz kicked him sharply across the knee. His reflex set in, causing him to crumple and lose hold of Chazz. Chazz wasted no time in striking.
Despite his lack of oxygen, Chazz leapt on Zane, clawing at him and punching and kicking. Zane fought back, trying to gain the upper hand again.
"Don't…you…ever…hurt…MY…Lexi…again!" Chazz snapped between blows.
Chazz slammed Zane into the floor again and again, screaming that he would kill him. Finally, desperate for escape, Zane managed to pull out a pocket knife. He held it to Chazz's throat.
"Let me go."
Chazz froze. He knew that if he were dead, there'd be no one to help Alexis. Looking over at her unconscious figure, he decided he must do what was best.
Slowly, he eased off of Zane. Zane stood up, still holding the knife with a trembling hand. He pointed it at Chazz, his eyes flashing with pure hatred.
"I don't want you to touch Alexis."
Chazz swallowed hard and refused to respond.
"And I don't want you to talk to her, either. She's mine, do you understand? You can have no part of her."
"I'll do with her as I wish." He dared to say.
Zane scowled and clenched the knife tighter. "You may be out of my reach," he told Chazz in eerie calm, "but I'm between you and Alexis. I can still hurt her."
He turned to Alexis and, jerking her roughly up, held the knife to her throat. Chazz's eyes widened as Zane pressed the blade flat against her neck, against her jugular.
"One flick of my wrist," Zane told him quietly, "and she's dead."
Chazz swallowed hard and stared helplessly at Zane. "I can't let her die," he said, "But I can't leave her alone, either. That's against my better judgment, Zane. If I leave her, then who will protect her? I promised her."
"People break their promises," Zane told him coldly, "I broke mine."
"I'm not like you," Chazz protested, "And I won't leave her. I won't hurt her."
"Oh, but you are hurting her," Zane told him, smirking wickedly, "Because every second you refuse to leave her, and relinquish your position as he lover, is another second you're hurting her, another second closer to her death."
Chazz shuddered as Zane pressed the knife harder to Alexis' throat. The skin of her neck pressed over the blade, drawing crimson to the surface.
"It's your choice," Zane whispered, gripping the knife tighter.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Chazz tried to think of some way he could save Alexis. His mind drew a blank. Opening his eyes, he sighed and looked back at Zane.
"I--" he began.
"Too late!" Zane snapped, rage filling his eyes, "I warned you!"
Chazz bit his lip and jumped towards Zane to try to stop him. Zane lifted the knife and started to bring it down violently. Before he could finish, though, he froze. His eyes widened and he dropped the knife. Curling up, he gripped his chest.
Chazz took the moment to seize Alexis and run out the door with her. He didn't even look over his shoulder as Zane began to cry out from a pain greater than he'd ever experienced before.
--------------------------------------------------
When Alexis awoke, she found that she was back in her room. Confused, she tried to open her eyes all the way. Pain shot through her head as she did so. Quickly, she shut them again before the pain caused her to pass out.
"Zane?" She called feebly.
She became aware of something solid and warm lying next to her. Her heart thumped, sending another shot of pain through her. He couldn't have…could he?
"Zane?" She called again, her voice weak.
Whoever was lying next to her cuddled closer and put his arms around her. She allowed herself to be drawn near because the gesture was gentle and tender. She felt someone tuck her head in the crook of his neck.
She sniffed his cologne. He smelled familiar. Sniffing again, she recognized the scent as being cinnamon. She felt his lips massage hers, and she recognized the taste. Chocolate and mint. It wasn't Zane, it was Chazz.
"Chazz?" She whimpered, cuddling closer, "What happened?"
He cradled her in his arms. "Let's not talk about it."
"Are you Ok?"
"Yes, I'm fine. What about you? You really worried me."
"No," she faltered, "I'm not Ok. I'm scared. I can't open my eyes...it hurts. The pain is so great; I can't bear it. What if I'm blind? What if I die?"
"No, you won't, I promise you. Here, take this." He pressed a pill against her lips.
"What is it?"
"It's only aspirin. You'll need it."
"Aspirin won't help. I need morphine for this!" she moaned.
He kept the aspirin pill to her lips. Finally, she accepted it. Then, he pressed the rim of a glass to her lips. She took a sip, swallowed, then eased back down.
After a moment, he asked, "What'd he do to you?"
Alexis shivered. "He wanted me to have sex with him."
Chazz was silent, so Alexis continued. "I told him I wouldn't, so he told me to duel for it. Then, when I didn't agree, he threatened me. Of course, he won…and he electrocuted me somehow. It knocked me out. Can you believe he did that? And if it weren't for you, he'd have raped me!"
