A/N: Sorry for the late arrival. I hope this chapter soothes your angst from lack of updating.
Axel smokes. He's not sure why he does it. He just does. He takes a long drag out of a menthol and ever so slowly exhales a stream of white smoke. He likes that. He doesn't know why he likes it. He just does.
They were due back any day now. The Evangelion girls were coming back to school, and he wasn't prepared for it. It's true he looked forward to more banging but now he might have a reason to worry. They've spent time together...what had they shared with each other? He had always counted on their disconnectedness to keep him in the clear. Now he wasn't so sure. Everything was as clear as the smoke. He needed a diversion. Maybe he could try someone else.
But who in the world would that be? He had chosen the girls because he saw their weaknesses. Kairi was attention starved and devoured approval like it was chocolate cake. Namine didn't care much about anyone or anything. Xion was afraid of the world and used him as a shield. That's how he made it all work. Now everything might be ruined. Maybe.
"Hey, can I have a light?" a female voice came from his right. He turned to see Larxene standing there. She was dressed in clothes that had seen their fair share of ripping and cutting. Some of it was held together with safety pins.
"Uh, what?" he asked, forgetting what she had said.
"I said, can I have a light?" her voice dropped an octave and she held out her thin hand that was decorated in bracelets. She looked annoyed, just wanting to get a light for her own cigarette. Was that too much to ask? Axel relinquished his black lighter to her and watched her cup her hand around the flame so it wouldn't go out. Axel takes a moment to observe her.
Larxene is pale. She doesn't seem to like the sun very much. She's kind of thin too, except she somehow has boobs that are at least a C-cup. She's got her lips painted this garish shade of blue and makes her small mouth stand out like it was drawn on paper. Larxene must be paper, he decides. She seems to color on herself, words written out on the back of her hand.
"You okay?" she asks once she notices he has been looking at her.
"Yeah I'm good," he says as he leans against the brick wall of the alleyway. He attempts to bring his cigg up to his mouth for a second drag but he drops it on the asphalt. He curses and stomps on it, not bothering to pull out another one.
"Yeah right", she huffs. She's smiling now. Her teeth are extremely white. Her eyes have lit up even though she's hidden them under too much mascara and eyeliner. "I can spot a guy in trouble a mile away. Looks like you have issues." Axel doesn't want to hear her anymore. She's done enough for him already. He decides he's not interested in the girl and leaves.
He thinks he hears her chuckle as he walks off in the direction of the street but decides he doesn't care about that. The next day he skips school and stays home. He doesn't even get out of bed. Instead he thinks about the three girls he has to face tomorrow. What should he do? He's not sure. He never took an interest in any of their actual lives except for maybe Kairi. She tells him everything so he must know what to do. Nobody has texted him about what happened over the weekend, so it must be a good sign so far.
The next day it's Kairi first. She's fine, just upset with the death in the family. She tells him everything that happened. Nothing involves him. Maybe she forgot that detail? But he's not thinking about her, not really. He sees Larxene in the hallway. She's wearing an amazingly short skirt and her shirt seems to be held together by a piece of string. How is she getting away with this? He doesn't let his eyes follow her but she's already picked up on his gaze. She smirks as they pass each other. It's then that it hits him:
She knows.