Chapter Eleven – Ray Tells Mariah the Truth
Kai motioned Ray to follow him into the balcony of his room.
"Ya, what?" Ray asked.
"What happened last night? Between you and Zarine when you guys when you were 'eating your ice cream'?" Kai asked in a demanding tone.
"Kai, it's really none of your business," Ray muttered, and blushed.
"Correction, it wasn't last night, but now it is," Kai told him dryly.
"Why is it your business now?" Ray asked.
"Because evidently, there is a problem between you and Zarine."
"So, I'll work it out with her myself."
"I don't think Zarine will even want to listen to anything you have to say."
"What are you saying? Why wouldn't she?" Ray demanded, beginning to feel angry, "We're friends!"
"Ray, I don't think that's true anymore," Kai explained, his tone surprisingly gentle, "I know you like her. Just tell me what happened last night and I'll tell you what is happening right now."
"Fine," Ray gave in. He didn't believe a single word that Kai said about Zarine. They are friends, Zarine considered him a friend. She even said she might give him a chance once they know each other better. He took a deep breath, "Last night, I unintentionally told her that I like her."
"No wonder she was acting so strange this morning. You know how Tyson said that you'll have time to hang out with your girlfriend while Max hangs out with his, just this morning, when we saw the White Tigers, and Mariam? Well, Zarine is probably mad at you because of that," Kai explained.
"Okay, so you're telling me that...thanks to Tyson's big mouth, Zarine is mad at me for something that's not true?" Ray asked disbelievingly.
"She doesn't know that. She just took Tyson's word for it."
"Like that makes a difference," Ray said, now fuming. He is furious with Tyson.
"You really should be careful with what you say around her. We really need to get her to trust us enough for her to tell us what happened to her in the past. I'll be telling this to the rest of the team too. Well, I hope our talk has enlightened you. I suggest you get some sleep now," Kai said curtly.
"Okay," Ray said.
Just when he was about to go out the door, Kai spoke again, "I really hope you guys make up soon."
"Thanks," Ray look back at Kai.
Zarine went back to the room she shared with Ray not long after Ray. She was relieved to see the room empty. She was really didn't want to be with him. (Remember that she's mad at him and thinks he's a player.) Concluding that he was probably with Mariah and would be a while before he came back, she decided not to change in the bathroom. It'd only take her a minute and it's not like Ray would be back anytime soon. When she was changing her top, Ray suddenly came in. Zarine was dismayed that he saw her when she had only a bra on. Ray blushed and looked away. He couldn't help thinking how pretty she looked in the dim light.
Zarine quickly put a tank top on. She stammered, her face was crimson with embarrassment "I'm sorry. I...I thought you were probably with...I mean, I didn't expect you to be back so soon."
They didn't talk to each other as they got ready for bed. The air was filled with the awkwardness. Who can really blame them?
Zarine fell asleep right away, but Ray couldn't sleep. He was filled with the thoughts of the events of the day. He thought, [She thought I was with Mariah, so Kai was right. She does believe that we are going out. No wonder she got angry. I have to tell Mariah that I don't feel that way about her. I never had, but the others just had to make that stuff up about us. She's like a sister to me. I can't ever imagine going out with her.]
Ray woke up very early the next morning and decided to take a walk around the garden. He was sitting on a bench, staring off into space, thinking about Zarine. Then a voice from behind him called softly, "Ray?"
He turned, hoped that it was Zarine, but instead, it was Mariah.
"Hey, I didn't know your team is staying here too," Ray said, surprised.
"I didn't either," Mariah said. She thought, [Now it's the perfect chance!] She sat down on the bench beside him and slipped her hand into his. Ray pulled his hand away impulsively. Mariah looked really hurt.
"Mariah, I don't feel that way about you. You're my friend, and in a way, my sister," Ray told her gently.
"Oh," Mariah said, she looked really sad. "I guess I'll see you in the tournament," she hurried away before Ray could see the tears streaming down her cheeks.
Zarine woke up to find Ray's empty bed. She was just going to Tyson's room when Mariah ran into her. She was startled to see Mariah in tears.
"Mariah, what's wrong?" Zarine asked the sobbing girl.
"Ray...he...he just told me he doesn't love me!" Mariah sobbed.
"But I thought you guys were going out," Zarine asked, feeling really confused.
"No, we weren't, but everyone expected us to. I thought he'd ask me for sure!" Mariah cried, then ran into her room.
[Man, Ray can sure be a jerk! He broke Mariah's heart so he will be available for me? There's no way I'll EVER fall for him!] Zarine thought furiously. She opened the door to Tyson's room and saw that Kenny, Max, Tyson and Kai were eating breakfast already.. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Poor Ray! It looks like Ray will have his work cut out for him with the tournament and with Zarine. ( I hope you guys like this chapter.
Just to satisfy your curiosity, Zarine is going to get mad at Tyson (again), and Ray is going to get his heart broken (again). I bet you people are beginning to hate Zarine now... (
Kai motioned Ray to follow him into the balcony of his room.
