Chapter 3

"The Shadow."

I was about to go downstairs with Clayden to meet Zenji by the school gate. At least that was what I had planned... 'They are at it again.' I thought while looking at the crowd in front of me by the hallway, it was some girls that were surrounding Clayden. He looked in my direction and lip-synced "Sorry." with a smile on his face. Somehow though I didn't get angry at Clayden, I walked past the crowd as I sighed and continued to walk towards the lockers to leave some of the unnecessary textbooks that I won't be needing, and would be going straight to the school gate to meet Zenji.

I was about to close my locker when I heard. "Raven!" As I heard my name, I instantly looked in the direction where I heard the same voice that I always hear in class. It was Heather, Heather Alejandro. She's my classmate and also the only friend that I got along with in my class, Heather is popular... Maybe it was because her blonde hair and sage-green eyes would always capture people's attention and make them approach her. In short, she's pretty.

"What's wrong, Heather?" I asked as she was getting closer to me from running. She stopped when she finally arrived right in front of me, Heather put both of her hands on her knees and catches her breath. "You ok?" I asked as she suddenly went ballistic talking about some guy that I can't even understand her. "Speak slower Heather, I won't know anything about what you are talking about if you keep on talking like that." I told her and that made her stop talking but still had that bright smile of hers, I thought that she wouldn't act out of her whim without telling me but I guess, I was wrong.

Heather dragged me with her towards the window and started pointing outside. "Look!" She said with stars on her eyes continuously pointing outside, I glanced through the window and looked towards the same direction where she was pointing. Heather was pointing at Zenji, he was currently talking to a guy that I also saw in his class earlier.

'I guess Zenji does like to hang out with guys that are smart.' I thought as I watched him and his classmate laugh, I never saw Zenji laugh genuinely except when he talks with my brother Roy but sometimes I do wonder why Zenji hanged out with me and Clayden back then.

"Do you know him?" Heather asked me, It made me nod and that certainly made her look more curious. "What's his name?" She asked and that made me quite confused since Zenji is popular despite his attitude, his looks and voice never failed to please girls.

"Zenji?" I mentioned his name in a questionable tone, Her eyes started to narrow while looking at me pathetically and made me more confused.

"I meant the other guy!" She said. 'Oh...' I thought as I somehow felt relieved that it was not Zenji, but still made my sweat drop since I don't know who the other guy was. I didn't know what to say that I started to panic silently through my head, when Heather suddenly told me "You don't know, do you?" As soon as she did, my sweat started to fall from my head constantly making me look away. When I did, I flinched as I felt her glare behind me.

"Yeah..."

• • •

"Hey...Zenji?" I called Zenji. He immediately glanced in my direction as we were walking to Roy's school, 'I didn't want to ask this....' I thought as soon as I saw Zenji looking at me while reminiscing what happened earlier.

"Ask him." Heather told me. I was about to say that I don't want to...but she suddenly glared at me with a smile on her face. "Ask him." She repeated and her tone just made me flinch.

"Ok! Ok! I'll ask him!" I said as I ran away from Heather with tears falling from my cheeks, I swear I know that Heather was really satisfied.

"Who's that guy with you earlier?" I asked and my question seemed to had made him stop walking, He turned around to face me looking a bit shocked

"Are you interested in him!?" He asked and that just made me more embarrassed for asking him that I went flustered, I crossed my arms repeatedly while telling him that I wasn't interested. "Then why did you asked then?" Zenji asked whilst he tilted his head as I looked away and mumbled.

"My friend was interested in him and they asked me to ask you what their name is."

"Ohh- I see. His name is Tristan, We're seatmates so If your friend still has question. They should ask me themselves." Zenji told me as he continued to walk whilst I hummed as an answer. 'Wait...How can he just believe that it was my friend who asked?' I thought as I walked but then noticed Zenji glanced at my direction and said "You're so easy to read. I know when you're lying to me or not Raven, and I also saw you and your friend on the 3rd floor having a conversation." with a smile on his face making me smile in return.

"Big sis!" I heard Roy calling for me, It made me look in his direction whilst he was running towards me and Zenji. "Hasegawa!" He mentioned Zenji's last name as soon as he was standing in front of us, Zenji then pats Roy's head with a smile on his face. 'Roy never called Zenji's first name when he was around, He respects Zenji that much.' I thought as I watched both of them chatting whilst we were walking together and noticed how Roy looks at Zenji.

