Monday morning passed without any further incident. The only thing the girls worried over was the fact that Chris was still nowhere to be seen. Stephanie was thinking about stopping by his place to check on him. But even if she had gotten up the nerve to do so, the thought of running into Alex would have immediately made her change her mind. She was determined to stay away from him.

During lunch the girls speculated on CJ's whereabouts. Shortly after finishing her lunch, Stephanie pulled out her World History book. She had yet to finish her homework and she had history for her next period. Stephanie worked frantically on the last five questions while Rose and Gina talked about the new movies being released on Friday. Steph just managed to finish as the bell rang. Each of the girls headed their own way and each was thinking about Chris and why he hadn't been around.

Stephanie walked into her class, placed her homework in the tray on her teacher's desk and walked to the back of the room to take her usual seat. She put her notebook on her desk and was placing her backpack under her seat when she felt a cold chill down her back. In her haste to look up she accidentally knocked her notebook off the desk.

He was wearing black jeans and sneakers with a navy blue shirt. His hair looked as if he had been running his hands through it all morning; on him it looked very attractive. Steph could tell that everyone was looking at him. While the looks from some of the guys were not very friendly, the girls were obviously pleased with what they saw.

Alex gave her a slight smile. As he walked towards her he nodded toward her notebook, "Can I get that for you Steph?"

Stephanie reached down for her notebook just as Alex did. Their hands came within a fraction of an inch from touching. Alex snatched his hand away as if he had been burned. Steph picked up her notebook and gave Alex a curious look. He just looked away, took a deep breath and walked around to sit in the row next to Stephanie.

At times during the 55 minute class, Steph could feel Alex's gaze on her. Instead of making her uncomfortable, she was intrigued. She found herself thinking about him and where he had come from. Why hadn't CJ ever mentioned a younger brother? Where were their parents? Why was it that Alex's music wrenched such a strong emotional reaction from her?

Stephanie was unaware that in the coming days the more she was around Alex, the thinner her shield against him. As she spent more time in his presence she would find that she felt more comfortable around him and soon all her defenses would be stripped away.

Alex knew sitting this close to her was not a good idea. But it just couldn't be helped. If he were to finally end the nightmare she had to know the truth. The only way for that to happen would be if he gained her trust. She needed to see him as a friend and not shy or cower from him. Like Stephanie, he was not aware that his mere presence would break the thin barrier between them. It was as if destiny had devised a way of eliminating her only defense, her fear of him.

"Stephanie, can I walk you to your next class?"

Stephanie snapped her head up at the realization that she hadn't noticed when the bell rang. Alex was now standing by her desk and looking at her knowingly. "Sorry did I interrupt your thoughts, Steph?"

"Um no. I was just, never mind. Sure but don't you have to get to class too?" she asked as she pulled her backpack out and put away her History book. She was wondering why he would want to walk her to class.

"I have a free period next so it's okay", he reached out to carry her backpack.

Stephanie smiled to herself at the thought that he might be a lot like his brother after all. Most guys didn't carry your stuff unless you were in a relationship with them, and even then, some didn't. As they walked out into the hallway she realized that he'd said he had a free period. "How can you have a free period if you're a sophomore? I thought only juniors and seniors get a free period."

Alex flashed her a quick smile, "Who said I'm a sophomore?"

"Well since CJ is a senior and he's your older brother and you are obviously in my World History class I figured..."she explained.

"Oh that. At my last high school I took Economics and Government last year instead of History due to a computer error. Once we found out, it was too late in the semester to change so now I have to take History, with you", he said as he unsuccessfully attempted to look away in order to hide a smile from her.

"Of course, that makes perfect sense. How could I not have known that?" she asked sarcastically. "Which reminds me, where is Chris? I didn't see him at lunch today."

Alex's good mood plummeted with the question. "He's not feeling well so he decided to stay home today. But he lent me his car, if you need a ride home", he ended as they reached the door to her class. Although Alex didn't seem to notice the speculative glances other students were casting in their direction, Stephanie was not oblivious to the attention.

"Thanks, that's really nice of you but I usually just walk since it's not far. Well this is my Spanish class so I'll be taking back my stuff, if you don't mind", she said as she reached up to retrieve her backpack. She noticed that he gingerly handed it to her. It was as if he took extra care to avoid touching her. Dismissing the thought she began walking into her class.

Alex watched her as she walked away. Abruptly she stopped and turned towards him. "If you want to you can sit with us during lunch. You know till Chris comes back and you get to know other people. But only if you want to."

Alex's eyes lit up and the corner of his mouth tilted slightly as he replied, "I just might do that."

He slowly walked down the hall to the school's library. He doubted he'd find any useful information but since he had about an hour to kill, he figured it shouldn't go to waste. Chris and he had been painstakingly gathering as much information as they could over the years. Unfortunately most trails had led to a dead end. The few promising tidbits of information Chris had uncovered almost a year ago had resulted in them having to relocate. If only they had been a bit savvier they may have been able to retrieve the information undetected and could have been closer to finding the key to their problem.

