1AN: Konichiwa!! I think I spelled that right...Anyways, thanks for being patient!! And this chappie is longer too, so I'm very proud of it. Oh, and I've got everything worked out. I made an outline for this fic, so now I know everything that's gonna happen in each chappie. Yah, it took me a while to do, but in the end it'll make it so much more easier since I won't have to plan out what I'm gonna do. So, there's gonna be about 5 more chappies left. It might be more, but based on my outline, that's it. Enjoy this chappie, and hopefully a lot of your questions will be answered.

Mr. Moogle: I tried to escape yesterday, but Holly grabbed me and-

aliasfan: Hey, I told you to keep your mouth shut about your daily beatings!!! Oops, I mean daily hugs...o.O

Mr. Moogle: Anyways, she doesn't own Dance Dance Revolution. -whispers- Please save me...

aliasfan: I heard that!!!!

....::::j/k::.... :P

Chapter 10: The Aftermath

Shawn rushed back inside the hotel to the main room. The two #10's were already dancing. Jake will have to come back soon. And when he does, he'll lose. How did he get into this competition in the first place? Shawn spotted Kaeli in the crowd, and quickly ran up to her.

Kaeli noticed Shawn and gave him a weird look. "Why are you panting?"

"I just traveled the whole earth looking for Jake!" Shawn said sarcastically. "Gimme a break!"

Kaeli fidgeted a little bit. "Soooo...did you find him?"

This is it. Tell her or not...Well, if I had a girlfriend who smoked, I'd sure want someone to tell me. "Yes, yes I did." Shawn and Kaeli both turned their heads to the DDR machine as they saw both contestants fail on a song.

"Oh!" Rogin exclaimed. "Looks like neither of them will be moving on to the next competition. Alright, #11's, you're up!"

Shawn snapped back to what he was talking about. "Listen, Kaeli, I've got to talk to you about something. Well, actually a lot of things."

"Now's not a good time, Shawn. Jake's gonna be dancing soon. How about we talk afterwards?" Kaeli asked.

"I-I guess that's okay." Shawn said. Hmmm, shouldn't ole black lungs be here by now? As if on cue, Jake walked up to them.

"Jake!!" Kaeli exclaimed. "Where were you?! You missed me dance!!"

Jake looked shocked. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry, baby, time just flew by!"

Yah, sure, whatever you say, Shawn thought. But soon Kaeli will know the truth, and what you say won't matter.

Jake scooped Kaeli into his arms but she seemed reluctant to do so. "Soo...did you make it?"

Kaeli was pouting, but her face quickly formed a smile. "What do you think? Of course I did!!"

Jake grinned. "Alright! I knew you could make it! Hey. What about Rin and Viv?"

Kaeli shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, no..."

"And what about you, shorty?" Jake asked Shawn, punching him in the arm.

"I made-"

"That's nice." Jake said, not paying him any attention. "So, Kaeli, about tonight-"

"#12's, the last set of contestants! Please make your way to the front!!" Rogin called.

"Looks like I'm up!" Jake said very nonchalantly.

Strange, Shawn thought. He doesn't seem nervous or anything. Why is he so confident? Well, a better word to describe him is cocky...I mean, he smokes for goodness' sakes!

Kaeli took Shawn's arm and quickly led him to the front. "Good luck Jake!" she exclaimed. "You can win, I know you can!!"

Yah, he'll win the 'Best Jerk' award! Shawn said to himself, chuckling slightly.

Jake's opponent stepped up onto the arrows. The person was a girl the same age as Jake, 17. "She looks like a really tough player." Kaeli said, a little worried.

Shawn nodded his head. Yah, she does. She can probably beat Jake. I mean, I'm pretty sure she doesn't smoke! "Oh well, better luck next year, Jake!" Shawn said.

Jake turned to Shawn, a lock of black hair falling to his face. "Listen shorty, I ain't gonna lose! I was born a champ! You better just face the facts, 'cause sooner or later you'll have to face me in the competition, and it ain't gonna be pretty!"

Rogin pushed the random button for a song. "The last song of the night is...'Look to the Sky'!"

