Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or its characters. Any characters that are unfamiliar are completely fictitious.

Chapter 3: Is There Something on my Face?

Around was fun.

Despite the constant feeling of being born the wrong gender, the place was actually nice. They had stables with horses you could either ride or brush, and volleyball courts, and boating. They even had this mountain with a mud slide on it where you could play Cornhole. Well their version anyway.

For those unfamiliar, Cornhole is a game where two teams compete to get as many points as possible by throwing a beanbag into a series of holes across a field. There is usually 3 different holes of different sizes and distance and each gains you a different amount of points. Their version had the two teams sliding down the hill and choosing one of the three holes which were placed at different points on the way down to throw their beanbag into. It actually looked kind of fun.

There was also a gym with a Beyblade room. The gym wasn't too extensively equipped but it had enough to stay in shape. They actually had all kinds of sports areas like air hockey, tennis, and basketball. They also had a camp fire area and a huge library. Although I assumed that most of the books inside were not every day reading books. Probably some sort of Christian study guides. I had nothing against Christian teachings or protocols myself. Sure this camp made me a bit uncomfortable at first but I was raised in an area where religion was very important and strict rules aside, I was beginning to like it. Moral duty and all that was something that I appreciated.

It seemed that their bark was worse than their bite about all that stuff too however because in just about every recreational area there were guys and girls playing games together, including tag, which, last time I checked, was a physical exchange between those playing. Granted, some girls (like that Sarah demon) seemed to be avoiding the guys and only stuck with other girls but others acted like they were all childhood friends and knew no better. One boy was even dressing in one of the girl's clothes, sporting a very lacey and flowery headband while he made fun of her and pushed her on a swing. Everyone in their little group seemed to think it was the best joke ever. Another girl even approached him and added some butterfly clips for an extra special touch. None of the councilors who were watching the area seemed to object, or maybe they hadn't noticed yet?

A hand grabs my arm as I turn away from the strange group and my attention falls on Max, a little startled to see him there. Chris, the councilor assigned to our room (for those of you who have forgotten), seems to have moved on to find the others and introduce himself and has left me in front of the main recreational building with instructions to meet up later for some kind of cabin meet and greet.

"You okay now?" Max, showing concern. I'm guessing from what happened earlier with my shoes but I had assumed nobody except Kai had even bothered to notice. I guess I was wrong. People really can surprise you.

"I should be asking you that. You guys manage to get Tyson's shoe back?" I had forgotten to ask in all the confusion as we had settled into our cabin earlier. Tyson hadn't mentioned it and I had not had the opportunity (or thought) to quite ask. Max laughs and drops his grip on my arm to brush his hand through his hair.

"Yeah, but I think it has seen better days. He'll be shoveling mud out of it for weeks!" He gestures wildly as if you exaggerate his point. "But seriously, you don't seem quite yourself lately." He looks me over critically. Something I would have feared had it been Kai but Max…was just Max.

I shrug.

"Meh, everything's cool. Wanna play a game before dinner?" I divert his attention to another subject before things get too serious, or awkward.

"Do I ever!" He drops his arms and I am relieved as he reaches for the handle to open the door to the gym. "What about our luck ending up here, eh? Would you ever had expected it?" Still as nonchalant as ever…

I didn't get to respond because as soon as the door was opened it was prevalent that Tyson had already claimed his territory. Shouts and cheers and jeers alike filled the air as confidence and victory is battled over.

"Rematch!" Shawn is pulling his brother back into the circle around the Beydish. "Come on!" Tyson is laughing his usual hubris laugh.

"Why try when you already know the results? I'll even let you 2 vrs 1 me!" Haughty as ever as well…

Daniel scoffs and pushes his brother aside.

"Somebody needs to put you back in your place! You talk big for somebody who wins by luck and slim chances." Uh-oh, that didn't sound like a good idea… It was true that on the outside Tyson seemed oblivious and well, 'lucky', but in reality he was actually quite skilled and tactical. He had some pretty amazing original ideas and was very quick on his feet to learn and adapt new techniques. Of course, we all knew that. This kid…not so much. But I like his spirit.

