Title: Our First Noel
Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine
Rating: T
Summary: see chapter one
Warnings: see chapter one
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. Any and all unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be touched. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the sole intent to entertain.
A/N: Horrible delay, I know. While my writing was going great my grades were kinda slipping because of that and since I had two weeks of exams coming up I took my laptop off the internet and stowed it on top of the shelf in my dad's office so that I could focus on my studies. Exams are finally over so now it's time to make up for abandoning you guys.
I owe you guys a childhood horror story, don't I? Now's as good a time as any, I guess. I could do with the distraction.
I used to like thunderstorms. Seriously. I would spend hours looking out our windows back home, staring with awe at the pretty streaks of ribbons dancing across the dark skies. I never minded the sound even if it did hurt my sensitive kitty hearing. Yup, as long as I was inside and not being drenched by the rain, I loved those storms. My mother would tell me that all those bright flashes would make me go blind but I know she was just trying to get me to go to bed. Ever wonder where Lee got the name for his Dark Thunder, Black Lightning attack? From his best pal, me. I thought it sounded cool, and he agreed, so that's what we called it. We're very simple when it comes to stuff like that. In the modern world you have to get a name copy-written and patented and go to court before you can call it yours. Nonetheless, thunderstorms were so cool in my opinion. Until It happened. No, not bunny It. More like Mariah It. From here on in she will be known as That. So here's the story:
I used to have a little kitten. Ironic, I know. I found it wandering about in an alley and brought it home. The only reason why my parents allowed me to keep it is because they were convinced that taking care of it would instil some sense of responsibility in me. I'm aware that losing my two year old cousin in the mountains wasn't the most responsible thing I've ever done, but come on! I grew out of it…eventually. Between you and me, that kid is a brat. In any case, a pet seemed to be the answer so they gave me permission to keep it. I named it Tiger. It didn't have any stripes and was a solid grey, but with the whole tiger-theme we have going in the village I figured that it would be appropriate. So Tiger became my closest friend. He used to sleep on my back at night and followed me everywhere I went during the day, much to my friends amusement. Life with Tiger was a lot less lonely since I couldn't always be with my friends.
Tiger had pretty long fur and That used to love tying ribbons in it or brushing it. One day, an afternoon in fact, we had all been sitting under a tree when Lee and Mariah's parents called us in because a thunderstorm was approaching. We don't have weather reporters (or even television) in our primitive village. Instead the wise men throw some leaves into the air to predict the weather. A running joke amongst the younger generation is to run around screaming about the end of the world during autumn when the trees shed all their leaves. Still, the air had been heavy and we could see some dark clouds in the distance so we listened and gathered our stuff. Mariah was determined to get a ribbon on Tiger's tail before we went inside, since their parents opposed to having loose cat fur in the house (And they dare call themselves neko-jins). I told her to forget about it and tried to take Tiger but she insisted, saying that she wanted to make him pretty just for me. In her hurry she yanked Tiger's tail too hard. He yowled, scratched her and ran up the tree in panic. I was about to follow him up when the first lighting bolt flashed. Their parents physically dragged us into the house, despite my struggles, pleading with them to let me climb the tree and get my pet. You're starting to get the idea of how things unfolded…
That stupid cat, who I loved dearly, had climbed all the way up to the very tip of the tree. And this particular tree happened to be the tallest tree in the village, not to mention the highest point in the village. As Fate would have it, lighting struck it, along with Tiger. Dried him up real good. And all I could do was watch helplessly as my first pet and dear friend fell and practically disintegrate upon impact with the ground. There's nothing as traumatizing for a seven year old as that. Correction, as That. What really poured salt on the wound in my heart was that That refused to accept it that it was her fault. According to her, Tiger had gone up the tree on his own accord.
Other than my childhood friends, no one knows about Tiger other than my current team. Well, vaguely. During some inane discussion, most likely instigated by Tyson, we were talking about pets and I was forced to reveal mine. They don't know about his literally shocking and untimely demise and I plan to keep it that way. Till this day, every time I hear lightning I can just see a smoking clump of fur tumbling out of the tree. I have never felt the same way I did that day for years, crushed. Until yesterday…
"Looka me! I'm Michelle Kwan!"
Tyson skates by me, trying to do a fancy one-legged manoeuvre that wouldn't look as graceless as it does if it weren't for the fact that Tyson doesn't possess anything remotely graceful by nature. The fluffy pillow he has tied with a piece of rope on his butt for padding isn't doing much to enhance his self-proclaimed title of King of the Ice. He had notified Tala before setting out that he was taking said title for the next hour, but had assured Tala that the honour of being second best was still his. The redhead responded by wrapping the rope around his neck and if it hadn't been for the intervention of our jocks, Michael and Rick, Tyson would be as cold as the ice we just happen to be on.
Hillary. That's all you need to know as to what possessed us to be outside on Christmas Eve. After breakfast she had rounded us all, the guys, up, shoved rented skates into our arms and demanded we leave the dojo and stay away for the rest of the morning until lunch. She and the girls, excluding Nag Nag, who refuses to do labour and instead hired a cleaner on her behalf, are currently undertaking a major cleaning operation back at Tyson's place and since she knew that the guys would only get in the way, she ordered us to leave the premise under pain of…pain. Severe pain. And so we're now on a frozen lake after having walked almost twenty minutes to the park. With the exception of a handful of the other people, we're the only ones here. Who would have ever thought that people actually stayed home on Christmas Eve? At least those skating about are of the older generation. No fan girls. A good thing since I wouldn't be able to make a fast getaway on these skates.
