the real vampire: Well everyone, we're back with the next instalment and for those clever people out there who have already gathered this, there is only one chapter (and one side of love left) – cookies to anyone who can guess what it is! Oh and I'm now driving… so any Brit's out there, advanced warning – I'm on the roads! Yeah!
Claire: If I guess correctly, does that mean I get cookies too? …… apparently not, I'm gonna go cry now coz it's nearly over! And because I am being denied cookies! ENJOY !
the real vampire: I can't give you cookies 'cos you already KNOW what the last chapter is called. This is for everyone else to guess. You can have cookies when I get back from driving… you might have to wait a while for the driving instructor to stop shaking but 'grins'….
Claire: I do feel sooo sorry for your driving instructor! But anyway can't I have a cookie now? However we are now just prolonging this but it is only because I don't want it too finish! 'cries'
Shout outs: BiccaBoo - 'evil grin'. I know exactly what I'm doing. And am I gonna sort it out? You'll have to see... Jessesgirl11 - The fun goes on... here's your update! Jnr Cpl Scarlett - I cannot wait for the 22nd, rock on SPD! Thanks. CamFan4Ever - I'm ebil? Yup, definitely. So I wonders how you are gonna be ebil back! 'Grins', hope you like this chapter! coloradoavsgirl19 - Thank you. Welcome on board! Everyone else (including you lurkers) thanks for sticking with me, and I (we) love hearing all your comments!
Ok, so it's time to quit stalling 'cos you guys don't wanna hear us 'discussing' (aka arguing over) things so here's chapter 7. Read, enjoy and as always, click the little button and REVIEW! (Oh, and try to guess what the last chapter is gonna be called!)
I Need You
Kira walked into Hayley's Cyberspace and found only Ethan, sitting at a computer. "Have you seen Conner?" she asked him in a low voice.
"Not today."
"Ha… have you seen him at all this week?"
"He was in yesterday, but didn't stay long." Ethan said, not really paying attention to her.
"Did he… did he say anything about me?" Kira asked in a quiet voice, swallowing the lump in her throat.
"No," Ethan looked up to see the expression on her face. "Have you two had an argument?"
Kira couldn't hold back the tears any longer, "He hates me Ethan," she burst out. "He told me he never wanted to see me again and he hated me, and he meant it. The look in his eyes when he said it… I've hurt him so much. I never meant to, I'd never have wanted to hurt him. It's all a stupid misunderstanding. But he won't speak to me. I've tried calling him but he's not answering. He's never going to forgive me. I've messed it all up," she sobbed.
"Whoa, calm down," Ethan said, taken back. He led her to a sofa out of the way. "Slow down, what's happened?"
"Trent came round my house on Sunday," she whispered through her tears. "I told him it was all over but as he left, I, we kissed and Conner saw…" She didn't have to say anymore.
Ethan sighed, "You want me to have a word with him?"
"No, I've blown it with him. I know that, yet I can't forget him." She fell silent as she realised she was speaking her thoughts out loud.
"Well, are you coming to his soccer game tomorrow night?"
Kira shook her head, "No, he won't want me there."
Ethan shrugged, "Suit yourself. I think you're making a big mistake. I never thought you gave up that easily Kira."
"I'm not giving up," she whispered, but even she didn't really believe herself.
xxx
Conner didn't know what to do. He'd tried to hang out with Ethan at Hayley's, but he'd found himself glancing up every time someone walked in the door, just in case she did. He didn't want to see Kira ever again. She'd hurt him so bad… Seeing her kissing a guy he disliked (to put it mildly) was bad enough, but when she was supposedly dating him? Conner had never felt the way he did about Kira with any other person, and she had broken his heart. The betrayal stung. No, worse, it felt like she had driven a knife straight into his heart. She might have well as.
Driving around in his red mustang he found himself outside Dr. O's house. Must be an automatic reaction he thought with a wry smile, remembering his and Ethan's first rushed trip to Dr. O's. Kira had just been captured and…
He shook the thoughts out of his head and was planning to drive away again when the door of the house opened and Dr. O appeared.
"I thought I heard a car. Hey Conner, what's up?" he greeted the ex-red dino ranger. He hadn't seen Conner and the others since Sunday morning when they had all been at the Cyberspace together.
"I was just, er…" Conner couldn't think of an excuse, "…passing by?" he finished lamely as he got out of the car.
Dr. O could see from the look on the young man's face that something wasn't right. "You want to come in for a drink?" he asked.
"Sure," Conner said, following him into the house.
"Pineapple juice ok?" Dr. O asked, bringing two through to the living room.
"Thanks." Conner took the drink but just stared at it, still preoccupied by his private torment.
"You want to talk?"
"Huh?" Conner looked up.
"I've known you long enough to be able to tell when something's wrong. Would it help if you talked about it?"
Conner sighed, "I saw Kira kissing Trent on Sunday night," he said softly.
Dr. O understood instantly. "Ah," he said, "Have you talked to Kira?"
"No," Conner shook his head. "I can't even bear to think about her. It hurts. I never thought I could hurt so badly."
