A/N: I have two things to say:
I got sun poising in Utah… yes in snowy mountains I still managed to get sun poisoning.
I read the Death Note novel, and it is amazing! Anyone who's read the manga or watched the anime, I suggest picking up the book because I actually did not put it down the second I bought it until I finished it! I freaked out the starbucks barista by ordering without even looking up, it was so much fun! Wait… I'm a Dunkin Doughnuts owner; I shouldn't be drinking that crappy over priced coffee anyway… heheheh
Here's your chapter:
The night was painful, to say the least. Neither Zane nor Alexis slept the entire time, their hearts beating too quickly to allow their brain to shut down. Xander, Nick, and Luca were under the impression that a friend of Alexis's son was coming to visit for the next few weeks. They didn't have the heart to tell their children what the real, true, reason for Jamison Jr.'s visit.
In other news: Zane's retirement had been announced to the public. The public went crazy. Zane's last match was to appear as announced (to the person going in as number one for the next season) but there would be five other matches happening during the pre season. All were sold out faster than Hannah Montana live (which, according to the article I read on it, was within the first five minuets). Jamison Jr. was to attend three of the matches during his stay.
That is, if Zane didn't kill him first…
The train station was crowded beyond belief. Alexis shoved herself through the crowd muttering under her breath in peel the paint off the walls, French cursing. It didn't help that Jamison Jr.'s flight had been delayed an hour, so he wasn't due to arrive at the station for at least another 30 minuets.
Well this sucks... food, food would be wonderful. She thought- looking around for a café or a vending machine.
A machine full of candy stood in front of her, and she sucked in her breath while looking for something acceptable.
I'm still not down to the same weight I was when I lost Nick's pregnancy weight, should I really be eating this… did Xander remember to eat breakfast? Oh I know I should have woken him up to eat before I left, Zane cant be counted on to remember these things!
The moral dilemma went through her brain- snack or diet. Which was more important?
Well, I'm not going to be in the press anymore, which is no reason to get fat before I'm 40. But in reality I don't have to worry about being a size two anymore if that's going to be the case… No that's a mean thing to think. I should be more worried about being healthy anyway… okay I've made my decision.
With an empty stomach, a very annoyed Alexis Truesdale walked up from the train station and went in search of a market so she could buy something healthy.
A convince store was directly across the street from the station. Alexis made her way inside, pulling her hair into a ponytail. She walked over to the refrigerated section and pulled out a banana.
I still have a half an hour to kill, maybe a magazine might distract me for a while. Or it might just depress me, whatever I might as well…
She walked to the magazine rack located by the window and perused the selection.
Girls Manga, Boys Manga, Adult Manga, Teen Magazine, Porn, Pseudo Porn, American Imported Fashion Magazine, Italian Imported Fashion Magazine, French Imported Fashion Magazine, Shopping Magazine, Gossip Magazine, National Inquirer, Little boy Dueling Magazine, Duelist Digest… Nothing particularly interesting.
She picked up Duelist Digest, and began flipping through it.
They haven't announced the rookies yet? Isn't Zane working on that, yeah I think he is… Edo's voted to be number one this season, Fans are still petitioning to have Zane in the league… They're having a tag team tournament before the actual season starts. That's kind of interesting… Seto Kaiba is so rich that he screwed the rules again, I am so completely and totally bored this is ridiculous.
Alexis paid for her banana and walked out into the busy streets. There was a small card shop in her line of site.
I'll see if they have anything for Xander or Nick to use… She thought, walking in.
"Excuse me; do you happen to have any cards from the Mythral dream packs?" Alexis asked the teenage boy manning the register.
He didn't look up from the book he was reading, and pointed to a box located on a high shelf. There were maybe three booster packs located in the dusty box.
"Were practically sold out of the booster packs, its kind of an old set if you know what I mean" He said.
Alexis took a breath in and looked at the cards behind the glass case, the florescent lights made it difficult to see the cards due to a glare.
"Do you happen to have any individual cards from the sets? Perhaps a card that you could only buy directly from industrial illusions?" Alexis asked, having full intent of what she wanted to buy.
The boy still did not look up and rolled his eyes into his book.
"No we don't, and what kind of money do you think this shop has? Those kinds of cards are only available to professionals, and for a pretty penny as well" He said, clearly annoyed.
Alexis looked in the case of cards again, and bit her tongue to keep from laughing.
"Can I see that one, the one in the back?" She asked, pointing to the card in question.
The boy looked at the card and laughed.
"Why that one? It's worthless!" He said, taking a key chain out from on top of the register.
"Worthless? Why would you say that?" She said, peering at the card.