I'm barely standing as it is and have so far covered a record-breaking distance of twenty meters. By the way, we've been here almost two hours. Of course, I am keeping close to the iron fence that runs along the lake, using it as support. Support? More like a lifeline. Felines don't like water, fluid or solid. I hate skating. I hate it with a passion. There's only one reason why I didn't offer to help at the dojo, since I don't mind cleaning and would have happily stayed behind where it was nice and warm. 'Was nice and warm' is the key part here. The dojo had been like a second home to me, until Hillary invited the entire Woodstock over, including That. Since That is one of the girls who is helping with cleaning I made good of Hillary's offer and came with the others. I have never skated in my life. I'm not even skating now, unless you consider keeping a death grip on icy bars and slowly pulling yourself forward while your knees are close to buckling as skating. Whatever it is called, that's what I'm doing.
"You okay there, pal?"
I jump, a stupid choice of action since my feet slide out from under me and I almost do the split. Not that I can't, but falling on a hard surface uncontrollably with your legs apart is very painful, especially for a guy. Digging the blades into the ice, I stop midway and steadying myself I glare up at Lee who raises his hands in a peaceful gesture. He can skate just as well as I can, but he sprained his ankle during yesterday's stampede to escape the springs before Papa G showed up and is now walking around with a crutch. Yesterday…
"I was before you fell out of the sky and startled me," I grumble, pulling myself up. "And you know I can't skate."
"Not that the visual aid isn't amusing," he chuckles but contains himself quickly when I scowl. "See? That's what I'm talking about. You've been very tense and snappish since yesterday. What's wrong?"
Everything in this goddamn infestation of my existence. Not that you would understand what I am going through since I will never be able to talk to you about it, pal.
"It's none of your business," I say and begin to drag myself away but Lee follows, safely walking on the snowy edge on the other side of the railing though it isn't an easy task with his one injured leg.
"So there is something."
"So what's it to you?"
"What's it to me? I'm your best friend, Ray! If something wrong I worry. It's not like you to be so down, especially around Christmas. You used to write home about how great Christmas is and how we should come celebrate it sometime here in Japan but ever since we came you've been…different."
I hold back a bark of ironic laugher. Different, huh? You couldn't have chosen a more fitting word.
"I have a lot on my mind," I say, having the feeling that I've told him this before. "Stuff I just need to think about a lot."
"Like what?"
"Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayy! Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllpppp!"
We both pause as Tyson passes us by once again, arms flailing about as he seems to have lost control. He never had any control to begin with, but now he seems to have just realized that and is panicking. Max, a far more decent skater, comes to the rescue just before the dragon collides with the fence several meter ahead of us. Laughing, the blonde grabs him by the arm and drags him back to the centre of the frozen body of water.
"Just stuff."
"Is it Kai?" Lee suddenly says out of the blue.
I don't know whether to react to his words or to the sudden pain in my chest. I pretend to slip a bit and pause, gripping the railings so tightly that I can feel the cold through my thick gloves. Was Lee just guessing or did he know? Is that what the 'different' remark mean a while ago? How did he find out?
"I mean, ever since he separated you and Mariah I've been a bit ticked at him for meddling with your love life. Is he giving you a hard time? He used to be pretty hard on you during the tournaments, like that time when Drigger left you during the Asian championships, and I don't think that he's changed much. Especially since those two friends of his are here too. Man, why did Hillary invite them? No one likes them and they don't like anyone. They don't even like each other! Buddha knows where Bryan is and Tala's been even more silent and aloof than usual. Have they been ganging up on you?"
I stare at him with mixed feelings. The subject is way too soon for me to approach, but I am relieved that he has misinterpreted my feelings. Little comfort, though, that my best friend doesn't even know me that well to understand my behaviour and that he has drawn such a farfetched suspicion.
"It's nothing like that," I mutter, shaking my head.
"Fine, but Kai does have something to do with it, right?"
"Lee, I'm really not in the mood for this. I just want some time to think."
"You've been doing that the entire time. Can't you just leave those thoughts alone for one moment and just relax? Mariah's worried about you; she's afraid that she's doing something wrong and that your losing interest in her."
About time.
Lee tenses, eyes narrowing.
"What?"
Yes, I have still to master the divine art of separating my thoughts from my speech. Wonder if I can make a get away after kicking his crutch from under him. Highly unlikely since I can only go about a quarter mile per hour on these skates.
"What did you say?" he insists, leaning over the railing to give me a rather hard look.
Cornering me is not the best thing to do right now. Don't make me do this, Lee. Back off.
"I want to be alone."
"That's not what you said."
"That's what I'm saying now. Just…go away."
"Ray, what did you say about my little sister?"
I don't answer, continuing my clumsy trek along the fencing. A hand grabs mine. My eyes narrow. Lee, as your best friend, leave me the hell alone. I am not in the mood for your stubbornness. I don't want to say or do something that may ruin our friendship, but you are pushing my patience.
"Answer me, Ray! What are you hiding from me?" he hisses. "I know Mariah can be a little overbearing at times but she loves you deeply, and quite frankly, since our arrival I've had the impression that you aren't as pleased as she. What are you playing at?"
"Playing?" I ask, my hackles rising. "Playing? Do you think that I am playing anything, Lee? Do you think that I see life as one big game? I am currently up to my neck in problems and am going through a hard time and need some support but all you care about is Mariah's silly crush on me!"
"Silly crush! How dare you call my sister's devotion to you a silly crush! Are you leading her on, Ray? Is that what all this is about! Have you been spending all this time mocking her love!"
"Don't flatter yourselves."
One simple sentence. This time I'm aware that I meant to say it out loud, but I can't understand why. Why am I willing to say anything to get away from the guy who is practically my brother? How is it that I am currently fighting the urge to let him have it, both verbally and physically, for pressuring me like this? That's not me. Ray Kon doesn't think things like that. I haven't felt this way for…three years. The temptation to lash out at those who irritate or corner me is something the old Ray Kon, the pre-Bladebreakers Ray Kon, would do. The person I have been for the past three years, the one who was born and thrived on unrequited love, has been waning since yesterday, but I didn't notice that I was reverting back to my old self. What does it mean? Have I truly given up all hope? Is my love dying? Wilting away…?
