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Tired and in pain Michael manage to limp his way back to the PPA building, his tears all but dried up. He wipes at his eyes with the back of his sleeve, destroying any evidence that he has been crying.

He took a deep breath and walk through the main doors into the lobby.

"Michael!"

The said teen snapped his head towards the voice. He looks up to see his teammate running over to him.

"Michael, where have you been?" Max asks as he reaches the older teen. "We've been so worried."

We? Michael somehow manages to smother a snort. Yeah right.

"Michael?" Emily appears, the angry expression clear as day on her face. "Where the hell have you been, you missed three days of training!" She scowls. "You're going to have to catch up."

Michael took a deep breath and kept his eyes to the floor in an almost defeated display. "Sorry," he whispers and the slowly walks away from the two of them, towards the training room.

"Well, you should be!" Emily screams.

"Leave him alone, Em," Max said lightly to the scowling the girl. "Something's wrong."

Michael manages to hobble over to the lifts and press the up button, keeping his head down, his hair covering his eyes. The lift dinged open and he wordlessly steps inside, pressing the floor button. He stood in the corner of the lift, his back against one wall, his head against the other, his hair that he has swept to one side successfully covered his face from any prying eyes.

He kept thinking back to what Tala had said, the hatred and anger in his voice was evident. Was he really that annoying?

He was so deep in thought that he didn't hear the lift doors open or that someone else has stepped inside. It wasn't until that person places a large, but oddly comforting hand on his head did he look up. There was a pair of confused silver eyes, staring intently down at him, mentally asking what was wrong.

Michael squeeze his eyes shut as tears threaten to fall. He shakes his head but it only cause the tears to dislodge and now are flowing freely down his cheeks. "I'm so sick of it," he whispers, heartbreakingly so.

Rick sighs and let the teen cry into his chest, a hand gently on the back of his head, mentally noting how emotionally drained he is. I knew something like this would happen.

… … … … …

Kai heaves a huge sigh as he leans against the kitchen counter. He rubs the bridge of his nose with his two fingers. He has only just finished interrogating Tala about what had happened between him and the injured American. "So, what you're saying is that one minute Michael is a stuck-up jock and the next his incredibly timid?"

"Exactly!" Tala replies from the other side of the kitchen waving his arms around in a display of annoyance.

"Have you ever thought that the jock side of his personality is just a façade?" Kai hums in thought.

"What?" Tala asks, his eyes unconsciously wide with surprise.

"You know," Kai says as he flicks a strand of hair out of his eyes in frustration. "A mask."

"I know what façade means," Tala hisses. He then pauses for a minute as he let the words sink in. "You really think he's hiding behind a mask?"

"Yes, I do," Kai nods, rubbing his cheeks, his body language saying that he was feeling weary over this whole matter. "And from what you told me, he's getting sick of it."

"Aren't we all?" Tala mutters more to himself than to anyone else.

"All I'm saying is that if you drop your mask he might drop his."

Tala narrows his eyes suspiciously at the shorter teen. "Why would I want to see under his mask?"

Kai threw his arms into the air in frustration and marches up to the redheaded teen. "You're in denial, Tala, and that is so annoying!"

"Denial?" Tala asks in bewilderment. "Denial of what?"

"You have the hots for Michael!" Kai yells, loosing his patience and whapping him on the forehead. "So go and get it on already!"

Tala gave Kai his best impression of a fish out of water. He tries desperately to think of something to say, but his mind went blank. He couldn't possible have the 'hots' for Michael, he has only been here for three days, sure they'll have something in common, but that couldn't be enough for a full on crush is it?

Oh, why are emotions so fickle?

"Look, while you stand around here looking like a gold fish, I'm going to go out and see if I can find him myself," Kai said as he walks over to the front door. "Once you made up your mind, I think you should too." With those parting words he left, shutting the door behind him.

Tala stood in the deafening silence of the kitchen, the words still going around in his head. He abruptly shook it and plasters a determined expression across his face. He was going to sort this out with Michael and see what kind of person he really is under that confident jock façade.

… … … … …

Kai walked through the doors of the PPA building just as the skies above broke open, bring water to the land below. If it was out in the country side, the rain would be most welcomed, but this was the city and the rain was a nuisance and a hazard to the busy folk.

Speaking of nuisances, here comes the basket ball player of the All stars. Eddy looks over to Kai, slightly startled and with an confused expression on his face.

"You." Kai says firmly as he points at the tall teen. "Come here." he then curls his finger in a display that told him to come forth.

"But…" Eddy hesitates, unsure what the shorter, but extremely intimidating teen would want with him.

"I don't care." Kai snaps somewhat calmly, shaking his head and curles his finger again. "Come here."

The older teen sweatdrops and cautiously approaches the glaring bluenett. His mind was reeling, what on earth would Kai want and why does he want to talk to him? "Yeah?"

"Where's Michael?" Kai asks, ignoring the bewildered look that Eddy was wearing.

"How did you…?"

"Where?" Kai asks again, sounding to the world as if he was on his last nerve.

"He isn't here at the moment," another voice suddenly replies.

Kai glances over his shoulder to the much taller blader. Rick walks towards him, his eyes hard and Kai got the distinct feeling that Rick knows what happened. He turns back to Eddy. "Leave," he tells him.

"But…"

"Go." Kai said sternly. Eddy nods dumbly and walks away muttering something about making up his mind. Kai rose an eyebrow but said nothing, instead he turns his full attention to Rick. "You know what happened then?"

"Yes," Rick nods. "He told me everything."

"Does anyone else know?"

"No."

"Good," Kai felt somewhat relieved. "They'll probably think we tried to brainwash him or something."

Rick snorts. "As if you could."

"My thoughts exactly," Kai smirks for a moment then turn serious again. "So, care to explain what has been going on here?"

… … … … …

Tala ran through the rain, looking for a familiar blader. He could be anywhere, he knows that, but he has to try. He needs to find him, he needs to sort this out and when that is done then he'll sort out his emotions.

He quickly turns a corner and saw a park in front of him. If there was anywhere he would go for some privacy, it would be the park, wouldn't it?

Michael…

Ok, so I lied, this isn't the last chapter . It was suppose to be but … what can I say? This is turning out to be a wee be longer than I expected. But, hey, who cares?

Next chapter: The meeting.

Please review.