Heya everyone! Yes, I am back with an update that I have been working on ALL day as well as randomly through the week...oh, who am I kidding? You just wanna read it, not listen to me waffle on!

Disclaimer: I don't own beyblade or any of its characters.

ENJOY!

Eye of the Storm

Chapter Twenty Two: I Hate You

"The fire inside you can be kindled by anything: guilt, compassion, pain, anger. But the brightest fire is always one made by love."

I cocked my head to the side at the quote Sky had just randomly sprouted, while lying with her and Jamie on the banks of the lake where I had trained so hard every morning, recently with Sky now that she had moved here permanently.

"What the hell?" I said, raising an eyebrow at my best friend.

"You don't remember?" Sky asked, looking a little sad, "You told me that when I was pining after Rick Steward. You said that the fire hadn't been kindled at all, so I obviously was just after him for the hell of it, that I had no feelings for the guy,"

I frowned as I searched for the memory, grinning triumphantly when I found it.

"Sandy was always coming up with weird stuff like that," Jamie added.

"Yeah," I said, frowning again, "I was,"

"See, that's why I liked the old you! Sky, make her change back!" Jamie whined.

We both laughed.

"So, what's up with dragging that from the grave?"

Sky shrugged, but I knew she had an intelligent all knowing answer that she was just about to release. Hey, I've known her since I was two.

"Well, that fire in you, its really burning bright, cos you love Johnny, even though he's a complete wanker, you just can't stop loving someone straight away. Anyway,you're hurting, you're angry and you're feeling a helluva lot of stuff that's fuelling your fire. Like it or not, you need an outlet," Sky explained.

That, funnily enough, almost made sense.

Jeez, I must be screwed if Sky is starting to make sense!

"Well, okay, how d'ya suggest I start 'outletting'?"

"AH HA!" Jamie yelled in triumph as if some wildly brilliant idea had just bonked him over the head. Scary.

"Huh?" we said, confused.

"You need an outlet? Simple! Just back track two years. Forget the fresh new start. Just be Sandy!"

Sky grinned manically, "Brilliant Jamie!"

"I know," he smirked.

Sheesh, that guy just never stops being arrogant!

"Wait, lemme get this straight," I interrupted their celebrations of such a 'great' idea. "You want me to be Sandy, right? Well, how the hell am I just supposed to drop EVERYTHING I've worked for in the last two years, and just revert back to old ways?"

The pair just looked at each other and grinned, "Because you've already started doing that," they said simultaneously, which is even scarier than Fred and Nick doing that because these guys are not twins.

"What?"

Here goes another confusing spell…

Man, I should stop getting friends that are REALLY confusing!

"Well, you've started enjoying training again,"

"And you're a little more violent than usual,"

"You're spending more time with us than you do with your sister or other friends,"

"So?" I frowned.

"Say something random," Sky commanded.

"I wonder what would happen if Mars played Chicken with Earth…" I said automatically, before I realised what I had just said.

"Shit," I concluded.

There were several things you can count Sandy Lily Tate to do…be violent, sprout random stuff, and be with Blue and Jamie.

Right now, I was doing all of those things. Especially considering the amount of times I had beaten up Jamie for the hell of it.

"YES!" they yelled happily.

"Sandy's back!" Jamie grinned, swooping me up and spinning me around.

I couldn't help it.

I laughed.

The morning of the fifth of December found me and Sky sitting on the low brick wall near the front gate of school, waiting for the bell to ring for homeroom. We were goofing around, laughing and talking about everything under the sun.

"And Sarah was like, 'what, her, that freak with blue hair?' And I said, 'If you got a problem with blue hair then you most have some serious issues. It's a colour!'" Sky laughed, as she told me about the people she had met in England.

"God, what is she, bluephobic?"

"Probably!"

And we burst out laughing again.

"Hey, d'you remember when Hannah first floated that pencil?"

"And there was us thinking that Wicca Magic doesn't exist!"

"And Mya! She drank all that vodka…took us ages to fix that staircase!"

