Chapter six is here! Enjoy 😊

Katy tossed and turned in her sleep, sweat dripping down her stress-stricken face. Her breathing became heavy, kicking the blankets as moans of distress escaped her mouth.

-nightmare-

Her mother was being attacked by her drunk father, his knife bloody as he sliced into her with hard thrusts. Impulsively, she dialed 911 and screamed at the operator to send help. "Please help me! My mother is being stabbed by my father, send help please!", tears streamed down her face as she watched her father turn his attention from her mother to her, charging after her with the knife raised. "I'll teach you to call the police you little bitch!", he yelled as he sliced the knife through the air, lacerating her on her right side. Katy fell to the ground, her screams echoing through the phone. She could hear the operator yelling at her to get away from him and lock herself in a room, and the police were on their way. Her father stepped closer to her, within range for Katy to send her foot into his groin with as much force as she could give. As her father hollered while bending over, Katy stumbled into her room and locked the door, she could hear police sirens in the distance. "He stabbed me", she told the operator as tears streamed from her eyes, unable to get to her dying mother.

Just when she thought she was safe, she heard her door being kicked in, her father drunkenly stumbling into her room. The look in his eyes was pure hatred and sinister, the knife covered in her mother's blood. "Join your mother you little slut", he said as he charged at her, her scream echoing once more through the house.

-end-

Katy let out a small scream as she woke up, sitting up and looking around in fear. When she realized it was just a nightmare, she rubbed her hands over her face and let out a sigh of relief. She could feel her heart pumping hard, the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Getting out of bed, she walked into the bathroom and started to wash her face, looking at herself in the mirror. "I'm ok, I'm safe, I'm home", she told herself before drying her face and turning off the sink.

The next morning, Hilary had to wake up Katy with a shake of the shoulder. "Hey come on, we're already late", she heard Hilary say. Groaning in protest, Katy got out of bed and rubbed her eyes, "I didn't sleep well last night, how late are we?", she asked as she went to her part of the closet and grabbed some clothes to change into. "Pretty late, about an hour. I didn't sleep well last night either, with listening to you tossing and turning all night", Hilary said with some annoyance. Sighing heavily, Katy walked into the bathroom to change; walking back into the bedroom a few minutes later with her hair in a messy bun and wearing a white tank top with jean shorts, her legs and shoulders tanned from the day before.

Walking to the dojo, Hilary decided to see what exactly happened to Katy's mom, and what the nightmare was all about. Hesitantly asking, "Hey, mind if I ask you what happened?", she asked. Katy kept looking forward, not showing any interest in Hilary's question. "What happened with what?", she asked Hilary, trying to play clueless to see if it would steer Hilary away from the subject. Taking in a breath, she asked once more. "I mean, what happened with your family?", she asked. Katy felt a cold chill go up her spine, closing her eyes tightly as the memories started to flood back to her. "If you must know, my mother was killed. I would rather not talk about it, if you don't mind", she said with a tone that said to drop the subject. Hilary could feel the tension rising, if it wasn't Katy's face that made her change the subject quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry", she heard Hilary say. Nodding in approval, Katy gave her a reassuring smile along with a pat on the shoulder. "It's OK, she was your aunt so its natural to be curious. It's just too soon to talk about what happened", she answered. Hilary smiled as she let out a breath of relief, the last thing she wanted to cause was more tension between herself and Katy.

Training continued as normal at the Dojo, with the tournament approaching within the next month; Kai was pushing everyone harder than usual. While Katy and Hilary sat with Kenny and discussed how every bladebreaker could improve, a taxi pulled up at the dojo entrance. The sound of a door opening and closing caught the attention of Tyson's grandpa; who escorted the mystery person to where the team was practicing. "Hey homies, this young lady is looking for you Rei'', Tyson's grandpa called out. Rei stopped blading and looked behind him, paralyzed as he saw who was standing before him; Mariah.

