DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Beyblades, only my OCs.

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Chapter 3: An Event to Remember

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"Christmas with Kai Hiwatari? That could definitely prove to be interesting," Jules said throwing herself down on Amara's unmade bed. It was the Saturday after the last day of school, which meant Christmas break and Jules was trying to help Amara pack for her trip up to the Hiwatari's cabin. For the last three weeks Jules had also been trying to help Amara find the good points of her trip.

"Would you stop trying to look on the bright side of this," Amara grumbled jamming some clothes into her ratty brown suitcase. Her mother had tried to convince her to pack her clothes in a different bag but Amara always used her dad's old suitcase. She loved how it was covered in bumper stickers from all over the world. Nancy would never part with it but it was a little embarrassing having her daughter cart the old thing around.

"It's Christmas, Ams, your favorite time of the year." Amara nodded pulling more clothes out of her dresser and placing them in her suitcase. "Can't you be happy for a bit?"

"I guess," Amara agreed a small smile tugging on the corner of her lips. "It will be fun being with Brian, Leanne, and Holly."

"Not to mention snowboarding," Jules added.

"What about being with your mother?" Amara turned to see her mother standing in her open doorway, a pile of Amara's freshly washed clothes in her hands.

"Eavesdrop much mom?" Amara put her hands on her hips with fie irritation. "What if we were having a private conversation?"

"All the more reason for me to listen then," Nancy smiled at her daughter. She placed the clothes she was carrying on the top of Amara's dresser. "I washed some of your warmer clothes. You have to pack something other than jeans and t-shirts. You're going to freeze if you don't."

"Yes, mom, that's why I pack my long sleeved t-shirt type shirts," Amara replied with a cheeky grin.

"Fine but don't come complaining to me for a sweater when you're cold," Nancy wagged a finger in her daughter's face. "It's suppose to snow while we're there and I don't want any grumbling from you, young lady."

"I won't mom," Amara agreed in that tone that was reserved only for parents. The agreement just to get them out of the way tone. " I'll just layer all my t-shirts."

"Or borrow a sweater from Kai," Jules added with a smirk just loud enough for Amara to hear. Amara's mouth fell open slightly and she promptly hit her friend with a pillow.

"What was that Jules?" Nancy blue eyes shifted to her daughter's best friend.

"Nothing mom," Amara answered before Jules could open her mouth. Nancy could see it in her daughter's eyes that she wanted her to leave.

"I guess I'll leave you to your packing since it was nothing."

"See you later mom," Amara waved her mother out closing the door behind her. "You are so dead." Amara jumped on the bed and started to pelt Jules with a pillow.

"Calm down," Jules said gasping for air. "It's not the end of the world if your mother heard." Amara stopped hitting her friend with the pillow. Jules's usually smooth brown hair was completely disheveled. She tried to flatten the stray hairs with her hand. "It's not like you like Kai or anything."

Amara had seen less of Kai over the last three weeks since Brian had fixed the engine problem with her Firefly the first weekend he had been home. There hadn't been any more uncomfortable rides to school and Amara was no longer late for class.

"You and I both know that but my mom might get it in her head again that me and Kai are meant for each other," Amara groaned sitting on the opposite end of the bed and leaning her back against her headboard. "I'm really getting sick of hearing how I'm going to marry him."

"But if you think about it, you and Kai really were made for each other."

"What?" Amara gasped unable to believe her best friend was saying this to her. "How exactly did you come to that conclusion?"

"Well, your moms are best friends and they got pregnant at the same time so therefore you and Kai were made for each other," Jules beamed after revealing her theory to Amara. Amara was too shocked to reply. Was everyone against her? Why did everyone want to make her so miserable? Couldn't they see that Kai Hiwatari was her least favorite person on the planet?

"Stop opening and closing your mouth. You look like a fish."

Amara promptly snapped her mouth shut, unaware that it had been moving in the first place. "I can't believe you just said that."

"What's the big deal Ams? If you don't like Kai and he doesn't like you then nothing will ever happen. Its just speculation."

"You're right," Amara agreed quickly. " I guess it's just weird that this is all happening now. I mean I haven't really been around Kai since the ninth grade and suddenly I can't get away from the guy." Amara brushed some bangs that had fallen out of her bun behind her ear. "And why is everyone suddenly telling me I should be with him?"

"Couldn't tell you," Jules shrugged. "You might want to finish packing though. It's already ten and we still have Christmas shopping to do today." Amara climbed off her bed and moved to finish her packing. She contemplated not doing it as a rebellion against the trip but she knew her mother would just do it for her then.

"I know," Amara replied stuffing the clothes that her mother had just brought her into the suitcase with the rest. "I have no idea what to get Kai."

"Why do you have to get him anything?" Jules's eyebrows rose in suspicion.

"Oh, we did that fun game of picking a name out of a hat and buying that person a present," Amara grumbled with an annoyed smile. "Go figure I would get Kai. I swear the thing was rigged."

