ASenorita: Hello. Yes, it's me again! -big grin-. And to those who read my other stories, then I will be updating Kon, Rei Kon not long from now. I'm at the point where I'm trying to make it make sense.

And I will be putting up Chapter 11 of Surviving Clerkdale High soon.

I hardly think any of you are sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for updates.

Kai: exactly

ASenorita: -death glare- ahem. As I was saying before I was so RUDELY interrupted: I hardly think any of you are sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for updates, but I'd thought I'd tell you where they are.

Kai: I-

ASenorita: IF YOU SAY ONE MORE WORD!
Kai: OK, OK, calm down!

Chapter 1

Kai pushed the green-coloured, flavourless mush around on his plate.

"Don't play with your food!"

He ducked as his mother's hand came swatting down to hit him upside on the back of his head, nearly slamming his face into his disgusting breakfast.

She growled with annoyance, but couldn't hang around to yell at him because she was leaving for work.

"And you don't dare ring any of your little friends. I'll be checking that phone!"
Kai rolled his eyes. Luckily his mum didn't know or he would of got a slap.

Alexia Hiwatari left the apartment, leaving Kai sat at the glass top table, staring at the meal in front of him. After a pause he snorted and scraped the disgusting meal into the bin. He raided the kitchens for any sort of nourishment. Eventually he settled on an apple and bread and butter.

His mother was a health fanatic, there was nothing unhealthy in the house. Everything was calorie controlled and scrutinized for unhealthy additives.
Kai felt faint all of the time, since he never found anything to eat in the apartment. He ate his 'breakfast', cleared away all evidence of him not eating his original breakfast, then picked up the phone.

He dialled a number and leant against the small pillar that stood in the centre of the floor to ceiling window. Manhattan spread out around him.

Kai Hiwatari's mother was a multimillionaire business woman. Or, as Kai called her:a rich control freak.

As I think you can see, he didn't get on with his mother at all.

His mum and dad had divorced when he was eight. His younger brother, who had been just going on seven at the time of the divorce, now lived with Kai's dad. Kai had gone to live with his mother in Manhattan, and he hadn't seen and barely heard from his father or brother in those long seven years.

Anyway, back to the phone call.

"Hello, Indy Valkov,"
"It's Kai, can I speak to Tala?"
"Of course you can Kai. Tala! Tala get your lazy ass out of bed, Kai's on the phone!"
There was a pause then the sound of someone fumbling for the phone.

"Kai?"
"You sound hung-over,"
"And I ask myself: why aren't you?"
"I didn't drink the night away like you,"
"Hm, I should of guessed. If you had of, there would be a murder enquiry at your apartment. Your mum would of garrotted you,"
"Well, that aside, why don't you get your lazy behind out of bed and meet me in the park. I need to get out of here,"
"Yeah, sure. Half an hour?"
"Fine,"
"So-"
Kai snapped the phone away from his ear and out of sight. He had heard the front door open and the distinctive sound of his mother's shoes on the kitchen floor.

Without turning around, he noted that she was storming across the room towards him.

"I left without my address book," she said, as she snatched the phone from Kai and cut the connection, "And I'm glad I did,"
"Why can't I call Tala?"
"Because I say so!" she half screamed, glaring at Kai with her deep blue eyes that Kai saw slight madness in when she was angry. She gave him a slap and left.

Kai picked up the phone again and dialled.
"Tala?"
"Was that your mum?"
"Yeah,"
"You need to get away from her Kai,"
"I know. Meet me in the park,"
"Sure,"

Tala yawned and stretched on the grass, arching his back.
"Wow. It's actually sunny,"
Kai was sat crooked against the tree roots, in the shade.

"So, how's life in the Hiwatari residence?"
Kai didn't even bother commenting. He simply watched as Tala's large dog Blitzkrieg terrified a Chihuahua.

"Blitz, leave it!" Tala yelled, as the owner tried to hit him to get him to let go of the poor tiny dog's collar, "Come here!"
Blitz skulked over, and flopped next to his owner, defeated.

"And the Ivanov residence?"
"Fine. Bryan's still up in Canada with his girlfriend. So my friend, it looks like it's gonna be just you and me this summer-Blitz leave that bloody Chihuahua alone!" Tala roared, although not bothering to stand up and get the dog.

Blitzkrieg gave the little dog a pet on the side and the thing went flying, then he slunk back over.

"As I was saying: we're the only ones here this summer. Going to be good,"
"Have we got things planned?"
"Sure we have. Listen to this…"

Kai smeared a look of innocence on his face as his mother came through the front door that evening. It fell as soon as she realised she was on her cell phone and probably wouldn't notice him anyway until late that night when he was hogging the television, and she wanted to watch the news.

