This is a veeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrry long chapter so enjoy.
The ------- are where I joined two chapters together to form this long one.
Please R&R
When she entered the principal's office she was not surprised that Drake was stiffly sitting there. "Please sit," she said to Kaie.
Kaie half expected to be told right off the bat that she was expelled; however the principal said "Kaie I have heard Drake's side of the story and now I wish to hear yours. Drake, if you please, will you leave the room." She said it like a request, although it was anything but.
"Now tell me what happened and how you saw the situation."
Kaie took a deep breath and began.
Five minutes later she had finished her story she added "I am sorry if I hurt him, but I didn't want Max to be hurt anymore. There was a crowd of people and they didn't do anything." Kaie closed her eyes expecting to hear the verdict, but instead she said "Very well. I will now call in the entire grade 12 honour students now in...English class.
At this school all the honour students are asked their opinion in cases like these where there will be a major consequence for these actions. Just wait in here, I will be back in half an hour. Feel free to read any of the books in the room."
Kaie nodded and the principal departed. Kaie grabbed a book off the shelf and began to read it. Or that's what anyone would have thought. She pulled out Max's note and began to read it.
Kaie,
I am really sorry about all this. Don't worry I'll talk to my mom and get it all sorted out. All the notes sympathise with us. I have a feeling that we are not the first to fall victim to him. We could use the notes for evidence if necessary. Sorry, this is my entire fault. I should have been watching where I was going.
You were really great when you saved my butt you know. Thank you very much. I'll do everything I can from this end.
MaxKaie gave a weak smile and then prayed to god that she would not be expelled.
After the principal had explained the problem the whole class sighed. Out of all the cases that they had to deal with the Irvine kid was in the middle of more than half of them.
The final verdict was reached within twenty minutes, and when Kaie was told she didn't know how to react. "Go back to class," said the principal "I'll see you on Saturday."
Kaie was given detention for the next month of Saturdays, on which she had to help teachers with odd jobs. Drake was suspended for the next week (he couldn't leave his room and meals would be brought up, as would homework) and he also had to have Saturday detentions. Their parents (Judy in her case) would also be phoned.
As she had missed almost all of lunch she only had enough time to grab an apple and then run to science. As she slid into her seat everyone sent questioning glances at her. Word of the 'battle' had already gone all around the school. She sent a note to Max explaining her punishment.
By the time dinner had rolled around she had herself quite a reputation, and for the most part it was a positive one, but she was sick of it. Max assured her that it would all go away. She nodded and was about to escape to her room when Michael, Emily and Joel caught up with her.
"Did you really sack up Drake?" Michael asked, wincing. He played baseball so he probably had first hand experience. Kaie nodded and added "He was beating up Max, and I lost my temper."
They questioned/interrogated her for the next twenty minutes then she was free to go back to her room.
Kaie sighed as she saw a blue light appear at the end of her bed. "Go away. I'm sorry Dranzer, but I couldn't stand to see them beating up Max. Now please I don't want to hear your lecture. I have had a hard day, and don't need anymore people interrogating me."
Dranzer frowned, then spoke in his powerful but quiet voice, "I was going to tell you that you did the right thing defending Max. Your parents would be proud of you.
I dare say that Max is grateful too, judging by the amount of attention that Draciel has been giving me." And with that the light faded.
Kaie was astonished. She hadn't been told off. Then she sighed and rolled over. With all that had gone on that day she really should not have surprised about Dranzer's change in attitude, and Kaie rolled over and went to sleep.
At about two in the morning she woke up. One of her friends was having a nightmare. 'Three guesses whom' she muttered to herself, considering that here she only had one friend.
Kayla gently opened the door to Max's room, and discovered that she had indeed been correct. Max was tossing and turning and mumbling, and as she got closer she could tell he was covered in sweat.
She approached him carefully with a wet cloth. She held the cloth over his sweaty face and dripped water on him.
Max awoke with a start to water on his face, breathing rapidly. His eyes were telling him that Kaie was sitting there, but what would she be doing here?
"Kaie? What are you doing here?" he asked in a quiet and bleary voice.
She paused before answering, "I have a sixth sense when it comes to knowing if someone is in trouble."
Max looked at her with questioning eyes.
Kaie sighed. "My friend, Jordan, his sister was put into a mental hospital after her fourth attempted suicide. He was incredible distraught as his parents were also filing for divorce, and he had no friends other than me, the school reject. His world was falling all around him so death looked like a good thing.
