A/N: Hey there everyone! This fic is back and I've finally Prof read this! :D Please tell me if there are any errors because I really fought against reluctance of not Prof Reading this very hard. XD I will continue posting quickly, so don't worry, we will reach the 37th chapter originally soon! ^_^

Thanks a lot to "The Next You Know Who" for beta-ing this chapter which I finally re-edited! Thanks Rolly! :D

Chapter 12- Tenderness and Secrets.

By the time she snapped out of her daydream, they were at the parlor. They asked for three large tables to be joined; the attendant kindly did as she was told. Though she is wondering where the world champ was, since all the bladebreakers and some other teams that fought in the championship at some point are here, she doesn't interrogate. Sensing the woman's questioning gaze, Hillary quickly told her that he was peacefully sleeping in his house.

On the middle table Hilary sat with Kai and Kenny on her sides, while Ray, Mariah and Max on their opposite. Lee didn't mind about her little sister; he felt that she was just having her time with her best friend though very soon she would be a part of someone else's life. The table at their left was occupied by the Psykicks- Kane and Salima, who sitting beside Ray with Goki and Jim opposite to their teammates. On the last table were the white tigers where Lee and Kevin sat on the same side as Mariah and Gary alone occupied the opposite seat. Gary was rubbing his hands constantly, waiting for the arrival of fooood!
The attendant opened her note and asked them about the ice creams they would eat.

"Anything tasty and just bring it fast!" Gary exclaimed while others broke into laughter.

"I would like Baskin Robbins, the strawberry one." Ray said.

"I will take a Cold Stone Creamery, the chocolate one." Mariah said cheerfully with the blush for ice cream already fluttering on her cheeks.

"Ok, we have both!" the attendant spoke as she scribbled on the clean white sheets.

"We will take the blue bells, chocolate one." Max and Kenny chimed at the same time.

"I will have the Ben and Jerry's Vanilla." Kai said sternly.

Lee took Nestle strawberry, Kevin, Jim and Goki took the Dipin Dots, butterscotch. They ordered whatever they like knowing they would never have to pay, it would be the either blade breakers, or particularly, Ray since it was his idea, but that was obvious that eventually it would be Kai who would show his generosity.

The attendant was writing her long list and when it over, she began to walk but made an abrupt turn when she realized that the young brunette hadn't said anything. So she looked at her questioningly while she was lost in her own world.

"Excuse me, Ma'am! What would you like to order?" The brunette snapped from her state as she looked at her dumbstruck and wondering what she just asked.

"I..I will take….Uhmm…ah."

"Well it's okay, you can think about it." she suggested politely.

'Really I've never been that interested in ice-creams, I remember once Tyson took me out for ice-cream and I didn't even ask him about any particular one but he said it was his favorite so he treated me with that and it was damn tasty, yum! But I don't know the name…

"Well, you can get me the blue bell creameries, the vanilla one."

"Wow! You have a good choice, that's the most expensive and standard ice-cream of here. Hope you enjoy it!"

"Oh… really?"

"I will get them right now." With that, the waitress left and headed towards the other section.

Now a few people were curiously waiting for their ice-cream, these people were Ray, Mariah, Max and Gary while the others simply stared at various young couples that were dating, which wasn't a uncommon thing among teenagers in this parlor mansion that was one of the most expensive ones in the city.

It was Mariah's choice when Ray asked her. So till the ice-cream was brought, they started playing truth or dare!

Ray suggested it and Mariah supported him. Hilary, Kenny, Kai, Goki, Salima and Kane simply stated that they didn't wanted to be a part of it, while Hilary didn't even hear about the game. She began to feel tired and was drowsy; she tried to stay awake but failed. So she buried her head in her hands and rested it on the table, a bit awkwardly but it worked. She did nap a couple of times but the noise in the parlor woke her up a number of times, it wasn't possible in the presence of such large gathering to sleep peacefully. She yawned and realized that if she would have sat next to Max, perhaps there would be a possibility that she could lay her head on his shoulder and he won't be uncomfortable about that , but now she sat b/w two people whom she couldn't lay a head on.

The group playing the game crowded at the left right corner. The bottle was spun around by Max and the mouth pointed towards Ray and the base to Max. Max smirked, the cutest smirk, seriously!

"Hey buddy, ask what you want. I chose truth." Ray smiled.

"Hmmm…" Max grinned.

"Hey Max, ask him a tough question!" Kevin said and Mariah laughed.

"Sure! So Ray...Tell me" Max brought his face a bit closer to Ray as they sat opposite to each other.

"What is it that you treasure most in your life besides blading?"

"That?" Ray asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, it could be anything, anyone or whatever!" Max explained

"Oh! Ok-ay…well let's see..." he scratched his head softly and looked over Mariah. He genuinely smiled at her and just kept looking at her while others just looked at each other and Max was wondering in confusion that what was going on…Mariah simply smiled back, never understanding what it meant...

