AN: Woo! I wasn't actually going to write this for like another week.. but hey! Here it is! I hope you all like it! Its long… about 13 pages, but full of Kai/Liika goodness..
Warning: This chapter contains mucho amounts of Shakespeare dialogue… most of it is essential to the plot so I pray you read it…please! Also the last scene of the chapter is pretty sad so yea there's your warning lol
Three chapters left folks! THREE! *dances*
March came and went for the students of Bakuten District Highschool. The first week after returning to the small town as the top two beyblade teams in the state was hectic and full of celebration –for most people that is.
Liika was sullen, as was the majority of Bakuten B, for the first week anyway. The loss had been difficult to except, mostly because it was to their rivals they lost. However, they all knew they did the best they could and would have to live with it. After all, they had the Nationals in May to train for. They would beat the A team there.
Although he returned to Bakuten a virtual hero, Kai wasn't exactly celebrating either. Liika had begun to avoid him and it irritated him. If he couldn't act on the new found feelings he had towards her, he at least wanted to be around her, tormenting her if need be, anything to occupy her attention. He knew she was still smarting over the break up with Robert. Instead he found himself watching her from a distance, gritting his teeth as she began to spend more and more time with Wakeman. He over heard her once saying that although she loved Mariah and Enrique dearly, she couldn't handle the whole 'lovey dovey' crap they did with their significant others. It explained why the Wakeman-Monroe duo became the Wakeman-Monroe-Tomoda trio.
But what irked Kai the most was that Wakeman was lapping up the attention like a kitten does cream. He rarely left her side anymore, so even if Kai wanted to approach her, even just to be bothersome, he didn't dare, as he couldn't afford to have another fight on his permanent record. All in all Kai's life was less than pleasant.
However, all that changed when everyone's favorite drama teacher announced he would be splitting the class up into groups of nine or ten and putting them under the guidance of a senior directing/acting student who was going to direct them in a project they had to do. Drama was the only class Kai and Liika had together and so it wasn't really surprising when Mr. Amery put them in the same group, along with Mariah, Oliver, Enrique, Tala, Michael, Lee and Rei. Especially since he, and the whole world seemed to think that they had a thing for each other. Was Kai really that transparent? It was yet another source of irritation for the blue haired boy. So the whole world knew he was completely infatuated with the little witch…all except the witch herself. Damn her. Couldn't she what she was doing to him?? Grr.
Moving back to the drama presentation, it seemed that the senior put in charge of their little group was none other than Spencer Monroe, which irked Kai, much like everything else lately. His assignment was to take Shakespeare's 'Much Ado About Nothing' and edit it so that it showcased the relationship of Benedick and Beatrice. He could do this in anyway he wanted just so long as it used the original dialogue of the play.
Liika was thrilled to have her new good friend as her director, however, that changed when he announced his cast list as well as released his revised script. He had cast her as Beatrice…and Hiwatari as Benedick. She was extremely aggravated with the revelation, yet she found she couldn't really summon the true anger and disgust she wanted to feel.
Truth was she kinda missed the arrogant jackass.
Yes, she missed their verbal battles and she missed the competition. Her life had become pretty dull since the States, since she started avoiding him. Maybe this project was just what she needed to get out of the slump she had been in ever since that stupid Robert dumped her.
Robert. He was still a sore subject to her. He was her first love, how was she supposed to just forget that? She wasn't. However, he still stayed true to the fact that she was in love with Hiwatari.
Hiwatari. As if!
She still denied it. After all, if she was in love with the pompous ass wouldn't she know it? Of course she would! She wasn't in love with Kai Hiwatari, hell she didn't even like him!
Of course that wasn't what the little voice in the back of her head told her. She promptly shut that voice up. It was wrong. She didn't like Hiwatari and she never would!
Yet when she declared this to Mariah and Enrique one lunch hour –a rare lunch hour when she actually hung around with them and not Bryan and Spencer, they were otherwise occupied- the two had shaken their heads and laughed at her.
LAUGHED at her.
Liika couldn't believe it. They actually thought she liked the bastard? This sent her into a rage and she stomped away to find Bryan and Spencer. At least they didn't accuse her of something that wasn't true!
That was the week before they got the project and it made Beyblade practice very tense. Liika was already ignoring Robert, and that added Mariah and Enrique to her people to ignore list. Thus she was not talking to half her team.
