In Love and Trust
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Author's Note: Well, here is chappie number 17! I just decided on what most of the ending is going to be like! LOL. No, that does not mean that the end is going to be in one or two chappies...Hehe.(-') No, but it is getting close-well, it's past halfway done, actually...Uh yeah, I just did a little draft, cause I was curious as to how long it would take me. But, if I wanted to keep my vow of finishing this in the summer, I have to dash, real fast! Eight weeks to be exact! LOL. I really am glad that you liked my last chapter, I was feverishly crossing my fingers, and waiting impatiently! (=-=) I need to calm down, I think.
I have no idea on how this chapter would match your tastes, but once again, I am crossing my fingers like mad.
Disclaimer: I, Candide Avedo do not own anything that has to do with Beyblade.
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Just A Mask
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"Queen, wake up you sleepy head!" shouted a full-dressed Hilary, her hands resting at her waist. "Are you sick or something?" she asked, peering up Queen's face, where her eyes remained closed. Finally, Hilary gave up, leaving and shutting the door with a snap.
Once sure that her friend was gone, Queen carefully prised one of her eyes open. She felt guilty for ignoring Hilary like that, but for the moment, she wanted to be alone. She had barely gotten enough sleep, managing to sneak a couple of winks. Queen had tried repeatedly, valiantly, to fall asleep, but to no avail. Her body ached to shut itself down, but her mind yearned answers. Answers that cannot be answered, yet.
Flashes of last night would replay in the back of her mind, and more questions that she wanted to be answered would come right after. The most important-
'Why?'
No, asking herself would lead to nowhere. She touched her lip where his touched hers. The feeling was still there, the heat that threatened to lose all of her control. 'GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF.' she thought angrily. 'You weren't thinking, that's all.' Queen sighed, and glanced at a nearby clock.
"11:30?! What?! I overlept!" she shrieked, jumping out immediately, and tripping on the blankets, landing on the floor with a 'flump'.
A split second later, Hilary burst in, breathless.
"What, what is it, Queen? Anything wro-What are you doing on the ground?" she curiously looked at her room mate.
"I overslept." said Queen, muttering to herself. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
Hilary rolled her eyes. "I WAS, a moment ago, but I had a feeling that someone was boing a total lazybone, and won't get up."
"Right." Queen rubbed her eyes, yawning, before turning to fix her bed.
Hilary stared at her again, and frowned. "You look like a real mess. Did you sleep at all last night?"
"I-"
"The truth."
'She sounds like King.' "I didn't, are you happy?"
"No." replied Hilary simply. "We should talk then, if something's bothering you."
Queen hesitated. 'I will be tormented to hell, I just know it.' "I don't kno-"
"You can trust me. You can, can't you?"
Queen nodded. "Alright. You win."
"So, what happened? Was it about last night?"
Queen nodded.
Hilary paused, thinking hard. "Did Kai emotionally attack you again, abused you, stepped on your foot, or gave up on your dancing saying it was pathetic?"
Queen shook her head.
Hilary raised her hands in defeat. "I always hated guessing games- Come on, spill it!"
"Well, last night-I shouldn't you'll just tease me to death."
"Just spill it!" said Hilary exasperatedly.
"Last night Kai kissed me." Queen could feel her cheeks redden, and she mentally scolded herself for it. But it was her first kiss, her first real one.
Hilary just stared, as Queen waited for Hilary to say something. "I don't know what to say..." she whispered. ".......Except-I CAN'T BELIEVE KAI COULD DO THAT!!! He's the one who's always said; Hilary folded her arms like Kai Women are just weak, and waste of time." Hilary paused, and grabbed her shoulders, shaking Queen frantically. "What did he say? What did he say? TELL ME!"
Queen broke out of her grasp. "I don't know, cause you woke up, and he just left. You saw it yourself."
"Oh." said Hilary, the excitement gone. "I still can't believe he could do that. What did you do? You were mad at each other a while ago-hey, maybe THAT'S why he's always mad at you! He's in denial!"
Queen raised her eyebrows. "Yeah right, and I'm an alien. It's nothing, he probably just got frustrated." A part of her prayed that it wasn't.
"Well, he might be, because he wasn't here this morning." added Hilary sheepishly.
"What?" asked Queen. She quickly walked out of the room, with Hilary at her heels. Only to see Tyson and Max lounging on the sofa, while Ray was working in the kitchen.
"Whoa, hey, Queen, it's about time you woke up. We have to stay out of the kitchen, cause Ray's cooking up a storm. Literally, he's so into whatever he's cooking." said Tyson hurriedly.
"Yeah, we think he's trying to calm some of his nerves for tonight." added Max. "So, Queen, are you ready for tonight? I heard from Ray who heard it from Kenny who heard it from you that Kai taught Queen some dancing. I mean, cool, how did you get King to agree-Well, never mind that, but how did you get the two of them not to argue?" he laughed nervously, wondering if he was going to get a slap from Queen, who pursed her lips.
Queen, however, did nothing but shoot a warning look to Hilary, who looked like she was going to comment about it. "He didn't mind, at all, actually." she replied cooly. "I just don't want to look like a total freak at the party."
Max breathed a sigh of relief.
"Say, has Kai arrived yet?" asked Hilary, and Queen's attention whipped back to her.
Max shrugged. "Nah, didn't see anything but a note saying he was out for a walk."
"Where is King and Kenny?"
"What's with all the questions?" asked Tyson. "King and Kenny are looking for a mode of transportation for us to all fit in. They're using the phone outside."
Queen looked out the window, and sure enough, King and Kenny were flipping through the phone book. Both of them looked distracted, however, by the opening of the dojo gate.
"Hey, guys, Kai's back." said Tyson, who had followed Queen to the window.
Queen frowned, turning away from the window. A few moments later, Kai entered, taking a quick glance around. Their eyes connected for a moment, and they quickly turned away.
"Hey Kai, where did you go, you had us worried, you know, it's not nice to do that." said Max, jumping from the couch.
"I was just taking a walk, that's all." answered Kai, poking his head in the kitchen, where Ray was washing dishes.
"Hey guys, LUNCH TIME!!!!"called Ray. "No, Tyson, wait for the others- I SAID WAIT!"
