Nine reviews and Eight reviewers! wow, wow! Coolios, then! Thanks very much to the following reviewers:
Zidane: You mean the couples sound like they're being used? Yeah, they kind of do. But I've never actually been in a relationship so I'm not really sure how to act in one. That's my bad.
Pisces Panda: Awww…you fell in love with him. How sweet! You'll learn why Trish was angry in chapter ten and why she was sad…? Well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out. (;
Kuroi-Neko: Awww…yea! You think my story is great! Thanks!
Kaz: Yeah, she is lucky isn't she? *sighs* It's not fair-she gets Mobekai AND Ray. Thanks for reviewing again!
Hikari-tenshi: I know. We're all jealous of Mariah. Well, almost all of us. They are sweet, aren't they? Especially Ray-well, he'll get even sweeter. Thanks very much for reviewing-here's the next chappie!
Galux Kitty: That's a shame that you hate Mobekai that much. But you have your reasons. Normally, I'd be pleased if you wanted to take one of my OC's, but for Mobekai's safety, I think I'll keep him. J
Starwave: Oh, thanks for telling me about Draciel! I was afraid no one would say anything. And now you can see how Lee reacts~thanks very much for reviewing!
neko-neko: Wow! You like Mobekai/Mariah better than R/M? Ahh-What have I done!? J/K, I guess I have his personality down perfect then. J Sorry it won't work out in the end. Oops! I guess I did forget to tell you what Mobekai looked like. I'll clarify for everyone:
Mobekai has slightly tanner skin than any of the other original characters, because he grew up in India. He has a few freckles scattered right underneath his eyes, which are sky blue. His hair is dark brown to a light black and it isn't long, but it hangs over his forehead. (~yeah, that's sexy!~at least to me it is) He usually wears baggy brown pants-the kind with the pockets on the sides and t-shirts. His bit-character is the White Falcon and his attack is Talon Claw Strike.
Is that what you wanted? Thanks for reviewing twice-that's great!
Cool Quotes:
"Are you sure you can drive? You don't have your license!"-Tyson
"Sure I do!" -Tyson's grandfather
"Grandpa!! That's a fishing license!" -Tyson
As seen in the episode 'First Strike'
Authors Note:
~IMPORTANT~
There's been a couple of changes in pairings. If you saw the summary, you'll notice that I now just have Max/Emily and not Max?/Emily/Kenny?. I was going to do a love triangle but I have found out the hard way that it is utterly impossible to write Kenny and Emily. There's just no chemistry between the two. So I admit it: I'm a nutter for Max/Emily.
Also, I told someone that there would be a little ditto between Johnny and Frankie (from Spintencity) and I was wrong. Well, in a good way wrong. There won't be any romance between the two, but Johnny, Olliver and the rest of the Majestics are going to play a much bigger part later. There'll be romance between Olliver and an OC yet to be introduced and Johnny will be paired up twice.
I'm going to post the Wild Cheetah's profiles on my author page so if you want to know in fuller detail what the rest of them look like and such, you can check it out. Thanks for reading/reviewing!
Disclaimer: Any misspellings, confused references or mixed up teammates are purely accidental and are a result of the author's new innocent fascination with the world of beyblading. Kira Ocelet, Mobekai Tart, Danika Woods, Colby Peterson and Trish ?? belong to me.
Italics are thoughts.
Bold Letters are songs.
WATCH THIS!
Chapter 9: Tall Tale Battles, Mysterious Packs, and Fat Brown Mice
Knock. Knock.
Mobekai opened the door slowly and Mariah followed closely behind. The room was warm and comforting.
"I don't think anyone's here."
"They're at the match, probably." She croaked and noticed Lee and Kevin's blades were missing. "If we head out now, we could still see it probably."
"I don't think so. You should stay here, Mariah. You really don't look so good."
"I'm fine enough. I want to see them battle."
"How about if I tell you later if they've won or not?"
"I'd really like to go see it in person, though!"
"We'll never make it in time anyway. I'll stay here and watch it with you."
"You'll catch my cold if you stay here, Mobekai."
"You want to stay alone then?" he asked.
"Noo..ooo," she replied a little hesitantly, "I'd really just like to go to the match."
"In the snow? Are you up to it, Mariah? You were hallucinating out there. I'm really concerned about your health."
"That's nice of you, Mobekai…but-"
"Yes?"
"Oh, it's so unfair!" She hit the bed angrily, "I want to be there!"
