Author's Note: I noticed that out of those who tried guessing who Lynnet Skinner was, EVERYONE said it's probably Alexia's mother… XD That's actually quite amazing how… similar everyone's mind work… :P Well, we'll see.
PS – I like it when people try to guess the mystery/unknown part of
)Shadow Nightress( - Ok, this is what you wrote: "great chapter and hey with that email thing its only for onte imte right or have to submit email all the imte cause im a bit confused so ya well anyways hope u update soon -" What does 'onte imte' mean? I'm confused… can you please rephrase it?? Thx. :)
)sakura cherry syaoran wolf( - Aww! Thank you so much! I'm so flattered… never thought I'm be this famous of an authors… Thank you sooo much Sakura Cherry Syaoran Wolf! (Quite a Long name!! :P)
)TrueGem( - That's ok… Most people are mean because of a reason, but people hate them anyways, because they're still plain mean. And them suffereing is not an excuse to cause suffering to others… :)
)Mariko( - Swearing Machine?? :S Hm… didn't exactly notice… besides, she didn't really say anything like "Bad" bad words… :P
)SilverRainbow223( - Good question. Why IS Alexia's past so important now? I don't know, honestly, I just like writing it, and there's no way anything can be such a complete bitch without a reason. And… because of something else, but I will not say it…
)Carmela-chan( - Naah… she wasn't introduced in before chapters… you memory is fine… :) O.o I'm flattered, longest review?? Aww… ::feels loved::
)crystaleyez( - Oh trust me, I know exactly how you feel… high school's CRAZY… but I get a couple of nice teachers… for example my French and Geography teacher… (weird, I hate those two subjects the most… :P) My geography teacher blast the music TOXIC BY BRITNEY SPEARS while we're doing Geography… :P And when we learned mapping, we mapped Simpson Characters… :P
)confused dolphin( - Good luck in ESA… it's so sad… I hardly get to talk to you anymore… U.U Aww… Oh, you moved right? Don't forget to call me… I need your new number… :P
)SweetStrawberries( - Um… you have a HELL of an imagination… O.o I NEVER said I had a friend name Alexia… and I certainly didn't say Alexia's mom was a prostitute!! You have a very wild imagination (not that it's a bad thing) but you're just seriously freaking me out… O.o
)anut( - O.o I don't think you're spoiling anything… I'm glad you liked it… :)
And a BIG THANKS for EVERYONE else who reviewed!!! :)
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LAST PART OF THE CHAP
And she was right. Alexia felt numb. Her eyes stings. Her heart beating rapidly, but not from anticipation and the ray of hope this time, instead, from sadness and feeling foolish that she actually thought that it would come true.
"Alexia?"
When her eyes opened again, her faced seemed worn out, and her overall appearance was a deep weariness. "She doesn't remember me…" Was her response. But the mutter was more to herself than to Sakura.
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Chapter Eleven
Why?
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It wouldn't have been called the 'dream week' Toria had imagined. The pictures photographed by perfectionists that's beautiful beyond imagination. Yet with Sakura's illness, and the mystery of a certain Lynnet Skinner appearing, the 'dream week' was in ruins. Toria shoved her skirt in her bag. It's Saturday, and already, they're going back. This week has been too exciting for its own good. Especially with the life threatening sand storm.
"Ready?"
"Yeah… I'm ready." Toria nodded, grabbing her bags and stepped on the van. As they drove away from the hotel, she stared out the window. Either way, it was an unforgettable week, and she will remember it, always.
She put a hand on Alexia's shoulder. "Are you ok now?"
Alexia continued starring out the window. Toria withdrew her hand and leaned back. She's been spacing out ever since the 'phone call', and hasn't heard a word from anybody.
--
"Yes! Back, finally!" Takashi breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yay." Nakuru agreed. "Why did I have to be the one driving?"
"Because we had to calm your hyper energy down. We're leaving Egypt, it's suppose to be a sad moment, not you bouncing around like you've just won a million dollars." Yukito explained.