She never even considered that they had had a point in laughing at her proclamation. Nor did she consider that these were the two people that knew her best in the world. She let her anger blind her.
Tala had begun to treat her very…oddly. He kept smiling and winking at her like he knew something she didn't. It was frustrating, because when she cornered him about he merely chuckled, ruffled her hair and walked away whistling, a huge grin on his face.
Stupid red-head. He just liked to torment her.
Hiwatari was even worse! Even though she avoided him, Liika figured that he would eventually get tired of that crap and search her out to torment her. But he didn't. He just left her alone. Sometimes she caught him watching her from a distance away, but that was it. And when he did watch her it was never with a malicious or mocking look, just a sort of melancholy, frustrated air that confused her. She chose to ignore it. He was probably just doing it to annoy her any way.
Once the rehearsals got underway, Kai and Liika were forced to spend more time together in closer contact as they were the main characters of Spencer's project. At first Liika barely talked to him, only saying her lines when she had to and then with dismal effort to the character. However, as time went on, and the performance date drew closer Kai managed to draw her out of her shell. It really took minimal effort on his part, a few choice comments here or there and BAMN she was fighting back with all the vigor she had before. She even started performing her character better –especially the parts where she was supposed to hate him. The whole process was extremely enjoyable for Kai, who basked in her attention, thrilled that it was him that was occupying her mind and not Wakeman. Hell he even bet that she thought about him when they weren't rehearsing.
Kai wasn't too far off the mark either. As the month of rehearsal time wore on, Liika found that the blue haired boy captain occupied more and more of her thoughts, and that the thoughts she had weren't all bad. She, of course, fought it tooth and nail. Robert wasn't going to win, he wasn't going to be right!
The night of performance, April 25th, soon came. Mr. Amery set it up so that all three groups would perform in one drama night, as each play was about 20-40 minutes in length. Every cast required wardrobe and minimal sets.
Spencer's play titled 'The evolution of Benedick and Beatrice' was set to go last and when curtain call came, the nine nervous teenagers and one completely calm director stood waiting, places taken for show time.
Spencer stood in the middle of the stage, at the front, while Liika, Lee, Mariah and Enrique stood behind him, in front of a poorly constructed house front backdrop. Liika and Mariah were dressed in old, long dresses, with billowing sleeves and low cut bodices taken from the drama departments old costume library. Lee was dressed in a fancy green tunic, tan colored leggings and a feathered hat, while Enrique wore servant's clothes. As the curtain rose the actors took a deep breath and waited for Spencer to commence the play.
"Good evening ladies and gentleman." Spencer started in a low, polite voice. He looked vaguely uncomfortable, dressed sharply in a suit and tie. "As you know each of us senior students was given a Shakespeare play to edit and analyze according to Mr. Amery's outline. My outline was to showcase the relationship of Benedick and Beatrice from Shakespeare's comedy 'Much Ado About Nothing'. This I titled my play 'The Evolution of Benedick and Beatrice', I hope you enjoy it.
"For those who do not know of this play I will introduce characters. First we have Beatrice, who is played by Liika Tomoda, a woman with a very sharp tongue. She is the niece of Leonato, played by Lee Laan, an elderly noble of Messina, Italy and the cousin of his beautiful and kind daughter Hero, played by Mariah Low. Benedick, played by Kai Hiwatari, is an aristocratic soldier just returned from fighting the war under Don Pedro or 'the Prince', played by Michael Parker, an important noble of Aragon. He is a close friend of Claudio, played by Tala Valkov, the young soldier that falls in love with Hero. Don John, played by Enrique Sattiay, is Don Pedro's bastard brother, a bitter, surely man that plays almost no role in my edit of Shakespeare's play. The last three characters are Antonio, played by Rei Kon, who is the older brother of Leonato, the Friar Francis, played by Oliver Dubois, who sees over the weddings and the messenger, also played by Enrique Sattiay. If any of this has confused you it is also printed in the program you got at the door.
"We start off in Act I, Scene I where Beatrice and Benedick come face to face for the first time in many years. This scene introduces the idea that Beatrice, despite her harsh words about him, actually missed Benedick in his absence." With that introduction he bowed and stepped off to the side of the stage to watch his actors work.
The spotlight shone on the four teenagers signaling the start of the first scene.
