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Chapter Four
As the pair stepped out onto the street, Tyson half expected a swarm of fans to mob them, and with a glance at Kai, it looked as if he were thinking the same. They paused for a moment and Tyson smiled. People passed by them without a second thought.
"Looks like we're free. Well, you are," Tyson said. Kai looked delighted and Tyson melted. He led them to the store that he'd stopped by earlier and told Kai to pick out a hat.
"I don't care how it looks," Kai said, picking one at random. Tyson shrugged and tagged along behind him as Kai went inside to pay for it. He handed it to the cashier and the man studied him carefully as he rang it up.
"You know, you look a lot like that rock star… Tai, or whatever his name is."
"His name is Kai and I get that a lot," Kai said blandly, handing over his money and taking the hat. Tyson suppressed a smile and bid the cashier a good day as they left. They stepped back outside and Kai handed Tyson his hat.
"Thanks," Kai said as he replaced it with his new one.
"No problem."
"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" Kai asked suddenly.
"Uh… a little. Why, do you want to grab a bite before we go to the carnival?"
"Yes, I do. I never get real food anymore. I'll treat you."
"Sure! Where do you want to go?" Tyson asked happily as they began walking. Kai shook his head.
"I don't know. You can pick."
"Well, what do you normally eat?"
Kai made a face. "Healthy stuff."
"It can't be that bad," Tyson said with a grin.
"Michael won't let me eat chocolate. Among other things."
"Ouch. Okay, I'll take you somewhere and you can load up on grease and sugar." He felt his heart skip a beat at the thrilled look on Kai's face. They entered a cozy café and seated themselves in the corner where Kai hopefully wouldn't be noticed. A young waiter came by and asked for their orders.
"Let's see… bacon, eggs, toast, and orange juice," Kai listed. The man turned to Tyson who ordered the same. After he left, Kai took off his shades and Tyson found himself staring into Kai's magenta orbs. He looks so human up close… I'd never think that this is the same guy I saw on stage yesterday.
Kai's phone rang suddenly. Tyson heard Kai curse mildly and checked to see who was calling.
"It's Tala," Kai said, contemplating answering or not. He flipped his phone open. "Hello?"
"Kai,you dirty bastard!" Tala yelled furiously. "Where are you?"
"Somewhere…" Kai answered vaguely. Tyson giggled.
"Michael is throwing a fit."
"Has he asked you where I am?"
"Not yet, I'm steering clear of him. When are you coming back? I can't keep avoiding him forever!"
"Eh… I'll be gone all day. If you could keep Michael under control until then, I'd appreciate it greatly. Thanks, Tala. Bye." Kai snapped the phone shut before he could reply, then turned it off. He looked up at Tyson with a smile in his eyes.
"I hope you don't get in too much trouble for this," Tyson said, grinning. Kai waved it off absently and pulled off his hat. His silken locks tumbled down richly.
"I'll be fine. They can live a day without me."
"I'm sure." If I were them, I'd never let you out of my sight! Ughh… so sexy…
"Anyway… this actually isn't my phone. I dropped mine in the toilet this morning," Kai said candidly. Tyson burst out laughing.
"You serious?"
"Yeah. Even famous people have accidents." Kai fiddled with his shades before resting his chin on his hand. "So, Tyson, why don't you tell me about yourself?"
Tyson gulped. Oh my God, what do I say! "Well… you already know I'm nineteen… and I'm gonna graduate from high school soon… and I really like your music."
Kai snorted. "There's got to be more to you than me. Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Um… no."
"Fancy that, neither do I."
There was a short silence in which Tyson dropped his eyes to the floor, feeling Kai's gaze resting on him. A blush rose in his cheeks and thankfully, their food arrived at that moment. The young waiter set their orders down and looked at Kai, who was without shades and hatless.
"Holy shit, man. You're—"
"Shh. I'd appreciate it if you didn't say my name out loud," Kai whispered. The waiter winked knowingly and sauntered off, obviously relishing their little secret. Tyson laughed lightly and picked up a fork.
