Chapter 8 Moving on

Tyson had been walking around aimlessly for hours, roaming from store to store. It was a slight attempt to take in everything he had missed when he was gone, but to much time was lost and there was nothing he could do. Japan was just a thing of the past now, and as he walked in and out of the small toruist stores filled with old triditions and new calture, he came to terms with that.

They had arrived in Tokyo early in the morning, every one scattered as soon as the plain landed, excited to get in a ful days worth of exploring before the welcoming BBA banquet that night. Tyson didn't want anything to do with the place at first, but when he realized that every one was gone and he had to go off on his own, he really didn't have much say in the matter.

So he let his feel take him down the side walk, the back of his calves hurt and his stomach felt like it was going to burst from all the food he had eaten. He found it almost erisitable when he would come to a noodle stand or small sea food dinner. He always was a sucker for small buisnesess, and his stomach couldn't say no either. So really, what was stoping him?

The day went by faster than he excpetced, he hated this stupid place more than anything in the world. But it felt like he belonged in Japan, although it was difficult to desifer why exactly that would be. He suposed that it was because he loves Japan and hates Japan more than he can bear.

All the thoughts he had about Hillary, Miyako, his brother and family the prior month were at the back of his mind. He continued to see Miyako, although something inside of him wondered why. She was even flying down when the tournament started, on her daddy's air miles of course.

But Tyson wasn't thinking of Miyako, he wasn't even thinking about Hillary or how much he hated what this place had took part in. As he looked from the giant jumbo screen playing a japanese animation on the screen, and then back into the window that was showing off Japanese suvoniers, he was thinking about how much this place made him feel like he belonged. He didn't understand why it made him feel this way, he just knew it did. And besides, when did anything Tyson ever felt make any sense?

XXX

"This is dumb" mumbled Tyson, attempting to tie his tie. He was having absolutly no luck what so ever, and this made Rei laugh. "Want some help?" Tyson glared at Rei, who only shrugged and began to do the buttons to his tuxedo up. "What ever you say, your the boss."

Maybe Tyson wouldn't have been so hostile if he had known this was a black tie event, but of course every single one of his friends kept this fact from him. They all knew he would have ran away and never returned if he knew prior to the 15 minuites before they had to leave.

Kenny, whom was already ready and clicking away at his lap top looked up brifely and then back down at his screen speaking in the process. "Oh come on Tyson, don't be like that. Besides, Hillary helped up pick out your cloths." Tyson sighed, showing slight signs of remorse and surrender.

He did have to admit, Hillary had nice taste. It wasn't just that she was girl, it was that knew what he liked. Black dress pants, with a light, light pink shirt and a tie with green, white black and pink dimonds on it. Very Tyson indeed.

Kai, also ready and waiting let out a long graon bolting up from his position on the couch. "Let's get out of here, i hate being late." Max, who had been standing at the fridge, door open peering in for almost 5 minuites, grabbed a juice box and followed Kai out of the room with out any words. Just a smile.

Rei motioned for Tyson to go first, Tyson stuck out his tong like he use to when he was four. Kenny pushed the two out of the door, talking like a mad man about only God knows what.

XXX

"I think that it's kind of over rated, dont you think?" Hillary was standing next to Mariah, the two were arriving at the banquet together. They had always got along well, Rei introduced them once when she was visiting and they hit it off right away. Hillary liked having some one to accsesorize with and giggle about Brad Pitt. It was a nice change from a bunch of boys arguing over who got the last donut and who was the strongest.

With out really realizing it, they had reached the top of the 100 steps they were climbing. And what stood at the top of the steps was a magnifisent retired Japanese shrine. Huge sliding doors were opened for them by small men in red kimonos. Mariah was used to things like this, she was barly ever home and almost always in a different part of the world at some kind of tournament. But Hillary could barly feel her legs.

Mariah hooked her own arm around her friends, pulling Hillary into the door. When they reached the inside, there was nothing but a white room and another set of doors. They were opened, this time, by two twins in beautiful red kimonos. Hillary smiled weakly at them, as she was introduced to the wonderful world of Japan.

Inside the room were over 300 people, small japanese tables filled the outsides of the rooms, people sitting down on pillows around the tables. Paper landerns and oragami was strung from the top of the roof, and directly in front of her, across the room was a bacony leading out to the lights of Tokyo but more importantly the reflection of the moon and ocean intertwining.

"Come on" hissed Mariah, dragging Hillary into the center of the room where people were dancing. All sorts of music played, soft Japanese and loud emo. It ranged, that was something that Hillary loved about the Japanese people. They were so veried. She was a 1/4 Japanse, but had no Japanese knowledge what so ever. She always wanted to ask Tyson about it, or even Hiro. But she was always to afraid to even think about it when she was near them.

Once Hillary had losened up, she carried herself to the reserved table for the Bladebreakers, White Tigers and All Starz. No one from her won team had arrived yet, but both the All starz and White Tigers were present. She took a seat next to Emily, who imidently started conversing with her.

It wasn't even 10 minuites before a man stood at the top of the balcony with a microphone in his hands asking for every one attention. He couldn't have been more than 20, tall for a Japanese man and Hillary did have to admit, he was pretty cute. "Lady's and getlemen. Thank you all for joining us here in Tokyo Japan for the begining of the world champonship tag team matches. We have team from all over the world joining us, and of course the four time world champion, Tyson Granger."

