AN: Weee… nother new chapter… I have actually started chapter 16, expect it with in the next three days ^^ Now lets hope ffnet doesn't hate me again, and will actually upload this chapter normally!
Liliana Greenleaf – Wahhh you are soo right! I didn't think about it when I was writing… but she probably should have hit him! Sorry .;;
A couple of other reviews that were sorta flames.. but not really.. they were very confusing! Especially the one about Leina being my OC and Kai being in love with her… I was very lost… hehe
Alas! I have decided the final pairings… but I shant tell you, unless of course you want to know… that would ruin the surprise! But here is the next chapter!
"No! Ooooooohhh NO!" Enrique groaned, slumping to the gym floor protesting.
Liika had just entered the indoor beyblade court, followed closely by Bryan, who surveyed his new team with little interest. He did, however, shoot Enrique a glare as the blond continued to whine.
The others looked over quickly to the new arrivals, they're eyebrows quirking. Judy looked unfazed and continued to look over the documents she was holding in her hands. Max wasn't out of the hospital until that evening, and would miss the rest of the week of school.
"Um… Ika… what is Bryan doing here?" Mariah asked, hesitance in her voice.
Liika inhaled a big breath and let it out again. Squaring her shoulder she faced her team and said, "Bakuten B, meet our newest team member."
The majority of the team stared for a moment, a bit surprised at their captain's announcement. Bryan…was joining their team? He didn't even like them! Of course, he did have a thing for Liika…
Enrique let out another low moan. Lee shrugged and came over, extending his hand toward the burly boy. "Welcome aboard." He said. Personally he was glad Bryan was joining… the guy was a phenomenal blader.
Bryan took the offered hand and nodded a greeting. He then let his pale eyes wander over the rest of the group. Robert was frowning –to which he glared right back, Mariah had accepted him –threatening him about calling her woman, Jade and Emily looked as if they couldn't care less, Judy was reading something and Enrique was still moaning and muttering. Rolling his eyes, Bryan nudged the blond boy with his foot while he walked past him, toward one of the dishes. "Can it Sattiay. I'm only here cause I wanna blade. And if you haven't noticed, there is no room anywhere else." He growled.
"Great… he's here cause he has to be, not cause he wants to be." Mariah muttered.
Liika chuckled, shaking her head. Stepping over to her pink haired best friend, she slung her arm around the girls shoulder and whispered in her ear. "He actually wants to keep an eye on Robert."
Mariah tossed her a skeptical look and whispered back, "Are you sure having them on the same team is a good idea?"
"Well it's not like we have any choice Mari. Like it or not, Bryan is our last chance. You know as well as I do there is no one else that comes close to Bryan's skill. He is one of the best in this school." Liika replied, her voice still a whisper.
"I hate to interrupt the whisper fest, but it's time to start practice." Judy said, clearing her throat. The two girls nodded and stepped in line with the rest of the team that had lined up during their discussion. "Ok, this is where we get serious. Providing that there are no more accidents, this is the team that will represent Bakuten B. I'm sure I don't need to tell you our goal is Nationals. I have done some research on the other teams in this county –which you will battle once a week starting at the end of October. For the most part, they're alright, but to be honest I know we are better. There is, however, one team that will be extremely difficult to beat.
That team is Bakuten A. You know them. They are skilled and well led; I've also done my research on Hiwatari. The fact is he was unbeaten last year… the whole year. He led his team to Nationals last year, and he will do it again this year. The state is only allowed to send two teams to Nationals and I intend for us to be the other team. I know you have the talent, the skill and the leadership; we'll just have to work harder. I believe in you, and your sponsor believes in you. Fantastic Hobbies will support you through anything. Let's not let them down hmm?" She smiled and winked at the group of teenagers who grinned back –with the exception of Robert and Bryan.
"Now, on to some boring, yet important business." She picked up a clipboard that was sitting on the bench behind her. "Uniform color. I want to order uniforms, as well as matching track suits –both courtesy of your sponsor- and we have to decide on color, actually you don't really have a choice. Bakuten A has already submitted their color request, therefore we are stuck with the leftovers. They chose red, green and black, therefore we have no choice but to accept purple and white, which to be honest is what I would have suggested anyway. Here's the choice, mainly white with purple or mainly purple with white?"