Liika stepped forward to Enrique entreatingly. "I pray you, is Signior Mountanto returned from the wars or no?"
Enrique shook his head. "I know none of that name, lady: there was none such in the army of any sort."
Lee looked at Liika curiously. "What is he that you ask for, niece?"
"My cousin means Signior Benedick of Padua." Mariah cut in, smiling gently.
"O," Enrique grinned as if understanding something, "he's returned; and as pleasant as ever he was!"
The blue haired girl scowled at this, tossing her loose locks over her shoulder and flouncing to the front of the stage with flourish. "He set up his bills here in Messina and challenged, Cupid at the flight; and my uncle's fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt. I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten in these wars? But how many hath he killed? For indeed I promised to eat all of his killing!"
Lee sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "Faith, niece, you tax Signior Benedick too much, but he'll be meet with you, I doubt it not."
"He hath done good service, lady, in these wars." Enrique put in, nodding.
Liika swung around, smirking haughtily. "You had musty victual, and he hath holp to eat it: he is a very valiant trencherman; he hath an excellent stomach." Her voice rang sarcasm.
"And a good soldier too, lady."
"And a good soldier to a lady, but what is he to a lord?"
Enrique cowered a bit under her shrewd eye, but straightened his back nevertheless. "A lord to a lord, a man to a man; stuffed with all honourable virtues!" He replied, nodding a bit to reassure himself.
A blue eyebrow raised. "It is so, indeed? He is no less than a stuffed man, but for the stuffing," She paused then scoffed daintily. "Well, we are all mortal."
Lee interrupted hastily, trying to smooth the argument between the sharp-tongued Beatrice and the poor messenger boy. "You must not, sir, mistake my niece. There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her. They never meet but there's a skirmish of wit between them."
Liika snorted, tossing her head again. "Alas! He gets nothing by that. In our last conflict four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed with one, so that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let him bear it for a difference between himself and his horse. For it is all the wealth that he hath left, to be known a reasonable creature. Who is his companion now? He hath every month a new sworn brother."
"Is't possible?" Enrique looked dazed and mightily impressed.
"Very easily possible! He wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat - it ever changes with the next block." She snickered into her hand.
"I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books."
"No, an he were, I would burn my study. But, I pray you, who is his companion? Is there no young squarer now that will make a voyage with him to the devil?" Liika looked curious as she entreated Enrique.
Enrique nodded. "He is most in the company of the right noble Claudio."
"O Lord, he will hang upon him like a disease!" The blue haired girl cried, waving her arms wildly. "He is sooner caught than the pestilence, and the taker runs presently mad. God help the noble Claudio! He have caught the Benedick, it will cost him a thousand pound ere a' be cured."
The blond teen threw a look at the other two people that occupied the stage. "I will hold friends with you, lady!" He exclaimed, eyes wide with fear.
She smirked back at him. "Do, good friend."
Lee sighed. "You will never run mad, niece." He said, looking distraught.
"No, not till a hot January."
Just then Enrique perked up, looking off backstage as if he was looking into the distance. "Don Pedro is approached!" Discreetly he slipped off stage to switch tunic's quickly before entering with Kai, Tala and Michael.
It was Michael that spoke first, stepping over to Lee and grasping his hand firmly. "Good Signior Leonato, you are come to meet your trouble, the fashion of the world is to avoid cost, and you encounter it."
"Never came trouble to my house in the likeness of your grace," Lee bowed over Michael's hand. "For trouble being gone, comfort should remain; but when you depart from me, sorrow abides and happiness takes his leave."
"You embrace your charge too willingly. I think this is your daughter?" Michael replied, turning his attention to Mariah who curtsied and gave her hand to Michael who kissed the top of his gently.
Lee smiled. "Her mother hath many times told me so."
Kai's eyebrow shot up, and he looked curiously between Lee and Mariah. "Were you in doubt, sir, that you asked her?" He asked curiously.
The black haired teen laughed, shaking his head. "Signior Benedick, no, for then were you a child."
"You have it full, Benedick: we may guess by this what you are, being a man. Truly, the lady fathers herself. Be happy, lady; for you are like an honourable father" Michael spoke as he let go of Mariah's hand.
Kai stepped over to Michael's vacated spot and took Mariah's hand, kissing the top of it. "If Signior Leonato be her father, she would not have his head on her shoulders for all Messina, as like him as she is."