-
Lunch time had been a blur, as they all ate, Max, and Tyson bringing up a few arguments on each of their opinions on certain foods. After that, everyone, excluding Tyson, Max, Queen, and Hilary, had stayed home as they left to pick up their suits. Queen had avoided interrogation from Hilary by taking a long bath, something that she could always count on. It didn't make much of a companion, though. The afternoon was way more peaceful that usual, and everyone took advantage of it, taking a well-needed nap.
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"Kai, hey, Kai?" asked a curious Ray, who had been trying to hand Kai a pair of shoes to match his outfit. "Kai???" Ray mumbled to himself. "Hey, Kai, your glutenous maximus is showing."
Kai jerked out of his thoughts. "WHAT?!" Reality was not very kind to him.
Ray chuckled. "Just kidding, you know, you've been real out of it lately, you know that?"
Kai grunted. Yeah, as if he didn't notice that he was putting his pants over his head like a shirt this morning.
Ray thrusted the pair of shoes in his arms, clearly not pleased that he was being ignored... Again. "Maybe you should go sit down, Kai." he muttered, before heading off in search of Kenny, who had been in the process of paying. Kai set the pair of shoes down at his feet.
'Okay, so I am out of it today. What's the big deal?' he thought to himself. 'Only the fact that I had made a total freak of myself last night- it's nothing.' he noted, grimancing. He cursed his brain...And his emotions. What did she do, to make him kiss her last night? Scarier than that, was the fact that he actually...Liked it. Liked it so much that he had almost put his heart and soul into the kiss, sending him shocks of strong waves of emotions that almost made him mad. Kai, for the first time in his life felt afraid.
Afraid? Laughable. The Great Kai, being afraid has got to be the joke of the century. Afraid was not the word for it. He just won't be able to look her in the eye anymore.
Queen had angered him so many times in the past times that they were together, Kai had wanted to even smack her for it once. He once even imagined what it would have been like if he hadn't rescued her from the three men that fateful day. Kai had wished than he hadn't agreed to King on the task, wondering if they would still be alive, running from their father, and struggling to stay alive. 'Then perhaps I wouldn't be in this situation.' Kai thought idly, staring out from the shop window. The sun was still up, but in the summer, the sun usually took time to set, so he wouldn't be accurate if he guessed what time it was.
"She actually returned it." he whispered softly. His eyes widened, at the statement he just said. It was crazy, it was so, so, uncharacteristic, but it stood out like a red in the sea of white. 'She kissed me back.'
-
It was at five o'clock that the group had decided to begin preparing themselves for the event.
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"Tyson, no fair, you've always gotten to use the bathroom first!" protested Max, pounding on the door to the bathroom.
A muffled voice answered him.
"So, why don't you try the other one?"
Max threw his hands in the air, and sat at the doorway. Ray, who was walking by stopped, and retraced his steps.
"Uh, hey, Max, are you in line here, or are you just waiting to use the washroom?" he asked.
"I'm in line...Tyson got here first." Max replied, and Ray sat down. "Ya, I'd reccommend sitting down too."
Minutes later, King walked by, carrying his clothes for the evening. He stopped short as he spotted the two, and frowned.
"What are you doing down there? It's 5:30, and were leaving in an hour and a half." he asked, and Max and Ray looked up.
"We're waiting for Tyson to finish." the two answered in unison, and King rolled his eyes.
"Fine then, but we're leaving, even if you aren't ready, got it?" King stalked off, shrugging his shoulders. "You could have waited at the bathroom near Kenny's, Kai and I already got dibs after him."
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"Queen, are you finished?" asked Hilary, holding a fluffy pink towel, and dancing on the spot.
"Yeah, almost done, hang on....You could have told me, I could have gotten out of the shower sooner, you know. Why don't you use the other two bathrooms?" Queen replied, who had taken a short shower, and was wrapping a towel around herself. The shower itself helped calm some of her nerves.
"I could have done that, but you know, Tyson, he's in there right now, and-well, you know him."
The lock to the girls bathroom unlocked, and Queen came out, and Hilary quickly dashed in, slamming the door behind her.
"You're welcome." muttered Queen, and began drying herself, and putting on a robe afterwards. She then came in front of a full length mirror, taking a comb, and running her hair through it, wincing at the tangles. Queen's hair had only grown a few centimetres or so, and the few which framed her cheeks were still intact. She had never been self concious before, what with one thing interfering with another. Her appearance just wasn't a part of her necessities. Not that she needed to improve on how she looked.
Her eyes caught a large pile of cosmetics on the vanity table, and walked over there, sitting at the vanity stool.
Makeup wasn't clearly one of her priorities either. She opened one, and found blush. Queen frowned. Right, she wouldn't even know how to put these things on, let alone tell apart a blush from an eyeshadow.
Hilary came out of the bathroom, and at once spotted Queen looking at an eyelash curler incredulously.
"Say, Queen, don't you think we should get ready already?"
Queen turned around, and nodded. "I think so too. Do you know where my dress is-?" she stopped.
Hilary had taken the gown out, the one her grandmother had made to fit her size exactly. It was silver satin, simple, yet suitable for her age. The dress came up to her knees, spaghetti straps holding it up, a neckline that came just above her cleavage. She and Hilary agreed, that the neckline must be respectably low, but leaving the rest to the imagination. Finally, the back side of her dress that had been left bare until the hollow of her waist-one that Queen had been displeased in finding out, but Hilary had insisted.
"Grandmother had done a good job, I take it?" Hilary grinned, laying the dress on the bed, and taking out her own, which was white velvet, knee lenght, a little more revealing to the neckline than that of Queen's, and a slit that came up to her thigh.
Queen stroked the fabric, feeling it's liquid-like texture.
"Uh huh."
"Come on then, put it on!"
It had taken a while, but they were finished, with at least fifteen minutes to spare. Queen had finally taken her first glance at the mirror. She had to admit, Hilary did do a good job on her make up, and did a miracle on her hair. It had been put up, into a clean bun at the back of her head, held up by some ivory combs with carvings of lilys that they had bought at an accessories shop a while ago. A stubborn whisp of hair had fallen out, though, framing the left side of her face, and a black choker, with a milky oval opal framed with silver at her neck. A matching boa was wrapped around her arms, dangling playfully at her back, covering her scars at mostly the right places. Overall it wasn't tight, but simply hugged her waist casually, and a little at her chest.
