I don't own Beyblade, or any of its characters, please do not sue me.

Fate

Chapter 17

""Talking

''Thoughts

Flashback

"He's upstairs."

"Thank you." Jamice bowed to whom she presumes is the owner of the place. After a long questioning period, she finally found Max's working place.

Walking up the stairs she realized that she should have asked about the room as well. Looking around, she turned to her right, oh well, better start looking, doesn't really matter where she starts.

Pushing open a door, she saw Max's back view; he has his head bowed, his hands working, probably on a beyblade.

Walking in, she realized that he hasn't even noticed that she entered the room, his mind still focused on the beyblade in his hand. She stood in the door way watching his busy back view. She found his love for beyblade something cute at the beginning of their relationship. However, right now, she only considers beyblade as an annoyance to their relationship. Think about it, all the arguments they had before always, somehow involved beyblades.

Taking careful steps, not wanting to step on any of the beyblade parts scattered across the floor, she took a seat off to the side of him and gazed at his profile.

He's so serious.

She bent down a bit to get a closer look at his face; she realized that whenever he was serious about something, his eyebrows would furrow unconsciously. His usually light blue eyes would turn a shade of dark blue. His mouth would be pressed into a thin line, giving him a more mature look.

She always liked his happy smile, his eye would sparkle with delight whenever he laughed and smiled. She never liked Max's serious side; she thinks it's a side that she'll not enjoy. It's a side that she's probably not going to be involved in. Whenever she thinks about his serious side, somehow, the only picture that'd enter her mind is him with Draciel.

Nothing else. No one else.

Where is she in that world of his?

Sighing, she bent down her head and looked at her lap, just breathing. She forced that question out of her head. Directing her gaze back at Max again, she noticed that a strand of hair has fallen onto his forehead, somewhat toying with his eyes. Reaching out her hand, she leaned forward slowly, her lilac hair falling over her shoulders, her red eyes soft. She gently brushed the strand of hair away.

Max gasped in surprise and jerked back, almost dropping the beyblade in his hands. Jamice withdrew her hand quickly, and moved back, her eyes wide and questioning. Max looked at his girlfriend in front of him and breathed out heavily. "You scared me."

Jamice smiled apologetically and flipped her hair back again. "Sorry, didn't know you'd jump like that."

"Is something wrong?" Max asked and went back searching for beyblade tools.

"No, nothing's wrong, I just wanted to see you." Jamice said playing with her hair.

"We just saw each other at school yesterday." Max said funnily.

"Why? You're not happy to see me?" Max smiled but didn't say anything, a curve appeared on Jamice's lips as well. "Why are you working on a Saturday/"

"It's rare that part timers get over time, so of course I took it. After all, my family isn't rich like Kai's family, I want to start saving up for later."

Jamice nodded and then looked at Max excitedly. "Max, let's do something after you're finished with your work."

"I can't."

"Why not?" Jamice pouted.

"I need to fix Draciel, and take it for a spin."

All sorts of emotion drained away from Jamice's face, it's beyblade again. "I really want to hang out with you today." She tried again.

"Sorry, I really can't."

Jamice looked at him, his serious face back on again when dealing with the beyblade in his hands. Jamice took in a shaky breath and stood up. Reaching into her bag, she brought out a smaller bag, looking at it and looking at Max, she slammed the smaller bag onto his table. "Lunch! Eat!"

With that, she turned and left the room, charging downstairs without even bothering with anything. Now that she's outside of the store, she stopped and just stood there. Tapping her feet on the ground, she waited. After a moment, she turned and glared at the store. He didn't even bother coming after her. Kicking the ground, she turned and walked away quickly.

Why is beyblade always more important than her?

Tyson's House

"I don't understand her sometimes." Max concluded his tale of what happened this morning. Tyson looked at him from his standing position after he had launched his Dragoon. Lianna said nothing, her back leaning onto one of the pillars of Tyson's house, still reading a book, as if nothing could disturb her.

"Maybe she's mad because you couldn't see her outside of your work today."

"Yeah, but I see her everyday." Max said slowly still a bit confused and clouded.

"Max, she's your girlfriend." Suddenly, Lianna spoke up as well. Her face still facing the book, but it's no doubt that she was paying attention to everything they were saying.

"I think he knows that Lianna." Tyson glanced at his girlfriend over his shoulder to see if she's actually serious.