But things had gone dreadfully wrong and reminiscing was not going to change that fact. Alex looked through the library's database and confirmed his original suspicion. There was nothing there that could be considered factual. He decided to give up on waiting around for Stephanie and headed out the door. On his way to the parking lot he encountered a teacher who asked to see his pass. After a perfunctory inspection, he returned the pass to Alex and walked away.

Wednesday passed without any further incidents. Alex sat with Stephanie, Gina, and Rose during lunch and they managed to share a few minutes of easy conversation. He and Steph then walked to fifth period together.

After History class, Alex walked Stephanie to her Spanish class and offered her a ride home. Once again she politely refused. But this did not discourage Alex.

The next few days passed in pretty much the same manner. Alex sat with the girls during lunch and CJ was still out with the flu. Alex and Steph walked to History class together. After class Alex carried Steph's backpack as he walked her to Spanish class.

It became obvious to Alex that as each day passed, Steph started to relax around him. There was also no mistaking the physical attraction between them. During History class they would often find themselves casting furtive glances at each other. A few times they'd looked at each other at the same instant and wound up locking eyes until Spehanie blushed and looked away.

After spending some time in Alex's company, Stephanie began to see him in a different light. He was not as talkative as his brother but he was friendly in his own way. He made her smile and he had a good sense of humor. She found herself wondering why she had been scared of him. He seemed like any other guy, except that he was a lot more attractive than most. Maybe staying clear of him was an overreaction due to their first meeting.

Interestingly enough, CJ's absence helped Steph reach a conclusion about her feelings. She had liked CJ since she had first met him at the beginning of the school year. She had always fantasized about sharing a kiss with him and even becoming his girlfriend. But she'd been spending the last couple of nights thinking about Alex and CJ. She knew that she had initially decided to stay away from Alex. However, she couldn't deny her attraction to him. She had never felt that way about CJ. She saw Chris as the perfect boyfriend, good looking, smart, athletic, and really nice. But there was no physical attraction and she wanted to clear things up with CJ right away. She knew she had led him on, but she really had thought she wanted to be more than friends. Steph was not looking forward to the encounter, but she knew it had to be done. It was the right thing to do, especially since she had started thinking that catching a movie or having dinner with Alex might not be such a bad idea. But to even seriously contemplate the thought, she needed to speak with CJ first and make sure she hadn't ruined their chance at a friendship.

That Friday afternoon as Alex was walking Stephanie to her Spanish class he said, "Steph if you're not busy after school today maybe you'd like to go get something to eat."

Secretly Stephanie had been waiting for Alex to ask her out. But there was still a nagging little voice inside her head that told her to proceed slowly and with caution. "I'm not sure", she began.

"Steph, I'm just talking about maybe getting a sandwich at a deli. Chris isn't home today and I hate eating by myself. But if you can't... that's fine."

She didn't want to say no and when he put it that way, what could be the harm?

They had arrived to her class. She stepped into her class as he stood in the doorway looking at each other. He was smiling charmingly at her as if willing her to accept his offer. She nervously bit her lip and decided to take the plunge.

"Okay, let's meet at Tony's Deli at four", she said.

Alex leaned against the door jamb as he started handing Steph her backpack. "I can wait for you after school and we can walk together."

As she took her backpack she firmly said, "I will meet you there at four. Thanks." She walked into her class without a backward glance.

Steph had a hard time concentrating on her Spanish teacher's lecture. She found herself doodling in her notebook and wondering if she should change her clothes before meeting Alex. By the time the bell rang she had mentally gone through her wardrobe trying to find the perfect outfit. But during the short walk home she changed her mind and decided to meet him wearing the same outfit she'd worn to school. After all it wasn't like it was a date.

Steph ran up the stairs and was glad not to have bumped into Alex. She had walked home at a brisk pace and wanted to get home to wash her face and brush her hair. Just because she wasn't going to change didn't mean she didn't want to look good.

Alex used his time to clean up the place a little. He hoped that after their early dinner he could have Stephanie come over for a bit. If she actually agreed, he didn't want her to think he and Chris were slobs.

After a quick last inspection into every room, he took a change of clothes and jumped into the shower. A few minutes later he was hastily brushing his hair. He didn't want to keep Steph waiting so he left for the Deli fifteen minutes before their meeting time.

Just as he had planned, he got there before Stephanie. So he took a seat outside under one of the umbrella covered tables. The day was warm but no longer hot. There were a few people at the Deli and the noise was minimal.

He ordered a Diet Coke from the middle-aged waiter. As he sipped his drink, he considered how to play his date with Steph. Should he take it light and casual? He wanted to make sure she understood that he was interested in being more than friends. But he was worried about pushing too hard and possibly ruining his chances with her.

He had just reached for his drink when he saw her approaching. He loved to see her out in the sunlight. The gentle breeze seemed to caress her hair. A couple of young boys passed her on the street. Alex noticed how their heads turned and they elbowed each other the minute she had passed them. Thinking that he couldn't fault their taste Alex smiled to himself.

