Charlie: D'awww, thanks! That review made me all fuzzy inside. XD

But yeah, you guys know the summary won't make an ounce of sense till the first real conflict takes place, right? No? Yes you do *sends telegram* Psh, you're such a fibber...!

I awoke to the smell of something very sweet, and after I looked on the table beside the couch, I realized it was a huge piece of triple-chocolate cake. Rapid 99 seemed to be a big fan of dessert for breakfast.

I swung my legs off the couch, and onto the floor. Dash walked in, and surprisingly, her hair was down, and she had no makeup on. She almost looked normal. Besides the green hair.

"Morning." I smiled, stretching.

"Hey. I've got news for you," she said, walking over and plopping down on the carpet in front of the coffee table.

"What's up?"

She pulled the plate of cake to the middle of the table, and placed another fork on the table. "Want some?"

I nodded, and dropped to the floor with her.

"I told HBIC about our little run-in with the GG's last night. She wasn't happy that we let them in our place, but she says you've obviously got respect for other rudies. Noble, but the Rapid 99 ain't known for being noble."

"Sooo... is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I took a piece of the chunk and shoved it in my mouth.

"Generally, good, but HBIC doesn't like it."

"We're calling her HBIC now, why?"

"Head bitch in charge. You're still not ready to know her name yet, so I came up with that as a nickname for now," she smiled.

I giggled quietly to myself, and watched as Dash took small bites of the cake.

"But Zoom says you can know her name. It's... Zoom."

"Really? So are we gonna go out with her tonight, or something?"

The cake was almost gone now. "Actually, no, I'm feelin' a bit lazy today. You can do whatever you want, I'm just gonna nap back here with the others."

"Wow, so... I get to dress like a normal person, walk like a normal person... be a normal person?"

"Don't say it like that! Isn't being a Rapid 99 the best thing that's ever happened to you?" she frowned.

"Eh. I've had better," I joked.

She smirked. "Whatever. Enjoy your day, Rush."

I started to pick at my fingernails, and then I looked back up. "Wait a minute, what'd you just call me?"

She got up, and grabbed the empty plate. "Rush. I told HBIC about our little race, and we both agreed on that name. You like it?"

"Definitely," I said.

"Cool. See you when you get back."

After Dash left, I got up, and went to the bathroom to turn on the shower.

"Hey, don't you need clothes?" I heard from outside the bathroom door.

I laughed at myself for not realizing it earlier. "Uh, yeah, actually."

"Hold on a sec."

I sat on top of the closed toilet seat, and waited. Shortly after, the door opened, and a bundle of clothing was placed on the counter next to the sink.

"I think this is your style, I'm not really sure. But if it's not, you can go out shopping if you want." A credit card was then placed on top of the bundle. "Pin number's 0099."

"Thanks," I called, as I watched the door shut.

After I showered and washed my hair, I picked through the bundle of clothing. She left me a hot pink tank top, black skinny jeans, and bright red sneakers. There was a huge red hoodie on the side of the bundle, and after a few seconds of staring at it, I realized the sneakers and hoodie were mine. I was wearing them the night I joined the Rapid 99...

I dressed, and pulled my hair up into a ponytail. I left the apartment with a white backpack over my shoulder, and as soon as the sun hit my face, it felt strange. It'd been almost a week since I went outside during the day, but even though it was around four or five in the afternoon, there was still enough sunlight to prefer being a night owl.

I put my hands into my huge pockets, and walked down the street. There were more people out than usual, but I guessed it was because everyone was out shopping, and not inside, partying.

I reached the center of 99th street, and a store with a computer screen above it's entrance caught my eye first. I went inside the store, and there was strange, but somehow amazing, music blaring. There were all sorts of cool headphones on the walls, as well as huge decorated stereo speakers, turntables, and flat screen TV's.

The man in the back grinned at me. "Hey kiddo, looking for somethin'?"

"Looking, yeah," I smiled back.

"Alright. Lemme know if you need anything."

