Chapter 5
"I had a dream once and in it I saw an angel descending from the heavens. Never have I seen such a fair and lovely creature in my life. Alas, it's all but a dream. But as I lay my eyes on you, I know now it's not but a premonition of the beauty before me."
Jade fought to calm herself before she turned and a smile hid her state of excitement and nervousness as she faced Kai. "Kind sir, you must have mistaken me for such a divine creature as you have described. For I can not be her, the angelic one you seek."
"I for one will not make such a foolish mistake." Kai said calmly. His gaze studied her as if he could see through the mask she wore. A slow sensual smile graced his lips as he offered her a well-sculpted hand. "My lady, will you dance with me or will I offend you if I held you in my arms?"
Furious at herself for turning all-jelly-like in his presence, Jade met his gaze with one of her own. Smiling coyly, she took his hand. "Not at all. Even saints' dance and to dance in the arms of one is never a crime."
"One who speaks her mind I see." Kai chuckled softly.
For some reason, Jade realized he was laughing at her, not her character as Juliet. Amusement lilted his crimson eyes as he led her forward to the center of the stage where everyone was watching.
"Excellent." Miss Sharon said, pleased. "Very good. Nice work."
As soon as, the teacher spoke, Kai and Jade pulled away from each other abruptly. Jade bit her lower lip, looking at the teacher as she came onto stage to adjust their positioning in the light. Mrs. Judy gave her opinion from the audience's seat while her colleague shifted the actors around, insisting they were closer when Romeo approached Juliet. Finally satisfied, they moved onto the next scene between Benvolio and Juliet's nurse.
Hilary handed Jade a bottle of water during her break and snickered. "So how was it?"
Jade sipped her drink, pretending she didn't understand the question. "How was what?"
"How was it being near the Ice Prince?" Hilary asked.
"Hilary!" Jade sighed. "Will you please stop calling him that? He has a name, you know."
"Yeah, a.k.a Kai Hiwatari." Hilary rolled her eyes.
Jade grinned and nudged her ribs. "Get real."
"I'm real." Hilary shot back playfully.
The girls playfully teasing was interrupted when Mrs. Judy called Jade over to take her measurements for her dress.
At three o'clock, practice ended and as everybody tidied up the stage, Miss Sharon approached Jade as she was about to leave.
"Jade, may I have a word with you?" the teacher asked.
Jade looked up and saw Kai standing behind the teacher. He wore an expression of mild curiosity as he watched her and Miss Sharon. "Yes, Miss Sharon?"
"The scene we'll be practicing next week will be the dancing scene between Romeo and Juliet." Miss Sharon said. "I want the both of you to practice that scene together. You know, learn your waltz steps and get them coordinated. Jade, I understand your mother's a dance teacher so maybe you could teach and go through the boy's dancing steps with Kai."
"Okay." Jade nodded.
Kai merely grunted.
Satisfied, the teacher walked away and called out instructions to the stage crew as to where to place the props. Lifting her bag onto her shoulder, Jade turned to Kai. "So..."
He held out a folded piece of paper to her. "My place, six o'clock, tonight." he said abruptly.
Surprised, she took the paper and unfolded it. On it was written his address and phone number.
"Don't be late." he added before he turned and headed for the exit.
Jade sighed, watching him as she pocketed the paper in her jean pocket. This was going to be a long day.
"Hey, mom. I'm going to a...friend's. I'll be back by eight." Jade hollered as she climbed down the stairs of her house.
Her mother had been in the kitchen and she called back. "Alright. Be careful, dear."
"Will be." Jade replied and was out the door when she heard her father's voice from the living room.
"Where's she going? Jade! Get back here when I'm talking to you, young lady!"
The door shut behind her with a click and Jade hurried down the sidewalk pretending she didn't hear that. It was hard enough her dad lost his job and her mother was the only bread-winner of the family at the moment, but it got worst when her father started smoking due to the stress and pressure.
Don't think about it now, she ordered herself. You'll deal with it when you get home. Now you have to find Kai's house and get through this practice.
As it turned out, Kai's house was located at the edge of town. She had to stop and ask for directions a few times before she found the street. Even then, she couldn't seem to find his house. On her right, all there seemed to be was an endless row of planted ledge.