"It's not my fault." She defended. "With a sand tornado plus heat much too powerful to give just a tan, who wouldn't be glad to be back?"
"It'd like to stay there and burn to death…" Alexia muttered.
Every pair of eyes was her. It was the first thing she's said, and it wasn't very pleasant. "Alexia… who was that?" Sakura asked, trying an approach.
Alexia ignored her.
Syaoran stepped up and put an arm around her.
She looked up.
"Who was that… Alexia?"
"Nobody…" She replied.
"If it was a nobody, it wouldn't have this much of an effect on you."
"I'm not affected…" She murmured.
There was silence.
And more silence.
The invisible element lingered and refuses to leave.
"Let's… go to movie…" Toria suggested uncertainly.
"Um… yeah, sure…" Rika agreed.
"Sound great… doesn't it Alexia?" Chiharu replied as cheerfully as she could.
Alexia didn't respond.
So Syaoran just dragged her along.
--
"That!"
"No way! That's so girly!"
"So? Better than that! It's cartoon!"
"There's no romance in that!"
"I want something funny!"
"But that's so cute! We have to watch it!"
"Absolutely no way! It's retarded!"
"Well no one's going to watch something stupid like that!"
"Exactly! That's why we go with my choice!"
"Yours is stupid too!"
"Is not!"
"It's too gooey!"
"It's romantic and sweet!"
"It's sad with a stupid ending!"
"How would you know?"
"Previews on TV, what else?"
"Well, I'm not watching an action movie!"
"It's too angsty!"
"It's too stupid!"
"It's not cute enough!"
"It has no plot!"
"The main character's too ugly!"
"It's friggin' rated G! That's Disney movies like Brother Bear!"
"Are you freakin' 10?"
"Don't be so immature!"
"You suck at picking movies!"
Toria, Sakura, Syaoran, Alexia, Rika, Takashi, Chiharu, Nakuru, Naoko, and Yukito, a total of ten people. It's rather difficult trying to decide on a movie with ten different minds filled with varying preferences, it's hard to decide on one movie.
Toria and Sakura wanted romance.
Syaoran wants actions.
Takashi wants comedy.
Yukito wants science fiction.
Nakuru wants cartoon.
Chiharu wants mystery.
Naoko wants angst.
Rika wants the cuddly, cute-sy movie about adorable tiger cubs.
Alexia just don't care.
"Who the hell would want to watch the Princess Diaries 2??"
"At least it's better than Without a Paddle!"
"Hey, hey! I'm not the one who picked Intern Academy whatever the hell that is!"
"Much better than suspect 0!"
"Who cares? I want to watch Shark Tale!"
In the end, everyone got their own way. Everyone watched a different movie.
And agreed to meet three hours later at the doors.
--
Three hours later, only Sakura and Syaoran and Alexia were at the door.
Syaoran stared at his watch. "Oh great, that's just wonderful. Make us wait, won't they? For some reason I have the hardest time believing their movie lasted over three, bloody, hours long."
"Maybe they went the bathroom and drowned in a toilet or something…" Sakura stated.
Syaoran stared at her.
"I'm just kidding…" She muttered.
"Let's ditch."
"What?"
"Ditch them. We'll drive away to a bar or something and let them take the bus home."
"No, way! They have no tickets!"
"They have cash."
"You don't have the key to the van!"
Syaoran pulled out two dangling silver items and gloated over it in her face. "You were saying?"
Sakura closed her fingers together, signaling him to shut the trap.
"Who's the best? I'm so awesome."
She looked at him lamely and tapped her foot. "I told you to shut up."
"Let's go now." Syaoran grabbed Sakura in one hand, and Alexia in the other.
--
"I swear, if those three don't show up soon, I'm leaving without them!" Nakuru threatened. "After all, I have the keys, and just let them take the bus home or something!"
"Calm down. That'll be too mean. Maybe their movies just got held up or something…" Toria defended.
"Or they got sucked into the drinking fountain or something…" Yukito muttered.
Chiharu stared at him as if he was from another planet.