He gnashes his teeth, pupils slitting. We're both limited to physical contact, him with his wonky ankle and me on skates, but he looks like he's seriously considering using that crutch to wipe me off my feet, and not in the romantic sort of way.
"I don't know what has gotten in to you, Ray, but if you break Mariah's heart then I'll--"
"What's going on here?" Hiro asks, skating over from where he had escorted Tyson off the ice to ensure everyone's safety, drawn by our raising voices. Stopping before us, he eyes the both of us critically.
"Ask him," Lee scowls, roughly jerking his head towards me. "I guess he's too advance for a simpleton like his best friend."
Giving me a betrayed and disgusted look, he hobbles off.
I look away angrily but I feel terribly guilty for having acted that way. Lee…I want to tell him everything. I want to be able to sit down and pour out my heart and fears and anguish to him. I want him to comfort and give me one of his dreadfully dull speeches to boost my confidence, then laugh with him after waking up from the speech-induced sleep. I don't want to lose another companion.
"Come on," Hiro says softly, taking me by the arm and before I can protest he leads me onto the wide, open ice. I latch on, my frustration taken over by fright as my faithful fence grows farther and farther away. He's comfortable on the ice, even with me as a practical dead-weight on his arm, and steers us away from the rest, who are having some racing competition, with very little chances of success since only a few of us actually know how to skate without the use of pillow padding or waving our arms about as if trying to fly. Six of us, actually: Hiro, Brooklyn, Max, Michael, Tala and…and…
"I've never seen you and Lee argue before. What's wrong?" Hiro enquires, slowly skating with no particular route in mind, mainly avoiding the others.
"He's just worried about me. Or…he was. I lost my temper and said some things that would have been best left unsaid. About Mariah."
He winces, understanding the gravity of my words. Everyone knew how protective Lee is of her. Lord knows why. That can fend for herself well enough. She used to beat up Lee when we were younger. Now she just whines and pinches him. Not someone I'd be willing to give up my best friend for.
"I know you are hurting, Ray, but you should never take it out on others, especially your friends."
Of course, that very advice ticks me off a bit.
"What do you know about hurting? You've never been turned down! You've never been told to your face by the love of your life that he'd screw you but can never love you!"
Snappish as they are, we both know my words are true. Hiro opens his mouth, another sound advice no doubt on his lips, but he closes it without saying a word. Despite it all, I still like this guy. He knows when to talk and when to let me drown myself in my puddles of despair. We skate around for a bit. Alright, so he skates and tugs me along for a bit. It isn't until a few minutes later that he speaks again.
"You don't have to answer this, but…how's Kai going about this?"
"…About what?"
"Is he avoiding you? Or is he angry or uncertain around you? Or…what?"
I shove my hands in my pockets, since I don't need them. Hiro has enough on-ice balancing skills to keep us both upright.
"He doesn't seem to be the worse for wear," I mumble.
And that hurts, because I feel that he doesn't grasp just how much this is hurting me. I get the impression from his behaviour that he thought me…I don't know what he thinks of me. We past each other a number of times today in the dojo and he treated me no different than before. He gave me his usual good morning nod as well as handed me some gift labels that Hillary had given out. Every time we meet he's the same Kai he's always been, though he has noticed my far less than amiable attitude. This guy has broken my heart, and he doesn't even have the decency to look upon me with sympathy or even regret. It's like it never happened to him. I made a pass at him, he turned me down, life goes on. That's how he sees it, I know.
"Then perhaps you should get over it too, as hard as it may seem."
"But I still love him," I determine, despite my reversal to my former self. "I still want to be with him. I still want…I hope that…"
Hiro suddenly stops, almost making me tumble over forward. Gripping his shoulder, I frown at him at his less than pleasant technique but he's staring straight ahead with an emotionless expression. I follow his gaze and my hand tightens on his shoulder.
Fate, whom I have now come to accept as a constant threat, much like That, is up to her old tricks for who's coming from the opposite direction but Kai himself, accompanied by his friend in mourning. Again, the absence of the third Russian is terribly noticeable. Despite that the police are searching as we skate, and have been doing so for more than a day, Bryan remains missing. And aside from having nearly hung and quartered Tyson earlier, Tala is barely recognizable. Physically he hasn't changed, but I have not heard him utter a single insult all day. He just follows Kai around now like a lost puppy. Hailing from the country of bitter snow and ice, they are undoubtedly the best skaters on the ice. They move with the same fluency as when they walk. Neither are doing any spectacular tricks but just watching them glide closer, almost synchronized, with no conscious effort tells all. Tala's arms are folded across his chest, something he has been doing a lot lately. Kai's hands are buried in the pockets of his jacket. The former has his eyes downcast, listening to Kai who's talking, red eyes fixed on his former captain. Neither notice us until they are but a few feet away.
Actually, only Kai looks up. Like before, he doesn't show any sign of yesterday's disastrous make-out session. He passes right alongside me and merely nods in greeting like he always does. Hiro glares slightly at that and Kai returns it evenly but since he's on the move it lasts but a couple of seconds. Tala never looked away from the ice once and I'm not sure if he's simply ignoring us, as always, or just too preoccupied to care. I look over my shoulder just as they smoothly turn around the small island of sand, rocks and now bare trees, one of the many cluttering the lake's otherwise smooth surface.
I release a heavy breath and return my gaze to the front, indecision and pain evident in my features.
"It's almost lunch time," Hiro says, checking his watch after a few moments of silence. "We'd better round up the troops and head back before grandpa begins raving about us missing his home cooked speciality."
I have no choice but to let him tow me along.
