Lexie sighed as she passed by the nosy halls dodging the younger students as she moved closer and closer to her destination. Almost making it to the safety of the Corduroy Pass Lexie felt someone tug at her sleeve. Looking to her side Lexie noticed a small girl no older than the average sixth grader. Such a young and pure age for a student.

"Can I help you?" Lexie politely asked and the small girl nodded.

"Me and my friends had a question about the rooms." Lexie nodded encouraging the kid to go on. The girl shifted on her foot then turned to her friends and they nodded. "We were wondering what happened to the girl in yours, the one with the pretty eyes."

Lexie was taken aback by this question.

"Now where on earth did you hear about her?" The girl shrugged.

"She's all everyone will ever talk about, my sister knew her but then she didn't. We were just curious, sorry." Lexie shook her head and smiled remembering her promise.

"I believe you're asking about Kana, Kana Kane?" The little girl nodded. Lexie noticed a bench and led the girl over, her friends following not too far behind. Lexie waved them over and they sat around her trying to take up as little space as possible.

"Well, it all depends on what you want to know about her really, there is a lot to tell." One of the boys in the group raised his hand. "Yes?"

"What was she like?" He asked and Lexie leaned back feeling the wall press against her back.

"Well for one she is the most stubborn, bullheaded girl to ever walk these halls," A chorus of giggles spread throughout the younger generation of Gallaghers. "She was very mean, pushy, super grumpy, a real pin-head but," Lexie smiled with bitter-sweet memories flooding her mind. "She's my best friend." A small child raised their hand. "Yes?"

"How could you stand to be with such a rude person? I don't think I would last a second with her." Lexie had to laugh, a crowd had now gathered around her like she was preaching an important speech.

"Well it was hard at first but she's not all bad...well she's not all good either. Kana was like the fine line between worlds and words. She, although she'll have my head after this, was a big softy. She's stubborn, yes but inside she is just like the rest of us but...more complicated. She isn't perfect but she isn't as broken as she claimed. She has a big heart to go with that thick skull of hers." The teens and kids around her nodded. "She's braver than anyone I've ever met but it's kind of hard to explain her like this so let me just start from the beginning,

"You see it all started one warm, fall day as winter was coming in. I was just entering my room hoping to see my friends when instead I saw her, glaring at me like I had just stormed in there like a maniac,"

"How'd she react?"

"She asked me who the bloody hell I was and what on Earth I was doing in her room and I told her,"

"'Well I kinda live here so I should be asking you that'," Lexie looked over to her right and saw Mel leaning next to her. Lexie smiled at her friend and Mel shrugged. "What? I was within earshot."

"Then what?" another teen asked from the back.

"Well it wasn't pretty and you'll never believe what she did next," Lexie huffed crossing her arms.

"What?" Many chanted.

"Well, she walked out the door and then slammed it shut to look at the nameplate and glared at me asking, 'You're an Ashely?'," Lexie mimicked Kana's annoyed face that day and laughter rippled throughout the crowd. "And I said," Lexie paused to look at Mel who laughed and continued.

"'No but I am an Aries'," The two girls burst out laughing.

"Oh, you should have seen her face! She even looked at the plate to see if there was an Aries on there." Lexie said booming with laughter.

Mel scrunched up her nose and squatting a bit stomping around in a circle like that crossing her eyes.

"What do you mean 'Aries', there ain't no Aries here?" Mel mocked in a deep husky voice that in no way sounded anything at all like Kana but it was good for a nice laugh. Lexie held her sides as she howled with laughter like a wild animal and took deep breaths.

"Then I told her my name and she snapped at me saying I should have just said that and stood guard of the door making sure no one else but the girls on the nameplate were allowed in. She was very rude for the longest time. She even attempted to beat me up one day trying to 'teach me a lesson'," Lexie shuddered at the memory. "But one day I snapped. I walked over to that girl and I did the dumbest thing I would ever do in my life," Lexie said as she walked over to a still squatting Mel. "I told her right to her face how annoying and self-centered she was. I told her right then and there that if she had a bone to pick to go somewhere else. Well, not those exact words but they were there! She got mad, there was a bit of a mess and I realized that day that Kana wasn't the biggest jerk of all time. That she was just more closed off and complicated."

