Remember how last time I mentioned I did a poor job separating the characters for the chapters? This one is extra long because of that, hope it was worth the wait :D Thank you Moonshine Orchids, rokebuto, skycold, Guest, and GinMado for reviewing! I appreciate that you all take time out of your day to not only read but also review my story. On to the chapter; only a few more until it's prom time!
I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.
Ninel turned her neck slowly from side to side, then reached her arms upward, stretching out her shoulders. Her heat was set to start any minute now, and she was starting to feel the familiar, usual comforting rush of adrenaline. She bounced on her toes a few times before adjusting her swim cap, making sure no flyaway hair tendrils were peeking out.
"Ready, Dolphin Girl?" One of her teammates asked.
"Of course," Ninel replied, quite self-assured. She'd been pushing herself as hard as she could for weeks. The win was hers, and no one was about to take it from her. She refused to let that happen.
Over the past week, she'd spent an extra half-hour in the pool each practice day, stubbornly refusing to leave until she was satisfied, even when her teammates tried to get her to go out with them. The goal was in sight, and she wasn't about to let it slip away just so she could grab a slice of pizza with them. She kept her practices to what she felt would reasonably help her improve, but also would not cause her to overexert herself right before the meet.
Ninel took herself through a few more stretches before heading out of the locker room to the pool accompanied by her teammates.
The crowd was enormous, but she should've expected that. Today's meet featured four other schools, one of them their biggest rival. That was more than enough to draw people to come watch. It was their biggest meet of the season, other than regionals. If Ninel won, she would qualify for regionals, and then the real training would begin.
Ninel glanced up in the stands, trying see if any of her friends had shown up. Over on the right, she saw Sophie waving. Sophie was with Aurora, Wales, Julian, and Klaus.
On the other side, she saw Zina. She was talking to Chao Xin, who had an expressionless look on his face. Next to them were Mei Mei, Chi-yun, and Dashan. Ninel waved up to them, and was delighted when they waved back. She was thrilled to have such a strong support system behind her.
She'd just seen Dashan last night while working on math together as they did, and at that time he had told her he would be coming to watch her today. Seeing him in the stands now made her heart soar.
Ninel took a deep breath, calming her heart rate. Excitement already filled the room and she could feel those energies filling her. She couldn't let her crush distract her.
"Next up, the first heat of the one hundred meter butterfly."
Ninel's stomach flipped. She was up!
Ninel took her place in the lane she had been assigned. First, she had to get through this, then provided she placed, she would advance to the final round. From there, the top three would progress to regionals.
Ninel crouched into position. She had zero worries about this first heat. The second round would be tougher, filled with stronger, more competitive swimmers.
The whistle blew and Ninel flew off her starting point into the water. She swam through the water with ease, and before she knew it, it was over. Ninel had finished first, elated, securing herself in the final round.
She hopped out of the pool, earning high-fives and congratulations from her teammates. Ninel wrapped herself in a towel and sat down on the bench, giving her heart rate a chance to slow. Now all she had to do was cheer on the rest of the team until she was up again.
She watched the remainder of the butterfly heats carefully. There was some serious competition. Ninel recognized one of the winners as a girl who had placed at regionals last year. She was going to be tough to beat.
Soon enough, the final rounds were starting. Ninel stood up, unable to sit any longer.
Once the 100 meter butterfly was announced again, she barely refrained from running up to the starting block. For her, the meet was only just beginning. She pulled her goggles over her eyes.
Again the whistle blew. Ninel jumped from the block with perfect timing, making a small splash as she entered the water for a second time and it wrapped around her comfortingly.
She refused to pay her competitors any attention, focusing on the task at hand. She kicked her legs powerfully as she propelled herself through the water. All of her hours over the past few weeks practicing late had led up to this.
She quickly reached the other end of the pool, using her legs to push off the wall back in the direction she came from.
Ninel heard some splashing directly behind her- or was it in front? It didn't matter. Fans were yelling and shouting from all directions, sending uproarious thunder out in waves. She used the momentum she'd gained from pushing off the wall to force herself to go even faster.
The end was in sight now. She'd be there in just a few more strokes.
She slapped the end of the pool, closing her eyes. Her breath was ragged. She didn't dare look at the scoreboard yet.
