All it took was Eye Contact
I'm still alive and I've finally found time to type up the next chapter, so here it is. But I'd like to say that there isn't really much to it... Sorry... I blame school- my teachers are piling on the homework and all that.
Disclaimer: Who said I own Beyblade anyway?
Chapter 10: News Travels Fast
The room would have been completly quiet if the tippy tappy noises coming from Kenny's laptop and the loud snoring noises from Tyson were ignored. It was late and the whole student body was fast asleep.
Kenny was so captivated by his latest research topic that he had decided to give up his night of sleep to continue looking at the newly found information about a clan known as the Saint Sheilds. He started to develop this habit when he promised Mariam to help her find out about her past. The plan was that he would look up some information about the clan that she had mentioned and she would go and try to scope out some information from Ellie.
But so far, neither one of them was having any luck what-so-ever... But Mariam did mention a plan...
The next day, outside Mariam's house...
Ozuma was standing on the porch as he waited for someone to open the door.
Behind one of the large hedges that surrounded the driveway was his three closest friend's hiding and spying.
Ozuma felt the urge to walk away. Mariam owed him many favors as it is, but then again, he owed Joseph more than he owed anyone else- more than anyone can ever own someone!
After knocking again, someone -being Ellie- finally opened the door. She smiled, suprised to see who it was.
'Oh God!' Ozuma thought, 'This is going to be the longest thirty minutes that I'm going to ever experience.'
Two hours later...
"I thought he was meant to be out over an hour ago." Dunga complained, while emptying the rest of the chicken flavoured crisps into his mouth.
"Be patient." Mariam said, "You know how chatty Ellie can get, especially around Ozuma... Or anyone with nice hair. And by the way, it was meant to be an hour and a half ago."
"Wait. 'Be patient'?" Joseph quoted, "Are you really Mariam? It doesn't sound like a thing my sis would usually say." He opened another chocolate bar.
"Shh, I think I see the door opening." Mariam said before the other two leaped up a little and peaked through the hedge.
"What's wrong with my hair?" Dunga asked the surroundings before he peeked through the gaps in the hedge, "Why is Ellie holding his hand?" Dunga asked in a hushed, disgusted voice.
"I don't know, but it's kinda creepy." Mariam commented with a repulsed expression.
"She never even tries to hold mine..." Joseph stated, "I guess I'm the lucky one."
"If you like a certain girl then yeah." Mariam said, meaning Ming Ming and she knew she got her point across when her brother pretended to gag.
"What girl?" Dunga asked.
Mariam and Joseph ignored his question and made a gesture for Ozuma to come over when they heard the door close.
"I am never doing that again." Ozuma sound like anything but pleased.
"Did you find anything out?" Mariam asked eagerly as they all started to walk back towards the school campus.
"Not much. Other than 'they're really old, now tell me, do you spend a lot of time on your hair?'" Ozuma quoted to them, "So I didn't find out much and for the record, we're even."
"Really?" Hilary, Julia and Mathilda shouted.
"Yup." Mariah confirmed, "The amusement park opens in about two weeks."
"It's going to be so good." Julia commented, "It opens before the European exchange students leave. I hope you don't mind if I steal Enrique away from you that night." She said and asked Hilary.
"You can do that after we get Hilary and Tyson their first date." Mariah said with her trademark scheme face on.
Hilary looked at Mariah, confused while Mariah just smiled and nodded. "We're gonna do what we see on the tele all the time." Mariah planned.
"Oh God." Hilary thought aloud, "That's so unoriginal."
"But you like it, right?" Mathilda asked
"I don't even know what all of you are planning."
Max and Rei both headed to Tyson and Kenny's dorm. The door wasn't closed properly.
"Were they expecting us?" Max asked, looking at Rei.
Rei just urged him to enter the room that was close to pitch black. The curtains were shut and all the lamp and light producing appliances (minus Kenny's laptop) were off. Both Kenny and Tyson were sleeping. It was unusual for Kenny to be still asleep after ten in the morning, especially not on his bed, but for Tyson, it was to be expected.
Max sat on the side of Tyson's bed. "Wake up Tyson." He whispered while gently slapping his cheek.
No response.
"Ignore him." Rei commanded, "Let's wake Kenny up." He finished before he approached Kenny and gently shook him. "It'll be a whole lot quicker."
Kenny slowly raised his head up from his arm, which was on top of his desk, next to his laptop. His eyes widened when he noticed Max and Rei's outline. "How did you guys get in?" He asked drowsily.
"Simple, we walked in." Max replied, pointing out the obvious.
