Anyhow, this September, it was the start of the new semester...

And to get there, Alexander had to ride in the middle again, with the girls by his side.

Of course, while he was at ease as the car moved along, the rest of the passengers weren't in the same boat?

Car?

Mentality, it is.

Before the car could drift into this awkward silence and lull, Milla had something to say. "Alex, what was that about?"

"What?"

"You know... what we did earlier." Milla whisperingly reminded as it was a bit embarrassing and privvy for their estranged driver.

"I guess you and I kissed." Alexander stated as a matter of fact.

"Duh." Drew chided on the side.

Milla rolled her eyes and poutingly continued. "I know that but what did it mean?"

"It happened and that's that." Alexander turned to her pretty face again and wondered. "Why? Was it not romantic enough for you? Did you actually want to do it again?"

"It was... not." She snorted and quipped. "But that was my first kiss though."

"You could say that that was my first kiss too." Alexander quipped back with a bit of ambiguity.

Technically it was and technically it's not. Given the intricacies of re-life, that seems about right on both ends.

"Wait..."

Of course, it didn't take long for Milla to process stuff.

Causing her to blush again, in giddiness and anger.

Obviously, the giddiness is for Alex. Was it really his first?!

As for the anger... well... there's Miss Did It More Times Than You Did!

"Drew, you're such a liar!!"

"I'm an actress so I'm very good at it." Drew haphazardly defended herself because, in truth, she was actually jealous. Very, very jealous.

Especially with what she just saw earlier.

She just walked in on them and... bam!

Much more so with how the two of them were interacting now.

"I just wanted to annoy you a bit. That's all. There should be nothing wrong with that right?" Drew concluded with a snort.

Milla was annoyed alright. "I really hope that's not your reason for transferring schools here in San Fernando Valley."

"Come on, San Fernando Valley likes me." Drew reminded. "Gertie Taylor is from around here, after all."

"That's just from a movie." Milla scoffed. How could she not know the popular ET. and the role that this shrew played in it?

Drew shrugged and reflectively pointed out. "What about you then? With your age, you're the one who's clearly out of place."

She still can't believe that this girl is still ten-years-old, however, that wouldn't stop Drew from using that to her advantage. "Shouldn't you still be a 5th grader or something? Also, shouldn't you be calling me big sister?"

Milla was stumped with that, however, she had a stumper of her own. "Grades, huh? At least, I have good ones. Not like you. Always absent and always failing. Shouldn't you be a 1st grader or something?"

Drew was not deterred. "Hehe! How do you even know that... little sister?"

At that point, Milla wanted to pounce at the other girl's "annoy"-ingness but the seatbelt just had to get in the way. "Hmph! Count yourself lucky!"

"You're the one who's lucky." Drew said so, not as a threat but more of slight reluctance.

After all, whilst they were back-and-forthing, she wasn't blind.

She saw her Prince Charming's hand sneakily wrapped around Jovo-bitch's waist!

That's got to mean something.

Coupled with the fact that these two live in the same house together, run in the morning together, go to school together, and just straight-out together-together...

More than anything, that kiss from earlier has really got to mean something. Maybe it meant that they've naturally moved on to the next step!

Nothing's official but things really point that way.

Of course, Drew was not too discouraged.

She even mocked that sneaky smirk of victory that Jovo-bitch was giving her.

Hehe! Smirk all you want. I was just a step too late and I still have a chance.

While you're preoccupied with your side... you don't realize what's happening on the other.

After all, on the other hand, Prince Charming's other hand is free.

Well... not so free...

Drew wouldn't say that she has a perky butt but she could still tell that someone liked it.

Hehe! Prince Charming's hand is much sneakier than your smirk, Jovo-bitch...

------

Of course, Alexander wasn't being sneaky. He was innocent.

It's just that the more that duo argued, the more that they scooched over to him.

It got to the point that his appendages got stuck in unfortunate places.

On Milla's waist.

And on that Drew's squishy, perky, numbing spot.

Sigh...

He was stuck in the middle, so this bit of not-so-symmetrical side-to-side "hugging" shouldn't be his fault.

From when they set off until they were finally dropped off at their destination... he was innocent...

Right?

------

------

------

Was the little boss innocent?