When she finally opened her eyes, she saw several other swimmers had also finished. She had no idea what order any of them had been in. Ninel pulled off her swim cap and lifted herself out of the pool.
The scoreboard glittered as the times were listed. Ninel gasped.
Right next to a big number one was her name. She'd even smashed her own personal record.
Ninel resisted the urge to scream her happiness to the world. She'd wanted to place so badly and she'd exceeded that goal and then some. Not only had she earned a spot in regionals, she'd won the entire butterfly heat! All of her hard work had really paid off.
Her teammates swarmed her, chanting "Dolphin Girl" over and over again. In that glorious moment, Ninel felt she couldn't be any happier.
Later, Ninel waited until the locker room was empty when the meet was over. The rest of the team was going out to celebrate. Ninel promised to meet up with them a little later.
She glanced around the pool stadium, relieved to find it was empty. Ninel dove into the pool, allowing herself to relax and let the water ease her tension. After all the excitement and commotion throughout the day, she needed some time to herself. She floated on her back for a moment, breathing in deeply.
"You never quit, do you?"
Ninel's eyes bolted open. She stood up quickly, looking around.
Dashan appeared from behind the bleachers, staring on in amusement. Ninel let out a sigh of relief.
"I suppose not," Ninel admitted. She climbed out of the pool to meet him.
"You were on fire today, Ninel," Dashan commented. "Congratulations on your win."
"Thank you," Ninel smiled. She picked up her towel and began drying her red-brown hair.
Dashan shifted, almost appearing what Ninel thought was nervous. She gave him a confused look. Dashan was always confident. Something was up. She hoped nothing bad had happened since the meet ended.
"Is something wrong?" the Russian-Burmese girl asked.
"Ninel… I've been thinking about this a lot, and I wanted to bring it up last night, but I knew you had a lot on your mind with this competition coming up so I didn't want to add to it. But now seems like as a good a time as ever, and I wanted to ask before it was too late. It's taken me longer than it should have to come to this conclusion, but I've realized I really like you. Ninel, will you go to prom with me?"
Ninel's hand flew up to cover her mouth, eyes wide and shining with happiness. "I- Of course I'll go to prom with you, Dashan!"
Her day was coming together more perfectly than she'd ever imagined. She fell forward to hug him, and when he leaned down to kiss her gently Ninel gladly met him.
Zina yawned as she waited for the bell to ring announcing the end of the day. She tapped her pencil repeatedly on the desk.
It was only Wednesday, but she was already wishing the week was over with. Earlier, she had attempted to talk to Chao Xin, in an attempt to wheedle more out of him regarding the mystery girl, but she hadn't had much luck. In fact, Chao Xin had practically steered the conversation in a completely different direction the moment she brought it up. She had no idea what that was about.
In better news, Mei Mei had at least convinced Chao Xin that the two of them should check out the new coffee shop that had opened down the street once school was over. Zina was going to tag along, too, so it didn't come across as suspicious. They didn't want it to look like a date; the goal was merely to remind Chao Xin that Mei Mei wasn't just another one of his fangirls. If Chao Xin really had a vested interest in whoever this other girl was, just throwing Mei Mei at him in romantic fashion wasn't going to solve that problem. They couldn't force him to like her simply because that was what they wanted.
Zina stared out the window, placing her elbow on the desk as she rested her chin on her hand. It wasn't a date, but she still kind of felt like a bit of a third wheel. She was close with both bladers, but there was real intent behind this plot. It wasn't like they were hanging out the way they usually did.
Zina tapped her pencil again. She was definitely going to need a snack soon.
After what felt like ages, the bell finally rang. Zina crammed her notebook back into her bag and left the classroom, heading straight for her locker. She'd meet Mei Mei and Chao Xin in front of the school shortly.
Zina tossed her unneeded books into her locker and slammed it shut. She turned, only to stop short. Her heart thudded wildly.
About ten feet ahead of her in the crowd was Chris. Zina bit her lip, going back and forth over the split second decision she had to make before he disappeared. It was now or never.
She started pushing her way through the crowd. "H-Hey! Chris!"