"Aw man, Jake's so lucky! That song is super easy, even in heavy mode!" Shawn said, jealous because he had to do a hard song.

"No, that's a good thing. Now he has a greater chance of making it in!!" Kaeli gleamed. "But, I guess it will be kinda hard, since it all comes down to the numbered score. I mean, I have no doubt in my mind that both of these contestants will get A's. I'm pretty sure that they can dance to it easily."

Sure enough, when the song started, both contestants danced with ease. Everything was synchronized, and the combos were easy. There were a lot of freeze arrows too, which also made the song a breeze. It was obvious that the contestants were doing really well. The song ended, and the grades were shown on the screen.

"Just as I predicated, folks!" Rogin exclaimed. "Both got an A!! Well, now we must judge based on their score."

Shawn closed his eyes. Please let Jake go home...then all of this will be a lot easier to deal with. This competition is supposed to be fun for me, not a hassle!

Rogin continued. "Jake's score is 3, 345, 000. Amelia's score is...3, 298, 563!!"

Nooooo! Shawn exclaimed in his head. Great, now I'm gonna have to see him for at least another two days? I can't take the pain!!! Shawn looked over to Kaeli, who was obviously excited.

"This means that we have found our final winner for the regional competition!!!" The crowd cheered, though many of the kids didn't. It suddenly hit them that they were going home. "Will the contestants who won and did not fail please step up on the stage!!" Kaeli, Shawn, and Jake both made their way to the stage. They found themselves standing next to only two other contestants. "Let's give a big round of applause to our Regional DDR elite: Jake, David, also known as the Witch Doctor, Shawn, Kaeli, and Quiko!!!" Joe Rogin then handed out plaques to each of them. "Congratulations! Everyone did a great job here, whether they're moving on or not."

Kaeli looked down at her plaque. It was black with a nice gold lining and gold letters. It read:

The Konami Corporation

is honored to present this plaque to

Kaeli Abson

who is officially a member of the

Regional DDR elite.

Dance Dance Revolution

Of course, everyone else's said the same thing, except their name inserted in. Rogin soon gave further instructions. Everyone had packed earlier. Those that did not make it were sent home. The five that did would bring their luggage outside of the hotel and board a coach bus. They would be going to the state DDR elite competition in Chicago.

Shawn, Kaeli, and Jake made their way to their room. Kaeli skipped down the hall. "We made it, we made it, yay!!!"

"Someone's a little too excited." Shawn said. I know I should be happy because I'm moving on in the competition, but it's hard to be, after finding out the girl I've had a crush on all my life doesn't like me.

"Well, why can't she have her fun? Anyways, we're going to Chitown!! Woohoo!!" Jake started jumping up and down.

While Jake and Kaeli were busy going crazy, Shawn opened the door to their room. They quickly ran in, happy and excited. But what they saw next made them stop dead in their tracks. There was Rinoa and Vivica, sitting next to their luggage, with sad looks.

"Oops..." Kaeli said. She didn't mean to rub it in that she was one of the winners. She knew that she'd be depressed too if she had lost. "Oh, we're sorry, girls..."

Rinoa shook her head. "It's okay. You guys won...you should be happy. You should celebrate..."

"I know..." Kaeli said. "But it doesn't feel right to celebrate...knowing that some really great friends I've met are leaving..."

"Well, the Worldwide DDR elite competition is televised. If you make it that far, we'll know." Vivica said. Everyone said their goodbyes, giving hugs and kind words. "I'll miss you all. Good luck!!"

The five roommates made their way outside. There was the coach bus for the winners, and all along the street were cars and vans of the families that lost. They were called and notified to come and pick their child up. It was really depressing though, 'cause some kids were crying in their parent's arms.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye." Shawn said to Rinoa and Vivica. They all gave another group hug, then they left. Shawn, Jake, and Kaeli boarded the coach bus, storing their luggage in the compartments inside or on the side of the bus.