Surely it wasn't her...
Queen had bitten back a laugh. For the first time, she felt like well, a lady.
"Did I do you good, or what?" said Hilary, who had also finished, having her hair up in high ponytail.
Finally tearing her eyes off the mirror, Queen smiled at her. "Yeah, you and your grandmother have a knack for making people like me look good, Hilary."
Hilary smirked.
"Sure, but it's all you, Queen, it's all you."
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"Where in the world are those two, it's half an hour til the whole party starts!" shouted Kenny, dashing out the door to greet the chauffeur and the limo they had rented for the evening. "We still have to drive there, and-"
"Man, Kenny, cool it, it's okay. I mean, you can be fashionably late, right?" said Ray, who had already sat himself down, near the left door at the back.
"At least we finished before them. I still have shampoo in my hair." whined Max, plucking at a strand. "Tyson took forever, I don't even want to know what he does in there."
"Hey, at least I'm clean, and on time, and ready to go." answered Tyson, both sitting next to Ray at the back. "But these suits are comfy, aren't they?"
"They sure are, but they left a great deal of space in everyone's wallets." said King, waiting at the dojo gates. He had chosen a black tux, with black trousers, and matching black dress shoes. The colours made the light shade of his hair stand out, like a moon reflected in the night sky.
Kenny had chosen a navy blue outfit, just like Tyson, with brown dress shoes. He kept his glasses on, of course, but polished it last night. Kai had worn black, just as King had done.
"If they're not here in five minutes, were....leaving....." Kai broke off, as he saw two figures walk through the gates. One person in particular, however, caught his eye.
He knew it couldn't be who he thought it was, but the only evidence of her being Queen was the way she had greeted King and his compliments.
"Queen, you look, well," King began, looking at her up and down.
Queen smiled. "You don't have to say anything, it's shocking, I know. Hilary did a lot for me, though. But it's like hell walking in heels."
King chuckled.
Hilary had already gotten into the limo with the others.
"Let's go then, shall we, Queen?" King had led his sister to the limo, while Tyson jumped out, locking the gates.
Kai followed them silently in, watching the boa tease the hollow of Queen's back, resisting the urge to place his hand there instead. He slapped himself mentally, thinking what his grandfather would say if he was caught staring at a girl. An image of Voltaire shooting jets of hot air thorough his nostrils danced in Kai's head.
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They had arrived, but fifteen minutes late. The party was being held in a first class hotel, which had specifically blocked off certain parts of the building for the event. Sounds of happy people greeted them as they entered. Large, Swarovski crystal chandeliers illuminated the ballroom, where a live band was set up in the very end of the floor, in front of a large space where couples would dance. Dozens of round tables which seated up to eight people were surrounding the dance floor, and mini candles were on the center of the tables, and white china plates and silver silverware were around it, all on a pure white linen tablecloth.
Waiters with various trays of food wandered around, serving the many guests.
"Ah, here are my special guests!" said a familiar voice, from behind them, and the whole group turned around, to see the jolly old man.
"Hello, Mr. Dickensen, happy birthday!" said Tyson, squishing him in a hug.
"Mmmph, nice to see you too, Tyson." he managed to say, pulling away, smiling. "Well, I see you brought some more guests." he looked at King and Queen kindly, shaking their hands.
"Uh, happy birthday, Mr. Dickensen." King said, quietly acknowleding him, while Queen gave a small nod, blushing lightly.
"Go on then, all of you enjoy yourselves, and don't worry, Tyson, we have planty of food to go around!" he walked on, greeting the guests now seated on tables.
"Where to sit, guys?" asked Max. "There are so many people..."
"So much food...." added Tyson.
"Hey, there's one over there, right by the dance floor." pointed Kenny, and they made their way to the table, careful not to get run over by the waiters, who had risen in alarm as a young boy spilled his spaghetti.
They all sat down, but in almost an instant, a waiter had stopped by their table, asking for orders. In the end, they all had some pasta, some appetizers, soups, and some non alcoholic margaritas. ( A.N. LOL. I thought that laugh was necessary, thank you.)
"Tyson, are you finished eating YET?" asked Hilary, pushing her uneaten spinnach on her plate.
"Eeh, amos finnish." said Tyson, through a full mouth. ( Yeah, almost finished. )
"Hey, careful, Tyson, we don't like it when it rains food." said a revolted Ray, as the others watched on, unable to eat any longer.
"You're scaring the other guests away." said a voice, in front of their table. All turned.
"Whoa, Miriam, Salima, you guys are here?" said Kenny, patting Tyson on the back, who had just choked on a broccolli.
"Yup, and you don't mind if we steal Ray and Max, do you?" said Salima, smiling at them.
"I'm sure they won't mind." answered Max, quickly standing up with Ray.
"Great, just for a while, I hope you can dance." grinned Miriam, but then, someone caught her eye. "Hey, it's you! What are those two doing here?" she pointed to Queen and King, who looked calmly up at her. Miriam clenched her fists, seething.
"Uh, they're guests too, Miriam, it's okay, really, they're not that bad, honest." said Max, tugging on Miriam's arm.
"I still don't understand, what's going on?" asked Salima, who looked curiously from one person to the other, desperate for an answer. "They don't look that bad to me."
"It's a long story, Salima, a really long story." said Ray, shaking his head.
"It's the past, Miriam, come on, really, it's better if we just forget it." urged Max, to Miriam, who remained, immobile, glaring at them.
"Fine, but I hope they didn't give any of you a hard time." she mumbled, before allowing herself to be steered off by Max. "I mean, I suppose it is the past."
The remaining six watched them disappear into the crowd.
"That was unexpected." whispered Hilary.
"Hey, you know, if you guys don't mind, I think I would like to go and have a chat with Mr. Dickensen." Kenny said, setting down his fork, having just finished his gelato, leaving in search for Mr. Dickensen. "I haven't had a decent conversation with an intellect for a while."Five remained.
"Well, that's another one gone." said King, still finishing his truffle. "Sooner or later, we'll be four."
"Make that, three." said Tyson, who had come to a complete halt from his food. "Hilary, how about that dance that you were so excited about?" he offered his hand to Hilary, who blushed.
"Bye guys, don't plan on staying here all night!" said Hilary, walking off with Tyson, and they both also disappeared within the crowds of people. "Tyson, not so fast!"