Alex stood as Steph approached the table. Steph smiled and took a seat. She wasn't used to guys doing little things like stand up when she walked into a room. Although many of her peers considered those actions old fashioned, Steph found that when Alex did them, they seemed charming.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long", said Steph.

"Not at all, I just ordered a drink. Besides, it's always worth the wait when one gets to enjoy the company of a beautiful girl", he said as a small smile escaped his otherwise serious expression.

Steph could feel the blush coming on. It started as warmth on her checks which quickly traveled to the rest of her face and neck. She tried to keep eye contact with him but wound up having to look away.

Alex and Steph talked about school and common acquaintances. When their food was brought over Steph concentrated on picking at her salad. Alex, on the other hand, didn't touch his sandwich. Steph looked up and caught him intently staring at her.

Being the object of Alex's scrutiny made her nervous. But she couldn't deny that part of her nerves were due to her attraction to him. He was so handsome and his quiet nature and air of mystery only served to enhance that attraction.

Feeling she needed to say something to break the silence, Steph asked the first thing that came to her mind, "Why do you and Chris live alone? Where are your parents?" Seeing the sad look that came to his face, she immediately regretted the question. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry, I was just wondering..."

"Don't Steph." He reached toward her hand but stopped mid way and pulled back. "Don't ever feel you can't talk to me." He took his Diet Coke and took a long sip. As he did so, he wondered what exactly he could tell Steph regarding his parents. The truth was not an option. But he didn't feel comfortable lying to her either. So he decided on the partial truth.

As he put down his drink, he lifter his eyes towards her and quietly said, "Our parents are gone, Steph."

For a brief second Stephanie looked at him as if she didn't understand. The sadness in his voice melted the last bit of reservation she had about Alex and she instinctively reached out to cover his hand with her own.

He saw her reach over and tried to move. But it was too late. The warmth of her hand spread from his fingers through his body at an alarming speed. It was as if he could feel it coursing through his veins. He was loath to move but knew he had to before she got hurt. Pretending a newfound interest in his food he casually moved his hand from under hers and picked up his sandwich. The brief contact had warmed him and left him with a feeling of euphoria. He would just have to find a way to make the feeling last. He couldn't risk Steph like that again. Without taking a bite, Alex put his sandwich down when he realized his hands were shaking. He glanced at her wondering if she had noticed.

Shock, it was the only way to describe her reaction. As Steph had reached over, she thought Alex was going to pull his hand away as if trying to avoid the small comfort she was offering. She was glad that he hadn't done so. But she could have sworn that she was able to picture him, or a younger version of him, all alone, crying and deeply frightened. Just as quickly as the image had materialized it was gone. She found herself staring at Alex while he looked upon her with anxious eyes.

"I didn't mean to make you sad Steph. Chris and I have done well on our own and it helps to have good friends."

They smiled at each other and made small talk while they ate. After paying for their meal, Alex carefully pulled out Steph's chair. As she stood she felt him close behind her and briefly thought about leaning back against him. As soon as she had the thought she felt him step away from her. She turned and saw one side of his mouth slightly tilted. It made him look so kissable! Steph brushed the thought aside as they started to walk home in companionable silence.

It was such a beautiful day that neither of them looked forward to going inside. "Alex, would you mind terribly if we walked a few blocks before going home? The weather is just too nice to not be enjoyed."

"I was thinking the same thing." So they decided to take a stroll around the neighborhood.

They were in the midst of a debate over which ice cream flavor was the best, Cookies n Cream or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, when Alex spotted the flower shop.

"I need a minute", he said as he rushed inside. Steph stood outside waiting for him wondering if he would come back with a bouquet for her. He stepped out a couple of minutes later with a small potted violet.

"It's not romantic like roses, but this flower will bloom and last longer with the right nurturing. Just like our friendship will."

As she reached for it and thanked him she knew that although his words spoke of friendship, the look in his eyes was a definite indication that beings friends was not the ultimate goal.

When they returned to their apartment floor they each went their separate ways. Alex had invited her in to listen to some music but Steph still felt uncomfortable being with him alone at his place. So she decided to end their non-date there.

During the weekend Steph usually spent most of her time working on school assignments. On Saturday afternoon she ran into Alex as she was walking down to get the mail. He opened his door just as she was about to reach it.

"Oh, hey Steph where are you off to?" he asked with a smile.

She took in his appearance; he was wearing blue and white basketball short with a dark grey tank and black tennis shoes. He looked athletic but laid back and really sexy she thought as she smiled. "I'm just going to the mailbox."

"Mind if I walk with you?"

"Not at all, come on", she replied as she headed for the stairs. He walked one step behind her, making sure to keep a safe distance from her.

They talked about their plans for the rest of the weekend. Steph had a lunch date with her friends the following afternoon. Alex was going for a jog at the park and was just going to hang around on Sunday.

They stopped at the mail boxes in the lobby. While Steph reached in to retrieve the mail, Alex had to fight the urge to stroke her hair. As Steph closed the mailbox Alex said, "Why don't we go out tonight?"

