Thank you for the reviews and I'll try and get the next chapter up soon! Hope you enjoy it and sorry if it seems a little short...I'll try and make the next one longer!

HR

Ch.3-Name Game and Shopping

I waited for Ray to ponder the situation and wondered what his verdict would be. It can moments later as he had a sudden spark of thought. "Can you talk?" Ray asked as he looked at me. This was just now coming to him? I just blinked up at him for a second before looking towards Kai. "Alright well..." Ray started, obviously at a loss for words.

This plan was working fairly well so far, and Ray didn't seem so bad of a person after all. Ray looked at Kai for help but he just shrugged, most likely enjoying Ray's predicament. "Well do you mind if we kinda...give you a name for right now? Just until we figure out your real name!" Ray's question received a small shrug from me and he smiled.

'Woo hoo the name game' I thought sarcastically as Ray prodded Kai into helping him pick a name. I waited quietly as Ray recited a huge list of names, eventually narrowing down to less than that with Kai's help. Brows furrowed in thought, Ray recited a list of names for about the millionth time in ten minutes. "Ai, Aiko, Chika, Chiko, Koto, Kuri, Mai, Masako, Eri, Eriko, Gin, Hana, Haru, Kaya, Kazue, Shika, Seki, Satoka, Saki, Sae, Sadako, Sachi, Rumiko, Rina, Reiko, Rei, Oki, Nene, Nayoko, Natsuko, Nao, Nanami, Nami, Namie, Mizuki, Shina, Shiori, Shoko, Siki, Suko, Sumi, Suzu, Takara, Tami, Taree, Yuka, Yuri, Yuriko."

My head was already spinning before he was halfway finished and I would never understand how he remembered al of those names at once. He hadn't even written them down! And out of all the names he had started with, not one was my real name. Hopefully it'll be easy to get used to a new name... Ray was taking a deep breath, having just mentally refused some of the names.

"Ray just pick one already!" Kai complained. Obviously he had just as bad of a headache from Ray's rambling as I had. "Fine but you're not helping!" Ray retorted. My gaze shifted to Kai, waiting for his smart remark I was sure was coming. But I guess Kai had had enough because he relented. "What am I supposed to do?" "Pick a number one through-" Ray had to stop as he mentally counted the names. "-forty-eight." Kai didn't even hesitate. "Six."

'Wow he really thought about that hard!' I thought sarcastically. But I soon forgot about it as I turned to Ray to see which name number six had been. Ray smiled once again as if he was awarding me with some huge prize. "Kuri!" 'Well at least it starts with the same letter as my name...' I bet by now you're probably wondering what my real name is right? Well it's a secret so you'll just have to wait for it...for now my name's Kuri.

My gaze quickly moved from Ray to Kai, although the boy had already turned back to the TV. Unconsciously tugging at the loose gray shirt, I drew Ray's attention once more. Oops... "Come on! We need to get you some new clothes," Ray smiled gently. I simply shook my head no. I might not like the clothes I was wearing at the moment but my other clothes would be clean soon wouldn't they?

As if reading my mind, Ray shook his head. "Those old clothes of yours are all torn up and bloody. The blood'll come out but the tears won't! Now let's go!" As he spoke, he grabbed my elbows and helped pull me to my feet. Grabbing my shoulders in his firm grip, he guided me to the front door as he called a goodbye over his shoulder.

Maybe I had been wrong about Ray...Just maybe... He did seem to be an almost carefree kind of person, though his show of emotions varied greatly from my own. I hadn't shown any emotion besides anger for as far back as I could remember and I couldn't see myself changing that record anytime soon. Even as he chatted during our walk to wherever we were going, he didn't once say anything about paying him back for any of his hospitality. The water, the clothes...nothing.

"Where do you wanna look first?"

We had arrived at the mall a few minutes ago and were currently standing somewhere near the middle. I think anyways...I had lost all sense of direction since I had been using most of my time watching the huge crowds of people as they walked through the mall. I turned from glancing at a glaring girl to find Ray watching me intently.

"You've gotta have a preference right?" Ray questioned. Turning in a hesitant circle, I finally saw a place that I might like. I raised an uncertain finger and pointed at the red neon sign that hung above the store. "So...Hot Topic huh?" Ray chuckled as he started pushing me towards the store. His chuckle quieted almost immediately as I shifted uneasily and he continued to pushed me into the store.

In a matter of seconds after entering the store, someone had come up to us asking if we needed any help finding anything. Ray politely refused the boy's offer, saying that we were just looking around. Ray courteously helped me pick out a few things to try on before shooing me to the dressing rooms. I tried on each piece of clothing and found that most of them fit fairly well, and if the pants were a little loose, nothing a belt couldn't handle.

