Kai: I don' believe it. (Faints.)
Max: Didn't you once say you'd never torture this character because, and I quote, "He suffers enough as the comic relief."
RTC: Erm, yes, I did say that. But I changed my mind! So, I'm going to be torturing Tyson today! I don't know how well this turned out, but it was fun to write! Okay, you can all stop giving me strange looks. You all already know that I'm crazy. Now, who's going to do the disclaimer?
Daichi: Ray-Tiger-Cat does not own Beyblade.
Kari: She also does not own the song 'I'm Just A Kid', that's Simple Plan's property. One final note: flashbacks are in italics, the lyrics are in bolded italics.
-----
I woke up it was 7
Waited till 11
Just to figure out that no one would call
I think I got a lot of friends but I don't hear from them
What's another night all alone?
When you're spending everyday on you own
And here it goes
Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep beep.
"Ahhhhhhhh!" I bolted out of bed. The alarm had been beeping for more than half an hour already and I'd slept through it. It isn't like before-Kenny or Hilary or someone would've called or someone would've been around to jolt me out of bed. But so much had changed since Grandpa had been put in a nursing home after having a heart attack. The rest of my team were forced to find other places to stay and I moved into Hiro's apartment.
That's why they don't call anymore-they think Hiro will get me out of bed and to school on time. What a joke; Hiro's been hospitalized off and on for months and they still haven't realized it, despite my lame excuses as to why he wasn't always at practice. Maybe they just don't want to comment, but he looks worse by the day. Even Dad stopped returning my calls because he doesn't want to hear that Hiro is getting worse. I wonder when he'll realize it, when Hiro's dead?!
I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare
I'm just a kid, I know that it's not fair
Nobody cares, 'cause I'm alone and the world is
Having more fun than me
Hastily pulling on some clothes and my baseball cap over the hair I haven't had time to brush in a week, I das into the messy kitchen. Shoving a piece of bread (no time to toast it) into my mouth, I grab my back pack and run out the door.
I wish my life were just a nightmare. I wish that everyday when I wake up. It began so innocently; Hiro had been coughing a lot, so I hauled him off to the doctor's. I still remember how the doctor gave us the news.
"So, Doc, what's wrong with my brother?" I'd asked, so carefree, bounding into the office, but the look on the doctor's face stopped me dead in my tracks.
"It's bad, isn't it?" Hiro had asked from behind me, all colour draining from his face.
"The doctor waited until we'd sat down before announcing, "The results came back positive for lung cancer."
"Cancer? But, but that's impossible!" I had exclaimed.
"No, it' not, Ty. Mom used to smoke, didn't you know that?" He was clearly struggling not to cry.
"Yes, that's the likely culprit. Exposure to second-hand smoke during early childhood can do serious damage."
"But you can fix my brother, right?" I asked, still holding onto a shred of hope that my brother would be alright.
The doctor shook his head. "It's at a very advanced stage. We can prolong it, but I estimate a year more."
"A year? Only a year?" I shouted as Hiro broke down.
"Shh, it'll be okay," he tried to reassure me between sobs. He was still trying to be strong for my sake.
He could barely drive us home-I thought we'd crash for sure-and we both ditched training that afternoon and just moped around the house.
"Hey Tyson, how are you?" Max asked me during lunch.
"Fine," I replied with my standard answer. If I said anything else, I would have to explain my situation to my friends and Hiro had begged me not to tell them about his health.
"Why were you late this morning?" Hilary enquired.
"I over slept."
"Didn't Hiro wake you up?" Ray asked.
"What is this, twenty questions?! Just leave me alone!"
How is it possible for them to be so carefree all the time? They get to have fun, but I'm all alone.
And maybe when the night is dead, I'll crawl into my bed
Staring at these 4 walls again
"Hi Hiro. Ready to go?" I asked him.
"Yeah, sure. You know I hate hospital food," he kidded with me, trying to make me feel better.
"How would you know; you don't eat anything," I replied, looking at the skeleton that vaguely resemble my brother. He tried to swat me, but didn't have the energy. A nurse came along and started pushing Hiro towards the exit-he was being released, but who knew how long it would be before he was forced to return?
"You still up for practice tonight?" I asked.