She turned around and saw that he looked tense, as if he was steeling himself for a refusal. She wanted to say yes so badly it scared her. "I can't", she replied disappointing Alex as much as herself.

He was looking intently at her eyes, then his gaze dropped down to her mouth and lingered there as he said,"Can't or won't?"

He was making her nervous. He looked at her mouth as if he were about to kiss her. Almost as if he already knew what it would be like to feel her lips against his. Stephanie looked away to stop that line of thinking. "Alex, I think we need to take things slow."

"Stephie", he whispered softly. "Trust me when I tell you that I am not the kind of guy to rush into things, especially not relationships. But I'm also not a patient guy when it comes to what I know is right. If you don't decide soon, I will take the choice out of your hands. Either way, the end will be the same, we both know it", he said. He raised an eyebrow at her as if daring her to deny it.

When she failed to respond, he turned around and walked to the door. As he opened it, he turned around and winked at her. Then he was gone out into the street.

Stephanie stood there holding on to her mail. Had she actually just stood there while he had threatened to force her into going out with him? She couldn't believe it. The worst part was that she found it exciting. Maybe it was just the whole bad boy thing he had going. But deep down she feared it was much more than that.

She kept her lunch date with Gina and Rose on Sunday afternoon. They met at a Shakey's near Gina's house.

"So have you seen CJ?" asked Gina as she dipped a mojo potato in ketchup.

"No, Alex said he's starting to feel better so he might go to school next week", said Steph.

Gina daintily bit into her potato. "Oh, so have you decided how you're going to treat the Alex CJ situation?" Rose, who had been at the salad bar sat down just as Gina asked the question. She looked at Stephanie.

Steph had told her friends how her feelings for Alex had progressed while she'd realized she thought of CJ as a friend.

"I'm just going to be honest with CJ, follow my feelings, like I always have", Steph replied. She tried to shrug off the matter in front of her friends. But in reality she was nervous. She was hoping CJ would understand. She didn't think his feelings for her ran deep. After all they had never dated. But the possibility of hurting his feelings still caused her restless moments at night.

Monday promised to bring with it a respite from the heat. Rose decided to wear a pair of charcoal grey shorts with her lavender t-shirt. Since the weather forecast had predicted the high to be below 80 degrees, she figured her skin would be relatively safe from the rays of the sun. After applying her sunscreen, she tossed it into her backpack just in case. She was dreading lunch which was when they usually saw Chris. But she knew there was nothing she could, or should, do about it.

Just as Rose was arriving to school she got a text message from Gina. She was not feeling well so she was going to miss school. Gina's main concern was missing the encounter between CJ, Steph, and Alex. Rose sent Gina a message letting her know that she would send her updates as they developed and to get some rest.

When she arrived to her English class she saw that Stephanie was already there. "Did you get a message from Gina?" she asked Stephanie as she stopped at her desk.

"Yeah, too bad she's not feeling well. But at least she doesn't have to sit through this class. Lucky her", smiled Steph.

Throughout the rest of the morning Rose and Steph received intermittent texts from Gina. Since the school policy was that no phones were to be used during class, Rose and Steph had to be extra careful when reading and replying to Gina. During one instance, Steph almost got caught reading a message by Ms. Stein, their Algebra II teacher.

Steph and Rose hurried out of class as soon as the bell rang. They made their way straight to the covered lunch area, ignoring anyone who tried to stop them to talk. By the time they got there, most of the benches were filled. They were able to find a couple of spots in the middle of the table right next to the football players.

Usually they would not have sat in that location as most of the girls sitting there were cheerleaders. Although Steph had no problems with or prejudices against the cheering squad, they made Rose uncomfortable. She always felt so dull and boring around them. They were always happy, talkative, and energetic while Rose was more reserved and spoke about things like RAM instead of the latest MAC eye shadow colors. However, it was either sit there or out in the sun and Rose was not having any of that.

"Hey Steph, did you notice who's still missing?" she asked as she scanned the tables.

"Yeah I don't see him anywhere. Maybe he's not feeling well yet. You know there might be something going around, like what he and Gina have", Steph replied as she also took another look around.

The girls quickly finished their lunch. Alex didn't show up to sit with them. Rose noticed that Steph kept glancing around but decided not to comment. It was obvious that Stephanie was looking for Alex. But Rose decided that she was not going to be the one to bring it up.

Stephanie took out her notebook while Rose pulled out her laptop. Rose was working on some ideas for increasing her site's bandwidth without having to incur any additional expenses. Steph was finishing up her Spanish homework.

Alex showed up just before the end of lunch. As had become the custom during the previous week, he walked with Steph to fifth period. After class he carried her backpack and walked her down the hall to her last class. Neither of them brought up their conversation from Saturday. But both were aware that the other was thinking about it.