Giving him a smile, Mariah waved to him as she carried her duffle bag over her shoulder. "hey stranger", she said calmly. "Mariah? What are you doing here?", Rei asked in complete shock and confusion. "I came to see you, is that a problem?", she asked. Tyson huffed and crossed his arms "Yeah kind of", he spat, earning a glare from Rei. "Ignore him, No Mariah. Its not a problem", he said as he walked up to her, hugging her lightly before walking to a place for some privacy. Hilary was just as shocked as everyone else, looking at Katy to see her reaction. "Is that the famous Mariah?", she asked, seeing Hilary nod; "Yeah, I'm just as shocked as you are". Katy didn't want to show it, but disappointment and some slight heart-break broke through her nerves.

"What are you doing here Mariah? Don't you have training to do?", Rei asked as he crossed his arms. "I promised Lee I would practice while I was here, but I'm leaving in a couple of days. I just had to see you, what was up with that message you sent me?", she asked with sadness in her eyes. "What do you mean? You're the one running off into the mountains with some new guy and limited the conversations you and I had. What was I supposed to think?", he asked with annoyance. "Oh god Rei, are you really jealous of Victor?", she asked, her hands resting on her hips. "I am when you don't talk to me as much as you used to! Come on Mariah, what would you think if I was running off with some girl to the mountains for two weeks?", he asked, his voice getting a bit loud. Taken back by his tone, Mariah got on the defense. "OK, can I ask you something? Who is that girl sitting with Hilary?", she asked with attitude in her voice. Rei looked at Katy, who was intently watching Kai's and Max's battle. "She's Hilary's cousin, why?", he asked. Mariah nodded, her face showing anger. "I see, and when did she arrive?", her question made Rei's blood go a bit cold. "A month ago", he answered. "I see, around the time you decided to break it off with me, right?", she continued; starting to talk with her hands.

Sighing heavily, Rei rolled his eyes and shook his head. "This has nothing to do with her, so leave her out of this. She's dealing with enough as it is", he stated. Mariah smirked and shook her head; "Oh Rei, do you really think I'm stupid? Some girl suddenly appears on your team and you think I'm not going to think the same thing you're thinking about me? Give me a break", she said before starting to walk outside. Rei stopped her, grabbing her elbow and forcing her back in front of him; "Why are you here if you're just going to cause trouble?", he asked sternly. Mariah pulled her arm out of his grip, glaring up at him. "I just came to see why you suddenly have an issue with my working with a guy, and now I see why", she said before walking outside, getting her blade out and launching it into the battle between Kai and Max. At the same time, shooting nasty looks at Katy.

"Take my man away from me? I dare you", she thought as her blade slammed into Kai's dranzer, creating their own battle. Kai wasn't too thrilled about Mariah suddenly showing up, but if this was enough to keep Rei and Katy from getting together, then so be it.

After practice was over, Tyson's grandpa made a huge dinner for everyone; obviously inviting Mariah to join them. Katy could feel the tension in the air, catching Mariah glaring at her from time to time; this annoyed her greatly. "So, Mariah, how long are you staying?", Kenny asked. "Oh, I'm just here for a couple of days, or however long it takes to mend any issues between Rei and I", she said with a smile, hinting at the possibility of staying longer. Rei didn't know what to think, he was still on the fence about their relationship if he hadn't already jumped that fence. "Oh, well that's cool you travelled all the way here to fix things between you two", Hilary said with a small smile. Katy however, had something to add.

"Maybe you wouldn't have something to fix you would've picked up the phone occasionally", she said with a cocky smirk, seeing Rei curse under his breath. Mariah raised an eyebrow at Katy, putting down her chop sticks. "Oh? It's a little thing called training for a tournament, and I didn't see you blading out there, so it must be something you're not familiar with", Mariah replied. Katy didn't take too kindly to anyone insulting her intelligence, especially not from someone like Mariah. "Do you have any idea what kind of pain you've put Rei through by not calling him? You lied to him about who you're going up to the mountains with. All I'm saying is I can't blame the guy for wanting to end the relationship", Katy stated as she put down her chop sticks.

"Alright Katy, stop", they heard Kai say, but Mariah continued. "How would you know anything about that?", Mariah's voice started to get loud, both girls creating an electrical atmosphere that was uncomfortable for everyone. "I've been cheated on before, so I know how it feels", Katy snapped back. Rei put his hand on Mariah's shoulder to stop her from her verbal assault. Mariah smirked as she tossed her napkin on the table, "Well I can see why you were cheated on. You don't know when to stop talking, he probably got annoyed by your big mouth", she insulted. Katy then stood up, "Don't talk about my past relationship when you're the one running off with some guy and sending Rei into a mental mind-fuck!", now her tone was at the yelling stage.