"I'm not stopping you from going, Mariah," Mobekai responded quietly, "You can go if you want. I don't have any say in the matter. I just don't think you can do it yourself."
He was right, of course. She felt really weak and tired. She could go. But she wasn't going to. She decided to just watch it from the hotel room.
She sighed, extremely upset,
"Go to the match, Mobekai."
"Are you sure?" he looked a little nervous leaving her by herself.
"Yeah…" she replied a little reluctantly, "I'm fine. I'll be okay."
"I'll see you tomorrow then?"
"Yes. Maybe I'll be better then."
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"Mr. Dickinson! You're here!" Kenny sighed, "Oh, good, I was starting to worry."
"Of course I'm here! I did promise, didn't I?"
"Yes, you did," Max sat down.
Mr. Dickinson stuck his hands in his pockets and looked around,
"We're missing a member. Where's Kai?"
"Here," Kai walked in at that moment, "Sorry, I got a little…caught up on the slopes."
"Finally!" Tyson put his gloves on, "Let's get this show on the road already! I want to battle!"
"Not if Ray and Max win both rounds," Kenny warned.
"Which we will," Ray added confidently.
"We all hope you will," Kenny opened the door and gazed into the stadium, "Max, you're up first against André. His yak power is strong and he likes to toy, so stay in defense position for a while."
"Got it," Max headed for the door, "And when he gets worn out I attack. I'm ready, chief."
"Good. Let's go."
"Welcome to the third match of the Eastern European Preliminaries! The Bladebreakers have already won one match and the Tall Boys just won their first! But who will win the next match? Up first from the Tall Boys is André. His yak is pretty strong and he's improved since the Asian Tournament. Max is even stronger with his bit-beast Draciel and you should expect serious improvements with his attacks as well. He started off their last match against the Bladehunters and it looks like they've put him up first again. Get ready to cheer on your favorite players!" The Bladebreakers heard AJ Topper call excitedly to the cheering crowd as they entered the stadium.
"Remember Max, André likes to toy around. Stay in defense position until I tell you otherwise," Kenny warned Max.
"C'mon, chief. This'll be as easy as the Bladehunters." Max gave him a thumbs up and moved toward the Beyblade stadium.
"On your marks!" AJ called.
Max positioned his launcher, quickly snapping Draciel into place.
"3…2…1…LET IT RIP!"
"AAAarrrgh!" André ripped hard, pulling his arm up and letting his blade go.
Max ripped his rip chord back and watched…as Draciel fell to the ground, without having spun once. He hadn't attached him properly.
"Uh oh…Looks like Max is having trouble getting his blade onto the field." AJ announced ominously.
"Why don't you just shut up!?" Tyson yelled at the announcer.
"What the heck are you doing, Max?!" Kenny yelled
"I've got it under control!" Max snapped, snatching up his blade, attaching Draciel firmly and letting his frustration come out as he ripped it.
He did exactly as Kenny had wanted him to and circled the stadium, but so did Andre.
He did it for a while too.
"Umm….it looks like no ones going to try and make the first move. They're waiting to see what their opponent will do!" AJ announced, gripping the railing.
"KENNY!" Max yelled anxiously, "LET ME ATTACK!"
"No!" Kenny shouted, "Your defense is stronger! Just wait!"
André grinned evilly,
"Yak Power! ATTACK NOW!"
"KENNY!" Max called again as Andre' blade charged right for his. He jumped Draciel out of the way, but Andre' blade only followed, knocking Max back into the center of the bowl.
"ATTACK AGAIN!" Andre yelled victoriously.
"Max, get out of the way!" Kenny called.
"Yeah! Yeah, I'm trying that!" Max called back nervously as André's blade began to beat down on his own. He dodged quickly out of the way.
"ATTACK NOW!" Kenny shouted, "ATTACK NOW, MAX!"
"DRACIEL, ATTACK!" Max put all his heart into that command and hoped his plan would work. He rolled up the Beystadium, with André's blade following him closely, but at the last minute Andre' blade paused a little bit. Andre' seemed confused…or he was waiting to see what Max would do.
Max' blade jumped into the air,
Pile Drive him out of there, Draciel, Max thought vigorously.
Draciel came down hard on Andre' blade once…twice…three times, but Andre' blade kept spinning.
"Final attack, yak! Finish off Draciel!" Andre called.