Stephanie walked out of her Spanish class and looked around. Although she wouldn't admit it even to herself, she had hoped that Alex would be waiting for her. She tucked her hair behind her ear and felt her phone vibrate in the pocket of her jeans. As she walked towards the school's entrance, she fished her phone out. Unsurprisingly it was Gina wanting to know every detail of the day. Steph let Gina know that she had not seen CJ as he had stayed home sick, according to Alex. Instead of putting her phone away, she walked home with it in her hand. She knew that Gina would be texting her back soon.

Less than five minutes later she felt the short vibration in her hand which signaled that her phone had received an incoming message. Just as she had predicted, Gina wanted more information: when had she spoken to Alex, what he'd said, and most important, had he asked her out again or tried anything yet? Stephanie began to type a lengthy response as she crossed the last street light on her way home. She was in the middle of recounting her conversation with Alex in History class when a deep voice called out "Stop!"

Startled, she almost dropped her phone, but recovered just in time to juggle it back under control. She looked up to find Alex standing right outside the door to their complex. She had been so absorbed with the text she was writing that she had failed to notice him standing right in front of her. Had it not been for the warning he'd called out, she would have run right into him. Steph was about to greet him when she noticed his expression. The friendly smile froze on her lips before it had fully formed.

Alex was standing there looking at her with a terrified look on his face. In his hands he held a set of keys which he gripped so tightly that she was sure they would leave an imprint for quite some time. His face had gone pale and she noticed the sheen of perspiration above his upper lip. She looked around frantically for the source of his fear but was unable to find anything that might have invoked that reaction from him. The day held pleasant warmth. There were a few people walking along the other side of the street but none seemed to notice them or pay them any attention. As far as she could tell none of the drivers or passengers in the cars going down the street looked in their direction. She couldn't detect any trace of danger. She looked back at Alex and realized he wasn't looking at the pedestrians or the drivers. He had yet to look away from her.

Alex couldn't believe how careless he'd been. He'd stepped out onto the street and seen her walking towards him. Sun kissed her hair and brought out colors of auburn and burnished gold as she bent her head over the phone. He'd gotten caught up in the moment. It was the reason he hadn't been able to move or do anything except shout out a warning an instant before she collided with him. Looking at her now as realization was dawning on her face, it took every fiber of his being to control his feelings. He wanted desperately to reach out and touch her, just once, briefly. Swearing under his breath he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"It's me isn't it? That's why you shouted, why you're looking at me like that. Like I'm some kind of monster", she stammered the words at him. He looked away; it was his only defense against the hurt and apprehension he saw in her eyes.

Taking another deep breath to control his feelings and collect his thoughts he said, "I don't know what you mean Stephanie. I'm actually glad to see you. I was waiting for you to come home." Well at least that part was true. Seeing her did make him happy even though the happiness brought with it an extreme longing.

Stephanie was not convinced, not after the way he had reacted. She had just started regarding him as a friend and was thinking that a relationship with him might be a good idea, and now this. The worst thing was the lying; she knew he wasn't being honest with her. Giving him a look of disbelief she started for the door, "Excuse me. I need to get in the building."

Alex stepped aside and waited while she unlocked the door. Before it could close on him, he reached for it and slipped inside. She could sense him right behind her as she started climbing the stairs. Halfway up the stairs she whirled on him, "Why are you following me? Why do you look at me as if I'm some horrid creature yet continue to be in my space? Can't you just leave me alone? Or is this part of the 'I'll have my way with you' crap you were dishing the other day? Cuz if it is, just drop it cuz it sure as hell isn't working!"

He knew it was best to just turn around and go for a walk. It might help him get his feelings back under complete control. As it was he was barely able to suppress them. But he couldn't let her believe that his reaction had anything to do with her. She was the best thing that had happened to him. He needed to backtrack and make amends for his mistake. He would just have to be more careful around her.

"I am really sorry Steph. I was daydreaming and was shocked to be snapped out of it to find you walking towards me. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I'd never do that", he said quietly.

Whenever he spoke to her he looked at her as if she were the only thing that mattered in the whole world. She felt caught in his gaze, as if there were a physical connection between them. Although she tried to look away or respond, she found herself unable to do so.

She felt it too, they gravitated towards each other, as if they'd always been together, he was sure of it. He noticed that she swallowed nervously and parted her lips in an attempt to speak. His gaze zeroed in on her lips and she gave an involuntary sigh. Unconsciously she leaned towards him and her arm brushed his shirt. They both froze.

Alex didn't know what to do. He knew what he wanted to do, but reaching out and holding her was not an option. He tried to remain calm and take comfort from the fact that she had brushed against his shirt and not his arm. Though the barrier between them was just a cotton tee, it was a barrier nonetheless, he hoped it was enough. He brought his gaze from her lips back to her eyes and noticed that her pupils were dilated. She was going into shock. He had to do something. So he did the only thing he could do, he slowly inched back from her and softly asked, "Are you all right Steph?"

The instant the contact with him was interrupted, she let out the breath she had been unaware of holding. She knew what she had felt the instant she had had touched his shirt. A sense of complete vulnerability had overcome her. As if she was alone in the world with no one to turn to for help. She felt like an outcast, alone, and frightened. There was only a slight glimmer of hope in the far distance, and it had pulled at her. But the thing that worried her most was a sense of light engulfing her. It reminded her of the way she had felt hearing him sing the morning they had met. But it was impossible, she must have imagined it.

