Summary: Mariam is considered 'rebellious' but Mariam herself considers it thinking for herself, which everyone says otherwise. What'll happen when someone finally takes her side?

Disclaimer: See previous (but to sum it up; I don't own Beyblade)

"Mariam?"

"Hm?" Mariam looked at him.

Joseph sat down in front of her, crossing his legs. "What did happen with Ozuma?"

"Why'dya wanna know?"

"I wanna know the reason why you're so mean all the time."

Mariam stared at him.

"Joseph…" she started, breathing out a sigh, "I'm mean…because he hurt me."

"I know that…" Joseph sighed dully, "I wanna know how he hurt you."

"I thought you already knew." Mariam blinked.

The boy shook his head. "I just knew something happened with you and Ozuma; I don't know what it was."

Mariam stared at her brother; his eyes were quivering in fear and anticipation, but they still projected a fierce quality, pressuring her to talk.

"Okay, okay, it started kinda like this…" Mariam started, sighing.

Flashback

Mariam and Ozuma were going into a big, dim-lit room. Ozuma slammed the door open and walked forward while Mariam came behind by only a few steps, closing the door gently.

"Ozuma, what was that about!" Mariam yelled.

Ozuma's back was facing her, but he merely gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes. "That, Mariam? That was nothing…I could do way worse."

"You didn't have to hurt him like that!" Mariam shouted back.

"I…He was hitting on you, Mari." Ozuma stated calmly, despite her shouting.

"Ya didn't have to hit him…" Mariam muttered quietly.

Finally, Ozuma turned to face her. "So, everything I worked for…is nothing to you?"

"I didn't say that." Mariam looked away. She shook her head. "It's the opposite…"

"Mari…I," Ozuma started, then looked at her face, "Go ahead…"

"Go where?"

"With Max."

"But he's… just an opponent." Mariam said softly.

"Not anymore, apparently." Ozuma glared.

Mariam's eyes were quivering. "You…you can't do this to me…"

Ozuma didn't respond, besides giving her his back again.

"Ozuma!" Mariam yelled.

His emerald eyes darted around as Mariam kept yelling at him.

"…Ozuma, what is your bloody problem! Ozuma, answer me, dammit!"

His answer; attacking her with Flash Leopard. It spun rapidly around her, until it dug a crevice into the ground, around her feet, also causing the powered up cement to fly around them.

"Ozuma!" Mariam shouted again, the anger vanishing from her voice.

Ozuma backed away into the shadows, but she could see the flash in his eyes; he was shaking his head at her.

Once he backed away far enough so that she couldn't see anything, Flash Leopard flew into the shadows, into Ozuma's hand, Mariam presumed, and she expected them to have vanished.

Mariam shook her head, then opened the door, finding Dunga's ear to the door.

"What are you doing here?" Mariam spat.

"Nothing!" Dunga scurried off.

End of Flashback

"Wait…is that it?" Joseph asked, interrupting her.

Mariam just stared at him. "You don't even get it…"

"You're mean…because Ozuma left you in the dark," the boy inquired, "literally?"

The lavender-haired girl smiled, letting out a small chuckle. "Joe, it's like when I hit you…if it doesn't mean anything, it doesn't matter to you, but…when it does mean everything, like being left alone in the world, then it will matter to you."

Joseph nodded, "I see…but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Ozuma came to me a few months ago…he told me how I was so distant from everything and everything. He told me that…he didn't want me to be distant anymore, then he said that he liked me… I asked him what that had to do with anything. He said he'd stop me from being lonely…" Mariam shook her head.

"And he was the only person I felt that I could…trust and talk to. So when he left me in the dark, I had no one…" Mariam took a glance at her brother, "just like you."

"OH…" Joseph nodded, grinning, "so it's not what he did to you really, it's what it meant that mattered, right?"

"Exactly." Mariam smiled.

"And that's why you got mad at Dunga when he called you 'Mari'."

Mariam dropped the smile. "Yeah."

Joseph smirked, then started skipping around the room. "Mari, Mari, Mari! Mari, Mari, Mari! Mari, Mari, Mar---"

Mariam interrupted his little dance. "Kai in tights." She said flatly.

"Oh God…eww!" Joseph grimaced. "Nasty!" he ran out of the room.

Mariam smirked. "It never fails…"

Kai nodded slowly, "Right…and you had to come here and tell us this, why?"

Dunga shrugged. "Ozuma asked me to."

"Interesting…" Kai nodded, faking interest, "why?"

"Something about Mariam…"

"Well, let's see; your whole story just now was about her." Kai seemed aggravated.

Dunga sighed. "I tried to help, and you blow it back in my face."

Kai fanned the air. "You also blew your breath in my face." He reached into his pocket and drew out a small mint. "Here; you need this way more than I do." Kai shoved the mint into the sandy-haired man's hands.

Dunga growled at the Russian. "You're a bother…" he ate the mint, "just like Mariam."

Rei came over. "Coincidence, isn't it, Kai?"

