Chapter Sixteen: Alejandro

"Hello" I turn around to find myself looking at Ci-Xi.

"Hey Ci-Xi, What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you"

"Huh? Huh? What happened?" Jane wakes up, with drool on her cheek. She puts her head on Gwen's shoulder.

"I realize that Gwen was starting to say something before...what were you going to tell me?" Our focus is shifted to Gwen. Her face turns red.

"It doesn't matter" She gets up looking disappointed. She helps Jane get up and walks towards the Carousel with her. I stand up and head her way but a hand grabs me.

"I came here for you" Ci-Xi laughs.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Akio walks next to me with a weird face. Ci-Xi looks at Akio.

"Nice to meet you, Akio," She says to Akio. He turns me around, huddling over me.

"She is the one for me," He tells me. I feel overprotective as if she is one of my twin sisters.

"Shut up, Akio," I turn back around to see Ci-Xi. "So how did you know we were here?"

"Actually I was just walking by so that's why I called you" She smiles.

"Well, then what was your point of coming to say hi?"

"I wanted to go to a cool place...since your friend is here then also with your friend," Ci-Xi twists her hair. I look over to see where Gwen is and she is sitting at the bench looking at the moon. I wonder what she wanted to tell me. I know it wasn't anything. It was something important.

"Where is this place you are talking about?" I ask her getting a little suspicious.

"You will see...Trust me"

"Count me in," Akio says out loud.

"Fine but not for too long because today is the last day I get to spend with my friend until they leave and I don't know when I'll be able to see them again"

"I understand, it won't be too long...We can't walk to where the place is...we can take a taxi and walk the rest on foot," She chuckles. She grabs her telephone and calls "Yes please one taxi from Janes Carousel," and then hangs up the phone. "It's going to be here in 2 minutes"

"That's quick!" Akio smiles widely, his eyes head over heels for her.

"Yeah...it is," I feel like something is off about her. 2 minutes later the taxi comes. When we walk to the taxi, Gwen weirdly looks at me. I can't tell if she's angry or sad. I can't read her eyes. I overlook it and get in the taxi with Akio and Ci-Xi. I sit the farthest from Ci-Xi. The taxi starts to rush to the road.

"Where exactly is this place Ci-Xi?" Akio asks Ci-Xi.

"It is in the woods," She stops and looks out the window, "My parents...," Her parents? "...uh...gave me this place for me to have fun," Ci-Xi giggles.

"Aww, that's nice of them," Akio responds. I stay quiet. I dig in the pocket that my phone is in. I take my hand out of my pocket and dig in my other pockets. I can't find my phone anywhere. Where did I put it? I try to remember. Oh, that's where I left it. I left it on the rock next to where I was sitting. How am I going to be able to text the other that we went someplace when I don't have my phone?

"Hey, Akio, text the others and tell them that we went someplace so they don't worry, okay?"

"Oh yeah sure," Akio starts to pull his phone out of his pocket but Ci-Xi stops him.

"No it's okay, they won't worry, we will be quick," Her leg starts to shake. Is she going to have another panic attack because of her disease? I hope not.

"She's right, Alejandro," I scoff and get over it.

"Here's a drink Alejandro," Ci-Xi hands me a juice, looking like apple juice.

"What about me?" Akio gasps.

"Sorry, that was my last one and also..." She pauses, "I knew Alejandro before you," She whispers. I open the drink and start to drink it. I didn't realize I was this thirsty. The apple juice has a weird taste but it is still good. After I drink the apple juice, I start to drift asleep on the seat.

"Alejandro, wake up, we are here," Ci-Xi shakes me awake. I get up and out of the car. Ci-Xi helping me get up. I don't want her too but my body is still asleep.

"You died," Akio laughs at me. I push him softly.

"The place is right down this path" Ci-Xi points with her head this dark path. The moon is out but since there are so many trees, it blocks out the light of the moon.

"Wow it's dark here," Akio says in an amused tone. We start walking down the path and the sleepiness hit me again.

"Can we just pause for a few seconds?" I say sitting on the ground and laying my back against a tree trunk.

"Sure," Akio and Ci-Xi say at the same time. I yawn and close my eyes. I fall asleep.