I woke up that night just as if I had gone into his mind, and seen it all. At four in the morning I climbed the tree outside his room and stopped him from killing himself. If I had arrived any later I would not have been able to stop him.
Ever since, anyone that I have made friends with has had the pleasure of waking up from a nightmare with water on their face, being stopped when they are attempting suicide among other things.
Although, all the people that were my friends I have at one time saved, all of which adds up to a grand total of two people, him and you."
Max was quiet trying to digest this information. Finally he asked, "Why do you only have two friends?"
Kaie looked away from Max. Kaie was perched on the end of his bed. In a quiet voice she spoke, staring at the carpet. "Because of my hair and my eyes. To you they seem maybe a little spooky or unusual, but they aren't killer. Where I come from, where ever that is, natural blue hair is non-existent and only royalty have green eyes. I have to die my hair and wear contacts to look normal, and that isn't always enough.
I was always an outcast and had no friends. Jordan and I had to become friends otherwise we would go crazy, as our parents were good friends and we were neighbours."
Max could think of nothing to say so he did the only thing that was coming into his very sleepy mind, although this thought was anything but sleepy. He was registering that she was upset, and reacted as he would if his mom or one of his friends was upset.
Max hugged Kaie.
Kaie froze as Max shifted his body and she felt his arms wrap around her. She had never been hugged by anyone, other than her parents and then only on special occasions like a birthday. They had realised that she was not a very social person and had respected that.
Max felt her stiffen under his hug. He sighed and removed his arms. "I just wanted to thank you for saving my butt from Drake and for waking me up tonight. I don't know which was more frightening."
Kaie stood up from the bed and took a step toward the door. Max took the hint and got out of bed to open the door for her. Just before she stepped out she stopped and turned to face Max.
"I'll always be there for you if you need me." She whispered and then she very gently hugged him and turned down the hall to her room.
-------------------------------------------
The months till the tournament passed uneventfully for Kaie and the All-Starz. Everyone trained, and Joel kept track of the stats. Only Michael went to the dance out of all the All-Starz, so only he got to try out the outfit from 'Just Formal'.
So here they were, all the All-Starz travelling on a bus to their hotel, after a long flight, and two meals of plane food. Max looked like he was going to be sick, and Emily already had been. Kaie was stomaching it as was Joel and Michael although it was evident that she was taking this the best of all of them.
Judy had taken an earlier flight to ensure that everything was ready and had told them to meet in the lobby of the hotel.
The hotel they were staying in was five star accommodations and looked to be comfortable. As the nausea had subsided everyone was in a fairly good mood. That was until they saw Judy. She looked a combination of angry, scared, upset, fatigued, annoyed...so overall her face was pretty storm.
She was holding five envelopes and five name tags in plastic covers. She handed one of each to the All-Starz, who looked at her dumbly.
"Well, put them on." Judy said impatiently. They all fumbled to do so.
"The numbers on the name tag on the piece of paper is the room number that you have to go to right now. Here are your room keys, so I'll see you there when you are done. I have to go to a BBA meeting."
Judy left, and soon all the All-Starz did as well, going to the rooms they were assigned to.
Kaie climbed the stairs to room 343.When she found the room it was already filled with nine other bladers. One of them, the one wearing a black cloak, was getting yelled at and being asked, "what king of f-cking tournament he was holding."
Kaie had her BBA coat on (light blue with BBA in dark letters on the back) and had the hood up. "Lay off!" Kaie yelled and stood in front of the black figure. "Leave him alone."
Ian asked her, "Who do you think you are?"
Kaie thought for a moment than said, "Why does that matter Ian? I am merely a blader that does not think that beating up on other bladers is a good attitude to have when you are at a tournament where you are the guest. Especially when the rules are the advantage that they choose to have." In the Blood Knight pictures all were wearing cloaks, so Kaie had assumed that he was a Blood Knight.
Ian was silent, and glared at her.
Kaie looked back at the black figure and stuck out her hand. The figure accepted it and got up off the ground.
Ian snuck up behind her and was about to pull off her hood to see whom she was when she spun around and kicked his legs out from underneath him. The end result was Ian falling on his face.
"You know it's not nice to sneak up on people. Especially when they have good hearing. I don't know what you were trying to do, but when you sneak up from behind it is not likely that you will get a good reception."
Ian, now red with anger said, "Show yourself. How do we know you are not on his side? Tell me that. How can we tell if you keep your hood up?"
Kaie sighed. "He is from the Blood Knights, while I am from the All-Starz."