It seemed pretty simple just giggle about all the funny things in the past that didn't seem so funny when it was actually happening, but it wasn't. All the time I was consciously aware that everything was not okay, and it wasn't going to be for a while.

"Blue?" I said seriously.

"Yeah? What Sandy?"

"THINK FAST!" I grinned, shoving her off the low wall. She let out a squeal of surprise as she landed hard on her butt, her arm bleeding from when she had scrapped it against the wall.

"Damn that was good!" Blue laughed, standing up. We have this ancient game of trying to surprise the other so much they don't notice that they're been shoved over until the last second. It caused a lot scrapes and bruises, but we were damn proud of them.

Laughing, I didn't notice her mischievous grin until it was too late. She tackled me full force, causing both of us to fly backwards several feet and me to land rather painfully on my back, Sky sprawled out half on top of me, all the while neither of us stopped laughing.

"God you're brutal!"

"Aw, is lil Cass hurt?" Sky said in a baby voice, sitting up.

"Hurt my ass," I retorted with a grin, pushing her onto her side again, only to have her crawl onto my lap and pout at me.

It was only then did I notice the weird looks we were getting, even from my friends.

"Up!" I commanded.

She grinned and stayed put.

"Okay," I muttered slowly, "You asked for it…"

She immediately wriggled off my lap but it was too late. I caught her, picked her up effortless since she always was as light as a feather, and threw her roughly at my mates. Just as I expected, she twisted around in mid air and landed on her feet, only to lose her balance and have Nick catch her.

Typical.

"MEANIE!" Sky wailed.

"You wouldn't move!"

"Well, duh,"

I rolled my eyes.

"Hey Mi," I greeted as the cherry eyed girl whizzed through the gates on her roller blades.

"Hey Willow!"

Mirror was one of the few of my friends that still acted normally around me, as if I hadn't kissed Jamie and therefore ruined mine and Johnny's relationship, getting my heart cruelly broken in the process. Which is cool.

"Did you see Battle Royale last night?" she asked excitedly.

"Duh!" I replied, grinning, "It was WICKED!"

"Innit!"

"Man, Kiriyama was so CUTE!" I squealed.

"Are you kidding me? That psycho guy? Gimme Kawada anytime!"

"Kawada? Eh, he was okay. But when he died…that was so sad!"

"Willow…?" Kara intervened carefully.

"Yeah?"

"Do you just a fetish for redheads or something?"

"Huh?" I blinked.

"Well, you lost your virginity to Tala, you went out with Johnny for AGES, you've kissed Michael once, when he was still a redhead, and now you like Kiriyama…redhead too,"

I blinked again, realising it was all true.

"Does that mean you'll go out with Fred or Nick?" Mirror grinned.

"Nick's taken," I replied automatically, still trying to let this new info sink in.

"WHAT? He has a girlfriend? SINCE WHEN?" Mirror shrieked, causing me and Kara to wince.

"Who has a girlfriend?" Fred asked curiously.

I waited until everyone else went back to their business, before continuing, glad that Nick was talking to Sky who seemed delighted, not that anyone else would notice.

"I was talking about Nick, and no he doesn't have a girlfriend, but Sky likes him A LOT," I explained.

Fred snickered, "Oh goodie! Nick likes her too!"

"Great!" Mirror and me squealed.

"Matchmaker alert!" Fred groaned.

We burst out laughing.

And for the first time in ages, everything seemed okay.

"Sandy?" Sky whispered, leaning over the aisle from her table in Biology.

"Wha-?" I startled. I had been quite happily dozing and dreaming with my head in my arms while Mr. Johnson ranted on about plant and animal cells.

"BBRRRRRRIIIIIIIING!"

YES! We are leaving hell!

We quickly gathered all our notes, noticing that Holly had made pages of the stuff, Kara had made a few, whereas mine, Sky's and Mirror's were completely blank. Once clear of the daunting classroom, Sky continued.

"Sandy, were you really in love with McGregor?"

I blinked.

"Sky, isn't that a bit forward for someone who's just broken up with her boyfriend?" Kara frowned.

"Nah, you cushion her too much and she'll go crazy with suffocation," Sky said as if she was just discussing the weather.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Blue, I was really in love with McGregor,"

"I feel sorry for him then," she muttered.