"I'm scared Alex. What just happened? You must have felt that", she said in shock and despair.

Alex desperately wanted to hold her, to comfort her. He was on the verge of laying his hand on her shoulder when he realized what he had almost done. The connection had been broken and even the brief contact had left her shaken. There was no sense in re-establishing the line, it would devastate her.

He assumed a calm expression, "I'm not sure what you mean Steph. I scared you earlier; you must not have gotten over it. Come on, let's walk up." He looked up the stairwell as if willing her to forget the incident and keep climbing.

"No. I don't think I can walk. I need to sit down. I felt so alone I wanted to die. Anything, even nothing, was better than what I felt. It was as if a void had swallowed me. Anguish like that can't exist, it can't be real", she gave him a meaningful look full of pity, "No one could bare that, no one", she whispered as she realized she had said too much. She had no idea what had just happened and for some unexplainable reason she felt really self-conscious speaking about it. It was almost as if by acknowledging it, it made it more real.

"Okay, here let me hold your backpack. Just sit down and take a deep breath. I'll go get you some water", he skirted around her and practically ran up the stairs. He unlocked his door, tossed her backpack on the couch, and opted for two Diet Cokes instead of a glass of water. He opened one of them and took two long swallows to help steady him before returning to her. He ran out of the kitchen and almost missed her sitting on the floor just inside the condo.

Tear-filled eyes turned towards him. She took a shuddering breath and said, "Alex I don't know you. I've known CJ for a few months. But I don't know anything about you, not anything substantial. I didn't even know CJ had a brother. I'm not going to pretend that I don't find you attractive. But..."

Hearing this he felt a great sense of relief. He smiled down at her, "That's the last thing I expected to hear from you Steph. I also..."

She held up a hand to cut off any further words. "Wait, I'm not done. Please just listen. I am attracted to you. But it's not just your looks, there's something else. But I can't put my finger on it and that really bothers me. I've noticed you try very hard to make sure you don't touch me and what happened just now... I... I can't explain it. But it's bad, so I need you to please just stay away", she barely managed to sob out the last words before tears started a slow descent down her cheeks.

"Please don't Steph. I'll stay away from you if that's what you want. Just please don't cry, it kills me to see you weep. You have no idea, please", he ended in a whisper.

At that she looked up and saw something familiar in his eyes. She could have sworn that the look on his face matched the feeling she had experienced on the stairwell. He saw pity in her eyes and it was his downfall. He desperately needed her to trust him. Instead he saw only a mixture of fear and confusion in her eyes. He might never be able to make her understand, he'd ruined his chance. He shrugged in a hopeless gesture of defeat and turned away from her.

Without thinking, Steph slowly rose to her feet. She closed the distance between them and put her arms around him. Later that night she would wonder what had possessed her to do that. But at that moment all she felt was pain. It was such intense emotional pain that it manifested itself physically. She felt as if a searing hot knife had been plunged into her heart. She couldn't breathe nor speak nor move. All she could do was helplessly hold on to him and pray for an end.

His feelings were in such turmoil that he never even sensed her approach. He'd have avoided the contact if he had. He felt her arms go around him and instantly felt the connection which transmitted his feelings to her. He was as powerless as she was. He concentrated as hard as he could and employed all the relaxation techniques he and CJ had practiced over the years. Gradually he was able to bring his emotions under control.

Stephanie felt a shift in her feelings. The pain was still there but it was receding to a dull throb. She was able to think clearly. With all her strength she concentrated on removing her arms from around Alex. Slowly she started to pull away from him.

Alex felt her shifting away from him, emotionally and physically. He tried not to feel regret. He didn't need to share that feeling with her also. As soon as she had stepped away, he turned around and reached out and took a firm hold of her hand. "Stop touching me. You're hurting me Alex!"

"Wait Steph, I need you to know. Please just give me a moment. You need to see, to feel what I..." He thought of how he felt when he saw her, how happy it made him. He used the memory of their first encounter.

Alex was able to channel his emotions and forget all the pain he had felt in his short 17 years. He forgot that he had to constantly hide who or what he was. He wasn't able to control his emotions the way CJ could. So he found that it was easier to avoid people, becoming involved, even having friends. But for that one instant, he left all that behind so he could share one moment of happiness with Steph.

Chris and Alex were not completely sure how the connection worked. They knew that they were able to transmit any strong emotions via bodily contact. In addition, they could sense others feelings, with some people it was stronger. Chris had managed to teach himself enough self control to be able to interact normally with others. He'd even managed to date as long as he was careful to not get too attached. Alex on the other hand, tended to be moodier and more sensitive. He'd never been able to employ the type of self-discipline that his older brother had. Then again Chris didn't suffer from the nightmares that plagued Alex. Although there was no evidence, Alex knew his dreams were glimpses of things to come in the future. Chris tried to convince Alex that there was nothing to worry about. But they both knew that neither of them believed it.

