Melinda

"That's the thing, Meli," Kayden went on as I kept on braiding Celina's hair, "I want to learn how o be a better pitcher."

It was my first day of suspension after yesterday's...er..fight with Olive and his friend, however it was still seven o'clock in the morning as I had taken it as a chance to make Celina's hair into her favorite braid for school today, so Kayden -naturally - had taken it upon himself to walk her here.

They were just that cute.

"So," I started, not looking up from what I was doing "why don't you ask one of the guys to teach you?"

"Chris said he knew nothing about baseball and Chase has been out of town for two days now, should I ask Luke?"

"No, he is having an exam in a few days so don't disturb him," I said absently before I looked up "Chase has been out of town? Why did he leave?" I didn't know anything about it, just yesterday Luke has told me that Chase had met Ran and he hasn't mentioned anything about anyone leaving. Kayden just shrugged in a silent ' I don't know.' I looked at him and smiled before looking at the girl on my lap. I was just securing her braid when the door opposite of mine opened and a very sleepy looking Alex emerged. I ignored him and looked down at Kayden "would you please see if dad is still here for me?"

Kayden nodded absently before he ran in front of an ready leaving Alex "would you teach me how to patch?" I wasn't really surprised by his honesty, that's how children were. But I was more surprised at the fact he actually asked Alex.

Alex, however and true to his nature just said a dry "bugger off, kid." And left a frustrated Kayden who had no choice but to descend the stairs after him. I just sighed, held Celina in the air before putting her gently on the ground and adjusted her clothes one last time before asking her cheerfully "so what do you think?"

Cute Celina instantly ran to the small mirror and smiled to her reflection as she twirled twice in her uniform's skirts "so beautiful!" She squealed "I really, really love your braids! Nobody can do them as good as you do, not even Teresa." I just smiled at her "thanks," I said as I got off the bed and put both my hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her towards the door "off you go, princess; we don't want to be late for school."

Soon and after a round of kisses and goodbyes, I took a deep breath and marched towards the living room.

I knew what I had to do and how to do it. Even polite Kayden had showed his disgust at my black eye making kind Celina pat me on the head. Not that that was the point of course.

"Ahm," I started as I finally reached Alex; who was lying on the couch, carrying the remote control and looking bored in front of the TV. He just glanced at me before he continued looking at the TV and switching the channels, effectively ignoring me. I scowled before I stepped right in front of the TV and said another, firmer "ahm."

"Would you stop doing that?" he asked tiredly, finally looking at my face when he had no other option. Ignoring his dry mood, I gave him my biggest smile "I want to talk to you about something." He raised an eyebrow before asking "and what the hell is that? And please enough with smile, the black eye is more than enough, it's giving me the creeps." I instantly scowled "I want you to train Kayden in Baseball," I said with no further tactics, making him snort loudly "Yeah, well," he said amusedly "not in this life time, now away from the scree-"

"Why the hell not?!" I asked, crossing my arms against my chest.

"Well, for starters, I don't really like brats in general, " he said coolly "and well, it's not really the nicest thing to wake up seven o'clock on a holiday on their merry voices- so yea, I don't think I need anymore of that noise, Meli."

"Well, Lexi," I spat as my foot started absently but furiously drumming the floor beneath me "if you hadn't noticed this really isn't a holiday, it's a punishment-"

"Same thing in my book."

"-And," I went on, ignoring his dry reply "you are supposed to be in debt to me- so I will let your conscious rest in peace and make it easier for you to pay; teach hi-"

"Why the fuck do I owe you?" I glared at him "Please refrain-"

"From using such language," he finished, rolling his eyes as he finally sat up "still, that doesn't answer my question, you entered the fight on your own and got suspended for it, you even apologized to me for God sake."

Still glaring, I pointed silently to my black eye. "Wha-?" he scoffed before snorting "that's the same thing!"

"Well, to you it might be," I said haughtily, "but I'm a girl, so something like this can really ruin my life." "Oh, stop it with the drama," he said waving his head "I'm not doing it, Melinda and that's that, now move away from the T.v."

I stared at him for a moment, not moving from my place, then started walking towards him, and when I was right in front of his face, I lowered my head so that we were nose to nose "Alexander Stewart," I hissed "I've been tolerating you and your presence ever since you came here, I have been even paying the price for some of your really bad mistakes- everybody in campus firmly believes I am actually going out with you! I have been hit in the eye then suspended a whole week because of your childish attitude, Frankly, I'm fed up, so if you won't help me with this, God may help me I will make your life here a fucking hell!"

