Alex had been walking aimlessly for quite a while now. The only thing on his mind was Sheila. Since he woke up in this world, he had not had the chance to properly mourn her. He put his hands in his pocket as he ventured into the mini-forest of the Avanti manor.
['Can I ask you guys something, all of you?'] Alex inquired.
['Sure.'] Lex said.
['Go ahead.'] Xander answered.
['If you are going to ask for help, then count me out.'] Al pointed out.
Alex ignored Al.
['Was I the only one that fell in love with Sheila?']
His alters were not expecting that question at all. A few minutes passed by and they still haven't replied.
['I guess I was the only.'] He sighed.
['No you weren't. we all loved Sheila, dearly.'] Lex admitted.
['Even Xander and Al?']
['Yes, even the two of them.'] Lex responded.
['Why. Why did you all fall for her too?']
['Same reasons you did.'] Xander confessed.
Alex waited for a few minutes, expecting Xander to elaborate. But he didn't.
['In conclusion we are all grieving huh.'] He chuckled.
['Even the cocky pervert.'] He added.
Expecting Al to voice out a retort, surprisingly he didn't. Alex stopped walking when he reached a pond, in the middle of the mini-forest. There was a water fountain not far from the pond, a few exotic flowers around. There were chairs and tables placed around the pond too.
'Looks like they have meals and entertain guests here.' He uttered.
Alex strolled to the nearest chair. Pulled it out and turned it so he can sit and face the pond. He picked a few pebbles up from the ground.
Alex had in his left hand five pebbles and in his right, a single pebble.
"This is.. very little Sheila, but it is all I can think of at the moment." He solemnly whispered. His eyes started to water a bit.
He closed his eyes, trying to stop the tears from dropping. He was successful in his attempt.
Alex raised his right hand and said;
"This is for existing, Sheila."
He threw the pebble in his right hand into the pond.
-Splash!
The pebble dropped into the pond.
Alex picked another pebble from the ones he had in his left hand.
He raised his right hand once again and spoke;
"This is for giving me the opportunity to know you, Sheila." He threw the stone, sidearm at the pond.
-Splat! Splat!
-Splash!
The pebble skipped on the water twice before it fell in.
He repeated his actions for the third time.
"This Sheila is a thank you from me to you. Thank you for being my west, my east, my south, and my north."
He threw the pebble.
-Splat! Splat! Splat!
-Splash!
He repeated the same thing.
"This is for being my dawn and dusk, my sun and moon."
-Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat!
-Splash!
"This is for loving an oddball like me. I have a feeling that, if you found out that I have always had Dissociative identity disorder, you would have still loved me the same. Thank you."
He chuckled as a tear slipped away from his eyes. He threw the pebble.
-Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat!
-Splash!
He did the same again.
"This Sheila, is me saying that I.. I.."
Alex paused. He could feel the lump of emotions forming in his throat. It made it hard for him to speak.
['I love you!']
He heard his alters chorus.
Alex sniffed and let tears drop from his eyes. After a few minutes of sobbing, he threw the last pebble in his hand.
-Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat!
-Splash!
"I love you. Now and forever. Rest easy Sheila."
He sat down and cleaned the tears off his face. He took in deep breaths. Doing so he could feel some weight lift off his chest.
"I guess this crying thing works a bit." He joked.
Alex dropped his head back, resting it on the top of the chair. The subtle ray of the now-setting sunbathed his burnished skin.
He closed his eyes and enjoyed its warmth.
['I live for the moment.
I live for every second.
And momentarily I am fighting with time.
Because that is my only opponent.'] Xander recited.
['We would keep the promise we made to her. In time, we will.'] He added.
"You do like poems," Alex affirmed.
Alex didn't know why, but he felt comforted by the short poem he recited.
"Alex!"
He turned his head and looked at the direction in which he heard his name being called.
It was Camron. Camron made his way towards Alex.
"I heard from the maids that you were here. It is almost time for dinner. My family will be present. We have to be there early to leave a good impression."
['I can just have dinner in my room alone.']
['No, I think you should attend.'] Lex insisted.
Alex was about to reject the offer when he paused.
'If I refuse to attend this dinner, will Lex refuse to teach me? I think it would be better if I don't do anything that will get me on his bad side, for now.'
"Alright, just let me be like this for a few more minutes." He conceded.
He dropped his head back, on the top of the chair.