"Luck's got nothing to do with it!" Max chimes in, getting swept up in the rush already. Way to go Max. "But you sound like you could use another demonstration of the Bladebreaker spirit!" Ah good times. Even 2 on 1 they didn't stand a chance against Tyson, but against Tyson AND Max, this wasn't going to be pretty. How I missed the sound of trash talk and Beyblades in the morning…

My reminiscing is short lived as an arm is thrown over my shoulders and a playful nudge finds its way to my ribs.

"Ray is the one you ought to be scared of. He almost took down Kai!" Tyson brags for me. I half smile. Thanks…buddy…

"Don't be ridiculous Tys," I try to wheedle my way out of the spotlight. Since when am I this humble? I'm totally embarrassing myself…

I get another chance to try and slip away when murmurs of the 'great almighty Kai' and the World Championships start to spread around the room. Then everyone starts to ogle Tyson's blade and the insults turn into praises of how cool he is.

Sometimes I envy how easily he makes friends just by showing his superiority. It's almost insulting. Well, okay, I take that back. Underneath all that tough talk is a heart of gold. Maybe I just envy his ability to boast even after a loss. He never seems to consider the consequences of his actions at all. The Old Ray was just like that but after being through so much, The Old Ray seemed to be in the past. I liked the person I had become but it was far from the snob I used to be. The Old Ray had nothing to prove to anyone. This Ray, had so much to prove to himself. He thought about the consequences to every decision and action. I had become more like a fly on the wall. I tried to stay out of the spotlight so that I wouldn't have to pretend so much. I started to hate my own actions because they felt faked and that made me hate myself.

I was surprised that Tyson had not been effected in a similar way. He was always so innocent and naïve but even after being faced with near death experiences, he still was. He would walk through an entire building that was on fire before he even realized that his feet were burned.

Max was somewhat the same but he had an intense side. He knew how things were but he liked to pretend that he didn't because he wanted to enjoy his life, no matter what. It wasn't naivety the same way that Tyson possessed. It was more like denial.

I was too smart and calculating for those types of responses. And yet there was that part of me that still wished I was the same as them.

"The only one besides Tyson who can attract this much attention and praise, is Kai," I mutter to myself with a half-smile of admiration. I didn't envy Kai the way I envied Tyson. In fact, I admired Kai. He was a bit rough around the edges but he didn't waste his time with small talk and crowd pleasing. His goal wasn't attention. He seemed to get that as an added bonus to just being…him. And he definitely wasn't naïve. He was somewhat jaded by his past and how his life had unfolded. When he had first started hanging with us it may have been for some ulterior motive but he had grown to care about us. Even with that development, he was still Kai.

"Jealous?" his words break my thoughts as if he had been waiting for me to finish them and my eyes break away from Tyson to look at him. I'm a little taken off guard. One, because I had been in deep thought and had let my facial expression give away my feelings a bit more than I should have. And two, because I thought Kai would be off alone somewhere (anywhere) rather than in this noisy, crowded gym.

"Kai…I…No…I mean, well…uh…" Dear God I hope he hadn't been there for too long… That look I had been giving was sure to portray all kinds of easily mistaken feelings. I know it held quite a lot of fondness, and a few other things that I hardly even show openly these days. Actually, I feel like I have grown closer to how Kai used to be with us. Oh the irony! And…now that I consider it…even though I had been THINKING about Kai, I had been LOOKING at Tyson. Oh man, I hope he doesn't get the wrong idea. The last thing I need is the guy I have a crush on to think I have a crush on Tyson. What a nightmare?! "Just having a little fun," I cover up my new inner turmoil with just about the fakest smile I have ever made before. I hate myself.

"Hn. What a waste of time." My smile fades into a small frown and I go to look away, catching a glimpse of the flock of girls that was following him around whose hearts he had just broken with his condescending tone. It was a (very) small group but we were all familiar with those infatuated eyes stalking us from a mile away. It wasn't like any of us couldn't have any girl we wanted, except maybe Tyson, but we all just had better things to think about.