He turned around, not noticing her. Zina watched in disbelief. She was taller than average, it couldn't be thathard to pick her out in a crowd. She called his name again.
Chris once more spun in confusion, though his eyes lit with understanding the moment he saw her. He stepped off to the side, out of the flow of the crowd and waited for Zina to catch up.
Seconds later, Zina was by his side. She immediately got straight to the point. "Are you doing anything right now? Mei Mei, Chao Xin, and I are going to that new coffee shop. You could tag along if you wanted."
Chris looked surprised at first, but his expression quickly smoothed out. "Sure, sounds like a good time."
"It will be," Zina said assuredly. "Besides, it's been a while since we've hung out. We should catch up."
Mei Mei and Chao Xin were already waiting when the two of them located them outside the building.
"Ready to go?" Mei Mei asked with a smile.
The coffee shop was less than a mile away. Zina glanced at Chris and a devious plan popped into her mind.
"I bet I can beat you to the coffee shop," she said slyly.
"No chance," Chris replied, mildly overconfident. "I've got this hands down."
"Please," Zina said, feeling a bit cocky. "A middle school student could beat you in a race."
Chris's purple eyes locked with her brown ones. "We'll see about that." Before he was finished, he'd already taken off running.
"Hey!" Zina yelled, pushing off her right heel and flinging herself forward as she quickly caught up with him. Behind her, she could hear Mei Mei laughing.
Zina bumped into him, causing Chris to lose his balance as he stumbled. He called after her, but she was already too far ahead to hear him, taking full advantage of the opportunity.
Minutes later, Zina stopped in front of the door, taking deep breaths to slow her heart rate.
Chris begrudgingly reached her. "You cheated," he accused, a smile on his face showing he wasn't really upset with her. "That win was mine."
"I cheated?" Zina snorted. "I'm sorry, all I did was accidentally bump into you. You'rethe one who cheated. You took a head start."
Chris cocked his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. It's not my fault you weren't on the ball."
Zina was about to fire another retort when she was interrupted. "If you two lovebirds are done bickering, let's just get inside," Chao Xin commented as he and Mei Mei met up at the door.
"We're not lovebirds," Zina and Chris responded in unison. Zina peeked over to see Chris's reaction, but it remained impassive. She couldn't tell what he was thinking.
Zina pushed her way over to the counter, trying not to dwell on things she didn't know about. "Woah. Look at that menu."
On several large black chalkboards, drinks, sandwiches, bakery treats, and daily specials were written in a glittering array of colors. There were so many options it became overwhelming.
After spending a good five minutes looking over the menu, the four of them placed their orders before taking over an unoccupied table. A large line had formed at the counter. Zina was glad they'd managed to arrive so quickly. They had only just beat the rush.
"Did you guys hear Ninel and Dashan are going to prom together?" Mei Mei asked.
Zina nodded enthusiastically. "I'm so happy for them!"
Chao Zin yawned. "I think it's great. The two of them have been close for forever. My plans to go to prom with the new girl fell through."
Mei Mei and Zina perked up, their eyes locking. A faint smile crossed Mei Mei's lips, though she hid it well under a mask of concern.
"What happened?" Mei Mei asked.
Chao Xin shrugged. "She's busy that day and it turns out she's already met someone at her private school."
"So she turned you down?" Zina asked, arching an eyebrow. The though of any girl turning Chao Xin down just seemed unbelievable.
"No, I didn't even get a chance to ask her actually. The guy she likes is in the school's theater program and they have a performance the day of our prom." Chao Xin flashed a cheeky grin. "But it's not like it really matters. I'll just go single as the most eligible guy there. Girls will be falling all over me."
Zina rolled her eyes, although she knew it was true. What a lucky break that had been, though. Mei Mei was barely containing her excitement. The chances of her being able to go to prom with Chao Xin were looking better and better. Zina spun the straw from her drink in a circle.
Chris was also watching Chao Xin with mild amusement. "Only you could be that cocky."
"Am I wrong?" Chao Xin shrugged again. "What about you, Chris? Are yougoing with anyone?"
Chris stiffened. "Maybe. I'm thinking about it."
Zina looked up from the biscotti assortment they'd placed in the center of the table as Chris's comment interrupted her search for the perfect snack. Chris was thinking about going with someone? What if it was her? What if it wasn'ther?