"White." The boy's motioned as one. None of them really wanted to wear purple tracksuits.
Judy nodded, and scribbled something on the clipboard. "Girls?" She asked.
Liika, Jade, Mariah and Emily exchanged looks, mischief gleaming in all their eyes. "What if we said purple?" Emily grinned.
Judy paused, rolling her eyes and sighing. "Well in reality the final choice comes down to the captain. However – a good captain takes into consideration the desires of her team." The last line she said staring directly at a smirking Liika.
"White is fine." Liika glanced saucily at the boys, "Besides, purple tracksuits would clash horribly with Bryan and Robert's hair."
This sent the girls into giggles, as well as Enrique and Lee into chuckles. Bryan looked severely unamused, and Robert said nothing, but his eyes showed annoyance.
Judy chuckled as well, shaking her head. "Moving on. I have had a request from an outside party. Someone would like to manage you, I of course had to ask you first, but I would highly recommend it. It will take a load off Liika's shoulders." Judy said looking at her watch.
"Who?"
The blond woman glanced at the door, then at her watch again, frowning. "Well she should be here-"
"Sorry!" Someone called as they burst through the girl's change room door. "Got held up in math! I'm sorry I'm late!" A pale haired girl jogged over to Judy, clutching a purple notebook to her chest.
Judy smiled and patted the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry, you're not late. I was actually just telling them about your request."
Enrique perked up at the sight of the pale haired girl. "Riley wants to be our manager?" He asked tilting his head to the side and blinking his storm blue eyes.
Riley blushed a bit. Damn he's adorable when he does that…hell who am I kidding… he's adorable all the time! She thought. "That's right! If you guy's will have me." She allowed her gaze to fall on her twin brother who was scowling in her direction.
Liika elbowed Bryan –who just happened to be beside her-, catching his scowl. She then turned a grin at the other girl. "We would be honored if you would be our manager!" Liika exclaimed, then as an after thought she added, winking, "Plus it means less work for me!"
Bryan snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "You follow me like detention follows Sattiay."
"Hey!" Enrique protested, pouting. "I don't have detention all the time!"
The burly boy snorted and shrugged. Riley puffed up, sticking her tongue out at her brother. "Jerk, I didn't even know you were here."
"Ahem," Judy cleared her throat. "Now that she is here, she showed me a training menu she's worked up for you and I think it's excellent. So why don't you get started while I got shuffle the paper work so I can send it off to the BBA before tomorrow." Then patting Riley on the shoulder, she disappeared into the office, calling, "They're all yours Riley. Oh! Before I forget." Judy stopped in the threshold of the door, "You're first match is Friday, an exhibition game against A, be ready!" The door closed soundly behind the woman, leaving the eight teens to the mercy of their new manager.
Riley grinned, clapping her hands together and dropping the notebook she carried in the process. "Oops!" She blushed, picking it up. "Anyway, time to start! Just to let you know, tomorrow go straight to the weight room, we're doing strength training. But today, I want to see all your different skills, so pair off and we'll get started!" She chirped energetically. "Better yet! I'll pair you off. Here we go! Robert and Lee, Enrique and Jade, Emily and Mariah and Liika and Ryanny. Robert and Lee are up first!"
The teens shuffled off to the closest dish, all eager to get blading.
Kai sighed, bored out of his mind as he wandered the halls of Bakuten High in search of his friends. He had senior Chem before lunch so none of them were in his class. They weren't at the usual hang out either, which made him wonder just where exactly they were. He shrugged. He'd find them eventually, Bakuten was, after all, a fairly small school. The question was, what to do in the mean time? Wandering the whole lunch hour didn't really appeal to him. He passed the open Caff. Doors and a flash of royal blue caught his eye. Stopping abruptly he grinned ferally. His friends could wait, there was only one person with that color hair and she was practically begging to be harassed. He hadn't even talked to her outside of Family Management in… he counted in his head… since Frieday. She was getting off easy. If it hadn't been for the threat Miss G gave them about not fighting for a week, he would have made her life hell in Family Management. But alas the threat was made, and now he would just have to do it on his own time till the end of the week, which, he reminded himself, was only tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, he thought, entering the busy Caff. -he decided to sneak up on her table so that no one would see him coming and ruin his surprise- Tala had suggested when they were at DB's on Tuesday, that their team should challenge the B team to a exhibition match to see where they were in terms of skill, as well as test their own skills and strategies out. Kai agreed, and sent the formal challenge to their coach. He really wanted to see if the blue witch was actually all she was cracked up to be.
