Yes, Dharke, I have returned from the mental institution and I'm glad to know that it did some good. Though, you'll probably want to take all of that back after you read this chapter; didn't you want me to warn you whenever there would be some Alex and Clear interaction? Well, consider yourself warned. As for me knowing the movie very well, I should hope so; it's my favorite movie and, yes, I do know it by heart. I really do, but no one ever believes me. Anyways, here's another chapter in the musical, which is almost as good as Chicago....right....

Chapter Seven

Questions Answered

When Alex arrived at the Wagner house, he saw that he was too late to save his friend; however, he felt like he had known that he wouldn't be able to save Tod all along, but that hadn't stopped him from rushing from his house to Tod's. Instead of seeing the Wagner household peaceful and quiet, he saw the driveway clustered with ambulances, police cars and a coroner's van. Tod's mother was on the stoop, her arms wrapped around her shoulders, eyes red from crying.

Alex took a step forward. "What happened?" He questioned one of the officers as they walked past him. "Where's Tod?"

He didn't get an answer from the middle-aged officer, who breezed past him as though he hadn't even heard Alex speak. Alex took another step forward, but whirled around when he heard someone whisper his name, surprised to see Clear standing, partially hidden behind a tree. "Alex, get out of here." She urged when she saw that he had noticed her.

Alex gave her a quizzical glance before turning around again to study the surreal scene playing out before him. Noticing the teenager standing in the driveway, Mr. Wagner left his wife's side and headed over to where Alex stood, a rough look upon his face.

"Didn't you see it?" Wagner questioned when he stopped in front of Alex, who gave him a confused, worried look. "You caused Tod so much guilt over George staying on the plane that he took his own life."

Though he had feared all along that his friend was dead, hearing his fears confirmed was like a blow to the stomach. "No." Alex muttered breathlessly, gazing past Wagner to see two men in white paramedic uniforms tightening the straps around the black body bag that no doubt held Tod. "He said to me that we'd be friends again after you got better. Why would be make plans with me if he was thinking about killing himself?" He snapped, much more harshly then he had intended. Wagner glared at the teenager before turning back to join his wife.

Alex sighed and turned back to face Clear, surprised to find that she had disappeared; he was even more surprised, however, to see that the two F.B.I. agents that he questioned him thirty-nine days ago where standing off to one side of the driveway. Alex watched until the coronor loaded Tod into the back of his truck before finally heading home.

* * *

Skipping breakfast the next morning, Alex left home, heading for Clear's house based on the directions that Clear had given his parents all those days before. The trip seemed much longer on foot but he used the time to collect his thoughts about just what he wanted to say to Clear; was it possible that she recieved a sign about Tod's impending death just as he had? How had she known about Tod and, more importantly, that he would be there?

Alex stopped at the foot of the driveway, surprised to see Clear standing outside wielding a blow torch with her hair pulled back beneath a faded brown hair. He took a step closer to the house, stopping again when a large German Shepard trotted toward him, noticing him before Clear had. Alex held his hand out for the dog to sniff, snatching it back quickly when the dog growled at him.

Clear shut off her torch and turned to face Alex, not looking at all surprised to see him standing there. She slipped her hat off, shaking her hair lose and dropping her hat upon the table beside the torch. "Almost autumn." She muttered, not quite sure where she was heading with her confusion in seasons.

Alex gave her a strange look as he got closer to her. "It's only the end of June." He corrected, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but everything's always in transistion." Clear said, shrugging slightly. "You focus now just one week into summer, you can almost feel autumn coming. I like being able to see the future." She raised an eyebrow as well, wanting to see how Alex would react to her statement.

Alex studied her closely for a moment, trying to figure out what she was getting at before saying, "Why were you at Tod's house last night?"

Clear didn't answer, instead she turned away from him and entered the garage; intent on getting some sort of an answer, Alex followed her inside, scanning the oddly decorated room. The walls were painted with bright colors and almost every avalible space was covered with finished art, abandoned art or simply junk. "I've seen enough T.V. to know that the F.B.I. doesn't investagate teen suicides." Clear answered finally, slipping off her heavy jacket and hanging it on a hook. "They were there last night which means, one, they still don't have a clue what caused the crash. Two, they haven't ruled out anything and the fact that seven people got off the plane is probably weird enough. Not to mention that one of those people had a vision...or whatever about the plane exploding minutes before it actually did explode is highly suspicous. And it doesn't help that the visionary's friend just comitted sucidie."

Alex pursed his lips, studying her for a moment, trying to decide why the brunette had nerved worn a tank-top and jeans to school before since she looked suddenly so much more appealing. However, he said none of this and instead asked, "Why were you there last night?"

Clear gave him a fleeting glance before brushing past him and stopping in front of a abstract piece of art work that she had no doubt fashioned. "Do you know what this is?" She asked him, threading her fingers around the curls that the base was made from.

Alex raised his eyebrows, not quite sure of how to answer. "It's a...uh...springy head guy." He answered finally, for that was just what it looked like to him.

The brunette regarded her work almost lovingly before returning her gaze back to Alex. "It's you, not a likeness, it's how you make me feel, Alex. Like you the sculpure doesn't even know what or why it is; it's relunctant to take form, yet creating an ablostue, but imcomprehendible attraction."

Clear took her hand away from the coil and drew closer to Alex, until they were almost touching. "Four years of high school we haven't said one word to each other, yet at that moment, in the airport, I felt what you felt. I didn't even know where those emotions were coming from 'til you started freaking out. I didn't see what you saw, but I felt it. You can still feel it can't you? Something from that day is still with you, I know because I can still feel you. That's why I was there last night." She told him, feeling a bit of tension spark up between the two of them.

Alex studied her closely for a moment, locking eyes with her before turning away and walking over to a table she had cluttered with glass knickknacks, putting his back to her. Clear sighed and dropped her eyes to the floor.

I've been watching you from a distance, but distance sees through your disguise. All I want from you is your hurting. I want to heal you, I want to save you from the dark. Give unto me your troubles, I'll endure your suffering. Place unto me your burden, I'll drink your deadly poison. Clear sang.

Why should I care if they hurt you? Somehow it matters more to me then if I were hurting myself. Save you, I'll save you. Fear not the flame of my love's candle. Give unto me your troubles, I'll endure your suffering. Place unto me your burden, I'll drink your deadly poison.

Give unto me your troubles, I'll endure your suffering. Place unto me your burden, I'll drink your deadly, sweet poison. Fear not the flame of my love's candle, let me be the light in your world of darkness.

Alex sighed and turned around to face her. "I've never dealt with before, this could all be in our heads." He remarked, picking up a glass cube and twisting it in the sunlight. "It just feels like it's all around us."

"It?" Clear questioned, trying to figure out the point that Alex was trying to figure out and wondering if there was one at all.

"What if Tod just the first...of us?" Alex questioned, wishing that someone had the answers that he was searching for.

Clear raised an eyebrow. "Is this something that you're feeling?" She asked, wondering if Alex had tapped into something far greater then either of them had imagined.

Alex shrugged, helpless. "I don't know, I just wish I could see him...one last time." He didn't know how that would help but he was almost certain that it would.

A large smile spread across Clear's face. "Then let's go see him."

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Okay, all the dialouge in this scene was pretty much the same, minus a few words, because I felt like showing off that yes, I really do know the movie by heart. This song belongs to Evanescence, the best band ever; I know I'm supposed to be waiting until the end of the story to give the song titles but I just had to say that Evanescence is cool.