Before she could say anything, the door swung open, strangely drawing the attention of everyone to it.
A tall boy with dark hair covering the left side of his face entered the coffee shop. Zina followed him with interest. She recognized him as Marcos. Zina had heard of him before, but she'd never had the chance to speak with him.
Marcos strode up to the counter, the barista hanging on his every word. Zina watched intently and noticed the others looking as well.
Chao Xin had an odd look on his face. "Does anyone else get the feeling that there's more to him than he's letting on?"
"What makes you say that?" Chris asked.
"He's… charismatic, but he comes across as guarded, too. It's hard to get a read on what he's really thinking."
"We could say the same about you, Chao Xin," Mei Mei put in. "On the outside, you're 'charismatic' when it comes to the ladies, but on the inside, you're just as weird as the rest of us." Zina snickered and even Chris had trouble holding back a laugh.
Tinkling bells chimed as the door opened once more. This time, another person from their school came in: Lera. Her pink pigtails bounced as she walked.
Marcos took his order from the barista, surveying the room. Most of the tables were overflowing, with students standing next to their sitting friends as they held their drink. The single seats along the back counter were also filled up. The new shop had become quite popular with students in the short time it'd been open for business. His mouth twitched downward in a frown.
Marcos saw an empty seat, deciding it was in his best interests to meet some new people. He couldn't carry his drink and bike home at the same time.
"Is this seat taken?" He gestured to the empty seat next to Mei Mei. Mei Mei shook her head, a little confused.
"My apologies," Marcos said easily. "I did not realize how busy it would be this afternoon."
Zina wasn't sure what to think of him. Chao Xin was definitely onto something. Marcos wasn't who he appeared to be. "No problem," Zina said, keeping her voice distant. She never let herself grow close to new people too quickly.
Marcos reclined in his chair. "Have any of you been here before?"
"No," Mei Mei said, trying to be friendly. "It only opened last week, this was our first chance to visit."
Marcos nodded. "It already seems to draw a crowd."
As the others processed his comment, they were interrupted a second time.
Lera was standing next to them, looking a bit awkward. She held a sandwich in her hands. "Is it okay if I sit here? Or I could take the chair and sit somewhere else if you'd prefer. This is pretty much the only spot left."
"You can sit here," Chao Xin nodded. It wasn't like the four of them had been looking for privacy in the first place. They should've known the coffee shop was going to be packed right after the last bell freed them.
As soon as Lera sat down, another group of girls walked past them disappointed. It seemed as though they'd been trying to get close to Chao Xin, hoping to snag that last seat. Marcos made a mental note of the sway the other boy appeared to have over the girls. One never knew when something like that could come in handy.
Lera's statement had been correct. As more and more people received their orders, they were forced to stand off to the side and wait for tables to clear if they didn't intend on leaving right away. The baristas were overwhelmed with the massive increase in customers; it had likely been slow for them the past few hours. Marcos had to wonder if the number of people crowding the shop posed a fire hazard.
"So what do you guys think of the prom theme?" Mei Mei asked, a little tentative. Marcos realized the question was probably directed at him and Lera, seeing as they were the ones who had been the party crashers. It made sense for her to bring up the easiest conversational topic in hopes of chasing away any lingering discomfort.
Lera's eyes lit up. "I love it!" She exclaimed. "Galaxy sounds so much fun. I really want to be an astronaut someday. I hope if they try to make constellations or anything out of decorations they do it accurately." Marcos listened closely.
He couldn't quite pin down why, but he was quite interested in Lera at the moment. He hadn't seen much of her since that day she'd bumped into him in the hallway, but he still thought about her from time to time. He supposed it was because he didn't know enough about her the way he did a large portion of the other students.
"I agree," Zina put in. "I hope the decorating committee does a good job."
"They better," Marcos added dryly. "They've really raised the hopes of everyone with this theme. It's unlike anything the school has done in the past."
"It's going to be a great time," Lera said confidently. "Prom is supposed to be one of the highlights of your high school career. There are students on the decorating and planning committees who have been dreaming about this for years. They won't let us down."
