Chapter Fourteen

Nearly There!

The next day was just as hectic as the last. The Demons, however, thought the day was more insane than it was the night before.

"Carmen's little hunt for Aaron and all, yeeee..." Max shuddered at the thought. Aaron was taking a very, very long in the washroom that morning. Nick banged a fist on the bathroom door.

"AARON! Open up! Or we'll be late for the plane!" he bellowed through the door.

"I'm still washing the taste of soap out of my mouth!" Aaron bellowed back.

"Bloody 'ell! Carmen, how long did you leave that soap in his mouth!" Alex asked. Carmen began to think.

"Oh, I don't know. A good half hour? An hour?" she answered.

"HOLY! Talk about soap!" Max cried. Carmen shrugged.

"My Nana would leave the soap in our mouths for at least an hour and a half if we mouthed off. He's lucky I'm not like that!" she said. Carmen was placing the two drum sticks into her hair. It was styled exactly like it was during her match with Mariah.

"Bloody 'ell! COME ON JAVLONSKI!" Carmen yelled, banged a fist on the bathroom door, then continued down the hallway. The door seemed to rattle on its hinges. Aaron opened the door.

"Gosh, she's got quite the hit!" he muttered. As soon as Aaron finished in the bathroom, they all grabbed their stuff and headed for the airport.

-X-

Carmen was still -very- hyper. I'm finally going home, she thought. A smile was plastered on her face. The others looked afraid of her smile.

"God, she looks like the Queen of England with that smile..." Alex whispered.

"I know… It's scary.." Max whispered back.

"Carmen!" a familiar voice called. Carmen turned, to see The Bladebreakers coming.

"REI!" she yelled, letting her bag fall from her shoulder and ran toward her lover. She hugged him tightly. You'll be out of my hair soon, Tyson thought.

"So, what do you plan on doing in your next match?" Rei asked as they waited. The White Tigers and BioVolt had arrived at the airport, luggage and all. Mariah was giving Carmen foul looks and rather evil glares.

"Kicking BioVolt's ass, what did you expect?" Carmen answered. Rei smiled. Tyson threw Mariah some odd looks, and she nodded to each one.

"Well, it's good to know that you're not giving up." said Rei. Carmen lay her head on Rei's shoulder.

"Well, know you'll get a chance to see were I'm from.." she said.

"England… What's it like there?" he asked.

"Oh, it's beautiful! The people, the sense of humour, the food..." said Carmen.

"God, don't let Tyson in any restaurants!" Rei muttered. Carmen laughed.

"Knowing him." she said.

"All passengers for England, please board the plane now. All passengers for England,. please board the plane now. Thank you!" the speaker boomed.

"That's our flight!" exclaimed Carmen. The lot of them grabbed their bags and boarded the plane.

Carmen, Alex, and Sandra all sat together, with Nick, Max and Aaron sitting in front, facing them. They all discussed their strategies, but Carmen had her nose in a book. The book was a navy blue, that read 'Patricia Cornwell' in large gold print on the front. Also, there was a red flag with a blue and white cross going down the centre of the flag. In white print that had a red shadow, read the words 'Southern Cross'.

Carmen blinked a few times. God, why can't I see the words anymore, Carmen thought. Sandra looked at Carmen, noticing that her friend was blinking.

"Carmen, are you alright?" she asked. Carmen looked at Sandra, and nodded.

"Yes, I'm alright. Just, something in my eye.." Carmen answered, then rubbed her eye so not to make herself look suspicious. Carmen turned back to her book, burying her eyes deeply amongst the pages, hiding her eyes from the others.

All the teams that boarded the plane were sitting together. Those teams were; The White Tigers, The Demons, The Bladebreakers, BioVolt and The Saint Shields. Both The Saint Shields and The White Tigers came along to watch, up close and personal.

The plane ride to England was very long. None of them could stand sitting in their seats for as long as they had to, except Carmen and Alex. The two girls were from around the same area; Carmen was from Manchester England, and Alex was from Dublin Ireland. They were both used to the long flight, considering the long distances they'd both travelled.

Tyson moaned. "I'm hungry!" he whined.

"But we just ate!" Kenny cried.

"Get used to it, the trip's going to be seven to eight hours long." Carmen called. The Demons were sitting across the isle from The Bladebreakers, but Carmen was the closest.

"What!" Max cried.

"Yep, believe it or don't!" said Carmen, before she turned back to her book.

Now knowing that the flight would be seven to eight hours, they still couldn't stand staying in their seats. Every now and then, Rei would look over at Carmen. Every time he did, he saw her blinking. Rei had a rather confused look on his face, not knowing why Carmen was blinking. She always had good eye sight. But, things do change, Rei thought.

After about an hour, Carmen put down her book.

"Is that an interesting book?" Nick asked. Carmen looked up.

"Yes, it's rather interesting." she answered. He nodded his head slightly.

"Too interesting for you to take attention away from it?" he asked. Carmen nodded.

"And we know that you're blinking." Aaron added. Carmen looked at Aaron, but didn't say anything.

"I'm blinking! Whoa... Everybody blinks." she said after awhile.

"But not as rapidly when reading." Alex pointed out.

"Point being?" Carmen asked.

"I've heard that people blink almost twice as fast when they're reading, if they need glasses." Max said. Carmen didn't seem amused.

"Amuse me, Drzazga." she said. She only called people by their last names if she was either pissed right off, not amused, or for any other reason. Max took a deep breath, then began to talk.

"Well, when you were reading, Sandra caught you blinking… Almost twice as fast." he said. Carmen stared at him.

"I'm not amused Drzazga.." she said testily.

"You're not one to amuse easily, are you?" Max asked, trying to change the subject.

"Nice try, but changing the subject isn't going to help." Carmen said, not sounding amused.

"Eheh..." Max mumbled.

"Carmen, give it up!" Nick said suddenly.

"Shut it, Gagnier!" she said angrily.

"My sight is perfectly fine. Now, if you'll excuse me..." she added darkly, then turned back to her book. The others stared at her, but she didn't blink that often this time.

"Do you think sh---"

"Yes Aaron, we do think she's pissed."

"I see...So! What's for lunch!" he said. The others all heaved a sigh of doubt, all but Carmen.

"Well, she's not going to crack any time soon..." Alex muttered.

"Shaw, I'm not blind, and I'm certainly not death!" Carmen hissed from behind her book. Alex slumped back into her seat with great unease. Alright then… Miss Snappy is back, and she's biting everyone's heads off, Alex thought. The hours passed with great unease, as Carmen continued to bite her team mates' heads off.

"Okay... This is... Not easy.." Aaron muttered. Sandra hadn't said a thing.

"Sandra, have you got Laryngitis or something?" Nick asked.

"No, I'm just thinking.." she answered.

A/N: Hey! Sorry it took awhile to type this chapter up! I'm finally finished! Hope you like it, even though it may not be very good.. But, anyways! Thanks to ALL OF MY REVIEWERS! God, I don't know what I'd do without yas! Thanks to all of you for the help with the BioVolt member names and bitbeasts! And thank you deathrosekitty for the idea in your review for chapter 12! I loved it! And thanks Reis#1gurl for your idea! Mind... Carmen really would pound the bloody shit outta Mariah! Your idea was great! More reviews please and thanks, and some ideas if you've got some to spare! Just in case I get writer's block..)

Thanks again!

-Carmen.