"Or killed you," Chazz muttered.
"What'd you do with Zane?"
Chazz was silent for a moment. "Oops."
She felt a cold chill wash over her. "What do you mean, 'oops'?"
"I left him there, I mean, I couldn't do anything. I had to get you out of there."
She shuddered. "Now what?"
"I don't know."
"You could at least call the cops!"
"But, Alexis, we have no proof."
"Chazz, you're freaking rich! Why are you resisting this?"
"I just don't think it's a good idea."
"Why not?"
"Zane was our friend."
"That's not Zane!"
"What if he comes back?"
Alexis hesitated. Finally, bursting into tears again. "You're right. I can't do that to him. I don't have the heart."
Chazz sighed heavily.
Alexis then wiped her tears away. "But, I'm confused. You said you would kill him!"
"That was then. I've had time to think this over. Something happened to Zane. Something changed him. Can't you see he needs our help? We can't just stand by and let him destroy himself. We have to help him."
She pondered this. "Chazz, that sounds like something I would say. You know what, you're right. We have to do something. But what?"
"Well, we don't know exactly what is wrong with him."
"I guess there's nothing we can do then." She groaned.
"Well, we'll figure something out. As for now, you should get some rest."
"But, Chazz, if he's still out there, then he could come in and hurt you at any time. How can you even consider resting? We have to stay on guard."
"You need the rest!" he insisted, "Now, go to sleep."
"Besides," she told him worriedly, "Zane said that you and I couldn't--"
"Fuck Zane!"
She jumped. For the five years she'd known him, she'd never heard him say that word. Afraid that she had made him angry, she grew silent.
He continued with his rant, growing angrier. "Fuck that fucking bastard and all his fucking glory! I don't give a fuck what he says because I'm not going to fucking listen to that fucktard! Do you understand me?"
Alexis nodded, shaking. When he noticed her fear, his anger subsided and his expression softened, although she couldn't see it.
"I'm sorry, Lexi, I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't cuss around you. Or at all."
"It's Ok." She whimpered, "Just don't hurt me."
"Do you honestly think I'd do that?" He asked, injured, "I'd never hurt you! I love you, for Pete's sake. I promise you, no matter how mad I get, I'll never treat you like Zane does."
She only nodded and kept her eyes squeezed shut. However, she wouldn't allow herself to cry.
Chazz sighed. "I'm going to go wash my mouth out." He got up and went into the bathroom.
Alexis lay still in the silence of her room. By then, her headache and pain had subsided. Slowly, she tried to open her eyes again. She blinked in the darkness until her eyes adjusted.
She stared at the shadows around the room, remembering how she had used to be afraid of the dark. Now, she felt comforted by it, and shadows didn't scare her so much.
But one shadow did seem strangely out of place. Squinting, she tried to recall what it was. It didn't look like anything she had in her room. She watched it closely. Had it been just her, or had it moved? A sick feeling washed over her.
Slowly, she let her eyes drift to the window. A dark silhouette swayed slightly in her window. She lay perfectly still, watching it. The only noises she heard were the water running in the bathroom and the thumping of her heart.
She studied the silhouette more carefully. Whatever it was had a wide shape perched atop, like a hat. Outside, the wind blew, causing the branches to move slightly and the clouds to uncover the moon. She gasped softly as she saw what looked like a cape or a jacket lifted in the wind.
The moon illuminated the man's face, casting eerie shadows on his features. Alexis could not see him clearly enough, but she knew she did not recognize him.
He did not seem to notice that she'd spotted him. He only slipped away down into the shadows and out of sight.
Alexis lay still, heart pounding. At that moment, Chazz came out of the bathroom. Their eyes met. Seeing her terrified expression, he quickly slipped in bed beside her and wrapped her in his arms.
"What's the matter?"
Wondering if it had been an apparition or a dream, she shook her head, deciding to offer him little information. "It's nothing. I'm just scared Zane will come back."
He shrugged it off and assured her, "Don't worry about Zane. I'll protect you."
Snuggling into his arms, she thought, "I know you can protect me from Zane, but can you protect me from him?"
Shivering harder, she wondered who the man had been. Somehow, he seemed familiar, oddly familiar. And somehow, she knew, within him lurked a greater danger than in her old friend. Little did she know how dangerous he actually was.
A/N: WHEW! Finally finished. Long chappy. XD
Next time: Zane speaks again with his boss. Alexis and Jaden get dangerously close, and Chazz begins to wonder if Katiann has something to do with all of this.