Reivin17: Warning! Slight Mariah bashing! Anywho! On with it!

Title: HeartBeat

Author: Reivin Romanovski

Chapter 3: Shopping!

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The three boys sat in the living room couch. In front of them on the other couch sat in front of them. It had been two weeks ever since the beach incident. Now they were all sitting around bored.

"So bored." mumbled Tala as Rei yawned. Kai sat there, a bored expression on his face.

Tara sighed and then suddenly got an idea. She looked at Reivin and Reivin cheered up too. They both looked at Katana and she stared at them before she shrugged but nodded. The boys just stared at them, confused.

"Boys, we decided on how to keep ourselves busy." Reivin said with a smile.

"I'm afraid to ask, but how?" Tala said.

"Shopping!" all three girls said at the same time. The boys groaned and slumped down on the couch.

"Not shopping!" Tala said as he hit his forehead. "Anything but that!"

"Nope, we all decided it was the best thing to do." Reivin told her boyfriend.

"Hn." Was all Kai said as he looked away. Katana looked at him concerned but then shrugged it off immediately.

"I don't mind as much." Rei said with a shrug. "As long as Tara's happy, I'm happy."

"Awww!" all three girls said at the same time. Tara went and hugged Rei around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I told you girls Rei was the nicest out of the three!" Tara said as she pulled back from Rei and smiled.

"Yeah, yeah." Reivin said as she waved her hand up and down.

"You don't have to rub it in." Katana said as she crossed her arms.

"What are you talking about?" Tala asked.

"Oh, Tara said that Rei was nicer than you other guys." Reivin said and then sighed. "I guess she was right."

"You talk about us?" Rei asked.

"When do we not?" Tara said as she stood next to the girls.

"What do you talk about?" Kai asked with a raised eyebrow.

All three girls looked away and somewhere else.

"You don't wanna know." Reivin said as she laughed nervously.

"Let's go shopping now!" Tara instantly changed the subject.

"Yeah, let's!" Katana said and all three girls headed out the door.

"Wait up!" Rei yelled after them as all three guys ran after them.

"And we do want to know!" Tala yelled.

(At the mall)

"Wow the KuraKura Island mall is so huge!" Reivin exclaimed as Tala put his arm around her waist.

"What did you expect?" Tala said as he tried to pull her even closer to him.

"Can "breath!" Reivin said as she gasped. Tala laughed and released his hold a bit. "I'm still alive!"

"Guys, you're attracting attention?" Katana said and the others sweat dropped. Everyone in the mall had stopped to look at them.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just get your shopping done." Tala said and the girls nodded.

"We'll meet at the food court in an hour. Have your cell phones on at all times." Tara said and the other girls nodded. After that, Tala and Reivin went their own way, Tara and Rei another, and Kai and Katana another way.

(With Tara and Rei)

"Come on Rei! I wanna go there!" Tara said as she pointed to store. Rei looked to where she was pointing and blushed.

"I can't go in there!" he complained.

"Why not?"

"Tara, it's an all girls lingerie and party clothes store. I'd be the only guy." He answered.

"Rei, you either go with me now or wait until the waterworks come out."

"Okay, okay! Just don't cry." He said as he crossed his arms and they started walking to the store. "I hate it when you cry."

Tara started looking around the store as Rei followed her. Almost everything on the store was pink and it scared him. It scared him even more since all the working girls were wearing skimpy outfits and they all had a super perky smile on their faces. All the customers were staring at him like he was an alien too. Or maybe like a guy in a girl's store. Yeah, that was it.

"May I help you Miss?" asked one of the girls that work there towards Tara. She was wearing the uniform that looked like a maid uniform only it was pink where all the black was supposed to be. She had a name tag that said "Hello, my name is Anna. How may I help you?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for something cute." Tara said. "You know, just for hanging out."

Anna nodded and looked at Rei. "Your boyfriend?" she asked and Tara nodded. Anna nodded too and thought for a moment before she smiled. "I got the perfect thing for you!"

Anna picked out some outfits and ragged Tara to the dressing rooms. Rei sighed and followed. Anna told Rei to sit down on a chair they had as she directed Tara inside the dressing room.