"Oh shit, a fight is about to break out", Hilary thought as she watched her cousin and Mariah argue intently. Mariah then stood up and proceeded to approach Katy, Rei getting himself ready to break up a fight, Kai doing the same. "Maybe he wouldn't have been sent into a mental mind-fuck if he didn't have a little slut like you whispering in his ear!", Mariah said as she pushed Katy by the shoulders, almost knocking her into Kai. "You're the fucking slut!", Katy yelled as she pushed herself off of Kai and slammed her fist into Mariah's face, grabbing her by her hair while Mariah did the same. The two girls then started yanking each other around and throwing punches, taking the fight to the ground. Rei and Kai immediately jumped in, doing their best to separate them, but the girls had harsh grips on one another while both fought to get on top of one another. They were like two cats fighting over territory.

It took almost all four of the bladers to separate them, Kai holding Katy by her waist and shoulders as he picked her up, while Rei held Mariah tightly by hers, almost lifting her into the air as she tried to break free. Both girl's hair was in disorder, blood dripping down Mariah's nose as a bruise started to form on Katy's cheekbone. Katy was struggling against Kai while Max helped to hold her back, but what Katy failed to realize was the struggle caused her shirt to ride up almost over her bra, revealing the nasty, hideous scar that she's been trying to hide from everyone. "Fuck you, you stupid bitch!", Katy yelled as she continued to struggle, yelling at Kai to let her go. Hilary and Kenny were in complete shock of the situation, sitting at the table and watching with mouths gaped open.

"Stop it! That is enough!", Kai yelled as he took Katy and held her against the wall with his body, not pressing himself against but keeping her between him and the wall with his hands on either side of her. She tried to go under his arm, but he grabbed her by her waist and put her back against the wall. "Fuck you, you stupid bitch!", Katy yelled as she tried to push past Kai without success. "I'd rather be a bitch than a fucking slut like you!", Mariah yelled as Rei started to push her towards the bathroom. "Come on Mariah, stop it! You have a bloody nose", Rei said as he then started to drag her to the bathroom. When she wasn't in sight anymore, Kai let Katy push past him and start to fix herself; pulling her shirt back down and fixing her hair so it was back in a messy bun.

"Well that was exciting", Tyson commented with a laugh, followed by a pained yell from a harsh slap on the shoulder from Hilary. "Well its kind of ironic that she said she would rather be a bitch than a slut huh?", Katy commented before she was out of ear shot of everyone by walking outside, sitting down on the porch.

In the bathroom, Rei made Mariah sit on the toilet seat while he started to clean up her bloody nose, giving her some tissue to stuff up her nose to act as a clog. "What the hell is wrong with you?", he asked quietly. Mariah huffed, throwing a small chunk of Katy's hair in the trash, "She should've minded her own business", she answered as she put the tissue up her nose. "You didn't have to start a fight with her, and besides, she wasn't wrong", Rei said with anger in his eyes. Mariah looked up at him, almost shocked at his words; "So you think I'm cheating on you? Well I'm not Rei! What happened to us Rei? We used to talk about stuff", her eyes started to form tears. Rei just looked away, holding his ground. "That was before you stopped talking and starting unnecessary fights. Why are you here anyways?", he asked her harshly. Mariah stood up, looking Rei straight in the eyes, "I came here to clear things up with you, I didn't know it would escalate into something worse. I'm sorry Rei, I promise I will make everything better", she tried to coax him into a hug, but he rejected her; keeping his arms crossed.

At this point, Rei had enough of everything; it didn't matter to him anymore. "You know what Mariah? If you feel so guilty that you must start a fight with one of my friends, then there is nothing to fix, and I think you should leave", he said as he left the bathroom, marching off to clear his mind ; leaving Mariah with her disappointment and heartbreak. Tears were streaming down her injured face, sitting on the toilet seat and beginning to cry. "No; this can't be happening", she muttered to herself as she began to breakdown.