"Yes Ams," Jules sighed rolling onto her stomach and watching her friend. "The whole world is out to get you and they're secretly using the time old tradition of the Secret Santa to do it."

"I'm beginning to think so."

"You are such a drama queen." Amara threw her evilest glare in the direction of her friend. She also threw a rolled up pair of socks. "Ouch." Jules yelped as the socks hit her smack in the forehead.

"Put those in the suitcase for me," Amara smirked and left the room to grab her toiletries from the bathroom across the hall.

"Mom?" Amara called into the empty house. Jules had dropped her off after a five hour shopping spree. They had fought lines and crowds for hours just so they could both finish the shopping they had left. Jules was basically done getting presents for everyone on her list. Amara had barely even started. She even bought Jules's present while Jules was in another store.

"I'm in the kitchen," her mother called from down the hall. Amara dropped her bags by the door and discarded her jacket and scarf on the coat rack. She slipped her sore feet out of her shoes and went to find her mother.

"So tired," Amara moaned dropping her exhausted body onto one of the bar stools. Her mother was stilling at the island going over a list of things to take to the cabin.

"Was your trip successful?" Nancy asked glancing up at her daughter.

"Yes, thank God I am done."

"What did you get Kai?"

"I'm not telling you," Amara replied. She got off her chair and began to rummage through the pantry for something to snack on. "You'll just have to find out on Christmas Eve like everyone else."

"Fine, keep your little secret," Nancy said watching her daughter eat from the bag of chips she had found in one of the cupboards. "Don't spoil your appetite." Amara answered with an uncaring shrug. "Leanne called, she wants to take you out to dinner after you get home."

"What?" Amara gasped choking on the chip she had just put in her mouth. "When's she coming?"

"As soon as you call her and tell her you're back from the mall." Amara grabbed the phone and punched in the Hiwatari's phone number. Even after all these years she could still remember it. Amara would always sing it in her head when she dialed it since it sounded like a song to her.

"Hi is Leanne there?" Amara asked once the person had picked up. The listless voice on the other line sounded unmistakably like Kai but Amara didn't care. Leanne came on the line and Amara informed her that she was home and they decided that Leanne would pick her up in half an hour giving Amara time to have a shower. Amara hung up the phone and ran upstairs to her bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later Amara was back downstairs and joined her mother in the living room. Sam had changed out of her t-shirt and jeans into a pair of black Dickies and red button down shirt.

"You look nice honey," Nancy told her daughter. "Going some place nice?"

"Don't know," Amara shrugged putting on her ratty skater shoes. "Leanne forbid me to where a t-shirt and jeans. So maybe we are going a little fancier." For Amara her black Dickies and a button down shirt were dressy. No one got Amara in a dress. "Oh, she's here. Bye mom." Amara grabbed her black leather jacket and scarf off the coat rack then disappeared out the door.

"So where would you like to go to eat?" Leanne asked pulling her dad's truck out of the Jones's driveway. Christmas music played quietly from the CD player.

"I don't know, I figured you already had some place picked out," Amara answered not really caring where they ate. "But no Boston Pizza." Amara added quickly. She did not want to go there on her day off.

"Fair enough," Leanne smiled. "Kai told me that you worked there."

"He did?" the comment surprised Amara. Kai actually talked about her but then she stopped herself knowing that Leanne probably asked him.

"Yeah, said he saw you there," Leanne replied nonchalantly.

"I've worked there for awhile," Amara chattered steering the topic away from Jake. "Kinda makes you not want pizza anymore."

"Well that narrows it down a little. No pizza."

"How about that new Chinese restaurant that opened up by the mall?" Amara suggested.

"Sounds good," Leanne agreed and turned left to head in the direction of the mall. She found the place with a little assistance from Amara since Leanne hadn't been around for quite a while. The place wasn't too busy for a Friday night but that could have also been because it was the holidays.

"So you all packed for tomorrow?" Leanne asked once they had been seated in a booth and handed their menus.

"Yeah," Amara shrugged turning her attention to her menu.

"You don't sound do excited," Leanne smirked. It was almost the same smirk as Kai.

They didn't really look alike actually. Kai had two-toned blue hair that sometimes looked silver in the front, while Leanne naturally wavy sandy blonde hair that fell down her back. Leanne had pale blue eyes, while Kai's were more of a silver color. It was their bone structure that made them look so similar. They both had very chiseled features but Leanne's were much more soft and feminine. It was pretty easy to tell that they were family. Their little sister Holly looked a lot like Leanne except for her eyes. They were the same silvery color as Kai's.

"I am," Sam replied quickly. "So tell me the story of you and Brian."

"Well aren't you nosy," Leanne chuckled. Amara knew the question didn't bother her. Knowing Leanne she would have told Amara everything without her having to ask. Amara could see the glowing look in her eyes when she mentioned Brian.