Only when I had handed the clothes back to Ray and nodded my agreement in that they all fit did I think about paying for them. The thought stopped me dead in my tracks as I wondered how I was going to explain to him that I didn't have any money; that I couldn't afford those outfits. I didn't have two pennies to rub together, much less buy even a single shirt that had been picked out! How the hell was I going to get out of this?

I suddenly snapped back to reality and noticed Ray had left my side. Spinning around, I saw my handing something to a woman standing behind the cash register. And this wasn't just any something. I had seen the money pass from his hand as if it was nothing. How was I going to repay him for this? All his hospitality was staring to build up into a large bill. I already owed this single person more than I've owed anybody in my entire life. End of story. There was no way I was going to be able to pay him back...

As I stood rooted to the spot with my thoughts whirring crazily around in my head, Ray swung the bag of clothes over his shoulder and walked back to my side. He must've read the look on my face because he simply grinned, allowing his white canine teeth to show before herding me towards the door. "You were going to need clothes one way or the other," he shrugged as he pointed to the borrowed pair of pants and shirt, both of which hung loosely around me.

I just crossed my arms and looked away; there was no arguing with this guy. "Where to next?" I looked up at his question but quickly turned away. I wasn't going to give him another reason to make me repay him. I had enough on my plate already! But he turned out to be merciless when it came to his questioning and he ended up answering the question himself.

Grabbing my shoulders once more, he pushed me across the mall to a shoe store. Of course I didn't make it easy for him. Locking my knees and planting my feet on the ground, he had to side me along the floor, drawing plenty of attention from onlookers. But as I've said before, he was all muscle and it didn't take long for me to find myself pushed onto a bench and awaiting a new pair of shoes.

When I tried to argue by pointing to the shoes that were on my feet Ray just swiped them and gave them a look over. I knew I had lost before he was even finished and sighed in defeat. My worn converses were extremely old and I couldn't remember how long I had had them if I tried to. The soles were worn flat and I thought I could enough see a hole near the toe of them.

The worker guy returned with a new pair of converse, all black, and that actually had a bottom to them. It took a few tries with the sizes but I eventually found a pair that fit and Ray handed over some more money before I had time to protest. Swinging the second bag over his shoulder along with the first, he followed me out of the store.

As I saw him looking around for more stores I drew the line. I wasn't going to owe him anything else, no matter how little it seemed. I couldn't take it any more! My mind was already tiring from thinking of how I was going to try and pay him back already and here he was, still looking for more stores! Was he crazy? Did he not understand that if you found someone in an alley they weren't going to be able to pay back any debt? The only thing I owned was the clothes on my back and the shoes on my feet! And Ray had already informed me that he had thrown my clothes out!

Ray seemed to get the picture when he turned around to point to another store and he found me sitting in the floor unmoving. For the first time since he had found me, I heard him sigh in defeat and say that we could go back to Kai's place. I followed Ray back to Kai's house only after he let me carry one of the bags. Of course...he gave me the bag with the shoes in it and kept the heavier clothes bag.

I sat on the couch, curled up against the arm of it as I watched Ray drag Kai to another room. I could only guess but I thought it was the kitchen-or a kitchen at least. For all I know this place could have fifty kitchens! The dark blue couch was soft and I snuggled closer to the fabric as the door closed behind the two of them.

I shifted uneasily and tilted my head towards the door. I'm not a nosy person; I'd be dead if I was. But can't a person be paranoid? It's true that Ray had been acting like a nice person but everyone can act... It had happened to me before so it could always happen again right? Or am I just being paranoid again? Can someone really be as nice as he is without wanting anything in return? Or was he just waiting for everything to add up before he threw a demand at me?

My thoughts were cut off as Ray and Kai returned, Ray wearing one of his triumphant smiles while Kai looked well...the same. He had his arms crossed and eyes closed as always, his face betraying no hint of emotion. I couldn't help it... I found myself wondering what had made him the strong silent type of person while his friend was so carefree and nice.

"Good news Kuri!" I looked up at Ray, already used to my new name. "Kai says you can spend the night here!" I looked at Kai to confirm what Ray had said and saw him crack on eye open. "Only for tonight." His voice was still slightly gruff as if he wasn't used to talking much and I just nodded in appreciation. But inside, I wasn't quite so happy about this little arrangement.

After all, why shouldn't I be a little worried? Now I was in debt to Kai too! I had somehow managed to add up more debt in a few hours then I had every had in my entire life. How did I manage to get myself into these kind of messes? I gave Ray a weak smile and laid my head on the couch. How was I going to get myself out of his one?

HR

Lost And Fading: Thanx for reading! Please review!