I nodded to him, and walked up to the wall on my left. There had to be at least a hundred pairs of headphones in front of me, if not more. I noticed there were no cords binding them to the walls, but then, I realized wireless headphones started coming out last year, and anyone who could afford them raced to the stores as soon as they hit the shelves.

Almost every pair of the 'sets looked like they were custom-made. Some were all white, some were even gold, and some were every color of the rainbow- but the silver ones in front of me made me absolutely giddy. This was probably where Beat got his headphones from, but I had yet to see any with spikes on the sides.

I picked up the pair of silver headphones, and turned them over in my hand. There were red stars outlined in little stones on the sides.

"It's like someone made these just for me," I joked to the shopkeeper, still examining the headphones.

"Heh, really? I can engrave your name on em' for ten bucks extra. Then they'll really be made just for you."

"Awesome. I'll take them."

He came from behind his counter, and walked over. I told him my name, then he looked at the tag on the headphones, presumably to get the model number, and went into the back.

I walked up to the counter while he prepared my headphones in back, and noticed a wide variety of watches in the glass counter. There was a gorgeous gold mini-turntable watch that cost an appropriate five hundred bucks, but what caught my eye was beside it; a black, more simplistic watch.

The shopkeeper came back with the box with my headphones inside it, and noticed me eyeing the black watch.

"Before you ask, I've got a question for you."

I looked up, confused. "What's that?"

"Who do you run with?"

"How do you... what kind of question is that?" I asked.

"The backpack, the clothes, the headphones. You've got skates in that bag, don't you? You're a rudie, right, kid?"

I didn't know what to say. What if he planned to have me arrested, or something? "Well... I... not really..."

"I guess you don't need to be eyeballin' that watch, then. The 'phones cost two hundred even."

I pulled the credit card out of my backpack, and handed it to him.

"So who is it? I figure the GG's," he said suddenly, not looking away from the register.

"Dude, what the hell do you want from me?"

He stopped, and looked at me. "That's what I thought." He opened the glass counter, and took the watch from it's place. He handed me the card back, and slid the watch case and headphones box over to me. "Good luck out there, noob. And try to watch the attitude."

I blinked at him a few times, and he returned nothing but a smile. I left after an awkward minute, and walked over to a nearby bench.

I sat down and hastily put the watch on, and turned the dial on the side. I heard music, and immediately looked around to see if anyone had noticed how loud it was as I turned it back off.

Suddenly, I felt someone take a seat beside me, but their sights remained straight ahead. "Turn on your headphones."

I didn't look at whoever it was, and did as I was told. After the headphones were over my ears, the person beside me reached over to turn the dial on my watch again.

DJ Professor K in the building! Good morning Tokyo-to, time to shake off those hangovers and finally call that girl back from last night! She's gotta be pissed if you waited this long!

What the...

It seems the long-gone GG's are tryin' to make a comeback, and challenged the Rapid 99 to a race on their own turf for control of 99th street last night. Things were goin' fine until an unidentified police force crashed the party, and chased the Rapid 99 and the GG's back to where they came from.

Who are these new goonies tryin' to take back control of the streets? What happened to the rest of the GG's? And who is that new chick in the Rapid 99? All your questions will be answered in due time, 'cause all we can do is wait, people...

After 'DJ Professor K' stopped playing news reporter, a song came on. I took the headphones from my ears, and looked beside me.

It was an auburn-haired boy, towering a couple of feet over me with a huge pair of glasses on, and spiked headphones over his ears.

He pulled the headphones down to rest on his shoulders, and turned his watch off. "Looks like you've never heard of Jet Set Radio Future before."

I looked into my lap, slightly embarrassed. "I haven't, actually. What is it?"

"A radio station," he answered, his tone implying that it should've been obvious. "But it's really only for the rudies. You've got one of the watches." He pointed to the watch on my wrist. "Aren't you a rudie?"

I looked up, but I wasn't sure if I could make eye contact... with his glasses. "Uh... no."

I knew that the boy in front of me was Beat, but he didn't know that I was affiliated with the queens of 99th street. Apparently I could pass as an average girl today.