Alex realized Stephanie was looking at him in bewilderment. He wasn't sure if he was hurting her or not so he let go of her hand. They stood there for what seemed a lifetime, neither daring to speak. The quiet was broken by Steph, "What are you?"

He should have seen it coming. Truthfully speaking, he had seen it coming but that didn't make it hurt any less. What was he supposed to say to that? That he was just like her except that sometimes he dreamt about the future and he was able to share his feelings via touch? That he was just as human as she was? That he didn't know why he was different? But that it was okay because Chris was just like him? Well except for the dreams? No, he wanted to tell her the truth. He needed to tell her. But the truth was unbelievable; even he couldn't fathom it at times. The truth was that although he considered himself human, desperately wanted to be human, he wasn't. No matter how much Chris and he had gone over it, Alex had never accepted the theories Chris argued. He knew, and he suspected that Chris also knew what they really were. It was just better left unsaid.

"I'm just... it's okay Steph. Look at me. I'm just Alex, Chris' brother", he said as he sent her an imploring look. She knew what the look meant, please let it go, please don't ask me, just pretend.

"I need to go. I have lots of... I need to go", she sobbed as she ran out the door. She opened the door to her place without looking back.

"Stephie is that you honey?" called out Mary from the kitchen. "I made your favorite, meatloaf for dinner. It should be ready in a few minutes." Mary walked into the living room drying her hands on a kitchen towel. "Oh, Stephie, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Stephanie's smile didn't quite reach her eyes, "I'm okay mom, I'm just confused. I think I'll just go lay down for a little bit."

"Are you sure? Did something happen? Do you want to talk about it?" asked Mary worriedly.

"No mom, it's just guys stuff. Don't worry, I'm fine. Just let me know when dinner's ready", replied Steph.

Steph walked into her bedroom and closed the door softly. She dropped her phone on the dresser and walked over to the bed. She sat on the bed and pulled off her sneakers. She lay down and stared at the ceiling. There had to be an explanation for what had occurred with Alex, a logical explanation. Steph closed her eyes and tried to recall everything that had happened and was said. No matter how much she tried, she could find no answer that made sense. She decided the best thing to do was talk to Rose and Gina about it and see what they thought.

Mary heard a soft knock on the door. She wiped her hands on her apron and went to see who it was. Alex stood in the doorway, holding Stephanie's backpack. "Good evening, I'm Alex, your new neighbor, ma'am. I go to school with Steph and my brother, CJ. I'm returning Stephanie's backpack, ah, she... I", he fidgeted and tried to come up with a logical explanation as to why he had Steph's stuff.

Fortunately, Mary let him off the hook. "Oh, that's sweet of you to bring it over. She's always putting her stuff down to open the door and then just forgets it", she smiled at him as she reached to take her daughter's belongings. "Thank you, Alex, good night."

With a sense of relief, Alex walked back home. Mary left the backpack on the living room couch. She was sure Stephanie would see it there when she came out of her room for dinner. Mary figured that if she wanted to offer her an explanation or talk about it she would. Alex, mused Mary as she went back to the kitchen, wondering if he was part of Stephanie's 'guy stuff'.

After deciding to deal with the problem later, Steph was able to enjoy a nice quiet dinner with her mother. They talked about school and work and Mary became convinced that Steph was just trying to sort out her feelings for CJ, whom she had mentioned several times over the last couple of weeks. She had a strong suspicion that the handsome brother was also part of what was troubling her teenage daughter.

Steph helped her mom clear the table. She stared at her backpack sitting there on the couch for a few seconds before hefting it over her shoulder and heading back to her room to start on her homework.

Steph sat at her desk and opened her Spanish book. After staring at the same sentence for five minutes, she gave up on homework. It was time to loop her friends in on the Alex situation. She started up her computer and opened the browser. She logged into Rose's site and heaved a sigh of relief to see that Rose was on. She asked Rose about Gina. Apparently Gina was still not feeling well and had been ordered to stay in bed for the next five days. She had come down with the H1N1 flu and was highly contagious.

Stephanie related the entire encounter with Alex to Rose, starting with the scene on the street and ending with his living room. Rose was shocked. She couldn't think of an explanation either. In the beginning she insisted that Steph must have imagined her feelings or misunderstood some of the things Alex had said. However, after Steph reassured her that she was neither exaggerating nor imagining anything, Rose believed her. One of the things that Steph and Rose had in common was that they were both very level-headed girls who dealt in facts and logic. They tended to kid around that that's why they had Gina, she balanced them.

Rose promised to think about everything and do some research to see if she came up with anything. Maybe there was some new disorder or disease that caused a malfunction in the nerves. It was possible that impressions and feelings could be transmitted via the pores for all they knew. Steph was not counting on it but it was worth a try and she knew if there was something out there in the world of cyberspace, Rose would find it.