The newly hired driver, who was designated as Mr. Driver, surely didn't think so.

His eyes were always on the road but his eyes were also on the rearview mirror as well.

And the lack of innocence was very, very obvious...

His ears were pretty clear too, so how could he not hear the rowdiness that these kids were making?

The inexplicable dynamic that they had and the weirdness surrounding that... he was a quiet witness all throughout.

He was also in the car all this time. How could he have missed any of that?

Talking about a kiss? All that arguing. And the crafty boy in the middle of all of it.

Geesh...

Mr. Driver has seen and experienced many things in his life but what just happened was still eye-opening.

Of course, with how eye-opening it was... Mr. Driver reached for a phone designated for him.

He needed it because the little boss might call for a pick-up and just general driving concerns.

He was hired to be a driver, after all.

At the same time, it just so happens that this phone was handy for something else.

He may be Mr. Driver and hired as a driver... but he wasn't just here for that.

Hence, he dialed a speaking string of numbers...

Waited as it rang...

And as the call connected...

He reported...

He reported all that he observed...

As detailed as he could...

The supposed kiss, the sneaky hands, and all...

And with the person on the other side more or less satisfied... uhm... disgruntled...

The call ended.

Not-so-Mr. Driver put the phone back in place and his demeanor was back to Mr. Driver once again.

His objectives, both aboveboard and secretive, remained the same.

With the unwitting Alexander Creed in the middle of a troubled mess, he remains a central point of interest.

Mr. Driver was to observe and report... and "drive" the boy around...

And the list could go on...

As long as it's something that his employer on the other side of that phone call orders him to do.

-------

It just so happens that said employer was somewhere around the jungles of Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico...

Clutching his satellite phone...

Disgruntled... Nay...

Fuming at what he had just been told...

He was none other than Old Man Pierce!

"CREEED!!!"

Old Sullivan, not far away, really had it with this pesky annoyance. "Come on, Pierce, be quiet! You're a consultant and we're filming here, so be mindful of things."

"Mindful?! How could I be mindful?!" Old Pierce was really fuming as the satellite phone in his hand creaked. "I've just been told that my grandson is fooling around with girls! He's so young! And he actually with two! TWO!"

"Eer..." Even Old Sullivan was a bit speechless. Of course, as always, when it came to Alexander, he just took pride in it. "It can't be helped. My grandson is just that handsome. Just like me."

To no surprise, that just ticked the old general off. "You think you're handsome, huh?! We will see... We will see..."

How could Old Sullivan not notice the fierce veteran forming knuckles?

"Come on. Simmer down, Pierce. Even the director isn't as fierce as you. If you keep it up, it won't be long before you're monikered as Fierce Pierce."

Sure enough, that only made Old Man Pierce's knuckles tighten some more.

Anyone else who saw that was terrified. Especially Old Sullivan, whose elderly handsomeness was in danger. "Fortunately... I'm prepared."

"Oh... waving the white flag already?" Old Pierce mocked.

"No." Old Creed then beckoned and a handful of men lined up. Stopping the old knuckle-bearer in his tracks.

It didn't take long for the old general to realize who they are and even he was flummoxed. "Aren't these stuntmen?"

"So you know you're stuff." Old Sullivan affirmed. "And yes... fret not, they're insured to take a beating... they're even part of the production budget..."

"For you see, Old Pierce, I know that I'm no match for the power of your punches..."

"However..."

"I have the power of my money!"

"HAHAHA! Let's see how you can punch me now!"

That's fucking shameless!

Everyone else in the filming crew could only exclaim. Their producer was really a moneybag, through and through.

Then again, the old general from the other side just got fiercer.

The old moneybags producer wasn't done though. As he seemed to have expected that his stuntmen wouldn't be enough.

So, a familiar facial armor was handed to him and he wore it directly...

Wait... wasn't that their filming prop?

"What are you waiting for, Pierce!" Old Sullivan's voice sounded under the special Predator mask as he tapped the metal-ness of it. "Punch my handsomeness if you can!"

Clearly, he wasn't just depending on the power of money. There's also shamelessness as well!

The old general's fierceness wasn't affected though.

And the onlookers could only shake their heads at the turn of events.

As none of them wanted to be caught in the middle... of whatever even is this.