A/N: So this fic has developed from just an Elise/Eddie friendship to a little more of a general overview of the relationships on the circuit. But you guys will still like it hopefully.
Also, thank you so much to those who review. Your concrit and praise really help move this fic along!
"Why do I always get this frizz on the day of a race!" Marisol fumbled around her bathroom, reaching for a curling iron with one hand as she attempted to flatten out the flared strand of hair with the other. Seeiah was lounged across the couch, idly scanning a jazz magazine.
"Dunno, I've noticed no hair always looks good," she replied, licking her finger before flipping another page. Hearing her stomach rumble loudly, she swore inwardly. If Marisol made her miss lunch one more time...
"Okay! There it is," the Latin beauty smiled vapidly at her reflection in the floor length mirror, stepping back to admire how little her outfit left to the imagination. "Now let's grab some chow!"
Seeiah sprung off the couch, shrugging a leopard print coat over her shoulders as she head for the door.
"Wanna watch where the fuck you're going?" snapped an agitated Zoe, shoving Seeiah out of her path. Marisol caught the falling girl as she stumbled back into the door frame.
Seeiah thought better of uttering a snappy remark after catching sight of the murderous glare on Psymon's face. Instead she shut her gaping mouth, straightened up, and waited for the duo to continue their stroll. Psymon led Zoe to the stairwell, swiftly taking her hand as they rounded the corner.
She snatched it back.
"When will you just forget about the damn Brit?" Psymon grunted, clenching his teeth.
"I can't just forget him," Zoe rolled her eyes, as if it were ridiculous.
Psymon persisted. "Because...?"
"Because he was there for me last year when I was struggling. I owe him friendship at the very least," she replied with conviction.
Psymon snorted. "Friendship, eh?"
Zoe shot him a death glare. But inside she knew he was right.
Continuing to trudge down the stairs, Psymon said, "So why didn't you guys hit it off last year?"
It seemed every statement that came out of Psymon's mouth was blunt, the man knew no subtlety. But it didn't bother Zoe like it used to.
"I don't know. I wasn't in the right mind frame," Zoe replied, shrugging. "Like I didn't need him to deal with my problems."
"He probably wanted to," Psymon quipped, rolling his eyes dramatically. Zoe gave him a look, and he stopped.
"But I can't choose between the two of you," said Zoe. "There's no way."
"So go out with me, and be his friend," Psymon raised his eyebrows at her.
Zoe chuckled. "If only it were that simple, huh."
Psymon's patience was growing slightly thin. He clenched his fists.
"Well you know what I think? He had three years to make his goddamn move. He missed his chance," Psymon declared, stopping his ascend down the stairs and grabbing Zoe's hand again. His grey eyes, glinting like steel, bore into her.
Not able to meet his gaze, she shook her head and took her wrist back again. "I can't fucking do that to him," Zoe said softly, yet firmly.
The rest of the hike down to the lobby went in unsettling silence.
Brodi walked up a busy road in downtown Tokyo with Elise, little snowflakes drifting down from the overcast sky. He scratched his head, ruffling around the melted snow that had lodged itself in his honey blond locks of hair. He personally thought it was funny the way he and Elise, standing in at 6'2" and 5'11", weaved through the crowd of significantly shorter Japanese people.
"Where would you like to go now?" Brodi asked Elise. His voice was deep and calm and full.
"Well, is that lunch buffet bullshit mandatory?" replied Elise.
"I don't think so," Brodi said, scratching the stubble on his chin. "We may have time to get some coffee before we need to report for the race, if you like," he offered.
"Sure, I know a nice place just up the road a bit past the subway station," Elise made a motion with her hand towards the street corner. "And they serve Vegan honey there, too."
By the time the duo reached the coffee shop, the snow was coming down harder.
"Too bad Snowdream has manmade snow. This powder looks divine," Brodi gazed out the window, stirring sugar into his coffee with a small, plastic straw.