Andre' blade moved to attack Max', but Draciel dodged him without any effort and Max shouted,
"My defense is much stronger than your attacks. And now behold, the awesome power of my Draciel! Draciel, metal ball defense!"
Andre' blade began to bear down on Max', but Draciel emerged and only wore his yak power down with each attack Andre forced on it.
Andre yelled in frustration and pulled his blade back,
"Yak, attack now!"
"Max, don't attack!" Kenny called enthusiastically, "You're doing fine!"
Max could see Andre' blade slowing down with each attack it forced on Draciel, who had yet to move an inch, quite an impenetrable force.
"That's it Draciel!" Max grinned excitedly.
Andre backed off for the third time and Max decided it was time to take matters into his own hands. Draciel was his. Besides, when he played the Demolition Boys, the Majestic's and the All Stars, he might not have Kenny to back him up.
"Draciel, attack now!"
"No, Max!" Kenny shouted, "Not now!"
"Max, you can't attack a yak! Think about it!" Kai called for the first time.
Max suddenly saw his fatal flaw and realized why Kenny had put him against Andre. Tyson was absolutely right. The whole point of having yak power was that it was very hard to attack and Max had really strong defense. Kenny had wanted Max to wear Andre down before attacking, but Max was still really weak right now and his attack only weakened his own blade.
Andre grinned and lifted a fist,
"This is it! Yak power, attack now!"
"No!" Max clenched his fists as Andre' blade hit Max' once more. Max' blade was knocked out of the bowl where it eventually stopped spinning.
He fell to his knees in frustration and shame. He picked Draciel up slowly and walked back to the others,
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Kenny. I should have listened."
"Yes, you should have!" Kenny fumed, "If Ray doesn't win this match, we're out for good! We're out for good!"
"No, we're not," Kai shook his head, "We'll just have to play the beginners though."
"It's all up to you, Ray!" Kenny pleaded in his face.
Ray's eyes widened,
"Chill, chief. I can handle this."
"Andre from the Tall Boys wins the first match against the Bladebreakers! Up next from the Tall Boys is Waylan and defending the Bladebreakers is Ray with his bit-beast Driger! This is the first time Ray has stepped up to the stadium in this tournament and with his awesome new rip chord and improved statistics, we can only hope he can manage a win for their team or they're back to playing with the beginners!"
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Off to the side of the battle, the Wild Cheetahs watched anxiously. Danika watched Ray approach the stadium. AJ Topper shouted once more,
"3…2…1…LET IT RIP!"
"C'mon Ray…" she whispered.
They ripped their blades furiously. Ray wiped his hand forward,
"Driger, attack now!"
"Heat power!" Waylan shouted, "Attack Driger!"
Waylan's blade never even touched Ray's blade as Driger dodged out of the way, but something red began to emit from Waylan's blade.
Danika began to feel really sweaty and anxious. It was hot and she knew Waylan must have the power of heat.
"Hey guys. What's going on?"
She turned and saw him approach their seats,
"Mobekai!" Trish hissed, "Where in the world have you been?"
He colored a bit and looked down at the ground, a little embarrassed,
"I'm sorry, Trish."
"You were with Mariah still, weren't you? Good Grief, Mobekai, if you let yourself get too emotional, you'll never be able to face her in battle! Max just got defeated. If Ray doesn't pull a win, the Bladebreakers will be facing the Beginners."
"That's good, right?" Kira asked.
"Yes," Trish smirked, "We want the Bladebreakers to lose very much."
Danika only watched as Ray began to sweat heavily, even with all the supporting cheers of his teammates. It's affecting his blade. If he can't concentrate, he'll lose control of his blade. But Waylan's blade can't spin forever. He's just got to wait till it wears down and then attack. I know you can do this, Ray. You just have to hang on.
As much as Trish was keen on having the Bladebreakers lose, Danika wanted them to win very much. She didn't want to face them as losers, but as victorious winners. Only then could she know that she could beat him because she was more powerful.
Near to her, a man also sat and watched the battle, his eyes focusing only on Ray and Driger. He whispered quietly to himself,
"I've got you exactly where I want you. The power of your Driger will soon be mine. If only you knew…you could be so much stronger. If only you knew…"
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"Is it getting hot in here, Brad, or is that just me?" AJ asked his partner.
