Chapter Three.

Lenny

"That was so lame last night, mom. You completely blew your top off with me last night when I came back at twelve while you were so cool about Dani staying out ALL NIGHT!" Saphaela complained as she crunched her toast.

"It's different, Saph!" Mom snapped back. "I knew Danike was safe and sound next door while you were getting your butt kicked by a bunch of guys!"

"It was me that did the butt kicking. No one kicks my butt," Saph grumbled. "And anyways how can you HONESTLY be sure that Dani's safe? What if she and Tom-"

"ENOUGH, SAPH!" we all stopped whatever movements we were doing. Mom hardly ever went mad, especially at Saph. She rubbed her temples while Saph stopped chewing abruptly. "I'm sorry Saph, its just...I'm worried about her." Tanelle put her arms around Mom while I got Dratido to peck her on the nose. Tanelle was licking the jelly off her toast.

"EAT the toast, Tanelle! You need your strength!"

"Why? Oh my gosh!! Do I have to lift things into a van?! Mom you are SO selfish you never think about us! You're just too worried about Danike getting knocked up to care about any of us!! And I'm gonna fuck up my nails!" Tanelle started to hyperventilate while Saphaela and I rolled our eyes. Tanelle had painted her nails silver and had gold stars on them.

"Like, Oh em gee!! The great Tanelle must lift something! Let's hope she doesn't fuck up her back or more importantly fuck up her nails in the process, ladies and gentlemen! And Mom's not selfish Tan, you are," Saphaela sneered. Tanelle took a hold of the pot of jam and hurled it at Saphaela's head who smirked it and dodged it easily. "You REALLY need to work on that aim if you wanna get a shot of me! Haha!"

"Stop it, girls. And anyways, you might need to help out Tanelle. All of you would need to. The guy who's giving us and our stuff a lift to our dream house has hurt his back. So he won't be of much help," Mom grimaced. "Mercedez, you'll do the cleaning in the bedrooms, Tanelle, take the light and soft stuff into the van and clean up the main room, the bathrooms and the kitchen. Saphaela, you round up your boy buddies to help us out. O.K?" We all nodded, even though it wasn't ok. We were all wondering, "What about Danike?" She hadn't packed a single thing in her half of the room.

"Mercedez!" Mom's voice was coming from Danike's room. I closed my eyes hoping that she wasn't doing what I dread that she would do. I gulped and slid off my chair and padded into Danike's room. Her half of the room was pretty much untouched. I saw her bed was messy and unslept in and cringed as I saw a wispy thong and bra on the duvet. I averted my eyes over to Mom as she pulled out all of Danike's drawers and tossed their contents onto the duvet.

"Mom, maybe we should go next door and ask Danike if she wants to help pack her own stuff," I said delicately. Mom looked at me as if I had gone mad.

"Oh yeah and graze my knuckles and scream myself hoarse. I don't think so, honey. Whether she likes it or not we are leaving this District forever and that's that! She should have accepted it and should have seen it coming when I got pregnant," Mom replied hastily as she bundled up the duvet to make a sack. I was about to open my mouth to say that it was wasn't fair I closed it. Life isn't fair. Like it or lump it.

Saphaela was rounding up some of the guys. She didn't like any of them, even as JUST friends but they all idolized her. She got half the guys from all over the district moving huge cardboard boxes and pieces of furniture inside our apartment and outside. But these guys were just about as orderly as common animals. Two of them had already started a fight over who picked up the lighter box and Mom and I could hear their swearing match even from Danike's room. Mom rolled her eyes and rubbed her bulging belly and I bounded outside to watch the spectacle. In my eagerness to watch I almost knocked a poor skinny guy flying.

"Sorry!"

"No, no, your fine, chickie. You wouldn't happen to know where the Metcalfes live??"

"Your looking at one of them!" I said, I realized just then that he was the guy with the van. My dad's buddy. "You're my dad's friend aren't you? I'm Mercedez, his daughter!" I took a better look at him. He had an awkward expression on his face and looked like he really didn't want to be here.

"Well...er...yeah. Frankie's my work mate, I'm Lenny," he said rather nervously. He hitched his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Mercedez! I've been making my neck hoarse just calling for you! Where were you?!" She looked up and noticed Lenny. She smiled and flicked her hair back. "Hi, I'm Susan Metcalfe. This is Mercedez. Shall we start this trainwreck?" Lenny gulped.

"But...Frankie did tell you about my back...did he?"

"Yeah. Everything's hunky-dory, pal. You're a darling to help out. Just one quick favour!" Mom whipped into Danike's room and dragged her duvet with her clothes in it and shoved it to Lenny. "I just need you to carry these clothes!" Lenny gulped and saw he wasn't open to very many options. I glared at Mom's back. Some of the clothes were starting to fall out of the duvet sack. I picked up after Lenny and helped out.

"Hey! What the Fuck are you doing with my clothes!!" I rolled my eyes as I expected an avalanch of clothes to erupt. "MOM!! WHAT'S THIS FREAK DOING WITH MY CLOTHES!!"

