Bittersweet Melody
Second Arc: Act Twenty Four
"That was amazing!"
Cat blushed and looked down to her feet. She had to smile as her cheeks burned hot. She tilted her chin down into her neck and moved her right arm behind her head. When did embarrassment feel this good? She managed to flutter her eyes upward to face the crowd in front of her.
The BBA Revolution stood in front of her, smiles equipped on their faces. Cat couldn't expect Kai to smile and wasn't disappointed when he didn't. Rumi and Yumi took their spots beside her, both girls giggling up a storm. Adof, Jam and Team Euro stood alongside the BBA. The crowd had long gone by now, leaving the group to reunite in privacy.
"Did you really write those lyrics all on your own?" Hiromi asked.
"Yes." Cat gave a small nod of her head.
"You should be proud of yourself, Cat." Ralf spoke out, catching her attention.
She shut her eyes and released a few nervous giggles. This was a tiresome day, first her confession then denial to Max and now this? It was taking a toll on her body as well as her mind. But she did feel relieved, maybe it was what she needed, to confess to Max. He refused her and her heart still ached. She couldn't let on, not now.
"You could give us a few compliments." Rumi teased and sent a wink in Cat's direction.
"You couldn't have done it without us!" Yumi was quick to agree.
She turned to her left then to her right. "Thank you."
"It was something." Kyoujyu added. "Well-worth the wait."
Takao pushed forward passed Kyoujyu and Hiromi. He and Cat locked gazes for a moment. He inhaled a deep breath through his nose as he looked at her. Was he proud of her? Oh how she wanted him to be proud. Any compliment from him would be something she would hold on to forever.
He parted his lips and watched the excitement grow on her face, "Cat-"
Just then the sound of shuffling feet and bodies caught Takao and Cat off guard. Cat bounced up on her tiptoes, trying to get a better visual on the situation. Takao made a one hundred and eighty degree turn to face the back of him. He watched as one by one, Max, Rei and Kai were pushed to one side allowing through a single body. He watched as a male passed through the small crowd and made his way to the head of the group.
"Yuki?" Jam asked with a cock of her eyebrow. "What are you doing here?"
Yuki placed a single hand on Takao's shoulder. He twitched upon contact while he was pushed to one side. He then watched as Yuki walked closer to her, a smile glued to his face.
"Yuki…" She replied nearly breathless.
"I watched your performance." Yuki said in a soft voice. "It was outstanding."
She hesitated for a moment. "T-thank you."
"Cat," He began to dig deep into his pockets as he spoke. "I know you've been through a lot in the past few weeks. I wanted you to know that I've kept what you've given me." she cocked a brow, "I think it's about time I gave it back to you."
Yuki's fingers wrapped around cold steel. He grabbed a tight hold to the item in his pocket. Without much hesitation, he pulled out the bulk in his pocket. With his hand made into a fist, he extended his arm out to her. The group around the young female leaned in, ready to see what Yuki had brought. He flipped over his fist and slowly began to uncurl his fingers. In the center of his palm lay a white Beyblade.
"This is your blade," Yuki said in a tone just above a whisper. "Dwarf Spitz."
"My Dwarf Spitz!"
"What did you do to your Dwarf Spitz?!"
"Electric Dwarf Spitz."
Cat lifted her right hand out, her fingers touching the Beyblade that lay in Yuki's hand. She ran her fingers over the clear plastic piece in the center of the blade. Dwarf Spitz. Her mouth opened slightly as she wrapped her fingers over the sides of the blade. She plucked it from Yuki's fingers and lifted it to her face.
This was her Beyblade, her Dwarf Spitz, her Holy Beast. All they had been through, it was beginning to make sense. Memories flashed in her mind like pictures in a slideshow. Battling with it, practicing with it, everything they had gone through together as a team. Team… Cat jerked her head back up to look at Takao and team BBA Revolution. Team…
Takao…Kyoujyu…Max…Rei…Kai…
Those faces.
"Wow, that was really you, Cat?"…Kyoujyu.
"So, it seems you've made it quite well for yourself."…Rei.
"You came back for him! You LOVE him!"…Kai.
"Go get 'em."…Max.
And finally,
"I was looking forward to our match."
Takao. Kinomiya Takao, the boy with the blue hair and baseball cap, the world champion, the one boy who made her feel lighter than air.
"When I left you two years ago, I realized I loved you."
"I-I'm sorry…I…I can't."
Her hand fell limp. Her tiny Beyblade tumbled from her open palm and dropped. The small blade created a haunting echo as it hit the floor. No one could speak, no words entered the air, it was just silent. Cat's shaky hands lifted upward toward her face. Her eyes darted from hand to hand and watched as they shivered in fear. She then brought her hands to her face, running her fingers through her wavy hair. Her fingers spread out on her face, she began to stutter. Tears began to form in her eyes and she was finally able to tear her vision from the floor to him. Her bottom lip quivered in fear.