Marcos considered her optimistic perspective. Lera may have been convinced everything would go off without a hitch, but there were far too many factors unaccounted for for Marcos to feel the same way. The decorations, music, and food might be predictable, but as far as the rest event was concerned, anything could happen.
He listened carefully as the others chatted excitedly about the theme, adding their own opinions, taking it all in.
Gin was walking along one of the trails behind her neighborhood, taking in the warm weather. The days had finally become warmer and the rain from earlier in the week had stopped. Springtime had really started now.
Along the path, brightly colored flowers were beginning to bloom. Teeny strands of green grass stretched up towards the sky, no longer hindered by snow and cold weather. She couldn't have picked a better day for a walk.
Birds were chirping, but not loudly or frequently enough to bother her. She was so glad she taken the opportunity to head out into the wild and clear her head. The move had worked out better than she expected. She loved having so much nature surrounding her.
There was a lake that ran parallel to the trail. She had yet to check it out, but maybe today would be the day. Gin could see the blue water shining up ahead in the distance through the trees.
As she drew closer to it, she noticed something strange. She thought she saw a person, but she couldn't be certain. The trees obstructed her view. She moved in closer.
Gin did a double take. There was definitely someone sitting by the lake. She stepped off the trail towards the water, using the foliage to hide herself.
She didn't know why she was so cautious, but whoever it was, they had taken care so that they wouldn't be seen. From most angles, they would have been completely obscured from view. If Gin hadn't looked so closely, she never would've noticed them as they sat up against the rocks by the water's edge surrounded by trees.
Gin nearly gasped, but refrained from making the sudden noise. She immediately recognized that person. She stepped from the woods, pushing aside branches to announce herself.
Before she had a chance, a dull, tired voice called out, "I know you're there. Show yourself."
Kyoya turned, his eyes suddenly widening when he realized it was Gin. He visibly returned to a relaxed state.
Something was off. Kyoya's normally bright blue eyes looked empty and vacant.
"Is everything okay?" Gin asked.
Kyoya stared out across the lake. "We broke up," he said after a several beats of silence.
It was hard to cover up her surprise. "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that," Gin said, and found that she genuinely meant it. Sure, she did have a crush on him and he was single now, but he was obviously hurting from the breakup. Just because the girlfriend was out of the picture didn't mean Gin would automatically swoop in and things would be perfect between them. Seeing him in pain hurt her, too. "Do you mind if I sit here?"
"Go ahead." Kyoya gestured to the ground next to him.
Gin eased herself to down to the earth and stretched her legs out in front of her. "Are you okay?" It seemed like the only thing she could ask without overstepping any boundaries.
"Yeah," Kyoya exhaled. "We both knew this was coming, but it's just… weird. Things hadn't been working between us for a while, but now that it's really over with everything feels surreal."
Gin pulled her legs into her chest, taking in the pretty sight of sunlight reflecting off the sparkling blue lake. "I get that. It's never easy, even if it's for the best."
Kyoya didn't have a response to that. They sat there in silence for a few minutes. Gin wanted to say something, but she wasn't sure what more she could really say. It wasn't like she could fix the situation. With breakups, time was required more than anything. Kyoya was strong; Gin knew he would be fine, but she also understood why he had taken to coming to such a secluded area. If he'd known this was coming, he'd probably already been mentally preparing for it. This was the best place to clear his head.
Briefly, she considered leaving, but decided the best thing she could do was stick around, allowing her presence to convey that she was there for him if he needed anything. She hoped he appreciated it, that she wasn't bothering him.
She wasn't sure how much longer they sat there, listening to the soft waves lap up against the rocky sands in front of them. She stared ahead focusing on the blue water, the occasional fish jumping out. Up above them, fluffy white clouds moved lazily across the bright blue sky.
Gin took advantage of the peaceful quiet to let her own mind wander, taking in the world around her.
Kyoya stood up. "I should get going. Thanks, Gin. I'll see you around." As he turned to face the woods in search of the trail, he laughed suddenly.
"What?" Gin stood up as well, curious. The sound was so unexpected.
"I just realized- I don't have to go to prom anymore." With that, Kyoya ran off into the trees and out of sight.
Of course he would see it that way. Gin shook her head, wondering what would happen now.