The man looked around, his eyes scanning the room for Tyson. The room was deadly silent, until the door came bursting open, Tyson running through it along with Kai, Max, Rei and Kenny. "Speaking of the devil" muttered the man into the microphone. Tyson grinned widly, like he was putting on a show and gave a little wave to the hundereds of people looking up at him.

He made his way over to the balcony, intentionally ignoring Hillary as he did. Once he was standing next to the Japanese man, who was now identified as Yuki, Tyson took the mike.

At first no words came from his mouth, it was like everything he had been thinking about the past year seaped out of his brain in those few seconds. He looked around the room, his team mates were now seated at thier table, eahc and every one of them biting down on thier lip.

It was a leap of faith, he knew, but he looked over to Hillary who seemed even more nervouse than he was and beagn. "As you all know i have won the world championships four times, along with my team the Bladebreakers. I have been doing this a long time, and i love it. But this year will be my last year..." He waited, the whole crowd let out small gasps for air which ended up sounding very loud.

"I'm growing up. I was a teenager for a long time, and never really grew up. But now their are things in my life that i need to deal with, if i hope to move on and go to collage and get a job. Their are things in my life right now...that i care about more than beyblading."

You could hear the whispers for a mile. So many people hissing the same things into thier neighbours ear, and Tyson could hear it. But that met nothing to him, the only thing that mattered right now was what he had to say. "Beyblading has taught me how to be a good person, and because of it i know i will be able to make it in the world once i finish school. It taught me how to care for some one other than myself, it taught me teamwork, and made me best friends for life. I have a base, the Bladebreakers or my base and support. And now that i know they will always be there...i can move on."

Tyson waited a moment, looking out into the sea of faces, before handing the mike back off to Yuki. He looked over at his team mates, his friends. None of them seamed shocked, they had heard nothing of Tyson's retirment but they all knew it was coming. And besides, when did Tyson ever tell any one anything about a single thing?

Yuki said some more words, but no one heard anything other than what Tyson had just said. The room was silent for a moment, but returned to it's state of loud music dancing and laughter only a few minuites after. Mariah smiled at Tyson, but just like every one else was to scared to say anything directly too him, so she dragged Rei out onto the dance floor.

Tyson picked at his rice with the chopsticks that had been supplied for him. He wanted some one to say something, anything would be better than the silence that was forming a layer of discomfort around him and his team. But it just stayed there, every so often Max or Ray or Kenny would leave to go and dance with a fan girl or fellow blader, but when they got back the thick sheet of discomfort and akwardness was still floating in the air.

It didn't beckon on them until half hour of sitting around the table, making useless small talk, that Hiro had not yet arrived. He was taking a later flight, but was supose to land and be there in time for the banquet. In all the excitment, or maybe it was shock, they had forgoten all about him.

Hillary glanced at the digital clock on her cell phone, Hiro should have been here hours ago. But he was no where, and besides, he was nothing to her now. Itleast, not at the moment. They had decided only a week ago, that dating and all other acts of intamicy should be put on hold while the tournament was going on. Hillary thought this was dumb for two reasons. They were hardly intament and when they were he was the only one feeling it. And two, why should a stupid tournament change anything? Neither of them were competing in it.

She was so mad when she thought of this, she barly realised that the night really wasn't as late as they all thought. 9:30, maybe it was just the jet leg.

Like usual, she was thrown from her alternate universe of complexicity when a man, a very handsom one at that spoke to her. He had long blond hair that curled up the nape of his neck, and shocking bright blue eyes. And he was tall, Hillary could be the least bit attracted to a person, but if they were tall she just couldn't turn them down.

"Would you like to dance?" Hillary glanced over at Tyson, he had been slouched down playing with his beyblade only seconds ago, but straightened up to look some what dignified when the man came over. Hillary waited a moment, as if he would say something, anything. About Hiro, or about how he wanted to dance with her. But he did nothing of the sorts, he just let the anger and confusion brew inside of him.

Hillary's veins paulsed as she stood up, smiling at the man. "Im Hillary" she itroduced, her usual bright self coming back to life along with her wide smile. The man smiled back, "Im Jordan." The two walked out into the crowd of slow dancers, swaying along to the slow version of 'listen to your heart.'

This was the first time Tyson got a chance to look at her with out her looking back at him. It was like he could do it in secret, and as much as he had been fighting it the past month, she looked beautiful. For once he could think that with out hearing Kai swearing at him in the back of his mind, to "get his head in the game! And stop fucking around with things other than beyblading.'

Hillary's silk gown was a soft baby pink. It was amazingly simple but she wore it like it was a million dollars and a little extra. It was held up by thick lose hanging straps, it was as if the dress was drapped over her collar bone. The front fell down in a low V cut, with extra fabric bunching at the bottom and sides. The back was tied very losely in a cris cros, going down to the very lowest part of her back.

Tyson had a hard time believing it was Hillary. Her normally long and let down hair, was twisted up into a mess of curls and loops at the top of her head, and her face seemed to let down part of it's touch exterioir. But Tyson didn't need the exterior to be let down in order to see in, but it was nice not having to try so hard. It was nice to just look at her, and see a little bit of happiness with out having to search very hard or very long.

Now, if only she could say the same for him.