The sun is setting.The amber skyline touched the towering buildings in the distance. The school is almost clear, only a few teachers and students with club activities are around. Some landscapers are just about finished with their ground work. This September evening was just right, with a slight chilling breeze.
"Emm.... Miki are you alright? Shouldn't you have gone to the nurse office as well?" asked Rena,
the short girl with hazel colored hair. Rena was worried about him. They've been best friends since elementary school.
"I'm fine Rena," he gave a full heartfelt smile. "Always worried about others and never yourself." He ran his hand through her hair. He casually gazed into her eyes very passionately.
"Umm guys?" said in a concerned voice from behind. It was Hinata who watched the whole thing from the beginning.
"Oh, didn't know you were standing right there," replied Miki.
Hinata had gone to talk to the teachers about Alex and Damon. She made up a random excuse for them. It barely worked. Luckily for them, Hinata was the student body president. So it all worked out in the end.
"Yeah I had finished talking to them and came back because I'm waiting on Sosuke" Hinata was waiting for her boyfriend to come pick her up, he was finishing up club activities.
Club was running shorter than usual today because of the Pre Fall tournament.
"What about Damon? You think the new kid brought him home in one piece?" Asked Miki as he rubbed the tips of his hair while facing Hinata.
"Well he seemed like a nice guy. " She said with a less than sincere smile.
"You're worrying too much, he can easily stop Terumi's punch. So he must be strong right? "
"You're right!" Said Rena
"Let's talk to him tomorrow, he has class with all of us." said a voice from behind, everyone's head turned to face the voice that emerged.
"Sosuke," said Hinata.
He was standing against a wall facing the group. He started walking towards the group,
"Honestly from the rumors going around, he seems like a fine choice. It'd make things less complicated."
"B-but-" Miki cut Rena off
"You're right. Adding him to the faction would be helpful, we can help students who have been bullied by the serpents." Miki, Rena and Hinata lowered their heads. Until Hinata spoke up,
"What kinda student council members are we if we don't act to support our student body." She had a determined look in her eyes.
"That's my girl," Sosukes eyes sparkled.
Everyone parted ways, Miki walked Rena home but before that they grabbed a bite to eat at a fast food joint. Sosuke walked with Hinata to pick up her little sister at her jujitsu practice at the YMCA.
-during the walk home. That turned into a ride home with Damon. Alex took the time to cruising around some of the city-
"So where do you live?" He asks, not noticing that she had her eyes closed the whole time. Alex decided to park the bike. Finally, she takes the helmet off and speaks.
"Umm.... I can't go home because... of family reasons... the nearest shelter would be fine." She started looking at the ground and rubbing her hands together.
"Alex!" Damon had frantically grabbed his arm. It was a firm grip. She looked him in his eyes. Almost as if his kindness was temporary. She secretly wished that his kindness at this moment was genuine. "I'm not opposed to dating you. I know you'd protect me. I can feel it in here.(She pointed to her chest)
Alex looked at Damon not as passionate as she looked at him. He knew the feelings she or he had for him. Wasn't because They were in love with him. It's because of survival. He knows it. "Damon..I'm sorry but your feelings for me aren't genuine. It's because I saved you. You're leaning on to me because of it. My last relationship failed. Mainly because of me. If your feelings are real later. I'll be glad to listen." Alex said firmly. Alex had a grim expression on his face. Damon wanted to ask.
This topic made her very uncomfortable, especially talking about it to Alex whom they just met. Who's also a complete stranger. The flashing thought occurred. Damon had no place to sleep. After saying what he just told them.
"Tsk" Alex was pissed, it's probably so hard at home that she can't even tell her parents.
"No you're not sleeping in a shelter, I have extra room at my house, since my older brother and sisters are adults now and moved out."
He stuck out his hand. Inviting Damon to keep riding with him. Damon was hesitant at first but gladly went along.
The two rode once again but this time the destination was Alex's home. Luckily enough Alex stayed further away from the school not to be noticed.
"Mom, I have a friend that needs a place to stay" he opens his mouth as soon as he walks into the house,
"oh you made a friend on your first day" she comes to meet me from the kitchen. Her smile turns into a frown the moment she sees
"Why, you're just like your father, helping people, especially girls."
"Actually mom isn't a girl. More like a guy."
~~~
The scene changed, Hinata and Sosuke picked up Hanabi from practice.
"So Lil Tiger, how was practice?" Said Sosuke.
She walks in front of both of them and says "it was ehh. Everyone was so weak. It's starting to get boring.
Sensei said something along the lines of,
"I'm out of limits??" I don't know what that means. All I did was beat up the whole class." Hinata looked at Sosuke and then turned back to Hanabi and said
"don't you mean know your limits"
"No" she said, "he said it that way"
She very confidently strides in front of her sister. Humming a tone from her favorite tv show.
Chapter 5 end