"Roy!" I called my brother. He immediately glanced in my direction, whilst I approached him and Zenji since I was behind them. "We should really hurry back home before Clayden gets there before us."

• • •

Me and Zenji were at the kitchen cooking dinner whilst Roy was setting up the table, We decided to cook Beef Stew for Zenji. He looked glad to hear that were cooking something that he used to eat back home.

"Are you getting homesick?" I asked Zenji whilst he was washing the dishes and let out a chuckle when he was done cleaning.

"Sometimes, but still I don't have much memories there other than my mom cooking me a meal and us going to see the Sakura trees bloom." Zenji told me as he was wiping his hands with a towel. 'Right, Zenji moved in with his father here in Chicago.' I thought as I used a paper towel to dry the meat, Zenji noticed what I was doing that he grabbed the other chopping board and started to chop the carrots and potatoes.

"You know Zen-" I was about to say something to Zenji but the doorbell started to ring making me forget what I was supposed to say. "Roy, Can you open the door for me and check who it is!" I told Roy as I heard him running to the door.

"It's Clayden, Big sis!" Roy shouted by the door as I heard the door open and closed a little later, After that... Ofcourse Clayden already made a commotion.

"Oh comn' Roy! You're so cold!" Big brother Clayden told me as he ruffles my hair whilst I tried to shove him away from me since he was too close to my face, It just made me pissed but then I heard a chuckle.

"What are you two even doing?" Big Brother Zenji asked with a gentle smile on his face, His Dark Black eyes that you can't barely see whenever he smiles... I looked away and my action made Clayden let me go whilst I walked away.

I heard Zenji telling Clayden that "You tease him too much, Clyde." and that made me take a glance to see what the commotion was about, I saw Roy blushing as he walked towards the dining table and sat down while he was looking down with an arm on his face."Wait- was that teasing already to you?" Clayden cluelessly asked Zenji letting out a "pfft" trying to hold his laughter while Clayden went to Roy. 'What's going on?' I thought letting out a sigh and just went back towards the stove, I grabbed the chopping board to put the carrots and potatoes onto the pot.

"It never gets quiet here if Clyde is here huh?" Zenji said leaning on the wall while his eyes were watching Clayden trying to comfort Roy.

"Are you crying?" Clayden asked while Roy was making Clayden go away. "No, I'm not!" Roy shouted as he was looking away from Clayden. "Then let me see your face!" Clayden said while I noticed Zenji laughing at the two of them. 'He rarely smiles like this...' I thought as I smiled whilst I watched them have fun while waiting for the Beef Stew to cook.

"When is your next project, Clyde?" Zenji asked as we are at the table whilst Clayden was still munching on the food, He swallowed it and licked his lips answering.

"This Friday, I had a photoshoot for H&N" and continued to eat his dinner.

"Ahh~ My Clayden has become famous, I wonder when Raven will." Zenji said whilst he looked in my direction making me choke. Roy suddenly got off the table as I kept on punching my chest, Roy went back with a glass of water on his hand and handed it to me as I immediately drank it.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I glared at Zenji and said "Stop talking nonsense." while looking away. Clayden then said something that I never expected he would say..."You're really pretty, Raven. There's no doubt that you'll become more famous than I am, Why don't you give it a shot?" It made me look at my food as I started remembering what happened back then.

"Don't force her if she doesn't want to." Roy said to both of them with pain in his eyes while looking away. 'I guess, even though Roy was young at that time he still remembers...The pain of losing someone because of fame.' I thought as Zenji suddenly broke the negative energy saying.

"Ok that's enough." While he smiled making both me and Roy stare at him "Sooner or later, I know you liked being in someone's shadow but someday...I know as well that you'll be a star on stage that no one can reach." Clayden said making all of us stare at him in awe while I noticed Roy blushing but wasn't smiling along with Zenji.

Zenji and Roy grinned "You finally said something that makes sense." Zenji and Roy said to Clayden whilst it made him blush and say "Hey! I'm not that dumb stop staring at me like that!" making me laugh at them as they laughed along with me.

I just wished that this could last forever, and that Clyde wouldn't change...like dad did

.

To be Continued...