Camron was about to insist, when he saw the traces of dried-up tears, he kept quiet.
"Alright. Take your time."
He dragged a chair and placed it next to Alex. He sat down and positioned himself the same way Alex did.
Alex didn't mind, he closed his eyes once again. So did Camron. Soon they fell asleep.
*****************
"Master Camron."
A maid said as she tapped Camron's shoulders.
"Master Camron, your father is waiting for you. You are already late for dinner."
"Huh!?"
Camron opened his eyes. The darkness of the night had dawned upon them in their sleep.
"Crap!" He shouted.
He was about to wake Alex up but stopped in his tracks. Alex had already woken up.
"Since when have you been awake?"
"A few minutes before you woke up. We are late." He stated.
"Yes, let's rush over to the dining hall," Camron said and the two of them sprinted away, leaving the maid behind.
-Thud! Thud!
"Wait," Camron exclaimed.
Alex stopped in his tracks. He looked at Camron and saw that he glancing at his shoes.
"Damn, I forgot to ask the maid to get you a change of shoes too. Wait here, I will be back in a few seconds."
He disappeared from Alex's sight.
Alex looked down at his shoes. Down at his combat boots.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with my shoes, is there?"
['As I said, you have no sense of fashion.'] Al commented.
Alex was about to give him a reply, but he held his tongue. Wondering if Al was correct.
Camron appeared not long after he disappeared.
"Here, try this one."
He handed him a pair of black-monk strap shoes, with a brown colored sole. Its surface was smooth and nice to touch. Alex removed his combat boots and tried on the shoe Camron gave him.
"Is it alright?" Camron asked.
"Yes, it fits well."
"That's good. Now let's hurry." They resumed their sprint.
2 minutes later they arrived in a long hall. They stopped running and strolled to the huge double doors in front of them.
"You ready?" Camron asked.
['Just open the goddamn expensive doors.'] Al complained.
"Yes." He replied.
"And you don't need to be scared of my family. They might be weird at times but they don't bite." Camron joked.
"Yeah sure." He answered nonchalantly.
Camron gave a nod and Butlers in front of the double doors pushed the doors open.
-Creak!
The heavy creaking sound of the door filled the dining room. Gaining everyone's attention.
Alex was startled by the design of the dining room. A huge chandelier hanging above in the middle of the room. Illuminating and beautifying the red and white colored wallpaper on the walls. The floor was made of brown marble.
'There's at least 100 maids and butlers in this house. The Avanti's are living like royalty.' Alex praised after observing the fleet of staff that stood around the room.
"Nice of you to join us Camron." A deep voice announced.
"I'm sorry father, we mistakenly slept off."
"We?" Camron's father questioned.
"Yes. Everyone, this is my friend Alexander."
Camron stepped aside and revealed Alex's presence.
His family was a bit skeptical. Camron said his name, but he didn't announce his family name.
"From what family?" His father asked.
"He has no family name. He is an orphan."
"And the two of you met where?" the question came from another deep voice.
"On my way back from Orban city," Camron responded.
"So now you pick up useless, homeless kids and bring them home." The deep voice said.
Alex who had been taking in the beauty of the large dining hall stopped and turned his gaze to face the person that called him useless.
"Alex is not useless Benjamin." Camron defended.
"Really? I heard that a guest broke third mother's expensive vases that were placed there. And I am very sure it was your homeless friend. He was probably trying to steal them." Another person said. The person's voice seemed to irritate Alex.
"Me? Steal? Hahaha. I have been called many things but not a thief. I got carried away practicing with my spear and then I mistakenly broke them." Alex defended himself. He took a good look at the person he was speaking to.
The young man looked a bit like Camron, but he had black hair and his jaw was sharper than Camron's.
"I suggested to pay for the damages but the maid said that it wasn't necessary."
"What!? Which of the maids' made such a bold statement." The voice that irritated Alex fumed.
"There's no need to look for the maid. I will feel better after paying for the vases myself. I hate owing people. Tell me, how much were the vases that I broke?"
Alex who had his hand in his pocket removed them and dropped them to his side.
"If you insist. The total of those vases you damaged is 2 green ECs." The young man said with a smirk.
-Clink!
Camron's father had dropped his cutleries, he was about to intervene but Alex beat him to it.
"Just that? That's cheap." Alex said with a smirk.
He brought out 3 green ECs from his storage ring.