Chapter Nine: Alejandro

"Hey Step-mom"

"Yeah Honey," She gives me a big smile.

"Can you go with the others as I talk with my father?" She looks at my father and he nods his head. My Step-mom walks to the others. All the women and guys are happy. Ross is alone. Where did Rosa go? Suddenly, Hunter, Azul, Ann-Marie, and Ross walk away. They are no longer in my sight. The crowd is too big. I can no longer see that well because it is getting dark quickly. It is now about 8 p. m.

"How have you been?" I decide to be a good son right now.

"I have been good and you?" Ah, where did the 'and you' come from.

"Good," He responds "Did you have anything to tell me?" He seems so innocent.

"Why are you here?"

"Just to visit you," He smiles again. What is he doing? He needs to stop this smiling. It is making me feel like a bad guy.

"Then why did the girls say that you all arrived about a week or 5 days ago?" I ask my father but before he answers Mi-Ran comes running towards me. She shakes her hand telling me to come down to her height so that she tells me something.

"If dad tells you that I and Ma-Rin lied about coming here about a week ago," Mi-Ran whispers in my ear, "Do not believe him. He is the liar. Also, Unni is very pretty" Mi-Ran runs back to one of Gwen's arms. Gwen looks back at my father and her eyes open wide. Her facial expression is one of someone scared. Is it because of my father?

"What did Mi-Ran tell you?"

"Is it a lie that you arrived 5 days ago?"

"We arrived a day ago to go to the botan-" He stops himself.

"Botanic?" I ask trying not to saying 'garden' so I see what he says.

"Yeah um...," He stutters. "I mean...no another one"

"Mhm"

"We just came here to see you and Gw-" Gwen? "-waiting..."

"How did you know her name?"

"You follow her on Instagram"

"How did you know that I have an Instagram?"

"How would I not?" Well played old man once again.

"Then...why did the girls say you made them go up to Gwen?"

"Like, I told you, we came here for you so I thought that knew where you were. It wouldn't look right if I asked a stranger where my son is therefore asked the girls if they could go up to her to see if she knew where you were. Faster than we knew it, you were right there at the same place...that leads me to ask you..." Why is he talking so much? So annoying "Who is this Gwen gi- I mean woman. Is she your girlfriend or something because you seem to like looking at her?" If he knows more about her it could be dangerous. I do not want her to get hurt or to be involved with my family.

"I have eyes, why can I not look at people?"

"No, I am meaning...you look at her in a specific way that you have never looked at anyone like that before"

"Long time? I never looked at anyone like that," I smack both my hands on my mouth knowing I just exposed the truth that my father is trying to get out of me.

"Yeah I mean..you.."

"Me? Me what?"

"No, nothing I am confusing you with my friend"

"Well, how long are you going to stay here in New York City?" He puts his hand on his chin.

"We will see," He says arrogantly and I head to join the others. As I arrive in the line, TJ Gwen and Jane turn around to see me.

"Park, My best friend, My homie, My dawg, you have arrived finally to save me from these girls, they talk way too much for my taste," TJ welcomes me with a big hug. We sit on the seats of the ride and it starts to go up.

"I hope you fall, Alejandro," Gwen yells while she is laughing.

"I hope your boot falls off," I laugh. She gives me a dirty look. I yell 'just kidding' in Korean and she yells 'Do you want to die?' in Korean back at me. I put my hands together begging her for mercy. TJ just looks at me in disgust.

When the ride ends, I see my step-mom walk straight to Gwen. Jane points at a different ride. Right when Jane points at the ride. Gwen falls to the ground. I run to her.

"Gwen, Gwen, hello? Wake up! What happened?" I lift her gently.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. It's alright we can move on," She does not seem fine. She looks a little pale or maybe it's just me. She stands up and walks as if nothing happened.

"Alejandro," Gwen bends a little and whispers to me.

"Yeah," I whisper back. Gwen pulls out something from her purse.

"Here I got this for you." It's a red lifeguard hoodie.

"Thank you, Gwen," I am blushing so much. I hope she does not notice.

"No, thanks for being a lifesaver before"

"We are going to be leaving now," My father says quickly as if he is in a hurry.

