A/N: I'll never do THAT again. Huh, that's weird. Don't expect…wait is it even called black mailing? I thought black-mailing meant that you have something against them? I mean I was going to update three days later even if no one ever reviewed. I stopped the other one since I kinda…had a huge block on that one… And isn't it enough that I warned readers that they might hate me since it's still a mystery? Ok here goes, I promise that I will never hold a chapter hostage even though my real life is in jeopardy and I won't blackmail reviewers, those who I do and don't know. I guess I'll never be a better writer…
The dance lessons were too much- the instructors had high expectations and I'm only a beginner. From me to you all: Merry Christmas! Disclaimer: I do not own anything but 15 items from Lululemon, I wish I could be richer than that and own Beyblade, but it's impossible.
Killer Dancer
Chapter 9: True feelings
'I'm missing it…dancing here instead.'
SMACK.
"...What the hell was that for?" Kai exclaimed; his hand planted on his sore red cheek. He dropped his grip on her as they danced. A slight visible handprint appeared as he mustered a death glare at the brunette.
Huffing with an indignant scowl, Hilary crossed her arms, "Maybe if you have stopped zoning out on me for the last two days, I wouldn't have slapped you! But all you've been doing is…daydreaming!" She inched to his face, both of her eyebrows were furrowed and her lips twisted an upside-down smile. The wrinkle over her nose completed her angry look.
"I do not daydream!" he deadpanned.
"Yes you do!" Hilary fired right back.
"No I don't."
Closing her eyes, she flapped her hand at him to silence the said boy, "Whatever you say, Kai." Hilary made her way out of the gymnasium. Ignoring his glare, she strode off…leaving him behind.
Quirking an angry brow, he demanded, "Where are you going?"
Hilary turned her head back at him, glaring, "Out. Class was over fifteen minutes ago. You could've realized that if you weren't daydreaming!" With a slam, the door was closed and her footsteps grew faint; she was gone.
'Stupid Kai,' Hilary slammed her locker door open with a clank, dropping the combination lock on the floor. School has been out for at least twenty minutes and the halls were already empty. 'STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!' she cursed in her head. There she took out all her homework and textbooks. After stuffing her homework and textbooks in her backpack, she started off her way to Tyson's.
As she walked along the hallway, she met up with Tyson ahead. He had his arms crossed and leaned against one of the yellow lockers. Hilary made a brief eye contact with him.
'What is up with Kai expressions around here?' Hilary sneered at Tyson. 'Then again…it's Tyson. The vacuum…' She stopped in front of him to say a few words.,"Hey Tyson…" Hilary said, smiling, "Kai is still in there, probably staring at a wall or something keh, why should I even care!" Hilary balled her eyes out in anger as she punched the locker directly next to Tyson's head. Yelping, he dodged it by sliding his head the side.
"Hils, calm down! I was waiting for you!" Tyson said— secretly still fearful of Hilary's growing wrath.
"Heh?" she questionably babbled, gaining composure from her rage. "What about him?" She jutted her thumb to the gymnasium to show the direction and her eyes slid him a puzzled look.
"He's in the 10th grade. He can walk himself home," maroon eyes staring at the hole above Hilary's shoulder; he muttered and took her backpack.
"True," Hilary replied, "But still—"
"Let's go," Tyson insisted, pulling onto her hand. Both continued to walk out the school, without words spoken to each other. Tyson held the door for Hilary as she strode out into the cold, damp outside...
"How was it between you and Kai? You were late getting out of class. I mean, I don't really know since ninth grade boys aren't taking dance lessons—" Tyson spoke, hardly able to conceal his scorn toward the matter.
"Terrible. The first two weeks were awesome and now…he's zoning out like whenever we dance," Hilary cut in and frowned bitterly. He often stared into her eyes with a possessed, wordless look and he would suddenly on a mid-step and squeeze her hand tight.
"Aha," Folding sleeved arms behind his head, Tyson made a sound of recognition. Curious eyes sought Hilary's, "Maybe he doesn't want to dance with you anymore! Maybe…He doesn't like you. Don't sweat it, I still li-"
Tyson made a gulping sound.
"—Well, Kai is missing out, don't you think?"
Her head burned in turmoil as she tried to control herself from clubbing Tyson with her backpack. Finally she exploded, "HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT? WHAT DID I DO TO HIM?"
"He's like that to everyone," he told her quietly; afraid of the wrath she could inflict. "Well except to one person anyway."
'Who, me?' Hilary thought deeply. 'No, it couldn't be me…if I was that person, he'd tell me…' A pause lagged between them. 'Wait, he wouldn't. It would be at the cost of his pride.' Opening her mouth for a witty retort, she sighed and rolled her eyes, thought better of it, and curbed her tongue.
"Remember what you promised," Tyson cut the silence between them.