Right now my thoughts were on Kai and what he really meant to me and in what WAY. His thoughts…I don't really know. Maybe the first step in understanding my feelings was understanding and getting to know Kai more. If he wasn't such a mystery maybe he wouldn't be such an allure. Getting Kai in a position where he would open up that way would prove difficult though. I would have to make it seem like it was his idea, or an innocent attempt at something else. How many ways were there to go about this plan? And how many would be tricky enough to fool Kai into participating? Hmm, I seemed to have plenty of time to think about it because as quickly as he swept in, he was gone. Until next time...

"Don't get too down, Ray." Wait a minute… What?

Max has returned to my side and is patting me on the back. He goes on.

"Hey, listen, I've been trying to talk to you about this for a while now but we seem to get off track a lot. I couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable you seem around Tyson and I just want to make sure you are really okay." I open my mouth to respond but… "I know Tyson takes a lot of the attention so it's hard to reach out or break free from him but we are all still your friends and I want you to know we are here for you." I close my mouth halfway. "You know? Because we care? So whatever you've been going through, just go with it and whatever happens, we'll be there." I go to open my mouth again. "Life is about risks and adventure! You'll never start your adventure if you never open the door to new possibilities and new turns." He pats me on the back again and I just close my mouth in silence. "Don't be afraid of what people may think. You're a smart kid! I know you can handle it. Whatever it is. Okay? If you ever need to talk, find me!" He sends me the biggest smile he has, paired with a wave, as he goes to rejoin the others.

Okay so this little heart-to-heart moment was completely one sided but it still hit me where it needed to. Mainly, my confidence. Sure he had no idea what he was talking about, but I did. It was like he was an angel. And he was right.

It was simple. Instead of running from myself, I should have been getting to know me. Opening doors to new possibilities and new experiences. Being a teenager was all about finding yourself and trying new things right?

Thanks Max… I'll have to remember this incident tomorrow morning when...

"Tyson! You ready to go?!" Banging.

I roll over.

What time is it?

More banging.

A few groans are let out around me as I struggle to figure out what is happening.

Is that…Max?

Exuberant as ever.

He finally realizes that the door isn't locked and barrels in, jumping on Tyson's bunk and shaking him.

I wince, imagining Tyson's reaction but Chris pulls him off before Tyson even stirs.

"Heeeey!" Max protests.

At least three of the others are fully awake and are sitting up, rubbing the last bits of sleep away from their eyes.

"Do you know what time it is?" Hey, no fair! I asked that question first! *pout* Oh well, I was nicer about it so you can just deal with it.

"Oh course! It's 5am! Time for breakfast!" Max exclaims, throwing his hands up in an excited gesture. The three awake boys glare at him. One falls back on his bunk and tosses a pillow over his face.

"You're two and a half hours early. Who let you out?" Max frowns at the words that Chris is trying his best to calmly relay. I almost feel sorry for the blonde. Almost being the operative word.

"I let myself out. Kai left first, so I thought…" Kai. There goes my stomach in knots just at the mention of his name. If I threw up right now who would it land on…? Since I'm on a top bunk it could be anyone. I wouldn't want it to be somebody I like, like Chris or that Shawn kid. He was kinda cool. The other kid was kinda cool too but I forgot his name already. And who were the others? Nikki? And…um…nope, not awake enough to recall. Hmm…

I peek over the edge of my bunk to see what's going on below it. No one in direct range. Good.

"Ray!" Uh-oh, spoke too soon.

I freeze as the glares shift to me when Max's attention (and attempted jailbreak from Chris's grip on his arm) is diverted from the elder's reprimand, to me. They all say the same thing, 'you're the owner of this vile creature of insanity?'

So of course I do what any good friend would do…

I ignore him and pretend I am oblivious to the situation.

"Who the hell is making all that noise?" Oops, I forgot to watch my language. Maybe he would let me slide since it is 5am and nobody else seems aware that there are even other people present in this room.