I wake up. Everything is dark, Where am I? I feel as if there is a cloth on my face. I try to move my hands to my face and they don't seem to move. I feel a tight feeling around my wrists. I move my legs and I feel as if something is keeping them together. Then I realized...I'm tied up.

"Mmmm hmmm," I mumble trying to get words out but I can't. My mouth is closed too. I keep mumbling wondering if anyone can hear me. Where are Akio and Ci Xi? I hope they are doing fine and not in trouble like I am right now. The fabric on my face is taken off but it's still dark. I get a chilling feeling. All of a sudden, I get a flash of a dark attic that I have never seen before. I start crying automatically and emotionally. Why am I crying? Unknowingly, More and more tears fall down my face. A light is turned on above me just like in an interrogation room. My tears stop falling down my face in an instant. I hear heels. I look to where the sound is coming from. A middle-aged woman shows up in front of me. She is wearing a black pantsuit like she means business, with red heels, black hair, red and lipstick. I rock in my chair rocking back and forth trying to help myself free.

"I'm sorry Alejandro that we had to do this to you," The woman in black says. She knows my name. Now that she moves closer to me where I can see her in the light. She looks familiar. Where have I seen her before? I got it...she's Ci-Xi's mom. In a blink of an eye, a middle-aged man with black hair in an all-black suit. He walks next to Ci-Xi's mom. This must be, no, he is Ci-Xi's dad.

"We meet again," Ci-Xi's dad says taking the fabric off of my mouth.

"Why am I here?" I am angered with fear.

"I don't know why are you here," Ci-Xi's mom giggles.

"Uh, I asked you first meaning you answer first" I respond.

"Disrespectful silver-spoon boy," Ci-Xi's dad says arrogantly. "You know what your father did to us?"

"Why would I?"

"Listen," Ci-Xi's dad moves close to my face and I turn my face to the side. "Don't give that attitude" He spits as he speaks. I can't even wipe his spit off my face. I spit on his expensive-looking black jacket. He laughs and wipes it off. He looks extremely annoyed. I give him a dirty look "You know what, we can't trust this one, guards put the gag back on him, "These men walk my way and put a fabric inside my mouth, not letting me speak. "Your father kicked us out of the company as one of the top Chinese shareholders. Now we are slowly going bankrupt. Your father is ruining us so I thought I could have his son and he would feel threatened and take us back," He steps back and trips over the wood sticking up out of place. He falls back creating an earthquake. I hear laughs and right after a boom on the ground. I turn my head to see what it is and it's one of his guards that fell on the ground laughing. Ci-Xi's dad gives him a death stare. The guard freezes like ice. He gets up and his eye looks like it's starting to turn black. You can see the awkwardness in his face now. Look at him. Look at him. I can't seem to laugh loud because of this fabric. Is a gag its name? It's killing me, "Shut up I am talking," He tells me and I go silent. This man is telling me to shut up and he looks 2 feet tall. "You are fired," He says to the guard that is still on the floor. "Back to what I was saying since I hear you are the new Chairman of the company of Park group because your father is also going bankrupt so seems like we are going have to starve you and keep you here. I will give you one chance to agree," He snaps his fingers and the guards come again and take the gag out of my mouth.

"Let me go or I will tell your daughter about her terminal mental disease. What was it called again? Oh yes, Psuedoseizure"

"Honey" Ci-Xi's mom hesitantly says to her husband. I hear footsteps behind me. I can't turn my head to see.

"Is that true?" I hear Ci-Xi's quivering voice behind me. She knows now.

"Hun it's not what it looks like," The man says to his now broken daughter.

"I know what it looks like" I hear her footsteps draw closer "It looks like both my parents tricked me into getting to know Alejandro so you can just take him here. You said you were just going to talk to him but look he is all tied up" Ci-Xi starts to untie me as she says this "It also looks like you gave me that juice, what did it have? Sleeping medicine?" She finishes untying me. I get up feeling taller than anyone in the attic. "You know what it looks like too. It looks like I have a disease that I never knew about and not even that you kept it a secret from the person who has that disease" She starts to cry. Both parents start to cry with her.

"We are sorry, Hun. Please forgive us. We couldn't do anything about it. It's terminal," They both say.