WHAT?

"What the HELL?" I demanded.

Her mouth formed an 'o' shape. "Not like that! There's nothing wrong with you, except the fact you're insane…I mean…oh, well, you'll understand soon enough,"

I narrowed my eyes at her. The blue-eyed girl bit her lip nervously.

"Erm, English Lit next!" she yelped, taking off down the corridor with me in tow.

"DON'T KILL EACH OTHER!" Mirror yelled after us.

"I WON'T HURT HER…MUCH!" I yelled back.

Sky led me straight to English, laughing all the while as I threw non-existent threats at her, demanding to know what the hell was going on.

I found out as soon as Sky dashed inside the classroom. And I as I tumbled in, head twisting and turning in search for my childhood best friend, I froze in shock.

Oh. My. God.

"Willow," Connors greeted cheerfully, "I was just talking to your friends, whom you had no idea were here judging from the look on your face,"

What…how…impossible…they CAN'T be here…

I'm hallucinating!

Words escaped past my lips in a whisper.

"Mathilda?"

Sky was grinning manically.

"Danny?"

This is where I belong. In Danny's arms, while he muttered comforting bullshit in vague hope of calming me down when I was angry or upset.

And then I'd be fifteen again, and I'd pull away and say: 'What a whole load of shit Danny. But, hey, thanks,' and mess up his hair which he had been trying to perfect for a whole hour in the morning, trying to get the right balance between messy and curly.

"Jesus, just turn up ANY time you want, why don't you!" I sniffled.

"Whoa, no tears, I've got Mattie for that!" Danny grinned.

"HEY!" Mathilda yelled, but she was smiling anyway.

I stepped out of his arms, staring at him. In the two years I hadn't seen him he had shot up in height, almost Kai's height, and he now left his gorgeous silky chocolate brown locks to fall messily around his face, sometimes falling over one of his bright green eyes.

He seemed tougher too, but still that gentle semi-sensitive music lover joker that I had known two years ago.

Quite simply, he looked gorgeous. If he and Mattie weren't soooo destined for each other I wouldn't mind a piece of him!

Speaking of Mathilda, she too looked older. Her pink hair had grown to shoulder length and now sported black tips. Her body had matured, her crimson eyes showed more experience. She looked really pretty, exactly how we knew she would grow up.

"You guys look great," I smiled.

"So do you," Danny smirked, giving me a once over.

"OI!"

I laughed as Enrique walked in, saw that look, and immediately had something to say about it. He's such a sweetie!

"Hey Eny, this is Danny and Mathilda, guys this is Enrique," I introduced as Eny slung an arm over my shoulder and eyed Danny cautiously. Finally deciding he was okay, he grinned.

"Hey,"

"Hi!" Mattie greeted.

As Enrique headed to his seat with Kara, Mattie squealed at me. "Damn, you have some cute friends!" she whispered.

I relished the way Danny narrowed his eyes.

HA! Damn, he has it BAD!

"You should meet the rest of my guy friends," I grinned, winking.

Danny's blue eyes narrowed even more.

Maybe I should change the subject?

"Anyway, you staying?"

"Yep," Mathilda said, looking around at the class that was slowly filling up. "The receptionist gave us a visitors pass so we can stay for a while,"

"I repeat," Sky started, smirking, "I'm starting to feel sorry for Johnny McGregor,"

If it was possible, Danny appeared even angrier than ever only this time EVERYONE noticed it.

"Where the hell is that bastard?" he demanded.

Uh oh.

I can't believe I'm doing this. Now. What's wrong with me?

Y'know, standing outside the house that belongs to my ex-boyfriend and knocking on the door is not the best idea I've had.

"Yes?" Jeeves asked stuffily.

"I want to talk to Johnny," I said quietly.

"Master Johnny does not wish to speak to you Miss Tate," he sneered.

At the point I lost my temper.

"Look, I don't care if he doesn't want to speak to me! I just want to get the stuff I left here!" I yelled.

Jeeves blinked.