"It's a common card, just a outdated dragon spell. And its been marked, so it wont activate on a duel disk" He said, unlocking the case and fumbling for it.
"Marked?" She asked.
"It appears to have been signed by a famous duelist, and the handwriting is almost an exact match, but it's misspelled, so it's clearly a fake" The boy said, pulling on the card and laying it on the counter.
"Then why is it behind glass?" Alexis asked.
"Because we don't often get rare cards in here, and because you can hardly see what the cards inside the glass are, it tricks people" The boy admitted
"May I?" Alexis asked,
The boy nodded.
Alexis picked up the card and smiled in nostalgia. She had the appearance of examining the card, although she knew what it said.
Zane Truesdal
"How much for it?" Alexis asked.
"Two dollars" He said quickly, thinking Sucker.
Alexis opened up her purse and paid for the card. Then she began laughing.
"What's so funny, you just paid for a useless piece of fake garbage" He said.
"I can attest to you sir, that this autograph is genuine" Alexis said, smiling.
The boy raised an eyebrow.
"The handwriting is almost exact, to anyone who's ever seen an autograph of Zane Truesdale's. But the E is missing; care to explain how it's real?"
Alexis smiled.
"It was late, he had signed almost three hundred autographs and did not notice the pen was almost out of ink, and all he wanted to do was sleep. That's why the E is missing." She said in a know it all voice.
"A nice scenario, but care to prove it?" He said, looking up from his book and staring her straight in the eye.
She reached for her cell phone and hit send twice, she put it on speaker.
"Don't say anything if you want your proof" She said, as the phone rang for a third time.
He picked up.
"Yes? Did you pick up Jamison Jr. yet?" He said, slightly panicked.
"No, his flight was delayed, I'm killing time. I have a question for you" Alexis said calmly.
"What is it?" Zane said, slightly amused.
The teenage boy strained to hear over the low quality of the speaker phone's sound.
"Do you remember, about ten years ago, when you were at your cousin's thirteenth birthday party? You were roped into helping out with the favors?" Alexis said.
"Yes, what's your point?" Zane said, amused.
"Remember that you made a mistake on one of them?" Alexis said almost laughing.
"Yes," Zane said, even more amused.
"Can you tell me what that mistake was?" Alexis asked, she could feel him rolling his eyes over the phone.
"I misspelled my own name, I left off the final E, you made fun of me for weeks afterwards, calling me Zane Trues-dall" Zane said, slightly annoyed.
"Thank You" Alexis said, looking at the boys gaping mouth.
"What was the point of that?" Zane asked, confused.
"Proving a point to someone, I'll talk to you later, bye" Alexis hung up the phone.
The teenage boy was in a state of shock.
"How… how did you know that? How do you know ZANE TRUESDALE?" he asked, impressed, shocked, and skeptical.
Alexis broke out into a grin.
"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Alexis Truesdale" She said, picking up the card and leaving the shop.
She walked down the street briskly, and checked her watch. She had killed a bit of time in the card shop, but now was thoroughly and totally bored, with fifteen minutes to kill.
Next is… hey is that Edo? She thought, looking at the silver haired man carrying a small girl on his back.
She walked in the general direction of them, trying to get a better glimpse before she approached.
Yep, it's them. She recognized that grey suit and ugly tie combo anywhere.
They walked into a small clothing store, Alexis followed.
The little girl was looking through some frilly skirts and Edo looked painfully bored. Alexis squeezed his shoulder and he turned around, startled.
"Oh, it's just you" he said, secretly thanking whatever supernatural being he could for this improvement.
"What brings you all the way out here? There are clothing stores near your apartment" Alexis said, looking at the little girl run from rack to rack, picking out clothing that was definitely overpriced.
"Her mother has decided to shirk her responsibilities, fly to Italy, and the court gave me full custody until her return, followed with another evaluation afterwards," Edo explained.
"And you feel guilty, and asked her what she wanted to do this weekend" Alexis said, finishing his thought.
"She wanted to go shopping for clothing that no other girl in her school has" He said, rolling his eyes.
"They wear uniforms…" Alexis said quietly.
"I may have been home schooled until high school, but I know that much. She has abandonment issues so I wanted to make it up to her" Edo explained.
"Edo, have you ever considered getting re-married?" Alexis asked.
"I'm a pro duelist, and like all pro duelists, all I attract are women who want to use me, or fan girls" He shuddered.
"Hey, I happen to be married to a pro duelist, does that apply to me as well?" She asked, in mock anger.
Edo rolled his eyes.
"You knew him before, besides he never would have made a move if you didn't sleep with him" Edo muttered the last part.
