A/N: Ok guys, thanks for the reviews! MasterDranzerAlmighty Dranzer, greeneydgrl74, MysticMystery, lazyfifilazy, lilix (twice for you, lol), and... I don't think I'm forgetting anyone, but if I am, please tell me so I can hit myself in the head and apologize at least 20 times, okay? I'm glad you guys like it! Sorry it took so long to update, and sorry I didn't mention some of you in earlier chapters. I was just so excited to get the chapter up, that I didn't spend the time to put up thank yous, sorry again. Okay, enough groveling. This chapter isn't as good as some of them, but it sort of gives you an idea of Rockie's priorities and stuff.

The next day, however...

*~*Rockie's POV*~*

Right after practice, I went to see from Rei how I should best approach Kai. I would need all the advice I could get.

"I suggest... just come out with it, I guess. Although, I don't know how valuable my advice will be, considering that this has never happened in the history of forever."

"Right. Thanks anyway..."

Not quite the advice I was hoping for. It would have to do though.

I waited until after dinner to confront him, because I knew that people were grumpier when they were hungry. Kai happened to be heading out alone, so I figured this was my chance.

"Kai!" I called.

He kept walking.

I rolled my eyes, and ran to catch him. "You must not have heard me, I tried to get you to wait up."

"I heard you."

"Oh," I hesitated. But then I figured, I knew he was a jerk, this was nothing extraordinary. "Well, anyway, do you mind if I walk with you?"

"Yes." He kept his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the sidewalk ahead.

I didn't leave, but I didn't say anything, either. Kai went along as if I wasn't there, until he came to a bridge. Once there, he climbed onto the railing, up the chain link fence, and down the other side, where he sat on the cement ledge overhanging the river below.

I hesitated a half a second before I jumped up and started climbing over, too. Height was the one thing I couldn't be scared off with.

Kai stared out over the water, completely ignoring my presence.

::Want me to talk to Dranzer for you?:: Drayera asked calmly, in her usual way.

::Sure, but don't tell me anything you find out; not just yet. I want to find out for myself,:: I answered in my head.

::Sounds fun!:: the bit beast giggled and cut off the mental connection between us, so I couldn't hear her conversation with Dranzer.

I sighed loudly. Kai ignored me. I cleared my throat. Kai ignored me. Finally, I couldn't take it any more.

"Kai?"

He turned his icy glare on me without a word.

"Look, are you going to ignore me forever, or will you listen if I ask a question?"

"Hn."

"Fine. I'll just ask anyway." I suddenly realized... I didn't know what to ask. Have you ever had to think... if there was ONE question I could ask someone, what would I ask? Some people spend a lifetime thinking up a question to ask one certain person. I had about two seconds. I couldn't think of a thing. Then, of course, my stupid mouth went ahead and started talking anyway.

"Well, Hilary told me about your grandfather. Why did you live with him anyway? Where's the rest of your family?" Oh, great. what a wonderful question to ask. Stupid mouth, stupid!!

"He's it."

"The only family you have is an evil grandpa?! Whoa. I can tell my mom to adopt you if you want. I bet she would, seriously."

Kai gave a yeah-right smirk, and turned his eyes back to the river.

I thought for a minute about what to say next. I wasn't about to let my mouth get away with pulling THAT trick again.

"So... I know you've had a hard time and all, but why can't you loosen up? Not everyone in the world is your enemy, you know."

Kai was silent. I was about to ask again, when he sighed and said, "How can you be so sure?"

"Well, I just... know, I guess. I mean, Max looks up to you. He wishes sometimes that he could keep his mouth shut like you do. The others all want to be your friends. I do too. Why won't you give us a chance?"

"I can't have friends."

"Why?"

He didn't answer, instead, avoiding the question. "Why do you keep bothering me?"

"Because I can, and I don't like to see unhappy people. Max has wanted to talk to you about it for a long time, but he's scared of you."

"Good."

Hearing that, I totally forgot whom I was talking to. I forgot that I was busy breaking the ice, and I forgot that we were sitting on a narrow ledge over a rushing river. The word echoed in my head over and over.

"GOOD?! How can you say that?! I just said that poor Max is SCARED of you! He is confused, because he wants to be your friend, but at the same time, he wants to be far away from you. And all you can say is GOOD?!"