Tiger was a great pet. I only had him for little over a year, but having him around me 24/7 made me really attached to him. I could do and say anything and not have to worry about him blabbing it to others. Plus he gave Mariah a lot of scratches. He really hated her, I now realize. Animals have keener senses so he must have detected the evilness within her. Tiger had taught me one thing though: responsibility. If I had been a more responsible pet owner I would have taken him from Mariah despite her protest and carry him to safety.
Speaking of responsibility, it's time to feed It so I might as well get off my moping butt and do it; the last thing I need right now is the guilty conscious of having starved a friend's Christmas present.
I've been laying on my bed ever since lunch, which was an hour ago. Lee is not talking to me, Mariah glomped me twice so far and it's chaos downstairs as decorating and cleaning is still going on. Hiro got me off the hook by telling the others that I have a headache. He then came up with a very creative excuse to prevent Mariah from nursing me back to health. The guy should become a lawyer: he can sweet talk, lie and divert from the issue like the best of them. Not even Johnnie Cochran could beat him in a court case. Away from the all, in the sanctuary of my room, which looks different for some reason, I had collapsed on my bed, emotionally exhausted. My ankles and knees aren't too happy with my escapades on the ice, either. My only saving grace is that I wasn't the only one looking like a total fool on the ice, though I don't like that smug look that six year old gave me when she effortlessly skated past me as Hiro tugged me along. If I had been more balanced I would have tripped her.
I sigh and get to my feet. Honestly, my room is a bit off... Oh well, I'm probably slipping. That's exactly the type of thing I've come to expect now. At least I still have It, or until I have to hand it over to Brooklyn tomorrow. It's no Tiger, but I might as well talk to something. And if a one-eyed, legless clump of fur called It doesn't qualify as something then I'll just have to create a second being in my mind and admit myself to a nuthouse where the two of us can spend the rest of my life talking. Right, now I really need to talk to It.
Pulling the closet door open, I blink at the sight of all my clothes. Well, 'all' sounds like a lot and I don't really own a lot, but they are, in any case, neatly hanging. All my socks have been sorted and stowed away as well as my underwear. Am I really beginning to lose it so soon? Doesn't depression-induced paranoia usually take a couple of days to fully sink in? I don't remember cleaning my room and given the state of Lee's room back home I highly doubt that he's suddenly developed a heated knack for housekeeping. Besides, he's been downstairs the entire time.
I have been rejected by the love of my life; why do I give a freakin' toot if I actually have matching pairs of socks now? All I want to do is feed It, make small talk and then return to my fetal position on my bed. I can manage that.
Kneeling, I pull out the cardboard box, wondering if I should hand It to Brooklyn in the box or if I should just take it out and carry it downstairs when it's my turn. It would make for a bigger surprise if he pulls It out; I'm hoping for a big scare for the rest. Maybe I should wrap the box and make it look a bit more presentable. But I don't want to risk suffocating It and poking holes into the paper would make it all too obvious. Maybe if I put a big red bow on it's head…If only I knew where that is. I'll just put a bow right in the middle and Brooklyn will get the idea that this is indeed a present to him, not the old feather duster Papa G has been looking for all morning. I can't help noticing that the box is considerably lighter as I carry it back to my bed. Is It ill? I put the box down on my bed. Taking a seat, I open the flaps and look in.
Hmm, It is looking a bit green. I think it is ill. After all, having a green shade is usually a sign of bad health and…Hold on. Green? I am no vet, but fur doesn't turn green. Especially not bright neon green with stripes. What the hell is this new thing and what did it do with It? After a few more seconds of staring down at it, waiting for it to move, which it doesn't, I almost believe that it really is It. Aside from being green, it's fuzzy, it's not moving and it has no recognizable features; very It-like qualities. Except for the ears…Now I know something is wrong. Brooklyn's It doesn't have visible ears. Finally, my brain kicks in and tells me to take it out for a closer examination. The fur feels coarse against my fingers as I gripped it, nothing like the original It's downy soft pelt. This feels like that disgusting imitation stuff they line those bargain jackets with. If I didn't know any better I'd say that this is actually…
A pair of fuzzy green tiger house slippers?
Unless our It has the secret ability to change shapes (Lee would never step foot inside this room if this is true), I am really sitting here, on Christmas Eve, with tacky foot wear and no present. Has It escaped? That stupid fur ball has never shown any particular interest in relocating itself so the idea of It climbing out of the box and making a run for it is rather dubious. And unless It purposefully planted these slippers in its place to distract me I am thinking that some outer force is to blame. There's no time to think of that now; I have to find It!
But, how does one go about finding a rabbit? Dogs, you whistle or call. Cats, you beckon with making 'here kitty-kitty-kitty' noises. Rabbits, however, aren't known for their obedience. They don't even have a sound of their own! Starting from my bed, I begin crawling around on all fours, looking under my bed and dresser. I find Kenny's notepad, one of Lee's shoes and some receipt from some place called Ding-Dong. How did that get there? Rummaging for fifteen minutes, I have checked ever single spot in my room but It is not here.
Oh crap! What if It has escaped my room and is currently somewhere in the house? If It crosses anyone's path then I'll have to give Brooklyn a furry rug for Christmas. Of all the days It had to learn to walk, why today? It must have known that I am in an unfocused mood. It probably stayed awake at night in its box in the closet while Lee and I slept, planning and mapping out its escape as it chewed on the celery…Right, Ray. Now let's slowly come back to reality, and a helpful thing called common sense, and maybe we'll actually get somewhere. It isn't in the box or my room. I had checked up on it this morning and it had been in there, as furry and brown as every other day. So It hasn't been gone for more than three hours. Bunnies aren't that fast, are they? No they're not, and Tyson isn't really a food whore. I'd better get moving.