Alexis widened her eyes.
"I understand that the two of you get along now, but did that really come out of Zane's mouth?" Alexis asked, silently adding because if it is I'll kill him.
"Your brother told me that, not that I believed him. Anyway, I've heard the whole,unabridged story from you, think about it, do you really think that's the kind of guy he is? He was more freaked out then you were." Edo asked.
Alexis thought back to the morning after, when they figured it all out. It had been a while since she told Edo the story- he was moping about Hitomi being a mistake, and out of pity, she released most of the details.
Edo does have a point…
CUE FLASHBACK!
The morning after…
Alexis was in the state of half sleep, half awareness. The itching of her shoulders told her that she was wearing her hair down. The coldness of her back told her that she was not adequately clothed. The pain in her head told her that she shouldn't have had those last few drinks. The slight aching pain between her legs? She wasn't sure what that told her.
What happened last night, I can't remember anything she thought, racking her brain for anything more than snapshots of memory.
Went to the party with Zane, met up with Edo, and drank more than I should have. Then what? Zane was kind of drunk, and insisted he couldn't drive. I was drunk too, right? Yeah I'm sure I was. We rented a room because we couldn't get a cab that late, and Zane was driving his dad's car… there was only one bed in the room right? What happened past that…?
She pulled the blankets around her body to shield the cold.
He insisted I take the bed, and that there was enough room in the armchair for him to sleep. I think we agreed that the bed was big enough for the two of us after an argument… he gave me his shirt to wear over my underwear I think. I think he stripped down to his boxers once he thought I was asleep… no that's not what happened. He went to bed in his suit pants, which I laughed at him for… I went to kiss him goodnight… ugh this is frustrating.
The shower was running in the bathroom, she could hear it.
Um… what happened after that?
Alexis squinted at the light; it wasn't doing anything for her hangover.
She debated cold vs. headache for a minuet, and jumped out of bed to close the shades.
It was only after she returned to the warm safety of the bed when she realized something. She was naked…
Then it hit her.
I think we had sex!!! Yeah, I think we started making out, and then it turned into sex! That's what happened last night… I think…
Then it hit her again, harder.
Oh my g-d, I think we had sex! I may or may not have slept with him last night! The signs point to yes, but I'm hoping I'm remembering things wrong.
She wracked her memory again…
His hands, I remember his hands being over me, really warm and gentle. I kind of remember pain… I think I do at least… this sucks, and I can't ask him if we did or not because that would just be embarrassing! Why the hell cant I remember what happened.
The sound of the shower stopped.
Quick, pretend to be asleep.
She shut her eyes and snuggled into a warm spot in the bed, hoping her acting was better than it seemed to be.
The bathroom door opened and Zane's footsteps went from quiet as if sneaking, to normal in a matter of seconds.
"Your awake, stop faking it" Zane said.
"How did you know?" Alexis asked.
"Your shoulders were moving with your breaths. This indicates you were thinking about breathing, which indicates that you were awake." Zane said, sitting on the edge of the bed in nothing but a towel and a pair of boxers.
"Why the hell are you so smart?" Alexis asked, sitting up, wrapping herself with the bed sheet.
"Did you figure it out yet?" Zane asked, not looking at her.
"What?" Alexis asked, actually clueless.
"Do you remember what happened last night?" Zane asked shamefully.
"I have a very vague memory, but I managed to put it together" Alexis said quietly.
"I can't remember it at all, but I also put it together. I'm sorry, if you want to blame me you can. It was probably my fault" Zane said, sorting through the pile of clothing for what was his.
"I don't blame you, I blame Edo for getting us drunk, and I blame myself for being dumb enough to drink in the first place." Alexis said, blushing as he threw her clothing on the bed.
"No, it's my fault, go shower" Zane said, taking his clothing and pointing her to the bathroom.
Why can't we just say it and move on… I guess its kind of a big deal to him too, I mean, he was probably a virgin too… wait a second… oh shit! What am I going to do about Jamison!?
Alexis blushed and started to rise up from the bed.
Zane blushed as well, and handed her the towel from around his neck.
She wrapped it around her body as best she could, now fully aware that she was naked in front of a guy she was pretty much in love with.
"Please close your eyes" She said, picking up her clothing in one hand, holding the towel up with the other.
Zane turned towards the window and shut his eyes.
Alexis, as quickly as possible, ran into the bathroom, slamming the door.
She walked back into the room a few minutes later, wearing the dress from the night before and a towel around her shoulders.
"If your mad at me please just say it, I'll drop you home once we leave." Zane said.
"Are your parents going to notice you were gone?" Alexis asked.