"That's definitely not just you. Look at Ray and Waylan sweat down there! But I'm sure Waylan's pretty comfortable with the heat because it's his blade that's emitting these terrible heat rays. Waylan uses the power of heat to intimidate and weaken the enemy. Speaking of rays, Ray isn't taking the heat very well, which is a definite advantage for the Tall Boys. If he pulls off a win, it's all over for the Bladebreakers." Brad Vest commentated.
"C'mon, Ray!" Tyson called behind him, "You can do this!"
Ray could feel the pressure mounting as he continued to just avoid Waylan's blade. He knew he had to keep his heart on the battle and not on the sweat running down his back. If he could continue to keep his blade in full power and away from Waylan's blade, he could easily wear down Waylan's blade. After all, his blade was built for endurance, something Kenny had told him would come in handy in this battle.
And Waylan wasn't exactly immune from the heat his own blade was emitting, though he probably could stand it pretty well. Waylan's blade jumped off the edge of the beystadium and disappeared into the pile of humidity and smoke above them. Ray had a feeling he was going to try and pile drive him like he'd seen Max do. He must have thought the covering of heat and moisture above the stadium would provide good coverage for a surprise attack. The stadium was completely silent and it wasn't from suspense for the battle. Everyone was hot and sweaty. Ray could see attendants opening doors. Much of the audience had left to temporarily watch from outside.
Ray circled the stadium impatiently, waiting for any sign of Waylan's blade to emerge.
He watched his opponent's face and saw Waylan grinning evilly at him.
Ray saw Waylan's eyes twitch slightly and he willfully moved Driger slightly to the left. As soon as he had done so, Waylan's blade came ripping through the steam to land where Driger had been moments before.
"WOW!" The announcer, Brad, leaned forward excitedly, "That was definitely a spectacular move on Ray's part!"
"Way… to…go…Ray!" Max called behind him. The heat made his comment sound like broken record clips.
The heat waves made it very difficult for Ray to see exactly where Driger was and he knew that wasn't good. He dropped to his knees and clutched the edge of the stadium in hopes of being able to concentrate closer to the ground.
Waylan yelled in frustration and whipped behind Ray to attack.
"Driger!" Ray croaked.
Driger began to run from Waylan's blade and Ray could feel energy start to surge within him as he watched his White Tiger give Waylan's blade a run. Waylan yelled again and got down on his knees as well,
"ATTACK HIM!"
Ray could see Waylan's faltering, could see the trembling in his hands and the sweat in his face. They were even. Waylan was just as exhausted as Ray, but Ray had the stronger blade and Waylan no longer had any advantage. Waylan's blade began to wear, using up it's energy chasing Ray. But Ray knew Driger had plenty of energy left and with the quicker defense moves Kenny had put in, Driger put plenty of space between him and opponent. Ray felt his heart soar and leaped to his feet with confidence,
"DRIGER! TIGER CLAW ATTACK NOW!"
Driger spun off the edge of the bowl and landed behind Waylan's blade. Driger emerged from the blade, roared once and pounced on Waylan's blade, knocking it out of the beystadium. Waylan pounded his hands on the floor in disappointment.
"YES!" Ray caught Driger in his hands.
"Awesome!" Max pat him on the back when he returned.
"Thank heavens," Kenny let out a long held breath, "You had me worried there for a second, Ray."
"Yes!" Tyson grinned like there was no tomorrow, "I get to blade next. C'mon, Dragoon. Let's show those stuffy little nimrods how great you are!"
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"Go Tyson!" Mariah called desperately, as she watched from the T.V in their hotel room. The thought hadn't escaped her mind to just head over to the stadium and find Lee and the others, but Mobekai's worried face kept filling her mind and she decided it wasn't worth it. Her throat hurt really badly anyway and she liked watching from the comfort of the warm hotel room.
She watched hopefully as Tyson ripped his blade and shouted,
"GO DRAGOON! STORM ATTACK!"
He wasn't going to waste time.
His opponent, Tommy, used a leg launcher. He must have been a professional, the way he expertly lifted his leg and kicked down, launching his blade into the stadium, but Tyson was sooner prepared and his magnificent bit-beast appeared, sending storm clouds through the stadium. It completely wiped out the rest of the heat waves and many audience members had returned, eager to watch it all live.
"C'mon, Tyson," she whispered, "You can do this."
Tyson aimed Dragoon at Tommy, but Tommy dodged his attack.
"Fly, Dragoon!" Tyson yelled.
Dragoon flew up and disappeared in the clouds. This was the same thing Waylan had tried to use on Ray. The original pile drive idea had come from Max' battle with André.
