A/n: Just got this idea. I do not own the song 'Stole'. It belongs to Kelly Rowland. Go buy her CD!!
It was now nightfall. There was a party going on in the Crockett condo. Everyone was on the patio where the servants were preparing food. Everyone else was dancing, drinking or swimming, or just lying back talking.
Kaneda had avoided the party. He didn't want to be around all the loud music and the carousing was more than he could stand. He didn't think Gundam Fighters should conduct themselves in such a manner as they were doing. He was surprised to see his father staying behind to swim with Chibodee.
So he sought refuge in the house. He was just returning to his room from the kitchen with a bottle of water when he spotted a trail of pink, white, yellow and blue flower petals in the hallway.
" What the?"
He took a swig of his water before following the trail. He wasn't in any danger so he figured it wouldn't hurt for him to be curious about this.
Kaneda followed the trail down the hall and found himself at Ashleigh's room. He shook his head; he should have known.
" He loves me…He loves me not…He loves me…He loves me not…" Kaneda heard Ashleigh from inside. She had to be doing this the whole time.
He started to walk away, but his curiosity got the best of him. He wanted to know why she wasn't at the party. And he was not jealous that she could be talking about Tiron or Dartagnan. He was just curious that's all. He hesitated at first, then knocked on the door.
It opened to reveal the Neo-American fighter. She nodded in recognition." Sup Neo-Japan?"
" Why aren't you at the party downstairs?" There was no need in beating around the bush.
" Oh, I, uh, just, don't like parties." She suddenly found the floor very interesting.
" You're lying." Kaneda forced her to look at him.
" What do you care?!" She snapped all of a sudden.
" I just saw your mess of girly flowers and wondered why you were still inside."
Ashleigh looked as if she wanted to snap at him, instead, tears welled up in her eyes and she ducked into her room.
" Uh?" Kaneda wasn't expecting that at all. He thought she'd yell at him, or at least call him 'Cashew' again. He never thought he'd see her cry.
" Ashleigh?" He pushed the door open and peeked in. Her room was littered with flowers and flower petals. So many on her floor you could barely tell there was carpet under there. They were on her bed and they were piled on top of each other on the balcony right next to a boom box. Sitting right next to it was Ashleigh.
She was sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms around them.
" Ashleigh?"
" Do you really want to know?" She didn't even turn around to face him.
" Know what?"
" Why I don't like…. parties."
Kaneda really hadn't expected this. But something told him not to be cold to Ashleigh this time. The way she reacted when he had been cold before was too much of a shock and he didn't like how quickly she gone from irritated to depressed. " Why?"
Ashleigh sighed and wiped her eyes. Then she stood up and placed her hands on the guardrail; leaning over the balcony to look at the moon.
" It happened 3 years ago; I was 12. I was going to a classmate's party. It was my second one ever. I was so excited. My crush was going to be there and I was hoping to dance with him. But, it was not going to happen," Ashleigh paused to wipe more tears away. When she spoke again, her voice cracked. " Then….in the alleyway….there were these loud noises. Like firecrackers, only louder. Mr. Philly, the father of the kid holding the party, told Mary-Elizabeth to go see what the noise was. She went up to the fence and…."
Kaneda saw her tremble. Her hands quivered on the rail until Ashleigh's grief finally got to her body and she crumpled to a crying heap on the ground.
" The bullet went straight through. She didn't feel a thing. My crush…. Craig…. he ran up to help her and he caught the next few bullets. 3 to the chest. We….we had to watch him die on the fl there. Some rival gang members had run down the alley and shot the place up. They died while those guys weren't even caught. It wasn't fair…..IT WASN'T FAIR!!!"
By now, Ashleigh was full out bawling. Kaneda was nervous. He didn't know what to do with a girl who was so miserable. It was obvious she needed comforting, but he didn't know that.
Ashleigh sniffled and wiped some tears away. " Kaneda?"
" Yeah?"
" Will you hold me? Please?"
Now normally, Kaneda would dismiss the notion completely. But Ashleigh was in such bad shape already. He wanted to do something to get her to smile again. He didn't like seeing her cry so much.
He walked over to where she was sitting on the ground and sat down behind her. Hesitantly, he drew her into his arms until she was resting alongside his chest. Though he felt awkward from never holding someone, it rather felt natural.
Ashleigh relaxed against him; still sniffling and crying a little. It was kind of funny, she couldn't stand him at all, but right now, she felt incredibly safe. At least from the terrifying scene that threatened to replay again in her mind.
Her weeping had exploited a lot of energy; and she was now tired. She found it hard to keep her eyes open. Kaneda was so warm in comparison to the night air. So she just settled down in his arms and went to sleep there.
Kaneda almost freaked when he saw she was asleep. What should he do now? She had just calmed down so he couldn't wake her up. He didn't want to move, less he risk waking her up. Gundam fights he could handle, girls he could not.
So he just sat there; listening to the radio and watching the wind blow the flower petals into the air.
He was always such a nice boy
The quiet one
With good intentions
He was down for his brother
Respectful to his mother
A good boy
but good don't get attention
One kid with a promise
The brightest kid in school
He's not a fool
Reading books about science and smart stuff
It's not enough, no
Cause smart dont make you cool, whoa
He's not invisible anymore
With his Father's 9 and a broken fuse
Since he walked through that classroom door
He's all over primetime news
Mary's got the same size hands
As Marilyn Monroe
She put her fingers in the imprints
at Mann's Chinese Theatre show
She coulda been a movie star
Never got the chance to go that far
Her life was stole
Now we'll never know
No no no no oh
They were crying to the camera
Said he never fitted in
He wasn't welcomed
He showed up to the parties
We was hanging in
Some guys puttin' him down
Bullying him round round
Now I wish I woulda talked to him
Gave him the time of day
Not turn away
If I woulda been the one to maybe go this far
He might have stayed at home
Playing angry chords on his guitar
He's not invisible anymore
With his baggy pants and his legs in chains
Since he walked through that classroom door
Everybody knows his name
Mary's got the same size hands (Oh)
As Marilyn Monroe
She put her fingers in the imprints (Ooh)
at Mann's Chinese Theatre show
She coulda been a movie star
Never got the chance to go that far
Her life was stole
Now we'll never know
(Now we'll never know, oh)
Greg was always getting net from 20 feet away (20 feet away)
He had a tryout with the Sixers
Couldn't wait for Saturday (Saturday)
Now we're never gonna see him slam
Flying high as Kobe can
His life was stole (Stole)
Oh now we'll never know
Now we'll never never never know
Mmm now we'll never never never never know
Stole (Stole)
Oh whoa yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Mary's got the same size hands (Same size hands)
As Marilyn Monroe(Oh)
She put her fingers in the imprints
at Mann's Chinese Theatre show(She was gonna be a star)
She coulda been a movie star (Oh no)
Never got the chance to go that far (Never got the chance)
Her life was stole (Stole, stole)
Oh now we'll never know
(Now we'll never never know, no)
Greg was always getting net from 20 feet away (He had game, oh)
He had a try out with the Sixers
Couldn't wait for Saturday
Now we're never gonna see him slam (Never see him)
Flying high as Kobe can
His life was stole (Stole, oh)
Oh now we'll never know
(Now we'll never never know)
Oh no no no
Yeah their lives were stole
now we'll never know
(Stole)
We we're here all together yesterday
(Stole).