All throughout my vindictive speech, his gray, impassive eyes haven't left mine once….his face hasn't changed once, nor has he even flinched.

Why the hell did he have to have such amazingly clear eyes?

"Melinda Owen," he started slowly, not breaking eye contact "I. am. Not. Doing it."

I clenched my teeth, feeling very violent, making him raise an amused eyebrow. Then I realized that this just not might be the way to deal with this. So I instantly smiled sweetly at him, with our faces just inches apart "well," I said quietly and quiet pleasantly "you are free to do what you want, after all, it's not like you are going to enter your room someday and find all your belongings in titers…for example." He snorted at that.

"Is that a threat, Meli?" he asked with some traces of amusement. "Oh, no!" I denied with no little exaggeration, then smiled as I straightened a bit "it just might happen all on its own when the house here hears I've been secretly going out with the 'convict'" I ignored said convict's snort at that- "you know, there might be a furious Ran…a murderous dad, a-"

I stopped at his out loud laugh. "That's really ominous," he said amused is he relaxed into his seat, making me scowl again. Was there really no way to get him to see my point? There was one certain way, but I couldn't just hit him with dad in his office next door.

I was saved from having to instantly decide what to do about the idiot when the door bell rung. So, with a roll of my eyes and a muttered "go to hell" I left him to his stupid, boring TV and went to the door.

I opened the door thinking it was the mail or something just as lame, only to be shocked into silence by the sight that actually met my eyes. It was a girl – a young beautiful girl who stared just as blankly at me. Shinny golden hair, luminous blue eyes and unblemished creamy skin. Almost instantly, of course, her eyes went to the black eye dominating my face, and I tried not to squirm at having such a beauty actually looking at me in such a condition. "C-can I help you?" I asked, tentatively, snapping her out of it.

"Yes," God, even her voice was all feminine and beautiful, with a husky note to it" I'm sorry, but may I ask about…." Then she trailed off as I felt someone standing at my back, widening the door a bit "Ann?" was the surprised question that came from Alex when he joined me. I couldn't help but turn slightly and look it him, which I'm sure must have looked more cozy than it would ever be between me and the jerk.

His eyes suddenly narrowed at her and I could feel him tense at my back. When I looked back at her, I saw her staring intently at the distance between the two of us with a fallen face.

Oh…so it was like that.

"Well!" I started, a bit too cheerfully "seems you finally have some visitors…you might not be quite the stray cat I've taken you for," I was actually surprised when he looked at me tiredly, and my smile just widened a bit more, He must be feeling really creepy now…even I was.

Then I looked at the stunned beauty at the door "Oh, don't worry about son Alex here," I said as I actually stood slightly on tip toes to rub his bangs in a motherly fashion making him move his head away and glare at me "I'm discovering he is a bit rude in general…but there must be something good in him…right?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. And the answer was; I had no idea what the hell I was saying, I was officially blabbering, but I just I was doing my best not to sadden the beautiful Ann by thinking…well, what everyone in college was thinking. He was a jerk, but I wasn't and she didn't deserve it that her boyfriend didn't know when to shut up and when to speak.

"Don't be shy, don't be shy," I waved him off as I lessened the charm of my black-eyed smile and looked back at her, have fun and if he annoyed you, you can just scream," and with that I left the door and went, whistling inside.

Only to remember as I reached the living room that he hadn't agreed to teaching Kayden, and that I had been actually seething at the jerk.

It seemed I had no other option but to see to that pitching stuff on my own, so I went to the TV he had been monopolizing and started going through the sports channels.

He wouldn't like the fact I had taken his seat and the TV, but they were actually my seat and my TV so that's just tough.

Alex

It was high time I admitted to myself that almost every time Owen's daughter opened her pretty mouth, I became overwhelmed with a sense of being in a historical movie – a historical comedy to be exact- that was just how Victorian some of what she said really sounded to me. I was just sure she was as oblivious to the youth's trends as her father was…as I became.

When her light footsteps disappeared, I finally looked at the burden standing at my door. Ann looked beautiful – as always- and quite unsure. Well, tough.

"Let's get this outside," I muttered as I grabbed my jacket and closed the door behind me, not really caring for her timid nod. If there was one thing Ann was not, it was timid.