Kai waited patiently for me to stop yelling before saying quietly, "I only end up hurting people who call themselves my friends. And at the moment, I'm regretting ever letting you follow me, because now you're going to run around on some high horse because you talked to me. I swear, if you ever mention this to anyone, I'll tell the police that you stole money from me, and have a restraining order put up." He said it with the air that he did this every day.

"Fine. I won't mention it, on the condition that you answer one more question."

Kai sighed. I could imagine the thoughts that would be going through his head. 'Should I get rid of her? Is it worth it to answer this question?'

"I can't answer it if you don't ask."

I was in shock. I had been expecting him to shove me off the bridge and tell the FBI it was an accident or something (Yes, if you're wondering, the FBI would be called in if I died suddenly and violently. Daddy's special like that.). I could feel my eyes going big, and my jaw would have dropped open if I'd let it. KAI offered to let ME ask a question?! Maybe he really was going to shove me off the bridge...

A few seconds later, my brain started functioning again. And I had the perfect question. "How do you feel about each member of the team, truthfully, and why?" ooh yeah, I rock. *chants* Rock-IE, Rock-IE! Go me!!

So I sounded like a Language Arts test. Who cares?

"No comment."

"Oh no, you have to answer now! Go ahead. Tell me the truth. You'll feel much better afterwards." I was slightly begging, but oh well.

He sighed slightly. "Fine. I hate all of you."

"Liar, liar, liar!" I sang.

This time there was no mistaking his sigh. "Rei's okay, Tyson's a pig, and Max is a baby. Kenny is a know-it-all, Hilary is a loud and annoying female, and I could say the same for you. Now will you get off my back?"

I thought about it, and decided I'd better quit while I was ahead.

"Sure." I climbed the fence again and dropped on the other side, and started off toward home.

As soon as I got there, a frantic Max and a Rei who almost looked upset greeted me.

"What's wrong?" I asked urgently.

"Got a phone call from your friend..." Rei said.

I grabbed the phone off the hook and prepared to dial. "Who?"

"Um... the M one... Marissa? Melissa? Someone like that."

I dialed lightning-quick. Missa picked up on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Missa! What's wrong?" I started pacing.

"N-nothing. I just wanted to, uh, tell you something..."

"You don't stutter unless something is terribly wrong. Now, tell me before I have to fly home and strangle you!"

"Okay..." I heard her sigh. "Carlie disappeared."

"WHAT?!" I yelled. "Is that all? Well, have you checked the whole park?"

"Every single tree."

"What about that old van she likes to hide in?"

"Checked there."

"What is her mom doing about it?"

"She's completely gone off the deep end. You know how she is about Carlie, and..."

I kept pacing. "How long has she been gone?"

"She took off right after you left. Not even ten minutes after."

"Okay. I'm going to call back in a minute, after I've had a chance to think." I hung up and fell limply on the couch.

"What are you going to do?" Rei asked quietly.

"If I knew that, I would have already done it!" I snapped.

"Are you going to go home and help look for her?" Max suggested.

"I've got a feeling she's not at home. Although... you don't really need me here, do you? Would it be okay if I went home?"

Hilary walked in the door with Kai right behind her, right when I said that. "Why on earth would you go home now?" Hilary asked as she dropped a bag of groceries on the counter in the kitchenette.

"Carlie ran off, and Missa can't find her," I summed up.

Hilary, who had grown quite close to my little band of friends, gasped. "Why would she do that, though?!"

"She's always had a different way of doing things. Maybe she got mad at someone. I don't know. But I do know I have to go back and help. Here's my email address, and phone number." I scrawled rockstar014@ropeiscool.com ((lol don't ask)), and my phone number on a note on the counter, then ran to my room and started throwing my stuff in my bag.

An hour later, I was in a BBA car on my way to the airport, to go back home.

I think that was the shortest trip to the U.S. in the history of Japan.

A/N: Me again, I just want to say that if I ever refer to Rockie as Romney, I apologize ahead of time. I'm writing the sequel to this... or maybe the third one... I'm not sure... but anyway, I'm writing that, and Romney is one of my main characters. I didn't mean to make their names so similar, but it's too late to change either! Oh well. Just a warning. Ok, bye for now!