Chapter 5
"Hey look! The new Soccer Starz game is out! And guess who it features! Kai! US! Yes, us! Man, GameZone is so cool!"
"That's nice Ben." Kai left his sugar-hyped friends in GameZone and wandered over to Giovanni's Pizza Place, a restaurant he often visited when he was in Russia.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the mall …
The Fearsome Halflings were using their early victory as an excuse to go on a shopping spree at Supre.
Sapphire had already chosen he clothes and was waiting for her friends outside the shop. She found herself gazing at the large neon sign above Giovanni's Pizza Place and walked slowly over. She started around the Pizza Place, commencing a game she often played to pass the time.
Old scruffy man. Thin, homeless and hungry.
Loving couple gazing at each other. Have gold rings. Newlyweds in love.
Teenage boy, brown spiked hair, tall, dark brown eyes. Looks bored.
"Holy cow! It's Kairov!"
"Everybody turned around and stared. Sapphire marched over to an old friend who had barely changed in seven years. When he showed a vague sign of recognition, she wanted to hug him, but then realised that this was the boy that had betrayed her trust and deceived her.
"You son-of-a-BITCH!"
Kai blinked.
"I can't believe you! After seven years you decide to set foot back in Russia!"
"Excuse me, Miss, but who the hell do you think you are talking to?"
People gathered around, eager to watch a fight between some "nobody" and their soccer hero, Sapphire Korovan.
"What… did you change your name, Kai?"
"Who are you? How do you know my name?"
"After all these years, how could you have forgotten me?"
By that time, Sapphire's friends had joined the crowd.
"WHO ARE YOU?"
The old scruffy man attempted to join in the fight. "This, my boy, is Sapphire Korovan, captain of our leading girls' soccer team!"
Sapphire ignored the old man. "Now do you remember me?
Suddenly it hit Kai. "YOU!"
"Ahh … This is Kai!" Danielle paused. "Now I definitely feel sorry for you. Imagine knowing this freak!" Kai's friends had finally left GameZone sand were the only ones standing behind him.
"Hey!" said Ben angrily. "Don't talk about our team captain like that!"
"Oh!" sneered Sapphire. "You're a captain. Of what, an all boys netball team? Or maybe the Brownies."
Kai stared at Sapphire in amazement. "Jeez, you've changed. I don't seem to remember you as a cold-hearted slut. Goes to show what a bad judge of people I am."
"You can judge me all you want, Kai," stated Sapphire. "But what have you done with your life?"
"Oh, we ONLY won the Asian, Australasian, and American tournaments for … ah … SOCCER!"
Kai rolled up his sleeve, exposing his armband.
"Remember this, Sapphie?"
Sapphire stared at Kai for a second then burst into tears. Pushing her way out through the crowds, Sapphire blindly ran from the mall. Her team mates and supporters followed her, and Danielle only pausing to walk up to Kai and say, "look what you've done, you bastard." She slapped him hard across the face, then turned and raced after the others.
"Wow, we almost had a riot on our hands!" enthused Ben.
"Ah, yes, those were the days," muttered Papa Giovanni as he walked back behind the counter. "Happy memories!"