DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Beyblade…only my OCs and the plot.

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Chapter 11: The Reason

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"Me go with you?" Amara chuckled trying her best to not show how his question had rattled her. "That'd be the day." She turned her attention back to the movie hoping that would be the end of it.

"Why is it so hard to believe?" Kai asked calmly as if he was asking her how she was.

"Because I'm me and you're you and…well…we do not hang out in the same circles and we can't seem to be around each other for longer than five minutes without fighting," Amara glowered at him. She was getting herself all worked up. "It would be a complete and utter disaster. And I don't want to go anyway. It's just a time for all the popular people to get all dressed up and dirty dance with each other." With that she crossed her arms and sunk into the couch.

"Let me just clarify something for you Amara." Kai's voice was serious making it impossible for Amara not to turn and look at him. "We don't hang out in the same circles because you won't let me near you and we can't be around each other for more than five minutes because you always find a reason to pick a fight with me." He put added emphasis on the word you. He gave her a small smile. "And I don't think it would be a disaster but it is a problem that you don't want to go alone, which is why I asked you in the first place."

"You're kidding right?" Amara looked at Kai skeptically. Kai shook his head. "Then they must have put you up to this. I mean I just told Leanne last week that I wasn't going to go to prom. We both know how happy that would make our parents." Amara's eye's searched his for a hint as to why he was asking. "That has to be it…why else would you ask me?" Her voice got very quiet at the end. The question was more for her but she found herself saying it anyway.

Kai didn't say anything in reply to her question. Instead he stared at her with intent silver eyes. This of course made Amara very awkward. She again turned back to the safe haven of Back to the Future. Sadly the credits were starting to roll. Amara could feel Kai's eyes on her still but she refused to look at him. This conversation was getting a little too deep for the late hour.

"Johnny! It says Johnny," Amara exclaimed pointing at the credits. It was the only thing she could think of to break the awkward silence. She looked over at Kai who had a very confused look on his face. Amara offered him a sheepish smile. "My friend's name you know…"

"Well, I guess I'll take you home now." Kai stood up and shut the TV off.

Amara followed him out to the back door and into the garage. In silence they both put on their shoes. Amara made a move for the side door out of the garage while Kai moved towards his car.

"Aren't we gonna walk?" Amara asked breaking the silence between them.

"This is faster." Kai slid into the driver's seat and started the car. Amara opened the passenger door and got in.

"Did realize you wanted to get rid of me that fast," Amara said quietly.

Kai pulled out of the driveway and up the street towards the Jones' house. They were parked in Amara's driveway in a matter of seconds.

"Night, Squirt," Kai said curtly offering her a quick smile.

Amara didn't move. The prom topic was not dead and she knew she would never sleep if it wasn't worked out. "You seriously want to go with me?"

"Yes."

"What about Mya Greene? I thought you and her were kinda…together," Amara said tentatively. She wasn't about to dive too deep into Kai's personal life.

"I've never really dated Mya." Kai shrugged. "She just assumed." Amara's lips curved into an "o".

"She won't be ticked that you asked me?"

"I really don't care. I asked you to go with me." Kai said sternly. "You're my first choice but you don't seem that interested."

After a minute of silence Amara spoke. "Okay. I'll go with you."

"I'm not going to force you to go with me," Kai replied the edge in his voice gone. "I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to."

"I know." Amara offered a small smile to reassure him. "You only get one prom right?" Kai nodded. "Night." Amara opened the car door and stepped out.

0 0 0

"You're coming to prom!" Jules squealed and hugged her best friend. "This is so awesome!"

"Yeah, Ams, that's great," Johnny, added looking around as other students stared. "Okay Jules, you can let the girl breathe again." Johnny tried to pry the brunette off of Amara. "Let's not kill her now that she's actually going to prom."

"Prom just might kill me," Amara said as Jules let her go.

"We can go dress shopping together now," Jules beamed. "What are you doing after school today?"

"Jules, it's only January," Amara replied. "It's way too early."

"It's never too early."

"So what made you change your mind?" Johnny asked. The three friends started down the hall to the school parking lot. Johnny reached down and took Jules hand in his. "Last time I talked to you just the thought of prom was enough to make you groan."

"Well, things change I guess." Amara shrugged not enjoying the topic of conversation.

"Fair enough." Johnny said catching on to his friend's discomfort.

Just as it seemed the prom talk was done the three friends walked past Kai and his crew. As if feeling Amara's presence, Kai turned at gave her a huge smile accompanied by a wave. Amara quickly smiled back and then picked up her pace. She could only hope that her friends had missed the entire exchange but that would be asking too much.

"My you two are suddenly friendly," Johnny looked back at Kai and then at Amara. "What happened to hating each other's guts?"