"Put your hands up" I hear a door slam open. It's a familiar voice. Gwen's voice. She stands in front of Ci-Xi's parents with a banana in her hand pointing at them as if it was a gun. She is such a clown. "I have 911 one right here" She pulls up her phone showing it to them "So let Alejandro and I go and we will have no problems huh?" Gwen's Hispanic accent comes out. Her accent appears when she is angry from what I noticed. She turns around and pulls me by my arm to her side "Are you okay?" She asks Ci-Xi. She nods her head yes.

"These are my parents," Ci-Xi tells Gwen. I notice Akio behind her holding one of her hands. They are already that close?

"Keep an eye on them," She nicely says to Ci-Xi. She smiles "Akio let's go," he lets go of Ci-Xi's hand and they exchange a look. It looks like a look you give to someone when you are in love. They already fell for each other?

We walk down the stairs of the attic and out of the building. "Why did y'all come here alone?" Gwen pulls our ears to her level. "You see what happens when you walk off from the pack?" We nod our heads at the same time. It hurts. She finally let's go. She brought her car. We get in. I sit in the passenger and Akio in the back where Jane is sleeping.

"Does anyone know we are gone?" Akio yawns.

"Nah they don't. You are glad I followed you," She rolls her eyes.

"Gwen that girl Ci-Xi she's the one"

"Already Akio? I told you to take it slow"

"No, Gwen she came to me first"

"Well then go for it, don't lose her," She smiles brightly. We arrive at Jane Carousel quickly. Gwen picks up Jane. We leave the car and head down to the benches to sit down. Akio looks so happy. I don't think I have ever seen him this happy.

"You know what. Ci-Xi is so perfect. I have to thank you. The thing is me and Gwen decided to be friends," That was unexpected, "Ci-Xi was with me at the attic around walking and she starts to have a panic attack. I've seen this type of panic attack before. I like watching doctor shows and shows similar to that but I don't want to be a doctor at all. That's how I knew it was a terminal psychological disease that brings the side effect of dying. By looking at her it looked like she has about 10-15 years to live and she is still young. I felt bad and I didn't know what to do so I hugged her. I didn't know what I was doing but I felt like that would help her. Instantly, she calmed down. She told me how no one has ever hugged her with such warmth before. Then she told me she liked me. I don't know what it was however, how she said it made me fall for her. No one has ever told me straightforward that they like me but I don't know I feel like we are supposed to be together. I sat next to her and we held hands. I told her about me and Gwen. She understood every word. She told me she fell in love with many people but it wasn't real love. They chased her for her money. I don't know what got into me but I told her that I would never fall in love with her because of her money," He just keeps saying the words 'I don't know' That's how you know he is in love, "She gave me a hug again. The hugs she gives are like no other and that smile she has just warmed me," This reminds me of someone, "The hug ended because we had to check on you. I never knew you were going to be tied up. I blamed Ci-Xi at the moment. The look on her face told me otherwise. I wanted to faint because of how tied up you were and a little frightened that you weren't breathing but gladly Ci-Xi and Gwen were there" Akio gives out a big yawn and dozed off to sleep.

"Yeah if they weren't there...," I look at the moon up in the sky. I look at the bench next to me which is where Gwen is. She looking at the moon too. I can't believe she thought I was mad at her. I was a little annoyed and ignored her for a while but the whole time I wasn't mad at her.

"Gwen I guess these people just love falling asleep," I laugh.

"Yeah" She laughs. This is my chance for her to tell me what's she was going to tell me. I don't say anything. I am reminded that I had memory loss when I was younger said by my father in Australia. If I had any sort of lost memory, I am glad it has nothing to do with Gwen.

"Before..." I swipe my hand through my hair. "You were going to say something...before"

"It's nothing..." Gwen laughs.

"If you wanted to say it then I and you know it's important"

"Alejandro..." My eyes, waiting for her to finish her sentence. She stops looking at me and looks up to the moon and back to me, "The moon is beautiful," She says suddenly.

"Yeah, it is," She is looking at me like she is trying to say something with her eyes but I can't tell what she is thinking. "Who's Ci-Xi?"

"What?"