Heya. This was meant to be up for Christmas but I had exams. So please excuse the latest. Thanks.
Misaki (a random name I found on internet) is an OC that's just kinda wheedled her way into the story and as per usual Mariam is also an OC not the Beyblade character and for part of the story to make sense you have to know her surname is between H and K.
Italics – thought
… … … - new scene
Snowdrops
"OK everyone!!!" Kai scrunched up his forehead as Misaki, the female student representative of his year, clapped her hands getting everyone's attention with her hideously loud presence. Mariam smirked seeing Kai's reaction but in a way she did feel sorry for him. He was the male student rep so he would have had to listen to her constantly and it was perfectly understandable why he'd had his fill of her. "So! As you all know!! It's Christmas!! We all voted for a Secret Santa or a prom! But!!" She paused trying to build suspense. "Unfortunately!!! Our decision was not made soon enough!! Which!! By the way!! Was due to incompetence beyond my control!!" She gave Kai a quick glare which he ignored while Mariam imagined smacking her silly; everyone knew Misaki drooled incessantly over Kai so why was she being a bitch now? "So! Secret Santa it is!!!!" Misaki giggled gaining a few smiles from her little group of friends while everyone else just wanted her to move it. "Ok!! So I'm gonna like call you out in alphabetical order, you pick and you buy and you give!! Ok?? So first up!!...Abe, Kano!!" Mariam slumped down groaning in a Marge Simpson like fashion; this was going to take forever. Kai laughed watching his good friend slowly lose the will to live.
"Yeah, you laugh Kai, but just remember if I have to endure this overexcited chipmunk's alphabetisation scheme so do you!!" She stuck her tongue out playfully. Kai gave a rare smile as Mariam hit the nail on the head with her description of Misaki.
"Fair enough." He picked up a pen and began to look down at his jotter and continue a doodle he had left unfinished the day before. Mariam pulled herself back up and started to swing on her seat feeling every second drag itself heavily over her skin. Mariam looked over at Misaki with the horrible feeling that she was going slow just to piss her off.
"Hiwatari, Kai!" Misaki squeaked giving her hair a little flick. Mariam sat bolt upright.
"That's not alphabetical!!!" She spat. Kai burst out laughing as he pulled himself up from his seat giving her a cocky wink and click of the tongue.
"I'm special."
"Kai!!!" Misaki called in a sing song fashion beckoning him in a somewhat dodgy and seductive way.
…What the fuck?…Kai raised his eyebrow sending Mariam into hysterics at the sight of his slightly traumatised expression.
"Oh shut up!" Kai strode off pulling the zip on his hoodie right up so the nutcase had less to look at. Mariam rubbed her eyes finding it hard to contain her amusement before spotting a familiar head drooped on a desk a few seconds away. She gave a low whistle making most of the room stop and look over at her. Mariam went slightly red.
Why is it whenever I do that I get everyone but her attention?? Mariam pushed her seat back and walked over to her friend.
"Kari?" Mariam gave her shoulder a small touch but Kari didn't move. "Kari!!" Mariam gave her a strong nudge that made her jolt up with sleep eyes and a pale face. "Where you working last night?" Kari nodded sleepily. "Did you get your Chemistry assignment done ok?" Kari's eyes widened.
"Shit!" She grabbed her own head in disbelief. How could she forget?? It was worth 40 of her grade. If she messed this up she'd fail the whole year.
"Kim, Kari!!" Misaki screeched.
"She missed me!!!!" Mariam raged slamming her fist off the table. Kari smiled. "Seriously where in the fuck did she learn her ABC's??"
"Kim, Kari!!!!" Misaki crossed her arms giving Kari daggers as she continued to sit down. Kari sighed.
"Sorry, gotta go to Santa's demon helper. See you in Chemistry yeah?" Mariam nodded kindly at her exhausted friend who sauntered out of her seat and up to a disgruntled Misaki who had now decided to annoy Kai.
"But you have to be in the Secret Santa!!! You're the student representative!!"