"No, they took my brother and are visiting relatives, yours?" Zane was very interested with the tassels hanging off of the duster, not looking up for even a second.
"Atticus is out on a date, and shouldn't be expected home until ten at night tonight, and my parents went to the beach for the holidays" Alexis explained.
"Just say it," Zane said after a long silence.
"Say what? Zane I'm not mad at you. I really am not mad at you… we had sex, people have been doing it since the beginning of time. You're not going to be burned at the stake for it… well I wont, do they do that to people of your religion?" Alexis began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" He asked staring at her.
"You have to be the most unusual twenty one year old I've ever met. Most guys I know would be like "dude I just scored." You on the other hand are begging me to not be mad at you for something that really wasn't your fault." She laughed again.
I can't believe he's so serious about this! It's actually hysterical. Of course I won't be laughing after Jamison finds out, and he will…
"It is my fault, and if you could just admit it, we could both move on with our lives" Zane said, reaching for his shoes, lost somewhere under the bed.
"Shut up; please stop trying to be selfless. So I'm a bit irked, but its better you than someone else right?" Alexis said, smiling hopefully.
Zane stopped for a minuet, before handing her shoes to her.
"Come on, I'll drop you home"
Well, that was lovely.
END FLASHBACK.
"Why do you always have to be right?" She asked, rolling her eyes.
"I went to college," He said bluntly.
"MUST EVERYONE HOLD IT OVER MY HEAD THAT I DIDN'T GO TO COLLEGE!?" Alexis yelled.
It happened almost all the time. Ever since she was little, she hated when people thought she wasn't smart. Now as an adult, people made her feel inferior that she didn't have a degree. She had barely graduated high school, thanks to becoming pregnant during her senior year.
"I'm not, it's my general insult to your husband that I have two P.H.D.s that I got before I was twenty and he has a bachelors that he got by taking online classes. It just happened to fit the situation" Edo said.
Hitomi ran to her father with a dozen or so outfits piled in her arms.
"I want these!" She exclaimed, her namesake blue eyes shining in excitement.
"Okay, here why don't we go pay for them?" Edo said, taking the massive pile and beginning to walk over to the register.
"Hitomi did you try them on?" Alexis asked, feeling pity that Edo was too concerned with pleasing his daughter to use common sense.
"Hello Mrs. Truesdale… No I didn't, but these are the ones I want!" Hitomi stamped her tiny Mary Jane covered foot.
"Hitomi, you need to try them on before you buy them, to make sure they fit and accent your features" Alexis said, leaning down to eye level.
"Hitomi, listen to Alexis and go try the outfits on first" Edo said, handing her back the pile.
"Mommy lets me buy stuff without trying it on first!" Hitomi said smiling evilly.
Oh that was a low blow… that child definitely takes after her father on attitude.
"Well when you go shopping with you mom, then you can buy what you want. For now, you have to try the things on first." Edo said, clearly annoyed.
Hitomi stamped her foot again, but proceeded to the dressing room at the back of the store.
"Thank you, why are you here anyway?" Edo asked.
"I'm picking up someone at the train station, but I have some time to kill" Alexis said, taking a quick glance at her watch.
"Oh… so what's the real story behind Zane's retirement?" Edo asked quietly.
Alexis flinched.
"I have no idea what you are talking about" She said quietly.
"Have you ever had a serious duel against Zane? He wasn't going to quit for all the money in the world, he loves it too much. What really happened?" Edo asked.
Alexis did a quick survey of the store.
"The walls have ears…" She whispered.
"I'm not dumb enough to believe that BS story you told the press… just tell me" He said firmly.
Alexis pulled him into the back corner of the store, where a bunch of shoes were lined up.
"He wasn't quote unquote 'selling' well enough, and nobody wanted to duel him so he was forced into early retirement" Alexis said at a hardly audible whisper
"I could understand that, they're probably trying to mimic the commercial success of the American Dueling League. It's common practice for them to kick someone who wasn't pulling in the fans, since it's a singles event. It's not exactly fair, but its how they pay so much… what are you going to do anyway?" Edo asked,
"About what?" Alexis asked,
"Money" he said quietly.
"Zane is working for Kaiba now, it's pretty much the same pay, with much more hours of work" Alexis explained.
"Oh… that's unfortunate, I've heard that guy is a slave driver about some things… so when's your relative coming?" Edo asked.
Alexis looked at her watch again.
"Ah! I need to go, I'll have just enough time to make it back there if I don't get lost, bye Edo, don't let your daughter buy anything stupid!" Alexis ran out of the store and back onto the hot streets, praying she wouldn't get lost.
Just great…
R & R