"Now there are three." said Queen, plopping her chin on her hand, which was propped up by her elbow. "Now what?"
"I dunno, sit here, I guess." said King, who was sitting between Queen and Kai. "There's nothing to do, really."
"That's why I hate going to parties like this." added Kai, removing his napkin from his lap. "Absolute boredom."
King and Queen nodded.
King's eyes scanned the whole room, watching the many couples dancing to the live band. He watched Hilary snap at Tyson, who had accidentally trodded on Hilary's foot, with Ray, Salima, Max, and Miriam not too far away. Over in another table, Kenny had looked like he had been chatting up a storm, while Mr. Dickensen laughed appreciatively. King tugged on his silvery white hair, which fell lightly over half of his face, giving him an enigmatic look. He then lazily scanned the room again, when he spotted a familiar figure walking across the room, escorted by his cousin.....The unmistakable black hair and dark skin noticable, even in a crowd such as this.
"Say, Queen, Kai, I think I'm just going to hunt down where the nearest washroom is, okay? I think I got too attached to the margaritas, and well, I'll just be back, okay?" he said in a monotone voice, trying to sound as normal a possible.
Queen gaped at her brother, as he quickly got up, and walked off, his eyes fixed on a certain spot in the crowd.
'Great.' Queen thought to herself, stealing a glance at the only other remaining member of their table. 'It's just me and Kai. Just, great.' she sighed. 'This is so ridiculous. What, now, I've lost my voice?'
Kai stole a glance at Queen, his chest unable to take in any air. Her close proximity was scaring him, and he knew that he couldn't pretend to ignore her any longer. Sooner or later, he was going to have to talk to her sometime.
"Hey, I realize you have been sitting there bored for a while now, and I was wondering, if um, you could grace me with a dance?"
Kai quickly whipped his head around, seeing a burly boy with auburn hair and blue eyes extending a hand to Queen, who was looking at him incredulously. He gave the boy an appraising look.
"Uh, uh," Queen stuttered, unable to reply, her face flushed. Dancing? With him?
Kai frowned, unable to see what was there to blush about.
"Sorry, but she had already agreed to dance with me." Kai said, knowing he would regret those words later.
Queen remained speechless, until she finally got it.
"Yeah, sorry, I already promised I'd dance with him." replied Queen smoothly, those words warming her up like a steaming mug of hot chocolate.
The boy inclined his head, then a dawn of comprehension on his face, before nodding, and smiling. "Aright, I guess that's only fair, you could have told me that you two were together." he walked away, leaving a dumbstruck Queen and Kai.
Totally unexpected. Silence dawned upon them once more, and the couples dancing around them were beginning to start a headache. Kai couldn't take it anymore.
"Queen, do you.....uh, want to dance with me?" he asked, cursing himself as it was his turn to flush.
Queen flushed even darker. "Uh, yeah, sure..." she and Kai got up. "I mean, I did say I would, right?"
Kai tried to smile, offering his arm, and Queen cautiously accepted, trying not to press to hard, trying to ignore the comforting feeling.
People parted, as the two walked to the floor. The music had long ended, and some couples had been too tired to dance to a new song.
Kai and Queen then turned to each other, placing their hands at their respective positions. The band had started, and waltz music filled the ballroom. She felt his warm hand grasp hers, and his other resting lightly on the small on her back. His face heated up, as his personal space was taken over once more.
"Queen." Kai said, without looking at her. "Just think of this as our practice last night, okay?'
She just nodded, looking far away.
Queen felt herself being pulled into him again, his warmth wrapping around her like a blanket. She revelled in it, unaware that she had closed her eyes, and that Kai himself, was caught up in his own thoughts. It was like deja vu, except for the difference in their surroundings. Questions were once again reappearing in Queen's and Kai's heads, like a mob of angry bees, searching revenge for someone who took their honey.
Kai looked down, biting his lip to keep from smiling. Queen was once again in his arms, just like the night before. The light from the many chandeliers made her face glow, making her look peaceful. Her satin dress was smooth to his touch, and the heels made her seem taller than what she really was. Closer, than what he called comfort. She had a small mole which he had not really noticed under her right eye, and her cheeks were not as thin, or pasty as they had been before. As bizzare as it sounded, Queen looked different. Like a person who had worn a mask of anger and defences which had broken apart, only for the moment, to reveal a young woman, desperate to be free from her reality.
A few people sitting at the table whispered behind their hands, staring at the two, who seemed unknown to each of their emotions.
Queen finally opened her eyes, her expression sullen.
Kai could feel her tremble, and looked down again.
"Queen?" he asked.
She just gave him a swift smile, before looking at her feet.
"Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you had never found me?" Queen asked quietly.
Kai frowned. Where the hell was she going with this? Kai's mind began to spin quickly. If she was going to ask about what happened last night...
"No............." he answered, but Queen gave him a penetrating stare. "Okay, I did, once."
Queen looked over his shoulder to avoid looking at his eyes. If she was going to say it, this is a very good time to do it. Her eyes then caught a speck of black amongst the sea of brown, blond, and grey. (A.N. Uh, I was talking about hair.....) Then the familiar face, and the familiar smile.....
"No, it can't be." Queen whispered.
Kai frowned. "What?"
Suddenly, Queen took off, running for the ballroom entrance.
"Queen, wait!"
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C.A.: YES, I am waiting for some angry readers for some parts....Good god, I am going to be tarred and feathered for this....Then dragged across a field of nails.....I had no clue whether that was too much sap, OOC, or-I just had no clue.
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Whew, I had a tough time with this, to tell you the truth. A real tough time. But, I finished, and I am happy. TEN PAGES!!!! Well, that's crazy for me.... Ten thirty P.M. too...Sheepish look I wasn't very keen on giving you all of the details, but I should give you some idea of what I had imagined. A least a week to do this, and what I find so interesting, was that I was looking forward to the next chappie, and knowing that it wouldn't be as hard to type. Well, I just have a feeling I'm going to have to eat those words later on...I am also sorry for the length of this story, as maybe some of you are not too big on the massive chapters stuff. So, I am going to stop right here for
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Please review, I'd appreciate it if you would! :) I mean really, this is the only chance I can get connected with other readers......LOL.
