Chapter 10

Lying Saves Lives

"Tyra, he's going to kill you for this."

Tyra chuckled at her male friend, as she laid her head on Jess's shoulder. She was sitting in a booth at Mc Donalds, with Jess and another friend. In her friend's hands was a soft, plush, teddy bear.

Jess shoved Tyra's head away from her, receiving a pout from the teenage counselor. "If Mike tries to kill her for buying a teddy bear, he's going to have to kill me too, Josh. We both bought that bear for his birthday." Jess pointed out.

"What possessed you to buy Mike a bear?" The male, also known as Josh asked, incredulously.

Tyra opened her mouth to explain, but a call from across the room interrupted her.

"Ms. Han!"

It took her a few seconds to realize the person yelling was referring to her. She turned her head around, spotting Tyson jumping up and down next to Kai. A cold shiver went down her spine, and her muscles tensed. Tyson, she could handle, but another moment with Kai could be fatal.

The bluenette leaned into Kai, telling the older teen something. Kai nodded his head and walked up to one of the lines. Tyson, didn't follow. He was heading towards her table.

Oh snap! Josh doesn't know about me counseling the Bladebreakers, and Jess has been holding a grudge against me since she found out! In other words she was in deep shit.

"Hey, I didn't know you knew Tyson Kinomiya, and Kai Hiwatari," Josh stated, in complete awe.

"Uh y-yeah?" Tyra looked pleadingly at Jess, but the girl stuck her nose up in the air, and drank her milkshake.

Laying her head on Jess's shoulder again, Tyra clung to Jess, pressing the girl against the wall as she silently begged her friend to help her out.

Their eyes locked and there was a silent conversation between the two.

Help me Jess!

No.

Don't you love me?

Screw you.

If that is what you want.

Ew! Tyra! This is why people in Drama thought we were a couple!

I'll bite you!

So? I'll bite you back.

Jess!

I don't want to get involved in this!

"Hi, am I interrupting anything?" Tyson asked sliding into the empty seat next to Josh. The other boy looked about ready to faint from shock. Instead, Josh pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"No, nothing at all!" Tyra's smile glowed with bliss, the opposite of what she was feeling. Why did she have to have a traitorous friend? That's it, she was going to stop lending Jess manga.

"So why do you have a Teddy bear?" he asked, pointing at said Teddy bear in Josh's hands.

Josh's jaw dropped. Was Tyson Kinomiya talking to him? It was an honor.

Must. Stop. Josh. From. Sounding. Like. A. Retard! Tyra thought, her eye twitching.

"Oh Jess, and I bought that for our friend, Mike," Tyra said, trying to get Tyson to focus only on her. As long as Tyson talked to her there was less chance of him figuring out she wasn't a counselor.

"Mike?" Tyson eyed the bear in Josh's hands, before grabbing it and examining it more closely. Needless to say Josh looked like he was about to have a heart attack when Tyson's hand brushed over his accidentally.

"Isn't Mike a boy's name?" Tyson inquired.

"Yes." Tyra admitted, unsure if it was wise to pursue this discussion.

"Mike is a strange one," Jess explained, flatly, barely glancing at Tyson. "He could beat someone to a bloody pulp, but recently Tyra and I discovered he has a weakness for teddy bears. The softer the better. He likes to cuddle with them for some reason."

Tyson looked at the bear in his grasp, then back at Kai. He smirked. "Do you mind if I borrow this for a moment?"

"S-sure." Tyra answered, worried about Kai getting involved in this.

"Whatever, just don't ruin it." Jess said, and Josh just stared.

"Great!" Tyson proclaimed, standing up and leaving the group. The three teens watched as he walked up to Kai, who was ordering their meal.

The scene that followed was comical. Tyson was shoving the bear into Kai's arms, and the older teen was backing away, as if the stuffed animal was contaminated. Finally, Tyson grabbed Kai by the wrist, preventing his teammate from escaping, and pressed the bear to Kai's chest. He then forced Kai to wrap his arms around the plush toy.

Kai's eyes were wide with horror. What was this vile thing Tyson was putting in his arms? And why was he so adamant about Kai holding it? Sure it was nice and soft, but it was so girly!

"Now don't destroy that bear, Kai!" Tyson warned. "It belongs to Ms. Han and her friend."

With that Tyson walked back to Tyra's booth.

"What was that for?" Tyra asked Tyson, perplexed with this new development.

Tyson smiled. His eyes twinkled with mischief. "I just want to see if all so-called 'Bad Boys' have a weakness for teddy bears."

"Oh."

There was a lull in conversation, something Tyra both loved and dreaded. She didn't have to worry about answering questions, or her friends saying something stupid, but the lull gave Tyson time to think. And thinking could lead to harder questions to answer.

"Hey, haven't I seen you somewhere before?" Tyson pipped up, and gestured toward Jess.

Oh crap! Tyson had noticed Jess! Tyra had been hoping Tyson would be too dense to recognize her friend.

Jess shrugged. "How should I know? I always get people coming up and asking me that."

"Oh, so you're popular." Tyson smiled and teased jokingly.

"If I am, I did not know it."

Shut up Jess! Tyra screamed mentally.

"Tyson, I got the food, let's go." Kai had walked up to the booth, and was standing beside Tyson with two bags of food in hand. One of his arms was crossed over his chest, and the teddy bear lay snuggly in the pocket created by his chest and arm.

When Kai caught Tyra glancing at the bear he tightened his hold on the stuffed animal.

Wow! What do you know! Bad boys do have a thing for teddy bears! Tyra thought in amazement, not seeing the look of anger on Kai's face, when he noticed Jess.

"Ms. Han," Kai hissed venomously, scowling at the two females. "Isn't the girl sitting next to you the one that you said hated you since childhood?"

She was a dead woman. How was she going to explain this, without making it sound phony? She had to fight the urge to groan. There had to be some way.

"Well you see…"

Think brain! Think!

"I recently discovered…"

That's right girl! Delay until you can think of a good excuse!

"That she never hated me…"

Oh god! Is this the best I can come up with!

"But in fact, she never knew how to express her feelings for me properly. Really she is…"

Don't kill me!

"In love with me."

"WHAT!" Came four screams.

"That's right!" Tyra declared, going with the flow of things. "Jess has been in love with me, and I am proud to say I love her too!" With that Tyra grabbed Jess by the head and locked lips with her best friend, pretending to moan into the kiss.

She wasn't surprised when she was thrown from her seat and on to the floor.

"TYRA!" Jess bellowed, towering over her.

Fluttering her eyelashes flirtatiously, Tyra waved off her friend's anger. "Oh Jess, there is no need to be shy. I love you and I'm not afraid to tell the world."

"TYRA!"

"Whoops!" With that Tyra jumped up from the ground, and ran out the door, a steaming Jess following her.

Kai and Tyson stood there, opened mouth, while Josh had fainted when he saw his two female friends kiss.

"Kai?" Tyson asked. "What just happened?"

"I… don't know."