CAT OUT OF THE BAG

Alexa was going to her office when she saw Curtis doing something shady, he was giving money to some guy who didn't want anyone to see his face and they were doing it in the Janitor's closet.

Right after that, Curtis looked around then caught Alexa's eyes then grinned and vanished, that was odd.

Another time she was on the uneven bars when she almost fell off as she saw Curtis walking out of the camp, no one was allowed to do that during class hours, and why was he walking?

Alexa of course followed him with her phone nearby.

He crossed the street and she followed, in a trenchcoat and hat of course.

She maneuvered through a crowd till she got to him and saw him feeding some stray puppies and her heart melted as he played with them and their mother totally trusted him with them.

She turned to leave when she couldn't move and didn't realize it till Curtis was in front of her as the stasis wore off.

He then asked,"Who are you and why are you following me?"

Alexa said,"I'm your guardian angel that's our job, you haven't been listening to my friend, your conscience a lot recently."

He seemed surprised then called,"Alexa?"

"Alexandra to you."

"What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Good point, please don't tell anyone."

"Why not?"

"Because...ugh, fine, tell everyone, shout it to the world, Curtis is a big..."

She covered his mouth to stop him from shouting his secret then walked with him into the alley where the puppies were.

They started climbing her feet and licking her legs and she tried to touch one of them but the mother growled.

She pulled back her hand when Curtis gently took her hand and brought it close to the dog, he made her start scratching behind its ear and it rolled over to get more.

Alexa looked at him, she thought of him as an unemotional playboy, not as a vulnerable softie.

She looked at him then he at her and he said,"I named her Sabrina, my family would never let me keep a pet so I come here everyday to take care of her."

She smiled then remembered something and her expression changed.

He asked what was wrong then she asked,"Who was that you were exchanging money with the other day?"

His facial expression changed then he said,"I don't want to talk about it."

"Why not?"

"I said drop it!"

She was surprised at his tone and he seemed to realize he had lost control then stood up and turned to leave, he said over his shoulder,"I'm going back to class, mam."

He then vanished, leaving Alexa alone with the puppies.

Alexa was watching Trevor while he trained in his usual clothes.

She sat down as he did immensely difficult martial arts skills and flips but she was bored, just then she heard her name in a whisper.

She looked to her side to see Curtis, halfway through a horizontal portal.

She asked what he wanted coldly then he said,"I'm sorry for how I acted but I want to show you something, please come with me?"

She looked at Trevor then said feeling guilty in her heart,"I can't just leave him like that."

"Don't worry, it would only take a second."

She obliged and took his hand then took one step after the other into his arms.

They went down and the portal closed.

Trevor wiped his sweat then said,"So Alexa, what do you think? Alexa? Alexa?"

She was gone and hadn't even told him, that was odd of her.

Alexa closed her eyes as Curtis gently led her through some faint bushes.

The smell of roses and cinnamon wafted through the air then he said she should open her eyes.

She opened them and her breath was simply swept away.

There were several drops of water held in a Stasis and were shimmering in rainbow colours with the sun's light.

The pond at the bottom was covered in rose petals and lanterns, with bloomed water lilies with small glass jars over them with fireflies trapped in.

There was also a picnic set up on an island in the middle of the large pond.

He said she should take a step and she was scared as there was no bridge, he said she should trust him and she took her first step.

A current of water made from exotic matter's repulsion pushed a water lily which immediately went into a Stasis as Alexa's foot was about to settle on it, supporting her weight.

She smiled then continued walking as he waved his hand above her head then a portal in the shape of a tear in fabric opened above their heads, showing the moon and a spectacularly starlit sky on the other side.

The tear like portal kept opening above their heads till they got to the island then Curtis helped Alexa take a seat.

She realized his breathing had become heavier then looked around and said,"You don't have to hurt yourself for me."

He looked at her and brushed some hair off her face then said,"I'm not hurting anywhere, but in my heart."

She smiled then they looked up at the starlit sky above their heads.

They looked up for a few minutes till Curtis said,"He was a friend of mine."

Alexa looked at him confused till he continued,"The guy I gave money to was a friend of mine, my parents don't approve of him because they don't want me to have any distractions that will prevent me from becoming as powerful as your brother. His mother needs a surgery badly and he didn't have the money, so, I ' exchanged ' (air quotes) money with him."

"I'm sorry, I had no idea."

"That's why I had always been so mean to you, you just reminded me of my mission and all the pressure on my shoulders."

She looked at him, he looked so vulnerable and in so much pain.

She placed her head on his shoulder and removed some hair from his face.

She could hear his steady heartbeat as she relaxed on him and for once, didn't care about how close she was to him, in fact, she wanted to be closer.

Trevor had been searching everywhere for Alexa, he knew that she'd never leave without saying goodbye, the only time she had ever done that was when she was abducted by her brother.

She had also left her phone, he decided to tell me.