"Not like I have any other plans. I want to make sure I yell at the team and whip you all into shape while I still can." And with that, the spectre of death was hanging over us again, despite Hiro's best efforts to avoid the topic. Sometimes it would just slip out.
Another few hours later, Hiro and I came home from practice and he immediately crashed on his bed. He'd overworked himself again.
As for me, I was exhausted, but the apartment hadn't been cleaned in ages, so I spent three hours doing that. By the time that was done, I didn't have the time or energy to start me homework, so I just crashed.
I'll try to think about the last time,
I had good time Everyone's got somewhere to go
And their gonna leave me here on my own
"Hiro, I can't do this! It's too hard!" I screamed, tears of frustration running down my cheeks.
"It doesn't come overnight. You have to keep practicing if you want to get good," he reprimanded. Then his look softened. "Try launching like this." He positioned my hands differently and I pulled the rip cord. To my amazement, the blade spun and balanced.
"Hey cool! Thanks Hiro!" I yelled and gave him a hug.
"No problem Kiddo."
I sighed. He was leaving the world of the living, slipping away slowly; just as he left all those years ago.
"Where are you going Hiro?" I asked after finding my brother carrying a suitcase and backpack to our front door.
"Tyson," he said, very seriously, "I'm going to join Dad and his archaeology team from a while, okay?"
"Can I come?"
"No."
"But I'll miss you!" I said, tears forming in my eyes. He must have noticed it too, because he gave me a hug.
"I'll come back during the holidays."
I sniffled and wiped my eyes, determined to be strong.
"Keep practicing, okay, kid? I want to see how much you've improved when I get back."
"I'm going to be World Champ!" I'd exclaimed.
Hiro laughed. "That's the sprit!" And after a quick goodbye to Grandpa, he left.
I'm crying now; the memories were too much. How can I survive without Hiro here to guide and support me? I walked around like a zombie for weeks after Hiro's departure, even with the cheerful phone calls and letters. What will I do once he's gone for good?
Nobody notices or cares that I'm falling apart right now. Nobody but Hiro, who should be concentrating on himself.
I know it won't be long now. It's already been about eleven and a half months since Hiro was diagnosed. He's practically on his deathbed. I creep out of bed and into Hiro's room. I pull a chair next to Hiro's bed and fall asleep watching Hiro's chest rise and fall.
I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare
I'm just a kid, I know that it's not fair
Nobody cares, 'cause I'm alone and the world is
Having more fun than me
Hiro shakes me awake the next morning. I've overslept again; what the hell is wrong with me!
I rush around quicker than I did yesterday and in my hurry, I forget half of my books in my room. Not like it really matters, since I haven't done my homework for ages.
"Mr. Granger! That is the fourth time this week that you're showed up late! Just what is your excuse?!" mt teacher shouted upon my arrival.
"I-I-I," I stammer, unable to give her an appropriate excuse.
"Well, then, I guess we'll just have to have a discussion after class, won't we?" she replied. "Now give me the report you were to have done for homework."
My cheeks flush red at this.
"Don't have it, do you?" she asked coolly. "It looks like we'll be having a very long discussion this afternoon." She points to my desk and I walk down the long aisle to my seat with twenty seven pairs of eyes starting at me. Max, Kenny and Hilary all gave me curious looks, but I couldn't meet their eyes. I just sat there, being thankful that Ray and Kai were in another class and Daichi in a whole other school.
My next class was just as bad; I didn't have my textbook and my homework wasn't done again. Only this teacher gave me detention straight out and when I told him I couldn't come in after school because I had to attend a 'meeting' with my other teacher, he began lecturing me in front of the class. I wanted the floor to swallow me up.
At lunchtime, I just dumped myself at the table and put my head in my arms. I'd only gotten three hours of sleep the night before and I was tired.
Ray poked me and asked if I wasn't eating. When I shook my head and made to go back to sleep, they exchanged worried glances.
"What's wrong Tyson? And don't give us that 'I'm fine' crap because we aren't buying it," Hilary said.
"Look, I'm just really busy right now and I haven't slept properly in a week and I really don't give a damn anymore. So why don't you just leave me alone?" I snapped and took off.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
Don't fit in with anybody
How did this happen to me?
