When I woke up the next day, all I could think about was getting on the computer to talk some more. It was Saturday anyway, so why not? Quickly pressing my ear against my wall to see if Alfred was still snoring on the other side, (he was) I logged in and waited, a bit less patient than yesterday for the thing to boot. I couldn't hide my eagerness when it finally did and I quickly found the address I had accidentally gone to yesterday, pulling it up with a small grin. I wondered why I was smiling about wanting to talk to a guy who had said what he had to me before. But when I got on there, I realized something I already should have. It was seven in the morning… nobody was awake this early. Well, but me. So obviously nobody's message box thing would pop up on the screen.

Slightly disappointed, I decided that I would just figure out how to send the first message, but not ACTUALLY send one. I investigated for a bit, searching through what had looked like a pointless list before, one that, I finally noticed, was the massive list of people he had been IMing on my computer. They all had extremely bizarre pennames like IAMNOTARAPIST and SeXyTomaTOmAn69. It made me wonder how many of these people went to our school… I decided to try it out on the IAMNOTARAPIST guy, hesitantly clicking on the name and having a box come up that allowed me to type. Wracking my brain, all I could think put was What would you do for a Klondike bar? Smiling inwardly, I searched for the erase button, to close the message, but before I could stop myself, I clicked on the wrong button. My heart stopped; had I really just SENT that?

The reply, to my shock, was almost instant, even though it hadn't said he was online.

Why, I would do you and your family, including your petit chien for one, non?

I didn't really speak a lot of French, but these three words were easy enough. Was he saying he would… DO the family and our dog? We didn't even HAVE a dog. Uhm… that's okay, we don't have Klondike bars anyway… we don't really have enough money for extra things like that.

Oui… this is not Alfred, is it?

I sat back in shock. How had he…? Uh, not really. I'm his little brother, Matthew.

Ah, he has told me about his frère before! I am happy to finally get to talk to someone as gorgeous as you are! Alfred has sent me a picture ;)

What? Alfred had sent this… strange guy a PICTURE of me? My breath started to speed up and, shaking, I tried to click off of this chat, not wanting to speak with him anymore. It took a few tries, but I exited the conversation, feeling extremely upset and like my personal life had been invaded. Trying not to cry as I tended to do when I got angry, I sat at the computer desk putting my head in my hands, distressed by the fact that Alfred would DO something like that. And I hadn't had a good picture taken since I was a little baby! I just hoped he hadn't sent my seventh grade one… I whimpered with rising panic at the thought.

Just when I was about to leave to wake up Alfred and have a discussion with him, as scared as that made me, a box flew up on its own, surprising me. It was from 5MetersofAwesomesauce… my heart raced, excited, and I sat down again quickly, clicking to see what he had sent me. Or, rather, Alfred.

You should hang out with the awesome me today! Francis, Toni, and me are going to the skate park and you need to be there! Now! Oh, and bring a buddy with you, because Francis is again on the prowl! He says to make it someone superawesomesexy, like your bruder!

Then, just like that, he was offline again. Should I wake up Alfred…? I decided I should, if only to give him the message, and try to discuss sending pictures of me on the computer to strangers. Trembling, I walked out of my room and into the one next door, finding Alfred in his typical, sprawled across his bed sideways, limbs everywhere stance. His snoring was obnoxious and hurt my ears and drool was hanging down the side of his mouth… How was I ever going to wake him up? Tentatively, I knocked on the door, hoping that, despite everything, he was a light sleeper. He didn't budge.

Next, I turned on his light, but he didn't respond with even a twitch. Growing irritated, I went over and kicked his bed with all my might. With a snort, he turned away from me, snuggling deeper into his blanket mound. I poked his face, trying not to get his disgusting slobber on my finger, but he only mumbled.

"Alfred!" I tried, getting as loud as I could. "Alfred! Wake up!"