"I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior Benedick: nobody marks you."
Kai's eyes snapped instantly to Liika who stared at him, a challenge in her eyes. A smirk tilted his lips then as he dropped the pink haired girl's hand and stepped over to where Liika was standing at the front of the stage. "What, my dear Lady Disdain! are you yet living?" He mocked, his eyes moving down her in boredom.
"Is it possible disdain should die while she hath such meet food to feed it as Signior Benedick?" Liika began to circle him, sneering. "Courtesy itself must convert to disdain, if you come in her presence."
"Then is courtesy a turncoat. But it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted." Kai's eyes flashed something then, causing Liika to almost frown. That hadn't been there during rehearsal. It was like… he was serious and that it upset him. Odd. "And I would, I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart; for, truly, I love none." He finished flatly.
Liika shook it off. "A dear happiness to women!" She spat. "They would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank God and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that. I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me."
Kai grinned, laughing heartily. "God keep your ladyship still in that mind! So some gentleman or other shall 'scape a predestinate scratched face." He teased.
"Scratching could not make it worse, an 'twere such a face as yours were." She retorted, snorting.
He laughed again. "Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher."
"A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours."
"I would my horse had the speed of your tongue, and so good a continuer. But keep your way, i' God's name; I have done." He waved dismissively.
Liika laughed haughtily, shooting him a look of victory. "You always end with a jade's trick. I know you of old."
The others meanwhile had watched the exchange as they were supposed to. However, this time something was different between the two. It was if they were really arguing. Either they were going all out for acting…or they were actually serious.
The scene then continued until everyone exited the stage but Kai and Tala.
"Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signior Leonato?" Tala asked, a sort of dazed expression on his face.
Kai shrugged. "I noted her not, but I looked on her."
"Is she not a modest young lady?"
A blue eyebrow rose. "Do you question me, as an honest man should do, for my simple true judgment? Or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their sex?"
Tala sighed. "No, I pray thee speak in sober judgment."
"Why, i' faith, methinks she's too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise and too little for a great praise." Kai said flatly. Only this commendation I can afford her, that were she other than she is, she were unhandsome and being no other but as she is, I do not like her."
"Thou thinkest I am in sport. I pray thee tell me truly how thou likest her." The red head shot back frowning.
Kai shrugged again disinterestedly. "Would you buy her, that you inquire after her?"
"Can the world buy such a jewel?"
The blue haired teen rolled his eyes. "Yea, and a case to put it into. But speak you this with a sad brow? Or do you play the flouting Jack, to tell us Cupid is a good hare-finder and Vulcan a rare carpenter? Come, in what key shall a man take you, to go in the song?"
"In mine eye she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on."
"I can see yet without spectacles and I see no such matter. There's her cousin, an she were not possessed with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty as the first of May doth the last of December. But I hope you have no intent to turn husband, have you?"
As Kai spoke his last lines the curtain fell, disguising the pair from view. Spencer stepped onto the stage in front of the curtain then and proceeded to explain the next scene, while Tala shoved Kai off stage so the stagehands could switch sets.
"And what was that?" Tala demanded, shooting his best friend a look.
Kai looked confused. "What?"
Tala sighed, running a hand through his blood colored hair. "The whole scene with Iki, you were far to serious."
"Whatever." He shrugged, storming past Tala, causing the other teen to sigh again.
"If he doesn't tell her soon I'm going to knock his head against a brick wall." Tala muttered walking off stage while Kai and Liika prepared for their next scene.
The next two scenes flew by. Everyone who watched the pair at work were stunned at the acting abilities. They were flawless, as if the pair on the stage actually felt what the two characters were feeling. Of course to those who knew the pair it wasn't overly shocking. They knew what was going on and all threw each other looks. They knew that what the characters were feeling was exactly what their actors were feeling.
"In this next scene, Benedick comes back to Beatrice with the news that he hadn't yet killed Claudio for her, but had challenged him. Beatrice sees this as a slight, that he doesn't really love her and thus spurns him." Spencer spoke then bowed and walked off stage as the curtain rose to reveal Kai standing in the middle of a garden set.
Kai was beet red and he shifted uncomfortably. He really didn't want to do this part, but alas, Mr. Amery would skin him alive if he didn't. Somehow it seemed so much easier during rehearsal. Opening his mouth he began to sing, quite well.