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Author's Note: Well, here is chappie number 17! I just decided on what most of the ending is going to be like! LOL. No, that does not mean that the end is going to be in one or two chappies...Hehe.(-') No, but it is getting close-well, it's past halfway done, actually...Uh yeah, I just did a little draft, cause I was curious as to how long it would take me. But, if I wanted to keep my vow of finishing this in the summer, I have to dash, real fast! Eight weeks to be exact! LOL. I really am glad that you liked my last chapter, I was feverishly crossing my fingers, and waiting impatiently! (=-=) I need to calm down, I think.
I have no idea on how this chapter would match your tastes, but once again, I am crossing my fingers like mad.
Disclaimer: I, Candide Avedo do not own anything that has to do with Beyblade.
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Just A Mask
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"Queen, wake up you sleepy head!" shouted a full-dressed Hilary, her hands resting at her waist. "Are you sick or something?" she asked, peering up Queen's face, where her eyes remained closed. Finally, Hilary gave up, leaving and shutting the door with a snap.
Once sure that her friend was gone, Queen carefully prised one of her eyes open. She felt guilty for ignoring Hilary like that, but for the moment, she wanted to be alone. She had barely gotten enough sleep, managing to sneak a couple of winks. Queen had tried repeatedly, valiantly, to fall asleep, but to no avail. Her body ached to shut itself down, but her mind yearned answers. Answers that cannot be answered, yet.
Flashes of last night would replay in the back of her mind, and more questions that she wanted to be answered would come right after. The most important-
'Why?'
No, asking herself would lead to nowhere. She touched her lip where his touched hers. The feeling was still there, the heat that threatened to lose all of her control. 'GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF.' she thought angrily. 'You weren't thinking, that's all.' Queen sighed, and glanced at a nearby clock.
"11:30?! What?! I overlept!" she shrieked, jumping out immediately, and tripping on the blankets, landing on the floor with a 'flump'.
A split second later, Hilary burst in, breathless.
"What, what is it, Queen? Anything wro-What are you doing on the ground?" she curiously looked at her room mate.
"I overslept." said Queen, muttering to herself. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
Hilary rolled her eyes. "I WAS, a moment ago, but I had a feeling that someone was boing a total lazybone, and won't get up."
"Right." Queen rubbed her eyes, yawning, before turning to fix her bed.
Hilary stared at her again, and frowned. "You look like a real mess. Did you sleep at all last night?"
"I-"
"The truth."
'She sounds like King.' "I didn't, are you happy?"
"No." replied Hilary simply. "We should talk then, if something's bothering you."
Queen hesitated. 'I will be tormented to hell, I just know it.' "I don't kno-"
"You can trust me. You can, can't you?"
Queen nodded. "Alright. You win."
"So, what happened? Was it about last night?"
Queen nodded.
Hilary paused, thinking hard. "Did Kai emotionally attack you again, abused you, stepped on your foot, or gave up on your dancing saying it was pathetic?"
Queen shook her head.
Hilary raised her hands in defeat. "I always hated guessing games- Come on, spill it!"
"Well, last night-I shouldn't you'll just tease me to death."
"Just spill it!" said Hilary exasperatedly.
"Last night Kai kissed me." Queen could feel her cheeks redden, and she mentally scolded herself for it. But it was her first kiss, her first real one.
Hilary just stared, as Queen waited for Hilary to say something. "I don't know what to say..." she whispered. ".......Except-I CAN'T BELIEVE KAI COULD DO THAT!!! He's the one who's always said; Hilary folded her arms like Kai Women are just weak, and waste of time." Hilary paused, and grabbed her shoulders, shaking Queen frantically. "What did he say? What did he say? TELL ME!"
Queen broke out of her grasp. "I don't know, cause you woke up, and he just left. You saw it yourself."
"Oh." said Hilary, the excitement gone. "I still can't believe he could do that. What did you do? You were mad at each other a while ago-hey, maybe THAT'S why he's always mad at you! He's in denial!"
Queen raised her eyebrows. "Yeah right, and I'm an alien. It's nothing, he probably just got frustrated." A part of her prayed that it wasn't.
"Well, he might be, because he wasn't here this morning." added Hilary sheepishly.
"What?" asked Queen. She quickly walked out of the room, with Hilary at her heels. Only to see Tyson and Max lounging on the sofa, while Ray was working in the kitchen.
"Whoa, hey, Queen, it's about time you woke up. We have to stay out of the kitchen, cause Ray's cooking up a storm. Literally, he's so into whatever he's cooking." said Tyson hurriedly.
"Yeah, we think he's trying to calm some of his nerves for tonight." added Max. "So, Queen, are you ready for tonight? I heard from Ray who heard it from Kenny who heard it from you that Kai taught Queen some dancing. I mean, cool, how did you get King to agree-Well, never mind that, but how did you get the two of them not to argue?" he laughed nervously, wondering if he was going to get a slap from Queen, who pursed her lips.
Queen, however, did nothing but shoot a warning look to Hilary, who looked like she was going to comment about it. "He didn't mind, at all, actually." she replied cooly. "I just don't want to look like a total freak at the party."
Max breathed a sigh of relief.
"Say, has Kai arrived yet?" asked Hilary, and Queen's attention whipped back to her.
Max shrugged. "Nah, didn't see anything but a note saying he was out for a walk."
"Where is King and Kenny?"
"What's with all the questions?" asked Tyson. "King and Kenny are looking for a mode of transportation for us to all fit in. They're using the phone outside."
Queen looked out the window, and sure enough, King and Kenny were flipping through the phone book. Both of them looked distracted, however, by the opening of the dojo gate.
"Hey, guys, Kai's back." said Tyson, who had followed Queen to the window.
Queen frowned, turning away from the window. A few moments later, Kai entered, taking a quick glance around. Their eyes connected for a moment, and they quickly turned away.
"Hey Kai, where did you go, you had us worried, you know, it's not nice to do that." said Max, jumping from the couch.
"I was just taking a walk, that's all." answered Kai, poking his head in the kitchen, where Ray was washing dishes.
"Hey guys, LUNCH TIME!!!!"called Ray. "No, Tyson, wait for the others- I SAID WAIT!"