Yeah, currently, if there is someone in my head, it's you, if there's something I want, I long, it's you. It's just you are all in my head. It's just not silly crush, but now I realized that since we were kids, how much we liked each other. Of course I like you, you are very cute than what anybody can see.

"Ok-ay Okay! Done. I will spin again." Max concluded with smile.

"Hey wait"

"What do you mean?"

"Ray has to answer yet!" Mariah protested.

"Yeah Ray say fast."

"Sorry guys but this round is just over if you were unable to see that Ray had already answered but you didn't notice. You have to be careful!" Max explained.

"He did?" they asked in unison.

"Yeah! Hehe! I won't say it, so just be careful next time!"

"Oh thanks Max, I am glad you did understand what I wanted to say!" Ray blushed mad.

"Hehe! Ok-ay well okay let's spin it." Max's hand that touched the bottle to begin it stopped and he turned to Mariah. "Well Mariah! Didn't you notice what Ray meant?" Max asked much to the very point it occurred to him. At the instant, even Ray plucked in the point and perused her expression. But to both the blader's disappointment, she only threw a perplexed stare at both of them.

"No, I don't know." she mumbled.

"Hey! It's okay, you may have not noticed. Hehe!" Ray pretended to grin but felt strange. Max only gave as a smile that she really did fail to notice and he felt that Ray should follow the advice he had given to Tyson yesterday before it gets any late.

While the game continued, the brunette was deep in her sleep, her head laid on Kai's shoulder and her soft cheek against his arm. He willingly bent forwards and extends his legs down the table so she could sleep comfortably. The brunette fell asleep even before the game started and Kenny failed to notice; he was so preoccupied in his own laptop. She never knew that her head landed on his shoulder till she woke up and yet she felt the most comfortable sleep she got in the day.

He didn't wake her not because he wanted to take the advantage of how good it was feeling but he merely didn't want to disturb the poor girl waking her from her sleep and embarrassing her. So, he let it go.

Kane and Salima exchanged looks and bickered about the scene, Kane tried to ask her about it while she just told him to be quiet.

It was late afternoon, about quarter to three and the clouds were like lined purplish grey, the weather had already began to start showing its signs of immediate soon drizzle or thunder.

While the right side group were busy in their own truths or the things they would dare, more or less, it was all fascinating, yet kind of freaking with questions they didn't want to hear and answer. For instance, Mariah was asked about her biggest achievement in life, the truth was, it was something she was going to burst out in delight to Ray but yet it was a secret, not exactly, but something she would say later. She felt being languished for some point. Max dared that he would win a match against Ray, and because he said, he had to, and it was much exhausting, poor Maxi, he never dared for anything then.
"I would say all the truths, though I don't mean beat you that hard, but a game shouldn't be tiring!" he sighed with forced smile.

"Hey! Max, do you dare to dare?" Kevin smirked. But Max only gave a smile and let go.

Other instance when Gary was asked about any crush besides food, and the moment earned chuckle from everyone, when he asked if it were supposed to be a person. He sweat dropped and they burst in guffaws, but then he slowly scratched his head sheepishly. That was kinda demeaning. The most astounded moment was with Mariah when the next time the mouth of the bottle pointed her.

"Uhm…Ah?" She mumbled nervously at Ray while he only smiled with many apprehensive and eager eyes, holding his chin in his hand the other hand being simply resting on the buffet straight without any food and his fingers smoothly landed on her upper part of wrist.

"Hmn, so…Tell me." he placed his finger on his lap and then eventually paced back with both the hand's fingers interlocking behind his head.

"Say, who do you long for recently?" he asked with cool, and amusing expression that Gary and Kevin widened their mouth in shock and Max smiled foolishly before ignoring the dodgy appeal.

She widened her eyes in little confusion analyzing what he was speaking and what it had to do with. She simply tilted her head to one side and saw him from a different position, wondering if his brain was on right place that he asked such a weird question.

"I didn't longed for anyone, yet I-" she said in mumbling low tone with the maximum sternness she could muster in it…"Well, that answers it, Ray."

'I don't understand what he was thinking. That wasn't anything I expected, why I would long for anything or anyone. I'm a simple girl Ray; I thought you knew me all well. All I want is no regrets and sadness in my life though I never aim for high things like enjoyment and happiness in life. It's very simple. I've blading in my life, Galax and someone soon. Well, to be honest, there's no best friend as you ever. Though you deserted us past 3 years ago, I forgave you, tried to understand and convince my own feelings, but that 'feeling' I don't know now what actually it was or why they were, what it was? I don't know nor do I want to know now. I have matured these years and the last year when you simply left us for fighting BEGA. I fell for someone, someone, that someone. But still after life gave hundred reasons for gloom, I gave life a thousand reasons to smile, and now I smiling, but it isn't fake. She smiled mentally and inhaled deeper.

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