"The god of love,
That sits above,
And knows me, and knows me
How pitiful I deserve-" He stopped singing, letting out a huge sigh. He turned to the audience in supplication. "I mean in singing, but in loving, Leander the good swimmer, troilus the first employer of panders, and a whole bookful of these quondam carpet-mangers, whose names yet run smoothly in the even road of a blank verse. Why, they were never so truly turned over and over as my poor self in love. Marry, I cannot show it in rhyme, I have tried, I can find out no rhyme to 'lady' but 'baby,' an innocent rhyme. For 'scorn,' 'horn,' a hard rhyme, for, 'school,' 'fool,' a babbling rhyme, very ominous endings. No, I was not born under a rhyming planet, nor I cannot woo in festival terms." He sighed again, then perked up as Liika strode onto the stage. "Sweet Beatrice, wouldst thou come when I called thee?"
She nodded primly. "Yea, signior, and depart when you bid me."
"O, stay but till then!" Kai almost felt sick on the words. Begging her to stay with him. It was pathetic! However, he meant every word. Just as he had the entire play.
Liika caught the disgust in his eyes and stiffened. What was his problem?? "'Then' is spoken! Fare you well now, and yet, ere I go, let me go with that I came. Which is, with knowing what hath passed between you and Claudio." She delivered her lines flawlessly, but they held a hard edge that only Kai's ears could hear.
He grimaced inwardly. Damn, she wasn't supposed to see the disgust…that was reserved for himself. He was disgusted at his own sudden need to be near the blue haired female. "Only foul words; and thereupon I will kiss thee." He said finally, after cursing in his head.
Liika sidestepped him as he reached out to kiss her. "Foul words is but foul wind, and foul wind is but foul breath, and foul breath is noisome; therefore I will depart unkissed." She shot back, looking extremely annoyed.
Kai sighed. "Thou hast frighted the word out of his right sense, so forcible is thy wit." His auburn eyes caught hers, conveying the message that he was indeed serious. "But I must tell thee plainly, Claudio undergoes my challenge; and either I must shortly hear from him, or I will subscribe him a coward. And, I pray thee now, tell me for which of my bad parts didst thou first fall in love with me?"
Liika was startled. He was using the lines to convey hidden meaning again! But what was he trying to say? "For them all together, which maintained so politic a state of evil that they will not admit any good part to intermingle with them. But for which of my good parts did you first suffer love for me?" The lines were said almost mechanically as she tried to figure out what he was talking about.
Seeing the slight recognition in her eyes Kai pushed on, his face set in a determined frown. "Suffer love! A good epithet! I do suffer love indeed, for I love thee against my will." Kai could have laughed at the irony of the words. It was so true! He just hoped the little blue witch would understand the hidden meaning.
She didn't. "In spite of your heart, I think: alas, poor heart! If you spite it for my sake, I will spite it for yours, for I will never love that which my friend hates."
He sighed, rolling his eyes so that the audience wouldn't see it. "Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably."
"It appears not in this confession: there's not one wise man among twenty that will praise himself."
"An old, an old
instance, Beatrice, that lived in the lime of good neighbours. If a man do not
erect in this age his own tomb ere he dies, he shall live no longer in monument
than the bell rings and the widow weeps."
"And how long is that, think you?"
Kai shrugged. "Question: why, an hour in clamor and a quarter in rheum? Therefore is it most expedient for the wise, if Don Worm, his conscience, find no impediment to the contrary, to be the trumpet of his own virtues, as I am to myself. So much for praising myself, who, I myself will bear witness, is praiseworthy: and now tell me, how doth your cousin?" The words glided off his tongue. This part had no bearing on what he was trying to tell her. It would have to be postponed until the next scene.
"Very ill." Liika answered, looked sad.
"And how do you?"
"Very ill too."
Kai smiled softly and hooked a finger under her chin. "Serve God, love me and mend. There will I leave you too, for here comes one in haste."
And with that last line the curtain fell again, summoning Spencer from the shadows.
"This last scene is the final scene of the play, in both my edited version and in the actual work. Beatrice and Benedick's love is confirmed and the two are married." He bowed and walked off.
Liika sorely wanted to question Kai but ran out of time. She was pushed of stage as Oliver, Lee, and Rei rushed on to join Kai. The curtain raised and the scene began.