I took advantage of his temporary shock of being yelled at and slipped in past him. Hey, the door is pretty big!

"MISS TATE!" he yelled after me as I ran up the stairs.

"Miss Tate, come back here or I'm calling the police for trespassing!"

"Oh, shut the hell UP!"

"Good grief, what a horrible mouth…" he muttered as he chased after me. I resisted the urge to snicker despite me not being in the best of moods right now.

I banged on Johnny's door.

Hard.

"Alright, alright…" I heard him mutter. As soon as he opened the door, I walked right in and didn't bother waiting around while he gaped at me.

"Not staying long, I'm just getting my stuff," I practically growled. "Hey Kai, hey Tala," I greeted, noticing the two boys sitting on the floor in front of the TV with PS2 controllers in their hands. They were staring at me in surprise.

"…Hey Cass,"

"Its okay Jeeves," I heard Johnny say to the horrible butler.

"My apologies Master Johnny,"

"No worries, I got this,"

Huffing, I walked into the walk in closet and began to pick up the random items of clothing I had left here. Well, its gotta be done at some point!

"Just what the hell is your problem?" Johnny snapped as he walked in after me.

"MY PROBLEM? Maybe you should ask your butler what HIS problem is…and what the hell is YOUR problem?" I snapped back, angrily dumping the clothes into an empty cardboard box.

"My problem! You're the one who came storming in here!"

"What, I'm not allowed to take back what's mine?"

God he is soooo infuriating!

"You could've given me a warning!" the redhead growled, as I walked out the closet and fished out some of my CDs from under a pile of clothes. It looked like Kai and Tala had decided to get out of the line of fire and had headed off to the kitchen or something.

"Oh, what complete BULLSHIT!" I yelled, whirling around to face him. "You don't get it, do you? You don't get what its like to see you every day and every day you'll ignore me or yell at me and I don't know what's worst! You want me to warn you? Well, how the hell am I supposed to warn you if you all you do is ignore everything I say?"

I could feel the sharp stinging of tears in my eyes, but I fought them hard.

"And you wanna know why I ignore you? Cos every time I see you, I see you kissing James Hearn! You went out with him before, you've known him longer, it was clear you still had feelings for him! How the hell am I went to compete with that? Sure, you said you loved me, but that was before he turned up!"

A single tear escaped, sliding slowly down my cheek.

"I loved you. I still do," I whispered, "As far as I'm concerned, any feelings I have for Jamie disappeared two years ago. Y'know, its been two weeks since we broke up, and guess what!" my voice raised steadily, "All I can think about is YOU!"

We were breathing hard from all the yelling, I had dropped the cardboard box and…we were standing so close…

Violet eyes. Not cold, but full of anger and frustration. His hands were clenched at his sides, before, suddenly he grabbed my arms roughly and kissed me…

It was full of hunger. Rough, bruising, pent up frustration all pouring out in a single kiss. I responded with equal hunger, my hands clenching the material of his t-shirt. And as quickly as it began, it was over and he roughly pushed me away. I stumbled back, wide eyed, lips bruised.

"Stop thinking about me," he demanded angrily, "Cos I've already stopped thinking about you,"

My heart twisted.

"Fine," I said quietly, picking up the box and walking to the door. "Have a nice life Johnny,"

I soon as I was out of there I began to run down the corridor, sobs racking my body and tears flowing constantly down my cheeks.

"Lils? WILLOW!"

Running…always running…

Someone grabbed my wrist. I spun around, the box falling onto the floor and spilling its contents. I only saw long black hair and concerned violet eyes before I fell to the floor as well, sobbing.

"Mom?"

"Jessie, go tell Kai and Tala to see to your brother,"

"Yes Mom,"

"Willow, sweetie?"

"Anya?" I managed.

How ironic. I'm being comforted by my ex's mother. Very cool mother though.

"Its me honey,"

The sobs wouldn't die down. The tears wouldn't stop.

"I hate him, Anya. I hate him,"

And you know the worst thing? I meant it.

I meant every single word.

Well, thanx to everyone who reviewed the last chappie. Much appreciated.

And, er, REVIEW!

Ciao

Chiya