-
Lunch time had been a blur, as they all ate, Max, and Tyson bringing up a few arguments on each of their opinions on certain foods. After that, everyone, excluding Tyson, Max, Queen, and Hilary, had stayed home as they left to pick up their suits. Queen had avoided interrogation from Hilary by taking a long bath, something that she could always count on. It didn't make much of a companion, though. The afternoon was way more peaceful that usual, and everyone took advantage of it, taking a well-needed nap.
-
"Kai, hey, Kai?" asked a curious Ray, who had been trying to hand Kai a pair of shoes to match his outfit. "Kai???" Ray mumbled to himself. "Hey, Kai, your glutenous maximus is showing."
Kai jerked out of his thoughts. "WHAT?!" Reality was not very kind to him.
Ray chuckled. "Just kidding, you know, you've been real out of it lately, you know that?"
Kai grunted. Yeah, as if he didn't notice that he was putting his pants over his head like a shirt this morning.
Ray thrusted the pair of shoes in his arms, clearly not pleased that he was being ignored... Again. "Maybe you should go sit down, Kai." he muttered, before heading off in search of Kenny, who had been in the process of paying. Kai set the pair of shoes down at his feet.
'Okay, so I am out of it today. What's the big deal?' he thought to himself. 'Only the fact that I had made a total freak of myself last night- it's nothing.' he noted, grimancing. He cursed his brain...And his emotions. What did she do, to make him kiss her last night? Scarier than that, was the fact that he actually...Liked it. Liked it so much that he had almost put his heart and soul into the kiss, sending him shocks of strong waves of emotions that almost made him mad. Kai, for the first time in his life felt afraid.
Afraid? Laughable. The Great Kai, being afraid has got to be the joke of the century. Afraid was not the word for it. He just won't be able to look her in the eye anymore.
Queen had angered him so many times in the past times that they were together, Kai had wanted to even smack her for it once. He once even imagined what it would have been like if he hadn't rescued her from the three men that fateful day. Kai had wished than he hadn't agreed to King on the task, wondering if they would still be alive, running from their father, and struggling to stay alive. 'Then perhaps I wouldn't be in this situation.' Kai thought idly, staring out from the shop window. The sun was still up, but in the summer, the sun usually took time to set, so he wouldn't be accurate if he guessed what time it was.
"She actually returned it." he whispered softly. His eyes widened, at the statement he just said. It was crazy, it was so, so, uncharacteristic, but it stood out like a red in the sea of white. 'She kissed me back.'
-
It was at five o'clock that the group had decided to begin preparing themselves for the event.
-
"Tyson, no fair, you've always gotten to use the bathroom first!" protested Max, pounding on the door to the bathroom.
A muffled voice answered him.
"So, why don't you try the other one?"
Max threw his hands in the air, and sat at the doorway. Ray, who was walking by stopped, and retraced his steps.
"Uh, hey, Max, are you in line here, or are you just waiting to use the washroom?" he asked.
"I'm in line...Tyson got here first." Max replied, and Ray sat down. "Ya, I'd reccommend sitting down too."
Minutes later, King walked by, carrying his clothes for the evening. He stopped short as he spotted the two, and frowned.
"What are you doing down there? It's 5:30, and were leaving in an hour and a half." he asked, and Max and Ray looked up.
"We're waiting for Tyson to finish." the two answered in unison, and King rolled his eyes.
"Fine then, but we're leaving, even if you aren't ready, got it?" King stalked off, shrugging his shoulders. "You could have waited at the bathroom near Kenny's, Kai and I already got dibs after him."
-
"Queen, are you finished?" asked Hilary, holding a fluffy pink towel, and dancing on the spot.
"Yeah, almost done, hang on....You could have told me, I could have gotten out of the shower sooner, you know. Why don't you use the other two bathrooms?" Queen replied, who had taken a short shower, and was wrapping a towel around herself. The shower itself helped calm some of her nerves.
"I could have done that, but you know, Tyson, he's in there right now, and-well, you know him."
The lock to the girls bathroom unlocked, and Queen came out, and Hilary quickly dashed in, slamming the door behind her.
"You're welcome." muttered Queen, and began drying herself, and putting on a robe afterwards. She then came in front of a full length mirror, taking a comb, and running her hair through it, wincing at the tangles. Queen's hair had only grown a few centimetres or so, and the few which framed her cheeks were still intact. She had never been self concious before, what with one thing interfering with another. Her appearance just wasn't a part of her necessities. Not that she needed to improve on how she looked.
Her eyes caught a large pile of cosmetics on the vanity table, and walked over there, sitting at the vanity stool.
Makeup wasn't clearly one of her priorities either. She opened one, and found blush. Queen frowned. Right, she wouldn't even know how to put these things on, let alone tell apart a blush from an eyeshadow.
Hilary came out of the bathroom, and at once spotted Queen looking at an eyelash curler incredulously.
"Say, Queen, don't you think we should get ready already?"
Queen turned around, and nodded. "I think so too. Do you know where my dress is-?" she stopped.
Hilary had taken the gown out, the one her grandmother had made to fit her size exactly. It was silver satin, simple, yet suitable for her age. The dress came up to her knees, spaghetti straps holding it up, a neckline that came just above her cleavage. She and Hilary agreed, that the neckline must be respectably low, but leaving the rest to the imagination. Finally, the back side of her dress that had been left bare until the hollow of her waist-one that Queen had been displeased in finding out, but Hilary had insisted.
"Grandmother had done a good job, I take it?" Hilary grinned, laying the dress on the bed, and taking out her own, which was white velvet, knee lenght, a little more revealing to the neckline than that of Queen's, and a slit that came up to her thigh.
Queen stroked the fabric, feeling it's liquid-like texture.
"Uh huh."
"Come on then, put it on!"
It had taken a while, but they were finished, with at least fifteen minutes to spare. Queen had finally taken her first glance at the mirror. She had to admit, Hilary did do a good job on her make up, and did a miracle on her hair. It had been put up, into a clean bun at the back of her head, held up by some ivory combs with carvings of lilys that they had bought at an accessories shop a while ago. A stubborn whisp of hair had fallen out, though, framing the left side of her face, and a black choker, with a milky oval opal framed with silver at her neck. A matching boa was wrapped around her arms, dangling playfully at her back, covering her scars at mostly the right places. Overall it wasn't tight, but simply hugged her waist casually, and a little at her chest.