"Friar, I must entreat your pains, I think." Kai said loudly, addressing Oliver.
Oliver calked his head, and smiled kindly. "To do what, signior?"
"To bind me, or undo me; one of them." Kai replied, smiling ruefully. The glint his eye startled Oliver who frowned then masked it clearly. Kai then turned to Lee. "Signior Leonato. Truth it is, good signior, your niece regards me with an eye of favour."
"That eye my daughter lent her, 'tis most true." He replied.
"And I do with an eye of love requite her." Kai's tone said that he was entirely sincere, his eyes reflected that to the two other boys.
Lee's eyebrow shot up. Was Robert right? Lee and his best friend had had a conversation not too long after the State tournament, and in it the tall purple haired boy had stated that he was completely positive that Hiwatari had feelings for their captain. Could he be right? Judging from the look in the other boy's eyes at the moment he would say so. He smiled inwardly. So that was what he was up to in the last scene. He was trying to tell her through the lines. Lee almost laughed.
Liika apparently was a little thick.
"The sight whereof I think you had from me, from Claudio and the prince. But what's your will?" Lee looked right back in Kai's eyes. So you do care about her, but really what is your intention Hiwatari?
Kai's eyes flashed, his lips tilting into a smirk. "Your answer, sir, is enigmatical. But, for my will, my will is your good will May stand with ours, this day to be conjoin'd in the state of honourable marriage." He then turned to Oliver again. "In which, good friar, I shall desire your help."
Is that your plan then Hiwatari? Bryan wont like that you know. Lee thought smirking slightly. "My heart is with your liking." I wont tell her.
The blue haired boy inclined his head towards Lee in understanding.
Oliver watched the silent exchange with curiosity, as did Rei. "And my help." He cut in, "Here comes the prince and Claudio."
Micheal, and Tala entered then and the scene progressed flawlessly. Tala had been watching from the side stage and understood just what his best friend was telling the dark haired boy.
Eventually the girls were led in with masks on, they went through the unmasking of Hero and the proclamation of Claudio's love for her until they once again got back to Benedick and Beatrice.
"Soft and fair, friar. Which is Beatrice?" Kai asked looking over the masked women as if he didn't know which one was his 'love'.
Liika took off her mask. "I answer to that name. What is your will?"
Kai frowned, eyes glinting. "Do not you love me?" He asked seriously.
Liika blinked at his tone. He was doing it again, acting all serious. What was he up to? "Why, no. No more than reason."
He looked almost hurt. "Why, then your uncle and the prince and Claudio have been deceived; they swore you did."
She tilted her head. "Do not you love me?"
"Troth, no. No more than reason."
His voice lacked the conviction, but that was to be expected…their characters were in love after all. She sniffed. "Why, then my cousin, Margaret and Ursula are much deceived, for they did swear you did." She looked at him closely, scrutinizing his face. She caught a slight wince. What was that?
"They swore that you were almost sick for me."
She blinked again. Her heart fluttered. He was telling her something…but what? "They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me."
His lips tilted at the line before they flattened into a desperate line once more. "'Tis no such matter. Then you do not love me?"
Liika shook her head, biting her lip. "No, truly, but in friendly recompense." Why did it feel so wrong to say the words? It was just a play …wasn't it?
"Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman." Lee cut in, throwing a meaningful look at the short blue haired girl. Liika gazed back at him. So he knew something too…
"And I'll be sworn upon't that he loves her; for here's a paper written in his hand. A halting sonnet of his own pure brain, fashion'd to Beatrice." Tala grinned, butting in and handing a piece of paper to Liika. Liika pretended to read it.
"And here's another!" Mariah exclaimed, waving another piece of paper around. "Writ in my cousin's hand, stolen from her pocket, containing her affection unto Benedick."
Liika was starting to feel trapped. It was as if they were all ganging up on her, trying to make her confess that she loved Hiwatari and not Benedick. What were they doing?? Traitors!
"A miracle! Here's our own hands against our hearts. Come, I will have thee, but, by this light, I take thee for pity." Kai caught Liika's hand in his own, his eyes baring down on her.
Liika's mind blanked and her mouth went dry. An electric shock shot up her arm at his touch. "I would not deny you…" She whispered loud enough for the audience to hear, eyes wide. "But, by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your life. For I was told you were in a consumption."
