Thanks to: Molly Yokunaii, Demoness-MarlstonWells69ner, Bluestray, and BeMyfRIeND4eVA for reviewing!
Disclaimer: I don't own beyblade.
Mariah sat, staring bleakly at the flashing screen of the DVD player, at the bottom of a tree with her knees pulled up to her chest. The list of names she had written earlier sat beside her with a rock placed in the middle of it to keep it from blowing away. No one dared speak to her for now. They couldn't look into those cold, empty eyes of hers just yet. They were so cold they appeared to be getting darker; going from gold to black. Her pink hair was back in a tight ponytail.
The spot they picked to stay in could be best described as a lush, green meadow set under and hovering canopy. The bright flowers and moss-less trees, however, did not brighten the moods of these troubled teens. Kai and Tala sat on the opposite side of the meadow from Mariah. Neither of them knew what to make of this seemingly hopeless situation. They had no idea where they were, they didn't know how they were going to get back home, or where ever, and they had just witness Kai's brother's murder.
"This day just keeps getting better." Tala mumbled sarcastically under his breath with a frown. He and Kai mirrored each other; arms crossed firmly over their well-defined muscular chests allowed to be shown off by the tight, black tank tops they wore, their legs, covered by the identical baggy black pants Tala packed for them before he left Biovolt, were straight out in front of them. Both of them appeared to be silent and motionless, but Mariah noticed their lips moving, so quickly the sentence seemed to be over in a second. They didn't talked in Russian for Mariah's sake. They dared not agitate her any further.
"Where did the others go?" Kai asked swiftly getting every word out just right; so low only Tala could hear and so fast that even if someone did hear him, they wouldn't be able to understand. It was something they liked to do when they were little so no one would be able to hear or understand their unwritten plan to escape Biovolt. It didn't work of course…
"Mariam and Ming-Ming went to go find the others. Ray and Salima have their own agenda." Tala informed rolling his eyes. "Amazing how they can still enjoy a romantic day when a killer could be right around the next tree they pass." The sentence buzzed to Kai's ears. After it was out of Tala's mouth, he noticed something was missing. Something important.
"Where's the kid?" he asked glancing around the quiet little meadow. Without discussion, they both stood to their feet causing Mariah to look up confused. "Where's Karma?" he asked loud enough for anyone with in six foot radius to hear.
Mariah obviously didn't notice she was missing either, for the neko-jin was now on her feet. "I was so caught up in this mystery I didn't notice she had left my side." She gasped.
"We have to go look for her. Split up, Tala you go-"
"No! We're not about to split up in an unfamiliar forest with a killer on the loose! Are you crazy!?" the pinkette cut Kai off.
"We'll find her quicker." The slate haired teen defended his decision. "For all we know the killer could have her."
"That's why we have to stay together, so we can fight him off."
"You're right." Kai un-expectantly agreed, taking Mariah completely by surprise. She looked at him in disbelief. He, however, kept his superior and in control expression on. "Tala, you go with Mariah and keep her safe. I'll go this way." And before Mariah could even get the words out to stop him, he was out of the meadow, leaving Tala and Mariah alone.
They stood in the meadow, not exchanging looks or words, trying to register what had just happened… well Mariah was anyway. She had just noticed that, in so many words, Kai had just call her weak! Insinuating that she couldn't handle the murderer alone. After seeing the enraged look on her face, Tala knew she was now caught up.
"Ready?" he asked calmly with a wide grin, obviously amused by how easy it was for Kai to get her angry.
This also took Mariah by surprise, Tala never smiled. Even more surprising, he was smiling… at her! That's when she noticed they were completely alone in a vast forest. There was no use fighting it now, she had to go look for Karma. "Let's go." She exhaled and started walking in the opposite direction of Kai.
The shading collection of trees seemed to stretch on as far as Mariah could see and she was not liking this. There was not a person in sight, no sign of human life or anything… just… trees. It wasn't long before she started to get tense. She could feel Tala's gaze on her. At any cost, she had to avoid his mesmerizing stare.
She looked through the trees to her right, the side Tala wasn't on… she looked to the ground for a little while… then she decided to gaze at the sky. It was then that she noticed the sun was setting, was it really that late? The sky was covered by an orange-ish, pink-ish haze. Mariah loved watching the sunset. It was so… breathtaking. It made her feel calm despite the uncomfortable position she was in or the stress she was under. It made her think about all the people that made a difference in her life, the people she loved; her Mom, Mala, Lee her dad…
… Kai...
Mariah's POVAfter I noticed what I had just thought, I stopped dead in my tracks. No, I don't love Kai. I can't, he's L.A.'s little brother. I don't love Kai!
"Mariah?" looking up, I noticed Tala calling me. "Are you o.k.?" he asked politely with a tinge of concern in his voice.
"I'm fine." I said, walking up to where he was.
"Good." He smirked when I looked up at him with a confused expression. "Kai would kill me if I let anything happen to you." I could feel the crazy look I gave him covering my face. He just laughed at me.
After that we walked a little more in silence, giving us both time to think. Me, about my life and family, Tala… about Tala-things I guess. Even though I was worried about my mom and Mala, I couldn't stop thinking about what Tala had said. Why would Kai care if something happened to me?