Still gripping the slippers, I dash out of my room. What if It some how got into one of the other's room? Known fact: people tend to act far more aggressive to strange things if those strange things are in their bedrooms. Even worse, what if It has gone into hiding and emerges tonight and wakes someone sleeping on the floor? Finding a rolling ball of wild fur right by your face is bound to bring out your natural instinct to kill it before it kills you. In that case, I hope that Kenny's the one to find It tonight; his scream can wake the dead and he's too much of a coward to actually try to defend himself. If I stay up tonight and wait I may be able to then run into the room, snatch It and escape before Tyson or Miguel even now what hit them, other than Kenny's girly shrieks. For now I walk down the hall, peeking into rooms, hoping against hope that It will be sitting in plain sight in the middle of the room and still breathing. I can't fight down the urge to call out softly.
"It!" I whisper, pushing the door to Max's room further open. "It? Where are you?"
I'm not expecting it to answer, and I don't get one, but at least I feel like I'm doing something! Where could It have gone off to? It could have sprouted wings from under all that fur and took off into outer space; you never can tell with these exotic species. After peeking in all the rooms in the hall, I feel my stomach knot as I look hesitantly at the only door that I have not yet opened. His room. Up until yesterday I would have been ecstatic to have an excuse to venture in, but now I'm trying to convince myself that even if It is in there it's better to write it off as lost and give Brooklyn one of Mariah's gifts in secret. But still…I can torture myself so much sometimes. At least positive that the room is empty, I take a deep breath and turn the handle. All is dark inside, as I expected. Tala has been having so many angsty moments in there I don't think that this room has seen the light of day for some time now. But he's currently outside, angsting off somewhere in the snow. Bryan is being tracked via satellite. Kai is…He's just not here.
"It!" I call, trying to adjust to the dark. "It, if you're in here you are in big trouble, do you hear me?"
I can make out the usual furniture as well as a couple of travel bags I identify as belonging to the quarreling Russians laying on the floor next to two rolled up sleeping bags. I actually blink when I notice some wrapped parcels next to Kai's bed. Presents. Wow, they've actually bought something? Well, they are participating in the Secret Santa bonanza, but it's still strange to see all those brightly colored packages with ribbons, yes ribbons, in here. A couple of boxes aren't wrapped but it's too dark to make out what is written on them. But there's no sign of It.
Defeated on this floor, I close the door and quickly make my way downstairs, back into the chaos. People are walking all over the place, some asking me how I'm feeling as I look about. All these sounds might have scared It off. The others are carrying boxes, gifts, trays, decorations; no one is paying attention to what they might step on as they go about. It wouldn't have survived very long down here.
"Hey, Ray," Monica says, passing by while carrying a bundle of folded table cloths. "Feeling better? Mariah wants to see you."
Newsflash.
"Tell her I'm kinda busy," I say, still scanning the hall as discreetly as possible. "Say, Monica..."
"Yes?"
By the way, I have now determined that Monica and Mathilda are the only two sanely normal girls in the place. Mariah's all over me like a bad case of rash; Hillary is now even bossier than ever (I can hear her screaming at someone somewhere in the house); Emily can be too much of a know-it-all show off; and Nag Nag is seeking to use her global fame to take over the world and throw anyone who commits indecent wardrobe exposure in prison, beginning with Papa G. Not that I'm against that one, though. Monica and Mathilda are the only girls with whom one can have a conversation with for more than ten minutes without considering shipping them off to Timbuktu.
"Have you seen anything…out of the ordinary lately?"
"In this place? A lot," she laughs. Her eyes lower to my hand. "Oh! You've found Mariah's present! Do you like them?"
"I'm really pressed for time here, Monica. I need…Mariah's present?"
"She cleaned your room for you," she beams brightly. "You looked so down today that she decided to do something nice for you so when you went out she cleaned your room."…Monica, I am praying you're not about to say what I think you will. "She even went into your closet and did all your laundry and sorted everything out. That was so sweet of her. She really likes you. Didn't you…Ray?"
I'm already marching to the kitchen, bright fluffy slippers swinging from my trembling fists, my pupils nothing but mere slits, something I rarely do since holding them like that for too long is terribly painful, contrary to popular belief that it's all natural. You'd be surprised by the diversity of pain killers we have back at the village. Messing around with our ability to narrow our pupils can bring on some nasty migraines. But I am (just barely) still alive with a broken heart; a headache is nothing compared to the ripped flesh within my chest. Disturbing image, I must admit. Nonetheless, Rick backs off when I step into the hectic kitchen, abandoning the dough he had been trying to kneed, his hands held up as if to ward me off. I, however, am focused on the pink twat (word used here in a none-offensive manner, though feel free to interpret it either way) who is currently scolding Mystel for having eaten all the chocolate chips. Along with all the girls, Rick and Mystel Brooklyn, Hiro, and Lee are also present. Hiro is mainly keeping an eye on the rest, drinking his fourth or fifth cup of coffee, as they attempt to bake cookies, but he frowns at my close-to rabid expression and at the green slippers in my hand.
"Ray-Ray!" Mariah squeals when she sees me, shoving the a full bowl into Mystel's chest, spilling half of the contents on him, and bounces over. "I'm glad to see that you're feeling better? I was--"
I silence her by holding up the god-awful slippers. Everyone is now watching us. Her smile widens even more.
"Aren't they cute? I went out and bought them today with the rest of my money," she says proudly. "I figured you needed a new pair. Those old ones were just horrible!"
"What old ones?"
"I found these really old brown ones in that box you keep in the closet. I didn't even dare touch it! Gosh, it just looked like one solid mass! Ha ha. You should have told me you needed new house slippers."
Hiro and, despite our earlier spat, even Lee are beginning to adopt my wary expression.
"And what did you do with the old ones?" I ask slowly, barely keeping myself under control.
"Oh, I threw them away."
Hiro spits coffee all over the counter and Lee drops the tray of eggs he had been holding with one hand. The tiger slippers fall from my limp hand. She didn't…! She couldn't…! She…She…You have got to be freakin' kidding me! What is it with this woman and little animals?
"You WHAT?"
