Chapter Five

Classic Set-Up

'I think pink. What do you think, Anika?' Nicole burst out of the changing room. A few admiring gazes from the passer-bys boosted her confidence, and she turned to her sister.

'Anik-' she froze, and a vein in her forehead began to throb. Anika had stretched out on a flat bench with her hands behind her head.

She was asleep.

'ANIKA TAKASUKI!'

Damn, damn, damn, damn.

Damn!

That was all he could think as Rei jumped into the limousine, wearing black pants and a dark red shirt. The first thing Kai had thought was that it was the same colour as Anika's hair, and mentally swore at himself. Mariah followed Rei, sliding in next to him and shutting the door.

'Wow-' Tyson mumbled, staring at her. Rei reached around and twisted his ear until the boy yelled in pain.

'Hey, eyes off, Tyson, understand?'

'Yeah! Yeah! Just let me go! Ow!'

Mariah giggled and looked at Max and Kenny, apparently sensing Kai didn't feel like talking more than usual. In fact what he felt like doing was blowing up something huge.

'So, how're you guys doing?'

'Great! What've you two been up to over in China, Mariah?' Kenny asked.

'Well-'

'I so do not want to be here.' Anika snarled, glaring out of the tinted windows at the paparazzi outside.

'Well, we have to get it over with.' Nicole beamed, opened the door. Anika had no choice but to follow her already full-figured sister as she swept down the red carpet with the grace of a princess, her red dress curled perfectly around her form. Anika stepped out and unthinkingly paused, pushing a thick tendril of rich red hair over her shoulder. Ten thousand cameras flashed their approval, and Anika swore to herself and swept onwards.

Her sister had the grace of a princess.

Anika had the grace of a wildcat.

Rei stared.

'That's Anika and her little sister?' he gaped. Mariah brought an elbow down on his forehead.

'Hey!'

'I'm only human!' wailed Rei.

'Uh-oh, lovers spat.' Tyson muttered.

'Yeah, and we all know how those end.' Kai said, very, very grateful for the distraction. 'I really don't fancy a filling, so let's get this over and done with while Rei and Mariah sort out their little Issues…'

'Kai-' Rei growled. Mariah glowered at him. 'Oh boy-'

'And here we have the Blade Breakers from out very own country!' the real life, Japanese version of Gossip Gertie beamed. 'Looking handsome tonight in dark blue, we have Tyson, followed by the always cheerful Max! Following him is the not only intelligent but handsome scientist Kenny!'

'Oh, God.' Kai groaned, his sharp ears picking up the annoying woman. He sighed, gritted his teeth, and got out of the car.

If the paparazzi got excited about their good-looking and talented Beybladers, they were stunned about the second last one. For a moment time seemed to freeze, allowing Kai to walk steadily up the carpet, jerking his head to the others.

'Let's go. Stop playing to the media, guys.'

'Good idea.' Kenny blushed.

The cameras woke up when Rei stepped out of the car, leading Mariah, and looking a little dazed. Mariah looked fairly pleased with herself. Max didn't want to know.

'Tyson, don't ask.' Kai ordered, not even turning around as Tyson opened his mouth to say something to Rei.

'But-'

'We don't want to know- trust me on this.'

Kai immediately placed himself on the outskirts, watching instead the dancing for a while before he closed his eyes, resting his head against the wall.

'Ka-ai!' Mariah screamed. Kai opened one of his eyes and regarded the girl coolly. 'You're supposed to be having fun!'

'Nothing,' Kai said icily, 'with this much people is going to be fun, Mariah. Your status as Rei's girlfriend doesn't give you enough weight to tell me what to do, either.'

Mariah glowered at him until Rei took her hand and gently dragged her away.

'Come on, Mariah, it's just his way.'

'But Rei-!'

'Come on, Mariah.'

Kai shut his eyes again. He only cracked them open again at the sound of a familiar voice. Way too familiar and close for his liking.

'Come on, Anika, it's fun!' a more girly voice said, breathless with excitement. 'There's all these guys down there that are dying to dance with you!'

'They can go ahead and die then.'

'Come on!'

'No.'

Kai reminded himself that he did not, not matter what he felt like, he did not feel like hunting those guys down and giving them a blood nose….

'Anikaaa!'

'Look, Nicole, I think I've forgotten how to dance anyway!'

'Aw, but you never know until you-'

'Nicole. Get. Lost.'

Nicole sighed, and gave up, nodding. 'All right. I'll be with Tyson. Hey! Tyson!'

'Nicole, I was wondering where you were-' Tyson and the black-haired girl came down the stairs. 'Did you manage to convince her to come down?'

Kai felt his mouth twist as Tyson took Anika's sister in his arms and stepped gently out onto the dance floor.

'No, she's so stubborn.'

'Yeah. Let's just have fun for now, then.'

This was going to drive him crazy. He had to get out of here.

Rei, on the other hand, was not so much on Kai's side as he had seemed. He finished talking to the band and director, and gave Max the thumbs up. The blonde boy winked, and pushed his way through the crowd to Tyson and Nicole. Tyson grinned wickedly, and signalled to Kenny, who was standing surreptitiously in front of the lighting controls.