Kai's eyes darkened, and glazed over. "Peace! I will stop your mouth." He exclaimed, before darting his head down and placing his mouth over hers.
Liika stiffened before melting almost instantly after. Her mind clouded over, partly registering the fact that Spencer had cut out the kiss from this scene. All she could think of was how good Kai's mouth felt on hers. His tongue gently pried her mouth open and slipped into the warm cavern of her mouth, devouring her. There was so much emotion in the kiss that Liika began to rethink her whole 'hate' thing towards him.
The audience's thunderous applause cut off their passionate kiss and both surfaced, looking dazed. Instantly Liika registered the situation and jumped back from Kai, her hand covering her mouth as she stared at him incredulously. How dare he! Whirling she fled the stage, ignoring the fact that she was supposed to be taking a bow with the rest of her cast.
Kai sighed angrily. That had not gone as planned. Though in hindsight he should have expected her reaction. She obviously still hadn't got what he had been trying to tell her all night. Damn dense woman!
A hand landed on his shoulder and he looked up to see Tala smiling at him as the curtain closed. "Just let her cool down. Iki's dense but she's not stupid…she'll figure it out eventually."
Kai snorted. "She better, or I'm going to be forced to do something we'll both regret." He muttered back.
Tala laughed. "Come on then, lets go find our parents and tell them we're going to hang at DBs for a couple hours. It's only 9."
The other teen shrugged. "Whatever."
Kai knew something was wrong the minute he opened the front door of his mansion. The door creaked, then made a loud banging sound as he closed it. Something was off…it was too quiet. Generally the sound of the closing door was the signal for his mother to pounce on him to make sure he came home alright, but as Kai stood there waiting for his mother to appear at the top of the stairs a feeling of dread began to build in his chest.
His mother never came.
Now Kai was positive something wasn't right and immediately dropped his bag beside the door and took off up the stairs. "Mom!" He called, not caring who he woke or disturbed. It was disturbing him that his mother hadn't come to greet him. She always greeted him, no matter how late it was, or whether or not he told her not to wait up. So it was understandable that he was worried when she didn't.
He tread down the hall lightly, skipping his own room and heading straight for the west wing of the mansion that housed his parents rooms. Normally he wouldn't dare set foot in that part of the house, for fear of the backlash of his father, but now he just didn't care. He had to see if his mother was all right. Of course if she was, he was going to be seriously annoyed.
Reaching his parents bedroom door he placed his ear against the door, trying to listen for any sound inside. When he heard nothing he knocked soundly. "Mom? I'm home….Mom? Are you there?" Kai braced himself for the backlash of his father. They were probably sleeping, which meant he was in for it.
But nothing happened. Kai's worry grew into panic. He had knocked and called loud enough that one of them was sure to hear him, yet neither came. Taking a deep breath, he readied himself and grasped the door handle firmly, twisting it and opening the latch. The door swung open and cautiously Kai stepped into the room, eyes moving over the space nervously.
Instantly the smell of coppery blood assaulted his nose. Alarm bells went off in Kai's head. "Mom?" He called, moving further into the room.
The sight that beheld him upon entering the main chamber was enough to stop his young heart. Bile rose in his throat and tears welled in his eyes.
Kate Hiwatari was lying face down on the plush, pale blue carpet her clothing torn and her hair matted. Blood pooled underneath her head, streaking her face. Bruises were starting to show in spots on her face and various places on her anatomy. One of her arms was bent the wrong way.
"MOM!" He screamed, scrambling to her side. Terror washed over him and his mind frazzled out. He didn't know what to do! Panic settled in as his hands hovered fearfully over her prone body. "Mom?? Mom answer me!" He cried frantically, tears spilling out of his eyes. "Mom…" His eyes squeezed shut in effort to stop the flow of tears that were running down his cheeks. How could this happen? His mother looked practically dead! What had happened? Cold horror stopped him in his tracks.
She was beaten, nearly to death, in her own bedroom. There was only one person in the house, besides the staff, that had access to these rooms and that was his father. Rage boiled in Kai's blood. He knew the old man was a bastard, but really! His mother was the one thing that Kevin Hiwatari had always cherished! The only thing he loved! And he beat it! What the fuck?!!
And where the hell was his grandfather when this was going on??