"This is so cool!! Look, there are t.v.'s in here!!" Jake exclaimed. He jumped into one of the comfortable seats, blasting the air conditioning in his face. Then he turned, looking at the back of the bus. "Hey, Shawn, I'm sure you'll be happy to know that they have a toilet in here!! Ha ha!!"

Shawn was surprised when Kaeli actually spoke up for him. "Jake, don't make jokes like that!! You shouldn't be mean!!!"

Shawn smiled. That's my girl...

The ride to Chicago was pretty uneventful. The Witch Doctor, Quiko, Shawn, and Kaeli all slept, while Jake was busy watching the movie that was playing on the t.v.: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Well, at least everyone tried to sleep. Jake kept waking them up when he was laughing and repeating movie phrases loudly. The trip didn't take too long, but they got to the Ritz Carlton Hotel at around 9:00 p.m.

Even though it was very late, the city was still bustling with noise and excitement. Lights were flashing from various clubs, people were just entering restaurants, and of course, tons of people were going in and out of the hotel. In the background they could hear the faint music of a beggar trying to make some money banging on some drums.

"Welcome to Chicago, also known as Chitown!" Rogin exclaimed once they made it to the main room in the hotel. "As you know, here is where the state competition will be held!! There are two other regions that are also here. In all, there are fourteen contestants. All of you will compete until there are three winners. Those three winners will then go on to the national competition. But enough of that for now, since you won't even be competing for a while anyways."

Suddenly the two other groups of regional winners came through the doors. "Welcome, come in, come in!" Rogin said. "I'm sure you've already been explained the rules. But now we will talk about roommates." Many groans were heard throughout the group. Rogin laughed. "I know what you're thinking: 'Why do we have to separate from our friends?' or 'I'm attached to the people in my region'. Well, I completely agree." This made a lot of eyes bulge. "I believe that if you've made friends, you should stay with them. Of course, I do expect you to go out and meet some new people when we have our fun outings tomorrow, okay?"

The crowd responded with a cheer. Rogin continued. "Okay, the north region will head up to Room 578. You will be given further instructions later." Rogin handed the keys out, and the five headed up to their room.

"I'm so glad that Rogin let us stay with our friends!!" Kaeli exclaimed.

"Well, we don't really know each other, but at least we're from the same region." Quiko spoke up. "As you know by now, I'm Quiko, 5 years."

"Huh?" Shawn said, confused. "You're not 5 years old!!!"

Quiko gave a quick laugh. "Oops, sorry. I meant I've been playing DDR for 5 years. I'm actually 18 years old."

"Hey, didn't I meet you guys at the arcades?" the Witch Doctor asked. Kaeli and Shawn nodded.

"Yes, of course we remember you!!!" Kaeli exclaimed. "How could we not? You really live up to your name as the Witch Doctor."

"The Witch Doctor? What kind of a name is that? Hey, isn't your name David, shorty?" Jake asked.

David's eye twitched slightly. "I prefer to be called the Witch Doctor, if you don't mind. And don't call me shorty! Do I look short to you?"

"Uh, not at all shor-uh..." Jake trailed off. The Witch Doctor started rolling his sleeves up. Jake yelped, then quickly ran up to the room, trying to slide the card key in the door.

"I'm just messing with you, Jake." the Witch Doctor smiled. "I may seem big and tough, but I'm not a bully."

"T-that's good." Jake said.



Very good, Shawn thought. I guess Jake does have some weaknesses. And now I have someone to protect me from Jake's antics. Everyone entered the room and unpacked. Like before, the girls shared a room, and the boys shared the other.

"So, how's this whole thing been for you guys so far? It's been kinda mind boggling, but fun overall." David said, hanging some shirts up in the closet.

"It's been great. I've had this shorty over here to have fun with. Plus I just got a girlfriend. In fact, it's Kaeli. Isn't that cool?" Jake bragged. Shawn rolled his eyes.

"Wow, congrats! You're lucky, you're girlfriend's right here. Mine is back at home. She's into DDR, but just barely. I actually got her into it. She's still in Light mode, so she didn't get accepted. It was cool, we met at the arcades." David said, thinking about his girl. "Anyways, is your girlfriend into DDR, Shawn?"

