Count me in, count her out!

The Bladebreakers were lying spread out on the grass, next to the river: their favorite hangout zone. Hilary wasn't there. Kai as usual was a bit farther away from the others. Kenny, Max, Ray and Tyson were enjoying themselves…it was vacation time now. And the kids were making the most of it.

"Where's Hilary?" asked Max, suddenly "She did say she'd be here by now."

"May be she's taking cooking lessons!" joked Tyson.

"Very funny, Tyson!" said Max, angrily "Why do you always have to have a go at her?"

"Maxi?" asked Tyson, suddenly turning to face him "Don't tell me!"

"I won't" said Max, angrily "You're so short-sighted Tyson!"

"Come off it!" said Tyson.

A silence followed this last statement.

"He's right, Tyson" said Kai, in his deep voice.

'What?'

All of them looked at Kai. He was sitting up and looking directly at the 'dweeb'. None of them realized how much it cost him tell this to Tyson. None of them how much it hurt to even think about her.

"Guys! Hey…."

Hilary was rushing towards them. She was looking very sweet in her black dress with the red team jacket. She was a remarkable figure…behind her came another girl. This one had deep gold hair and looked a lot like her.

"Hello, Hilary" said Ray "What took you so long?"

"Oh" she said "I went to the airport to get my cousin."

All the Bladebreakers save Tyson sat up now and looked with interest at the new comer.

"Guys, this is my cousin Angel" said Hilary "Ann – these are my friends: Ray, Max, Kenny, Kai and Tyson"

All of them said hello politely. But Tyson was lost in a world of his own.

"Tyson!" called Hilary "Hello? Any body home?"

Tyson sat up at once and looked around wildly, asking constantly what was going on.

"I want you to meet Angel, my cousin" Hilary repeated.

Tyson rubbed his hand behind his cap and grinning sheepishly said, "Hi – good to meet you Angel."

"My pleasure, Tyson" said Angel "I can't believe I'm really meeting you. You being the world champion and stuff…."

"LET IT RIP!"

A blade landed amidst the friends. From nowhere in particular Daichi appeared, his face contorted with a will to win.

"Wanna battle, Tyson?"

"And this, Angel, is Daichi" said Hilary, resignedly "and Daichi this is Angel. She's my cousin. She'll be here with us for a few days…."

But Daichi wasn't paying attention.

"Let your whole family come if you want, I don't care. I want to battle and battle Tyson!"

Tyson yawned widely, "Give the challenge to someone else."

"I would be honored to battle for you…"Angel began.

"You battle?" asked Hilary, surprised "I never knew that."

"I had tremendous inspiration from the 3 times-"

"Skip that part" shouted Daichi "If you wanna battle – let it rip then"

Angel nodded and unleashed her blade too. From there emerged an intense battle in which both the bladers did their best.

"Don't you ever give up?" panted Angel.

"Do you?" asked Daichi "Go Strata Dragoon – attack!"

Hilary watched the battle with some interest. Tyson, Max, Ray and Kenny were watching the battle with some amount of interest. Kai had equal interest etched across his face, but he was studying Hilary's face – not the battle.

Hilary felt the look and turned around to look at him. Kai looked defiantly back. He felt he was doing nothing wrong…after all he'd never asked her to –

"Over!" screamed Daichi.

He sent Angel's blade flying over their heads. It lay motionless there.

"I believe we have a winner here" said Hilary "Daichi wins!"

"Congratulations" said Angel, collecting her blade "You play really well."

"So do you" said Daichi "Thanks a lot!"

Hilary smiled. Angel was settling down with her friends well.

That night as Hilary and her cousin sat in Hilary's room playing cards, Angel began talking about what a great time she had had in the morning.

"You were so right, Hilary" said Angel "The Bladebreakers are fun person to be with."

"Are they?" asked Hilary in mock surprise "You'd be shocked to see what they can do!"

"I was so looking forward to meeting Tyson" said Angel "So glad that I could finally meet him."

"So…you liked Tyson?" Hilary asked a bit startled.

"Like him? I think I – I adore him totally" Angel changed track mid way and then said "The others are nice: especially Daichi!"

"I'll say" said Hilary, letting her voice trail off.

