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Hope you like this chapter!

Chapter 25: Pain

Joy did have lunch with Charli and her friends that day, which worked out for the best since Joy then confirmed her assumption that Tawny, along with the others, would still be sour towards her.

They had passed Joy's table on their way outside in the cafeteria. All either giving Joy a dirty look, or holding shocked glances and whispering among each other.

More surprisingly to Joy, she wasn't really overly upset about their friendships breaking up. She got over it pretty quick and because of that realized that it was then probably for the best, but that relief however didn't stop Joy from wondering what could've caused all this from the beginning.

However, Joy was positive that even if she was sure she was over it, all the consequences and aftermath of their fight wouldn't just disappear along with her grief.

Kai sat a few tables away from Joy, glancing her way every so often while still trying to look like he was listening to Tam sitting across from him.

"I think she's the one for me guys, I mean, I can really feel it in my bones." Tam spoke in an enthusiastic tone.

"Tam, don't kid yourself, you'll be bored of her by the end of the week, two weeks tops." Tala rolled his eyes, looking to Kai whom he noticed hadn't said a quirky comment to Tam or began eating his meal.

Tala followed Kai's glance, and in the midst of that found himself looking to the table where Joy was sitting. Though the person Tala spotted first wasn't Joy, it was Charli, Kai's Ex-girlfriend, sitting next to Joy.

Tala leaned in a little to Kai after Tam had diverted his attention to the ringing phone in his pocket.

"Why don't you just ask her out? It's clear you have feelings for her" Tala spoke, startling Kai a bit as he turned around in his seat to face Charli's direction.

"Wha- uh, no I don't" Kai spoke, giving a slightly nervous laugh as he shifted to sit up strait and forward in his seat, looking away from Joy.

"Come on Kai, we've been friend's since... Well, a long time anyhow. I thought we'd got past all this secret-keeping shit." Tala said, patting an extremely tense Kai on the back.

"Ok, I kinda like her. But, she's not interested, believe me I know. It's no big deal or anything I'm ok with it, just, whatever ya know." Kai spoke, looking back at Joy. His speech becoming more scrambled with each word, Tala almost had to strain to understand what he was saying.

Kai noticed Joy had her hair differently that day, it looked nice, very elegant… Than Kai blinked a few times, realizing what he was thinking and then becoming a little more worried. First it was how cute she looked when she ate food and now this? Kai couldn't believe himself, he was acting like a moron.

"No, I don't think you just kinda like her. It's worse." Tala crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in his seat.

"You think so?" Kai asked, the slightly worried expression on his face caused Tala to laugh.

"You're acting as if this is a disease or something. Lighten up Kai, I'm sure she likes you, I've seen her looking your way" Tala smirked, glancing at Charli while nodding to Kai.

"Really?"

"Yup. So what are you waiting for? An invitation? Go ask her."

"Ask her what?" Kai turned to Tala, with a confused look on his face

"To marry you. What are you retarded or something? Ask her on a date!"

"Oh right… Ya- I don't think so…."

"And why the hell not?"

"Mmmmm, because..."

Tala sighed; he had never seen his 'laid-back', 'don't-give-a-damn' friend acting this way. He was sure this was big.

"Do you want me to ask her for you?" Tala asked.

"No… well, maybe. What would you say?"

"Ahem, 'My friend Kai Hiwatari, I'm sure you know him well, was wondering if you would be interested in a movie? Dinner?' Where do you want to ask her out to?"

"Um, I don't know…" Kai began to think, and there was a long silent pause between them before Kai snapped his head up. "I've got it. Just ask her if she would like to go with me to the Gala ball in the Diamond tower lodge, trust me she'll know what I'm talking about."

"What? Is that like something to do with that ski trip your dad's company is having?"

"He's not my dad, and yes, it is."

"Okie doke… I'm off then."

"What- you're asking her right now?" Kai suddenly began to panic, his heart racing faster.

"Ya… Is that a problem?"

"No, no… Ok go." Kai stuttered. Tala began to walk and had only taken 2 steps before Kai spoke again. "Wait!"

"What?" Tala turned.

Kai shifted his eyes in thought, having second thoughts for a moment "Nothing, go." Kai shook his head.

"Ok…" Tala nodded, raising his eyebrows after he had turned away.