"Oh, that ended a long time ago didn't it Ams?" Jules teased. "I think that stopped sometime after that little New Year's kiss."

"Oh gosh," Amara groaned. "Let's not bring that up, please."

"What's this? You kissed Kai Hiwatari?" Johnny asked in mock astonishment.

"Would you please not say his name so loud," Amara hissed. "People can hear you." Amara looked around for prying eyes. "It's not really something I like being reminded of."

"Aw, come on Ams, it couldn't have been that bad." Jules nudged her.

"He was drunk," Amara exclaimed. "That's not cute, sweet, romantic or anything…it's just plain nasty."

"Whatever you say, Ams," Jules rolled her eyes. By now they were at the car. Jules unlocked her door and slid into the drivers seat.

"You know Ams, Kai wasn't drunk on New Years," Johnny said as he waited for Jules to unlock the door for them. Amara's eyes grew wide.

"He wasn't?" she managed to choke out.

"No, he had one. He was keeping track of everyone else's intake." Johnny opened the door and slid into the back seat while Amara occupied the front.

"So that means he was sober." Amara said slowly her mind reeling. "He knew exactly what he was doing…but why? Why would he do that?"

"She's completely clueless," Jules chuckled looking at Johnny in the rearview mirror.

"Or in denial," Johnny added. "You think maybe we should spell it out for her?"

"We could." Jules continued completely ignoring Amara. "But then I do think she is smart enough to figure it out for herself."

"That might take a while."

"Can you two please stop talking as if I'm dumb and not sitting right here?" Amara broke in. "I'm not clueless alright. I just don't really think that Kai likes me that way."

"Yup, denial it is," said Johnny.

"Come on you guys, Kai and I don't get along. Why would he suddenly have a crush on me?"

Just then they pulled up to the ordering intercom at the McDonalds drive thru.

"Welcome to McDonalds, can I take your order?" a scratchy female voice asked.

"Three McDeals," Jules replied. "Two with Coke and one with Sprite."

"Is that everything?"

"Yes…"

"Wait, I want a McFlurry," Amara cut in suddenly.

"Can we get one Oreo McFlurry as well?" Jules asked the intercom. The lady tallied up their order.

"Please pull ahead."

"Ice cream is comfort food," Jules said looking over at her friend curiously. She handed the bag of food back to Johnny. Next came Amara's ice cream. "Why do you suddenly want ice cream?"

"It's not comfort food," Amara retorted taking a quick bite. "It's thinking food. It comforts me while I think."

"Right," Johnny agreed in a teasing voice. Amara reached back to whack him. She managed to graze his knee with her fist, which caused her more pain then him.

"Maybe this isn't just a sudden thing," Jules said her tone serious. She pulled the car out of the parking lot and headed back to the school. "I mean maybe he's always had a thing for you and is now finally showing it."

"Very possible," Johnny added. "After all it took me years to finally tell Jules that I liked her more than a friend." The couple shared a mushy smile. "Kai might have been holding off too."

"I guess," Amara agreed slowly.

"Ask him," Jules said nonchalantly.

"Yeah, that's easier said than done," Amara grumbled. "That's not exactly a normal topic of conversation."

"Can you two manage to have a real conversation?" Johnny chuckled. This earned him another smack in the leg from Amara.

"And what exactly is that suppose to mean?"

"Oh, come on Ams," Jules sighed. "You can't honestly think otherwise." Amara didn't answer. "You two are like children. He picks a fight and you rise to the occasion. Maybe if one of you matured you could carry a decent conversation."

"Ouch." Amara heard Johnny breath from the backseat.

"I'm not gonna deny that," Amara said calmly. Jules and Johnny shared a stunned expression. Amara being serious was rare but Amara admitting her own faults was even more so. "I am childish when it comes to Kai. The reasons I had before just don't work anymore…well not really anyway…"

"Reasons for what?" Jules asked.

"My stupid reasons for ignoring Kai," Amara replied almost embarrassed to admit it. She looked down at her hands in her lap instead of at her friends. They had returned to the school but they stayed in the car. " I just turned everything I was feeling around at him and convinced myself that I hated him."

"I know you never really hated him," Jules added. "You guys were inseparable forever…well…until…" Jules stopped unsure how to continue.

"Until my dad's accident," Amara finished her friend's sentence.

"Yeah, you changed after all that." Amara raised a questioning eyebrow. Jules quickly continued. "Not for the worst or anything but there was a difference. Kai was such a prominent person and suddenly he was gone and you had all the time in the world to spend with me."

"You're right, after the accident was when we became a little more separable. I was angry and I guess I took it out on Kai. I pushed him away and twisted it into something it wasn't."

"You made it out to be him who hated you," Johnny said softly not wanting to ruin the discussion.

