Chapter 8: Calm Before The Storm: Part 2

Omi was scratching the nape of his neck, as he tried to focus on the small text on the scrolls.

"'The dragon of earth is compassionate. Being one with nature, the dragon gets along with everything and everyone. The dragon of earth can move the earth. The hidden power of the dragon of earth is that it can be very persuasive due to the fact that he's compassionate and gets along with everyone.'"

"'The dragon of water is slippery'." Omi rolled his eyes at the pun. "'The dragon of water is shallow'." He scoffed at the second pun. "Whoever wrote this really needs a lesson in being funny. I am not slippery nor am I shallow."

He rolled his eyes as he continued to read the text. "'The dragon of water has the power to create water, as well as control water that surrounds it. Being shallow and slippery, it allows the dragon to become bigheaded. The hidden power of the dragon of water is that he can manipulate anybody, just as he can manipulate water. Everybody is mostly made up of water, which is why he can manipulate anyone. His powers are limited to the other dragons, since all four dragons balance and cancel each other out.'"

"'The dragon of wind is the strongest one of them all, yet is the weakest one as well. As it can control the wind and air around us, it is the dragon of life, which is why it's strong. It is weak because, like the wind, it can be misguided, blind, and lost. The hidden talent of the dragon of wind is that combining its powers with the dragon of fire, they can become indestructible. With that said, the dragon of wind can be dangerous. Being heavily influenced by emotions in the air around it, the dragon of wind is quite emotional. The dragon of wind has to be strong all the time, which is why the dragon hides its emotions. Easily overwhelmed with emotions, it is blind to other emotions.'"

Skipping the rest of the details about the dragon of wind, Omi started to scan the page for the introduction on the dragon of fire.

"'The dragon of fire is passionate in love, hate, passion, and anger, which is why it's the most dangerous dragon out of them all. When focused, it can create destruction and despair for anyone that clashes with them. The dragon of fire can create fire, as well as control any fire and flames that surrounds it. It works well with the dragon of wind, because air and wind is the main source of wind'," he read. "'Hidden powers that the dragon of fire has is—'" He stopped when he realized that the rest of the scroll had been ripped out.

He sighed, rolling up the scrolls. "If I don't know what else Kimiko can do, does it mean we're all safe from what she can do?"

-x-

Clay let out another exaggerated sigh, hoping that his younger sister would finally acknowledge that something was bothering him. Realizing that she was still more interested in her cell phone than him, he let out an even louder, more exaggerated sigh.

"What?" she demanded, looking up from her cell phone. Baby blue eyes met, and she let out a sigh. "What's wrong with you, big brother?" She was always one who tried to stay out of her brother's life. She never liked his friends, as he never liked hers.

"I think I just brought myself into a lot of drama," he replied, staring at his empty plate.

"Drama? I just love drama," she said, grinning at him.

"Yes, I know. You're a sucker for drama," Clay replied, rolling his eyes. "But you know me. You know how much I hate drama."

She gave him a devious grin. "So whose drama did you get yourself into?"

"I'm not even sure anymore," Clay said, sighing. "I'm going to tell you something, sis, and it might come as a big surprise. I really like Keiko."

She snorted. "Do you think I'm that stupid?"

"Pardon?"

"I know your friends. I've went with them in middle school, and elementary. Just because you go to a public school, and I'm going to a continuation school… but I do have friends that are managing by enough to go to public school."

He sighed. "So, you keep tabs on me?"

"I can't let you tarnish our family's reputation—"

Clay snorted. "As if."

"—And, I don't want you to do anything stupid—"

"You mean, perfectly sane," he interrupted once again, only for his sister to shoot him another dirty look. "Continue on."

"Let's just say Sam keeps a pretty good eye on you," Jessie said, slightly blushing when she had said her boyfriend's name. "You know that deep down, pass all the façade, that I do care about you. I just don't show it, most of the time. But that's because I need to keep up my reputation."

Clay sighed. "So, if you know Keiko, you must know Raimundo—"

"Know him? Everybody in this town knows him, Raimundo. We live in a really small town."

"Raimundo has 'feelings' for the new girl at school, Kimiko. She's that rich girl whose father owns that gaming company. The thing was, Raimundo was being Raimundo weeks earlier and told Keiko and me that he was going to score with her or something like that."

Jessie sighed. "And let me guess, Kimiko found out?"

"No, it's worse. Keiko found out. She's Kimiko's best friend." Clay chewed on his lower lip, waiting for his sister's reply.

"How is it worse?"

"Because Keiko told Kimiko everything. I'm just confused why she would tell her squat. Normally, Keiko wouldn't tell anything to the previous girls that Raimundo had flings with. Why tell Kimiko? Especially when it's obvious that he's falling for her."

