Elena Sergio.

I blinked severally. "KJ?"

"Yeah, it's me, KJ," he replied. "The real one, if that makes any sense."

"Oh!" The skin on my face crawled with heat. "I'm sorry. About all I just said. I had no idea it was you."

"I mean I did feel hurt at first," he chuckled. "Until I realized what you were saying."

"I'm sorry," I said again. "I would never say those things to you if I knew it was actually . . . you."

"You are forgiven," he said, his foreign accent seeming to get thicker. "What happened though? Why the sudden outburst?"

I sighed, walking back to my bed already. "It was nothing."

"Elena," he called my name.

"Yeah?"

"You know you can tell me whatever, right?"

I paused, looking down at my free hand folded on my lap. "I guess so."

"I know so. So tell me. What happened?" He pressed.

Again, I sighed. I did want to tell KJ, but I just didn't feel comfortable about doing it. What if he mocked me too? Like Anabel. Saying the same things she said to me.

Matthew was the only one I was comfortable telling my problems, basically because I've known him long enough and also because he had this certain aura about him. One that always seemed non-judgmental, regardless of what the problem was.

How was I sure KJ wasn't going to judge me as most would do?

"You know what?" He breathed. "It's fine, totally fine. You don't need to tell me anything you're not ready to."

"Oh, no, I do want to tell you," I spoke up finally.

"Elena, it's fine," he said. "I don't want you to feel forced."

I ignored his comment and went on with what happened. "Few days ago, Anabel called me in disguise, pretending to be you. Used some sort of voice changer or something. And there I was having a conversation with 'you', thinking it was you when all of a sudden she began laughing and then tells me it wasn't you and that she'd record our whole conversation."

At my last statement, silence reigned between both of us. Then finally KJ spoke up.

"Nawa o," he exclaimed, "what was she even thinking in the first place?"

"She was just doing what she does best. Bullying. I'm used to it anyway, so you don't have to worry about it." I told him.

"That was a dick move though, using my name. I never thought she could be like that," he remarked. "I mean, she seems like a nice person for all I know."

"If only," I muttered.

"Well," he exhaled. "That was a few days ago, meaning it's in the past now. And I'm sorry she did something like that. Now I understand why you were acting all different and stuff. I mean, I honestly even began thinking it was my fault. Maybe I'd gotten bad breath or something."

"No!" I laughed. "Not. It wasn't you, and sorry, again. For real."

"It's cool. So what are you doing?" He asked.

His question made me remember in detail my conversation with Anabel thinking she was KJ. This was the same way she asked them "what are you doing question", and so I was hesitant to answer. But, hey, this was KJ. The real KJ had already been affirmed. And he was nice, cool and understanding and therefore there was nothing to be hesitant about.

"Nothing actually," I replied. "Just here, chilling. Just me and my bed."

"Sounds like fun," he chuckled.

"Of course, I know sarcasm when I hear one," I laughed. "What about you? What are you up to?"

"Same thing as you," he said. "Just me and my bed, chilling."

"Oh," I murmured. "Okay then. You were trying out for the basketball team the other day?"

"Yessir, basketball," he affirmed. "Wait, how did you know that?"

All of a sudden, he gasped. One that sounded fake. "No way, you were watching me?"

"Pfft, what?" I smiled. "Not at all. Why would I be?"

"You were!" He exclaimed.

Of course, I was but there was no way in hell I was going to admit that.

"No, KJ," I laughed. "I wasn't. I was just passing by and happened to see you on the basketball court, that's all."

"Are you a hundred percent sure that you weren't stalking me?" I could hear the amusement in his voice.

"A thousand percent sure," I told him.

"Okay then." I heard him breathe. "If you say so, but I'm watching you from now on."

I laughed aloud at that one. "Be my guest."

"So, did you make it?" I asked.

"Yep, kinda," he said. "I was made a sub, for the time being. The coach said eventually I'll be placed on the team if I can keep up performances."

"Oh, that's great. I'm sure you can keep up."

"Yeah, thanks, I can."

And then there was a lag like there had been back when we were in the music lab. A time in our conversation when we were both silent, just drowning in the pleasant sound that came with our silence.

And then, finally, KJ spoke up. "Hey, I got a question."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Would you like to come over or something?" He asked.

My heart skipped a beat, not sure I'd heard right. "You want me to come over?"

"Yeah," he replied. "If you'd like. Your choice."

"Um," I swallowed. "Sure, I guess."

"For real?" There was excitement evident in his voice.

"Yeah, I am," I told him.

"That's great. My address?" He asked. "You want it?"

"Of course," I chuckled. "How else will I get to your place?"

"It's 15 B-street," he said. "Uptown."

B-street? I have heard of B-street. It wasn't so far from my street, Crescent View, although you did need a cab or the bus to get to it.

"Alright," I said and glanced at my alarm clock by my side. "It's six o'clock now. What time would you like me to come by?"

"Seven? Seven-thirty? What do you think?"

"I think seven is great, so at least by then I'll be back home."

"Sounds good too."

Shortly after, the call ended and I flopped back onto my bed, my eyes cast to the ceiling, still unable to believe that in a couple of minutes I'll be going over to see KJ at his house. The KJ.