Katherine watched from afar as the Baxter kid stood walking around on her little soapbox talking about her daughter like she was a great hero whose story was being passed down from one generation to the next and it was her job to do so. It wasn't a bad thing it's just that kana was still a sore subject for Katherine but she listened to anyway to hear this story she's heard before a million times again from a different perspective.

But as Katherine continued to watch she noticed the crowd around the young Baxter growing from not just the younger generation but the older too. Sure there were some stories that were kept private but Lexie still told Kana's story moving around and making many hand gestures to explain things further making faces too. Then she got a very special point in Kana's story that Katherine leaned in further to hear better.

"Then one day at P.E. we got a new teacher, she's not here anymore but she was great. Her name was Ms. Corduroy, she was Kana's mother." A couple of gasps were passed around here and there. "Now at first, I didn't understand why Kana seemed too indifferent to this new teacher because none of us knew at the time who this woman was. Kana later explained to me that maybe she didn't really dislike Ms. Corduroy at first, it was just this burning feeling inside of her like she had failed at something. Some off feeling deep down yelling at her that this woman shouldn't be there. Maybe because her stubborn mind thought that finding her mother shouldn't have been so easy. That she had to earn the right to call her mom and find her herself. A stupid ideology to live by but then again Kana had many of those.

"See Kana never fully grasped the idea that maybe she didn't have to prove anything to anyone and just be herself," Lexie sighed and sat down looking at her hands as she intertwined them. "She always accepted us no matter what, no matter our flaws, no matter where we came from, who we were deep down inside. She cares so much about everyone and made it her duty to protect us all but then I would wonder who was protecting her? She is so accepting of so many big things but she can't accept herself no matter what. She's so stupid thinking she has to do something, to risk her life!" Lexie began to shout standing up no longer telling the story of this girl everyone else knew but the story of a girl she knew and only her.

(Lexie)

Once I was done telling Kana's story up to the points before everything took a turn for the worst the crowd disassembled and I could feel someone watching me but I already knew who would be watching me with such intensity and let herself be given away. Katherine Corduroy. It wasn't like she wore a neon sign over her head saying 'Corduroy is watching' but it was close enough. I walked in her direction and then waited for there to be no one around me and she appeared.

She said nothing as she strode over looking like she was fresh out of the office rather than hiding away for so long. She walked right past me and I followed her down many corridors that had many twists and turns, she looked around her in her secret spy way. Finally, we managed to end up in a very isolated part of this massive school.

There was no place to sit on like a chair or something but Ms. C made due on the floor and patted the spot beside her. I sat down and sighed letting out a bit of breath that I didn't even know I was holding till I let go.

"How has Jack been holding up?" Was her first question. I smiled on the inside, although she's such a complicated person like Kana her methods are just as frank.

"He's doing just fine Ms. He's a tad bit worried about some upcoming tests but nothing a little studying can't fix." Ms. C nodded approving my answer and looked at me.

"That's good that's good. I'm glad to hear that he's doing okay." I nodded the frowned.

"Although," I paused for effect and to get Ms. C's full attention. Her eyes were wide searching mine for an answer or a clue. "I'm pretty sure you can go ask Jack how he's doing himself. I'm sure you two have plenty to catch up on." I scolded. Sure this woman has been my hero since I was just a young newbie fresh out of the outside world but she can be so silly at times. It feels like our ages are swapped too. "You need to stop coming to me to ask about how YOUR SON is doing. Ask him yourself for once, you'll make his day." Ms. C shook her head rapidly.

"Oh no, no, no," She stood and started pacing fidgeting with the fabric of her clothes and then turn on her heel pointing a strict finger at me. "No! He doesn't want to see me."

"And how can you be so sure of that if you've never tried to even see him?" I replied raising a brow.

"Um...motherly instincts?" It was more of an unsure question/statement than an actual statement. I shook my head disappointed.

"Ms. Corduroy need I remind you that you don't even KNOW Jack? Just sit with him, just once, have a small little chat, use a small subtle topic both of you can relate on-that isn't Kana and just start up a conversation like 'how have you been' or 'hey Jack'. Or...I don't know use one of your witty remarks! You're his mother Ms. Corduroy. At least make some sort of bond with him." Ms. C shifted from foot to foot.