Shawn sighed. "Unfortunately, I don't even have one!! So you guys are lucky for just having one."

"Don't worry!" Jake said. "I'm sure you'll find the right guy for you someday."

"Guy?! I'm not gay!!!" Shawn exclaimed.

"Uh-huh, right." Jake smirked. "I saw the way you were looking at Joe Rogin in his trunks at the beach!"

"That's it, you're dead!" Shawn said. He jumped over the bed, trying to tackle Jake on the other side. Soon both of them were wrestling on the floor.

"Yah...I'm sure...you're really...enjoying this...right now..." Jake said as they continued to fight.

"Guys, guys, calm down!!!" David yelled. Both boys stopped. "Just forget about it!! I didn't come here to babysit!!" Shawn and Jake just looked away, ignoring each other. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. David opened it. "Oh, hi Kaeli, here to see Jake?" he asked.

"No, actually, I wanted to talk to Shawn." Kaeli said. Shawn exited the room, his hair and clothes slightly ruffled from the little fight. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Oh yah, that's right. Um, let's go somewhere else." Both of them made their way down the elevator to the lounge room, where there were some chairs and couches.

Kaeli sat down on one of the couches. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"It's about Jake..." Shawn said. He felt a little hesitant saying everything, but he knew it needed to come out. "W-what do you see in him?"

Kaeli looked a little taken back, like she didn't expect Shawn to want to discuss that. "You mean, why I like him?" Shawn nodded. "Well, he's funny, for starters. I love a guy that can make me laugh. And, he's into a lot of the same things I'm into. Jake's really sweet, and plus he's really hot. I mean, what more could I want? And-"

"Okay, that's enough explanation." Shawn said. It really hurt him to hear her say those things...about someone else. "Well, you may think Jake's a great guy, but I've seen the other side of him."

Kaeli cocked an eyebrow. "Other side?"

"Yes. He's constantly making fun of me. You heard what he said on the bus!! That's not the only time he's cracked a joke like that on me!! And just now, in the room he was saying I was gay!"

"Well, you are, aren't you?" Kaeli asked. Shawn looked like he was about to explode. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!!! See, you just need to lighten up a little bit. Maybe then Jake won't make jokes at you if he sees you're not phased by them."

Oh, thanks. That advice will solve all my problems... "Anyways, remember when we couldn't find Jake during the competition?" Kaeli nodded, so Shawn continued. "Well, I found him outside. And he was smoking a cigarette."

Kaeli's mouth dropped. "W-what? A-are you sure it was him?"

"Positive. Listen, I knew something wasn't right with Jake."

"Why would he do that?" Kaeli said softly. "I-I better talk to him about it." she got up from the couch.

"You're not gonna stay with him, are you?" Shawn asked. Of course not, why would she?

"I-I don't know...I need to know all the details first, okay?" Kaeli asked.

Shawn got up as well. "Kaeli, this guy is bad news. You're parents would never approve of you going out with a smoker. What if he got you hooked?"

Kaeli looked really distressed, and they started up to the room. "He wouldn't get me smoking, okay?! I just...need to talk to him." Shawn and Kaeli got to the room.

Kaeli was about to open the door, but Shawn stopped her. "Kaeli, before you talk to him, will you do one thing for me?"

"Uh, sure." Kaeli said.

Shawn stared hard into Kaeli's eyes, making sure she remembered this phrase. "This time, listen to your head, not your heart."

===================================================================

Wow, this came out longer than I thought! Well, I hope you enjoyed it. Hopefully I can type out the next chappie quickly. But man, it takes a lot out of me-I've got a headache!!!

Reviews:

Lithe: You won't know if I'll listen to your secret or not until the last chappie!!

Pencil3: Hi! Thanks for reading my fic!! Yay, more reviewers makes me happy!! I'm glad you love it.

Zanisha: Your muse review was funny!! Yah, I guess you weren't able to come up with good qualities for Jake but Kaeli was able to!

HisLight: I know, you get so worked up about the character's lives that you forget about the DDR competition.