When it didn't work, I left the room, determined. There was absolutely only one thing that would wake him up no matter what and I knew exactly what it was. I went to the fridge and pulled it out, wincing when some grease fell across my hand. A hamburger. I shoved it in the microwave and heated it up, then brought it back to the room and threw it at Alfred like I was feeding a wild animal. Instantaneously, his eyes shot open and his nose started twitching, and then he fell on the hamburger, shoving it into his mouth and thanking the hamburger heavens… it was almost enough to make me go away, but I had to do this.

I cleared my throat and stood awkwardly at the door.

He looked up, seeming surprised, but swallowed the last bit of his… breakfast… and asked, "Hey, sup, dude?"

"U-uh… you're supposed to meet some people at the skate park… Francis and Toni… and 5MetersofAwesomesauce…" My face flushed having to say the penname, not knowing what his real name was.

He stared at me a moment, like he was trying to comprehend, but, suddenly, his blue eyes brightened and he said, "Yeah, cool! Hey, you should totally come with! I've been telling them about you for ages, but they've never gotten to meet you. I know you can't really skate and stuff, well except ice skating, you're totally wicked at that, but I mean on land and all… the dudes would like you!"

I shrunk back, not really knowing what to say to his exuberance. Would now be a good time to mention not to put my picture online? But he didn't give me the chance to do much. He pulled on his clothes, threw some at me, waited until I changed, and then pulled me out of my comfort zone and into his car, without even bothering to tell mom where we were going and with who. It made me nervous, but Alfred seemed completely unaffected and unworried, so I stayed quiet and tried to blink away the pain the sun caused my eyes. The roads were still a little snowy, but Alfred plowed right through with his truck, laughing at the smaller cars that had gotten stuck along the way.

"Dude, did you see that buggy? It was totally flipped over and stuff!" he laughed.

"What if someone got hurt?" I murmured, concerned, forgetting who I was talking to and even that I had spoken aloud.

He buzzed his lips in indifference. "Whatever. Look, we're here!"

I looked and saw the park I remembered from when I was little, only coated in a blanket of white, even all the… skater parts of it. How on earth did they plan to skate when everything was so slick and slippery? And it was freezing cold out too, adding to the displeasing thought of getting out of the car, which had finally gotten warm. Apparently, Alfred saw no problem with the situation, flying out of the car to go meet up with his friends from the web chat. Much more hesitant, I followed, wishing desperately that I had Kamijunjou to cuzzle, particularly when I was face to face with two people that I didn't recognize.

Alfred took the liberty of introducing them. "Kay, so the weirdo blond with the gay face stubble is Francis and the other dude is Antonio, but he goes by Toni. Guys, this is my little brother Matthew! He's really quiet and shy and stuff, so try not scare the crap out of him!"

I raised my hand to wave at them nervously, not liking the way Francis was looking at me, but it didn't get that far as I realized that someone was missing. "U-uh, where's the other one?" I asked Alfred.

He stared at me like I'd gone insane. "What other one? This is it! IAMNOTARAPIST and SeXyTomaTOmAn69!"

As I was about to clarify what I meant, a fiercely cold wind blew, taking my hat, the only thing I had of my father's, with it. With an airy gasp of surprise, I ran after it, already panting heavily. Just as I thought I was about to get it, a hand reached out of nowhere and seized it in its grasp. Out of breath, I leaned onto my knees, trying to spit out a thank you while looking up.

I froze.

Holding my hat was the prince from last night's dream, cocky smile and all. He had every feature I had imagined him with, the red eyes and silvery-gray hair the most striking things about him… the only difference was his clothes. Now he was bundled up to protect himself from the freezing weather, while my mind had conjured some weird old-timey clothes that had made him look renaissance. There was only one person this boy could be… 5MetersofAwesomesauce. Still stricken, I couldn't move an icy muscle in my body.

With a smirk, he took my hand and opened it, his hands warm through his gloves, and put the hat in my grasp, saying, "And the awesome me receives the hat, sparing my super sexy princess from a whole day of frozen headness!"

If that didn't prove this was him, I didn't know what could.

And he'd called me his princess.

Yeah, I've been soooo busy! Please tell me how you like it ;)