He strolled stealthly through the crowded room until he came up behind his prey unnoticed. Reaching out, he snatched the two hair sticks out of her hun, causing her silky hair to fall down past her shoulders to her mid back.
The girl whirled and came face to face with a firm washboard stomach. The people around her turned their attention to them. Robert, who was seated beside Liika, openly glared. Kai ignored him.
Liika seethed as she saw who had undone her hair. It was sooo like him! Jumping to her feet, she tripped over the bench in her haste to whack him for messing up her hair. With arms flailing she crashed into Kai, sending both teens to the floor.
"Klutz."
At Kai's word, Liika felt her face hear up. She was lying directly on top of his well muscled chest and she could hear the soft, slow beating of his heart. The ass wasn't even affected at all by her closeness! She hissed, propping herself up on her hands, and found herself staring into flashing chestnut eyes, her nose mere centimeters from his. Her hair curtained her face, the tips touching his purple uniform sweater. Blowing hair out of her eyes she growled, "Give me back my hair sticks!"
Kai smirked. As she had propped herself up, he sat up slightly, so his face was close to hers. He could feel her pulse racing –he had achieved his goal. Lying back down again, he brought the hand over that held the hair sticks and tapped her forehead with them. "You mean these hair sticks?" he taunted, pulling them out of her reach as she grasped for them.
Liika snarled and attempted to grab for his ever-moving hand –a task that was difficult with only one arm supporting her. Suddenly her supporting arm gave out and she landed roughly back on top of Kai. She had moved up slightly in her quest to retrieve her hair sticks, and now found herself chest to chest, nose to nose with her worst enemy. She was extremely annoyed to see that his eyes were glittering with evil mirth. "Why you-" She started but was interrupted when someone cleared their throat and she was hastily lifted to her feet, by her waist, by a very pissed off Robert.
Kai got to his feet, smirking the whole time. Liika was ready to pound him into oblivion when he started to twirl he hair sticks 'innocently'.
"Ahem." It was then that the two realized they had drawn a good sized crowd, which included the dreaded Drama teacher from hell, Mr. Boris Amery. Liika's eyes widened in fear and she turned bright red. Oh they were in for it now! It was a well known fact that Mr. Amery had very little tolerance for 'romantic behavior' on school property, and it probably looked like –to the casual observer- that they were having in 'intimate' moment. She mentally gagged at the thought.
Kai turned around to see his homeroom teacher glaring at them, his red tinted glasses lowered on his nose so his violet eyes pierced the lot of them. Kai shrugged. He wasn't afraid of the tall, well built man, but, catching a glimpse of Liika out of the corner of his eye, apparently the witch was.
"Kai," Mr. Amery stated, turning his volatile gaze from the group to the lone boy. "I thought you'd have better taste in women, but apparently I was wrong. In any case, if you are going to have affairs with attached women –or any women for that matter, do so on your own time and not on mine or you will be doing push ups every class for a month." He turned his attention to the clearly cowering girl. "And as for you Tomoda, please refrain from whoring yourself on school property, or in public. Wouldn't want to ruin Jagen's good name." He sneered, eyeing her with disgust before turning and stalking through the dense crowd –which parted in his wake.
Kai blinked in surprise. Were teachers even allowed to say things like that? And he thought his father was an asshole!
An angry cry brought him out of his musings and back to the present, where a very livid Liika, who had tears in the corners of her eyes, glared at him. His eyebrow twitched, what a weakling, couldn't even take the meaningless words of a complete asshole.
"Yo-you! This is all YOUR fault you prick!" She hissed, pointing an accusing finger at Kai.
Kai grinned, taking a step back. "Heh, later witch!" He called, disappearing in the crowd and slipping out of the Caff. He heard her scream as he exited the room. "HIWATARI! GIVE ME BACK MY THINGS!"
A smirk slipped on his face as he tossed one of the sticks up and down, placing the other in his pocket. Yup, his day just got a whole lot better.