Hilary shot him withering look, "Of course, why would I forget? I'll talk Kai into letting you sleep in for a month unless you give something decent at my birthday. And no, I am not taking empty chocolate boxes." She attempted a grim smile as he continued to watch her with concern.
Tyson smiled. "You deserve more than that."
"It's dark," she groaned, staring out the window as distant lights flickered and swayed in the howling wind that he was in right now. Sitting there… freezing the block of ice that was his hardened heart.
Out of all people Hilary could worry of; why him.
That night, Tyson and Hilary lounged in front of the television watching the news after no one had arrived for their training session. Max and Daichi hadn't come back from school. Kenny was called in the ramen shop to help his parents out and Ray and Mariah were still with Crystal doing their brutal training. And Kai…he still hadn't come home. Lazily, Tyson slumped on the wooden floor like a dog while Hilary sat on the couch. Bright lights covered the room as the television flashed pictures of people and the war.
"Why do we have to watch the news again...?" Tyson yawned.
"To know what's going on in the world today," Hilary replied airily, running a hand through her brown hair.
"Don't we already know?"
"Shh…shut up Tyson," she placed her finger on her lips. Then a new news announcement flashed in the TV before their eyes,
"Today is the funeral of the famous Russian 15 year-old figure-skater, Haleigh Tatiana when exactly three months ago died in a fatal three-car collision crash…"
'Huh?' she thought, raising both eyebrows. Appeared in the screen was a photograph of a female figure skater with cascading coffee locks that reached the middle of her back. She possessed scarlet irises that hinted playfulness in them. She wore a short red dress and flesh colored skates. Mouth agape, Hilary peeked over Tyson who did not appear a tad surprised or suspicious of the girl. Was she hallucinating? The girl just looks like her!
Eyes glued back to the television, Hilary heard the rest,
"The accused now face charges in court while the loved ones left behind mourn for her death. One of which is a former Blitzkrieg Boy who was not present at the funeral. Currently, the school of figure-skating now rests with a close relative who is also a professional athlete Crystal Randall and a close friend of the pro-skater, Miguel Miroslaw who are at this time is settling in Tokyo, Japan…"
'Former Blitzkrieg Boy? Who could that be? It could be Bryan, Spencer, Tala or even…oh no, Kai! Please don't let it be Kai! And Crystal? Could she be my dance instructor?' The news hadn't shown photographs of the latter two people who had inherited this girl's property.
Briskly, Hilary took the remote control and changed it to another channel. She then threw the remote control to the side.
"Hey!" Tyson whined looking back at her, "I was watching that!"
Hilary took one of the cushions and hurled it to his face, "Mmphhff." Tyson plucked the pillow off from his face; his eyes formed into an apprehensive look.
"Did you know that Kai had a…" Hilary trailed off, 'I can't ask…'
"Had a what?" Tyson was confused.
"You know…" Hilary blushed.
"No, Hilary, I don't know," Tyson said, really befuddled.
"A GIRLFRIEND—you idiot!" yelled she, flustered and her cheeks turned beet red. She hid them by holding a cushion in front of her face.
Tyson plugged his ears, "Sheesh, you don't have to snap people's heads off! Yeah, he had a girlfriend…" he paused, swallowing the lump that had quickly formed in his throat, "…and she was just like you…I'm sorry."
Hilary backed into couch in terrible shock, 'Just like me…' She didn't know whether she was to smile of knowing a celebrity resembled her or the fact she was supposed to friends with the Russian who was supposed to tell her everything he told the others. 'Wasn't I part of this team?' She thought. Shaken, she manage a tiny whimpering voice, "Who is the former…?" She had refused to continue on with her words; praying that the couch would swallow her up quick and never spit her out.
'I might as well tell her now,' the navy-blue haired boy sighed. "Her name is Haleigh, she and him met last summer when he went back home to Russia to heal from his broken toe and train for the competition…she died in some weird crash, the car fell off the side of the bridge. Were you listening to the news? They said former Blitzkrieg Boy. Who else could that be?" he sounded painful, as he sensed Hilary's heart drop into deep abyss at his every word.
"I was afraid of the truth…and that he never told me about her," she clutched onto the pillow tightly over her chest in disbelief, 'It's my entire fault.'
"They met when he found her lost kitty around the alley where he hung out a lot…or at least that's what he told me," Tyson scratched his head.
Her eyes disappeared behind her bangs as tears welled up her eyes and anger and grief weld up and unfolded inside her…
'Unbelievable, he never told me. Why? I thought he could tell me anything. And why did his girlfriend look like me? Why didn't he pick me…? Oh yeah I remember now! It was because I broke his freakin' toe! I had a chance to tell him my feelings at the Summer Dance and now it's too late!'
Tyson got up quickly and pulled her into a hug, "I'm sorry Hilary." Hilary just cried harder.