"Ka-Kai…"
His mothers hoarse, in pain whisper snapped him back to reality. "Mom…oh God mom… He did this to you didn't he? I'll kill him!"
Kate coughed, spitting more blood up onto the already stained carpet. "Ni-Niles…" She croaked before falling unconscious once more.
Kai was on his feet in seconds, racing over to the wall where the intercom was stationed and jamming the button rapidly. He fidgeted anxiously as he waited for his butler to pick up.
"Yes?" A sleepy sounding voice echoed through the small box.
"Niles!" Kai shouted hysterically. "It's mom! He's beaten her Niles! I don't know what to do! You have to help her!" He was crying openly again, the shock causing his hands and knees to shake immensely.
A gasp sounded from the other end. "Calm down young master, I'll call an ambulance immediately. Don't move her and just stay put!" With that the intercom died and Kai stumbled back over to his unconscious mother.
"It's going to be ok mom…" He whispered, rubbing at his eyes. "You're going to be ok… don't die on me…you can't me alone with him…"
Niles soon appeared and rushed to Kai's side, taking the distraught teenage boy in his arms. He could see that Kai was in rough shape and was falling apart and offered the only support and comfort he knew how. Kai accepted the embrace.
About fifteen minutes later paramedics rushed into the room and shoved Kai and the butler out of the way. Police soon followed, marking the bedroom as a crime scene and questioning Kai thoroughly. However, the young man was in no condition to answer any questions and Niles told the officers that. They nodded and let the boy escape to the back of the ambulance with his mother.
"Kai, I'll meet you at the hospital ok? We'll find your grandfather and meet you there." Niles said, patting Kai's blue bangs.
Kai nodded, sniffling as the paramedics closed the doors to the van and sped off. He watched silently from the very back corner as they worked on his mother. They were shouting things, and pumping oxygen into her lungs. It was a traumatizing sight.
The need to call someone grew in his mind. Someone…he needed someone…someone that was not his butler or stuck up grandfather. Fumbling for the inside pocket of his jacket, Kai pulled out a small black cell phone with shaking hands. Shifting through his memory, he looked for the number of the only person he could think of to call. Finding it, he quickly dialed the number and prayed they would pick up the phone.
Liika groaned loudly as she heard the phone ring shrilly from down the hall. Knowing that Grandpa wasn't going to get it and neither was Tyson that it meant it was up to her. She was tempted to just leave it…after all it was like almost midnight. However, she got up, muttering as she did so, and stumbled down the hall. It could be an emergency, and wouldn't she feel bad if it was and she ignored it?
The ringing became irritatingly insistent as she reached it. Surprisingly both Tyson and Grandpa had come out of their rooms to answer it. She waved dismissively at them, signaling that she got it. Snatching up the receiver she grumbled into it, "This had better be important."
Silence met her. Liika's right eye twitched. "Hello? If this is someone's idea of a prank…" She trailed off as she realized that someone was actually on the other end, and that that someone was crying. Her eyebrows furrowed over her eyes, and immediately she became concerned. "Hello??" She tried again. "Are you alright?"
"Lii-Liika…"
The tiny voice was male, and extremely familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. "Who is this…?"
"Liika, *pause* I…help…"
The voice was stronger, but still deathly quiet and very, very wavy. However, it was just loud enough for her to finally figure out who was calling her. "Oh my God, Hiwatari?!" She demanded, her eyes widening in shock. "What the hell happened?? Are you alright?!" Panic welled in her heart, and worry darted its way into her eyes.
"My mom…" He broke off, gasping.
In the background Liika could hear the shouting of men, something about someone not breathing. "Kai! What's going on? What happened? Where are you?!" She was starting to panic, fear creeping into her bones. He sounded like he was in an ambulance. Why would he be in an ambulance?
Kai was silent a few more moments; he seemed to be paying more attention to what was going on around him than to their conversation. "He beat her…" He whispered finally. "I-I she's not breathing!"
"Oh my God…" Liika gasped. "Kai where are you??"
"Hospital…I-I…I need you...please…I don't know who else…"
The quiet cry like plea, broke Liika's heart and in that instant she forgot that she was mad at him for kissing her. Forgot that she was supposed to hate him. "I'll be right there." She whispered adamantly before hanging up the phone. Taking a deep breath she turned and faced her bewildered family. "Grandpa, I'm taking the car."