"I'm his sister, I have a right to know."

"Sure you do Ams," Leanne smiled. The waitress came and took their order before Leanne continued. "Well as you know we were both in California and one day I went and sought him out."

"You mean you went after him?" Amara was a little surprised by the confession.

"Yes and why is that so hard to believe?"

"Because you and Brian got so weird around each other the last few years. I knew you two liked each other but neither of you did anything about it and now I find out that you just actually went for him," Amara rattled off her explanation. "I'm in shock really."

"I thought you'd be happy. After all you always wanted me and Brian to get married." Leanne replied taking a sip from the water glass in front of her.

"Don't get me wrong," Amara corrected herself quickly. "I'm very happy that you and my brother are together. I'm just a little surprised."

"Well it's nice to have your blessing," Leanne beamed. "Brian was my first love really."

"Didn't you have other boyfriends though?" Amara inquired a little unsure how to react to everything Leanne was telling her. It was starting to be kind of weird to hear about her brother's personal life from his new girlfriend even though she was like a sister to Amara.

"Of course," Leanne brushed the comment off like it was not big deal. "Brian was always in the back of my mind though." Amara nodded not really sure how to take the information. "I think I always knew there was something between us but had to wait for the right time to take action." Leanne paused and smiled at the confused younger girl sitting across from her. "Just like we all hope one day you and Kai will fix your differences."

"What?" Amara coughed choking on the sip of Sprite she had just taken.

"Oh come on Ams, you know that everyone is rooting for you and Kai. After all out parents planned it all so well by having children the same ages but opposite sexes."

"Yes I'm sure they had us genetically engineered so that we could marry each other in the future," Amara replied flatly.

Amara was happy for the momentary distraction as the waitress put their plates of food in front of them. It gave her time to reconnect her thoughts. It was starting to become a jumbled mess to her. Amara stared into her plate of chow mien and sweet and sour pork as if the answer would be there. Everyone around her seemed to be saying that her and Kai were supposed to be together. Was everyone out to annoy her?

"Oh Ams, it's not the end of the world that you don't get along with Kai," Leanne said once the waitress had left them to their food. "Everyone just has a romantic picture that you two should be together that's all."

" I know," Amara shrugged twirling chow mien noodles around her fork like spaghetti. "It just that this is all coming at once. No one ever said anything about it when we were still friends and it's just been in these last few weeks that people have been really stressing it to me. Does anyone bug him about it?" Amara rattled it all off so quickly that she wasn't too sure if Leanne got what she had just said. The older girl looked at Amara thoughtfully.

"We've always bugged Kai about you," Leanne answered honestly. "There are so many cute pictures of you two together there's no way of escaping it really."

"Ugh," Amara groaned her nose wrinkling up in disgust. "Those bath pictures will haunt us forever I'm sure."

"You're not the only one," the older girl's expression matched Amara's. "Our parents were a little too camera happy when we were younger."

"I know," Amara agreed. "Can you imagine what these next few days are going to be like?" Leanne nodded cringing. "There are gonna be so many new pictures of me and Kai." Amara frowned at the thought. She hadn't really thought about that before. Her mother always had a camera at family events and this one was an event to remember.

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THANKS TO ALL THE REVIEWERS

anim3-ang3l: Yeah I thought it would be pretty funny to open the door and find your sibling making out with their significant other…I have walked in on my younger bro and his girlfriend making out before…scared for like I tell ya. Anyways, I'm glad you found my last sentence so interesting and I'm really glad that you like this story ;

Obs3ssi0n: That's so funny that she sounds like the people at Boston Pizza…I must have picked up on that since I'm there so much…they have good food. Yeah the name mix up was an accident. I'm working on a non fanfic story and the characters names are Jake and Sam…when I'm typing that story I seem to want to write Kai and Amara it's starting to get kinda confusing. I hope that doesn't happen again… Thanks for the review though ;)

StarAngel Caelum SunSoar: Must be nice to be an only child and not have to see your siblings making out with their significant others. It's disturbing believe me. More so if it's a younger sibling though…don't know why but it's weirder than if they're older than you. Anyways thanks for the great review ;)

Midnight-Devil: Awww, I'm happy that you have nothing bad to say about my story. I'm glad you like my story and don't worry there will be more ;) Thanks for the review ;)

x1nferal: I'm glad my story sounds nice…thanks for the review ;)

evilive: I really like your pen name by the way…anyways so thanks for the review, I'm glad you like my story ;)

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED

Please read and review this chapter too. Hope you enjoy it. It's kinda a transition chapter before the big trip…hehe can't wait for that part. Things are gonna get interesting between Kai and Amara…well to me its interesting. You can tell me what you think though but remember no flames…not that you guys do cuz you all rock but just thought I'd put that out there anyway. ;)

Till Next Time

Miss Wright