"When really it was me who put the dividing line in our relationship. Kai didn't do anything," Amara confessed. "It was all me. Something that I concocted in my head."

"But if that doesn't hold up anymore why do you still treat the guy like dirt?" Jules asked bluntly. Amara chuckled sadly.

"Well, he became the popular jerky guy that you know I just love to hate," Amara replied her serious tone dwindling. "We moved on to new friends and didn't seem to have any need for each other. He stopped trying to be my friend…not that I blame him. So…yeah…that's that."

"So, you don't hate him then?" Johnny quizzed. Amara shook her head. "You must like him then." He smirked at her. "Does our little Amara have a crush on Kai Hiwatari?"

"No worries there, John," Amara said quickly. "Just because I agreed to go to prom with him does not mean I'm suddenly madly in love with the guy."

"Not even a teensy tiny bit, eh?" Johnny asked with a teasing smile. "Even while you were friends with him you never had anything for him?"

"Well…yah…but that was different…" Her friends gave her questioning looks. "I mean come on I was young and he was there…it didn't mean anything. It was just a stupid child crush."

"Sure Ams," Johnny teased.

The school bell sounded from outside. The three friends moved to exit the vehicle.

"It was," Amara insisted giving Johnny a friendly punch in the arm. "You can't seriously believe that I liked the guy. Like Jules said, I treat him like dirt. If I like him don't you think I would be a little nicer?"

"Well, you never really know with you Ams," Johnny continued to tease. This time he received a smack in the arm from his girlfriend.

"Leave her alone," Jules said. "If she doesn't like him then she doesn't like him." Johnny frowned, while Amara just smiled. "But you know love could blossom. After all they are going to prom together and then there's the wedding…it's a match made in heaven." By now Jules and Johnny were chuckling. Amara just groaned.

"I think that's my cue to head to class," Amara said. "What would I do without friends like you guys?"

"Probably be dating Kai," Johnny said as Amara walked away from them. She turned around to give him one more death glare. Her back bumped into someone. Amara quickly turned around to apologize.

"You should be more careful where you're walking, Squirt."

There was only one person at school who would call her that. Amara turned to meet the smiling face of non other than Kai himself. Amara just stared up at him.

When exactly did she stop liking Kai? When did she even start for that matter? He was always just there, a stable part of her life until she pushed him away. He had probably gotten better looking over the years as well. Kai was no longer a gawky teenager. He had grown up and filled out. In a word, good-looking. He was looking down at her with those amazing silver eyes of his surrounded by the longest darkest eyelashes she had ever seen or at least noticed. Amara found herself getting lost in them.

"Ams?" Kai asked sounding concerned. He put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a little shake.

Amara felt herself getting warm just from this small touch. What was she doing? This was Kai. She did not have any feelings for him, well no feelings other than hate and loathing but even that had turned on her.

"Oh sorry," Amara stuttered taking a step away from him. "Should be more careful next time…" She was rambling. "Better get to class…don't want to be late you know."

"Right," Kai replied looking confused at Amara's strange behavior. She actually seemed nervous around him. An angry, spiteful Amara he could handle but this shy awkward one was beyond him.

Her eyes grew wide when she realized she hadn't moved. She was still just standing there looking at him like an idiot.

"Okay…bye…" Amara said quickly before taking off in the direction she had just come. She soon realized her mistake and turned around towards Kai once again. His eyes were on her but she refused to meet his gaze.

"Amara, wait a sec." She heard Kai call just as she passed him. Let's just prolong her agony even more.

Amara turned to face him trying her best to appear natural. "Can't let me go can you?" It was meant to be a teasing comment but Amara quickly realized how flirty it really sounded. Kai also seemed a bit taken aback by it but he recovered quickly.

"This is yours." Kai pulled some bills out of his pocket. Amara looked down at the money not sure why he was paying her. "For babysitting on Friday." Realization dawned on her. "My mom forgot to pay you so she gave it to me to give to you."

"Right…thanks." Amara snatched up the bills and rushed off to class.

What was wrong with her? Amara scolded herself as she walked. She never got nervous around guys, especially not around Kai. It was Kai. She was probably just rattled after her conversation with Jules and Johnny. That just had to be it. Why else would she suddenly get all weird around Kai?

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Thanks to all the reviewers. You guys are great. I love getting feedback about my story. Hope you enjoy the chapter. Please read and review. Thanks again.

Miss Wright

THANKS TO: kitty-gurl1, Scarlet Witch 41, HeartlessDevil, iain'tnohollabackgurl, Moonlight Kitten, XxKaosxX (sorry for the spelling error last time…my apologies), Starfire, d-iirrty, konfizkate91, iamchlorine, the perfect oasis, melody, Miss Clamentine, Nyx, bored-so-i'm-reading….thanks to all you guys for reading and reviewing!