Rei heard a shuffle of clothes from inside the dressing room and Anna was smiling her perky smile as she waited for Tara to come outside. (AN: They're NOT in the dressing room together!)

"It's not what I had in mind." Tara said from inside the room.

"Nonsense! I think it would look very good at you! Now come out so your boyfriend can give you his opinion."

The door opened revealing Tara wearing an almost see thru pink bra and underwear. Rei literally fell off his chair as he stared wide-eyed at her.

"What do you think?" Anna asked as she kept on smiling. Tara had an unsure look on her face and looked at Rei.

"Um…" Rei said as he got up. "You want me to be honest?"

"Yeah." Tara said.

"You look really hot," He said. "But you kinda look like a slut."

Tara instantly turned back into the changing room to change. Anna had a look of pure shock on her face and stuck her nose up in the air before she left. Tara came back and threw the clothes she had tried on aside.

Tara pulled Rei by the wrist as they walked out the store.

"Rei?" Tara asked as they started looking for a different store.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I'm glad you were honest back at the store."

"I'll always be honest with you. Maybe not to the others, but I'll always be honest to you." Rei said as he smiled at her. Tara smiled back rested her head on his shoulder.

"Rei?" someone said from behind them. They turned around and came face to face with…

"Mariah?" Rei said as the pink haired girl came up to Rei and hugged him.

She pushed Tara aside causing her to fall to the floor. "Mariah, what are you-"

He never finished as Mariah kissed him. His eyes widened and Tara gasped.

Rei pushed Mariah away quickly and she looked at him confused.

"Mariah, I have a girlfriend!" Rei told the girl.

"What? Where is the little bitch then?" she asked as she crossed her arms. Rei went to help Tara up but Tara pushed him away. She got up quickly and wiped the tears that had fallen when they were kissing.

'Was he cheating on me?' Tara thought. 'I should have known he was

cheating on me! It was all too good to be true!'

Tara left and Rei started to go after her but Mariah held his arm.

"Rei, you have to pick. It's either me or her." Mariah said.

"I pick her." He said as he pulled his arm away from her grasp. Mariah looked shocked.

"What! But why!" she said.

"I really like her. Mariah, you're just a childhood friend and nothing more! I don't like you like that, I never have. And I don't plan on loosing her because of you!" Rei yelled as he ran off after Tara, leaving Mariah stunned.

(Kai and Katana)

"Come on Kai." Katana said as she rolled her eyes. "You have to go in at least one store."

"No." was his answer. "Those stores are too girly. Nothing will look good on you."

"So you're saying I don't look like a girl enough to go into those shops?" she asked him as she put her hand on her hips.

"I never said that."

"It sure sounded like it!"

"Well it wasn't." said Kai as he scowled. "Just forget it."

Katana looked at him with a concerned look.

"Kai?" she asked him quietly. "What happened to you Kai?"

"What are you talking about?" Kai asked, obviously annoyed.

"You've changed so much Kai. You've changed since we last dated. You don't talk as much, you don't have fun as much, and you don't even smile anymore. You're not the same Sea I had from back then." She said as she held his hand as they walked.

"He's gone and he's never coming back." Kai said as he looked away.

"I miss him. You used to smile at me so much, and it always cheered me up when I was sad. If I wasn't feeling well, you just smiled and made all my troubles go away. I"I know it sound a bit selfish, but I want him back."

Kai looked down, his bangs covering his eyes. They stopped walking and stood there, people passing by but they didn't care. It was as is everyone had disappeared and it was just the two of them left.

"If you don't like me no one's forcing you to stay with me." Kai said quietly. He feared she might agree and leave him, but he wasn't going to force her.

"No. I like you a lot. I won't ever leave you, but I wished you at least smiled at me more."

"I've tried." He said. "I've tried to, but I can't."

"You just got to be yourself. I know, the real you is in there somewhere."

Kai looked at her as she smiled at him. He tried to, but he could only smile inwardly. He just smirked and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Want to remind me of the good old times?" he asked quietly.