Stephanie logged off and shut down her computer. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she was so tired that she just walked back to her room, sat at her desk chair, pulled off her socks and jeans and jumped into bed. It was too warm to sleep under the covers so she just lay on top of her bedspread. She was exhausted but her mind was racing. She just hated unsolved puzzles, especially those that involved her and her feelings. After tossing and turning for almost 2 hours she fell into a dreamless sleep.

Alex lay awake on his bed late into the night. He thought about picking up his guitar but somehow sensed that it wasn't a good idea. So he lay there thinking of Stephanie and wondering what she was doing. He could almost see her laying in bed thinking about him. If he concentrated hard enough he could still smell her shampoo. He relaxed, closed his eyes and pictured her snuggled into her pillow fast asleep.

Steph turned over in her sleep and wrapped her arm around a bare chest. She jumped out of bed as a result of the contact. She could make out the outline of a body lying in her bed. She reached for the bedside lamp but it her bed was empty by the time she turned the light on. Had she imagined it? Was she dreaming? She was shaking. In that split second that her hand had felt flesh she had felt warmth and happiness and a sense that she was right where she belonged.

Stephanie walked around the room a couple of times trying to steady herself. It must have been a dream, a very vivid dream. She knew the last thing on her mind before falling asleep was Alex. Therefore it only stood to reason that she had somehow incorporated him into her dreams. Finally satisfied with that explanation, she went back to bed.

Stephanie spent the rest of the night in the midst of strange dreams in which a stranger with deep sea-green eyes hypnotized her and took her away to a desolate land. Steph had no idea that next door Alex would spend hours trying to identify exactly what he had been doing and thinking right before he wound up in Stephanie's bed. He knew that Chris would want every detail.

"Oh my god, what have I done? What the hell just happened?" Alex asked no one in particular. He sat up in bed knowing that he had just been in Stephanie's room. It was impossible. No matter what other weird things happened to him, this was not one of them. He did not wish himself into someone's bed! He ran his hands through his hair. He realized he had broken into a cold sweat and he was shivering. This was a new symptom, something neither he nor CJ had yet experienced. It was at that precise moment that it dawned on him. The charade was over; he could no longer pretend to be human, no matter how much he wanted to. He was going to have to tell Chris about this. If he was able to move from one location to another in this manner, there was no telling what else he could do, what else he might do. He couldn't risk Stephanie.

Alex wondered for the thousandth time what was keeping Chris so long. It seemed like ages ago when Chris had commented over dinner, "I think there's someone out there trying to communicate with us."

Alex's heart had practically stopped, "What, why hadn't you said anything? How did you find out? How can we make contact? Is it one of our parents?" he'd asked hopefully.

"Wait Alex, I don't think making contact is a good idea. It doesn't feel friendly. I've sensed him Alex, haven't you? Like he's trying to probe my mind; I think it's trying to make a connection with us. Until we know more, I want you to be more cautious than ever. We don't know what he wants or what he's capable of. That's why it's so important that you learn to control your feelings. I thought I felt something a few months ago. Sort of like a very soft voice coming from far away. But, well I'm going to take a few days off from school and go on a little trip. I might be able to dig something up."

Alex had tried to convince Chris to let him come along. But in the end, Chris' arguments against it had made sense. So he had stayed behind while his brother took all the risks, again. That was probably part of the reason he'd been careless with Stephanie. He hadn't heard from Chris all day and it wasn't like Chris not to keep in touch. Alex was starting to worry.

The next day Alex decided to stay home instead of going to school. He wasn't ready to see Stephanie after what had happened the previous day. He felt that they both needed time to sort through everything. Though truth be told, he would miss seeing her.

The main reason Alex was staying home was Chris. He couldn't just go through the day as if everything were fine, not when Chris was out there by himself. Alex felt so helpless that he had decided to attempt something which he and CJ had always considered too dangerous. Alex was going to search for Chris.

He knew that the search would be difficult and could end up leaving him exposed to the stranger who was out there. Also, if he pushed too hard, he could sustain physical and mental injuries. Nevertheless, he needed to do something. If Chris hadn't called it meant something had gone wrong.

Alex sat on his bed with his eyes closed. He brought to his mind Chris' image. He had so many memories of Chris but he focused just on CJ's face. He was able to picture him clearly; Chris with his ever present smile and his perfectly cut hair. "Where are you Chris?" he murmured as she searched with his mind.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but he finally heard Chris say, "Not safe... home soon... stop... dangerous". The voice was faint but full of warning. Instantly, Alex jumped out of bed and shook his head to clear his mind. He had dropped the tenuous connection he'd established with Chris. He was relieved to know Chris would be home soon. But the fact that he'd said the word 'dangerous' troubled him. Alex hoped Chris was just referring to their mode of communication and nothing else.

Alex felt his head begin to throb. He looked at his watch and realized that it had been almost an hour since he had first sat down to search for Chris. The pain at the base of his neck was quickly spreading. He knew he would have a migraine within a few minutes. He'd only communicated with Chris telepathically on a few occasions and each had resulted in a migraine. Given the amount of time he had been 'under', a migraine was the best he could have hoped for. Alex lay down and closed his eyes. It was going to be a long afternoon.