"So, back to you," Kai said as he lathered butter all over his toast and took a bite. He sighed contentedly. "Mm. Grease. Salt. Fat. Everything I'm not allowed to eat." He took another bite.
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Tyson said, watching him gladly. In an attempt to steer the conversation away from him, he decided to change the subject. "So even when you were little, you never went to a carnival?"
"That's right."
"Any particular reason?"
Kai shrugged. "Just never got the chance to, I guess. I moved a lot when I was a kid and my parents were always busy. I wasn't very popular at school, either."
"You, not popular?"
"I was nine. Give me a break."
Tyson giggled. "It's so hard to picture you as anything other than the totally famous heartthrob everyone sees on the cover of magazines and stuff. I mean, wow, you're sexy." Tyson froze. Did I just say that out loud! Aaaack!
Kai didn't seem to mind, or even notice Tyson's mini panic attack. "It might be since not many people really get to know me. I don't get out much." He stuck a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth.
Tyson crunched on a strip of bacon to keep himself busy, hoping he wasn't blushing. What on earth possessed me to tell him that's he's sexy? I'm such an idiot. He probably thinks I'm some kind of freak!
Kai picked up his glass of orange juice and looked at Tyson thoughtfully before taking a sip. "Did you have any other plans for today?"
"Huh? Well, no, I was just going to check out the carnival."
"So I'm not intruding, right?"
"Of course not! I'm honored that you even want to spend the day with me," Tyson answered truthfully. Kai folded his napkin and summoned the waiter again.
"Thanks. Shall we go then?"
Tyson grinned, feeling as if he would burst with joy. "Yeah."
Kai picked up the check and left a generous tip with the waiter for keeping his mouth shut and followed Tyson back outside after replacing his shades and hat. It was a little past ten in the morning and small crowds were forming outside the shops as the streets grew livelier. From where they were standing, they could hear the dainty music of the carnival rides. Kai lifted his eyes and saw the top of the Ferris wheel.
"That's really high," he remarked as they started walking. Tyson nodded eagerly.
"It's supposed to be like that. Don't tell me you're scared of heights," he joked. Kai smiled.
"I don't know, I've never been up that high on a ride. I guess we'll find out."
Tyson felt a small fluttering sensation in his stomach, but didn't have time to dwell on it before they reached the entrance of the carnival. People were bustling about and all sorts of fair sounds greeted them. Kai lifted his shades and stuck them on top of his hat, his eyes looking positively delighted.
"What do you want to do first?" Tyson asked.
"I have no idea."
"Well, then, why don't we look around and find something to do?"
"Lead the way."
They both began walking at a comfortable pace. Tyson looked around and spied a booth where you could purchase three balls and attempt to knock over a pyramid of bottles. He glanced at Kai.
"Aren't those things always rigged?" Kai asked.
"Hmm… I don't know. You want to find out?"
"Hey there, boys!" the man at the booth yelled at he spotted them. "Would you like to give it a whirl? You might win one of these fine prizes."
"You go first," Kai said, giving Tyson a nudge. He shrugged.
"Sure. I'll try to win you a teddy bear," he said with a wink.
"I'd prefer the snow globe," Kai said, leaning over and looking at the prizes. Tyson smiled and bought three balls.
"Okay! Here I go." Tyson wound his arm back and closed one eye. After a moment of careful precision, he threw the ball. Kai watched as it bounced off the side harmlessly. The bottles didn't budge.
Tyson scowled. "That was a bad shot," he muttered, winding up for a second throw. Kai crossed his arms interestedly, tilting his head to the side as Tyson shut one eye again and carefully aimed. This time the ball hit the stand and the bottles rattled, but didn't fall.
"That was better," Kai mused.
"You'd better not have those nailed down!" Tyson said heatedly. The man walked over and picked up a bottle, waving it around.
"They're not nailed down. You just don't have very good aim," he said with a small smirk. Kai chuckled softly as Tyson's cheeks turned crimson.
"I'll get it this time," he declared, composing himself and taking aim again. He paused, and then threw the ball firmly. It hit the top bottle and bounced off, and Kai raised his eyebrows as Tyson turned beet red and began yelling furiously.