"Ya, what?" Ray asked.
"What happened last night? Between you and Zarine when you guys when you were 'eating your ice cream'?" Kai asked in a demanding tone.
"Kai, it's really none of your business," Ray muttered, and blushed.
"Correction, it wasn't last night, but now it is," Kai told him dryly.
"Why is it your business now?" Ray asked.
"Because evidently, there is a problem between you and Zarine."
"So, I'll work it out with her myself."
"I don't think Zarine will even want to listen to anything you have to say."
"What are you saying? Why wouldn't she?" Ray demanded, beginning to feel angry, "We're friends!"
"Ray, I don't think that's true anymore," Kai explained, his tone surprisingly gentle, "I know you like her. Just tell me what happened last night and I'll tell you what is happening right now."
"Fine," Ray gave in. He didn't believe a single word that Kai said about Zarine. They are friends, Zarine considered him a friend. She even said she might give him a chance once they know each other better. He took a deep breath, "Last night, I unintentionally told her that I like her."
"No wonder she was acting so strange this morning. You know how Tyson said that you'll have time to hang out with your girlfriend while Max hangs out with his, just this morning, when we saw the White Tigers, and Mariam? Well, Zarine is probably mad at you because of that," Kai explained.
"Okay, so you're telling me that...thanks to Tyson's big mouth, Zarine is mad at me for something that's not true?" Ray asked disbelievingly.
"She doesn't know that. She just took Tyson's word for it."
"Like that makes a difference," Ray said, now fuming. He is furious with Tyson.
"You really should be careful with what you say around her. We really need to get her to trust us enough for her to tell us what happened to her in the past. I'll be telling this to the rest of the team too. Well, I hope our talk has enlightened you. I suggest you get some sleep now," Kai said curtly.
"Okay," Ray said.
Just when he was about to go out the door, Kai spoke again, "I really hope you guys make up soon."
"Thanks," Ray look back at Kai.
Zarine went back to the room she shared with Ray not long after Ray. She was relieved to see the room empty. She was really didn't want to be with him. (Remember that she's mad at him and thinks he's a player.) Concluding that he was probably with Mariah and would be a while before he came back, she decided not to change in the bathroom. It'd only take her a minute and it's not like Ray would be back anytime soon. When she was changing her top, Ray suddenly came in. Zarine was dismayed that he saw her when she had only a bra on. Ray blushed and looked away. He couldn't help thinking how pretty she looked in the dim light.
Zarine quickly put a tank top on. She stammered, her face was crimson with embarrassment "I'm sorry. I...I thought you were probably with...I mean, I didn't expect you to be back so soon."
They didn't talk to each other as they got ready for bed. The air was filled with the awkwardness. Who can really blame them?
Zarine fell asleep right away, but Ray couldn't sleep. He was filled with the thoughts of the events of the day. He thought, [She thought I was with Mariah, so Kai was right. She does believe that we are going out. No wonder she got angry. I have to tell Mariah that I don't feel that way about her. I never had, but the others just had to make that stuff up about us. She's like a sister to me. I can't ever imagine going out with her.]
Ray woke up very early the next morning and decided to take a walk around the garden. He was sitting on a bench, staring off into space, thinking about Zarine. Then a voice from behind him called softly, "Ray?"
He turned, hoped that it was Zarine, but instead, it was Mariah.
"Hey, I didn't know your team is staying here too," Ray said, surprised.
"I didn't either," Mariah said. She thought, [Now it's the perfect chance!] She sat down on the bench beside him and slipped her hand into his. Ray pulled his hand away impulsively. Mariah looked really hurt.
"Mariah, I don't feel that way about you. You're my friend, and in a way, my sister," Ray told her gently.
"Oh," Mariah said, she looked really sad. "I guess I'll see you in the tournament," she hurried away before Ray could see the tears streaming down her cheeks.
Zarine woke up to find Ray's empty bed. She was just going to Tyson's room when Mariah ran into her. She was startled to see Mariah in tears.
"Mariah, what's wrong?" Zarine asked the sobbing girl.
"Ray...he...he just told me he doesn't love me!" Mariah sobbed.
"But I thought you guys were going out," Zarine asked, feeling really confused.
"No, we weren't, but everyone expected us to. I thought he'd ask me for sure!" Mariah cried, then ran into her room.
[Man, Ray can sure be a jerk! He broke Mariah's heart so he will be available for me? There's no way I'll EVER fall for him!] Zarine thought furiously. She opened the door to Tyson's room and saw that Kenny, Max, Tyson and Kai were eating breakfast already.. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Poor Ray! It looks like Ray will have his work cut out for him with the tournament and with Zarine. ( I hope you guys like this chapter.
Just to satisfy your curiosity, Zarine is going to get mad at Tyson (again), and Ray is going to get his heart broken (again). I bet you people are beginning to hate Zarine now... (