"Joking…"
"Maybe they went to the other door or something… There are two main exits in this theatre, you know…" Toria added.
"Ok," Nakuru replied heatedly. "Let's go see, and they'd better be there."
The gang stormed up to across the theatre, and there they saw three figures talking and waiting impatiently.
"There they are!"
Just as Nakuru was about to give them the hell of their time, when their boss suddenly grabbed the two girls' hand and ran outside.
"What the hell!?!?" They rushed after them, only to see Syaoran jumping into the van with his two girlfriends and driving away.
"TRAITOR!" Rika cried.
"Ditcher!" Toria agreed.
--
They drove to the nearest bar and everyone settled down. The music blasting was killing their ears, but the drunken people there didn't seem to notice.
The three of them settled down on a table and ordered some alcoholic drinks. It was completely silent, which was hard to imagine with the crazy music blaring in the background, but it seemed no one had anything to say.
Sakura fidgeted. Syaoran looked away. Alexia was spacing-out.
"Um. Let's try something. Let's try a game called 'Why?'."
"What's that about?" Syaoran asked.
"Well, it's like 'truth' from 'truth and dare', except you have to begin with every question with why."
"Um, well, sure."
"Alexia?"
"Wha-" She blinked. "Yeah, sure."
"I'll start." Sakura turned to Alexia. "Why are you so upset?"
Alexia looked at her slowly. "Because that person in the phone doesn't remember me." Alexia looked at Sakura. "Why are you always so happy?"
"Why shouldn't I be? Life has been fine for me so far. Nothing really that bad has happened, I have no reason to be sad." She looked straight at Alexia. "Alexia, why does the person in the phone mean so much to you?"
"Because her relationship with me is one of the most important relationships in life. Sakura. Why do you keep asking me questions?"
"You interest me. I thought there's nothing much to you, but now you make me wonder. Alexia. Why… why were you so mean to me when we first met?"
"In my field of paper flowers, and candy clouds of lullaby. I lie inside myself for hours, and watch my purple sky fly over me. What do you think that means?"
"Um… it's not real?"
"Close. When's the only time those things will happen?"
"In dreams."
"Where do dreams come from?"
"Your mind."
"What can your mind produce?"
"I… I don't know…"
"Imagination. This life is imaginary to me. Not only is this life ruined, I don't even have full control over it anymore."
"Where did you get those words? Your imagination?"
"It's a song… of course, but knowing you, you wouldn't know the singer for this tragic song. Sakura, why…" Alexia paused. How to phrase this with a 'why'… "Why do you have a mother?"
"I don't." This respond surprised Alexia. "My mother died when I was very young… Alexia. Why do you say you don't have full control over yourself anymore?"
"Because I don't. Sakura. Why does your mother love you?"
She smiled thinly. "That's not a very well phrased question. All mothers love their children." Alexia looked down. "Alexia. Why… does life have such a negative effect on you?"
"How should I know? Maybe I offended God when I was in heaven."
"You believe in God?"
"No. Because obviously he doesn't exist, or he wouldn't be taking revenge on me like this."
"How do you know it's a he?" Sakura asked, smiling.
Alexia smiled back. "Because if he was a she, my life would be better."
Someone cleared his throat next to them. "I exist, you know."
"Syaoran!"
"Yes, me. I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that I disappeared for a while." He replied sarcastically.
"Oh, I'm sorry!"
"You'd better be! I'm just sitting here like a dummy."
Alexia turned to him. "Syaoran, why do you never tell us your true identity?"
"My true identity? I don't have one…"
"You don't seem to have any relatives living in Japan."
"Oh you mean that… well, I come from Hong Kong…"
"And what is your identity in Hong Kong?"
"What makes you think I have an identity in Hong Kong? Why can't I just be any normal business man?"
"Because you're not normal. Something about the way you act, the way you talk, the way you think, the way you walk, it's not like everyday people."
Syaoran looked at her skeptically. "Do you spend all your time studying people?"
"Whenever I have full control over my body, in fact, I do."