"I HIT THAT DEAD-ON!"
"But it didn't fall, so you lose." The man crossed his arms stubbornly.
"It should've fallen!
"But it didn't. What can I do about it?"
"Gimme three free shots, that's what you can do about it!"
"Let me try." Kai stepped up. They both looked at him.
"Sure thing, sonny," the man said, graciously accepting his money and handing him three balls. Tyson huffed and stalked aside, crossing his arms to watch. Kai studied the bottles for a moment and then tossed the ball. It hit the target and the bottles rattled again, but didn't fall, and he raised a skeptical eyebrow at the man, who scowled.
"You need to throw it harder," he justified.
"You're a no-good cheater!" Tyson accused. The man and him got into another heated yelling match while Kai frowned and tossed his second ball up and down absently. He glanced at Tyson, who was once again red in the face, and threw the ball much harder than before. When it hit, three of the six bottles broke and Kai winced slightly as they all fell to the ground. Apparently that was more force than necessary.
"Sorry," Kai said as the man gaped at the mess. Tyson began laughing uncontrollably.
"HA! In your face, cheater-man!"
The man shot him a dirty look. "Congratulations. Pick your prize," he said to Kai, ignoring Tyson's hoots. Kai walked over and studied the prizes laid out.
"You should meet my fitness instructor," Kai remarked, his eyes moving over the rewards. Tyson wasn't sure if he was calling him weak or simply making a casual comment, but didn't dwell on it long because Kai spoke again. "Would you like to pick something out?"
"No, you pick. You won, after all."
Kai was quiet for a minute. "Which one do you like better?" he asked, holding up two snow globes. One of them immediately caught Tyson's eye: it was a beautiful light blue with sparkles shimmering in the light. Inside the globe, there was a pretty scene of a unicorn in the moonlight, looking regal and majestic.
"That one," Tyson said, pointing to the unicorn. Kai put the other one down.
"It's pretty, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Tyson smiled. The man gave him a bag for the snow globe and shooed them off. Tyson flounced behind Kai, sticking out his tongue at the owner of the booth. Kai didn't notice.
"Okay! So, now what?" Tyson asked cheerily. Kai sniffed the air for a moment.
"Caramel apples."
"You want one?"
"I haven't had one in years."
Tyson raised his eyebrows as they got in line. "What are you allowed to eat?"
"Anything without fat, grease, excessive salt or sugar, oil… basically, if it tastes like cardboard, I can have it. Junk food's totally out of the question. Oh, and get this—I can't have ice," Kai said with a roll of his eyes. Tyson looked surprised.
"Why not?"
"It's supposedly bad for your throat. They won't let me drink any kind of carbonated beverage and they tell me not to drink coffee, but they don't enforce that rule as strictly."
Tyson's head was reeling at the mere thought of being deprived of those kinds of foods and drinks, some of his fondest pleasures. "Damn… so you're not exactly living the high life."
"That all depends on how you look at it. I love what I do. Performing is my greatest passion, but sometimes it's a little… uh, what's the word? Lonely, I guess." Kai smiled at him gently and Tyson smiled back, but inside he felt troubled. He's lonely? But he's got everything! They reached the front of the line at that moment and the person at the booth dipped two apples skewered with a stick into a tantalizing pot of warm caramel before handing them over. Kai paid and gave one to Tyson, and they began walking at an easy pace. Tyson stared at his caramel apple with a small frown on his face.
"So… what do you mean by lonely? Everyone loves you," he said quirkily.
"It's hard to explain. I know I have fans… and I've got a few good friends… but sometimes you feel like there's something missing. I can't really have relationships."
Tyson's heart plummeted to the ground. "Why not!" Does he have some kind of STD? Gah! No way!
"I've had people to like me and I've dated here and there, but I can't keep a steady connection. They always say they like me and I'm a great guy, but they get sick of all the strings attached, like the paparazzi, or the bad media." Kai shrugged and took a bite of his apple, licking the gooey caramel off of his lips. "It's the price of fame, I guess."