She jumps back at my unexpected outburst.
"I-I threw them a-away. I took the box outside and just emptied it in the dumpster."
I'm going to faint. No, I'm going to throw up. No, I'm going to…kill her!
"Are you sure, Mariah?" Hiro intervenes, having composed himself and now wisely grabs me by the shoulders since he's picked up the murderous light in my eyes.
"Yeah." She looks affronted. "You don't have to overact like this, Ray-Ray. Those slipper were really ugly. I never saw them before. Did you get them as a present. It was so furry and blah…Probably Russian. I bet it was one of Kai's old presents, wasn't it?"
Brooklyn grabs me by my other arm and together he and Hiro manage to drag me out of the kitchen, though I put up quite a bit of resistance, leaving Mariah with a confused expression as Lee, having limped over, lectures her about going into peoples' rooms and throwing away their personal belongings. He probably won't admit it, but I do believe that he has come to like It. I am hauled all the way into the living room, which is empty, and finally released. I spin around, pacing and cursing beneath my breath as I try to control the urge to break something, like Mariah's neck. That stupid, obsessed, obnoxious, inconsiderate, heartless bitch! I'm sorry, I've never been this harsh against her but she just keeps pushing the wrong buttons. I can't take it anymore! First she throws It out with the rest of the trash and then she just had to bring up Kai at the worst possible moment. And let's not forget that she's been plaguing me for the majority of my life. Hiro and Brooklyn are watching me, standing in the doorway to prevent me from running back into the kitchen and attacking Mariah with an egg beater. I can now hear her screaming at Lee for trying to smother our burning fire. Give me a can of gasoline and some matches and I'll show you burning, you little…
"I'm sure she did it with good intent, Ray," Brooklyn says, picking up the very heavy candleholder that I'm eyeing and hiding it behind his back before it becomes a murder weapon. "Were those slippers valuable to you?"
I could just come clean and tell him that Mariah has sentenced a totally harmless, peaceful creature of the forest to its death in the dump where it will be crushed and burned to ashes, and then step back and let him freak out a la King of Darkness on her for harming one of nature's gentles creature, but having a swirling vortex of shadows and doom looming above Japan end destroying the city will kinda ruin the holiday for everyone, wouldn't it? I'd be known as The Guy Who Sucked Up Christmas.
"I think you should go back and try help calm down Mariah," Hiro opts, his voice barely audible above the banshee's screeching, which is now attracting everyone to the kitchen. "They sound like they need your help in there."
Brooklyn nods, but takes the iron fire poker with him as well since I have been inching towards it. Damn. How inconspicuous would it look if I tried to sneak up on Mariah with that axe Papa G keeps in the shed? I had hoped to use it first on Woody, but right now That has outdone our evil tree and the honor should go to her first.
My ears perk as my fine-tuned hearing picks up a sound coming from outside and my mind immediately returns to a more important matter. Is that what I think it is? It sounds like a…an engine of a large vehicle…Holy--!
Hiro, probably thinking that I'm trying to outmaneuver him to get to Mariah, runs after me after I break out into an all out sprint, speeding down the hall but instead of branching into the kitchen I keep going towards the front yard, aiming for the street. Now that we are away from the ruckus Hiro hears it as well and cursing he picks up speed. We burst through the dojo's gateway at the same time and are just in time to see the front loader garbage truck tip the large dumpster, the one Mariah had referred to, into its back, the sound of glass and heavy items crunching as they land. The garbage man waves to us and wishes us a merry Christmas. The heaver lowers in the back and scrapes the trash together, the different discarded elements grinding and cracking together grossly. I feel sick to my stomach.
Moaning and covering my mouth, I sink into the snow, trying to keep down lunch. I'm not so upset that this means that Brooklyn now has no present for Christmas from his Secret Santa, but the idea of It in all that trash, its little body squashed and sliced to bits…It's fluffy lump of a body that would passively sit in our laps as we pet it…It's funny way of scaring Lee when it wasn't even trying to…Just…
"Wait!" I shout, making a dash for after the truck without giving my options much thought.
It's not easy running on snow and ice and I have quite a number of near falls. Luckily, I notice that another dumpster about a block away. I have a chance on catching up with it, but…What can I do? There's no way that It can still be uninjured, let alone alive. Still, I feel in incentive to do something, anything to help It. I don't want to feel the same way I did after Tiger got fried. Almost there. All I have to do is cross the street and I'll…
"Ray! Wait!"
I stop midway crossing, glad that there's no traffic, and turn to find Hiro, who is still a bit back, waving at me and pointing to the ground.
"What?" I shout back, afraid that the truck, which has indeed stopped to pick up the dumpster, may soon begin driving again. I don't know how much running I can do on such slippery and dangerous surface. At least the road is ice and snow free.
"Tracks!" he shouts, still pointing. "Animal tracks in the snow around the dumpster!"
"What?" I call back, unable to hear him fully due to the sound of the motors. Motors…?
"It is not in the dumpster!" he hollers. "I see rabbit tracks in the snow and…"
I can't hear the rest, but I can hear the sudden blare of a horn. I look over my shoulder and to my least bit of delight I find myself staring at the ever approaching front grille of a semi-trailer as it nears me, the driver just as surprised to see me as I am him. Where the hell did that thing come from? Most likely a side street. And now it's barreling towards me at a speed that would have gotten this guy several tickets if the police ever caught him. It's but a couple of meters away and…I can't move! Crap! It's like I'm glued on the spot! Come on, legs! Move! Run! Jump! Do something! Another deafening blare sounds and I can hear the driver slam on the brakes but his momentum is too great and his reaction time too short.
