Chapter 36: Ache
"The stars look so bright…"
"Uh huh…"
"Ty!"
"Huh?"
"Didn't I say pay attention to me?"
"Uh…sorry."
"Oh, yeah? So…what did you want to tell me?" The boy gulped.
"Uh…I…"
"Mariah?" Ray asked as he turned around and saw the pink-haired girl.
"What are you doing here, Ray? The tournament's over?" Mariah asked.
"Oh, no. We're just taking a break before the final round."
"You're all here?"
"Yeah." Ray nodded. Mariah then hung her head down.
"Well…here." She took out a flyer. "There's going to be a festival and…" An idea came to Ray at that exact moment.
"Mariah!" he exclaimed as he grabbed the flyer. "You're a genius!"
"I am?" Mariah asked, confused. Instead of an answer, Ray just ran off. "Ok…"
Tysa walked around the streets of China. Everything was so new yet so different. She had gotten more control over her wings, so that she could float slightly without them, and so they couldn't just reveal themselves. She stopped walking when she heard two familiar voices. She hovered slightly so that she could look through a bush. Max and Mariam were sitting at a café and having a conversation. They seemed happy, even though Tysa couldn't hear what they were talking about. Tysa smiled to herself and continued to walk.
"Tysa." Upon hearing the familiar voice, Tysa turned around and met Ray's eyes.
"Oh, hey, Ray. What's up?" she asked.
"Well…uh…" Tysa noticed he was slightly blushing as he moved his hands behind his back. "There's a festival coming up, and uh…I was wondering if you wanted to go…"
A festival? Tysa hadn't been to a Chinese festival in years, mainly because of her mother's death.
"Sure. A festival sounds fun." Tysa said, smiling.
"Well, Tysa…"
"Yeah?" Tysa noticed that Ray blushed a bit more.
"I was…thinking we could go…together? Just the two of us?" Tysa was a little surprised and showed it by widening her eyes a bit. Her and Ray? Together? On a date? She had never been asked out before…not counting that time during her training though. Tysa mentally gulped as she felt slight warmth on her cheeks.
"Uh…sure, Ray. I guess it would be ok…"
"Great!" Ray exclaimed as his face lit up. "I'll see you later, Tysa!"
"Um…bye." Tysa waved as he ran off (isn't he energetic today?). Tysa made a small smile as she continued to walk. Her happy walk was soon cut off by hands pulling her into the bushes.
"Oy!" Tysa yelled. "I know 48 ways to—"
"Tysa!" Hilary hissed.
"Oh, hey, Hilary. Why are we in a plant?"
"To avoid eavesdroppers."
"Who would eavesdrop on a plant?"
"Exactly."
"Huh?"
"Nevermind."
"No. I want to understand four sentences ago…"
"That's not the point!"
"There's a point?"
"Of course!"
"My head hurts."
"Ah, nevermind." Hilary said shaking her head.
"Can we at least get out the bush? It's itchy."
A few senseless conversations later…
"So…"
"So?"
"I saw the flyer."
"What flyer?" Tysa asked as she looked at her friend as they walked.
"For the festival." Hilary answered in a sing-song voice. Tysa blushed, embarrassed.
"Y-you-you h-h-heard R-Ray a-ask me a-ask me…"
"You done stuttering?" Tysa answered with silence. "Yeah, I heard. I think it's good. You two would make a great couple."
"I-I don't have time for b-b-boyfriends."
"Oh?"
"Right. I want to accomplish my dreams on my own. I don't want anyone supporting me."
"You almost sound like a female version of Kai…" Hilary muttered.
"Huh?" Tysa asked.
"Oh, sorry, Tysa. I could never think that of you!"
"Think what of me?" Tysa asked, putting on a suspicious look.
"Uh…nothing. So, have you been asked out before?" Hilary asked. Tysa's eye twitched as a horrible childhood memory came to her. Hilary took the hint. "Don't want to talk about it?"
"What was your first clue?" Tysa growled, putting her hands in her pockets.
"So, what's wrong with Ray?"
"Huh?"
"You can't see him as a boyfriend? He doesn't seem to mind giving you space."
"Well…I…there could be…there could be another guy I like."
Kai walked through an alley, but stopped when he heard two familiar female voices.
"Really?" asked a surprised female. That sounded like Hilary.
"Yeah." Answered the other. That was a voice Kai could recognize any day. Tysa and Hilary were talking about something on the corner of the alley. He put his back against the wall, eager to hear the conversation. He shouldn't eavesdrop, but he did hear his name earlier.
"So, who is he?" asked Hilary.
"Huh?"
"That other guy you like. Sheesh. You lose conversations so quickly. I mean, there's Ray and who else?" Kai's heart pounded as his back straightened. Who else did Tysa like? He gulped. His brain was screaming for him to run, but his heart told him to stay. What if he was that other guy? He bit his lip.
Come on, Tysa! Say something! He mentally yelled.
"Well…I…" Tysa started. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Actually, you might think it's kind of silly. Or stupid."
"Tysa, with twins only one twin gets stupidity. Thankfully, it isn't you. I don't know which would be worse. A smart Tyson or a stupid you." Hilary told her friend. "Now, come on. It's not that bad, right?"
"Uh…how about I just tell you about him? And you can guess."
"You'll tell me if I get it right?"
"Maybe."
"Tysa!"
"Well, it's hard to describe him!"
Hard to describe? Kai thought. Who could that be?
Maybe me…
So I'm competing with Ray? For a girl? Never thought a day like this would come…
"Well, hey, how about you just concentrate on your date?" Hilary offered. Kai's ears livened up.
Date? Kai thought. With who? Wait, if it's that damn…
"Well, me and Ray are already friends, Hilary. It kind of feels weird to call it a date…"
Of course. Kai thought as he silently banged his head against the wall. This is not a good day. He resisted all his urges to turn around and look at Tysa. Especially with Hilary there.
"Well, I better go, Tysa." Hilary said. "I want to turn in early today. I don't see how you slept peacefully with your brother's snoring."
"I'm used to it. After all, we've been together since the womb. He was probably snoring then, too." Tysa laughed. "I'm going to stay here for a while. Bye."
"Bye, Tysa." Kai then heard Hilary's footsteps leave. He dared a peek around the alley. Tysa started to walk towards him. His back turned rigid.
"Hear anything good, Kai?" Tysa asked as she walked past him. Kai gulped.
"You knew?" he asked.
"I guessed." Tysa replied. "After all, we're in an alley. There's a 80 chance of you being here."
"So…who is the other guy?" Kai asked out of curiosity. Tysa was silent for a while. She looked at him, but Kai didn't even pay attention to that. He moved up, spun her so she faced him, and kissed her. Tysa felt dizzy as her eyes lowered. How could such short things feel like forever? When Kai's mouth left hers, she let her head cradle in his hand for a while, unable to think straight. She stared vacantly into his earnest gray eyes.
"Kai…" she whispered.
"Tysa…" he said at the same tone. "Do you like me? Even a little bit?"
"Kai…" Tysa said again. Kai pinned Tysa against the alley wall. At first, Tysa thought he was going to kiss her.
"If you like Ray more then…that's ok. But it won't change what I think about you." Kai said softly. He then walked off.
"Kai!" Kai looked behind him and saw Tysa looking at him. "You promised that we'd stay friends." Kai looked at her, then started walking again.
"…I'm not sure I'll be able to stand being just your friend."
Poor, poor Tysa. Wat now you ask? Well...I don't know. In fact, I have no idea what I'm going to do until the ending. Guess I have to add that battle with the Saint shields, I have to write that festival, oy there's a lot on my list.
Mizuki Sakura