I made it past the last street and saw my house. My house was 3 houses down from the corner with the neatly trimmed grass, and a small flower garden decorating the outside. I looked into the driveway and found the silver Kia Sephia was parked there, which only meant that my mother was home. She's a nurse and leaves me alone half the time. She usually works the afternoon shift, but it seemed today that she would be having one of her days off. I hope, hope, hope, hope that mom doesn't ask me where I'm going tonight. I'm going to have to ask her for money though. Oh gosh, why did I have to spend my money on that stupid book for? I'm going to have to confront her. God, help me. A feeling not quite dread but close to it crept from the center of my being and shook my body. This was going to be interesting.

I entered my house, making sure not to slam the door behind me, and placed my backpack on the floor. I took off my coat and scarf and looked for signs of life in my house. It was a really nice house, in my opinion. It had 4 bedrooms (My mom's, mine, a study, and a kind of a workout room), 3 bathrooms, 2 living areas (a living room and an entertainment room), a good sized kitchen, and the garage. We had a pool in the back yard with a small shed for storage of cleaning paraphernalia. I went down the hall and straight into the kitchen. Signs of food preparation were all over the place but no mother in sight.

"Mom! I'm home! Where are you?!" I screamed aloud. I waited a few seconds and got a reply.

"I'm upstairs in the study."

That was all I needed to know. I went to the stairs 2 at a time. I turned right at the top and turned left on the landing to the study. The study was where we kept all our books, important papers, comfy chairs to read in, and a desk to work at. My mother was sitting behind the desk, looking in one of her many books of astrology. I cleared my throat and got her attention. She looked up from her reading and gave me a warm smile. She was pretty for a woman who had gone through hell and back. She had long, wavy auburn hair that went down to her shoulders. She was slim, petite, and had a certain air about her that just warmed the soul. Her looks though hid a dangerous soul though. You would never want to get on her bad side.

"Hey stranger," the smile going through her voice, "what have you been up to? I'm sorry that I wasn't here to cook dinner last night. I had to work a little longer than usual since one of the other ladies had a family emergency. I came home at 3 o'clock in the morning last night. You were fast asleep when I came to check up on you." It was common place for her come at the dark hours of the night. I was used to being alone most of the time. There was sometimes nothing better than a little time alone.

"Yeah, it seems I haven't seen you in forever." I went up to her and gave her a hug.

"I know. I will try to get time off soon just for us. So, what has been happening?"

I smiled at her. It seemed that she was in a good mood today.

"You know exactly what I have been doing. I've been at school, studying like always. So at school," I was cut short.

"Did someone harass you at school again?" she asked. There was concern showing on her face and in her voice as well. I looked down but then up again, so not to make her believe such a thing happened. I always told her my problems. We have been through so much together that I consider her a confident of sorts.

"No mom."

"Good, just making sure my little Mark is OK. So what is this about? School?" I smiled at that. She was always looking after me.

"Well, I want to go to the movies with a friend of mine tonight. I wanted to get permission plus see if I could get some money for it too. We are also going to eat before we go to the movies." I waited in suspense since she was going to be the person who was going to be able to make this outing a reality or a dream.

"I see, well, it's great that you finally have a friend here. For the longest of times I have been worried about you."

"I have not only made one friend but two. They both seem to be great."

"Really? That is great."

"Yeah..."

"Well, I think we can arrange this. Tell me. Who is this person? Also, which movie are you going to? I don't want you seeing something I don't approve of."

I took a deep breath and looked up. "Um, his name is Cris Kurosaki, and he is in the 11th grade like me. He is really cool. We are going to see the new Ring 2 movie. It looks good, well, that's what I think."

"Are you sure about that movie?"

"Yeah, it's going to be awesome."

"Awesome? So, you say."

"C'mon. Ple----ase!"

"Ok, fine." I couldn't believe she agreed so easily. She must've been in a really good mood.

"You know, I want to meet this person when he comes." I started to think of how "mother mode" had suddenly been turned on. Why do parents need to know what their kids are doing ever second of the day? I swear. I was finally able to rest, slouching in a chair opposite of the desk. I remembered something.

"Hey mom, remember that we are also going to go eat before the movie."

"Where?"

"I don't know yet."

"Ok, well, hmmmm," she mumbled, pulling her wallet out and looking in it. "How does $20 sound to you?"