This thought is crushed when I get a warning glance from Chris and a few surprised looks, one of which looked more confused than surprised. They might not even realize they are not at home right now or in some freaky surreal dream…

"I mean, uh…go back to bed." I roll back over and hope that it is sufficient enough proof that I don't want to be involved in this 'mix-up' at all.

I can see Max's pouting in my mind as Chris goes on with removing him from our cabin and sending him back to his. Sorry buddy, I'm trying to make friends not enemies. Ironic part is that Tyson has slept through the entire thing so he doesn't even know just how many people probably hate HIM right now.

I feel bad for about 2 minutes before I slip back into my own little bubble.

I wonder why Kai was out so early. And how he managed to do it without being detected. Although Max made it all the way to our cabin undetected so I guess security isn't that tight at 5am… With all that energy I am surprised he didn't wake up his cabin before he made it outside. I ponder the dynamics of the whole situation as I drift back into a restless (but somewhat deep) sleep.

Two hours later…

"Tyson!" Flomp. Groan. Well that time woke him up. Heh.

"Max? What's going…? Hey! Get the hell off me!" I can just feel those looks again and am happy they aren't directed at me this time… Only fair since it should have been him the first time too.

"Tyson come on! Breakfast! I shouldn't have to tell you again!" Oh boy… Can someone just bury me now? Better yet, can I bury myself now?

I am not forgotten however as Max has successfully woken Tyson, he climbs up the side of my bunk, stepping on the kid below me (poor Nikki?), and pokes me until he knows he's gotten my attention. This kid is absolutely crazy in the morning. What could he be thinking?

Chris must have the same thoughts as me because with an exasperated but stern voice he tells Max to come back after cabin inspections.

Inspections were random. Every cabin had to be ready for inspection by 7:30am but only a few were chosen for an actual inspection. If inspection was passed on 2 random occasions a week then points were added to our cabin's overall score at the end of camp.

Oh maybe I didn't mention the points system? I must have been too caught up with other things. I'll explain it now.

Every cabin received their own points for participation, cooperation, and during morning events. There were 6 boys (or girls) and one councilor in each cabin and there was 12 cabins in total (6 boy's and 6 girl's). During morning activities, each cabin was paired with another cabin (sometimes multiple) to compete in games, and points for winning were added at the end. The boys were only pitted against the other boy's cabins and the girls against girls. The last and final event of the summer was a boys verses girls event that involved participation of the entire camp and utilization of the whole grounds, almost like a treasure hunt/obstacle course thing. The winning team in that event (either the boys or the girls) would get their points doubled and received a trophy that was kept in the camp's main display case in the library. The names of all the winners (either all the boys or all the girls) were written on a plaque that was attached to it. From looking at the previous years it seemed that the girls had a good track record with winning it too…

Points were taken away for any member's infractions or any disciplinary action that may have to be carried out to an individual or to a group. Each boy had their own points, but each cabin as a team had a separate set of points that was a collaboration of their cabin member's points.

At the end of camp the points were calculated and the cabin with the most would receive a special reward. The individual boy or girl with the most would receive some amount of money and a certificate. The details of the prizes, the amount of money, and the significance of the certificate were all a secret so that the prizes remained appealing.

I was actually curious about the whole thing but had no real interest in trying to win.

Of course Tyson had started off all on board with a competition but we all know how much he loves cleaning and responsibility so cabin inspections were not his favorite thing. He couldn't wait to get into the games though.

After meeting the kids here and realizing that it was still camp and would be fun, he had decided his life wasn't over and it wasn't the end of the world. I think we all came to similar conclusions and had just decided to run along with it, even Kai. Max said that he had even participated in their own cabin's meet and greet event, which we all thought was rather noble of him.

We all mutually (although unspoken) decided that it wouldn't be so bad after all. I think that I may have decided that a bit sooner than the others but at least we were all agreed. Either way, we were ready to face the new challenges before us.

Let the games begin!