The lights went out.

Another one went on, on the director.

'And now, ladies and gentlemen, Japan's own Beybladers will start the next dance!'

Kai's head snapped up, knowing a plot when he heard it. Damn you guys.

…he was saying that to a lot of people, lately.

'And where's Kai-' the director murmured, as a light searched the room. There were a few giggles. Kai's reputation for being anything but sociopathic hadn't been confined to his team. 'There he is!'

Kai held his hand over his eyes as the light swung onto him triumphantly. Kai scowled.

'Er, sorry about that.' The director muttered, and swung the light off so the boy could actually see. Kai blinked away the white spots.

'Come on, Kai, hurry up!' Tyson yelled, waving. Kai groaned inwardly.

'Tyson, you might not have noticed this, but I don't have a partner.' He growled. He had a nasty feeling he knew where this was going, though. As dozens of female offers shot up around the hall, someone's hisses of protests could be heard. Slowly, the crowd hushed and turned on Nicole, almost forcibly dragging her sister towards Kai. Kai groaned again, this time almost aloud.

This was so humiliating. God, he was going to make Tyson's life a living hell for this. Giggles ran through the hall.

'Nicole, I told you-'

'Remember!' Nicole snarled, shoving her face in Anika's. Anika regarded her coldly, and shook her off. She sighed heavily and looked at Kai, who had stuck his hands in his pockets and was watching her cautiously. His mind seemed to have gone numb.

'Have you seen it?' she asked bluntly. Kai blinked.

'Seen what?'

'My dignity.' Anika said miserably, looking around the hall. 'I'm sure it must be lying around somewhere.'

Kai relaxed as the muffled giggles turned into a ripple of laughter, closing the gap between him and Anika.

'Smooth save.'

'Thankyou.' She murmured, barely moving her lips as she walked, keeping up with him perfectly until they reached the others in the centre. Tyson was grinning like a madman, and Anika growled as she passed,

'Tyson, you will live to regret this.'

'You too, Nicole.' Kai snarled. What was amazing about it, Rei remarked later, was that both of them managed to keep their faces totally impassive. It was scary.

The light in the centre of the hall dimmed slightly.

'Have you really forgotten how to dance?' Kai asked softly, watching her form their half-metre distance. Anika sighed.

'No.'

'I didn't think so.' He smirked, and sighed as the music started. He hoped that the sick nervousness inside him didn't show on his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rei gently take Mariah in his arms, and the same with Tyson and Nicole- argh. He was going to kill himself.

Mind you, maybe if he just didn't think, for once. A part of him screamed it's protests. Kai challenged,

Do you have a better suggestion?!

….

Exactly.

He sighed again, trying to let out his nervousness with it. Again. Must be an Anika thing. He held out his hand.

Come on, then, his eyes said. I dare you.

Anika gingerly took his hand.

Fine.

'For someone who says she hasn't danced in years, you're very good.' Kai said finally, managing to get over having her this damn close to him to say something.

'Same goes for you, mister-I-haven't-done-this-since-I-was-seven.'

'Can't seem to help it.' Kai said, blinking. 'You're easy to dance with.'

Anika rolled her eyes. She was still getting used to being this close to the guy. At least her heart was slowing down a little now. She felt Kai shift his hand a little on her waist, and found herself imaging what it would be like to have his arm around her everyday.

Ack! Not this again! Girly thoughts! That sort of thing warranted little hearts in her eyes and drooling, as far as she was concerned.

Oh, god. He was smirking at her again. She hated that smirk. It was so…so…oh, damn.

'You don't like me holding you this close, do you?' Kai asked. He kicked his inner self that governed his ruthless battle plans off a cliff and sent a Mac truck after it.

In a way, this was a battle. But Anika wasn't the kind of girl who'd fall for the ruthless thing.

And now he was trying to get her to fall for him.

Something was seriously wrong with him, now.

And he said to hell with it.

Anika looked uncomfortable.

'Um- I'm just- not used to it.' She mumbled. Kai grinned again. It did nothing to comfort her.

'I'm sure you'll get used to it.' He said calmly. Anika narrowed her eyes at him.

'Just what do you mean by that?'

'Oh, nothing.' Kai shrugged. Anika looked at him suspiciously.

'Why do I not trust you? Stop smirking!'

'Why?' Kai asked, smirking, and watched the colour rise in her cheeks. This was fun. But he knew he was nearing the edge of her enjoying herself despite her discomfort and getting her angry.

'Just don't.' she muttered. He nodded, and changed his smile subtly.

The dance ended. Tyson looked around for Kai.

'Are they still dancing?' he asked. Nicole shook her head.

'They won't be.'

'Why not?'

Nicole nodded sourly at the hawk-eyed paparazzi stationed around the hall.

'Oh. This is NUTS!'

'I think they'll be all right now.' Nicole grinned. 'What are you doing tomorrow, Tyson?'

'….' Tyson managed, blushing as she fixed him with a dazzling smile.