"I don't have to anything." Kai said simply before noticing Kari who stood impatiently behind Misaki waiting to get the name of the person she was to buy a present for.
"But I want to get you that penknife!!!" Misaki stomped her foot and shoved the hat containing all the names down on the table beside her without thinking. Kai inspected Misaki's face with a controlled but livid frown.
"What???" He barked. How did that little trollop know about the present he wanted?? Kai gritted his teeth feeling annoyed at himself; of course she would know! He was taking to Mariam about it in Physics and she sat right behind them in Physics.
"Th-the penknife from Oran…" She stuttered noticing the sudden angry tension that had gripped Kai's face. "You sai-"
"Do not listen to my conversations." He said sternly keeping his emotions in check while incorporating his naturally intimidating nature into his sentence. Miskai looked down at her feet.
"I ju-" The words barley left her lips before a cold wisp of air hit her arm letting her know that Kai had returned to his seat having the last say on the matter. Misaki looked up watching Kai listen to Mariam who was ranting and raving to him across the desk.
Why will he never talk to me like that? She thought feeling tears rise up in her chest before a small spark ignited in her head making her smile.
"Gimme a small bit of paper and a pen will you?" She ordered to one of her tag alongs who instantly went into a frenzy trying to find a pen and a spare bit of paper. "About time!!" Misaki snapped glaring at her as she snatched the paper and pen from the timid girl. Kari tutted at Misaki's bad attitude and crossed her arms impatiently as Misaki continued to ignore her.
Oh brother! Kari laughed to herself as she noticed what Misaki was doing.
"Hiwatari, Kai." Misaki whispered to herself before sighing happily as she looked at her beloved's name before ripping it from the sheet of paper and folding it up affectionate.
"If your little daydream about lover boy is done." Kari retorted to Misaki who became irritated as Kari made her feelings known. "I'd like to get what I've got to get and then go." Misaki's temper got the better of her and she dumped the small piece of paper into the hat without thinking and thrust it into Kari's stomach.
"Make it quick reject!" Kari rolled her eyes picking the first bit of paper that came into contact with her fingertips and looked down at the blue scrawl before smirking. Misaki looked at Kari worriedly. "What are you smirking at reject??" Kari cleared her throat grinning broadly as she put the bit of paper into her jean pocket.
"Oran. That's on the high street isn't it?" Misaki's face went pale white as she realised her blunder; she had never intended on putting the paper into the hat.
"….You got Kai?.." Kari gave Misaki a patronising pat on the head.
"If I told you it wouldn't be Secret Santa now, would it?" Kari laughed turning on her heel and leaving Misaki in a grey state of immobility.
… … …
1092… Kari stopped at the end of a posh looking street that was filled with decadent front gardens that were in turn filled to the brim with Christmas decorations. Sighing Kari continued to trek over the thick snow while peering up at the numbers of the houses. 1086...1090, its gotta be the next one. She thought relieved. The snow crunched beneath her feet as she stopped outside black gates. This house was different to say the least. Unlike the others the house and garden was naked to a single shred of Christmas décor. Talk about Scrooge. Kari shook her head thinking that she now knew where Kai got his lack of enthusiasm about the holidays from…not that she herself was too big on it either.
"What do you want?" Kari turned around at the unmistakable voice behind her. Kai stepped to her side pulling keys out of his pocket and swiftly unlocking the gate while Kari took another quick look around. Something else was different about Kai's house. It seemed so empty. Every other house had some sign of life in it; open gates, a Christmas tree with warm glowing lights or footprints on the snow that lay on the front gardens but Kai's home had nothing like that. All the curtains were drawn, the snow was an untouched blanket and the path that lead up to his front door was an immaculate black lack that seemed untouched by snow or frost. "So?" Kai crossed his arms impatiently.
"I was your Secret Santa." She said indifferently pulling her attention away from what she had recognised. Kai raised his eyebrow as she held out a small, thin and neatly wrapped gift.
"I didn't put my name in." He said bluntly turning away from it.