Ian laughed, "You are from that pathetic team? What a hoot! You must be Emily."
At that Kaie stiffened and everyone knew that she had just been insulted. Even Ian looked a little frightened.
"I am not Emily. I am a new member of the All-Starz. My name is Kaie (pronounced KAY)."
"Why don't you take off your hood?" asked one of the bladers who had remained silent until now.
Kaie looked at him then said in a wavering voice, "Because if I did no one would ever take me seriously."
Kenny, also known as Chief, let out an exclamation. "I understand now." He looked her in the eye and said, "Dizzi did a scan. You are that person that..."
Kaie nodded. "Correct."
"You're a what?!?" Ian yelled.
Kaie pulled back her hood, pulling her waist length blue hair out of her jacket. "I am a girl. Dizzi has known since I walked in, as she and I have met before. How many of you would have backed off if I came in here like this?"
Silence answered her.
At that moment a rather stressed out man came in holding a hat.
"Hello. You are all going to blade on the third day of this tournament. Please take your name tags out of their cases and place them in this hat."
Everyone did so warily.
The man pulled five names out of a hat and said, "Now I would like Ian, Kevin, Larkin, Tom, and Might to pick their opponents."
He handed their nametags back to those bladers and offered Ian the hat.
"Kenny." He said reading out the name.
"Serika." Said Kevin
"Kaie." Said Larkin.
"Dorden." Said Tom.
"Tyler." Said Might pulling the last name out.
"These are your opponents. Once you all have your nametags back you can go to your rooms. The order that the first bladers names were drawn in is the order that you will blade in." And he left.
Larkin gave Kaie her nametag back and she secured it in her holder. She met his blue eyes and said, "Good Luck." And went to leave.
"Wait." He said. Kaie stopped and looked back. "What is your rank on your team?" he asked.
Kaie gave him a funny look, "Fourth, what's yours?"
"Second, on the Smoke Screens." Kaie nodded and left.
Max was standing outside his room when Kaie approached. "Who are you blading?" he asked.
"Larkin, a second, from the Smoke Screens on the third day. You?"
"Todd, a fifth, from the Jail Breakers on the fourth day. Joel is blading Hillary tomorrow."
"What?" she said.
Max opened the door to his room and looked at the ground. "Hillary is blading him tomorrow. First thing. In this tournament there are no substitutes. I am going to put my things in my room then go down to the arena and see if he can use my help. You want to come?"
Kaie gave a fast nod and ducked into her room and grabbed a bag with her blading stuff and waited for Max, as she already had a jacket. Max emerged, looking rather downcast.
"I don't know Kaie something is telling me that something bad is going to happen. I am also most sure of it. Something big is planed and there is a reason that we do not know the rules. I'm worried."
Kaie stopped as did Max. Kaie made sure no one was watching and pulled out her necklace, which was now glowing a dim blue colour.
"It warns me when there is a danger, and tells me that something is going to happen. It is only at quarter strength, so something will happen tomorrow. The day that Joel is going to blade."
Kaie looked at Max and was surprised to see that he believes her and stated that. Max took his eyes off the necklace and nodded.
"Why would I not trust you? You are a friend. Of course I believe you."
He motioned for her to follow as then began the five-minute walk to the Beyblading complex, which was walked in silence.
Kaie looked in disbelief at Joel's blade. It looked like it had been through a war and back. Joel noticed her look and sighed.
"I didn't expect to have to blade in this tournament, especially not on the first day. I'm doomed. I thank you guys for helping me out, but I'm going down."
After a conversation it was decided that Emily and Michael would help him to plan a strategy and they walked off to the nearest dish.
Kaaie hoped that they would be able to work something out, and she went off to blade with Max and teach him the Sucicide attack, or S for short.
Kaie heard a knock on her door and she closed her journal where she was recording the happenings at the tournament and shoved it under the covers.
"Come in." she said and was not surprised when a usual visitor entered.
Kaie sat on her bed and invited Max in to sit on the other end of the bed, his usual spot.
"Kaie" he said in a questioning voice, "You remember the day that we got our schedules? I woke up early and when I came outside you banged your head against the wall three times and then you went into your room. What was that all about?"
Kaie looked at the floor and said nothing. How did he remember stuff like that?
Kaie was saved from answering by Judy walking through the halls. Max leapt off her bed and ran out her door into his room. Kaie had hoped that he would forget that she had ever done that, but it appeared that fate liked messing her around. Kaie sighed, then rolled over and went to sleep.