"But…" Tyson struggled to find the right words. "But that's not fair!"
"I know," Kai said casually. Tyson pouted at his nonchalant attitude.
"You should do something about it! I think you deserve someone who'll take you the way you are, strings or no strings. It's not your fault that the thing you just happen to love to do makes you hard to date!" he said fervently.
"Your caramel's starting to drip," Kai informed him. Tyson looked down and indeed, his caramel was dribbling down the stick. He blushed.
"Thanks for telling me."
"No problem. What do you suppose I do about it?"
It took Tyson a moment to realize what Kai was talking about. "Um… well… I'm not exactly sure."
"Neither am I." He paused. "You really can't blame anyone for not wanting to date a famous person. I mean, the media's always trying to poke their nose into your business and the tabloids spread lies faster than wildfire."
"But still. That all shouldn't matter if someone really loves you," Tyson said insistently.
"It's hard not to let it get to you. Some of those lies are really hurtful." Kai crunched into his apple again. Tyson pondered the matter while beginning on his own snack.
"Besides," Kai continued. "It gets really annoying when you can't even get a minute alone. You can't build a relationship like that. Tala has tons of short-term relationships—and when I say short-term, I mean a different person every week—and he's even resorted to one-night stands to satisfy himself. He's perfectly happy living like that, but I'm not like him. I need depth."
"Yeah, same here," Tyson said, nodding. He's so different from what I expected… but I think I like the difference.
"It's okay, though. It's not like I cry myself to sleep over it."
Tyson smiled. "One day you'll find someone who'll take all of you," he said confidently. "I promise." I can't believe he's having trouble keeping a steady relationship! I mean, he's so nice… and gorgeous to boot. I think the effort would be totally worth it.
Kai looked at him, mild gratitude in his eyes. "Thanks. I'll hold you up on that promise." There was a short pause in which Kai finished his caramel apple and tossed the core into a nearby trash bin. "You know, you're really nice. How come you're not dating anyone?"
Tyson laughed loudly to cover his embarrassment and second slight panic attack of the day. "Ahahaha! Well… uh, you see…"
Kai waited, watching him quietly. Tyson coughed and scratched his head.
"I… don't know," he offered lamely. "I'm just busy living single, I guess!" How stupid do I sound! The real reason would sound even stupider, though. I'm not dating anyone because I have a huge crush on you! I'm sure he'll take that well.
"What about that girl that came with you last night? She was cute… in a vicious kind of way."
"You mean Hilary? Oh, she's just a friend." Tyson remembered his apple and took a bite.
"I kind of got the impression that she didn't like me."
Tyson laughed. "She was just sick of hearing about you."
"From who?" Kai asked innocently. Tyson stopped. From the over-zealous fan standing next to you. Gah! I'm such a dork!
"Um… well, I took the liberty of informing her about you and your music and stuff. You know, I prepped her for the concert."
"Oh. That's nice." Kai slipped his hands into his pockets and studied the sky. "It's really refreshing hanging out with a normal person… you know, someone who doesn't squeal and cling all over me. You're a fan of my music, right?"
Tyson chuckled weakly. "Yeah."
"But you still treat me like a normal guy."
"Well… I thought you'd appreciate it," Tyson said with a shrug. Kai sighed contentedly.
"I do appreciate it. I feel like I did before I got my record deal… like an ordinary kid who could get away with anything."
Tyson listened quietly as a gentle breeze blew by. "How much trouble are you going to get in for this?"
"Oh, Tala'll bitch about me leaving him to fend for himself against Michael, who'll probably bite my head off for skipping out on the photo-shoot. A decent amount of trouble."
"Ehh… maybe I should take you back," Tyson said uncertainly. Kai shook his head.
"I'm already in trouble. I might as well make the most of today, right?"
Tyson grinned. "Well then, what are we standing around here for? Let's ride the Ferris wheel!"
To Be Continued
Okay, I've totally and completely warped Kai's character. He's nice. o.o Ehh… please review! Thanks.