Chapter Eight – Under the Stars
"Where have you been? We've been looking for you!" Tyson said as they walked into the suite.
"Oh, shopping!" Zarine said innocently.
"What?! We have to train for the tournament, you know! We aren't here for shopping," Kenny chided.
"Relax, Chief. We weren't gone for that long. We'll still have time to practice," Ray said.
"Zarine, where did you get the money for your stuff?" Kai asked suddenly.
Zarine blushed, she thought if they knew, they would laugh at her for sure. Kai saw it, and asked suspiciously, "You didn't steal money from us, did you?"
"No, of course not! I would NEVER do such a thing!" she declared.
"Tell me the truth then," he said, staring at her in the eye. She knew she had to tell them.
She took a deep breath and told them the whole story. To her surprise, they didn't laugh at her. In fact, Tyson and Max were impressed by how much money she won that day.
Kai looked at her and thought, [She'll be a good example for the rest of the team. She doesn't depend on anyone if she could help it. Unlike Tyson, who always eat whatever he wants at a restaurant and leaving me to pay the bills.]
"Who's up for dinner??" Tyson asked.
Zarine sighed, "Tyson, is that all you think about?"
Tyson didn't answer, due to the fact that he was already zooming down the hallway. The others followed him, they didn't want him to get into any trouble. Tyson chose a buffet restaurant about four blocks away from the hotel. It was really unpleasant for the team to see that Tyson had food on his clothes and sauce dribbling down his chin when they arrived.
They didn't bother acknowledging his teammate. They sat away from him. Who can blame them? The restaurant had chandelier lights and comfy seats.
"You know, Kai, one of these days, you should just let Tyson pay for his own food," Ray remarked, smiling at his usually silent friend.
"Come on, that's mean," Zarine said.
"So do you think it's nice that Tyson is eating like that?" Kai said disapprovingly.
They didn't talk much as they ate. The food was yummy. Afterwards, Kai ended up paying for Tyson.
The Bladebreakers walked back to the hotel in the cool night. A lot of people were still out in the streets even though it's eight thirty already. "How come they're still out?" Tyson asked, then burped loudly.
"Tyson, at least say 'excuse me' after you burp! Didn't anyone teach you any manners?" Zarine criticized.
"Spare me the lecture, Zarine, so how come there are so many people out still?"
"What do you expect? This is a city after all! Didn't you know that Hong Kong is full of night clubs and bars?" she said.
"Whatever," Tyson scowled at her.
Zarine just laughed at him. Ray smiled, he thought it was nice that Zarine laughed now. She seemed more open towards them.
When they passed by a brightly lit ice cream parlor, Zarine stopped and looked into it. There was every imaginable flavor of ice cream in there! She begged, "Please, can we get ice cream?"
"Didn't you have enough ice cream already at the restaurant?" Ray asked exasperatedly.
"Come on, I only had three bowls, besides, they didn't have cookie dough there!" Zarine pleaded, "Please, Ray, for me?"
"Let's just go, who cares about ice cream anyways?" Tyson complained.
"I do! Besides, Ray didn't buy me any ice cream yet," Zarine argued.
"Fine," Ray gave in. He wanted some ice cream too.
Zarine stuck her tongue out at Tyson. Tyson glared at her. Max could see a fight coming in fast, so he quickly suggested, "Why don't Kai, Kenny, Tyson and I go back first?'
"Yeah, we'll leave you love birds alone now," Tyson said.
"TYSON!!! JUST WAIT! I'LL GET YOU WHEN I FINISH MY ICE CREAM!" Zarine yelled, her face flaming, more with embarrassment than anger though.
Zarine turned and smiled at Ray, "Let's go!"
They went into the ice cream parlor. The parlor had about 40 flavors of ice cream, and a lot of other things like ice cream floats, or blizzards.
"So what size do you want?" Ray asked the small girl beside him.
"Would you mind if I get a medium?" Zarine asked shyly, she didn't really expect Ray to say yes.
"Yeah, of course. For a moment there, I thought you'd get a large. I wouldn't mind, but you'll probably get a stomachache eating that much ice cream in a few hours," Ray said, smiling.