Who could she be talking to when she's just spent the entire day with that lot from work? Couldn't she yell at them then? Kai thought, eating a cereal bar he had found in the back of a cupboard.

"I don't care!...no, you listen to me Bruce, I…"
Kai winced. Great, his mum was speaking to his dad.

"What do you mean 'a control freak'!...of course!...don't you dare!...I refuse…Ok then…but don't think I'm doing this just because of you, I need to get him out of my hair!...fine then!" and she cut the connection savagely with three fingers.

"Your father!" she screamed, pointing at Kai, "Is a bastard!"
"You've told me," Kai muttered, finishing the cereal bar.

"I can't abide the man!" she ranted, throwing her mobile onto the kitchen counter, "He's a pathetic excuse for an individual!"
"Why did he call?" Kai asked, ignoring her.

"He wants you to stay over at his for the summer,"

Kai dropped the glass he was holding. It shattered on the kitchen floor.

"What!"

"Your father has asked for you to stay in Japan with them for the summer. And I have whole heartedly agreed. Anything to get you out of my hair,"

Kai was still in a state of shock.

But he snapped out of it quick enough.

"No! No, I am not going! I have plans this summer!"
"I don't care! You're going, next week,"
"I don't want to go!"
"So!"
"This isn't fair!"
"Life isn't fair! What, did you think I wanted my husband to truly be a pathetic individual, and to have two rebellious children?"
"You haven't seen my brother in seven years, how do you know he's rebellious?"
"BECAUSE YOU'RE HIS OLDER BROTHER!" she screamed and slammed her way into her room.

Kai closed his eyes.

Ive,the Hiwatari's maid,came in quietly, and swept up the glass. She glanced up at the young Hiwatari, still standing there with his eyes closed and his back stiff.

"Kai?" she asked, watching Kai, "Do you want me to make you some dinner?"
All the pent up energy seemed to dissipate out of Kai and his shoulder's slumped.

"No thanks. I'm going to bed. Good night," he said, in a dead pan voice, and left the room.

"Good night Kai," Ive said, just before Kai closed his bedroom door.

Ive sighed.

"Hello, Moko Ivanov speaking,"
"Can I speak to Tala?"
"Hey Kai. How are you?"
"Fine,"
"Good. I'll get Tala then…Tala, Kai's on the phone!"
There was the sound of Tala picking up on the second phone and Moko cutting the connection on the other one.

"Hey Kai,"
"Hi Tala,"
"What's wrong?" Tala asked, frowning. He'd picked up on the deject tone in Kai's voice immediately.

"Tala…my Mum's just spoken to my Dad,"
"Your Dad? That's kinda unexpected,"
"I know. Well…my Dad asked, if I could stay over at his this summer,"
There was a deep pause, then Tala said, "This summer?"
"Yeah,"
"Your Dad?"
"Yeah,"
"Well…are you going?"
"I have to. My mum's put her foot down,"
"Kai!" Tala was angry. Kai closed his eyes, he knew this was going to happen.

"Tala, I can't help it!"
"Just tell your Mum 'no'!"
"Have you ever tried to say 'no' to my mother!"
"She can't force you to go Kai, just say no to her!"
"It's not that easy," Kai said, icily. He had a fear that Tala would be like this. He tried to convince himself it was because Tala was worried about him spending the summer at an unknown place, but he knew the truth. Tala wanted his summer with Kai all to himself, and he would be mad at anything who got in the way of that, even if it was Kai. That's what came about beign in such a big group of friends and having two best friends who find themselves tied up with others.

"Kai this is stupid. You can't spend the entire summer away from here, we had plans! You'll be leaving me on my own! This was going to be our summer! And you haven't seen your dad for seven years, why go and spend the summer with him now!"
Kai didn't say anything.

"Do you want to go!" Tala cried.
"I don't know. I mean…it'll be weird after not seeing them for seven years, but…it would be nice to see them,"
Tala was about to start yelling, Kai could tell, so he interrupted, "I can't help it Tala. You go and stay with people for summers and I don't complain. I can't ring my Dad now and say no, can I?"

Obviously Tala thought he could because he slammed the phoned own. Kai sighed. Why was life so complicated right now? He didn't want to argue with Tala, but he knew the boy too well. He would come around eventually and apologise to him and things would be normal. But not quite back to normal until Kai came back after the summer, because they wouldn't see each other.

This summer was going to be eventful, Kai knew that.

He just hoped that a) he could make up with Tala before it was through and b) staying at his Dad's would go as smoothly as possible…

Apple Senorita: You like?

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