Between job, school, homework, vacation, time with friends, and the little sleep I have been able to get, I am quite proud I got this chapter done. Hopefully I can get another one up before the break is over. Hell, maybe I can finish this thing before the month is over. Then I can focus on Through the Window.

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Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE! Therefore all the characters (Tyson, Kai, Rei, Max, Kenny, Tala, etc.), do not belong to me. No money is being made off of this ( L ). I am just writing this because 1) boredom has once again overtaken me, or 2) can't sleep / don't want to sleep…yet.

Warning(s): Swearing, Shonen ai/Yaoi, possible OOC with some of the characters (I will try to stay clear from doing this though. However, if I end up doing it anyway, it is for a good cause and "I'm sorry!" . :P).

(Might wanna know/fyi: " " " Music/singing ", Italics thoughts/in thoughts,

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Let Me Soar

Chapter 7: Happy With Smiles

Rei couldn't even attempt to understand the essay question in front of him. There was only ten minutes left of class, and he hadn't even finished half of the assignment. His mind was too focused on other things, most importantly, revenge on Kai.

He had a plan. He could not stray from the plan.

Kai wanted to hear him sing. Fine. He would allow it this once. He would show both Tala and Kai just how different he could be! But for now, he had to write a compare and contrast essay between the views of Book A and Book B.

…I really should have finished Book B…

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"I can't believe how easy that was!" Tyson exclaimed.

"Really?" Max smiled thoughtfully.

"I know! Thanks to that test I might actually pass, and maybe even with a C if I'm lucky!"

"Well that's encouraging!" Max laughed. He turned toward his other friend, and that was when he noticed Rei's strong silent behaviour. "Rei? How did you do?"

"…" There was no response.

"Rei?" Max said a little more sternly.

"Ah relax Max, you know Rei aced it. What else would you expect from Mr. Smarty –?"

"I totally failed." Rei whispered in disbelief. He couldn't believe he had failed. Not only was it probably the easiest essay test of all time, but Rei Kon never fails anything. EVER.

"WHAT!" Tyson yelled instantly, his eyes bulging to the size of dinner plates.

Leave it to Tyson to keep his cool…note the sarcasm.

"I failed." Rei repeated, this time more loudly.

"Rei? But how? Are you sick?" Max voiced in concern.

"I don't know." Rei sighed. "Maybe I should just take the rest of the day off. I'll catch you two later." And with a wave Rei was on his way home.

It was only 11:40 when Rei entered through the front door of his home. He still had a good seven hours until he had to go to practice.

"Why am I even bothering with this?" He asked himself. "The only thing it has brought me so far is trouble! Just like –" He paused as his brain began to think back. "Just like…last time."

"HUUUN-NNNNEY! I'M HOOOOOME!"

"Rei!" The little pink haired beauty called out as she came stampeding down the hall. Rei awaited her at the front door, arms already stretched out for a welcome hug. Almost instantly she pounded into his chest to receive the embrace. "Where have you been, Rei? You said you would be home before 6:00, and it is almost 9:00 now! And this area is not exactly known for its peaceful gangs! Do you know how worried I have been?" She hid her face in his chest to hide the shameful tears.

"Aw Mariah." Rei bent his head down to the younger girl. "You know you don't have to worry about me, I can take care of myself, you know that." He smiled warmly at her as she began to calm down.

"I know…but I can't help it! You are practically the only family that I have, Rei. And if anything were to happen to you, I don't know what I would do."

A sudden knock at the front door brought Rei back to reality. Rei's face grew grave as he tried to shake the memory of the girl's face from his mind. He had to let go. But there was no way he would ever forget.

"I'm coming, just a sec!" Rei shouted in response to the second knock. He was supposed to be sick, so who would be knocking on the door at this hour?

He opened the door only to find a patch of blonde in his face. Max was currently engulfing him in his friendly greeting hug.

"Max? What are you doing here? You never cut class." Rei stated, pushing the blonde off him politely.

"Rei, I don't know what it is, but I know that something is wrong." Max said, his eyes going watery. Uh oh. Please don't cry, that's the last thing I need right now.

"I'm fine Max, don't you worry about me."

"How can you say that when you've got tears running down your face!" Max surprisingly shouted. Max never lost his cool, he was always happy with smiles, with a side of extra cheer. "You've been avoiding both me and Tyson the past few days, and I know you like your space, but even for you that's out of the ordinary! I'm sorry if it's something I did, but I keep thinking back through the past couple of weeks and I can't think of anything I did! And I had this feeling that you were going to ditch me again today, and I know you say you aren't feeling well, but I think it has to do with something else. And, and –!"

"And what, Max?"

"AND I DEMAND TO KNOW WHAT IT IS!" Max bellowed and becoming angrier than he had ever been. He was used to other people lying to him, but he didn't care about them. It was when his friends tried to hide things from him, the only two people that he can and has ever trusted, shut him out. It really hurt him.

"Max, it's really nothing that you have to worry about…please just drop it." Came Rei's monotone response. Max was treading on dangerous territory. Max stared blankly at the person in front of him. The normal Rei never would have done that. Tears began to fall from his empty eyes. All emotion had been voided with that one response.