"It sounds great! Thanks mom!" I jumped up and went to hug her. She giggled when I did and gave me the money.

"I'll be leaving around 6:30, but the movie doesn't start until around 8, just to let you know." I was happy that mom didn't ask me too many questions.

"Well, I'll be here studying for a while. I'm also making chicken downstairs. If you're hungry when you come back, you can help yourself to it."

"OK, thanks, will do." I got out of the chair and went into my room. I put the $20 dollars in my wallet and put it down on my desk with the rest of the stuff from my pockets. I went to the bathroom and took a quick shower. One must always look good for a date. It's in the rules. I wasn't going to be the one to start breaking it.

I got out and dried myself off with a warm, plush towel. I wrapped it about my waist and looked into the mirror. It was going to be a bit of work to make this boy look good. I also saw that there indeed was going to be a bruise on my side. It was nasty looking for reals. I tweaked my hair with gel, brushing it forward, spiking it in the front. I went and got my clothes, a white long sleeve button up shirt, white belt, a pair of dark blue straight leg jeans, and boxers. I put on my clothes, making sure to roll up my sleeves, leaving the top few buttons undone, and added a shell fish necklace. I was finally done. Looking good takes hard work I tell you. Hopefully Cris will think that I look nice. I looked into the mirror and smiled. I must say, I do clean up well. Turning preppy, aren't we? We can fix that later. I didn't want Cris to think I was some country bumpkin with my regular ratty clothes, you know? That was the worst thing that could happen.

I looked over at the clock. 6:08 p.m. Time had somehow flown by. Cris is going be here soon. Oh gosh, do I look OK? I'm handling it pretty good, I think. I hope I don't make an ass out of myself. That would horrible. I need to think of things to say when things start to slow down. I don't want there to be anything awkward. What if it can't be helped? What happen if he thinks I'm a loser? He could be setting me up. He is a popular after all. I've heard the tales before. That makes me really sad to think of them, but how can I tell if they are true or not? I can't stop worrying. I'm such a dork. All I really want is to give a good impression. I then bent down to put on some socks and my black shoes. I looked at the clock again. 6:23 p.m. How can time be so slow when you want it to go fast? Time is just boggling to the mind.

I got a book and started to read, hoping it would make time go faster. It didn't help a bit. All I could do was think about what Cris might be wearing, what his car looked like, how he made me feel, how I might make him feel, and just about every other thing that the whole world could throw at me. I was so lost in my mind that didn't even hear the doorbell ring. Something brought me back to the here and now. It was my mum's voice.

"Mark, get the door. I think that is your friend. Say hi to him for me. I'll be down in a second," mom said from the upstairs room.

I looked at the clock. 6:31 p.m. He was here! I don't know what I should do? What do I do? I was in a quasi-panic.

I heard someone knock on the door, and I looked at it. I should open the door. I'm losing it. Breathe in. Breathe out. Take a deep breath in. Exhale it slowly out. I felt much better after breathing a little bit. I went to the door and breathed before I opened it. This was it. I then opened it, ready for destiny to send me for a loop. It did.

"Wasup man? I see that you're ready," Cris said friendly like, with a warm smile on his face. He looked hot. He was wearing a grey tank top undershirt, a long sleeved, vertical striped, blue and white, button up shirt that was buttoned only halfway up, a pair of faded jeans, black boots, a metallic necklace, and a brown coat. To say the least, he was amazing. His hair was let loose down to his shoulders. I was floored by what I saw, but remarkably enough, I somehow got my mind back to cooperate with my body.

"Hey, wasup, let me get my coat real quick. Bye mom! I'm leaving now," I said, my head spinning a little. I went to fetch my coat and scarf and went out the door. At that moment, my Mom rushed to the door.

"Not so fast there," she said, opening the door a bit more to see Cris. "Well, well... you both are looking quite good this Friday. I just wanted to meet you. I don't want my Mark going off with fools. I'm Stephanie." Cris stepped up to her and shook her hand.

"I'm Cris Kurosaki. I go to school wit' Mark. We were go," Cris was saying, but my Mom interrupted him.

"That's good and all. I just want you both to be safe. Don't drive fast... You have insurance to drive, right?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. You both be sure to have a good time," my Mom said, starting to go back inside. That was a little crazy. Mom must've liked what she saw. Now, let's get on our way.

