Chapter 6
The next day, Friday, Kayla and Jason held hands while they were waiting for the bus. They had agreed not to keep their relationship a secret from their friends. Kayla had also told Jason not to tell anyone about how she was being watched and that someone wanted to kill her.
As they walked up the stairs of the bus, everyone on board broke into cheers, whistles, and claps. Apparently they had all heard that Jason and Kayla had finally decided to go out. Who told them, no one knew. As they sat down, trying not to notice the knowing stares or the jealous glances (after all, they were both pretty good looking, other people had crushes on them, too), the 6 musketeers began to discuss their up and coming first Quidditch match. It would take place that night versus Russia. Therefore, the lot of them were wearing their uniforms. It was really amazing how much spirit the school had when it came to Quidditch. As the group of friends walking through the halls, other students clapped as they passed or wished them good luck. Because it was the first game of the season, the team expected a sold out game and they were getting nervous as the day wore on.
All through their 7th bell math/teleportation class, the friends were bouncing up and down. They could barely concentrate, and couldn't wait to get out of class.
Because it was an international league meant to promote relations between students, there would always be a dance after each game, open to anyone who was at the game and had a ticket to prove it. The dances would always be informal so that the away team and fans wouldn't have to bring their nice clothes with them. It was really just a chance to socialize and make friends with those of other countries. Everyone was looking forward to it. Especially Tori, Keri, and Kayla. They couldn't wait.
* * * * * *
After school, the entire team, plus the reserves, got onto the bus that would transport them and their gear to Russia. They needed a bus, because although they knew how to teleport, it was more difficult over seas, and so there were restrictions and blocks in place so that students couldn't teleport outside the U.S.A. Other busses would pick up the students who were going to the game later.
Once in Russia, the team and reserves went into the locker rooms for a last minute pep talk. "Well, team," began coach MacMahan. The team was all ready to play and was sitting on the locker room benches to listen to his speech. Kayla was sitting with Jason's arm around her waist. "We have a great team this year and we have been working really hard at practices. I know we can win even though Russia's team won the world finals last year. I happen to know that their best seeker graduated along with 2 of their main chasers, and their keeper is out with a broken arm. They are playing with last year's reserves and so they don't stand a chance against our team. Now, let's go win one for Bridgeton!!!!!!" The 14 students listening to his passionate speech jumped up and started to shout with enthusiasm.
The 7 players grabbed their brooms (both teams would be riding Stratus50's so that neither team had an unfair advantage from the beginning) and marched out onto the field and waited for the referee to blow his whistle signaling the start of the game. As soon as it sounded, Kayla shot into the air and began her search for the snitch.
Twenty minutes later, there was still no sign of the snitch but Bridgeton was beating Russia's team 70 to 10, but they were getting tired, and it was getting dark. Kayla needed to catch the snitch, and she needed to catch it soon. She circled the field a few more times, and then she saw it. A few inches above the ground, glinting in what little light there was left, was the Golden Snitch. She quickly glanced around and noticed that the other seeker, Peter Romanov a descendant of Peter the Great, hadn't seen the snitch yet. Without another thought, she leaned the handle of her broom all the way down and made a sharp dive straight for the snitch.
Like usual, she stopped noticing everything else that was going on around her. In Kayla's own, special universe, there was only her, her broom and the Golden Snitch. When she was only a few feet away from it, she reached out her hand and closed it firmly around the snitch. She pulled up the handle of her broom sharply with her other hand so that she wouldn't crash into the ground.
She landed quickly, and stared at her hand for a few moments. Suddenly she was pulled out of her meditation by the sharp call of the whistle ending the game. Her whole team landed and surrounded Kayla in an enormous group hug. Jason fought his way towards her and gave her a kiss.
"Congratulations, Kayla," he shouted over the ruckus, "you won us the game!"
"Guys," Kayla screamed after a few minutes, carefully pronouncing each word so that everyone understood what she was saying, "You. Are. Suffocating. Me. And. You. Smell. So GET OFF OF ME AND LET'S GO SHOWER!!!!!!!!!!!" They all laughed, but did as she commanded, cause they didn't want to get on her bad side.
As Kayla turned around, she noticed the other team's seeker standing in her way. "That was a good match," Peter Romanov said. "I did not really expect to lose since you were a girl and all, but it shows that I have a lot to learn. Next time I will be more prepared."
Kayla, immediately not liking this blond haired, Russian-accented, stuck-up prig, managed to say a civil "thank you" without being too mean. Seriously, she thought, this guy really needs to get an attitude adjustment. I just hope he doesn't ask me to dance later, because I wouldn't be able to refuse, but I don't want to.
Kayla walked off and then made for the girls locker room. She desperately needed a shower before the dance. Good thing she didn't have to be there when it started. And Jason promised that he wouldn't go without her. After all, neither of them wanted the other to get picked up by someone else, so why wouldn't he promise?
45 minutes later, Kayla was showered and fully dressed when she met Jason outside the locker rooms. Everyone else had already gone to the dance, and Jason had been waiting for a while, but he didn't really mind. Anything was worth making sure he kept Kayla.
The two of them walked into the school building and made their way to where all of the sound was coming from. They walked into the humongous noisy room and headed straight for the table where the rest of the team was sitting, along with a few members of the Russian team. As soon as everyone noticed that they were there, they started to clap for Kayla, including Jason, and so she took a melodramatic bow towards all corners of the room like they do in fancy performances. Everyone laughed, and she was able to sit down with her friends.
Eventually, Kayla convinced Jason to dance a few songs, but he refused to dance anymore even though all of their other friends were dancing. Interestingly enough, Keri and Tori were dancing with Russian team members and Jake and James were dancing with some of the Russian cheerleaders. After a few minutes of trying to coerce him into dancing again, Kayla, sitting on the table, huffed and turned her back on her boyfriend, sitting in a chair next to her.
Soon, a Russian guy came up and asked Kayla to dance. She was about to accept when Jason stood up and put a possessive hand on her shoulder.
"Excuse me," he told the guy, "Kayla is here with me and I don't want her dancing with anyone else." The other guy was obviously intimidated by Jason and made a hasty retreat.
Kayla suddenly grew very cold. "Jason!" she practically screamed. "How dare you sit there and refuse to dance and then not let me dance with anyone else. I am not your property and I am allowed to dance with whomever I feel like dancing with!" She stormed off without a backwards glance and went to get a drink. On her way there, Kayla bumped into someone and nearly fell over.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry miss," said a boy in heavily accented English. "Did I hurt you? What can I do to apologize? Would you like to dance?"
"No, I am not hurt. You didn't do anything to apologize for. And, I'd love to," Kayla replied laughing.
No, Kayla! Jason practically screamed in her head. She had to try not to wince.
Why the hell not?! She thought back.
He just doesn't feel right. Kinda greasy. Like slime.
Jason, you're gonna have to come up with something better than that. But I am still going to dance with him. Kayla put her hands around her partner's neck as he put his around her waist. "By the way," she asked him, "what is your name?"
"Mikhail Nicholai, and you are the famous Kayla of course."
As they danced, they talked about the game; mainly Mikhail was just complimenting her. He said that he had never seen flying so magnificent before. He asked her how long she had been playing and she couldn't help but laugh when she saw the look on his face when she told him she only learned at the beginning of the year.