Dragoon's attack wasn't drawn out though. He came down swift and hard on Tommy's homemade blade.
Mariah gripped the edge of the bed, her hands clammy and cold on the mattress. Her heart beat faster as Dragoon hit Tommy's blade and then…the electricity went out and the last thing Mariah saw was Tommy's surprised face.
She hit the T.V. angrily,
"No! Come back on, you stupid thing!"
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Ray watched Tyson come down hard on Tommy's blade. It slowly stopped spinning and came to a rest in the beystadium. Tommy yelled in despair.
Up above, AJ took up the commentary once again,
"Well, it looks like the Bladebreakers have come back into the game with an amazing defeat after a rough start. That's not the last we'll see of the Tall Boys, though. They'll be facing the beginners in two days. But the Bladebreakers will be moving on to compete for another win in the final round of the advanced Eastern European Preliminaries tomorrow in Milan, Italy."
"Yes!" Kenny let out a breath of air next to him.
"I knew we would do it," Max got up behind him.
"Let's go get some cheese!" Tyson came back rubbing his stomach; "I'm hungry."
"Cheese?" Ray asked, "Isn't that an odd celebration food?"
"We're in Switzerland! We can't leave and not have some swiss cheese!"
"And I know the perfect little place!" Mr. Dickinson exclaimed, "It's called The Mountain Buffet. They have everything from swiss to mozzarella to green cheese."
"Green cheese sounds good," Max grinned.
"Hey, Bladebreakers!" Ray turned and saw the All Stars waving at them.
Emily smiled,
"You played well."
"Yeah, we'll be seeing you in the dome later ourselves," Michael winked.
"Enjoy the winning streak while you can!" Steve called as they exited out the front doors with the rest of the crowd.
"Bye mom!" Max called after their retreating backs. Dr. Judy turned and waved back merrily.
"Oh, dear," Mr. Dickinson looked around and patted his pockets, "I seemed to have left the pack containing our stuff in the back room."
"I'll get it!" Ray voluntarily grabbed the key from Mr. Dickinson and dashed off eagerly.
"But…" Mr. Dickinson started, "Well, okay, then…"
Max was pushed aside quite roughly as the crowd passed on either side and rubbed his shoulder,
"Oww…Let's go wait outside."
It was nearly empty as Ray entered the hallways. They lead to the waiting rooms where teams would warm up before battling. The Tall Boys had gone already and nearly all the doors were locked.
He approached the locker room labeled The Bladebreakers and pushed the key in the door handle, but it was already open.
"Huh?" He knew it had been locked. When they'd left, he'd watched Mr. Dickinson lock it himself.
He pushed open the door and saw the pack Mr. Dickinson had been referring to, but it wasn't the only thing in the room besides the lockers, benches, tables and computer.
The skinny Chinese man with the shaved beard stood next to the pack, watching Ray closely.
Ray moved forward, but he didn't take his eyes off the man,
"You're not supposed to be in here."
"I don't suppose you are either. Where's Mr. Dickinson?"
"With the others. Like he should be."
"Oh really? His plan must have faltered I'm sure. He was supposed to meet me here. Will you tell him I'll contact him later then?"
"Yes." Ray answered curtly, a little surprised to know that Mr. Dickinson had planned to leave his pack and return for a 'chat' with the Chinese man. It must have had to do with another wild and crazy training idea Mr. Dickinson had, like the time he'd purposely made them miss the boat to Russia or the time he had the Majestic's challenge them to a battle for no reason. But Ray had no idea how this man could possibly play a part in helping them learn a lesson. Unless Mr. Dickinson was meeting with him for reasons other than for their team.
Ray reached out to grab the pack, but the Chinese man snatched it up quickly and frowned as Ray let his hand drop slowly, cautiously.
"Your reflexes aren't what they used to be. My dear boy, you have forgotten so much, haven't you?"
Ray's eyes burned a little bit with this insult,
"You're a little quick to judge. Can I please see that pack? It's what I came here to get and it's rightfully ours."
"Actually, this pack contains important information for Mr. Dickinson and I'm not sure I want to hand it to a messenger boy. Something could happen."
"I'm not a messenger and I don't feel like playing games. I want that pack."
"So demanding, Ray? She told me you were sweet and quiet. I guess I just brought out the better of that confident and dependable attitude of yours."
Ray's eyes widened in surprise,
"Why do you know so much about me? And how do you know my name?"