Kai watched as Tala began to walk closer to Joy, he was really going to ask her, no joke. It was finally happening. Kai suddenly felt the urge to run up and stop Tala from doing this, but there was no going back. Kai took one final glance at Tala making his way through the maze of tables, dodging a few students with trays.

Kai quickly turned his back on the scene before Tala reached Joy's table "I can't watch." Kai whispered to himself as he jumped up from his seat and darted for the exit on the other side of the large room.

What Kai didn't see before he left was Joy, rising from her seat to exit the cafeteria as well, through the exit just down the hall from the one Kai left in.

Tam hung up his phone and looked up towards the other side of the table only to see two empty seats facing his way. Tam's eyebrow rose as he gazed from side to side.

"Where'd everyone go?"

"Hey, Charli, can I talk to you for a moment?" Tala nodded his head in the direction of the exit Joy had just gone through to go to the washroom.

Charli's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Ok, fine…" She replied slowly with uncertainty as she got up from her chair. "I'll be right back guys."

They exited and stopped at the corner opposite to the one with the door to the girl's washroom, where Joy had just came out of.

Joy looked down the hall, noticing a familiar face, she smiled. It was Kai, he looked a bit frustrated, but he was still as gorgeous as ever, she had begun to notice this more and more often now, to the point where she sometimes couldn't go a day without his face crossing her mind. It was then that she began to really consider asking him to be her ski partner at the trip, and maybe to the Gala ball? Her smile grew a little at the thought, but she decided now probably wouldn't be the best time to ask, considering his present mood.

She watched a few seconds before Kai disappeared around the corner, out of her sight. She couldn't stop grinning at the thought of being Kai's girlfriend, she knew it wasn't final of course, but she did have a suspicion that he liked her a bit too.

Joy turned around and began to head in the direction of Tala and Charli. Just as she approached the corner, she tripped on her own shoe lace and stumbled a bit, gaining her balance once again but accidentally dropping her geometry set. Everything had fallen out and Joy let out an annoyed sigh as she knelt down to pick everything up.

As she was doing this she heard a recognizable voice from around the corner close to her, it was Charli, and the second voice was Tala. She knew she shouldn't eavesdrop, but it wouldn't be polite if she interrupted them, right? She'd just have to wait.

"Okay Tala, you've interrupted my lunch for-?" Charli spoke in an annoyed tone, placing her hands on her hips.

"Don't get your panties in a knot ok? I'm here for Kai."

"Kai? What does he want?"

"He wants to know if you'll go with him to the Diamond lodge Ball thingy- something like that…"

"You mean the Gala Ball at our dad's company ski trip?"

"Ya, that's it. So, will ya?"

Joy could not believe what she was hearing; out of nowhere her heart began to pound in her chest, she felt like it was about to pop out of her skin. Tears began to rise in her eyes, but she couldn't get up, her legs wouldn't move, she couldn't run away, she was forced to listen to the rest of the heart-wrenching conversation.

After Tala saw the discouraging look on Charli's face he began to talk again. "Come on Charli, you're all he can think about, he's been staring at you this whole lunch period. Who knows how long he's had these feelings for you. I mean, I just found out today! I guess he just never got over you."

"What! No, this is bullshit. He really can't expect me to go out with him, after what he did to me? He dumped me the morning after our first time together, if you know what I mean. No, not only that, but he did it, using a text message! You know what kind of damage that kind of thing does to a person! Huh?"

Tala's bright expression them turned to a more serious one.

"I would expect you of all people to know that pain Tala." Charli spoke as she swiftly passed Tala, through the cafeteria doors.

That really hit home for Tala, and then Tawny's face appeared in his mind, just when he thought he had one day without her memory.

Joy managed to get up from the floor, she had never felt pain like this, it hurt so bad. She felt like smashing her head against the lockers to get rid of it.

She really thought she had a chance with Kai, but he must've just been fooling with her. She felt so stupid. All along he just hadn't gotten over Charli, he never liked Joy, how foolish she was for thinking he could've.

Joy quickly grabbed her geometry set from the floor, quickly exiting the school through the back doors.

She then did the one thing she always did when she had a problem…

Run…

Not edited, once again, I'm just too lazy...

See ya next chappie!