Jessie, who was drinking orange juice at the moment, choked on her drink. "What?" She snorted. "Raimundo is falling for someone, for once? Oh my, how the tables have turned." She tsk-tsked before adding, "I think I've got it."

"Got what?"

"Keiko figured out," Jessie replied. "Keiko is jealous."

"What?"

"As much as I hate to tell you this, but I'm going to be rather blunt about this. No sugarcoating at all. Keiko is obviously crushing on Raimundo."

He chuckled. "What? No way. She hates him."

"That's what she wants everybody to believe. Every girl that Raimundo has gone out with, dated, and what not were just flings. Those girls meant nothing to him, am I correct?"

"Well—"

"That was a rhetorical question," she said. "Look. She senses Kimiko as a real competition, which is why the claws are out. I mean, has she tried to do anything to keep them from being together?"

"Well…" Clay said, racking his brain. "She kept on warning the both of them to stay away from each other with same reasons, or random ones."

"Aha! See! She likes him!" She soon realized how pale her brother looked. "Sorry, Clay. But if a girl is stupid enough not to like you, she doesn't deserve you."

He sighed. "I just hate that Keiko would do that to them, just because of her petty jealousy." He looked at his sister, who wore a funny look on her face. "And don't you dare try to preach me to turn on her. You know I'm not going to give up on her that easily. I just don't think that she's the kind of person who would be so deceitful."

"That's because you're dumb enough to be in love with her," Jessie said. "Love-struck."

"I don't want to talk to her," Clay muttered, propping his chin onto his fist. "If I start faking a stomach cramp, do you think ma will believe it and let me stay home?"

"I don't know," Jessie replied as she grabbed her backpack. "Grab some vegetable soup and stage your sickness or something just as creative. That's how I got out of cleaning the pig pen last summer."

-x-

Raimundo watched as she walked passed him, acting as if she didn't see him at all. But he knew she had to have seen him—he was standing in front of her locker waiting for her to show up. "What gives?" he muttered to himself as he started to follow her. "Kimiko!"

He watched as she stormed off, and he became even more confused. "Okay. Now I'm really confused."

Stopping in the middle of the hallway, he watched as she stormed into their physics class. He sighed, shaking his head. From the corner of his eyes, he realized that people were watching him. "Mind your own business!" he hissed, loud enough for everyone around him to hear him.

Keiko immediately showed up from nowhere and appeared at his side. "What's wrong?"

He sighed, looking at her. "I have no idea. Kimiko just ignored me and walked into physics when we still have ten minutes before class starts."

"That's Kimiko for you," Keiko said, shrugging. "Once she's bored with you, she acts as if you don't exist."

"What?" Raimundo said, crossing his arms.

"It's true," Keiko said, nodding. "She's probably doesn't want to hang out with you anymore. She uses people."

"She doesn't seem like the type that—"

"You haven't known her as long as I have," Keiko said. "I'm her best friend. Best friends know everything. If I were you, I would just forget about her. She doesn't deserve you."

He sighed. "I can't see her using people at all, Keiko."

"That's because she's gotten you wrapped around her finger," Keiko pointed out. "She has everyone wrapped around her finger. If you don't do what she wants you to do, she gets upset at you."

Raimundo's brows knitted together. "I think I'll ask her myself."

Keiko made a funny face. "Fine. Whatever. Just letting you know that I warned you."

-x-

Sitting down next to her, he was tapping his pencil to a beat in his head. He didn't want to sound rude when he asked her anything. Luckily, for him, their physics teacher had made today's assignment a lab instead of just a boring, typical day of notes.

Since he didn't want to get her even madder at him, he let her launch the catapult for their lab.

"You have to talk to me sometime," he pointed out as he watched her measure the angle for the next catapult launch. "You can't just stay quiet the rest of the lab. Our grade depends on it." He felt the heavy ball fly pass his face, nearly hitting him in the eye.

"Whoops. Sorry. Did I accidentally set it off too early?" she said bitterly. "I guess I forgot to warn you since you kept on yaking and yaking."

He glared at her. Picking up the ball that was rolling away from their lab table, he gently rolled it back to her. "You know, it seems like you meant to purposely hit me with it."

"You have your version, I have mine," she said. "Who do you think people are going to believe? You? Or me?"

He frowned. "Okay, I don't know what's wrong with you or why you think you can treat me like this, but you have no right—"

The ball bounced off his chest. He scowled at her. "You purposely did that."

"Again, who do you think people will believe?" she shot back as she picked up the ball.

He scowled at her. "Crazy lady," he muttered under his breath.

"I heard that," she shouted, loud enough for everyone in the classroom to look towards their direction.

"Well, it's not my fault you've been acting like one all day!" he shouted back. He grabbed his binder that was lying on the lab table and held it as a shield, knowing that she would attack him with the ball any time soon.