"Max, I don't think relationships can last without any time to the couple themselves." Lianna continued on and flipped the page. "I think she'd want to see more of you than just those meetings in the school yard."

"We see each other more often that that!" Max protested reflexively, stepping away from the bey-dish completely to focus on the conversation with Lianna. Tyson turned to them as well, watching the conversation as it goes on.

"Max... how many dates have you been on with Jamice this month?" Lianna asked easily while flipping over another page. One has to wonder how can she read and talk to someone else at the same time.

Max flinched mentally and frowned awkwardly. "Um... once."

Once. Just once in this entire month.

Even Tyson's looking at him with a shocked and disbelief look in his eyes. Okay, that number really is too... careless. Max bit his lip and looked at Lianna again, whom is still reading her book quietly.

Then, no one said anything.

"I... was really busy lately, wit my job and sharpening Draciels' skills, and ..." Max trailed off, the couple before him won't even bother with any of the stuff he's saying.

"Let's just sum it up and say, I was really busy lately with beyblade." Lianna said calmly, as if she's not even talking about her best friend at all.

"Yeah, beyblades..." Max muttered and looked down at the launcher in his hands. No one said anything in the next little while, the only sound that can be heard is the two beyblades rubbing against each other and the bey-dish.

Finally, Lianna placed the bookmark into the book and closed it. Straightening out her legs, she placed the book on her legs and turned her head to look at Max seriously. "Which is more important to you? Beyblade or Jamice?"

Max looked at her for a moment before frowning and replied her. "Beyblade." There're only so many years which he can spin his beyblade, but he knows he has a lifetime to spend with Jamice. Right now, beyblade is more important than Jamice.

Lianna looked at Max unwaveringly, no emotion in her eyes what-so-ever. Just then, Tyson's eyes widened as he looked at the gate to his house. "Jamice!" He called out loudly, perhaps purposely.

Max and Lianna turned to look in that direction as well, finding Jamice looking at them with a warm smile on her face, she's carrying something in her hands. She blinked and winked at them funnily while walking towards them. "Hey you guys, I thought you might be hungry, so I brought over something to eat!"

"Food!" Without a second word, Tyson zoomed past Lianna and Max; his eyes could only see the bag that Jamice is holding. Max laughed and went after him as well, both trying to get the food as Jamice ran around the place, not wanting to give them the food.

Lianna looked at the three friends before her running around like crazy, her eyes focused on Jamice, whom is laughing loudly while she and Tyson fought over the bag, with Max standing behind her, his arm on her shoulder casually.

Did... she hear anything?

End of Flashback

"Maxie! I brought your suit for you." Jamice announced happily and waltzed through the door into the tech room.

"Um." Max hummed through his nose, but his eyes were still focused on the beyblade in his hand.

Jamice blinked and pouted a bit. She then put the suit down on a chair nearby and walked over to where he was working. He had a bright light shining over the beyblade and his hands were fast at work, fixing every little edge of it and perhaps poking at it so that more information might appear from it.

"Max, what are you doing?"

"Um."

Jamice frowned and placed a hand on the desk impatiently. "I asked you a question."

"Um."

"Max, are you even listening to me?"

"Um."

Jamice looked at him and breathed hard. This was exactly like how it was years ago. She remembers him ignoring her all those years ago and focused on that stupid beyblade in his hand instead.

"Max, do you still love me?"

"Um."

"Do you hate me?"

"Um."

She smirked and titled back her head so that the tears wouldn't fall down. He hasn't changed at all. And she thought that after all these years; he'd understand what she was feeling. She remembered that night when the power went out in her company and he stayed with her all through that night because he knew that she was afraid of the dark. She remembered the warmth that she had felt in her heart and thus she agreed to go out with him again. She had hoped that all these years might have changed him somewhat and makes him look at her more.

Though, nothing has changed, he was always the same person.

Jamice reached out her hands and grabbed his face, and twisted it towards her forcefully. That definitely got Max's attention.

"Jamice, what are you doing?"

"Max, do you love me?"

"Wha..." He opened his mouth in surprise.

"What am I to you?"

Max blinked and lowered the beyblade on the table. He could sense the urgency and seriousness in her tone. "Jamice, is something wrong?"

Jamice was breathing hard, her head swarmed. She tightened her hold on his face unconsciously and lowered her head. "Max, do you love me? Do you love me anymore?" Her tears threatened to spill over the edge.