"Yeah to the hote-" My step-mom stops herself from finishing the sentence. My father gives her a feather stare as if she did something wrong. My sisters wave goodbye to everyone. Gwen tells me that she gets a text from Azul to come to the dock at the beach which is where they are. We all head towards the dock. It seems about 26 minutes until we reach the dock. The couples and Ann-Marie are on the left side. The pier has three ways. One at the very tip. One heading to the left and the right. Gwen and I walk with TJ to the other side of the pier. Gwen and I look at the sky. The stars are visible tonight. TJ just sits on the floor with his phone. I throw on the sweater Gwen gave me.

"Do you know what this picture means?" She pulls out a familiar picture "...Your mom. Your stepmom. I'm sorry. She just pulled these pictures out" She shows me the pictures.

"Why did she show you these pictures? What exactly did she say?" I ask.

"She asked me if I know where these places are," The moonlight point at his face and he looks worried, "She also asked if I remember being at these places"

"Well do you?" I respond quickly.

"Nah I do not know where and what they are. Sorry!" I swipe to the first picture.

"The first house is the first house I lived in when I was little. It is located in Seoul."

"So, where do you live or where did you live?"

"I do not remember when or why we moved but it was when I was young but not too young. But we then moved to the country in Australia"

"Ohhh does it have something to do with the foreign playground?"

"You are good with observations...that playground in our house territory," I spike to the next picture, "The car used to be my mom's, but after she died I think my father got rid of it. The lab I have never seen either so I was just as surprised as you when I saw that lab. Maybe it does belong to someone rich like you said?"

"But you know something...about your dad..."

"Go ahead say what you were going to say, old lady"

"Hey, no way, quit playin'," He waves his hands for me to continue talking, "Well, when I went to Sokcho South Korea to a Ramada hotel. I was in the pool and I heard a noise from someone so I went to see where the noise was coming from and it was your dad kidnapping someone...I remember his face clearly that night"

"So you were the one at the pool that day...I saw you"

"You did? You were the one who made that noise and tried to yell help me?"

"Yeah...t-t that was me"

"Are you okay?" Her eyes fill up with tears but she moves against the light "That day, I could not save you from his dad, I failed you before we even met," I move her toward the light so then her eyes are exposed to me so that I can see her face clearly.

"Old lady, do not cry if I was not okay don't you think I would not be here...," She looks up to my eyes and I look at her, "The sky is so dark today," I point at the sky "You can see the stars because of it...the moon must have disappeared behind the cold clouds," I glance at her but she is still watching me. I clap and snap my fingers for her to come back to the planet called Earth. The stars are extremely bright tonight.

"I know you used to have feelings for Ross when you were younger," She chokes and starts to cough.

"What?" She clears her throat.

"You had feelings for Ross but never realized it huh?"

"Umm...How did you kno-"

"...but why did you never tell him? When you are the one who knew him the longest?"

"Like you said I never realized my feelings...at that time I also was friends with Azul and Akio. The difficult part is that day I went to Azul and Akio's house, Azul told me that Akio liked me and that I was his first crush. I felt like I liked Akio so I did not focus on Ross. When I saw him with Rosa...I felt as if I lost someone important to me...at that moment I wished I had never brought her with me but I can not travel to the past so what was done was done. Instead, I picked my actual first crush...Akio and hoped Ross be happy...After that day I ignored him but he did not ignore me...then he ignored me and I did not ignore him...sooner or later the pattern changed and we both stopped talking to each other...Oops sorry...I am talking too much"

"Gwen...you do not need to always say sorry to everything"

"I feel like I have to though..."

"Have you ever been in love Gwen?" I ask abruptly.

"I'm not sure what love is...and you?" right when she asks me this, fireworks light up the sky.

"I love you," I say.

"What?" She yells.

"Aye Park let's go to the beach," TJ yells through all the loud fireworks.

"Are you crazy? It's freezing!" I tell TJ.

"I will take that as a yes. Let's go," TJ pulls me and I pull Gwen. We walk to the beach. Gwen takes off her boots.

"Ahh. The sand is cold"

"The temperature is dropping fast," I laugh.

"I bet you can't catch me, Old lady," I tell her. This is so childish.

"What are we, 5? I take the challenge. Bring it on Lil boy'," She starts to chase me. She runs and runs until she finally catches me and pushes me to the sand.

"Aha, I caught you"

"No, I let you catch me," Her mouth drops.

"Your lying"

"Want to bet?"

"Nah, I don't want to lose again," She pouts, crossing her arms.

"I need some advice"

"Sure, what is it?" We sit on the sand watching the ocean as the others are talking with each other.

