Chapter 9

AN: TOMORROW IS MY BIRTHDAY! HOWAH! .

Also, please note that this chapter is very short. And another thing. Who said anything about Zoe being with Psymon? I already have decided on the outcome on this story and I'm very glad for all the voting. I was just curious! ^_^ I think you'll all be very surprised. Heh! Anyway, wish me a happy birthday! You could leave me a review as a birthday present, you know. That would be fantastic!

"I've had enough of your bullshit!" Mac launched himself at Psymon, knocking the older man over, the two boarders tumbling in the snow. Kaori screamed and immediately ran after them.

"Mackie! Stop this!!" she cried desperately, "Please!!"

Mac straddled Psymon, his eyes flashing dangerously, "You—put—her—through—enough!!!" With each word, he hurled his fist into Psymon's face.

Psymon did nothing to stop him, didn't stop him from his punches. He didn't feel at all. His cheeks were tearing as the blood slowly dribbled down them from the force of Mac's punches. But it didn't hurt. What he said, however...

What he was saying. What he was telling him. It was hurting him. It made him feel pain.

(Was is my fault?) Psymon thought numbly, (Was is my fault to fall in love? Was it so wrong?)

He chuckled to himself as he thought back to the way he was. His entire life...he had devoted his time to avoiding women and these conflicts. He had put so much effort into feeling no emotion.... Finally, all of these years of frustration—sexual and emotional alike—he had let it all go. And he had fallen in love with the young girl he had least expected to.

Mac continued to smash his closed fist into the side of Psymon's face, his gloves on his hands long forgotten.

"Kaori..." Psymon murmured.

What she said. The blank look on her face. It was hurting him. It made him feel pain. Suddenly, he remembered what he had said to Mac.

"YOU CAN'T HURT ME. I don't feel the snow on my body when I board. I don't feel emotion when I fuck. I don't feel love when she's near me. I don't feel anything, Mac."

But he was feeling. He was feeling—what was that horrid word? That horrible word Psymon had avoided most of his life...

He was feeling love. For Kaori. He was in love with Kaori Nishidake. What he wasn't feeling was Mac's fist slamming into his face. He wasn't hearing Mac's screams. He didn't even see him. All he could see was the snow. He could see the snow...a sort of pinkish tint to the snow.

(Is that my blood?)

And he saw her. A blurry, fuzzy outline of a small Japanese girl. Clutching her face and trying to imagine none of this was happening.

That made him hurt. Was she ignoring him? Why wouldn't she help him?

"Kaori..." he whispered, reaching for her.

This only made Mac even angrier.

"Who the fuck are you to speak her name?!!" Mac bellowed, jumping up and slamming his foot as hard as he could into Psymon's side. "You don't come near her! You fuckin' understand me? You understand me? Who's the tough guy now, huh? Why aren't you fighting me, Stark? You know you're gonna get your ass kicked, huh?"

Psymon didn't deserve her! All he did all this year was put her through hell! And Mac had been there to comfort her...he had been there to console her! He was the one who fell head over heels in love for her when he first saw her! And when Stark had dared to even speak to her! Mac couldn't bear it. He couldn't stand to watch Kaori sad because of the hell he was putting her through. All those snide remarks, cheap shots, crude jokes...everything Psymon had done. It seemed like he had put all of his life into making Kaori miserable. Then—he had the nerve to come onto her when he was gone! He did it just to piss him off! Just to prove that he's Psymon Stark! Asshole extraordinaire!

Mac had been there with Kaori during the very first circuit. He remembered back to when he first saw her...

It was cold. That was Mac's first instinct. It wasn't New-York-Cold, it was COLD cold. He briefly wondered if Europe was cold like this all the time.

He had pulled his beanie over his hat and pressed his nose against the hotel window. There were three people sitting there with him, each of them anxiously looking around at their surroundings. Mac hadn't been worried. He had long since anticipated this day. This day where he would be recognized for his mad skills on the slopes. When Rahzel had shook his hand and said "Congratulations," all Mac could think was "NO SCHOOL!"

He glanced over his shoulder at his fellow boarders. So. These were the people he'd be spending all winter with. There was a very gruff looking man sitting in the corner, checking his watch every so often. The British flag was printed on his overlarge snow coat and he was mumbling "Bloody Hell," every three seconds. Mac frowned. He didn't like him already. This guy—he could tell—was a prick.

Then there was that chick sitting down in the middle of an over-stuffed couch fixing her hair. She was hot, Mac had to admit, but she looked to—what's the word?—confident. No one had bothered to sit next to her, and she looked positively pissed at the moment.

The other man was standing up, jabbering incoherently on his cell phone. He must've been French. His clothes were so bright and new, Mac wondered if he had just stepped out of a "Pretty Boy" catalogue.

Mac only sighed and pressed his nose against the window again, looking out into the snow for any sign of any sane boarder that would be joining him on the slopes. He was keen to get out on the course called Elysium Alps. It sounded wicked awesome—sharp turns, high jumps, and fast paced thinking. That was all Mac needed to fall in love with the course.