'Angel really likes Tyson! Funny, I thought the Kai was the one a girl like Angel would like if they met for the first time. Oh well, I'll think about this tomorrow…'

Hilary soon found out that having Angel around her 24X7 really bites. Angel soon became a huge success amongst the Bladebreakers. Only Kai was indifferent towards her. Kai remained aloof and since this was his normal attitude, none of the others read too much into it. But Hilary was worried about him. She recalled time and again that day when he'd called her 'dear'. That was perhaps the only affection he'd showed towards anyone for a long, long time. Except perhaps towards his bit beast Dranzer, he'd shown such affection.

Two weeks after Angel's arrival, an evening found the Bladebreakers at Tyson's dojo. Angel was blading Max, watched by the others. Hilary was still there but lost in the shadows. It was Angel who'd stolen her rightful place; her cousin had practically taken over her life. Hilary got up and unnoticed by all but Kai, left the dojo.

"Yes!" called Max, knocking Angel's blade out of the dish "I win!"

"Good for you, Max" said Angel, pocketing her blade.

"Hey, you played pretty well too…" said Max.

"You really are a good blader!" said Ray.

"Yeah, which team are you from?" Tyson questioned.

"None" Angel smiled.

"You really should join one" said Kenny.

"Think so?"

"We know so!" Daichi smiled "Bet you're seething now, eh, Hilary?"

When no one answered, the Bladebreakers looked here and there.

"She was here, right?" Max asked worried.

"Maybe she went to get some food" suggested Tyson, hopefully.

"Then I hope she's not cooking it" Daichi said, remembering with agony the last time he's eaten food cooked by Hilary.

"Kai's not here either" Kenny said.

"Leave him" said Ray "He loves playing the lone wolf!"

"Oh, well" said Angel, not liking the amount of attention given to her cousin "Lets go back to our game. Hilary's will turn up soon."

Max looked startled for a minute before realizing that Angel was speaking to Tyson.

'So that's the problem' he thought 'Well I guess we're all growing up then. But the question is: will Tyson ever grow up - poor Hilary!'

Kai found Hilary sitting on the ship dock, shoes lying on one side, her feet in the water. This was one of his favorite haunts, what was she doing here? Apparently she was so lost in her own thoughts, she never noticed him coming up behind her.

"So what are you doing here Hilary?" he asked.

"Nothing" said Hilary and turning around she exclaimed "KAI?"

"Yeah…guess that's my name" said the boy "So, what's wrong?"

"I don't know" replied Hilary "I couldn't stay there any more."

"Why not?" asked Kai "I thought you liked Tyson."

"I do" Hilary said, sadly "But he'll never realize that, will he?"

She turned her large ruby eyes full of anxiousness, love and fear at Kai. He saw this look and quickly turned his back on her. It cut his heart to have this conversation with her.

'Won't you ever realize that I like you, Hilary?' he thought, desperately 'Will I always play underdog to Tyson – that dweeb?"

"Kai…?"

He loved her voice. It was soft and full of melody now. Not harsh and awful like it usually was when she used to scream at Tyson and Daichi.

Hearing this voice he automatically turned towards her.

"If you ever love someone, will you tell that person at once?"

"I – I don't know, Hilary" said Kai, closing his eyes.

His hands were balled into fists.

"Well, do me one favor: tell her before it's too late." Hilary said in the same voice.

"I'll."

Hilary smiled at him and looked out into the sea.

The sun was setting, making the sea look so beautiful in the golden color. Confiding in Kai gave Hilary a new hope to cling on to. She watched the sunset with a happy heart. Behind her Kai watched the sunset as well. Only to him it seemed the golden ball was drowning all his hopes and dreams into the sea. There was nothing beautiful about this monster.

The same view was interpreted so differently by the two friends…who were meant to be more than friends.

Angel's trying to grab Tyson's attention seemed to bother Kai now. During the absence of the two girls one morning, he brought up the subject to Tyson.

"Hey you, dweeb" said Kai "You blind?"

"You talking to me, Kai?" asked Tyson, surprised. Kai had never spoken to him like this after they had become good friends. Tyson totally idolized Kai.

"Yes, I am" said Kai.

Max, Ray and Kenny came forwards to watch. Daichi was riding on Ray's shoulder. From what it seemed, Ray didn't mind him there.

