Somehow Duo had managed to escape everybody, and he didn't really care whether the group of kids he had been assigned to show around got lost or not. He wasn't in the mood to talk about middle school or what the hell he had meant when he was talking about murdering his mother, nobody from his old group of friends knew about what had happened. Maybe they had heard rumors, or when there had been headlines about a teenager who had killed his mom in the newspaper, but none of them had even heard his side of the story.

All the reporters and even police officers had said he was making up excuses for what he had done, yet no one had even really listened to him. Duo was going to make sure that Heero didn't bring up those memories anymore and decided he felt like skipping school altogether instead of sticking around. Of course he couldn't leave without having a cigarette, just to be on the safe side and to be certain that his father didn't see him behind the house.

The brunette pulled out a cigarette and lit it without even thinking about it. He would try not to waste too much of this pack since he was going to need a whole lot more over the next few days or even weeks of enduring the four boys.

The American sighed and leaned against the wall, not noticing as Heero stood only a few yards away watching. He did notice when Heero suddenly plucked the cigarette from his lips only to waste it by throwing it down and crushing it under his heel. Duo glared at the Japanese boy, but decided that he didn't feel like confronting Heero and turned away.

"Smoking is bad for you... And I never thought I'd see you of all people I know doing it." Cobalt blue eyes burned a hole into Duo's back while his words destroyed what little bit of his conscience wasn't consumed by guilt.

"You don't know what kind of hell I've been living with Heero... You've got both your parents who both care about you, but don't try to control you. If you hadn't heard, my mom died a while back or most people believe I murdered her," Duo kept staring over in the direction of where he knew his house was, and his sanctuary. "I don't really feel like talking to you, since all you should be is a ghost of my once happy past. Our friendship ended long ago, and I don't want you to do anything to make me remember what I used to have."

Heero was silent for a few moments as Duo began to walk away, but knew he couldn't just let the braided boy walk away thinking everything he had said was true. "I have heard what happened to your mother, and I did read the old newspapers with you headlining as 'the boy who got off scot-free even though it was obvious he was guilty', but you don't honestly think I believed that, do you? I knew you better than anyone else ever had, and I don't think you changed all that much from who you were."

Heero was surprised as Duo whirled around and just flipped him off before he began running down to the alley network he always used to get home. There were no footsteps to signal he was being followed, so he continued to run without thinking there would be any way Heero could pursue him through the alleys. But he also knew somewhere in the back of his mind that it wasn't that easy to lose the stubborn boy, even if he wasn't chasing him Heero would still be able to memorize most of the route he would take and probably only take him another minute to figure out the whole way to his house.

"Why can't I have any fucking normal friends?" Duo turned another corner that didn't lead to his house, but led towards the grocery store that was about three blocks from his house, "I'll just take my time shopping and hopefully Heero won't try coming in here to make me show him where my house is..."

It wasn't until he looked at the clock did he realize that he still had about five hours before school officially let out students, but he didn't know whether Heero had gone back to find his next class or really had followed him. Duo didn't feel like lingering around the store anymore, so hurried and bought some junk for him to snack on and a couple of things he could try making for dinner. He'd been desperately trying to learn how to cook, and so far he was getting better with the help of his mother's old cookbook.

He went into another aisle to grab the last item on his mental list, but before he could get what he needed Heero came into the aisle from the other side. They stared at each other, before Duo started to walk towards him.

He quickly snatched the item off the shelf before walking straight past the boy, "What the hell are you doing here? You're a stalker now?"

There was no reply from Heero, but it didn't bother Duo all that much since he had always remembered his Japanese friend to be quiet. He just quickly got all of his stuff checked out and paid for it, and then left with Heero behind him. The two teens received some looks of disapproval from some people on the street along with people in their cars, but they continued into Duo's somewhat rich neighborhood all the way to his house.

"You live here now? I thought you used to live in a smaller house in the next neighborhood over." Heero asked the braided boy, but got a response he had not expected.

"It's because Mom is dead... That's why we have all this money now, because my supposed father has nothing better to do now than work." Duo pulled out his key and unlocked the front door, he could feel his heart beginning to race as he thought of Heero coming into his room and them being all alone in the house. "Are you gonna come in? Or are you gonna go to your own house?"

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Heero looked around the living room and felt an unusual sense of bereavement when he saw the picture of Duo's mother. That's why the place felt so empty and desolate, it was because she wasn't there to light up the room. Duo led him into the kitchen so that he could put up all the food he bought and a couple of other things as well.