He'd finally voiced the question he'd been wanting to ask this strange man for ages.
"And still very very curious…" he continued again.
"Stop it!" Ray commanded, "Who do you think you are?"
He smirked slowly and let the pack drop to his side, stepping up closer to look Ray directly in the eyes. Ray could see every tiny detail, from the blue to the gray in his cold eyes. His hands began to tingle strangely,
"You still don't recognize me? I suppose you were extremely young then anyway..."
He looked down at the pack in his hands and then back up at Ray, who stood patiently and defiantly. He pushed the pack into Ray's hands and spoke very quietly,
"Mr. Dickinson will know what to do with the pack. It would look suspicious if you came back with nothing, so I'll let you take it. Don't tell anyone else, Ray. I know you'll keep your word."
Ray stared at him once more, trying very hard to tweak his memory. But no name came to mind, just thoughts, and a jumble of memories. He turned around and walked quickly out the door. He could feel the man watching him as he ran through the empty halls.
Why couldn't he remember him? And when had he even seen him? Ray could remember lots of memories and he remembered his mother and his grandfather and Lee's grandfather and the village…but nothing concerning this man came to mind. And yet…yet every time Ray saw him he felt extremely uneasy and nervous. Each time he saw him he would clutch Driger strongly in his hands as if seeing this man made him think he would lose it.
As he ran down the empty hallways, clutching the mysterious pack, he slowed down a bit. What was Mr. Dickinson trying to hide from everyone else? Ray thought the bag was beginning to feel a little heavy in his hands. This pack contains important information for Mr. Dickinson. Don't tell anyone else, Ray. I know you'll keep your word. Ray suddenly stopped and set the bag down. He reached for the zipper and stopped. Ray suddenly hated that Chinese man, even though he had never really talked to him before, nor had he any idea why he hated him so much. If he was going to be doing anything, it was to do the opposite of what this man thought of him. And yet…If Mr. Dickinson found out Ray had lied the entire time, what would he think? But if Mr. Dickinson never found out…
Ray had never been dishonest in his entire life…well, except for a few occasions as a know-it-all kid, but he knew the pack would irk him for a long time if he didn't find out what was in it.
He pulled the zipper up determinedly and peered inside. It was a blanket! A stupid white blanket with tigers and cheetahs sewn along the seams. No…wait a minute. Ray lifted the blanket out and peered inside. There was a photograph and a disk at the very bottom. The man had only used the blanket to conceal them.
The frame that lined the photograph was broken, and someone had tried crossing out two of the three people in the photograph. The third person's face was circled. It was two adults and a little baby boy. The boy was wrapped in the blanket now sitting on the floor next to him and was the figure circled in bright red. The adults were smiling. It was hard to see their faces through the black marker, but he could just make out the woman's mahogany brown hair and perfectly shaped oval golden eyes. Her mouth was small and straight and her chin was curved. The man had midnight black hair, much like his own, bright blue eyes and bore a signature on his chest jacket, but Ray couldn't see it because of the black marker.
He sighed and stuffed the photograph back inside and picked up the disk. He wouldn't be able to access it right now and he couldn't take it or Mr. Dickinson would know. Or would he? It was perfectly possible that he would accept the fact that this Chinese man had just forgotten to put it in. Ray felt a sting of pain at knowing that he might lie a second time and quickly stuffed the disk back in the pack before he could change his mind.
As he stuffed the blanket back inside the pack, he also saw the letter A in the folds and assumed it inscribed someone's name. He pulled it back up curiously, knowing it might have the name of the boy on it.
A loud squeaky noise made him jump and look around. It sounded a lot like a door. Ray grabbed the blanket and pack and rushed behind the nearest corner. He stuffed the blanket back inside hurriedly and waited till the Chinese man passed him in the hallway. He walked brusquely by, frowning slightly. Ray watched him turn the last corridor into the open stadium before he turned around and headed outside. As he saw Mr. Dickinson, Kai, Max, Tyson, and Kenny waiting for him outside, he felt guilty and extremely conscious, like they knew what he had done.
He handed Mr. Dickinson the pack and watched Mr. Dickinson watch him slightly, as if trying to decipher whether Ray had seen what it's hidden contents were. But Ray put on a brave face and pretended not to notice as they walked to the Buffet. As far as he and that Chinese man were concerned, he had never seen what was in that pack.
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"Mariah! What happened to you and Mobekai?!" Lee demanded, finding her back at the hotel.