"But you're girlfriend did." Kai stopped trying to resist the temptation of giving Kari a piece of his mind. Kari laughed shortly after a few minutes silence. "It's quite sad." Kai looked over his shoulder at her just in time to see her shrug and place the gift on the ground before walking down the street with her hands buried in her pockets. Kai sighed.
You're telling me… He thought turning around to take a proper look at the small gold wrapping up paper on the footprint stained ground. He raised his eyes checking that Kari had really gone and wasn't waiting around the corner to prove her point. Curiosity curled itself around Kai's fingertips as he found himself bending down and picking it up gently feeling what felt like a strong casing beneath the paper. Pushing open the gate he gave it a quick instinctive shake and raised his eyebrow as something heavy gave a jolt inside. He stared at it feeling bemused as he made his way up the path to the front stairs. A few seconds ago he could have swore it was cuff links or some kind of jewellery but the clink it gave sounded like something made for real wear and tear. His fingers nimbly tugged at a taped up end of the present before he pulled out a box out of the paper. Kai nodded to himself. It looked very classy.
What in the hell is this? Kai scrunched up his brow while one of hands crumpled the wrapping paper up and shoved it into his coat pocket. Pulling off the box lid Kai felt a small warmth reach his finger tips, as sad as it may sound, this was the first time he was really excited about a present. It seemed really original and the fact that he didn't have people leering at him to find out what it was made the moment even more intangible.
"Aw!" Kai whispered to himself feeling his pupils dilate at the sight of his present. A penknife. The exact one he'd saw in the shop window. Smiling he walked over to the steps outside his house and sat himself down feeling the chill seep through his coat but not caring one bit. There it was. The small white gold phoenix nestled in the leather wrapped handle. The blade gave a mischievous glint drawing Kai's attention to its shining surface and giving him another small surprise. Just were the blade met the handle subtle but distinct katakana whispered his name proudly completing the present. Kai smiled up at the sky feeling something he had never felt before at Christmas.
… … …
Kari scratched the back of her neck as she stared at the Chemistry problem that continued to puzzle her. It all looked like ancient Greek to her with all the sigmas, deltas, omegas and alphas flying about the place. She sighed looking up at the plain black clock that hovered hauntingly over the middle of the library. This definitely was going to be a long two hours. Kari propped herself up on her elbow as her other hand started to flick through an unused book that had been a total waste of money. The peaceful hush of the library was slowly torn as the heavy wooden doors opened. Subconsciously, Kari looked up to waste time and get away from the nightmare of Chemistry.
Aw great( Kari slouched back in her seat at the sight of Kai walking into the library. Not that it was him she had the problem with, he could come and go as he pleased, it didn't make a difference to her. It was his armada of fans that followed him she couldn't stand. Their air filled heads overflowed with ridiculous daydreams of capturing a guy who clearly had no interest in their existence never mind pulling one of them. The hidden giggles and admiration filled gasps as the girls tried, and failed, to subtly watch their love interest soon became too grating to Kari. Swiftly she closed her book and dumped her stuff randomly into her bag and slid her chair back to get to her feet. Kai's eyes slowly traced the spine of a book as Kari passed him.
"Kari." The sudden appearance of his voice stopped her. "You forgot something." Kari furrowed her brow as she turned to look over at the desk she just left. It was empty and the weight in her bag seemed right. She asked crossing her arms and, with the ever present glaring eyes of Kai's fan club piercing straight through her, gave Kai a piece of her mind.
"Is this some kind of joke?" Kai shook his head and ignored the fiery eighteen year olds stance and pulled a small gift out of his pocket.
"This." Kari looked at it with distrust as it neatly sat in Kai's grip waiting to be taken from her. Eventually she shrugged gaining tuts and grumbles of disgust from The Kai Fanclub,
"I don't want it." Kai laughed at her abrupt answer and stepped forward.
"Merry Christmas Kari." He smiled dropping it into her bag as he walked past her and back out of the library's main doors leaving her looking down into her bag with a tinge of interest and a gentle smile on her face.