Surely it wasn't her...
Queen had bitten back a laugh. For the first time, she felt like well, a lady.
"Did I do you good, or what?" said Hilary, who had also finished, having her hair up in high ponytail.
Finally tearing her eyes off the mirror, Queen smiled at her. "Yeah, you and your grandmother have a knack for making people like me look good, Hilary."
Hilary smirked.
"Sure, but it's all you, Queen, it's all you."
-
"Where in the world are those two, it's half an hour til the whole party starts!" shouted Kenny, dashing out the door to greet the chauffeur and the limo they had rented for the evening. "We still have to drive there, and-"
"Man, Kenny, cool it, it's okay. I mean, you can be fashionably late, right?" said Ray, who had already sat himself down, near the left door at the back.
"At least we finished before them. I still have shampoo in my hair." whined Max, plucking at a strand. "Tyson took forever, I don't even want to know what he does in there."
"Hey, at least I'm clean, and on time, and ready to go." answered Tyson, both sitting next to Ray at the back. "But these suits are comfy, aren't they?"
"They sure are, but they left a great deal of space in everyone's wallets." said King, waiting at the dojo gates. He had chosen a black tux, with black trousers, and matching black dress shoes. The colours made the light shade of his hair stand out, like a moon reflected in the night sky.
Kenny had chosen a navy blue outfit, just like Tyson, with brown dress shoes. He kept his glasses on, of course, but polished it last night. Kai had worn black, just as King had done.
"If they're not here in five minutes, were....leaving....." Kai broke off, as he saw two figures walk through the gates. One person in particular, however, caught his eye.
He knew it couldn't be who he thought it was, but the only evidence of her being Queen was the way she had greeted King and his compliments.
"Queen, you look, well," King began, looking at her up and down.
Queen smiled. "You don't have to say anything, it's shocking, I know. Hilary did a lot for me, though. But it's like hell walking in heels."
King chuckled.
Hilary had already gotten into the limo with the others.
"Let's go then, shall we, Queen?" King had led his sister to the limo, while Tyson jumped out, locking the gates.
Kai followed them silently in, watching the boa tease the hollow of Queen's back, resisting the urge to place his hand there instead. He slapped himself mentally, thinking what his grandfather would say if he was caught staring at a girl. An image of Voltaire shooting jets of hot air thorough his nostrils danced in Kai's head.
-
They had arrived, but fifteen minutes late. The party was being held in a first class hotel, which had specifically blocked off certain parts of the building for the event. Sounds of happy people greeted them as they entered. Large, Swarovski crystal chandeliers illuminated the ballroom, where a live band was set up in the very end of the floor, in front of a large space where couples would dance. Dozens of round tables which seated up to eight people were surrounding the dance floor, and mini candles were on the center of the tables, and white china plates and silver silverware were around it, all on a pure white linen tablecloth.
Waiters with various trays of food wandered around, serving the many guests.
"Ah, here are my special guests!" said a familiar voice, from behind them, and the whole group turned around, to see the jolly old man.
"Hello, Mr. Dickensen, happy birthday!" said Tyson, squishing him in a hug.
"Mmmph, nice to see you too, Tyson." he managed to say, pulling away, smiling. "Well, I see you brought some more guests." he looked at King and Queen kindly, shaking their hands.
"Uh, happy birthday, Mr. Dickensen." King said, quietly acknowleding him, while Queen gave a small nod, blushing lightly.
"Go on then, all of you enjoy yourselves, and don't worry, Tyson, we have planty of food to go around!" he walked on, greeting the guests now seated on tables.
"Where to sit, guys?" asked Max. "There are so many people..."
"So much food...." added Tyson.
"Hey, there's one over there, right by the dance floor." pointed Kenny, and they made their way to the table, careful not to get run over by the waiters, who had risen in alarm as a young boy spilled his spaghetti.
They all sat down, but in almost an instant, a waiter had stopped by their table, asking for orders. In the end, they all had some pasta, some appetizers, soups, and some non alcoholic margaritas. ( A.N. LOL. I thought that laugh was necessary, thank you.)
"Tyson, are you finished eating YET?" asked Hilary, pushing her uneaten spinnach on her plate.
"Eeh, amos finnish." said Tyson, through a full mouth. ( Yeah, almost finished. )
"Hey, careful, Tyson, we don't like it when it rains food." said a revolted Ray, as the others watched on, unable to eat any longer.
"You're scaring the other guests away." said a voice, in front of their table. All turned.
"Whoa, Miriam, Salima, you guys are here?" said Kenny, patting Tyson on the back, who had just choked on a broccolli.
"Yup, and you don't mind if we steal Ray and Max, do you?" said Salima, smiling at them.
"I'm sure they won't mind." answered Max, quickly standing up with Ray.
"Great, just for a while, I hope you can dance." grinned Miriam, but then, someone caught her eye. "Hey, it's you! What are those two doing here?" she pointed to Queen and King, who looked calmly up at her. Miriam clenched her fists, seething.
"Uh, they're guests too, Miriam, it's okay, really, they're not that bad, honest." said Max, tugging on Miriam's arm.
"I still don't understand, what's going on?" asked Salima, who looked curiously from one person to the other, desperate for an answer. "They don't look that bad to me."
"It's a long story, Salima, a really long story." said Ray, shaking his head.
"It's the past, Miriam, come on, really, it's better if we just forget it." urged Max, to Miriam, who remained, immobile, glaring at them.
"Fine, but I hope they didn't give any of you a hard time." she mumbled, before allowing herself to be steered off by Max. "I mean, I suppose it is the past."
The remaining six watched them disappear into the crowd.
"That was unexpected." whispered Hilary.
"Hey, you know, if you guys don't mind, I think I would like to go and have a chat with Mr. Dickensen." Kenny said, setting down his fork, having just finished his gelato, leaving in search for Mr. Dickensen. "I haven't had a decent conversation with an intellect for a while."Five remained.
"Well, that's another one gone." said King, still finishing his truffle. "Sooner or later, we'll be four."
"Make that, three." said Tyson, who had come to a complete halt from his food. "Hilary, how about that dance that you were so excited about?" he offered his hand to Hilary, who blushed.
"Bye guys, don't plan on staying here all night!" said Hilary, walking off with Tyson, and they both also disappeared within the crowds of people. "Tyson, not so fast!"