He raised an eyebrow. "Then... how'd you get the watch?"

"The guy in that shop over there thought I was a rudie, and gave it to me." I shrugged, pointing backwards.

"I see." He raised his arm up and backwards out of my vision, and a second later I could tell it was behind me. "So, do you wanna be a rudie?"

I giggled. "Nah. Even though my parents aren't ever around to know if I was running the streets, I don't think a life of trying to just... 'get by' sounds like too much fun."

He winced, and a slight frown appeared. "Doesn't sound like fun? If you're with the right crew, 'getting by' could be the best thing you've ever had to do in your life, and I know in my case, it happens every day. Plenty of fun to go around."

His frown eased into a soft smile, and then he sighed, looking to the ground. "It isn't all it used to be, though."

"You mean... ever since the GG's fell apart?"

"Yeah." His attention was still on the ground. "How'd you know about that?"

"I think everybody knows about that," I said, knowing it was true. Anywhere I went after the GG's were found... well... not together, people seemed to notice, and talked about it in school for days.

He looked up. "I guess everyone would, huh? But even without the rest of the gang, Boogie and Yoyo are great friends to have, especially at a time like this. We're kinda like family now. I mean, we were always like family, but I think the three of us are a lot closer now."

He turned to me. "I know you said you've got real family, but, I noticed you said they aren't really around. What did you mean?"

I wasn't sure if I could trust a stranger with knowing something like this, but Beat seemed to prove otherwise. I technically did know him, and he seemed like the right person, if any, to tell. He was calm and cool right now, and I felt like I could just relax and have a normal conversation, for once.

"I don't really tell people..."

"Oh, sorry for asking-"

"But, my parents moved to America. My mom got a job... and I wasn't ready to leave. I couldn't, actually. I was doing great in school, I had the best person in the world as a friend, and everything was just... great. Moving probably would've screwed my life over."

His eyebrows raised subconsciously. "Then how are you out on 99th street buying headphones... on a Monday?"

"It's... kind of complicated," I smiled, shaking my head.

"But, that means you know school's not your thing anymore?"

I hadn't really thought about it until now. "Yeah, I guess so."

"You've got a watch specifically made for rudies, and enough time on your hands to be a rudie?"

I started to smile. "I guess I do..."

"Sounds like all you need is a family."

I shook my head, grinning. "I see where this is going, but I can't join the GG's. I'm really sorry."

He leaned closer to me, and pulled his glasses down. "Does this make you wanna join?"

I started to laugh at him, raising an eyebrow. "You mean the funny look you're giving me? I'm more scared of it than anything."

He lifted his glasses back over his soft green eyes, and looked off to the side. "It was worth a shot though, right?"

I shook my head. "Could've done better. But I'll tell you what: you show me where to get some skates, and I'll consider it."

He smirked. "That's a can-do. But the only problem is, I'm on skates," he pointed to his beautiful black skates, and then to my red sneakers. "And you're in gym shoes."

I shrugged. "Maybe you could walk in your socks. I'll take my shoes off if that'll make you feel like we're even."

He stood up, chuckling, and signaled for me to get behind him. "Got a better idea that doesn't involve destroying one of the four pairs of socks I have."

He bent over, balancing himself on his skates. "Get on my back."

I instantly flushed red. "Are you... s-serious?"

He turned his head back, and nodded with a smile. "Yeah. You don't want to?"

"Of course I do!"

My hand immediately slapped to my mouth, and I could feel myself melting on the inside.

"Oh, geez. I didn't mean it... like that..."

Great. Now I was hysterically spazzing out, and all Beat could do was chuckle to himself. "It's ok."

After I composed myself, I placed my hands on his shoulders, and he stood as I wrapped my legs around his waist. His arms locked my legs in place, and we started to move forward.

"Don't go too fast." I said quickly, feeling my heart pound against his back. I really hoped he couldn't feel it, too.

"Can't guarantee that," he laughed. "But trust me, I won't drop you."

A/N: As of 4.18.11, this story is being continued. Look for an update today, tomorrow, or wednesday!