So is this it? Has Fate finally grown bored with me? Has she decided that it's my time to go? She toyed with me and proved to me that there really isn't anything worth living when one has a broken heart. I suppose this is for the best, right? What do I have to win? Nothing. What do I have to lose? Still nothing. The days will go by and I will return to China to be married off to Mariah and spend the rest of my life with the painful memory and dream of how nice it would have been if Kai had just said yes. For once, I agree with Fate. It's not worth it…
Hiro, having spotted the truck, is running towards me as fast as he can but he still seems so far away. He shouts my name in horror but I can't hear him as I am assaulted once more with the force of the horn bellowing but a meter away from me. I can see the debris in the grille and can smell the stench of the wheels burning on the road. Why isn't my life flashing before my eyes? Is it not even worth a final glance?
My body is suddenly propelled forward as something slams into me from the back, knocking me off my feet. My breath leaves me in a sharp cry and I almost feel my neck snap at the force. Everything happens so fast that before I am even aware that I am airborne I feel myself land on the cold, snowy pavement of the sidewalk. I hear the truck roar past, the heavy tires now smoking. The sound is so deafening that I cover my ears and close my eyes. Not having hit me, and not eager to get into trouble with the law, the trucker hits the gas pedal and speeds off. The shock of what has just happened, that I had basically been as good as dead, catches up to me and I feel like I'm blacking out.
"Ray!"
Hiro falls to his knees before me, forcing me to sit up by taking me by the shoulders.
"How could you be so careless? Have you lost your mind? If you can't cross the street on your own then wait until there's an adult around! You almost died!"
His words are harsh, but I can tell that he's more shaken than angry at what has just transpired. He pulls me into a hug, contradicting his outburst. I can feel the fine trembling of his body. Wait…Nope, that's my body shivering. I think I really am in shock. I almost freakin' died! One second longer and I would have been no better off than It!
Running a shaking hand through my hair to get it out of my face, I do a few calculations, despite my scrambled thoughts. Hiro was running towards me while I was facing him, and he's here now, but something had pushed me from the back. Meaning that my savior wasn't Hiro. And I had heard something hit the pavement with me.
"You okay, Kai?"
Hiro's question stuns me and I whip around so fast that I would have fallen down, had I not already been seated on the ground. Fate, Fate, Fate. I think this is the cruelest thing that that old hag has ever done to me. Of course, the person I now owe my life to is Kai, who is sitting but a foot away from me. He has taken his long scarf off for some reason and has wrapped it around his arm. It's smeared red and a large stain of the stuff is growing where he's holding it tightly against his skin.
"Kai!" I gasp, forgetting everything momentarily. I can now see the bloodied gash, which he must have somehow acquired when he struck the pavement.
"Nothing's broken," he says calmly as if he isn't losing one fourth of his blood. Undeterred, he looks at me. "You?"
"Me? Me!" I shout. I know that I will have a fair number of bruises before nightfall, but considering the alternative, and the price Kai paid for it, I'm just dandy. "You saved me! I…I…You're hurt! You need to see a doctor."
A shadow falls on the snow between us and we all turn to find Tala, whom must have been in Kai's company before he made the daring lunge to shove me out of death's way. He has crossed the street, with no trouble, and is now eyeing his friend's injury with the first sign of emotion that any of us have seen in days. I, however, am eyeing the thing he's holding in his hands that starkly contrasts with his all-white coat.
"It!" I gasp. I hear Hiro release a loud sigh of relief.
Safe and sound, if not a bit dusty, It is safely cradled in Tala's arms. With it's fur now matted and tangled It is even more indiscernible than ever and I can't believe that the redhead is willingly holding it. Though he isn't dangling it away from him, I think that Tala's wondering the same thing. The only plausible answer is that It must have been in Kai's possession before being thrust into Tala's arms when he jumped to my rescue.
"Found it a couple of blocks down," Kai says, getting to his feet and brushing the snow off of him with his good hand, his other arm kept close to his body. He gives us both a questioning look.
"Mariah accidentally threw it out," Hiro explains, helping me up. "We though that it got carried off in the dump truck."
Kai rolls his eyes but I notice the wince as he moves his arm. It's really messed up.
"Ray," Hiro says, taking authority. "Take It and go back to the dojo. I'll take Kai to the hospital with the car."
"I can take a cab," Kai argues, looking at Hiro suspiciously.
"I insist. No cab is going to pick you up and risk you bleeding all over their interior. Come on. I can get you there faster. Unless you want to go back to the dojo and have everyone see you in this state. Grandpa has a knack for trying to heal things 'the old fashion way'."
None of us like the sound of that, especially Kai. We, the Bladebreakers, all know how well his healing skills are. He once claimed to have the perfect cure for Kenny's hiccups. Our residential genius, who didn't appear so bright by accepting the bubbling cup of unknown gunk from the senior, had spent the next two days with his head in the toilet bowl.
Tala, still holding It, says something in Russian but Kai shakes his head and answers. The redhead frowns softly, but nods.
"You sure you're okay?" Kai asks me.
A tone that sounds detached but with recognition. Just like always. Like nothing had ever happened between the two of us.
"I just need a hot bath and some dry clothes," I answer softly, averting my eyes.
Now I am really hurting. Not physically, mind you. I can be pretty though. My past match with Bryan proves that. I love him (Kai, not Bryan), but he turned me flat down, but he still sees me as a friend. I should be happy. I should be grateful that I didn't scare him off. I can't help it. His caring only makes me hurt more. How can he act like this after yesterday?
A brief silence follows. Kai shakes his head dismissively.
"Are we going or not?" he asks Hiro who pulls the keys from his jacket's pocket.
"Let's. Get inside before you catch a cold. The both of you."
It isn't until I am watching them walk away that I realized that I am not alone. Tala, still holding It, is watching his friend with an unreadable expression next to me. I look back and we remain like that until the car, which had been parked on the street opposite the dojo, pulls away and rolls down the road. When it turns a corner and disappears from sight we both blink as if coming out of a trance. I warily turn to Tala. Alone again with him. Would he attack a guy who is recovering from near-death?