"Of course I do." Max said immediately and put his hands on hers. "Now, can we discuss this later? I need to finish this beyblade as soon as possible."

Beyblade.

Suddenly, everything became clear to Jamice. She looked into his blue eyes and remembered how she had seen these pair of eyes grow over the last years. How it went from the cute and innocent looking eyes of a boy to a serious and dedicated eyes of a man. She blinked rapidly and just barely held back her tears. She then slowly dropped her hands away from his face and took a step back.

"I can never compare with beyblades, can I?"

"Jamice, you're not making any sense."

"You said that yourself!" Jamice suddenly raised her voice. "Don't you remember what you said to Tyson and Lianna? You told them that beyblades will always be more important in your life! Then, what am I? Tell me! What the hell am I?"

Max blinked and stood up slowly. "You heard that?"

"Do you I'm stupid?"

"Wait. Jamice, listen, I can explain. The truth is..."

"Shut it! I don't want to hear it!" Jamice covered her ears childishly and ran out of the door.

Party

"What is this?" Kenny whispered to Malarin, whom is standing beside him.

He was in a brown suit and Malarin was in a golden dress. It tied around her neck and thus left a good portion of her back open. The dress's pattern was simple yet elegant. Her pink hair was tied up loosely onto her head and she's wearing golden jewellery all throughout her body.

"I have no clue. I thought everyone was going to match." Malarin said out loud and looked around at the 4 non-matching people.

Ray frowned and pulled at his dark blue suit sleeve. "Do you think something happened?"

The couples were supposed to be matched up tonight. Ray was in a dark blue suit tonight, which was picked out by Celle. She stood beside him and looked on as well. She was in a dark blue dress, which was strapless and sleeveless. It reached all the way down onto the floor and floated whenever she took a step. She has sapphire oriented jewellery all around her.

"Tyson, what happened between you and Lianna?" Kenny turned to the guy beside him.

"I don't know." He said huffily and took a swig out of his glass.

He sat there with a grey suit. Lianna should have wore something that was similar to his in color, but she was in a totally different color. She chose to go with purple tonight. It was a very simple purple gown with amethyst jewellery, but it clearly spoke out the gap between her and Tyson. And to emphasize that point, she was sitting on the opposite side of Tyson. She picked a seat that was the furthest away from him as possible.

"Okay..." Kenny started without knowing how to finish it.

"Max, what happened between you and Jamice?" Celle glanced at Max, whom had his eyes focused on the crowd of people.

Max didn't even bother to answer. He just gripped his glass tightly. He was in a white suit, and he hoped to see Jamice in her white dress as well. However, she was in a skimpy little red dress. Really, it was too short to be called a dress. From far away, he could see that it was made of leather as it shone under the bright light. The ruby jewellery on her shone brightly as well. However, nothing out beat her smile.

Max realized that she hadn't smiled like that for a long time, even though it was forced.

"Kai and Aeris are here." Kenny announced and stood up.

Just as the last couple neared their friends, Max caught something that involved Jamice and he stood up quickly. "Excuse me." He brushed by Kai and Aeris without even saying a word.

Aeris paused and looked over her shoulders at Max's back walking away. She frowned a bit and turned back to her friends as they now stood next to each other. "What's with Max?"

"Who knows?" Kenny rolled his eyes and looked around.

"Aeris, you look lovely tonight."

Aeris smiled and nodded her head. She had on a black dress that was sleeveless with a thin strap. It flew down to her knees and ended in laces. Her diamond ring on her left hand shone brightly here and there, and it reminded so many people of her status now. The other diamond accessories on her body just embedded the diamond ring perfectly. Needless to say, Kai was in a black suit as well.

Celle stood up and she looked at the couple in front of her. Aeris had linked her hand through Kai's arm and they matched completely. She never thought the color black would fit them so well. Then, she envisioned herself with Kai. No, it wasn't herself. It was Celestia. She could see Kai in a white suit and Celestia in a cute white dress. Again, they would look terrific.

Everyone would look good with him except for her.

Another round of laughter and giggles sent her back into reality. She looked at the couple in front of her for a moment longer before she determined her actions in a short little while.

Hallway

"Do you have anything important to do here?"

"No. Not really." Jamice shook her head slowly, her ruby earrings followed her actions.

"Then, let's leave this place now." The man put a hand on her waist with a suggestive meaning. Jamice just merely raised her eyebrows and gave him a smile. "What? Don't tell me you have a boyfriend."