"Are you making fun of me?" she said, pretending to look shocked.
"What would you like?" the lady behind the counter asked.
"Two medium cookie dough ice cream please," Ray said, handing her thirty dollars.
"I didn't know you liked cookie dough ice cream too," Zarine said as they walked out of the parlor.
"Actually, it's my favourite too. Since it's so late, and we probably won't have enough time to practice, do you want to go for a walk?" Ray asked.
"Sure, as long as I have ice cream, I'm happy," Zarine replied.
Zarine was smiling contently as she ate her ice cream, Ray thought she looked really cute. They wandered around for a while and ended up in a park. It was already nine o'clock, so no one was there.
"Hey, you want to sit over there and finish the ice cream?" Ray asked, pointing at a hill.
"Okay," Zarine shrugged, she didn't really care.
As Zarine finished the last bit of her ice cream, she started shivering. "Here," Ray said, and put his jacket over her shoulders. Zarine smiled at Ray gratefully, "Thanks!"
Zarine looked up and saw the whole sky filled with twinkling stars. She sighed dreamily, "Ray, look at the sky. Isn't it beautiful tonight?"
"Yeah, but not as beautiful as you," he said. [What was I saying? It just came out!] he thought franticly, blushing.
Zarine stopped eating her ice cream in surprise and blushed too. "I don't really feel the same way..." she said shyly, but also very seriously.
"Oh..." Ray muttered. He was disappointed, very disappointed. "We should go back now," he said, standing up.
"Ray, don't get me wrong, I think you're a really sweet guy and I really like you...but not like that..." Zarine said, fumbling to get the right words. She didn't want to hurt his feelings.
"It's okay," Ray said quietly, and began walking away.
"No, it's not!" she said, a little frustrated. "If you'd only let me finish!" Ray looked back. "It's just hard for me to trust people. I haven't even known you for a week. Maybe when we get to know each other better."
*~*~*~*~* I know I promised you people the tournament, but I'm going to upload this along with the next chapter! I hope it'll make up for it!
"Where have you been? We've been looking for you!" Tyson said as they walked into the suite.
"Oh, shopping!" Zarine said innocently.
"What?! We have to train for the tournament, you know! We aren't here for shopping," Kenny chided.
"Relax, Chief. We weren't gone for that long. We'll still have time to practice," Ray said.
"Zarine, where did you get the money for your stuff?" Kai asked suddenly.
Zarine blushed, she thought if they knew, they would laugh at her for sure. Kai saw it, and asked suspiciously, "You didn't steal money from us, did you?"
"No, of course not! I would NEVER do such a thing!" she declared.
"Tell me the truth then," he said, staring at her in the eye. She knew she had to tell them.
She took a deep breath and told them the whole story. To her surprise, they didn't laugh at her. In fact, Tyson and Max were impressed by how much money she won that day.
Kai looked at her and thought, [She'll be a good example for the rest of the team. She doesn't depend on anyone if she could help it. Unlike Tyson, who always eat whatever he wants at a restaurant and leaving me to pay the bills.]
"Who's up for dinner??" Tyson asked.
Zarine sighed, "Tyson, is that all you think about?"
Tyson didn't answer, due to the fact that he was already zooming down the hallway. The others followed him, they didn't want him to get into any trouble. Tyson chose a buffet restaurant about four blocks away from the hotel. It was really unpleasant for the team to see that Tyson had food on his clothes and sauce dribbling down his chin when they arrived.
They didn't bother acknowledging his teammate. They sat away from him. Who can blame them? The restaurant had chandelier lights and comfy seats.
"You know, Kai, one of these days, you should just let Tyson pay for his own food," Ray remarked, smiling at his usually silent friend.
"Come on, that's mean," Zarine said.
"So do you think it's nice that Tyson is eating like that?" Kai said disapprovingly.
They didn't talk much as they ate. The food was yummy. Afterwards, Kai ended up paying for Tyson.
The Bladebreakers walked back to the hotel in the cool night. A lot of people were still out in the streets even though it's eight thirty already. "How come they're still out?" Tyson asked, then burped loudly.