"Excuse me, sir?" she asked a mailman making his rounds. "I'm looking for the Hiwatari residence. Do you know where it might be?"
"Sure." the man answered with a grin. "You're standing outside of it, kid."
"I'm?" her eyes widened. She turned and stared at the green ledge before her.
"The entrance is just around the corner." he said pointing out the direction.
She nodded her thanks. "Thanks a lot."
Following his direction, she rounded at a corner and had to walk a distance further before she found the main entrance. The house was in fact a mansion. It was impressive and remarkable lovely. The garden around it was well attended to and well-kept. When Hilary said Kai was rich, she wasn't kidding. Jade rang the bell and the door was opened by an elderly man in a suit.
"Hi, um...I'm Jade Summers. Kai invited me." she said.
"Ah, yes. Master Kai's expecting you in the ballroom." the old man smiled warmly and invited her in. "Follow me."
She followed him through the hallways and was amazed by the lovely paintings on the walls. There were paintings of people, animals or just scenery. Each painting was fame with a bronze frame, giving the paintings an ancient look. The butler showed her to a room with wide wooden doors and held them open for her. Jade was stunned by the size and elegance of the room she just stepped into.
"Wow." she breathed. "This's...amazing."
The butler smiled at her excitement. "Miss Summers, would you like a drink?"
She shook her head. "No thanks. I'm alright. Thank you."
"I shall inform Master Kai that his guest has arrived. Please make yourself at home." Bernard said as he left the room.
She sighed as the door closed silently after him. Home will never be like this...
Her gaze wandered across the room, studying the paintings and sculptures that decorated the ballroom. There was one painting that caught her eye almost immediately. The woman posing for the painting was stunningly beautiful. Her long blue hair was tied in an up-swept style, held in pace with a red jeweled comb. Strands of her hair escaped the bun and framed her sweet face. The dress she wore was red, a perfect contrast to her hair. It revealed her slender figure and her womanly curves. Her ruby lips were graced with a lovely smile forever immortalized within the painting.
"Are you going to stare at paintings all day or shall we getstarted?"
Kai's voice broke her further observation of the painting and with a start, she turned. The blue-haired boy had his arms crossed in front of him and was looking at her expectedly with a lifted eyebrow.
"I was just...looking. She's lovely." she said, noticing the similarities between the woman in the painting and Kai. They shared the same colored hair and lips. She guessed the woman must be his sister or relative. "Who's she?"
Unfolding his arms, he made his way to stand next to her and before the painting. "Someone you'll never meet." he muttered.
Jade thought she caught a hint of sadness in his voice as he gazed at the painting. Whoever she was, she must have meant something to him. "Where's she now?"
Kai looked at her as if remembering she was still there. He hesitated to answer but before he could, his butler came into the room with a radio. Kai nodded at the man instead, secretly grateful for the interruption.
"Thank you, Bernard." he took the moment to compose his self before facing Jade again. "So shall we?"
Accepting the hand he offered, she allowed him to lead her to the center of the room. But there was something Jade wanted to make clear before they start. "Kai, wait." she redrew her hand. "I'm agreeing to help you as a favor. So just promise me one thing."
He tilted his head. "And what's that?"
"You must promise not to fall in love with me." she said remarkable calmly.
An amused smile curved his lips as he gazed at her intently. To her surprise, he took her hand and bowed low at the waist. "I promise." he straightened and she saw the amusement in his smile had reached his eyes.
"I'm serious." she said with a touch of anger to her voice. She tried to draw back her hand but he held fast. She looked up at him and into his eyes. The amusement was gone replaced with coldness.
"So am I." he muttered. Then with a mocking tone, he said. "Don't worry. The Hiwatari clan always keeps their promises."
Jade glared at him but Bernard flipped on the radio switch and as the gentle music started to play, Kai took her in his arms in a way that only an experienced dancer could. For a moment, she was stunned and allowed him to guide her through a few steps before she came to her senses.
"You know how to dance?" she asked accusingly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
He smirked down at her. "You never asked."
"Then why did you ask me to come?"
"We still needed to coordinate our steps, don't we?" he said. "Can't have you dancing something else during the play, now can we?"