"I know it's only been a few days, but you've changed." He avoided all eye contact as he turned to leave. "Fine. Have it your way Rei."

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Once Max made his way down the path without so much as a sound, Rei felt anger well up inside him.

"What the fuck is wrong with him!" Rei yelled to no one in particular. "What right does he have to just chase on after me, disturb my solitude, and ruin the rest of my already messed up day! Why should he even care what happens to me! It's not like it has anything to do with him!"

Perhaps. Came Rei's inner voice. But he is your friend, and one of the only few you've got. He may seem to be all smiles on the outside, but deep down he's a sensitive guy. And one of the things that he cherishes above all else is his friendship with you and Tyson.

"What do you know!" Rei spat, slamming his back up to a wall and falling down into a crouching position.

Being you, apparently not much.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Rei sat like that, with his head hidden in his arms, for who knows how long. But by the time he looked at the clock it was already 6:40. He should have started to get ready and then dashed down the street so that he could make it in time, but somehow revenge on Kai didn't seem as appealing as before. All Rei wanted to do was crawl into a ditch and die. He settled for hiding under the welcome darkness that his comforter brought him.

Later he tried calling Max a few times, but considering he had caller ID Rei knew that the attempt would be in vain.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Meanwhile at Kai's house, the others were packing up and getting ready to leave. The clock read 10:30PM, and everyone was pretty tired. Everyone except Kai. His burning anger made sure of that. He had messed up two times during practice, Tala was mothering him about how he was sure Rei must have a good explanation for not being there. But Kai was not one to listen to excuses. Rei had ditched practice, ditched the band, and ditched him. And he was going to give him a piece of his mind.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Rei woke to the sound of a powerful bang coming from downstairs. He went back under the covers with the solution that his mother would get it. It wasn't until he heard the same bang, but this time more persistent, that he remembered his mother was working out of town for the rest of the week.

He groggily made his way down the stairs and nearly tripped over one of the throw rugs when he got to the bottom.

"– Shit! Stupid throw – Alright already, I'm coming!" Rei grumbled as he unlocked the door. "What's your probl –?" Rei was suddenly shoved out of the way as Kai roughly made his way in. He quickly closed and locked the door behind him. There would be no escape.

"Kai! What the hell are you doing here! It's 11:30 at night! Do you just enjoy pissing me off!"

"I could say the same for you." Kai sneered.

"Huh?"

"You ditched practice, you ditched the band, and you ditched me. Before, I honestly could have cared less. And I know I'm a jackass sometimes,"

Ha! That's an understatement.

"But what you did to Tala and the rest was unfair. Tala finally managed to get us a gig with the promise of a new voice, and now he doesn't know what we're going to do. I mean, if we backed out now, there won't be a second chance! And I know you aren't too fond of me right now because of last night, but you can't take it out on everyone else just because of that. It isn't fair."

"The world doesn't revolve around you Kai." Rei spat.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me you self-centered prick!" His voice was progressively getting louder. "I told you already that I can't sing! I refuse to sing! And it has nothing to do with you or any of the other guys! It's my own personal choice that I have no other option but to follow. Ever since you tried getting me to sing, nothing but trouble has been slapping me in the face! JUST LIKE LAST TIME!" Rei shouted, unshed tears threatening to fall. He was shaking from his anger. Anger at Kai and anger at everything else. He couldn't stand looking at him right now; he had to get out of there. So he did the only thing he could think of, he ran like the coward he was back up to the safety of his room.

"Rei! I'm not done with you! Get back here!" Kai ran up after him, and was that concern in his voice? Rei didn't care.

"Don't follow me!" He went to slam the door, only to hear a loud thud. He looked up only to see Kai's strong hand holding it firmly open.

"Rei." Kai actually looked worried. What the hell is this!

"What is wrong with you! I know you really don't care if there's anything wrong with me, so just drop the act!" Kai went stone faced.

"Whether or not you choose to believe it, you are a part of this band. And being without one practically my whole life, I consider my band my family."

Family? Is this guy serious? Rei kept silent.

"I know it's only been a few days since you've joined, but you're a part of this now. You can't abandon this…please."

"Kai, I only have two friends." Rei started, he admitted it sounded stupid, but he didn't really care at the moment. "And thanks to the few days I've had to go to these practices, I might have lost one of them. I can't afford doing that. I can't keep lying to them."

"Then don't lie. It seems simple enough."

"It's really not. The fact is I don't want to sing. It keeps bringing back memories that I just want to forget."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know…but I can't help it! You are practically the only family that I have, Rei. And if anything were to happen to you, I don't know what I would do."

"You know nothing bad will happen to me Mariah." He gave one of his grins.

"Promise?" Mariah smiled, holding out her pinky. Rei latched his on to hers.

"Promise!"

"I broke that promise."

"You were just a kid. And how could you have possibly broken it? You seem to be in one piece right now."

"No. Something did happen to me, Kai. The worst possible thing that could have happened…She died."

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To Be Continued!

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Including distractions, it took me a total of approximately 2 hours to write. It's amazing what can happen with a little inspiration. Hopefully I can get this fic done before the month is out. ttfn!