Jamice's smile deepened, and then she opened her mouth to answer.

"Of course she dose."

Jamice's smile froze and the man's hand on her waist dropped down as well. Jamice turned her body around and saw Max standing at the entrance of the hallway. He was glaring at them.

"Well then, it was nice knowing you." The man said calmly and walked past Max to go back to his hunt.

Then it was just Max and Jamice again.

Jamice flipped some of her hair back and wanted to walk away. However, Max was quicker than her and thus blocked her road. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"Why didn't you tell him that you have a boyfriend?"

"Do I?"

"Then what am I?"

"I thought I was clear enough this morning. We're no longer going out." She said curtly, and then she added on. "So, please move and let me find myself another boyfriend."

"Who told you that we're no longer going out?"

"I thought my actions spoke for themselves this morning."

"That was on your behalf, I never even spoke a word of agreement on my part." Max defended himself and advanced a step towards her.

"So what? It's not like I'm that important to you anyways!"

"If you're not important, then why would I be here right now?"

"If I was important, then you wouldn't say beyblade is more important than I am!" Jamice's voice raised a couple of octave and she glared at Max. She never even realized how close they were standing.

"What do you have against beyblade?"

"What's so good about beyblade that you can throw aside my feelings?" Her voice broke, and tears swelled up in her eyes. Max remained silent this time and let her continue on. "I feel so pathetic! I can't believe I feel jealous and angry towards an unanimated object! However, what I can do? You spend way more time looking at your beyblades than talking to me? I'm supposed to be your girlfriend, am I not? Then why do I have fight for your attention?" The string holding the tears back broke and they rolled her cheeks. "Why do I have to fight with unanimated objects for you attention? Why?"

Max's eyes softened and with a sigh, he pulled her into his arms and held her there. He ignored her protests and just held onto her tightly.

"I tried so hard to fit into your life, and still in the end, you still choose beyblade to be more important to you. Max, I'm only human, I can't go on forever like this with you." Her voice broke completely and she couldn't even continue on anymore.

"Idiot." Max whispered into her hair lovingly and closed his eyes. "Idiot. How can you compare yourself to a beyblade?" He then let her out of her embrace so he could look down at her and spoke his words. "I would give up everything to be with you, Jamice." Then, he leaned down and kissed her. It wasn't a kiss of passion; it was a kiss full of emotions.

Then, after a moment, he pulled away and looked at Jamice seriously. "Jamice, that year, when I told Lianna and Tyson that beyblade was more important than you, I did not finish my thoughts." Jamice looked at him through her tears and her still open mouth. "Jamice, there're only so many years I could spin a beyblade. After that, my career with professional beyblading would be over. At that time, beyblade was more important because it had a time limit to it. However." He paused and licked his lips. "However, you're different. You don't have a time limit. You're forever. Beyblade can only walk with me for so long, but you'd won't. You'll be there forever; you'll walk with me for the rest of my life."

Jamice held her breath and listened on intently.

"So you see, it's not a matter of whether you're important to me or not. It's a matter of survival. You're like the oxygen surrounding me while beyblade is like a dream that I must reach. You tell me, which one is more important?"

"Max..." Jamice whispered his name and more tears rolled down her cheek.

The biggest flaw in a relationship is possibly the lack of communication between the two partners.

"Max..." Jamice cleared her throat and wanted to say something, but a loud voice broke through first.

"Good evening everyone."

Jamice and Max both looked up with a startled look. That voice, it belonged to Celle. Max and Jamice looked at each other, then they both turned and headed for the lobby. There, they saw all those from the party gathered to listen to Celle speak. Max and Jamice stood at the very back and listened on to what she had to say.

"First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for coming to the party today. I'd like to say that I had a lot of fun working with you, and it was my pleasure to meet each and every one of you." She bowed shortly and courteously applauses were heard throughout the building.

"I won't take up anymore of your time and get straight to the point." Celle then straightened up unconsciously and looked around so that she could meet most people's eyes. "I know that the press and everyone have been wondering about my relationship problems for quite a while now. Right now, I just want to confirm it with everyone so that all of you can be my witness." She then paused for effect and smiled underneath the bright lights.

"Ray Kon and I are engaged, and the wedding date is some time in the next 7 month."

TBC...

Thanks for reading, please R&R.