To say I was both thrilled and nervous at once would be putting it lightly. I was beyond that. In my mind, I was freaking out, because what? But outwardly, I seemed as lukewarm as ever. False sanity.

It was only after I'd dressed up in a black hoodie because the weather outside was chilly like it always was every summer night, and blue baggy pants with a pair of sneakers did I start to feel the nervousness creep in.

What if it was another prank? What if that hadn't been KJ but Anabel yet again and I had fallen for it yet again and now she wanted to lead me to an unknown and probably dangerous part of the city and abandon me there to my fate because she was simply like that—evil, uncaring, insensitive.

But then there is a fifty, seventy percent chance that it wasn't a prank and hopefully, it wasn't a prank. Hopefully, it was just KJ.

Holding my hair up in a messy bun, with fringes and curls at the sides and back, I rubbed my strawberry scented oil perfume all over and then looked at myself one last time in the mirror. I liked the way I looked, and I was pretty, it was clear in the mirror. If Anabel or anyone said otherwise it was simply because they are jealous assholes.

Stepping back from the mirror with an exhale, I turned away and picked up my phone. The moment I did, it began ringing.

The caller was Matthews. Oh crap. If I answered it now, it could lead to a long conversation that'd take all the time I had. And I couldn't afford that. I felt bad watching the call as it rang and rang and finally went to voice-mail.

"Sup, Lee. Uh, my bro got me these pretty cool video games from uni, and I was wondering if you'd like to come over and play them with me or something. Try them out. If you like since it's only 6:30 and your house is just two streets from mine. So yeah."

The call ended a moment after then. I sighed, caught up in a strong dilemma. What was I doing? I was choosing KJ over my best friend Matthews. Has it gotten that bad?

This was the very last time I decided. Next time, I'd be there for Matthews.

I headed downstairs, my hands tucked into my hoodie pocket. Mom was setting dinner by the time I got there, and Karen was helping out. Dad was yet to return from work.

"Hey, honey, are you going out?" Mom asked.

"Yeah, uh, Cassie said she needs me to come over. Emotional support and all," I replied.

"Aww, that sucks. What about dinner? Karen and I made lasagna."

"I'll heat it when I get back," I told her, my gaze darting to Karen who was beside her making a slitting throat sign. She knew I was lying my ass off.

"Oh alright, just be home early okay?"

"Sure." I nodded. "I'll be back by ten. Bye."

Fifteen minutes later, I was at the said B-street and already dialing Kj's number to know the exact house.

He answered on the first ring, gave me directions, and in two minutes I was standing in front of a glass door staring at my dim reflection.

I rang the doorbell, 50 percent expecting a stranger to come to the door. And a stranger did. It was a boy who looked to be ten, had dark brown eyes, and a wild afro.

"Um, hey?" I began when all he did was stare at me.

"Kaj!" He yelled suddenly, startling me. "There's a white girl here, and she said she's looking for you!"

"But I never—" I didn't get to finish because, in no time, KJ turned up at the door.

"Elena!" He grinned and my breath hitched in my throat at how breathtaking his smile was, especially when it reached his eyes. "You made it."

"Yeah," I blushed. "I guess I did."

"Come on in," he gestured, holding the door wider for me.

A couple of minutes later we were seated in front of the flat-screen TV in the living room upstairs, watching a musical KJ suggested we see.

"I've always been fascinated by the piano," KJ said toward the middle of the musical, turning its volume down. "Although I've not been able to master it yet."

"When you do you'll see how peaceful it is," I looked at him with a smile. "I've been playing the piano since I was six. If you'd like, I can teach you the areas you're not yet good at."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow at me. "You'd do that for me?"

"Sure," my smile stretched wider. "We can work something out."

"That'll be great," he smiled at me.

It was too handsome, his smile, and I looked away quickly for fear of him catching the blush that spread out across my face.

All of a sudden, I felt a warmth wrap around my hand before I realized KJ had taken it in his. The contrast in the size of our hands was clear, his at least two times bigger and a little bit rougher.

I looked at our hands clasped together, his thumb caressing mine before I raised my gaze to him. He was staring at me once again, like he had last week in the music laboratory, his light brown eyes holding me in awe.

"You are beautiful," he whispered.

On hearing his words my eyes grew wider, the heat in my face spreading to the other parts of my body.

I was speechless. It was on my mind to say thank you, but no words seemed to be coming forth from my numbed brain. I kept my eyes on him in silence as he reached his free hand to my face and touched it lightly, the motion sending fireworks to my belly.

And when he leaned in, past my personal space, our lips almost touching like last week, my began pounding faster in my chest.

Tilting his head to the side, he closed his eyes at the same time as I did, and by the next minute, our lips brushed.

"Hey!" A voice shrieked.

On autopilot, we pulled back and away from each other as his brother, Stan barged into the living room. He jogged over to the couch and jumped in between both of us.

"The musical is almost ending!" He yelled, his eyes glued to the TV. "We better see how it does."

Feeling very embarrassed that Kj's brother saw us because it was obvious he did, I stared silently ahead.

But the only thing on my mind at that moment was the feeling of Kj's lips as they brushed mine.

It seems we are expecting something between Kadjiri and Elena. Let's find out soon enough.