"Man, I hope ya don't mind me bein late an' all. I tried to get here in a hurry," Cris said, with his head a little down. He seemed to have an apologetic tone to his voice. I can't believe he's actually sorry for being a few minutes late. Actually, it was not even a minute. Wow, this guy is great. I looked at him as we walked down my pathway towards his black BMW. I couldn't believe, but he owns my dream car...I looked at his car and fell in love instantly.

"It's OK. I don't mind you being the slightest bit late at all. I must say though, I really like your car. It's really nice." I looked towards him when I said that, trying to see if this helped him with his mood. He brightened immediately.

"Thanks. It's really great, and I love it," he said as we got to his car, him opening the door for me. "Here you go. Have a seat."

"Thank you Cris." I sat down and gingerly waited for Cris to enter the driver's side. He entered and turned on the car. The stereo turned on and some techno started playing in the background. He got comfortable and looked at me. I was once again trapped in his breathtaking eyes. He had the deepest set of brown eyes I've ever seen. The music faded. Our surroundings faded to gray, leaving his eyes the center of all color. It was just me and Cris in a world full of possibilities. I saw him moving his lips ever so slowly. I could hear them saying things like, "Mark, will you be my boyfriend?" or "Be with me, please," or them moving in for a kiss. He then shifted and started to touch my leg. I started to blush, but then his touches began to get harder and harder. I snapped out of my world and finally heard what he was trying to say to me.

"Hey? Hello? Mark, where do ya want ta eat? Are ya OK? Ya had this far off look for a whole sec." He looked a little concerned, which made me feel a little bit more nervous. I immediately blushed, knowing that my whole face must've been scarlet. I'm such a doofus! I must not get lost in his eyes. They are awesome though. Snap out of it!

"S-sorry, went somewhere else for a second, umm, well, I'd like to go anywhere you want to. I'm just hungry, so anything is good." I smiled when I said the words.

"OK! Let's go eat at Orlando's. They are really good. I've been there a couple of times." He went down the street and headed towards down town.

"I've never been to Orlando's before. I've always heard people in class talk about it. I hope it's as neat as everyone says." It took about 10 minutes before we entered the downtown area of our small city and passed a lot of shops, cafes, businesses and supermarkets. We talked the whole time. I learned about him and vice versa. We seemed to share a lot of interests. We finally got to the restaurant. It was an old diner style place with memorabilia mounted on the walls. You see them all the time on TV. We entered the place and waited for the hostess to seat us. I turned to Cris.

"Wow, this place is great. I just want to say ahead of time, thank you." He turned to me and gave me a heart melting smile.

"It's nothin'. Don't worry. Have fun. It's goin' to be great." He looked ahead and there was the hostess.

"Is it only the two of you," she asked. We both nodded. She grabbed two menus and silverware.

"Gentlemen, please come this way." She took us to the back of the restaurant and showed us our booth. We thanked her once we were seated. This left me and Cris all by ourselves. I didn't know what to say, and it looked like he didn't either. I looked up at the same time as he did and quickly looked down again. Oh my goodness, I'm acting like a girl. I wonder what he's thinking. I need to say something. Here goes nothing. I might as well be bold. I looked up again and cleared my throat, which got his attention.

"So, Cris, tell me why you wanted me to go with you tonight. I'm a nobody, and you're a somebody. I've thou," I said, but he cut me off.

"I wanted to get to know you. That's why. You were always alone at that one table at lunch, and I thought I could see someone I could get along with in you. Don't say that about yourself. Everyone is a somebody, and if I'm right about you, you're not just some somebody but a great person." His eyes showed sincerity amongst other things. I couldn't help but feel a little relieved and a bit light headed. Our waitress came by then. She was a plain girl with long blond hair and an outgoing personality.

"Hello boys. My name is Allison, and I'm going to be your server for this evening," she kneeled down and put her notepad on the table, "What can I get for you two to drink? Let me tell you, the milkshakes here are great! I can't get enough of them, but go ahead." She had so much energy. It was really fun.

"I would like a coke" I said, taking my eyes away from Cris but just for a second. This girl was a character.

"The same for me." He didn't take his eyes away when he ordered. He's really, just wow. I can't believe that a popular could be so down to earth. Somehow, that reminded me that he was exactly that, a popular. I need to remember that this can be all a trick, but he seems so great though. I only can hope for the best, you know.