"Now there are three." said Queen, plopping her chin on her hand, which was propped up by her elbow. "Now what?"
"I dunno, sit here, I guess." said King, who was sitting between Queen and Kai. "There's nothing to do, really."
"That's why I hate going to parties like this." added Kai, removing his napkin from his lap. "Absolute boredom."
King and Queen nodded.
King's eyes scanned the whole room, watching the many couples dancing to the live band. He watched Hilary snap at Tyson, who had accidentally trodded on Hilary's foot, with Ray, Salima, Max, and Miriam not too far away. Over in another table, Kenny had looked like he had been chatting up a storm, while Mr. Dickensen laughed appreciatively. King tugged on his silvery white hair, which fell lightly over half of his face, giving him an enigmatic look. He then lazily scanned the room again, when he spotted a familiar figure walking across the room, escorted by his cousin.....The unmistakable black hair and dark skin noticable, even in a crowd such as this.
"Say, Queen, Kai, I think I'm just going to hunt down where the nearest washroom is, okay? I think I got too attached to the margaritas, and well, I'll just be back, okay?" he said in a monotone voice, trying to sound as normal a possible.
Queen gaped at her brother, as he quickly got up, and walked off, his eyes fixed on a certain spot in the crowd.
'Great.' Queen thought to herself, stealing a glance at the only other remaining member of their table. 'It's just me and Kai. Just, great.' she sighed. 'This is so ridiculous. What, now, I've lost my voice?'
Kai stole a glance at Queen, his chest unable to take in any air. Her close proximity was scaring him, and he knew that he couldn't pretend to ignore her any longer. Sooner or later, he was going to have to talk to her sometime.
"Hey, I realize you have been sitting there bored for a while now, and I was wondering, if um, you could grace me with a dance?"
Kai quickly whipped his head around, seeing a burly boy with auburn hair and blue eyes extending a hand to Queen, who was looking at him incredulously. He gave the boy an appraising look.
"Uh, uh," Queen stuttered, unable to reply, her face flushed. Dancing? With him?
Kai frowned, unable to see what was there to blush about.
"Sorry, but she had already agreed to dance with me." Kai said, knowing he would regret those words later.
Queen remained speechless, until she finally got it.
"Yeah, sorry, I already promised I'd dance with him." replied Queen smoothly, those words warming her up like a steaming mug of hot chocolate.
The boy inclined his head, then a dawn of comprehension on his face, before nodding, and smiling. "Aright, I guess that's only fair, you could have told me that you two were together." he walked away, leaving a dumbstruck Queen and Kai.
Totally unexpected. Silence dawned upon them once more, and the couples dancing around them were beginning to start a headache. Kai couldn't take it anymore.
"Queen, do you.....uh, want to dance with me?" he asked, cursing himself as it was his turn to flush.
Queen flushed even darker. "Uh, yeah, sure..." she and Kai got up. "I mean, I did say I would, right?"
Kai tried to smile, offering his arm, and Queen cautiously accepted, trying not to press to hard, trying to ignore the comforting feeling.
People parted, as the two walked to the floor. The music had long ended, and some couples had been too tired to dance to a new song.
Kai and Queen then turned to each other, placing their hands at their respective positions. The band had started, and waltz music filled the ballroom. She felt his warm hand grasp hers, and his other resting lightly on the small on her back. His face heated up, as his personal space was taken over once more.
"Queen." Kai said, without looking at her. "Just think of this as our practice last night, okay?'
She just nodded, looking far away.
Queen felt herself being pulled into him again, his warmth wrapping around her like a blanket. She revelled in it, unaware that she had closed her eyes, and that Kai himself, was caught up in his own thoughts. It was like deja vu, except for the difference in their surroundings. Questions were once again reappearing in Queen's and Kai's heads, like a mob of angry bees, searching revenge for someone who took their honey.
Kai looked down, biting his lip to keep from smiling. Queen was once again in his arms, just like the night before. The light from the many chandeliers made her face glow, making her look peaceful. Her satin dress was smooth to his touch, and the heels made her seem taller than what she really was. Closer, than what he called comfort. She had a small mole which he had not really noticed under her right eye, and her cheeks were not as thin, or pasty as they had been before. As bizzare as it sounded, Queen looked different. Like a person who had worn a mask of anger and defences which had broken apart, only for the moment, to reveal a young woman, desperate to be free from her reality.
A few people sitting at the table whispered behind their hands, staring at the two, who seemed unknown to each of their emotions.
Queen finally opened her eyes, her expression sullen.
Kai could feel her tremble, and looked down again.
"Queen?" he asked.
She just gave him a swift smile, before looking at her feet.
"Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you had never found me?" Queen asked quietly.
Kai frowned. Where the hell was she going with this? Kai's mind began to spin quickly. If she was going to ask about what happened last night...
"No............." he answered, but Queen gave him a penetrating stare. "Okay, I did, once."
Queen looked over his shoulder to avoid looking at his eyes. If she was going to say it, this is a very good time to do it. Her eyes then caught a speck of black amongst the sea of brown, blond, and grey. (A.N. Uh, I was talking about hair.....) Then the familiar face, and the familiar smile.....
"No, it can't be." Queen whispered.
Kai frowned. "What?"
Suddenly, Queen took off, running for the ballroom entrance.
"Queen, wait!"
-
C.A.: YES, I am waiting for some angry readers for some parts....Good god, I am going to be tarred and feathered for this....Then dragged across a field of nails.....I had no clue whether that was too much sap, OOC, or-I just had no clue.
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Whew, I had a tough time with this, to tell you the truth. A real tough time. But, I finished, and I am happy. TEN PAGES!!!! Well, that's crazy for me.... Ten thirty P.M. too...Sheepish look I wasn't very keen on giving you all of the details, but I should give you some idea of what I had imagined. A least a week to do this, and what I find so interesting, was that I was looking forward to the next chappie, and knowing that it wouldn't be as hard to type. Well, I just have a feeling I'm going to have to eat those words later on...I am also sorry for the length of this story, as maybe some of you are not too big on the massive chapters stuff. So, I am going to stop right here for
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Please review, I'd appreciate it if you would! :) I mean really, this is the only chance I can get connected with other readers......LOL.