"Why?"
"There's nothing else worth doing."
"But… you call me a lot…" He added in a low, sort of annoyed voice.
Alexia laughed lightly. "Yes, but do you ever like talking to me?"
"Well…" He replied sheepishly. "I could if you can keep a conversation going…"
"You still haven't answered my original question."
"Oh, right. Yes, I do have another identity in Hong Kong. I'm more famous than you can imagine, but that is not the life I desire. Sakura. Why… why… why don't I have a question to ask you?"
Sakura laughed. "Because I'm not a mystery. You know everything about me, or everything that's interesting about me… other things are just too boring to be asked or just plainly none of your business. Our little Alexia here, however, is full of deep secrets that we're all very interested in." Sakura patted Alexia on the back, and whispered, "That's not a bad thing, by the way. Ok. Syaoran, why have you known Alexia so long?"
"Um… I haven't known her that long…"
Sakura rolled her eyes. "I have to start it with a 'why'. Translation, how long have you known Alexia?"
"Hey! That's cheating!" Alexia defended.
"Bite me!"
"Calm down girls, no cat fight here." Syaoran said, trying to be the good guy. "Anyhow, I've known Alexia for about three years now… but er… she's always been hitting on me… so… it was a bit… er… weird…"
Alexia glanced at him. "Like I said, I don't always have full control over my body."
"You seem fine now."
"Why yes, because I'm too depressed."
"…?"
Alexia smiled lightly, but there was some hope in her eyes. "Sakura, Syaoran, both of you, you two seems so happy, always, as if life always have some good in it not matter how bad things get sometimes. I will need your advises."
"Sure."
"Shoot."
"What would you do, if someone you love, someone who's suppose to love you, completely forgotten about you, but you don't have the guts to remind them that they have forgotten about you because you're afraid even after the reminder, they still wouldn't remember?"
"Ooo… Alex's got a boyfriend?" Sakura teased.
"Please."
"Ok, ok. Just keep calling. If they don't remember after many tries, then they're not worth your love."
"Exactly. Don't be afraid of rejection." Syaoran added. "If you don't take any chance, there will never be a chance of you succeeding."
Alexia smiled. "You really think so?"
"Of course."
"Thank you…"
The three of them smiled at each other.
"THERE YOU ARE!"
The three of them turned around to the voice. It was freaky looking Nakuru standing with the rest of the gang backing her up. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" She snarled.
"Well, we couldn't find you guys, and we were waiting for so long, so we figured -" Sakura tried to defend.
"DON'T GIVE ME THAT B.S.! WE WAITED FOR YOU EQUALLY AS LONG! BUT DID WE DITCH YOU? NO-O-O-O-O! TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, WE SAW YOU GUYS JUMPING AWAY!!! IF YOU HAD WAITED A DARN MILLI-SECOND MORE WE WOULD'VE ALL GONE SOMEWHERE, TOGETHER!"
Sakura and Syaoran sweat dropped, Alexia laughed a little, she was thinking of the possibilities of calling Lynnet Skinner, and hearing Lynnet say, 'Alexia! Oh, I remember you! Of course I love you! I don't know how I could've forgotten! Come back to me, my baby girl, I'm still in Japan, but I'm going away on vacation soon, and I want you to come with me, Dylon Skinner will be there too, we'll be happy, I'm so glad I remembered you!'
Nagging was unavoidable when you ditched someone and had them actually see you do so, there is no excuse to get out of this one. Alexia actually gave a smile when she stepped off the bickering van, and felt light and airy.
She kicked off her shoes as soon as she got home and picked up her phone. It's not Syaoran she needs, she needed Syaoran because if she married him, she would be the queen of the Li Clan and Lynnet would be so sorry she ever forgot her. But now, it doesn't matter! Lynnet will remember, and she will make Dylon remember too, then everything would be perfect.
"Hi."
"Lynnet Skinner? This is -"
"You've reached the home of Lynnet and Dylon Skinner, we're currently not home, so please leave a message, your phone number and name, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can. Thank you, and no junk please, because I will be very mad, and it will not be a good thing. Thanks!"
