Chapter 6

A/N: So sorry for the delay of chapter 5…

I've been having headache since yesterday, so I apologize if this chapter is not good…thnkz for all the reviews again…enjoy!

Katie yawned tiredly. She stayed up so late yesterday because she just had to stay up and watch that movie.

Why must it be Monday today? Why must the movie be on yesterday and not Sunday? Katie pondered.

Katie pulled her locker door violently. It shook as if the whole row of lockers will collapse. The locker door still refuses to open up.

Alex walked up behind quietly. (Actually it wasn't very quietly, but Katie was too sleepy to notice anything)

Alex stared at Katie strangely. Katie turned with her half-opened eyes.

"Why are you staring at me strangely? You do have hands, don't you? So help!" Katie said while trying to shake the locker door open once again.

"I'm sure it's the correct combination! What's wrong?" Katie said furiously.

"Erm…Katie…" Alex tapped on her shoulder. Katie didn't turn at all. Her senses were probably shut off.

"I'm sure it's the correct combination…but I think it's the wrong locker." Alex watched Katie's face turned from pure furious and curiosity to surprise and embarrassment.

"I knew that…" Katie started to move towards the locker beside the one she'd fiddling with for the last 2 minutes.

"Right…and I suppose you knew that there's an Algebra test today also right?" Alex said while leaning against her locker.

"Huh? What!" Katie's eyes widened. She was totally awake now.

It was end of school. Katie and Alex walked along the corridor.

"Hey, I've gotta go to the toilet. You wait for me at the locker."

"Um…" Katie answered.

Katie walked towards her locker, opened it and threw her books inside the locker. Then, she noticed a white paper slotted between the holes in the locker's door.

Katie took it out and read it. It said:

Dearest Katie,

We have not been meeting up lately. Call me tonight, or I'll call you. Miss you a lot. You will always be in my heart.

Love

Chris

Katie could even throw up right there, but just she didn't want to dirty her locker's environment. Chris had been acting as if she was his boyfriend.

Right… Katie thought. She stuffed the paper into her bag, she'll throw it later at home then.

Alex exited the toilet with a lighter heart and body. He walked towards Katie's locker (It's also his because they were sharing lockers since there weren't enough space)

"Hey, Rider!" Alex turned around to face a handsome Chris with his fellow girls following him.

"Hi." Alex answered bluntly.

"Want to tell you something." Chris neared to Alex then he shooed all his followers to stand further away.

"I know that you and Katie are staying in the same house. But I want you to know something. Katie's mine. She won't date anyone like you, so don't even think about getting her. Get it?" Chris looked Alex into the eyes.

Alex wanted to say that he won't even fall for someone who's so rough and so boyish. But he couldn't let this Chris get the way, since no one ever threatened him and get away with it.

"What if I say that I'm hitting on her?" Alex smirked

"Then I'll hit you!" Chris stepped to face up with Alex. They were about the same height.

Alex didn't move an inch. Chris swung his left fist but Alex ducked so professionally. Chris was taken aback. He then straightened himself up, with the help of his followers.

Chris continued, "Ok, fine. But I hope you won't mind if I hit on her right?"

"Not at all. But if you'll be able to do it successfully is another thing." Alex said and walked away victoriously.

That night, after dinner, Katie and Alex were sitting down in the living room. Alex was having guitar lesson.

"Yeah, A minor, then D minor." Katie tried to teach Alex the chords for a song she anyhow compose, just to encourage Alex to practice the guitar.

"Alex, there's a notebook that have guitar chords in my school bag, can you help me take it?" Katie asked

"Why should I?" Alex asked back.

" 'coz I'm teaching you the chords! And I'm doing this for you! Now go!" Katie snatched her guitar and started playing it.

Alex grunt and left the room.

Alex rummaged her bag for a while (it was very messy), then he finally found her black notebook with the guitar chords written inside. Alex lifted the book. Something fell out of the book. A piece of paper.

Alex picked it up and examined it closely. He opened and read it.

Dearest Katie,

We have not been meeting up lately. Call me tonight, or I'll call you. Miss you a lot. You will always be in my heart.

Love

Chris

Alex could feel his heart clenched. He didn't know the reason why but he felt like crumpling the piece of paper.

Maybe Katie and Chris are… Alex thought

Alex slotted the paper inside the book again and walked to the living room with a totally different emotion from before.

Alex entered the living room and sat down beside Katie. Alex looked at Katie. Katie opened the book to the page where she had written her chords for Alex during the Math lesson last week.

"Come, there are only 2 new chords. So here. The new chords are G7 and E minor." Katie pushed the guitar to Alex.

Alex took it silently. Katie showed Alex the fingering but Alex's mind doesn't seem to be in place at all.

"Alex! What's wrong! I said index finger first fret of first string!" Katie shouted. This time Alex was fully out of his daze, but still furious.

"Oh, sor-ry. I'm not so clever and good-looking as Chris, right?" Alex glared at Katie. He just burst out, he didn't want it to come out at all.

"What! What are you talking about?" Katie asked, practically shouting.

"You're losing patience with me, so stop teaching me then! If you don't want, then stop! You can might as well go and teach Chris. He'll welcome you with opened arms!" Alex just couldn't stop, the words in the paper, especially "love", has hit him hard.

"Alex Rider! Can you stop shouting and explain what's wrong? I don't any have power to read minds, you know."

"Nothing." Alex just walked out of the room without saying anymore words. He needs time to be alone. To reflect on things.

After Alex left, Katie picked up her notebook furiously. Something fell out of the notebook. Katie recognized the paper immediately. Now, Katie suspected that the reason why Alex was acting very weird was because of this.

Katie crumpled it and thrust it into the wastepaper basket.

I'll wait until he cools down then Katie thought

Alex walked into his room and flopped down on the bed. He pulled the pillow over his head and shouted as loud as he can.

Why must I start it? WHY WHY? He pondered.

Then, he lifted the pillow before suffocating himself.

Why did I feel so hurt? Was it jealousy? Alex could feel himself blushing at the thought of that.

Could be…

Maybe…

Maybe I like her…

A smile spread across Alex's face; he can't believe that he's falling for the girl he think is so boyish and rough.

After leaving the living room, Katie walked to the ballroom. Katie stared at the white grand piano, positioned at the center of the ballroom. It had been long since she touched the piano.

She sat on the stool and placed her hands on the keys. She thought of what piece to play.

"Hero" should be good…

She started to play.

Alex walked passed the ballroom, hearing a beautiful melodies of the piano.

He walked into the room and found Katie sitting with her eyes closed and moving her hands over the keys gently.

Alex was a mesmerized by the music and Katie that he didn't notice that Katie have finished playing the piece and was staring at him.

Katie coughed to get Alex's attention.

Alex looked up and clapped.

"Thanks…" Katie looked at Alex and suddenly looked down.

Alex walked toward Katie and said, "Sorry, just now…"

"It's okay…but I want to know, what happened?" Katie asked.

"Erm…you know…like…well…" Alex stammered

Katie laughed and asked, "Is it because of the note. The one you found in my bag?"

"Yeah…" Alex gave in.

Katie shot an eyebrow up quizzically.

"Well, let's say, I think I was jealous." With that, he left the ball room, whistling away happily.