As if reading my mind, Tala said, "He likes you, you know." That same mischievous smirk from before crept back on his face.
"What?" I just couldn't have heard him correctly.
"Kai. He likes you… a lot." The smirk never left his perfect face. There was something about Tala that intimidated me and I just don't know why. I wasn't scared of him or anything, it's just… o.k… maybe the main word isn't intimidate, more like envy…
He has so many things I don't. Perfectly smooth pale skin that seemed to glow in the moonlight, beaming white teeth that he showed to almost no one but Kai, lean and muscular physique… well I didn't want that last part, I've always wondered about his hair though. Is it prickly, silky, bushy? What? And then there was Kai…
It was simply undeniable that Kai loved Tala and Tala loved Kai… in a brotherly way of course… I think… Wait! What am I thinking! Kai nor Tala is gay! But if they are… together… I wouldn't stand a chance…
Realizing what I had thought again, I guess I may have accidentally made another weird face. "Mariah, are you sure your o.k.?" The tenseness between us had slightly dissipated. Just enough for me to talk to him…
"Hey, Tala?" I asked ignoring his question. I think it was rhetorical anyway.
"Yeah." He answered with that smooth, creamy tone he very seldom used… only when talking to Kai… alone. I had overheard them talking a couple times… in English. Even though he sounded god in Russian too. "What is it?"
I couldn't believe I was about to ask this. "You… and Kai… are y'all…" I trailed off, I was too nervous and embarrassed to finish the rest of that sentence, but judging by his horrified face expression, I could tell he finished it in his mind.
After a couple of awkward passing seconds, Tala turned to me and his shocked looked turned into an amused one as he let out a loud and untamable laugh that made some birds in a nearby tree flutter away. I groaned in embarrassment and looked away. I had just noticed that we were no longer walking.
"Please… tell me… you're kidding." He said calming down, wiping the tears from his eyes that had formed while he was laughing. I still looked away.
"No," he finally answered. "Kai's like my brother from another mother. There's no way in-" he stopped to point at the ground so that I would fill in the word without him saying it, "that I would ever be with Kai." He laughed again.
We were walking again. "Wow!" Tala exclaimed, not completely out of the blue. Then I noticed his face growing serious. I hope I didn't offend him. "Do we really give off that impression to people?"
"No… I'm just extremely observant. You and Kai never talk to people, but you always seem to talk to and sit by each other." I said shyly.
The male beside me let out a "hmmm…" Then he shook his head. "Well, you have nothing to worry about. He's all yours."
"What! No, no, no! I don't like Kai!" I defended myself.
"Suuuuuuuuuure, that's why you were writing about him in your diary." That mischievous smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth again.
"You read my diary!?" I couldn't believe this. Who was I walking with!? Because this was not the Tala I have grown to know… well, more like expect, since I didn't know him.
"You went on about how… interesting he was." He sounded as if he was trying to find words, but it was true! I kept stressing about how Kai intrigued me and how I wanted to get to know him better.
"You read my diary!?" this time I screamed, completely I outraged by his lack of respect for peoples private property. How'd he even find it!
"No." he said simply, smirk still in place. He seemed unfazed by my yelling.
"No?" I repeated.
"No." he confirmed.
"Th-then how did you know I wrote about Kai?" I said placing my hands on my hips.
"You just told me." His smirk only deepened as he pasted my motionless form. I just told him?! He didn't know. I just stood there… dumbstruck.
"Don't worry, I promise not to tell Kai." He assured me before turning around and staring at me with those sea blue eyes. "Unless of course…" he trailed off upon us hearing something.
"Did you…?" I asked an unfinished question, but he knew how to end it. He shook his head yeah. We walked up to a near by bush and peaked over.
We both saw Karma running around two very tired and frustrated teenaged males. I recognized them as, I think, Kai's other brothers. I don't think it was just a coincidence that their nicknames started with an 'L' just like L.J. and L.A. Wait, I just mention L.A. and didn't feel sad… is that a good thing?
"Riah!" the small girl yelled, startling the two boys. Tala and I walked all the way through the bushes. Karma came and hugged one of my legs and was now saying something to me in Russian that I did not understand. To confuse me further, much to my dismay, the guys started to also converse in Russian.
I groaned loudly, trying to throw a hint that I wanted to be included in their little conversation. Tala caught it… then dropped it. He threw me back an amused wink. Aaaarrrrrggggg! Kai better come get his friend before I get him! Man, when I get my hands on a translator!… Karma is going to learn English if it kills me! Then, after calming down, I reached down and picked Karma up.
"We have to go back to the meadow." Tala then fully turned to me and smiled. L.K. was smiling too! "What?!" I demanded.
"Did that complete circle we did confuse you?" the annoying redhead asked. Circle? I looked around a noticed there was something familiar about the place. Then I saw my things by a tree… where I left them.
"Oh." I said feeling a light blush come to my face. That's when Ray, Ming-Ming and Mariam came in our little camp spot. Kai still wasn't here though… What if he's lost? That thought pasted soon, Kai and the word 'lost' just didn't go together. Then I saw Hilary, Tyson, Max and Julia come through. Still no Kai. Emily and Kenny came later. I think that's everybody, but Kai's still not here… wait… someone else is missing. Salima…
Gasp! Where's Kai? I guess you'll just have to find out next chapter.