An office aide had just walked in at that moment, about to ask the teacher to hand him any detention slips when the teacher gave the student a dirty look.

"Shh! It's just getting good," he said, engrossed with the drama that was going on in the back of his classroom. He motioned for the aide to sit down in the chair next to him.

"It's not my fault that you've been using me!" Raimundo went on when he realized that Kimiko wasn't going to reply. "And it's certainly not my fault that you're bored with me and don't want to hang out with me anymore."

She kept quiet, staring blankly at the ground between them.

With his confidence building, he added, "Especially after all we've been through; I can't believe you think you're too good for me, Tohomiko."

Looking up from the ground, she glared at him. "You know what, Raimundo? Screw you for making that stupid accusation." Grabbing her backpack, she was about to storm away from him when he blocked her from her path.

"Leaving so soon?" he snapped. "You think you're too good for me to continue our fight?"

She glared at him. "I'm done with you and your stupid ways, Raimundo. I should have seen it from the start."

He stared at her, clueless for once. "Seen what—"

"The fact that you were just trying to keep up your reputation. Unlike you, I actually want to find true love," she said. "And think about it. You think that I was using you? You're such a hypocrite. Especially since you've been the one that's been using me just to keep your reputation from getting tarnished."

He stared at her, shocked.

"Tell me. How long were you going to keep up the charades?" she said. "Pretending that you care about me. Pretending that we could have been more than friends—did you really care? Or were you just trying to get close? Is that your angle on how to get girls?"

He blinked. "I—"

"Just save your breathe," she muttered. "This girl isn't going to let you toy with her emotions anymore." Shoving him aside, she stormed out the classroom, leaving everyone shocked.

-x-

Keiko walked into the girl's bathroom. Checking every stall to make sure that no one was there, she locked the door to the girl's bathroom before pulling out a device that looked similar to a walky-talky. "My mission is complete."

"Good," a voice replied. "We're very pleased that you didn't turn your back on us and try to deceive us."

"I had no choice," Keiko said, bitterly. "You've threatened to kill my family and hurt the ones that I really care about."

"Well, we'll let bygones be bygones," the voice replied. "Since you've done everything we've asked you to, we'll spare you your loved ones."

Keiko let out a sigh of relief. "Then consider our partnership terminated."

"You know, you've proved to be more valuable than our other members," the voice said. "Do you consider working for us full time?"

She was about to give a sarcastic remark when the voice cut her off.

"We promised those who are loyal to us their true heart's desire," the voice said. "And we've been keeping an eye on you, Keiko. Loved least by the one you loved most."

She felt a pang in her heart when the voice had said so.

"He only sees you as a friend—"

"You're lying—"

"He doesn't feel that way about you."

"Shut up—"

"He always knew that he could do better—"

Shutting her eyes, she sunk to the ground. "Please, stop—"

"Don't you want security? Don't you want to feel safe knowing that he'll love you forever? Pledge your loyalty to us, and we'll give you the one thing that you truly desire. His love."

-x-

Kimiko stormed out of the nurse's office, after spending a few minutes convincing the nurse to let her go home. Pulling her hood over her head, she started walking home. Upset, angry, and tired, she just wanted the day to be over. She felt regret for some things she had said to him, and she couldn't help but wish for the scenario to be different.

Because she, Kimiko Tohomiko, was in love with the one who would never love her back.

Just as she was about to turn on the corner, a car quickly zoomed in front of her, screeching to a stop, blocking her from her path.

"What the—"

"Get in, loser. We're going shopping."

A/N: Oh, ho, ho. Cliffhangers. Sorry for the late update. I was supposed to update this earlier (way earlier), but my computer stopped working. I've been spending hours working on it, tinkering with it, and trying to figure out what's wrong. Now that it's getting repaired, I went back to working on this.

The last line, "Get in loser. We're going shopping," is a line from Mean Girls.

Who do you think stopped Kimiko from walking and told her to get in the car?

Who do you think Keiko was talking to? (PS. Keiko's not the one who was spying on Kimiko and Raimundo in chapter 7 due to the fact that the person who was spying on them was a man, and Keiko is not a man).

Continuation school (the one that I said that Jessie goes to) is like a high school, but it has no electives (arts classes, etc). It's a school for students who failed so many classes at their high school to the point where it's impossible for them to graduate in the four years that they go there that they're forced to go to a Continuation school.

This chapter originally wasn't supposed to be a cliffhanger, but… I've been upset/sad lately. My favorite band came back from their hiatus but they kicked out my favorite member. I only write cliffhangers when I'm upset/sad. Heh. Sorry! I'm always easily overwhelmed by my emotions.

Comment/Review? It'll be very much appreciated.