"...I will tell you but you have to sit with me on the Ferris Wheel"

"Ugh, but you better not sit next to me. You sit on one side and me on the other"

"Duh," I turn to see the others and Akio comes running towards us quickly.

"Gwennnnnnnnnnnnn"

"Akioooooooo," I give him the energy back. He looks at me.

"Where did you get that hoodie?"

"Gwen gave it to me," I grin brightly.

"Oh," He says annoyingly, "I wanted to ask you that if you want to sit with me on the Ferris Wheel?" He asks in a baby voice. Ew.

"Alejandro beat you to it," I laugh but Akio doesn't smile.

"Fine let's ride altogether," I glare at him.

"No, I already asked her"

"Sorry, Buddy but I knew her before you so..." I step up to Akio.

"I still asked her first," Akio steps up to him. Gwen gets in between us and separates us.

"A man and a boy shouldn't argue okay? Let us keep the peace," Ann-Marie appears.

"Hey, Alejandro"

"Hi, Ann-Marie," I give her a big smile.

"We are going to the Ferris Wheel now so let's go," Ann-Marie pulls me by my arm. I try to not go too far away from Gwen.

"I have a question," I hear Akio ask.

"Yeah?"

"Does Alejandro like you?" He is so nosy.

"No, we are just best friends," I roll my eyes being annoyed by her answer.

"...I still like you, Gwen...I want you to be mine...I'm serious," This caught me off guard. I'm sure she is too but it must be something she wants.

"Uh," I cover my ears and run far away from them with Ann-Marie.

-

She seems to be blushing a lot. We enter Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park.

"Hey, I'm back, brother," Gwen surprises me. I missed her smile.

"How was your time with Aiko?" I wonder what she was blushing so much back there with Aiko as we were walking here.

"None of your business"

"Tell me"

"I'm good but you are sitting with me right?" She knows how to change the topic. She is holding onto my sleeve again. She doesn't notice it again.

"Yes, Of course," What about Aiko?

"Aiko said he would join us but he isn't coming"

"It was going to be me and your little brother come on now you say you didn't want to ride with Aiko but now you do?" Gwen laughs. She is pulling on the new hoodie she bought me and doesn't even know. Should I tell her? Aiko walks up next to Gwen, he notices it. His face looks like it is going to explode.

"Get your hands away from her," He yells, he causes a scene. Everyone is watching us now. He pushes me as he takes Gwen's hands away from my sleeve. He pulls Gwen to his side and holds her. She looks shocked by the sudden movement. "I am done telling you to stay away from her" W-who does he think he is?

"I was not even touching her," I yell back louder.

"Hold on a minute...," Aiko and I still go back and forth saying what we did and what we did not.

"Hey!" Gwen yells "When did I touch anyone? I do not remember Alejandro's hands on mine" She gets away from Aiko "Aiko what is wrong with you? Alejandro did not do anything to me, we were just waiting in the line talking, having a calm conversation until you came and disrupted everything." I have never see Gwen mad. I would have never imagined her mad at Aiko. Especially him.

"I-I... h-h he," Gwen scoffs at Aiko.

"You are embarrassing me in front of these people right now, do you know that?" Aiko seems to have no words whatsoever. Azul comes over and grabs Aiko and pulls him away from Gwen. Aiko looks back at Gwen. By the look in his eyes, he knows that he has made a mistake. Gwen does not look at him. She has her head down. She has a disappointed look on her face. We get into the cart of the Ferris Wheel quickly and it goes up for the next person to get in the new cart.

"What is the advice that you wanted to ask me?"

"You remember! Look at that good memory of yours," She kicks me.

"Ow," I laugh.

"You are frustrating. Just tell me."

"So there is this woman...that I like"

"I knew you liked someone," Gwen laughs.

"Shhh, I am talking..." Gwen zips her mouth "And I am not sure if she likes me...because she always acts as if I am family and does not view me as a man"

"That is because you are not"

"Not helping"

"OK well, go ahead speak..."

"I do not know if I should like her or I should view her as a part of my family...Should I just tell her my true feelings before it is too late..."

"I mean if you are meaning 'too late' by there is someone that likes her then you should tell her...if you want to spend your whole life with her why keep it away from her in the first place? You are a good person Alejandro and I am sure she will not reject you," Gwen looks out the cart and as I look out, I see something white coming out of the sky. Is it what I think it is? It really is. It is snow!