"What do you have in mind?"" she asked cautiously.

He brought his head down and whispered into her ear huskily, "How about some bonding sex when we get back to the hotel?"

Her eyes widened as she pushed him back. "Kai!" she yelled, as he laughed a bit, still smirking. Katana pouted and they started heading to the food court since the hour was almost over.

"I was being serious?" Kai told her quietly. Katana blushed and looked away, deciding to ignore him.

(Tala and Reivin)

"Let's go there!" Reivin said as she pulled Tala into a swimsuit store.

"You already have a swimsuit. Why another?" Tala said as he followed anyway.

"Come on, we need to have some fun!" Reivin said as she smiled. "Live a little!"

Tala sighed and watched as Reivin grabbed a lot of different swimsuits and headed towards the changing room. Reivin went inside and started to change.

Tala waited and she came back out wearing a dark blue two-piece bikini.

"What do you think?" she asked him.

"Six points for being a two piece but three points for the color." Tala said as he shrugged.

"What color is better, almighty God of colors?" she said sarcastically.

"Red."

"Figures." She said as she rolled her eyes and went back inside. She came back out wearing a bright red two-piece bikini that was tied with spaghetti straps at the top. It showed off a bit of cleavage but it wasn't anything that looked slutty.

"This any better, mighty God of colors?" she asked him.

"Yes, much better. A perfect ten for both categories. In fact, it's so nice I'll buy it for you." Tala said as he smiled.

"You just want to see me in it."

"Of course. Would you mind wearing it around the hotel room all the time?"

"Yes, I would mind."

"Then will you do me two favors?"

"Depends." She said as she shrugged.

"Okay, please the almighty God of colors and come sit on my lap. This chair is very uncomfortable." Tala said as he pointed to the metal chair he was sitting on.

"Wouldn't that make it even worse?" she asked.

"Not really. Now, please your God!" he said as he patted his lap. She sighed and sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"So, what's the second favor?" she asked.

"Take off the top."

Reivin got up and smacked his head. "Pervert!"

"I was just kidding!" he said as he rubbed the spot where she hit him.

"Right?" she said, not believing him. "And what if I had taken it off?"

"Err…I'd enjoy it?"

"My point exactly." Reivin said as she went back into the dressing room.

She came back started walking out, followed by Tala.

"You aren't going to buy it?" Tala asked in disbelief.

"Of course not!" Reivin said as they headed towards the food court. "I was just having fun.

"Fine, spoil my fun!" Tala said as he crossed his arms and pouted. "I'm mad at you."

"Good luck with that." she said as she held his hand as they entered the food court area.

He scowled but then sighed.

Reivin saw Katana and Kai over at a table. They were talking with Tara, but she was crying. Reivin let go of Tala's hand and rushed over to her, Tala following behind her.

"What's wrong Tara?" Reivin asked as she got to her.

"Some girl went up to Rei and kissed him. He knew her and everything." Tara said in between sobs.

"Tara… I'm so sorry." Reivin said, using a nickname they used when something important or depressing was going on in their life. Reivin hugged Tara and Tara whispered a "thanks" to her.

"Tara?" someone asked and they turned to look at who it was. Rei.

"Go away." Tara said as she wiped her cheeks.

"Tara, please listen to me." Rei asked and Tara hesitated but nodded. "I don't like Mariah at all. She was just a childhood friend from where I'm from. She always thought I liked her and every time I told her I didn't, she always kept flirting back. She didn't know I had a girlfriend."

Tara smiled a bit and hugged Rei from around the waist. Rei hugged her back. "Oh Rei, that means so much to me." She said.

The rest just smiled and sat down at the table Tara had been. Rei and Tara sat back down.

"So, what should we do next?" asked Tala as he looked at Reivin.

Reivin looked at Tara, and Tara looked at Katana, and Katana nodded in response.

"Clubbing!" the three girls shouted at the same time. The boys groaned again at their choice but still nodded. If they had survived shopping, they were sure to survive going to a club.

"Let's go then!" Reivin said as they stood up and left to the hotel so they could change.