"T-Takao?"
"Cat," Jam approached her younger sister, placing her hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"
She tore her shoulder away from her beloved older sister. Her whole body shook, as she slowly began to back away from the group. She received strange looks and stares while the look of horror spread on her face. She gulped aloud before finally finding the strength to speak.
"I…I remember…"
"What?!"
The sounds of the people talking in the room became muffled in her ears. She could hear them speaking but couldn't make out words. She could see the expressions on their faces but they became blurred with each passing second. A stray tear began to tumble down her cheek. She began to shake her head back and forth in a violent manner. There was no way this could be happening, not here, not now. More tears were forced out of her eyes. She let out a whimper before jerking her body forward. She broke into a sprint, pushing anyone in her way to the side. She needed to get out of there, now.
XoXoX
She ran through the pain. The burning sensation in her calves didn't slow her down any; she couldn't stop now, not when she had already run so far. She passed embarrassed; she was mortified, why did she have to remember? What did everyone else know? Did they know about her confession to Takao on that day? It was clear that he knew. All the memories of her life were like a cold slap to the face. Sad, embarrassing and shameful memories flooded her mind. Why did she have to remember? Only if her memories had stayed forgotten.
She ran through the dark streets, passing only a few people who lingered in the darkness. She ran from streetlight to streetlight, tears streaming down her face. She had to go somewhere, any place than this. Any getaway would be welcomed.
She wasn't sure how far or how long she had ran for but she was certain it wasn't far or long enough. She had used up the last of her reserves and was now paying the price for her sprint. Her legs stopped. She felt her aching back fly forward, her hands acting just in time to catch herself on her knees. Now bent over, she huffed and puffed in a desperate attempt to catch her breath.
How could she be so stupid? Why did she have to act on her emotions? Not only did she confess to Takao months before but she had to confess to Max earlier in the day. Max, the one boy she could honestly call her best friend, and she confessed her love to him. It was obvious now, with her memories restored, that she had no romantic feelings toward him, just feelings of fondness and affection of friendship. How could she get the two confused? Love and loving friendship? She listened to her mind earlier, not her heart. Her mind loved Max but her heart stilled belonged to Takao.
Takao…
A warm hand reached out and touched her shoulder. She jerked her torso upward and she spun around to meet the face behind her. Takao. He stood behind her, panting just as heavily as she was. Sweat tripped down his temple as he tried his best to catch his breath. Cat felt the tears again begin to leak from her eyes. How could she face him now? After all that had happened, through all their hardships, she was filled with shame. She hiccupped before throwing her hands over her cheeks.
"You remember everything?"
Cat sniffled at the sound of his voice. She managed to pull her hands away from her eyes long enough to see that Takao was speaking to her. He had asked her an obvious question that hardly needed an answer. Perhaps he was just as confused as her. Shocked at the idea of her memories returning to her so swiftly.
"I wish I hadn't!" Cat exclaimed, forcing more tears to rush from her eyes. "Why did I have to remember?! I didn't want to remember!"
"But I did."
Her crying came to an abrupt halt. She moved her hand to her eye and wiped away the tears. She gave Takao a look of confusion before lowering her head to look at the ground. She released a heavy sigh before repeating his words in her mind. He wanted her to remember? Why? Wasn't he embarrassed for her?
"I want you to remember! I want you back! I don't want you to forget!"
"I love you…"
Her heart stopped. That was right. He had confessed the very same thing to her after the accident. He had told her that he returned her emotions. Her love was not one-sided it after all. And still? Why did she feel the urge to hide under a rock? Why couldn't he forget what she said? Why did she have to be the one to forget? It would have been so easy if it were Takao instead of her. Only if she hadn't acted so rash and confessed to him…
"I can't…" She began to shake her head from side to side. "I never wanted to love you," She explained as tears, once again, began to form in her eyes. "I wish I could have hated you. Things would have been so much easier then."
He refused to take his eyes off her. The words she was saying, he had to agree with them. It would have been easier if the two hated one another. The past two years would have gone so much smoother if the two disliked each other. Why couldn't he deny it like she had?
"But you don't hate me."
She forced her vision to return to Takao. She allowed her lips to part and her mouth to hang open. The buds of tears collected in the corner of her eyes slid down her face. Her eyes and cheeks matched in a bright shade of red.
"I can't," Cat whispered between sobs. "I can't be with you, I won't let myself."
She could see it in his face, his heart was sinking and for a moment, she, herself, couldn't believe what she was saying. She refused to love him after everything? It was so stupid and yet her mind wouldn't allow it. After her confession, after his confession she still would hold herself back? It didn't make sense.