"I can take It," I offer, holding out my hands.
He obliges and simply places It in my waiting hands. The absence of pain when our hands briefly touch surprises me. Other than dirty, It's in good shape, if not a bit cold. I don't feel any broken bones, despite it having fallen quite some distance after climbing out of the dumpster. It's a lot smarter than the average rabbit. Opening my jacket, I gently stuff It inside and zip it back up. There's more than enough room in there and this way I have a better chance of sneaking it back in without anyone seeing it.
"Thanks," I say without much thought, more as a habit. I'm not expecting an answer so I am taken aback when I get one.
"That thing is disgusting."
Okay, a baleful answer, but Tala has acknowledge me. That's got to count for something.
"It's just dirty," I defend It. "It's a lot nicer to hold when clean."
"Perhaps."
Hey, a neutral answer. Of course, I have to keep in account that Tala isn't being himself. But what better time than to take advantage of that and try to get to the bottom of things? As we begin to make our way back, I make sure to keep a half a foot behind him, giving him the impression that he's leading me. Psychological manipulation at it's finest.
"Must have been a surprise to see something like this coming towards you, huh?"
He shrugs.
"It's a good thing you guys were at the right place at the right time. Were you shopping for last minute gifts or looking for something?"
Someone, perhaps?
"None of your business."
Alright, so I can't get through his shield. I can't gather the courage to ask him anything else. He's pretty passive now, but I don't think that I can evade death a second time, especially since Kai isn't here, so I better not push him. Cradling It under my jacket, I allow him to 'lead' me all the way back to the dojo. Wow, I must have been flying; I didn't know that we have strayed so far. It's still strange that no one heard the whole commotion of screams and horns and tires screeching. Mariah's probably still screaming at Lee, which is enough to make anyone within a five mile radius temporarily deaf.
We arrive at the gate but Tala, however, doesn't enter. Instead he continues to walk. Looks like he's not ready to come in yet. Not on his own, anyway.
"Tala?" I call after him.
He looks over his shoulder. Surprises never cease.
"It'll be alright," I say, caught up in the spur of the moment. I didn't even know that we were having a moment, but this is one of those few times when I know that my words are needed. "Just give it time."
He stares at me and I see his shield crack just a bit; his eyes lower slightly. Standing some feet ahead in ankle-deep snow, dressed in his usual all white get-up against a mainly white backdrop he looks so serene that it's hard to believe that he is currently caught up in a feud with his team mate. Without a word, he continues walking but I know he's thinking. I hope that I have offered him some comfort and support. He soon fades into the distance. He is so mysterious. This whole Russian Drama in Japan is. Things just aren't right without living in constant fear. Would you believe that I am actually missing Bryan? My neither, so I'm going to go into denial.
It shifts in my jacket and I decide that it's high time I get inside. Hopefully Mariah has gathered the entire population in the dojo around her so I will be able to sneak up into my room and put It back in it's rightful place. Phew, It really does need a bath, though. Kudos to Tala for having held him for so long. I hope I can get the smell out. I'm sure Nag Nag won't mind me using some of her hundreds of bottles of shampoo and conditioner. Then I'm going to feed it since it must be starving. And then…And…
Kai…
What had gone through Kai's head when he saw me standing in the middle of the street with a semi skidding towards me? Had he acted in panic? Had he simply done it because he was the only one around to do so? Has he saved his team mate or his friend or just an acquaintance? What am I to him? He doesn't treat me any better or worse than usual. Has he blocked yesterday's memory the same way he blocked his past up until a couple of years ago? He isn't interested, that much is clear. But does he see me differently now? Having someone unashamedly throw themselves at you has to alter your opinion on them. Kai is just so good at hiding his thoughts from us that I cannot tell.
And what about me? Do I accept it and remain his friend, if he still views me as one, despite the ache that I know will plague me every time I look at him? I don't know. I don't know what I want. Despite my earlier reflections, I know that I still love him. I'm pathetically devoted. I've loved him secretly for three years and nothing has changed. He doesn't love me, but that doesn't change how I feel for him. He had been honest with me. There can't be a relationship when the love is only one-sided, as Mariah seems hard pressed to ignore.
So that's it then. I will forever love him. Dying isn't that great an option, now that I consider it. At least alive I can still see him. Maybe that's my Fate. It will hurt, but I can still be around him. Maybe, with time, I will heal and I will be able to talk to him. He's still my captain and we're still on the team. We'll travel together, the two of us sitting side-by-side in planes and trains and sharing hotel rooms, sometimes beds. He'll still smirk and quirk a brow at my innate actions and words and will keep me sane when in the company of our friends. And then, when our beyblading years are over and we have to go our separate ways and build a life for ourselves, I will return to China and marry Mariah, as is expected by our elders and Lee. It's inevitable I guess, but at least then I will not live the rest of my life with regret. Kai has put it all behind him, so I should too. From now on, yesterday never happened. I am still in love with him, but I will be satisfied from watching from afar. Only then will I be able to make our few remaining years together on the team an enjoyable one. Yes, I must make pull myself together and make the most of things.
Starting tomorrow, on Christmas day, I will be strong. It's time I took responsibility maturely. Tiger would be proud.
Tbc…
A/N: Had to play down the humor in this chapter since this is supposed to be the emotional part of the story. And damn, this chapter is also over the 10 000 word mark!
Johnnie Cochran (for those who don't know) was the leading defense lawyer in the infamous O.J. Simpson case, who turned the tables on the prosecutors and won the trial in the end. He passed away last year and I mean no disrespect by mentioning of his name in this chapter.
Nearing the end and still no sign of Bryan (Can I drag out the suspense or what?). Lee isn't too pleased. Mariah's making more of a pest of herself than usual. Kai's in need of medical care. What a Christmas this will be!
A solemn vow: The final chapter will be posted on Tuesday the latest. I swear.
Read & Review, please.