Not- so- timid Ann waited till she got settled on some chair in the garden, before looking at the ground. I was adamant on making this is hard as possible so I just stayed silent as I prayed to God that I would have a cigarette or two in my pockets "I'm sorry, Ale-"

"Let's cut to the chase, Ann," I said abruptly, silently sending a prayer of thanks when I came up with a joint "you already know what I think of your apologies, so just spit out what you are here for."

She bit her lip in the way that only looked good on her, before looking at me with those sad eyes "I can't go on like this any longer…I miss you, Ale-."

I snorted at that, and looked at her, making sure none of the bitterness I felt showed in my voice "you seemed fine enough the last time I saw you, Ann," I said as I lighted my cigarette and took a deep breath of it "actually, all the while I've been in jail, you didn't really seem to miss me at all."

"What was I supposed to do?!" she asked as she stood up suddenly "I am his sister! I couldn't just do that to him!"

I raised an eyebrow at that "okay," I said, "and it went well, and he is fine, and I am not in prison. Let you conscious have some rest and go have a happy life with your friends and leave me alone."

"That's it, Alex!" she said bitterly, her eyes becoming luminous with what looked ominously like tears "I can't! You can't even imagine how it had been those few past weeks! Every time you refused to take my calls, it tore at me! I miss you..I love you, Alex."

I couldn't have helped the evil laugh that erupted from me even if I had wanted to, which I hadn't "Baby," I said with a scoff "nobody has ever mentioned love the whole time we have been together, doesn't suit you now to play the romantic." She glared at that, "Ale-"

"Ann," I cut her off as I leaned closer to her "you just hate the fact I'm not hung up on you, the fact I have never really been a ring around your pretty finger and the fact I just didn't kiss your brother's arse till the last moment" she clenched her teeth at that but I continued anyway, happy to be making her quit the act so fast "well, that's bad baby because I am done. Your secret is deep with me but I'm done with the whole bunch of you. I am fed up with all of your shit and frankly, have no more space for them," then I straightened and turned my back on her, intent on getting back inside when my eyes fell on the bench Meli usually sat on "you can just leave the way you came," I finished quietly, for some reason just distracted by the thought.

"So you have space for this shit?!" came her spat. I wasn't really surprised she wasn't all that docile anymore, I was just surprised I was looking at the bench that long "playing house? Do you really think any of these people care?"

I stayed silent for a few moments. Owen cares…even Meli-

No, I just wasn't going there again. Nobody cared. That made me tear my eyes off that certain bench and start walking towards the door.

"Okay!" she screamed "be a chicken, just walk away from me! You have done it before! I am no better than your own mother!"

That actually stilled me in my tracks. Of all the things Ann could have said, this was the most stupid, she was trying to rile me up, but even this was too much- if she were a guy, I would probably have gone to prison for killing him.

Slowly, I turned around. Something on my face must have shown my anger, as I could distinctly feel victorious when she started stepping back for me. Suddenly her knees fell as their backs hit the chair behind her and she was sitting in front of me. I bent against her, with my hands on both arm-chair and my arms effectively imprisoning her, I said in a deadly, quite voice "don't ever come here again."

Then I straightened and turned my back on her stunned figure. Ann was instantly forgotten when I finally was inside the house. I could feel the air getting heavier, could feel the self-hatred and blinding rage trying to suffocate me, and suddenly I was in the living room, standing by the couch and staring at a frustrated, black eyed brat.

"Let's play baseball…" I didn't recognize my own voice, I didn't even know where this came from. Melinda just looked haughtily at the TV, already opening her mouth for a snappy retort no doubt. But something in my face made her think better of it when her eyes finally fell on me. I really hated how her features instantly changed, losing all their anger at once. I really hated how vulnerable she normally looked with her soft features, and how violated that black-eye made her look. I hated that she didn't ask, that she just nodded and said a soft 'okay'.

Nobody cares…

I think most of all, I hated myself for thinking that moment that hostile, aggressive, ridiculously cute Melinda might actually care…

I think I hated the fact that at that moment I knew for certain, that I was about to care too…and there was nothing I could have done after that to stop it.

A.N:

Special thanks to Kirikoshiba8 and the guest who reviewed last time; you made my day and I hope I won't let you down :D

And to all you folks, Thanks for reading, and sorry if the chapter was too long….another sorry for any mistakes, I'm having classes tomorrow and I'm just dying to sleep…so Yeah :D

Uh, and plz tell me what you think :D

See ya ^_^