Kai grunted at the Chinese blader. "Think what you want." He folded his arms over his chest.

The three remained there, still. Dunga was looking back and forth between Kai and Rei, while Rei looked at Kai, and the Russian was glaring down at the grass under their shoes.

The next voice stole their attention. "Kai!"

The three looked over at Joseph, coming up on the hill where they were.

"What do you want, you little br---" Kai began, growling, and then stopped at what was behind Joseph.

Mariam came up, following Joseph. First thing she did was glare at the other Saint Shield. "Dunga, what the hell are you doing?"

Dunga gave her a shy shrug, hoping she wouldn't notice. "Um…"

She stared at him for a while. "Oh my god, you told Kai, didn't you?"

Dunga chuckled uneasily. "Oh um…gotta run!" he ran off the hill.

Rei looked at Joseph, then, from behind Kai, Rei started signaling that they should leave them. Joseph nodded.

"C'mon, Joseph, let's see if Tyson and Max have the Skittles they owe me." Rei started, leading the smaller boy away. "See ya, Kai-ey bo---"

"Don't…even." Kai glared.

Rei just grinned. "Okay, whatever. Let's go, Joe."

Mariam glanced at them, then hearing her brother's voice fading off, "Don't do that, Rei…"

The girl of jaded eyes looked at the slate-haired Russian. "Well, aren't you going to go with them? Leave me alone in my own pity? Let me sit here and wallow on my own?" she fell on her knees.

Kai scoffed and glanced down at her, moving slowly toward her. "You don't seem like the wallowing type," he smirked, looking down at her, "Mari."

"So? I can wallow if I want! I don't need you to keep watching out for me! I knew you thought I was some sad little girl!" Mariam couldn't help but yell at him, for doing nothing but say she was stronger than this.

Kai chuckled at her. She glared up. "What's so funny?"

"You let me call you 'Mari'," he said, smirking, "and Dunga so assured me you hated it."

Mariam bit her lip. "Uh, uh…shut up!"

"Is that your answer for everything? Stutter and yell 'shut up'?"

Mariam shook her head. "Only to you."

"And why's that?"

She shrugged. "I dunno…but you have that affect on me."

"Right…" Kai said uneasily. He turned his head away so she couldn't see his face.

"Whatcha see?" Mariam asked, standing up.

"See?" Kai asked, biting a bit on his lip. "See what?"

Mariam rolled a shrug. "Well, you turned away; did you see something?"

Kai glanced back at her. "No, nothing… 'cept the grass."

"You're fascinated by grass?" Mariam kept from laughing.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, really Mariam, grass is the best thing ever."

Mariam sent him a dull look. "What're you doing?" she asked. Kai crouched down and picked up some of the grass. "Kai, what're you doing?" she asked again, but in a more frightened tone.

Kai stood up, smirking. "This." He threw the bunch of grass at her.

Mariam had her mouth slightly opened. "Kai!" she looked down at herself; there were bits of grass all over her clothes.

"Hn?" he smirked.

"You like grass, huh?" Mariam asked. Kai did nothing but smirk and cross his arms. "I'll give you grass!" she pushed his chest, making harder for him to balance.

"Mariam!" Kai yelled, trying to keep from falling. Mariam just smirked, putting her hands on her hips. "Oh, if I go down, you're coming with me!"

Mariam's eyes widened when Kai's hand grabbed onto her arm. "Ah! Kai, let me go! Ow!"

Kai lost his balance and fell over, taking Mariam with him. They slid a bit, with Kai's back getting some grass stains, then rolled until they reached the bottom.

"Ow…ow…" Kai groaned. And she says I'm heavy… he thought to himself. Mariam ended up on top.

She opened her eyes. "Ah! I'm alive! Oh, I could kiss you!"

"What the…?" Kai asked, looking disturbed.

"Huh?" Mariam asked, realizing it was him. "AH! Get away! Get away, pervert!" she grabbed as much grass as she could and threw it down on him, then got off. She stood up, her fists to her sides.

Mariam was pacing, muttering things to herself. Kai just sat up and smirked, putting an elbow on his upright knee.

"Keep your hands to yourself, little boy!" Mariam yelled at him.

Kai just chuckled, dusting himself off. "You're the one who pushed me."

"You're the one who grabbed me!"

Kai tilted his head to the side slightly. "Did you notice that you get upset very easily?"

"Yes, I did!" she answered quickly.

"Have you always been like that?" he asked.

Mariam stopped pacing at looked at him. "No…it started just very recently."

"So calm and cool's always been your way, huh?"

"Basically." Mariam sighed, sitting down in front of him, crossing her legs.

Kai stared at the grass under his shoe. Mariam was pulling out grass and tying two pieces into a knot, then throwing it over her shoulder.

"Mariam, who would you consider your…friends?"

She looked at him, throwing one more knotted grass piece over her shoulder. "Well, there are people I know, but they're not friends."

"But your…friends?"