Allison got up with a swish of her hair. She cleared her voice and put the notepad in her apron.

"I'll get your drinks in a minute. Take your time choosing something from the menu." And with that, she went off, leaving Cris and me alone again.

I started to get a little nervous again. I clasped my hand in my lap and crossed my legs at the ankle under the table. I looked down then.

"She's interestin, isn't she? This is the second time I've had her." He reached across the table and touched me. I looked up and saw his smiling face. The butterflies in my stomach got bigger, slamming the sides with my nervousness.

"You're nervous. I can tell. Don't be around me. Ya can be chill wit' me." He waited a second to see my reaction. I couldn't help but smile. "Good, good, good. I want to see that smile. Ya know, ya look really nice tonight." I blinked at that. He just said that I looked nice. Wow. I felt another roaring blush attack me.

"Hehe. Thanks... You look great tonight as well." He gave me the biggest smile, and my heart totally melted into a pile of mush then. He is so cute. So far, it was going good. I was about to say something when I felt something from under the table. I wasn't moving any, but I still felt something touching my feet. I looked down and the movement stopped. Cris smiled again, and I knew immediately that it was him. Oh my goodness, he's playing footsies with me! I uncrossed my legs and set them about half a foot apart. I then felt him put his own foot between my feet. I immediately felt a blush scorch my face raw. I let out a nervous giggle and at that, Cris laughed a little and giving me one of his winks. I just about melted then. I felt ready to do everything now. Somehow, it gave me an encouraging boost. Allison then came back with our drinks and asked what we wanted to eat, with her twirling a finger in her hair. I looked up at her.

"Sorry, I hadn't looked at my menu yet," I looked down then.

"We'll have 2 burgers with fries." I looked up at Cris with a questioning look. He just smiled my way. I knew that he had made the best decision for me. I then patted his foot with mine. Whoa! I actually did that. I smiled my little stupid smile.

"All right gents, your order will be out shortly. If you need anything, just give me a shout." She went off then. Somehow, I felt relieved and happy and the best of all, confident. Cris and I talked from then on, only pausing when the food came. We talked about him. He has 2 sisters, plays on the soccer team, loves to hang out with friends, to go to parties, and that he was the same age as me. He is so wow! He learned about me as well. No one here in this town knew about me. Dinner was over before we knew it. We came out of Orlando's laughing like old friends. The surprising thing was that he paid for everything! I told him that I would pay for my half, but he insisted on paying for everything. I couldn't argue with his determination. We entered his car and headed for the movies. I cleared my voice once everything was silent again.

"Thanks Cris! That was great. I never had so much fun at a restaurant." He looked over at my way and patted my knee and smiled. "Oh my goodness, this is great. I can get used to his touchy self. But he is not really gay, I bet. He's just acting like a really good friend. That's it." I thought, happy to be in the glow of the moment.

"Welcome Mark. I'm glad that ya had a good time, but we aren't even done. I hope this movie is as good as people say, ya know?" He never took his hand away from my knee. Heh heh. He must've forgotten to pick hand up from my knee. I reached to pick his hand off my knee, but when I got to his hand, he only grabbed it. I immediately froze in place. Oh my goodness! He's holding my hand! I guess he could sense me tensing.

"Relax. It's only natural." I could hear the smile in his voice. I relaxed then for some reason. It was like he could somehow control me, which I somewhat liked. We entered the movie parking lot and got situated. We went out of his car, making him stop holding my hand. We went to the front and got in line. I heard a deep rumbling noise. I looked at the dark sky and could see the clouds moving at a faster pace than usual. A flash of light lit the sky deep into the heavens above. Cris looked up at the sky and maybe unconsciously, moved closer to me. His arms were touching mine, and I just smiled. Who cares if a storm is coming? I don't. As long as I have Cris by my side, it will be ok. We got to the front of the line as fat drops started descending at slow pace. Once at the window, he asked for 2 tickets. I took my wallet out and gave him the money for the ticket. Once again, he insisted on paying for the tickets, giving my money back. I felt bad good at the same time. You know? He really didn't know how this was making me feel. I couldn't be happier. I guess a popular could be human after all. We went to the front doors and he opened them for me.

"For my grand Sir, please enter." He said with a haughty English accent, making everything much more funny with a small bow. I played on his act.