"It does. Almost as pretty as the statue of Lha-mo we saw in the temple," Elise replied hopefully.
Brodi grinned, looking her in the eyes. "I'm glad you liked the temple. I went in there when we visited Japan those couple of times last year."
"My favorite part was the meditation and the Tibetan Prayer Wheels," Elise chatted casually, adding another cream to her coffee. "It was just fascinating!"
"Since you liked it so much, now I can bring you to a nice one that I know of when we go to France, too," he offered.
"I'd love to!" Elise smiled, leaning closer to Brodi over the table.
"You nervous?"
Kaori looked over her shoulder to see Mac approaching. Dropping down into a seat next to her, he jammed his board into a soft spot in the snow.
"Hai, a little bit," Kaori confessed, gazing out into the stands. "My whole family came here to see me. Even my grandma and grandpa."
Mac ran a gloved hand over the slick, man-made snow. "Well don't be too stressed. You'll do fine," he said encouragingly.
"But I'm excited too. It's the only place on the tour that's indoors!" Kaori beamed. "And this is my hometown, too."
"Well then I'll have to smash your pretty little face in. That'll give the media something to write about," Luther growled, butting into their conversation.
"Oh give the poor girl a rest!" Seeiah defended, continuing to stretch out her arms. "Nobody likes it when you go all true grit on their ass."
"What would you know, pansy woman?" Luther chuckled, his fat rolls jiggling.
Zoe bent over to wax her board. "He's just pissy because he's never won a race, and one of these days Rahzel's just gonna cut his ass outta this tour," she grinned.
"Like you have been winning?" quipped Jp, staring at her over his trademark sunglasses.
"Well Holeshot, this race is mine," she replied without missing a beat. "Make sure to fix up your little makeup so that when you lose, at least your face looks pretty."
Jp scowled and rounded on Zoe, and the two began to continue their arguments, words cutting through each other like razor blades.
Watching the other riders get all hyped up from the corner of the race prep area, Hailey gnawed nervously on her pinky nail.
Just an hour or so longer, she told herself, and the time continued to drag by.
Right after the final heat, Hailey slipped out of the arena. She walked into the parking lot with a spring in her step. Hopping up on top of a brick wall on the perimeter, she begin fumbling around in the main pocket of her messenger bag. The remaining fans flocked through the lot to their cars, none of them seeming to notice or care about Hailey.
Well, I'm still a noob, she reminded herself, then grumbled at her not-so-stellar performance in the race and continued shifting aside various things in her bag.
"I didn't know you smoked," came a stark, male voice. Hailey almost dropped the pack of Newports she'd uncovered.
"Uh, yeah," she replied, looking up at Psymon. "Aren't we allowed to?"
"Supposedly, no," Psymon said simply, casually leaning against the brick wall next to Hailey and pulling out his own pack. "But who the fuck cares?"
Satisfied with his response, Hailey lit her cigarette and offered the lighter to Psymon.
She took a deep drag. The rush of heavy smoke was sucked down into her lungs, then back up her throat and out her nose. Hailey couldn't name a single thing that made her feel so at ease with the world.
After a couple minutes of placid silence, he spoke again, "For a while there I thought I was the only one on this goddamn circuit destined to die of lung cancer." Psymon took one last puff, blowing out a neat little ring of smoke. The corners of Hailey's mouth twisted into a small grin.
"If the hypothermia doesn't get you first," she replied, peering over at Psymon's bare upper body, toned to perfection and draped in multiple tattoos of chains. His muscles flexed as he shrugged.
"I don't get cold. Fucked up nerve endings," Psymon said, tossing his cigarette butt aside. "And I'd finish that up before Rahzel decides to debrief the race and sends some prude like Kaori after you."
Hailey nodded, pressing the cigarette up to her lips once again as Psymon trudged away.
A/N: As always, reviews and concrit are highly appreciated.