"How exactly do you...'bond' with someone," I slapped my hand on my face. Did she, Ms. Katherine S. Cordruoy really just use air-quotes and ask a CHILD for advice on bonding?!

"Sometimes I wonder if your family is just naturally terrible at socializing and bonding." Ms. C crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, I wouldn't say we're that bad!" I frowned.

"The first time I ever spoke to your daughter she was ready to beat me up, and she did. Jack tried to kill us all to get to Kana and even you put us in a game of paintball which was very dangerous! You guys are not very good at first impressions." I stated and Ms. C visibly deflated seeing that I was right.

"Well...um...uh...shoot I can't think of anything." She hissed and I raised my brow again.

"See?" Ms. C frowned.

"Oh yeah, well if you're such an expert on bonding why don't you give me some pointers oh wise-one." She said with an exaggerated tone waving her hand in the air like she was announcing a title worth mentioning.

"Hugs, lots and lots of hugs."

"Who to the what now?"

"Hugs, it's how Kana softened up to us. Well, most were from Ash but you get my point!" Ms. C nodded running a hand through her hair.

"Yeah, mini-Cammie's hugs can cure depression but," she paused and blanked out for a bit.

"We were talking about bonding with Jack Ms. Corduroy." She nodded.

"Right, right, thanks. But how am I supposed to work the Morgan hug magic when a) I'm not mini-Cammie and b) I don't think I can do 'hugging' and 'bonding'." I groaned in frustration throwing my hands up in the air.

"Oh for crying out loud!" I snapped standing up and stood right in front of my life-long hero. Thank god she didn't have Kana's height or I would be even more so miffed that I didn't have anything to stand on to be taller. "If you think for even one second that you can't do this then the gods above so help me I will stop coming to these meetings till you talk to him yourself!" Ms. C put up her hands in surrender.

"Woah there Bexy-Lexy, no need to get crazy okay. And...I'll try," I let out a breath of relief. Finally. "But!" She snapped waving a finger in the air showing that she wasn't done talking yet like the teacher she was. "On the condition that you still come to these meetings because honestly, I don't want to lose the one person who knows my kids better than herself. Besides," she let out a small smile wrapping her arms around my shoulders. " I can talk to you Felicity, you're like a person anyone can go to, to just vent out and get some good sage advice." I flinched. Kana told me that once upon a time.

"Well, I wouldn't say I know you kids better than myself." Ms. C let out an impish grin.

"Oh yeah, what's Kana's favorite thing to do when she thinks she's alone?"

"Play that card game of hers she keeps under her bed," I answered quickly feeling the answer slip off my tongue proving Ms. C right. "Okay, okay, so I'm pretty CLOSE to the twins." Ms. C rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, one of these days Baxter it's gonna hit you on the head so hard you'll HAVE to notice." I was beyond confused now. I say her walk off in my confused daze and called to her.

"Notice what?" She waved her hand at me like she was waving away a fly.

"You'll know it when it hits you." I rolled my eyes. This is usually how our little chats end. I give Ms. C some advice, she tells me some weird riddle. "By the way, I'm loving the hair. It's a good look on you." I reached up as she disappeared into thin air touching the few strands of blonde hair. Sure it was just a bit of dye and I had to get Mel to do it(well she kind of did it whether I asked her or not) since I would probably mess up but it was for a half promise I made.

I began to wonder what Kana would look like with her hair blonde instead of brown. My heartbeat started to pound like a drum in my ears as I thought of every memory that Kana was in but with soft blonde hair,

She'd still be her, tall, strong arms, long legs, that suffer body of hers, gorgeous smile, stubborn mind, soft golden eyes that played with the light, but blonde hair. It would probably match with her eyes and just imagine how much hotter she'd look in the dark. Her soft colored hair would beam in the moonlight and her eyes would seem ablaze shimmering brighter than the sun. In the mornings on our coffee runs, she probably makes the rest of the world stop and stare just to admire her beauty.

Then I stifled a giggle remembering that one time Kana had a slight cold after her hypothermia fiasco. She looked so strange in such a big sweatshirt and pajama pants. Her mullet was an utter mess and I just imagined what her hair would look like had it been blonde. Oh, all the stupid nicknames I could have said.

I paused.

Wait, hold up!

'Imagine how much hotter she'd look'?! Gods above Baxter you have out-gayed yourself this time for sure!