"Oh, thank you very much, my good lad. Now fetch me you leash." I said with mock annoyance. Then I started to laugh. He playfully punched me on the arm. "Can he be any greater?" I thought, really smiling at him. He gave me his smile and we both went to the ticket person. She ripped our tickets in half and gave us our stubs.

We went to the theatre and got good seats. Once we were seated, he did a thing that surprised me. He lifted the arm rest from between us and sat closer to me, letting his arm and leg resting against mine. My mind went into overload mode. I immediately started looking around. Cris looked at me and chuckled.

"Don't worry. It's all good. Think of it as only ya and me here," Cris said. My thoughts went wild. OHHHH MY GOOOODNESS! What is he doing?! Doesn't he know that anybody could see him? I don't care about my reputation but his is on the line! Alas, I couldn't do anything. He has me pinned against my arm rest and him. I stopped thinking when he grabbed my arm and put it about his shoulders. I looked at him and he looked at me. We locked eyes, making the theatre full of people disappear in a matter of seconds. I looked into his soul as he looked into mine. All I could see was a longing to be with somebody. He was presenting me the key to his heart and all I had to do was open the lock. I was about to give in when someone behind us screamed something incomprehensible, shattering our little world once again. He giggled, and we both leaned a little back in the seat to be able to look at the movie with relative comfort.

We kept on with small talk until the theatre grew dark, starting the previews. He snuggled a bit more into me and I couldn't help but feel warm all over. I couldn't even start to imagine this was really happening. This is like a dream come true. I need to remember, he is a popular, but he is the best popular I've ever met. The movie began, and the theatre finally grew silent. After a couple of minutes into the movie, he separated a bit from me.

"I'm goin to the bathroom. I'll be back in a min." He looked so wonderful in the dark, almost leaning over me. He looked at me intently.

"OK, come back soon." He stood up slowly and went out of the theatre. "I can't believe how good this is going. This is just great. All those stories about the popular are not true.

I looked up at the screen and waited for Cris to return. I got lost in that damn scary bitch a couple of times, but after a while, I couldn't help think that Cris still in the bathroom. I hope he wasn't having indigestion or anything like that. One of my things is that one must be patient. So I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited for his return. The only thing is that, he never did.

His minute grew and grew, making me worry about him. I couldn't just sit there anymore. More than half the movie was over. I went out of the theatre looking for him. I searched first the bathrooms nearest our theatre. No one was in there. I then went to the next bathroom and didn't find him. I looked through at the concession stand, the arcade, and I tried to look in the other theatres, but the ushers wouldn't let me into other movies. I was growing frantic with each passing minute that he wasn't here. What happened to him?! I ran back to the first bathroom and saw that a woman was cleaning it. I asked her if she had seen anybody that looked like Cris.

"I'm sorry. No one has come to this bathroom in the last 5 minutes. Hope you find your friend." Her answer went through me like punch to the gut. I had to insist that he had come out for that reason.

"But he came out to use the bathroom! He told me that he would be right back! What could have happened to him?!" Somehow when I was telling her this, tears started to fall from my face.

"I'm very sorry, Sir, but I have not seen someone that fits that description. I've been cleaning the hall for the last thirty minutes. I would have remembered seeing him." I didn't want to believe what she told me. Cris wouldn't just get up and leave me.

I ran out where the weather had gotten worse. There was a bad thunderstorm going on. I immediately got soaked, running to where we had parked. I finally got to the space. His car wasn't there. How can he do this to me?! I thought he liked me too. I started to become a little frantic, punching the air, screaming at the top of my lungs. Why?! What the fuck is wrong with me? After a few minutes of me going about crazily, I just stopped.

I stopped thinking. I stopped moving. All I did was look into the sky. A flash of lightning flashed over head. The rain was good for something after all. It hid my tears. I just didn't know what to do. I just looked into the sky. Why?

Author's Note: I sure have taken my sweet sweet time in making this chapter. I should be able to write now since I'm taking a semester off of university. This was exactly the right thing I need, a break. It's hard being a triple major. Anyway, I hope you all like this. Of course, that means if you do, please e-mail me at alexflores85@hotmail.com saying so. Alone: Remix Extension 5 is in the beginning stages right now. This story was sort of a spur of the moment kind of thing. I still don't know where I'm going with this really. Hope to hear from y'all. If you want to read my other stories that I have written, you can go to my site for them. This a link to the my site at FictionPress.com. Enjoy!