"Never mind that," she whispered hurriedly, "Did Tyson win? Did the Bladebreakers win?"
"Yes. Of course they won. Why didn't you come-what happened to your voice?" He asked curiously.
"I'm losing my voice. The snowmobile broke down and we had to walk back. I think I've caught something."
"Great. Just great," Kevin sat down heavily, "Why does everyone have to get sick right before we prepare to battle?"
"I'm not sick," Lee interrupted, "I told you: I feel much better now. I feel stronger."
"You were still throwing up this morning," Gary pointed out, "So, where did it go?"
"I don't know. All I know is that I don't feel sick right now. And I'm sure Mariah will be better by the time we have to battle."
"I hope so."
"You shouldn't see Mobekai anymore, Mariah," Lee frowned and repeated, "I still don't like him."
"You're using my sickness as an excuse to pick on Mobekai! And I'm not 'seeing' him! He's just a really good friend-that's all."
Gary raised an eyebrow and Kevin tried hard not to snicker.
"What's so funny?" Mariah hissed. She tried to sound demanding, but because her voice was hoarse, it sounded more like pebbles being thrown against sand-really rough.
"Nothing really," Kevin broke into a large grin, "Do you really think Mobekai gave you flowers and took you on a date because he just wanted to be 'good friends' with you?"
"It wasn't a date." Mariah said flatly, "It was just something to do to pass the time."
"Did he kiss you?" Lee demanded.
Mariah remained silent, wondering. He had asked if he could kiss her and he had been a little too concerned about her welfare. But she had to keep her mind focused on Ray. He was the one she had feelings for. She was afraid if she became too emotionally attached to Mobekai, she might lose interest in Ray.
"I thought so," Lee flung his stuff down angrily.
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"This salad looks great," Max sat down next to Ray, "Aren't you going to get anything?"
"No, I'm not really that hungry."
"Tyson!" Kenny watched him spill his third glass of juice, "Didn't you have dinner?"
"Of course."
"Isn't that your second course?"
"Yes."
"Aaagh!" Kenny knocked his head against the table frustratedly. Dizzi laughed in his laptop,
"Dinner is an ongoing course for Tyson, Chief…"
Kai joined the table and was about to sit down next to Tyson, but Tyson got up immediately,
"Let me get up first. I'm almost done."
"You're not going back for thirds, are you?" Kenny cried.
Tyson grinned and rubbed his stomach teasingly,
"I can't refuse free buffet food, Kenny. It's instinct. Celebration food, that's what it is…"
"Actually, it's just an excuse to fatten his stomach even further…" Dizzi voiced.
"Dizzi!" Kenny exclaimed.
"Sorry, chief."
"Ew…what in the world…AAARGH! AARGH! There's something brown and furry in my potatoes!" Kenny started grabbing hold of Ray's head and pushing him down in fear.
"Chief, get off me!" Ray cried as Kenny yanked on his ponytail.
Max pushed a couple of potatoes aside and reached inside, pulling out the brown and furry animal rummaging in Kenny's food. It was a fat field mouse.
"Awww! Look how cute!" He patted the head.
"Are you serious?" Ray leaned forward, "That's the most disgusting animal I've ever seen."
"Nah-they're great scavengers. He's just hungry and got caught in the wrong place."
"You're not actually keeping that thing, are you?" Kai asked beside him eyeing it with some disgust.
"He could come in handy and look, he likes me!" Max patted his head and pushed him in his front overall pocket, feeding him some of his mozzarella cheese, "What a place to find him, too. They're addicted to cheese. Kind of like Tyson, huh?"
Tyson came back, with a plate full of only cheese and chocolate. He grinned and sat down,
"Dessert!"
"Dig in!" Mr. Dickinson also came back with his second filling of cheese, "You'll never find cheese like they have here. And the chocolate is absolutely delicious too. That's another thing Switzerland is known for."
"Well, it's definitely in my favor already," Tyson beamed, "Any place that is known for food is o-kay with me!"
"How about mice?" Max held his newfound interest up, "I named him Cheese, cause he just loves it."
"So now it's a him?" Kai asked.
"Ewww…" Tyson jumped up at the sight of the mouse, "What the heck is that thing?"
"Max' new pet." Ray smiled.
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Final Note: Awwww…I kind of like Cheese already. Who'd have pictured Max with a cute field mouse? Anyway…thanks for getting and staying this far in the story and review if you can please!