Many hours, a long discussion with all of my teachers, promises to do my homework and be punctual under the threat of suspension later, I was at the park for training. Hiro was with me physically, but his mind didn't seem to be there. He looked really bad, but I didn't, couldn't ask him to stay home. Not when it was his last wish to train us.
"Tyson, that was the worst launch I've ever seen!" Kai shouted. "Get your act together!"
"I'm trying," I protest.
"Try harder!"
During my match with Max, I couldn't even summon Dragoon. Max beat me in under a minute.
"I know you're better than this!" Max exclaimed. The others were all either nodding, sighing or glaring.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. "I know it's hard to focus. And I know that's my fault, but please try. You're the World Champ, Kiddo," Hiro whispered, using his pet name for me again. I turned to look at him, and at that precise moment, he passed out.
Holding my brother's limp body in my arms, I screamed, "Get an ambulance! Quickly!"
Wide awake I'm bored and I can't fall asleep
'Cause every night is the worst night ever
I watched the various machines keep track of my brother's vital signs and fresh tears fell.
"Tyson, we're so sorry. Why didn't you ever tell us or come to us for help?" Kenny asked. The whole team was stationed around the room, looking exhausted.
"He asked me not to tell anyone. He wanted a normal life for as long as possible," I murmur.
"The past year must have been hell for you, Tyson," Ray said sympathetically.
"We're so, so sorry," Hilary added, bursting into tears again.
"He's not coming out of this, is he?" Kai asked softly and I shook my head.
"He's been in and out of the hospital for the past year and he was never this bad. The end is near." Max flashed me a sad smile.
"Tyson, your dad is here," Daichi said, entering the room.
"Dad!" I wailed and run into his arms.
"Tyson, I'm sorry for not being here for you and your brother. I couldn't watch him die like I did with your mother."
"Little Dude," Grandpa said, coming in behind his son and giving me a hug too.
Everyone else drifted in and out of sleep that night, but I stayed awake all night crying. That was the worst night of my life. The next morning, Hiro passed away.
I'm just a kid
I'm just a kid
I'm just a kid
I'm just a kid
I'm just a kid
I'm just a kid! I didn't deserve to have it all happen to me! I don't want to grow up, but there was no choice. I felt like Hiro's illness and death had matured me way beyond my years.
There might have been a time when I-and everyone that ever complained that I was immature-would have welcomed the mature me, but now it was like a curse. I wasn't an adult, but an overly mature child-it wasn't right.
My dad was making plans to move back to Japan to take care of me until I was of age, which suited me just fine; I wasn't ready to grow up completely.
I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare
I'm just a kid, I know that it's not fair
Nobody cares, 'cause I'm alone and the world is
Having more fun than me
I watched the coffin holding my brother's body get lowered into the earth through tear-filled eyes. It was raining heavily, which suited my sombre mood that day.
I walked closer to the hole and away from everyone else. "Good bye Hiro. Goodbye big bro. You were always there for me. I'll miss you. I love you," I said.
After the funeral, my team surrounded me and tried to comfort me, but I never felt more alone.
I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare
I'm just a kid, I know that it's not fair
Nobody cares, 'cause I'm alone and the world is
Having more fun than me
Despite everyone's attempts at being understanding, I felt so alone. My teachers loosened up on me once they found out that my brother was dead, horrified that they had pushed me so hard. My tea, especially Kai, stopped forcing me to train. In fact, for a good three weeks, we didn't hold practice at all. Practice would only remind us of him.
Eventually I started pretending everything was alright, just to get everyone to stop worrying about me. I became a shell that ate and talked but never really felt or understood.
I'm all alone tonight
Nobody cares tonight
'Cause I'm just a kid tonight
But they don't see me at night. I'm all alone and I cry like a child most night until I fall asleep, exhausted. Nobody cares that I'll never be the same again. At night, I'm just a kid.
-----
Tyson: You killed my brother?! And you made me suffer in silence?! You are an evil, evil child! Where the hell did you get such a cracked idea?
RTC: Sorry, this was something that came to me during the night after watching an AMV featuring Tyson with that song. However, since I'm much more evil, I felt the need to kill someone off, as opposed to just making Tyson sad!
Kari: I'm going to end this before she starts rambling. Okay, you know the drill: review and tell her how insane she is.
RTC: So that's it from me today! I'm working on a few oneshots and you can look forward to some being posted maybe in a week or two. Bye!