Suddenly, a small yet bright looking car pulled into the small parking lot and out stepped a young little Asian girl. Yellow bucket hat...bright blue overalls...

Mac's eyes watched her as she smiled brightly at people outside and shined when she looked at all of the scenery around her. He turned around quickly when the door opened and heard her whisper, "Nothing like Japan..."

He immediately stood up and approached her slowly, his arm outstretched in a friendly gesture, "Hiya! Name's Mac Fraser,"

She giggled as she took his hand, brushing away a strand of hair, "My name is Kaori Nishidake. Hello, Mac Fraser,"

Her English sounded a bit different, but he smiled nonetheless and lead her to a seat near him and soon found himself listening to Kaori's life in Japan, and how nothing in Europe was like Japan.

Kaori squeezed her eyes shut, her hands clawing at her cheeks. She couldn't stare at Psymon any longer. She couldn't watch Mac beat him like this... Psymon can't take this! Psymon was far stronger than him! He should be able to push him off with ease...but why was he taking it?

"Stop this!" Kaori cried.

Suddenly, Mac felt a sharp pain in his side. Immediately, a force threw him off of Psymon, sending him into the snow. His goggles partially off, his brown hair sticking out in many angles, his eyes wide with shock.

"K-Kaori?"

Kaori was standing over Psymon protectively, her eyes wet with tears. She was staring at Mac, panting heavily.

She had hit him.

Psymon's eyelids fluttered, and that was it.

He was out.

Mac stared at Kaori in horror. "W-what?"

"Leave him alone," Kaori breathed, "Stop hurting him...he didn't do anything...he doesn't deserve this..."

Mac blinked.

"Mackenzie?!!!"

Mac swirled around and met Brodi's gaze. "Brodi..."

"What's going on?" Brodi demanded as she approached the three, his board slung over his back. Elise too, was trailing closely behind. Behind Elise's sunglasses, her eyes were wide in shock and he mouth was slightly agape.

"Oh, sweet mother..." she murmured, "What the hell have you done to Psymon?!"

"Kaori?" Brodi looked from Mac to Kaori, trying to decipher what had just happened, "Kaori? Kaori are you okay? Kaori!! Answer me, please!"

Kaori was staring at Psymon. She seemed to have lost all sense of reality. Instead, she clung to Brodi and sobbed. She cried harder than she ever had. Everything was tumbling down...everything was crashing. It was her fault. Everything was her fault.

"Kaori, please, tell me—" Brodi held her tightly as she buried her face into his chest and sobbed until her voice was all ragged and shallow.

"Psymon...is he okay?" she breathed, "And Mac? Will he come back, Brodi-chan?"

She fell into his arms before he could answer, her eyes fluttering and soon, she was out.

"Kaori!!!" Mac scrambled towards her, pushing Brodi aside, "Please...Kaori tell me what's going on... Tell me you don't love him,"

It was more like a beg than a command.

* * *

Rahzel had to keep himself from launching himself at Zoe and demanding what had happened. Zoe Payne and Eddie Wachowski had just entered the hotel lobby right as Rahzel was about to bolt to Aloha Ice Jam and hang Psymon's ass up to dry.

Atomika—much to Rahzel's dislike—had reached Miss Payne first and asked very calmly what had happened.

"Psy's face is screwed up," she whispered slowly, "Mac completely thrashed him,"

Rahzel blinked. "Psymon? Are you sure we're talking about the same Psymon here?"

Eddie nodded, "According to Elise and Brodi. They phoned us about ten minutes ago and said they'd be arriving at the hotel anytime with Mac, Kaori, and Psymon,"

Rahzel paused and glanced at the floor. "Wachowski, what is going on with the circuit?"

Eddie shrugged, "To tell you the truth, Razz, I don't gotta clue,"

"They should be arriving at the hotel anytime..." Zoe whispered, her eyes traveling at the hotel doors as she bit her lip anxiously, "D'you think—"

She was cut off, however, when her cell phone vibrated.

"Hello?" she said briskly, "Yes...helicopter? What? Are you—yes, okay..."

"Payne?" Rahzel muttered, "Payne? Zoe? Zoe?!"

"Yeah, yeah...okay. Hospitalization? Is it that bad? Oh...shit..."

"Miss Payne?!!" Rahzel clenched his fists now and glared at her in loathing, "Would you please explain to me what is going on?"

Zoe waved a hand in dismissal. "Yeah, okay..." she snapped her phone shut and sighed. "Look, they're coming by the hotel and dropping off Elise. Brodi insists that he go to the hospital with Psymon and Kaori. Apparently, his face is all bloodied that they're worried about his health. Kaori passed out in Brodi's arms and now Mac is determined to follow his girl wherever she goes,"

"You know, Miss Payne," Rahzel said, "I don't think Kaori is Mac's girl anymore,"

AN: Don't panic, don't panic. Also, review please! It would be a great birthday present, huh? ^_^