"Tyson, at least say 'excuse me' after you burp! Didn't anyone teach you any manners?" Zarine criticized.
"Spare me the lecture, Zarine, so how come there are so many people out still?"
"What do you expect? This is a city after all! Didn't you know that Hong Kong is full of night clubs and bars?" she said.
"Whatever," Tyson scowled at her.
Zarine just laughed at him. Ray smiled, he thought it was nice that Zarine laughed now. She seemed more open towards them.
When they passed by a brightly lit ice cream parlor, Zarine stopped and looked into it. There was every imaginable flavor of ice cream in there! She begged, "Please, can we get ice cream?"
"Didn't you have enough ice cream already at the restaurant?" Ray asked exasperatedly.
"Come on, I only had three bowls, besides, they didn't have cookie dough there!" Zarine pleaded, "Please, Ray, for me?"
"Let's just go, who cares about ice cream anyways?" Tyson complained.
"I do! Besides, Ray didn't buy me any ice cream yet," Zarine argued.
"Fine," Ray gave in. He wanted some ice cream too.
Zarine stuck her tongue out at Tyson. Tyson glared at her. Max could see a fight coming in fast, so he quickly suggested, "Why don't Kai, Kenny, Tyson and I go back first?'
"Yeah, we'll leave you love birds alone now," Tyson said.
"TYSON!!! JUST WAIT! I'LL GET YOU WHEN I FINISH MY ICE CREAM!" Zarine yelled, her face flaming, more with embarrassment than anger though.
Zarine turned and smiled at Ray, "Let's go!"
They went into the ice cream parlor. The parlor had about 40 flavors of ice cream, and a lot of other things like ice cream floats, or blizzards.
"So what size do you want?" Ray asked the small girl beside him.
"Would you mind if I get a medium?" Zarine asked shyly, she didn't really expect Ray to say yes.
"Yeah, of course. For a moment there, I thought you'd get a large. I wouldn't mind, but you'll probably get a stomachache eating that much ice cream in a few hours," Ray said, smiling.
"Are you making fun of me?" she said, pretending to look shocked.
"What would you like?" the lady behind the counter asked.
"Two medium cookie dough ice cream please," Ray said, handing her thirty dollars.
"I didn't know you liked cookie dough ice cream too," Zarine said as they walked out of the parlor.
"Actually, it's my favourite too. Since it's so late, and we probably won't have enough time to practice, do you want to go for a walk?" Ray asked.
"Sure, as long as I have ice cream, I'm happy," Zarine replied.
Zarine was smiling contently as she ate her ice cream, Ray thought she looked really cute. They wandered around for a while and ended up in a park. It was already nine o'clock, so no one was there.
"Hey, you want to sit over there and finish the ice cream?" Ray asked, pointing at a hill.
"Okay," Zarine shrugged, she didn't really care.
As Zarine finished the last bit of her ice cream, she started shivering. "Here," Ray said, and put his jacket over her shoulders. Zarine smiled at Ray gratefully, "Thanks!"
Zarine looked up and saw the whole sky filled with twinkling stars. She sighed dreamily, "Ray, look at the sky. Isn't it beautiful tonight?"
"Yeah, but not as beautiful as you," he said. [What was I saying? It just came out!] he thought franticly, blushing.
Zarine stopped eating her ice cream in surprise and blushed too. "I don't really feel the same way..." she said shyly, but also very seriously.
"Oh..." Ray muttered. He was disappointed, very disappointed. "We should go back now," he said, standing up.
"Ray, don't get me wrong, I think you're a really sweet guy and I really like you...but not like that..." Zarine said, fumbling to get the right words. She didn't want to hurt his feelings.
"It's okay," Ray said quietly, and began walking away.
"No, it's not!" she said, a little frustrated. "If you'd only let me finish!" Ray looked back. "It's just hard for me to trust people. I haven't even known you for a week. Maybe when we get to know each other better."
*~*~*~*~* I know I promised you people the tournament, but I'm going to upload this along with the next chapter! I hope it'll make up for it!