"What have I done which makes me blind!" Tyson asked.

"You break someone's heart and you never realize it, do you?"

"I'm sure I can glue back the pieces."

"That's not funny Tyson!" said Max, suddenly realizing what Kai was talking about "He's got a point. You ought to be careful around Angel."

"Angel?" repeated Tyson, blankly "But what did I do to break her heart?"

"You broke some one else's heart" said Ray.

He too had understood what Kai was talking about. Kenny said nothing because he didn't like such fights. Only Daichi seemed as lost as Tyson.

"Kai, please stop talking in riddles" begged the boy "I swear I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah right" said Ray "That's just like you, Tyson."

"You really can't be such a fool, Tyson" Max interjected.

However further protest on Tyson's part was cut short by the girls coming to them. They seemed so happy and pleased to see them all again.

"Hey you guys" called Hilary.

"Missed me?" asked Angel.

"In a manner of speaking" Kai muttered.

He left the rest of them and lay down on the grass. He looked up at the sky, thinking. He had promised Hilary something he would never be able to do. Or should he do it? What would the others say and what would she herself say? So many questions and there was no answer at all…poor Kai. For the first time in his life he was confused!

Suddenly he was blinded by some mist in front of his eyes. Was he actually crying or was it raining? Why couldn't he distinguish between the clouds and was it actually this dark now? Where was he anyway?

"KAI!"

He could even hear her now. Calling him in a way no one had ever called him. Was this a dream? He blinked and sat up.

Hilary was running towards him through a tremendous down pour. She was risking everything to come to him!

'She does love me then…'

Hilary caught her foot in a puddle and fell forwards, right into his arms. In her fright she clutched him. Kai sat there holding her close him. He could protect her from anything. If only she would say it –

Hilary seemed to have no connection with this world anymore. In her state, she was in another world perhaps.

"I love you, Hilary" said Kai.

"I love you too" said Hilary in her stupor "I love you a lot, Tyson."

The last word sounded like a thunderclap to Kai's ear. But he held her close, till the others came out to take them both indoors.

"The rain was so sudden" said Tyson.

"Fancy Kai not noticing" said Max.

"And Hilary getting drenched to the skin." Ray sighed.

Their voices came from so far away. Hilary slowly opened her eyes and the faces of the Bladebreakers swam into view in front of her. Anxious and worried about her.

"Hey you guys" said Hilary "Where's Kai?"

"Don't know" Kenny said "He left an hour ago."

Angel entered the room, with food for everyone.

"Hey guys missed me?" she asked.

Max and Ray exchanged looks of great annoyance. They knew very well who'd been making Hilary's life rather miserable and breaking her heart. But what they didn't know was another one of their friends was suffering a similar case like Hilary.

"No" said Tyson "We were too busy worrying about Hil here!"

"Thanks, Tyson" said Hilary.

Angel was crestfallen. "I thought you guys liked me!"

"We do" said Max "But we have only one spare place in our team."

"That is only for Hilary" said Ray.

"She's stood by us through thick and thin" said Kenny "We can't dream about a replacement in her place."

"She may not be a good cook, but we still like her" said Daichi "So stop stealing her place."

Angel turned a look of great hurt towards her cousin.

"You did take over my life, Angel." Hilary said "You stole my happiness, my joy and even my lo - something else. I will forgive you because you're my cousin. But I can never forget the great hurt you inflicted on me."

Angel said nothing. She had harmed her cousin and now she was paying the price for it. By the next morning she was gone….forever.

As the Bladebreakers watched Angel's car drive away, Hilary jumped in excitement and screamed:

"Yes…count me in, count her out…out forever!"

All the boys smiled at one another seeing her enthusiasm. Hilary was so happy she didn't mind giving Daichi a piggy back ride. She hugged all of the guys freely. Kai watched all this from the shadows.

'Why can't I be like them?' he thought 'Then it wouldn't be so hard on me!'

"Huh?"

Hilary was standing right in front of him, all smiles.

"Thanks a lot, Kai" she said.

"For what?"

"Everything!"

She reached up on tip-toe and kissed him on the cheek. Without waiting for a reply she rushed away to play with her friends.

A smile broke across Kai's face. A true smile.

'Maybe loving her isn't that difficult after all!'

He too went to join his friends….