Dr. O gave him a sympathetic smile, "Love does hurt Conner. And if you're feeling so bad, then it must be love that's causing it. If you only liked Kira, well… Your feelings must run deeper than that. Love causes the worst pain," he finished, staring into the distance as he remembered Kim and the pain she had caused him.
"Love?" Conner's brow creased up, "I never thought about that before but I guess it is… was," he corrected himself.
"What are you going to do?" Dr. O asked.
"Do?" Conner shrugged and stood up, "I'm going to play soccer. It's the big game this evening so I'd better be off. Thanks for the drink and everything Dr. O. I'll see you tonight?"
"You bet," Dr. O replied, with a hint of sadness in his voice. If Conner and Kira, who only four days ago had been all over each other, couldn't make it, what hope was there for everyone else?
xxx
Conner arrived at the pitch ready for the big game and was greeted by his teammates.
"Hey Cotton," Derrick yelled over to him.
'Cotton' had become Reefside Highs' soccer team's nickname for him ever since they'd watched the film 'Dodgeball' and had been in hysterics to see one of the commentators was called Cotton McKnight (it wasn't mentioned that although Cotton might share Conner's name it was the other commentator who seemed to share his brain!). It had stuck.
"Hey guys," Conner said, forcing a grin. Despite what he had said to Dr. O about just playing soccer, he was finding it hard to focus. Thoughts of Kira still floated around his head.
"You ok?" Derrick asked as the team prepared to run out onto the pitch.
"Fine," Conner said shortly. "Let's play some soccer."
Derrick nodded but didn't have the chance to say anything more because at that point the team, led by Conner in his position as captain, ran out of the tunnel onto the pitch to the sounds of the cheering crowd. This was it, the final game of the season. The Big One.
As his team took their positions for kick-off, Conner scanned the crowd. Dr. O was there, and Hayley along with Trent and Ethan. Conner frowned when he saw Trent. But there was no sign of Kira.
He hadn't expected her to be there, but even still disappointment swelled up in his chest. Since they had become rangers and friends Kira hadn't missed a single one of his games. Trying to shake these thoughts out of his head was nearly impossible and Conner almost missed the referee's starting whistle. The game was on.
xxx
It was the worst Conner had ever played. He kept making simple judgement errors that more than once resulted in the other side intercepting the ball. At half time he was screamed at by his coach, which improved his game slightly, allowing him to score in the sixty-first minute. But Conner knew he could play better. So why wasn't he?
He also knew the answer to that – Kira. You're being silly Conner he mentally chided himself You played ten times better than this before you got to know Kira so snap out of it. Even so, he missed Kira cheering him on from the stands, her voice always reaching his ears above everyone else's.
The match finally ended after two minutes of extra time – ninety-two minutes of hell – with the score 3-2 to Reefside.
But for the first time ever, Conner didn't care. He ignored the celebrations of his teammates and quietly slipped out of the changing rooms. He ran all the way to Kira's house, with a little help from his dino powers, and banged on her door.
"Kira please open up. I'm sorry for what I said – I was upset. I need to talk to you. I have to know if there's still a chance for us. Please open up." But there was no answer. The door remained firmly shut. "Please Kira," Conner's voice had dropped to a whisper and the tears he had been fighting to hold back spilled from his eyes and ran down his cheeks, "I need you…"
When I'm lost, I try to find you.Turn around, I'm right behind you.
"Conner?" He spun around to see Kira standing behind him. She stared at his tear-stained face and then her eyes rose to meet his. "What do you mean you need me?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth she realised how harsh they sounded.
Conner shook his head, his throat choked up, "You mean everything to me; I never realised how much until I let you go. Without you, I'm empty. Without you, my life has no meaning. I need you to make me whole. When I was playing soccer, all I could think about was how much I needed you there, how much I needed to hear your voice, cheering me on."
Kira stared at him, "You're unbelievable Conner. You play crap 'cos I'm not there and suddenly you need me. I don't believe this…" She made to walk past him.
He reached out and grabbed her arm, "That's not what I…"
"You didn't even give me a chance to explain." She turned to him, her eyes blazing.
"I know, and I'm so sorry." He tried to blink back his tears.
Kira saw them and she broke down, "No Conner, it's me who should be sorry. This is my fault, I kissed Trent, I hurt you, but you have to know I didn't mean to. I swear, Trent and me are over. I finished with him, but then we kissed… gods I don't know why but we did. But it's over. It's you I want to be with, not Trent. You. If you'll still have me, if you meant what you said…"
Conner put a finger to her lips and she found herself looking deep into his chocolate brown eyes, "I meant every word, Kira. You mean so much to me; I can't imagine living without you. I need you to be with me. Please."
Kira looked away, "I went to play my guitar earlier, but all I could think of was how much I'd messed things up." She looked back up into his eyes and smiled, "I guess I need you too."
Conner smiled, then paused as something Kira had said came back to him, "How did you know I played badly?
Kira replied in a soft voice, "I did watch you Conner, but I didn't want you to see me. I didn't think you wanted me there."
"I wanted you there so much," Conner said softy. Kira's eyes filled with tears and she looked away, why had she been so stupid? Conner's next words cut through her thoughts, "So how about we give things another go?"
She stared up at him for a second, then reached up and pulled Conner's mouth down to hers in a fiery kiss.
That was all the answer he needed.