"What am I doing with your clothes? Packing them up into the van, Danike what else does it look like I'm doing?! Sending them to charity?!" Mom demanded I sighed as I sensed a full on Metcalfe-cat fight to culminate from this tussle.

"Eh...well it DOES look like it!! Even my dress!" Danike plucked a black sequined cocktail dress from Lenny, causing an avalanche of clothes all over the balcony. The ensuing yelling match had sent Tanelle and Saphaela from the kitchen and the van.

"You can quit all this nonsense, Mom. I'm not budging and that's that! Don't you get it? I love Tom." Mom looked deep into Danike's eyes, which were watery, as if she was on the verge of tears. She suddenly hugged her.

"Danike, can't you learn by my mistakes? You might think you love Tom but it won't last."

"IT WILL!" Danike yelled furiously as she slapped away Mom's arms.

"Well, if you think your relationship's going to be a 'happily ever after' one. Then I'm sure you could both do a small break of a month or two. I need you to help me get my life together when we move. I can't do anything properly, not with Hiashi in here. You see?"

"Mom, you don't need Danike. We can help you!" I insisted. With Danike in the picture, more arguments were likely spring up about the most trivial things. I liked the peace. Mom turned to face me and ruffled my hair.

"Oh, Mercedez. You're too little, Tanelle's too bitchy and Saph's way too boyish. Danike-" Mom turned to Danike - "You're the eldest. I need you. But you can take a hike the moment Hiashi's born and I'm fit and well. Please. I really need you to be there for me." Mom looked at Danike, not even blinking. Danike broke down and nodded in between sobs. "Thank you, honey."

While this 'touching family' scene had taken place, Lenny had placed Danike's clothes into the van and came back, looking shaken and rather furious.

"I don't like those boys toying around inside my van. They're playing up and getting well fresh with me!" Lenny grumbled.

"Well, boys will be boys. If they're getting fresh with you just tell Saphaela. She'll deal with them well," Mom replied as she tied up a bunch of rugs together. She looked at me, Tanelle, Saphaela and Danike and smiled tearfully. Danike flounced off to Tom who was waiting for her with open arms. They kissed a passionate twirly tongue kiss. Saphaela pretended to vomit while Tanelle watched enviously. When Tom let go of Danike, I made Dratido wave to him. Unbeknownst to Danike, Tom beybladed up in the rooftops. He was newbie to the sport and I'd beaten him quite a few times. He waved back covertly when Danike's back was turned.

Tanelle started flirting with the guys in Saphaela's group. Hinting heavily that she wouldn't mind a face-sucking session. The guys howled with laughter and made loud sucky noises to her, ridiculing her. Tanelle flounced off, annoyed.

"Honestly, I don't get why you hang out with those losers!" Tanelle sneered, putting a rather obvious emphasis on the 'losers'. "They aren't even hot."

"Hot has nothing to do with who will get into my gang. Besides, I don't do gangs. And they hang out with me, not the other way round," Saphaela corrected.

"Right, well now that all the packing's done, let's get outta this hellhole," Mom exclaimed. "Put Tom down, Danike and get your rear into the van. Say bye to your little gang, Saphaela. Tanelle quit showing off ok? Mercy don't you want to say goodbye your friends?"

"Mom, why are you even asking? Mercedez and friends don't appear on the same line. EVER!" Tanelle smirked. Saphaela threw a stick at her.

"Wait up! I have to go to the rooftop!" I sped off before anyone could say anything about dangerous or anything. That was what I was most sick of. The fact that I always had to be careful in whatever I did. Mom would ALWAYS get one of my sisters to do something with me no matter what. I felt suffocated and annoyed. That was why I started to beyblade. No one to interfere, or protect, or watch over me. I was glad. It gave me my independence and liberty. I ran up the stairs and saw Hikaru there. He was my lifelong rival and I had never beaten him once.

Hikaru wasn't doing much, his blade was spinning and that was it. He gave me a weak smile. (A/N: Yes, this is Hikaru, Daichi's friend)

"I'm moving away today," I said suddenly. I had no idea what to say. Come to think of it, I had hardly said much to him ever since I knew about Mom's pregnancy.

"You are, huh? Well, Sadie, have a good time," Hikaru said. I looked at him. I had expected more of an outburst from him. He was still for a second but then he reached for his wrist and pulled off a bracelet. It was just a silly old thread thing, but it still meant a lot. He handed it over to me wordlessly. I looked at the small piece of plaited threads and then hugged him. I knew I would miss him a lot. I felt his hand pat my head awkwardly. I looked up to him and smiled.

"Thank you. I'll see you...soon," I said, feeling ridiculous and nostalgic. A weird feeling of sadness bubbled up in my stomach. I ran back to the van without looking back.

"Well, girls. This is it. Say goodbye to this dump!" Mom sneered, not bothering to keep her voice low. I got into the van and squashed in, up close to the window. I couldn't resist one last look up at the rooftops.

I saw a flash of purple. Hikaru's blade reflected from the sun.