On his way out, he ran into Kai; who was on his way to take Katy an ice pack. "Is that for Katy?", he asked. Kai nodded and gave it to Rei, knowing that's why he was asking. "I'm sorry about all of this", he said as he took it from Kai's hands.

"She needs to go Rei, we don't need this drama on our team" Kai said as he started to turn away but faced Rei once more. "Just so we're clear, I don't think its in your best interest to pursue Katy either", Kai said as he crossed his arms in a dominant manner. Rei narrowed his eyes at what Kai said, shaking his head. "You may be the team captain, but you can't tell me how to live my personal life", he said before walking towards Katy who was sitting on the porch next to Hilary. Kai sent a glare in his direction, shaking his head in disapproval.

Rei handed Katy the ice pack, sympathy pouring from his face. "I'm sorry about what happened, are you ok?", he asked gently. Katy smirked and put the ice pack to her face, "I'm OK, I've had worse fights", she commented. Raising an eyebrow, Rei put his hands in his pockets and started to turn towards the dojo entrance, "I think that scar of yours can tell a hell of a story", he said before walking away. Katy felt her blood run cold, reality smacking her in the face about the scar being revealed. "Damnit", she muttered before Kai walked up to them. Hilary immediately took a stand against Kai. "Now Kai, before you start yelling at her for fighting, she was just defending herself", Hilary stated. Kai looked at her momentarily, before looking down at Katy. "The fight was unnecessary but I'm not going to scold you for defending yourself. Mariah is leaving so this won't happen again", he stated, his voice carrying that leader tone Katy almost resented, but she welcomed it this time since it was in her favor.

Tyson then walked outside with a drink in his hand, handing it to Katy as he sat next to her. "That was a hell of a fight if I've ever seen one though, I've never seen two girls go at it over a guy", he joked. Katy looked at him as if he was the dumbest person alive; narrowing her eyes; "We weren't fighting over Rei stupid, she called me a slut and shoved me. I wasn't about to let her get away with that", she said as she took the drink from him and sipped it, discovering it was the soda she was drinking with dinner. "You didn't, but she didn't let you go without a hit too", Kenny said as he also walked outside. "Last I checked, she's the one with a bloody nose; not me", Katy commented with a smirk. She felt quite proud of herself for defending her own person and didn't lose any blood over it.

"What's the story behind that scar?", she heard the dreaded question from Tyson, but before she could scold him for asking such a personal question; Kai answered on her behalf. "Its none of our business Tyson", he said sternly, looking down at Katy to see her giving her a 'thank you' look. "Oh come on Kai, we all want to know! I know you want to know, since you wouldn't shut up about it last night", he stated, watching Katy raise an eyebrow in confusion. "No; you idiot, that was you who wouldn't stop talking about it and I was telling you to shut up, so we could go to sleep", Kai said harshly.

Katy then stood up and clapped her hands once; "Hey I have a great idea, how about Hilary and I go home; while you guys keep my business out of your mouths?!", she snapped before starting to walk out of the dojo. "Yeah; I agree, but if it makes you feel any better, I know about as much as you do", she said to Kai as she followed Katy. "Goodnight guys!", she yelled as they crossed through the exit of the dojo.

Mariah remained in the bathroom, crying to herself until Rei came back. When he saw her bags were still there, but she wasn't anywhere to be seen, he figured she was still in the bathroom. Knocking and opening the door, he walked up to her and kneeled in front of her. "Mariah, please stop crying", he said as he pulled her into a tight hug, her face burying itself into his neck. "I'm so sorry Rei, I'm so sorry", he kept hearing her say through her cries. Rei held her for a while, stroking her back until she stopped crying. "I put you in a hotel for the night; come on, I'll take you there", he said as he helped her stand up, walking her out of the bathroom while holding her hand.

Grabbing her bags, he walked her to the hotel where he reserved a room for her. When he was about to leave, Mariah grabbed his wrist and stopped him, "Rei, will you spend one more night with me?", she asked. He didn't know what to say, he was breaking up with her yet she wanted him to stay? That could only mean one thing. After a couple of seconds of silence, he nodded and walked with her to her room, shutting the door behind him.

Boy that was fun huh?! For all of you who want to know, yes there will be some limey scenes in this story but that's for later 😉 More to come soon! Leave reviews and suggestions 😊