Duo let Heero sit down at the dining table in the next room (no wall between), and his cobalt blue eyes observed as he went about his task. There was something else he was looking that besides him just going from cabinet to cabinet to the fridge; he was watching his friend's braid as it swung teasingly near his ass. The American probably wouldn't even notice it since it was just natural for his hair to do, and it had probably happened for so many years.

"You thirsty? Or hungry?" Duo asked over his shoulder and when he didn't get a reply, he looked back to find Heero staring at him strangely. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Heero looked away, making sure that there was no sign of embarrassment or guilt on his face. "Nothing, I just thought there was something in your hair..."

When he looked back, there really was something stuck in Duo's braid and as Duo felt around he found something sticky. It was one of the worst things to ever happen in Heero's life, or at least the worst thing at the moment.

Duo began screaming and suddenly ran to the bathroom which was next to the stair, and also next to the entrance hall. As Heero ran to the bathroom door (which Duo had locked as he was now practically hysterical) he tried to get Duo to unlock the door. While he was busy doing that, he hadn't heard Duo's father come in and stop right behind him.

"What did you do to my son?!?"

Heero didn't know what to say, so he just dodged Duo's father and ran out the door. He ran out of the neighborhood and didn't stop until he had reached the alleys Duo had used earlier. It hadn't been the smartest thing to do, but it had been the first time Heero had actually felt panicked and it was all because of the look in that man's eyes.

"I'm in real deep shit now..."

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Duo hadn't expected his father to be in a rage when he finally came out of the bathroom after finally getting the gum out of his hair (thankfully it hadn't been there long enough to where it was impossible to get out). He knew that it was probably about Heero, but when his father stopped to ask if he was alright... that's when he became confused.

"What do you mean am I alright? I thought you were just mad Heero was here."

"He hurt you, didn't he? I'll kill the little fucker and I swear that his parents are gonna regret having that little fag for a son!"

Duo gaped at his father, and that he thought Heero would actually hurt him? It was like saying flying pigs were going to bring the apocalypse; it just wasn't possible unless it was unintentional.

"No Dad, it was just this idiot at school got gum stuck in my hair and I freaked out when Heero told me it was there." It was obvious that Duo's father was reluctant to believe the story, so Duo went and got the miniature trashcan out of the bathroom. He showed his father the evidence of the true crime, "Satisfied now?"

Once again, his father didn't seem to want to believe what his son was telling him, but had no choice. He stalked off to the kitchen before suddenly turning around and staring at Duo and then back at the clock. "Why are you home so early anyway?"

"I... uh..." The brunette racked his brain for a brilliant excuse, but found he wasn't able to find one. "I was feeling really sick and when I told the nurse nobody was home, she asked me if I wanted to call you on your cell. I told her no and I just walked home."

"So you were sick enough to leave school, but not so sick that you couldn't stop by the store first?" His father incredulous look as he motioned towards the restocked cabinets, "Tell me the truth Duo, why did you skip school again?"

"If you haven't fucking noticed, I HATE MY LIFE! I always wondered if you were just too obsessed with your work to notice me after Mom died, and that's exactly it. You make yourself work so much just so you don't feel depressed about Mom, and then you completely forgot about me!" Duo kept the tears from falling as he went up to his room, trying to keep calm and not show how truly upset and hurt he was by his father's treatment towards him.

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Heero entered his house and expected his parents to greet him angrily, but there was no one there. He slipped off his shoes and walked into the kitchen where his mother was making dinner, while his father was still at work.

"Heero? Why are you home so early?" It wasn't until then that Heero had actually thought about what time it was. "Did they let you leave early since you're a new student?"

"Yeah, it was just for today though." He figured a little fib wouldn't hurt anyone and especially since his mother had suggested it first, "I'll be in my room if you need me."

He went down the hall and into his room, making sure that the door was locked, Heero then walked over to his laptop and turned it on. He knew that there was something bothering him about Duo's case with his mother. When he had first heard about the murder of Katherine Maxwell, of course he had been shocked to hear they accused Duo of it. Yet now there was something else that was bothering him about the murder, and Heero knew all the right resources to hack into so he could find out.

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Well, what did you guys think? I hope this chapter was just as good as the previous ones because I was working hard on it (I swear!). And I just want to apologize to you guys for waiting patiently for this chapter to come, and I promise that it won't happen again! I promise I will not leave everyone waiting for chapter five like I did for this chapter.

Please R & R !

Shari Maxwell