As much as his reason made sense, she cursed him mentally for playing her as a fool and at herself for letting him. How could she have not known someone like Kai could be good at dancing? It runs in the society. The richer and higher classes were always taught such social skills as a method of mingling around. Apparently Kai was no different.
Heck judging by the way he guided her around the room while going through the waltz steps, she was willing to bet he had been taught since he was a kid.
"You're not so bad yourself, Summers."
She looked up when he spoke. "My mother taught me how to dance since I could walk." she retorted. Thinking maybe she was a little harsh, she softened. "What about you? Who taught you how to dance?"
"Someone."
"And that someone would be...." she pressed.
"None of your business." he said emotionlessly. He spun her out slowly until all that held them together were their fingertips linked.
"So do you like it?" she asked when he twirled her back into his arms. Sub-consciously, she placed her hands on his shoulders and let him rest his hand on her hip.
"Like what?"
She shrugged. "Being alone, being mean to every person who tries to be your friend, pushing everyone away. Do you like doing that?"
"You sound like Tala." he murmured.
"So you do have a friend." she said lightly.
"Hn." he grunted.
"You haven't answered my question." Jade said.
Abruptly, he released her and pulled away. "Somehow I don't find that any of your business."
She sighed in frustration. "Would it kill you, Kai just to try being friendly for once?"
"Yup. And I'm too young to die." he said.
Jade studied him curiously but whatever she wanted to say was interrupted by Bernard when he entered the ballroom. She didn't even notice he left.
"Master Kai, your grandfather wishes to see you." the elderly butler said.
Kai nodded curtly and glanced at his dancing partner. "If you would excuse me." he strolled to the door and paused to get orders to the butler. "Bernard, it's late. Make sure she gets home safely."
"The limo, sir?"
"Yes."
Kai nodded his farewell to Jade and left. She stared after him then glanced at her watch. Kai was right. It was late. She better be heading home now or there'll be hell to pay from her father.
"Miss Summers, if you would follow me." Bernard said.
For some reason, Jade glanced one last time at the painting of the woman and she could help but asked the butler who she was. Surely he would know. "Excuse me, Bernard? Who is she?" she gestured at the painting.
"That, my dear, was the lady of the house." Bernard answered, his voice heavy with sadness. "Kai's mother."
"Kai's mother?" Jade stared at the painting. Of course, how could I have not seen it? He must have inherited her blue hair and looks. "What happened to her?"
Bernard started walking and she followed closely, not wanting to get lost in such a big house.
"She passed away due to a sickness when Kai was only five." he said.
Jade's green eyes softened. "Oh, I'm sorry." I know how it feels to loose someone you love. Grandmother passed away when I was five years old too. "What about his father?"
"He passed away shortly after his wife died. He loved her very much." Bernard said quietly.
Jade looked at the butler. "Does Kai have any siblings? Or is he the only child?"
"Alas, yes. Master Kai is the only child and heir to the Hiwatari wealth. He has been taught that responsibility since his parents died." Bernard revealed.
"By who? His grandfather?" she asked.
"Lord Voltaire only wants what's best for his grandson." the butler said.
He stopped at the main door and opened it for her. Outside, parked in front in the driveway was a white limo waiting for her. It was also pouring cats and dogs that evening. Jade stared at it, silently blessing Kai for his foresight. If not, she would be walking home soak and drench in the rain.
"Tell the driver where your home is and he'll take you there." Bernard instructed her gently.
She looked at him with gratitude. "Thank you, Bernard for telling me about Kai. I think I understand him better now."
"I was hoping you would." Bernard smiled. "Take care of yourself now, Miss Summers."
"Call me Jade and I'll." she returned his smile with her own. "Goodbye and tell Kai I said thank you for his hospitality."
"I'll relay you message, Jade." Bernard opened the door for her and helped her in. Even as the car pulled out of the driveway and off the mansion grounds, Bernard couldn't help but smile at the thought that maybe she was the one who could 'save' his young master.
Author's note: Here you go. Another chappie up. Sorry it took so long. Thanks to all my reviewers > Moonlit Sea, Emi-Chan and her 3 spirits, Beyblade-gal, puppalupp2008, animefanz, rebecca-1769, Hikari, curiousgeorge andsweetmonkey.I really appreciate you guys! R&R!