Giving Up Meat For Lent
~Day 35 – Gambling and Apologies~

Rubbing the back of his head, the hungry Granger dropped the sausage roll into the trash bin and he cringed with disgust. "It's not like me to waste food. Urgh." He cringed, feeling so guilty about the fact that there were people starving out there in the big wide world.

"What's with your face?" Hilary questioned, stopped in her tracks when she registered the painful expression carved into the champion's face. "You look like you've just stumped your toe on door frame again."

Suddenly Tyson's eyelids flung wide open and he nodded a negative no, "No, I just did something worse then that." He muttered whilst rushing over to the sink to wash his hands.

"Huh?" By now the brunette manager was concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Grandpa had asked me to clean out the fridge today because all the meat had pretty much gone off. But it killed me to place so much food into the bin, especially as I can hear this little nag in my ear going, 'Tyson, there are people dying of hunger in this world and look what you're doing.' It's annoying..."

A sweat drop appeared in the corner of Hilary's forehead and her pupils widened, she was stunned with what she was hearing. "Tyson, I think you're taking this lent thing too far now. How long have you got left?" She asked, trying to relax the Dragoon wielder.

"I have 5 days. Oh man, I have been craving a beef burger so bad. My body is physically telling me to walk up to a cow in a field and bite it raw." He'd washed his hands and dried them on a tea towel. "I can't wait to finish this stupid lent thing now. It's been an experience, but it's been a long one..."

"Well, all I can say is you've done really well to get this far Tyson… Especially as me and Rei had bet on who would cave in first." She admitted whilst folding her arms, "That reminds me, I need to find him to discuss how long he's visiting his friends in China for. I will need to change the training schedule.."

"You guys placed a bet on me and Kai?" Tyson started to place on his fingerless gloves, "Please tell me you bet on me winning."

Hilary then smiled warmly and she winked, "Of course I bet on you. But Rei isn't happy about the fact that Kai has had to save your backside a few times. So he views it as cheating and expects me to still pay up." She explained in a proud tone – Tyson was making her richer.

Gobsmacked at this tiny secret, Tyson's shoulders dropped and his spine straightened up. "Rei didn't believe in me?! What the hell?! He knows me better than that!" He protested, wanting to confront the Asian male for his lack of faith.

"Oh relax Tyson. He's in China… Hiding from me because I want my money." Hilary's lips then sealed themselves closed when she felt his hand slide into her BBA jacket pocket to pull out her mobile phone. "Don't you dare send him a text from my phone! TYSON!"

"He's got a new phone and I don't have his number. But I know you do!" Tyson shouted back as he ran out the door with her phone. "This guy isn't escaping me. I don't care where he."

Opening the front door to see an unexpected figure standing on the porch, the bluenette woman's heart skipped a viscous beat. It was so unlike her son to appear out of the blue with a dozen white roses in his left hand. She couldn't help but acknowledge how smart he was looking in his little expensive suit.

"Kai?" She blinked with her eyes wanting to roll out of her head. "What's all this about?"

"I want us to go out for dinner Mum, just us." His voice was so raw yet vulnerable.

He struggled to make eye contact with the elegant lady; his pride was slowly sinking into his wrenching stomach and his heart began to swell up with emotion. Kai couldn't believe he was doing this, but after watching his rival mourn his mother in the long lonely nights, it made Kai realise that his mother was not a figure that he should ignore for much longer.

His grandfather, maybe, but not her~

"Just us? Well, that would be lovely." Tears filled her eyes as she reached out her hand to accept the flowers from her son's palm. "But before we go, I want you to tell me what happened that night, so we can avoid it happening again. Why did you get yourself in such a mess?"

The Dranzer wielder then tilted his head back and he licked his dry lips. He knew this would happen, but he just didn't prepare himself enough. So he just did the most Tyson-thing possible and let the words roll of his numbing tongue.

"Well, the truth is, I didn't want to upset you Mum. I know how much effort you put into that occasion. But I couldn't eat the dinner because I am now a vegetarian. So tonight, I want to take you to a vegetarian restaurant."

Despite that the atmosphere couldn't get anymore tense for the Hiwatari, he was beginning to feel quite proud of himself. He'd finally come clean about the foul disturbance that he was to blame for.

However, the awkward silence between the two Hiwatari's didn't last long as Kai's mother then burst out laughing. This confused Kai and his body stiffened. 'What's so funny?' - He mentally asked himself, hoping he hadn't fucked up yet again.

"Oh Kai, was that it? I had plenty of vegetables left over on that night. But with your grandfather present, I guess I can understand why you did what you did. However, you better apologise to him to, he was pretty upset with you too..."

"He'll get over it." Kai huffed, he was losing his patiences now. "Mum, go and get dressed. My table reservation is due."

Just as the gracious lady nodded positively, she stepped aside to let her son walk into the Hiwatari mansion. Except, when she closed the door behind him, they both paused at the sound of Kai's mobile phone ringing.

Without thinking twice, Kai pulled his mobile out of his pocket. But the minute he pressed the gadget to his ear, he instantly began to regret the idea of answering the phone call. He could hear Tyson's sarcastic tone echoing down his eardrums, meanwhile Hilary was screaming at him in the background.

"You my fellow teammate have some explaining to do."

"TYSON GIVE ME MY PHONE BACK! I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU!"

"Not now Hilary. I'm busy with Rei." Tyson cleared his throat, "I'd like to see you go 40 days without meat, especially when you eat fricken crickets on a stick!"

"TYSON! PLEASE PUT THE PHONE DOWN!" Hilary by this point had grabbed his wrist and pulled the phone away from him, "Max has mixed up all my contacts recently because I hacked his Facebook account..."

"Uh." Tyson gulped, "Wait, why didn't you tell me that earlier!? And who is on the other end of this call!?"

"I don't know who you are calling, but they sure as hell must be so confused right now!" Hilary slapped the guy on the shoulder and she took a deep breath to regain her cool. The brave girl then placed the mobile phone to her ear and she mumbled nervously, "Hello? I'm really sorry about that..."

Click~

"Tyson?"

"Yep." Kai watched his mother chuckle as she made her way to her bedroom to get dressed, "He's such a Moran."

'Eat crickets on a stick? Because that didn't sound racist.~ Kai silently giggled to himself when nobody was present. 'I need to say that to Rei when he mentions that Vodka joke again.'~

A/N: Oh that really made me laugh. However, I'm afraid that the next chapter of this story will be the last. Thank you for all your support and I hope you laughed as hard as I did just now - Granger~