"Yeah but how did you walk in, the door was locked."
"No it wasn't." Max said, "It was barely shut properly, never mind locked."
"Anyway," Rei interrupted, "Did you find out anything else?"
"No not yet." Kenny yawned. He stretched his arms upwards.
"How did Mariam's plan go?" Rei asked.
Max stood silently for a while as he thought about the last time in P.E. class with her which was also the last time he had seen her.
*FLASHBACK*
Max headed towards the bleachers to where Mariam was sitting. They both sat side by side and in silence for a while, that is until Mariam broke it.
"So I heard you and Emily got back together." Mariam started.
'Great.' Max thought, 'She decides to talk abut the akward topic that she wasn't suppose to know about. Actually how did she find out?'
"Max?" Mariam called out after she gained no response from the younger blond.
"What?" Max asked, coming back to reality, "You say something?"
"Yeah. You and Emily?"
"Yeah, um... Look over there. It's Superman!" Max yelled before he tried to make a run for it, but ended up falling down onto his back due to Mariam's firm hold on his wrist.
"That can work on a lot of people here, but not me." Mariam said.
"Why not?" Max asked, trying to avoid her question just like how he avoids Emily's.
"Because I grew up with someone who always does that. Now answer me."
But before Max got to answer, the coach dismissed the finished students so Max bolted for it and got off the hook.
*END FLASHBACK*
"Earth to Max!" Tyson said while waving a hand in front of his face.
"Tyson! When did you wake up?" Max questioned.
"Just there." He answered as he sat on the foot end of his bed. "I mean, who can sleep with all the racket."
"You can." Max replied simply.
Just then, there was a quiet knock on the door before it swung open to reveal Mariam.
"Mariam." Kenny greeted, "How did it go?"
"Ozuma went in for longer than we thought and came out with nothing." Mariam answered as she sat down on Kenny's neatly made bed.
"How did you get him to do that?" Rei asked, "I thought he never does favors for anyone."
"Why did it have to be him?" Max asked.
"Well, we decided that he should do it because he's one of Ellie's favourite teens," Mariam started, while the others just stared blankly at her, "Don't ask why. Anyway, I owe him favors but he owes Joseph a lot and my brother owes me even more so we compromised."
"Now what are you going to do?" Rei asked.
"I don't know yet. I'll need time to think." Mariam answered disappointedly, "Kenny?"
"Nothing new, all I know is they live in very isolated areas and they have some very strict rules."
"Such as?" Mariam coaxed.
"I'm gonna go. Bye." Max said before he started to leave.
"If a child is-" Kenny started before he was quickly cut off.
"I'm gonna go too. Later." Mariam said quickly before she went after Max, who was slowly walking down the hall.
Kenny looked at his remaining two friends.
"Why did Mariam take off so soon?" Tyson wondered.
"Maybe she was thinking about making Max go question that snobby foster mother of hers." Rei guessed, "She did seem to like Max."
"Either that or she was going to ask Max out!" Tyson joked.
Mariam caught up with Max shortly after leaving Kenny's dorm. Max halted when he felt Mariam's hand on his shoulder.
"I see you're still trying to avoid my question." Mariam started as she slowed her pace down so that she was walking in time with him.
"Why do you say that?" Max asked.
Mariam looked at him as if to say 'isn't it obvious?'.
"Okay, Emily and I are back together." Max gave in but a thought occured to him, "Why do you care?" He asked with a suspicious grin.
Mariam tapped the side of her nose before she walked off.
After Max was out of sight, she let out a sigh of relief. 'Now it's my turn to avoid his question.'
Mariam entered her dorm to see her roomate and a bunch of her friends, with Hilary strapped to a chair in front of their vanity that only Mariah uses.
"Help me!" Hilary yelled over to Mariam when she spotted her entering the room.
Mariah, Julia and Mathilda all swirled round at the same time with the same evil glare.
"Don't you dare." Mariah said.
"Why? What did Hilary do?"
"No. It's what she won't to do." Mariah replied.
"And what does she not want to do." Mariam asked.
"Let them put all that on me." Hilary shouted, using her head to indicate all the cosmetics on the vanity.
"Come on Hilary." Julia said, "Man up a bit."
"Okay. But if I was a guy, I wouldn't wear make-up." Hilary replied smugly.
"Oh well. We're going to get you and Tyson a date even if we have to make you gay!" Mariah argued.
"Please send for help." Hilary requested before Mariam shut the door.
Now, does anyone know how to write a good personal study essay? Could use some hints. Also my story, hope you've enjoyed this little stepping stone chapter as I like to call these. :)