Be-ep…
Alexia was slightly discouraged.
Be-ep…
But not enough to shatter her hope completely.
Be-ep…
Lynnet will remember her.
Be-ep…
A stupid answering machine is not a message from God.
Be-ep…
Yes, have hope.
BEEEEEEEEP!
"Hi, Lynnet Skinner, I called you a few days ago, you didn't really remember me, but that's ok, I still have hope, I haven't given up yet, please remember me, my name is Alexia Skinner, do you remember that strange room beside yours that's full of stuff? Look in the closet, lowest drawer, there's a photo album, where I kept all my memories, please have a look through, and remember me… you should know my phone number… I left it for you but you probably threw it out. But once you remember me, you'll be doing everything in your power to find me, and I'm sure you will be able to…" Alexia paused slightly. "I love you, mother."
The she hung up, happily. She lay back on her bed and laughed. Yes, Lynnet will remember me! She thought with hope. Sakura confirmed it, so it must be true… after all, if she can be happy after her mother died, she must be right. "You gave me hope, Sakura, and this has better not be a failure…" she muttered to herself, then laughed again.
--
Lynnet returned home after a tired day, that damn Tomoyo had such a horrible attitude, what the hell was wrong with her? Here was Lynnet, willing to pay her a fortune, and she was turning it down?
Lynnet checked around. Dylon wasn't home yet. "Perfectly normal day…" She muttered, the pressed the answering machine.
A few messages for Dylon, one asking her to pay her bills, some advertisements that totally pissed her off, and a peculiar one.
Hi, Lynnet Skinner, I called you a few days ago, you didn't really remember me, but that's ok, I still have hope, I haven't given up yet, please remember me, my name is Alexia Skinner, do you remember that strange room beside yours that's full of stuff? Look in the closet, lowest drawer, there's a photo album, where I kept all my memories, please have a look through, and remember me… you should know my phone number… I left it for you but you probably threw it out. But once you remember me, you'll be doing everything in your power to find me, and I'm sure you will be able to… I love you, mother.
She raised an eyebrow at the fact the woman on the answering machine referred to her as 'mother', but followed the instructions given anyways, since the voice was still somewhat familiar. Almost like an echo in her mind, inerasable.
"What the…" Lynnet walked into the room next to her own, and sure enough, the room was jammed with beds, tables, lights, and personal stuff. She had never thought about it. Somehow she knew this room was occupied but just not very sure why and by who. Lynnet walked to the closet and sure enough, there was a photo album, she pulled it out, and there were very few pictures in there. On the front of the book, in childish writing, it says, 'Memories of Mommy and me.'
Lynnet opened it. There were only about seven pictures in total, each with a huge time gap in between. The girl looked awfully familiar.
Of the seven pictures, five of them were of her holding a blonde girl, each pictures the blonde girl was at a different age, and herself was giving the blonde girl to her own mother. Lynnet's mother, the blonde girl's… grandmother?
Wow… I must've really not spent enough time with the girl if I'm just constantly sending her away… Lynnet thought to herself.
The other two pictures, one was of herself talking frustrated on the phone, and other was her hurriedly leaving some money on the table. Lynnet remembers doing that, she still remembers till this day, because she still does it, she's not very sure why, except the fact that every week it's taken away. But now, the money's piling higher and higher, but she still keeps adding to it every week.
Briefly, she remembers the phone call she received a few days ago, a girl claiming to be her daughter. She strained to hard to think, and she remembered seeing herself fat, and how worried she was if she never got skinny again. And then… a daughter. Really. She wasn't fat for nothing… she was pregnant. "Her name was… Alex… Alexia?"
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--
Author's Note: Well, seems like there's some hope for Alexia!
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Sorry for taking so long to update… but my inspiration is limited… so after I write a chapter, I have to pause for about a month, to get my inspiration recharged, so when I type a month later everything just flows so smoothly and quickly and I'll get about the chapter done in two nights.
3326 words.