Mariam sighed, looking away. "Probably Joseph and Max, I suppose." She looked at the horizon sadly, "and everyone else I just…know."

Kai just nodded and stared at her.

Mariam stood up, "Hey, I'm hungry." she said randomly.

"Huh? Fine, let's go." Kai said, standing up.

Mariam blinked. "You don't have to come, Kai, I'm not a little girl, remember?"

"I know," Kai rolled his eyes, facing away, "the closest place is probably Tyson's…"

"I know my way around, Kai. Ozuma always sent us to spy on people so I think I know my way around." Mariam crossed her arms.

Kai glanced at her. "You said his name…"

"No, I didn't." Mariam denied, shaking her head.

"Yeah, you did, Mariam, don't deny it."

Mariam stared at him for a while. Kai was smirking down at her, to say that he'd won their little feud. His smirk faded when he noticed the hurt and sadness in her eyes. "Mariam, I just…"

"C'mon, we're gonna be late." Mariam finally uttered out.

"Late for what?" Kai asked, wearing a confused look.

Mariam forced a smile. "Food."

"Oh…fine," he crossed his arms, "whatever."

"Okay, you win." Mariam sighed, slamming her hands on the table.

Kai raised a brow. "Win what?"

"You win." Mariam repeated, "I'm not competing with you anymore…you can be Mr. Rebellious and rule whatever, but I quit…you're the king. I'll be the girl who washes the dishes."

"Really?" Kai asked, amused.

"Yeah, I give up." Mariam's head hit the table, "you win, okay?"

"No, I meant about washing the dishes." Kai smirked.

Mariam raised her head. "No, I was joking, you moron."

"Aw, I was gonna have so much fun watching you wash all the dishes." Kai smirked.

"Your dishes, fine. Tyson's dishes, in your dreams." Mariam crossed her arms.

"I heard that!" Tyson yelled from outside.

Mariam smirked. "Too bad!" she yelled.

"That's not very nice." He leaned back in his chair.

"Watch me care, Kai." Mariam said, landing her chin in her palm and resting her elbow on the table.

Tyson's grandfather came walking by their little table.

"Excuse me, sir, but where's our damn food?" Mariam asked, slamming her hands on the table again.

He raised a brow and went over to her. "Aw, Max's girly has attitude. What're you doing with Kai?" he asked, pinching her cheek.

Mariam slapped his hand away. "Sir, you're supposed to be wise… and you have a lot to learn."

Mr. Granger just grunted at her. "I swear, Max picks the strangest little girls…" he said as he walked away.

"I am not Max's girl and I am not little!" she shouted.

Kai chuckled, sipping his water.

"And what are you laughing at, Hiwatari?" Mariam demanded.

The Russian put his glass of water down. "Oh, so we're on a surname basis, are we?"

"Shut up." Mariam grunted.

Tyson's grandfather came back with two plates, setting them in front of the pair. "Here's your damn food, girly." He mumbled to Mariam.

Mariam rolled her eyes. "At long last…I won't die of starvation."

"Oh hahaha." The man said lifelessly.

"Just go and let me eat." Mariam sighed, picking up her fork.

Mr. Granger shook his head, walking away. "I should tell Max to talk some sense into his girlfriend…"

"I'm not his girlfriend! What the hell's wrong with you, old man?"

Tyson, from outside, heard that. "Ooh, did she just call him 'old man'?"

Kenny, Max, Hilary, Rei and Joseph nodded.

"I'm no old man!"

Mariam sighed. "Denial…now go away."

Kai just smirked at her.

Mr. Granger walked away, huffing and muttering things to himself.

Mariam smiled. "Finally!" she started eating, "Oh and Kai?"

"Mm?" Kai looked up from his food at her.

"Joseph wants you to try something." Mariam smirked.

"Huh…what is it, first of all?"

Mariam kept smirking. "The tights from his Romeo and Juliet play."

"Okay, no." Kai shook his head.

Mariam shook her head. "Aw, you'll crush his dreams."

"His or yours, Mariam?" Kai asked slyly.

"His or my what?" Mariam asked.

Kai shook his head again. "Never mind…slow girl."

"I have a name, okay?"

"I know that." Kai smirked, "it's fun getting you mad."

Mariam glared at him. "You're an idiot, y'know that?"

Kai chuckled. "There you go again."

"What?"

"Never mind." Kai smirked.

Okay, so it was 9 pages, but still… And yes, I'm assuming that your reaction to the Mariam/Ozuma thing was the same as Joseph's. Well, in my mind, I had it more complex and longer than that, but I didn't know how to put it in words.

And that thing with Mariam and Kai falling with Mariam then saying "Oh, I could kiss you!" was from Digimon Frontier…Izumi said it to Takuya when they fell, but then, Izumi grabbed Takuya, not the other way around.

And I remember seeing that Tyson's grandfather thought that Mariam was Max's girlfriend in the dub so I had to put that in…

Alright, go review please! (Even though the Mariam/Ozuma thing was weird…meh.)