…
Head aching and nose nearly numb, Kai let his pack drop next to the shoji door and sighed. Slipping off his shoes, he sighed again.
He trudged forth in the quietness of the dojo, hoping to evade the comic books and socks spilled onto his path in his sluggish state. He peered into each room, looking for any sign of life.
Last room… the room he abhorred since he knew his trainees often let their focus astray.
"All alone now…Does he trust me? We've been friends…"
"Don't get upset now, Hilary…it doesn't matter, really… cheer up."
His breath became caught in his throat as small whimpers rang through the plaster walls. Curious, his eyes stared at the girl embraced with the arms of his rival. Tyson's eyes sought out the answer in Kai, almost helpless.
'…She couldn't have found out. Tyson, I'm going to slaughter you!' There, in his dance class outfit, purple eyes gleamed in hatred for a fleeting moment.
"Shhh…it's okay Hilary," Tyson rubbed her back in a soothing rhythm. Kai sneered at Tyson who shot a glare back as if to say, 'It's your fault. You did this.' Guilt had built up inside him waiting to spill out as it seemed to have flooded his whole being and drowning him by the minute.
Sensing his presence, Hilary met Tyson's eyes just to shift her gaze to Kai. She looked at him regretfully and despondently as music began to play from the television. Kai looked at her sadly as he tried to come forward,
"I…" but no words came out.
Her head turned away and then to Tyson who had let go of her. She took a last glimpse at the television and tightly bit her lip. She closed her eyes and felt her way, as she bolted out of the room. She did not dare open them, not until she had gone right past him, not until she had left the shoji doors…
Kai hadn't bothered to grab hold of her arm; to stop her. Instead, his eyes remained on Haleigh, the television was viewing her last performance at an exhibition. She did the triple axle in a perfect, graceful motion… recovering from the spins, she skated closer to the camera and blew a butterfly kiss at the crowd. The camera suddenly zoomed closer into the crowd, suddenly taking notice of the said Blitzkrieg Boy rumored to be her celebrity boyfriend…
In one of the front seats, a single red rose clasped in his hand, the emotionless Kai Hiwatari was undoubtedly the boy Ms. Haleigh had mentioned in her interviews.
"Haleigh…why did you go…" Kai whispered to himself.
Tyson approached him and patted his back, "I feel sorry for you pal."
He didn't want Tyson's damn pity. Kai kicked himself. Hilary was never to find out anything about it, but he knew that it was bound to be revealed sooner or later. He just wished it was never revealed to her through Tyson. It was his fault…
He needed hope. "Get off my back Tyson," he spat, and with that, he walked off.
Taking a hair brush she raked it through her brown wisps of hair, 'Why am I like this?' She gazed at herself in the mirror; bloodshot irises were grim and wary, "Haleigh, I'm not a beauty like her. I'm not exactly as graceful as her."
'Her image keeps flashing in my mind. She's identical to me and yet, Kai didn't feel the same as I did. Could it be a joke?' Hilary spread some of her brown hair on her shoulders thinking, 'It can't be a sick joke. I saw her skate with the same smile on her face as I had on mine when I first became part of the Bladebreakers.' She tumbled out an exasperated sigh, 'Why am I worrying about HIM anyway? It's not like I love him or anything. It's just a school girl crush.'
Then it struck her. All this time was a lie…to her.
She dropped the hair brush on the floor as she placed a hand on her chest. Her heart was pounding. Sweat trickled down her forehead and she felt shock through her spine. 'No I can't!' Slowly she whispered, "I…love Kai."
"I love Kai," she said breathlessly. She then began to cry of him and Haleigh, "I love Kai!" Salty tears rolled down on her cheeks…
'Right from the start, I was in denial and now it's really too late. Even though she had passed on; Kai can't break away from her grasp!' Hilary dropped her head down as tears fell, like autumn rain, on the porcelain sink.
Hilary glanced up at her mirror and again, Haleigh's image flashed back before her. Haleigh had the same sorrowful look in her face and tears filled up her scarlet eyes. It seemed that Haleigh's heart cried out for Kai like Hilary's. Hilary's mind was playing tricks on her, she concluded, though it all seemed too real.
'The way he looked at me. He was trying to tell me something, like I was wrong to believe…that he was waiting for me…when I saw a light in his eyes, it's not burning for me,' she hammered her fist on the marble finish. 'Damn poetry…' More tears rushed out of her eyes, as slipped down on her knees, 'There's no way for me. He mustn't find out the truth. I have to avoid him…I shouldn't be his dance partner anymore.'
She placed her hands over her face, lamenting, 'Why me? Why is it that I have to suffer like this?'
One word crossed her mind at that fleeting moment…
Samantha.
(A/N): So, please review! Review please! Thank you and see ya! Merry Christmas! I hope it's a lot better now than before. Hopefully, you'll like the revised version, ne? Tell me!