"I told you all ready," She strained. "Once I got my memory back, I no longer wanted anything to do with you."
"After I get my memory back, you'll promise me that you'll leave me alone?"
"I meant it." She stared directly into his eyes. "I don't want anything more to do with you."
He froze over. They had made a promise that day. And she was still willing to abide by it. Still… why did she have to stick with that promise and never see him again? It wouldn't be right on any level. She wanted to hate him so much only because she loved him that much.
"Fine."
Cat gulped. She shut her eyes slowly and took in a deep breath of air. She allowed the last few tears to run past her cheeks and drip off her chin. She sniffled once or twice before allowing her eyes to flutter open. She watched as Takao stood before her, his head tipped downward. The hair on his face created a shadow that concealed his emotions. Was he crying? No, he was too proud for that. Cat tipped her head down once again; she couldn't look at him any longer.
Before she could draw a second breath, she felt his arms wrap around her body. Her eyes snapped open as he drew her in closer. She could feel the heat of his body combine with her own. Soon after embracing her, his scent filled her nostrils. There it was, that familiar scent and this time, she knew who it belonged to. She whimpered as he inhaled through her lips.
Oh how she longed for this. His touch, his scent all over her but it was a bittersweet ending to their lives together. She never wanted his touch to end, if she could stay in this moment forever, it would be heaven. She couldn't allow that to happen. She was far too ashamed of herself to be with him.
She felt his arms grow loose on her body, a movement she was dreading. She felt as he began to push himself away from her. She resisted the urge to cry any further. She had to be strong now, she couldn't let on that she needed him more than anything in the world. Her gaze locked with his and she watched as his right arm stretched out to her face. His soft fingertips locked to her chin.
This is the way she wanted it to end. Looking at him the same way she looked at him the day he came into his life. That wide-eyed stare with those loveable chubby cheeks and with a hat twice his size. That day the met, they were both scared and nervous too. It should end the same way it began with the same emotions. She wouldn't have it any other way.
"Good bye," He whispered.
Cat shut her eyes tight and waited as the warmth of Takao's body left her. His hands fell from her face in slow motion. There would be no tomorrow, no next week, it would end here. No sparkling romantic ending or fairytale, this was it. No kiss to wake her from her slumber, just a sad good bye. She refused to repeat his words. She couldn't say it; she couldn't end it with a good bye that would be to final. In her mind she repeated the words in her head, to be continued. If it were like that, she would subside the pain.
She opened her eyes just in time to see him turn his back to her. After his back was turned, he began his walk home. He leaned in forward, placing his hands in his pockets. He began to step onward, leaving the scene for good. Just before the tears began to welt in her eyes once more, she watched as Takao removed his right hand from his pocket. He extended his arm and lifted his index and middle fingers to the air. His simple way of saying good bye. It would be a memory that was burned into her mind forever.
XoXoX
There was no one there to 'doll' her up for this date. In fact the emotion in the air was completely different than the one the day Cat went on her date with Max. Things had changed for the worse. But she had to make the best of it while she could. Things were going to be different now, for sure, but she would adapt. She was strong and she knew Takao was strong. Things could start over maybe for the better?
Hiromi stood in front of her mirror and eyed herself. She was in her best dress and wearing her finest smelling perfume. She turned around to look at her backside in her full-length mirror. She had to admit; she looked very pretty in this dress. She would be sure to impress! This would be the start of a new day; she would make it all worth her while.
It had taken guts, a lot of guts to do what she did. She had gone beyond her comfort zone and only two weeks after Cat had regained her memories, asked Takao out on a date. He was free game, right? It was obvious to her now. Takao did love her and after what he told everyone the night Cat remembered, it left Hiromi feeling hopeful. Perhaps Cat's misfortune could turn out to be her gain.
Hiromi loved Takao after all. She wasn't ashamed to admit it now, or to be more accurate, after she told Takao on this night. She had it all planned out in her mind. A romantic evening together and she would tell him, just after dinner and underneath the stars. There was nothing holding her back now.
Their date would start in a few hours. Hiromi and the rest of the BBA Revolution had plans to meet the rest of the teams for their farewell at the airport. It was a small delay that would only take a few hours, at the most. She could do that; it was also nice to see all her friends off. And it was also a perfect opportunity to hold Takao's hand at the airport.
She had to admit to herself, it would be sad, not having Cat around anymore. In fact, having Cat around seemed like the only time Hiromi could feel like a true female. They weren't especially close but they could relate with one another. It would be different, but life goes on.
Was she doing the right thing? She had to wonder to herself. Takao hadn't let on that the incident had affected him too much. In fact in the past two weeks he had seemed happier and louder than ever. He wasn't trying to hide anything, was he? She would have to find out for herself.
Act End.