Chapter 20

The Gekko-Go bounced and skidded to a stop. The entire crew came out to watch Eureka and Renton. Renton gasped at the size of the crowd. There appeared to be more than a hundred people watching on the stadium.

"It's so big!" Eureka said to Renton.

Linck and Maeter were amazed at the size of the stadium and decided to have a race to the top of the stadium.

"I'll beat you to the top!" Linck laughed.

"No you won't!" Maeter said as she speed towards the stadium.

"Hey! You cheated!" Linck said and chased after her.

Eureka chuckled and turned to face Maurice. He was holding the new camera that Stoner gave him.

"How come you're not playing too?"

"I don't want to. I'm going to take pictures.""

Maurice held up his camera proudly and took a couple of shots. He took a few snaps of the stadium, the track, and of Maeter and Linck racing. He soon joined Maeter and Linck and ran after them. Eureka and Renton smiled at each other and held hands.

"Renton! Eureka!" Holland called. "This way!"

Holland waved and showed Eureka and Renton to the registration center. There, they paid the entry fee and filled out many forms. Ten minutes later, Eureka and Renton were on the racetrack with five other couples. The entire Gekko-Go crew sat on the benches and cheered for them.

"Go Mama! Go Papa!" The three children screamed.

A person announced all the racer's names. Renton and Eureka were the last to be announced.

"And in this corner is Renton and Eureka from Gekko-State!"

The crew jumped up from their chairs and cheered. With a loud bang from the announcer's pistol, the race started. Eureka, Renton, and all the other couples blasted off from their spot. One couple was quickly knocked out of the race. They tried to take the shortcut over the fissures but were unsuccessful. Instead, they were knocked off their boards when a blast of trapar erupted from the crack.

"I hope they're alright!" Renton yelled over the wind to Eureka who was riding by his side.

Back at the stadium, the crowd gasped as the couple hit the ground with a thud. They were quickly retrieved by a team of medics and taken off the racetrack.

Holland groaned, "I hope Renton and Eureka won't have to take those shortcuts." Talho reassured him and placed her head against his shoulder. "Don't worry. They make a good team." Holland smirked and placed his arms around her. He patted the bulge on Talho's stomach. He knew the baby's due date was coming soon because the bulge had grown to an enormous size. "We still don't know our baby's name." Holland said in a low voice. Talho smiled and nodded her head, "We don't even know if it's a boy or girl."

Back on the racetrack, Eureka and Renton were still racing. They held second place and were slowly gaining up to first place. Out of nowhere, a wave of trapar smashed Eureka directly into the stomach and sent her flying back. Her board spun forward and shattered into thousands of shards.

"Eureka!" Renton screamed as he spun his board around and flew toward Eureka.

"Are you alright?!?"

Eureka nodded. The ref suit had protected her against most of the damage. Renton let out a sigh of relief. "Let's go." Renton said as he held out his hand to Eureka. She did not move and sat with her eyes fixed on the ground.

"Sorry." She said quietly.

"What for?"

"We've lost because of me."

(Listen to Storywriter now.)

Renton crouched down in front of Eureka and held her chin up. He gazed into her purple eyes and wiped away her tears.

"I promised didn't I? I will always be by your side."

Eureka stared back into Renton's cool blue eyes. With Renton by her side, she always felt that together, they can accomplish anything.

"Let's finish this, Eureka."

"Yeah."

Renton pulled Eureka up onto his board.

"Are you sure this will work?" Eureka asked. Renton smirked and chuckled, "No, but it will now! Look!"

Eureka looked over in the direction Renton pointed. Not so far away was a school of skyfish.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah." Eureka answered and slipped her arms around Renton's waist.

The school of skyfish were flying towards them now.

"Hold on tight Eureka!"

The skyfish were all around them now.

"We can fly!" Eureka and Renton yelled in unison as the skyfish swept up their board

"Holland!" Talho called. Holland was staring at the ground and had his hands clasped over his face when he saw Eureka knocked off her board.

"What?"

"Just look."

Holland lifted up his head and looked at the stadium's enormous screen. He gasped and could not believe what he saw. On the screen was Renton and Eureka ridding on one board. Many skyfishes surrounded them. Holland chuckled to himself.

"Smart. They used to the skyfish to pick up lift and speed."

One row down, Linck and Maeter cheered and Maurice took pictures of the screen.

"Go mama! Go Renton!"

Renton glanced over his shoulder at Eureka who nodded in reply. Together, they steered the skyfish towards the fissures. With the skyfish's help, Eureka and Renton safely passed over the fissures. Soon they were in first place and reached the finish line thus ending the contest. Eureka and Renton shook hands with the other contestants and received a golden medal for first place. Soon after, the entire stadium emptied. Everyone except for Holland, Eureka, and Renton remained.

"Let's get back to the ship." Holland said and left the stadium.

Renton and Eureka were about to leave but then three girls approached them. The girls were dressed similarly; they wore red lipsticks, eyeliner, short black skirts and tank-tops. They had different hair colors though: one had dark hair, one was blond, and the other was a brunette. The three girls surrounded Renton and separated Eureka from him.

"We are your greatest fans!" said the blond girl.

"And we want your autograph." Said the dark haired girl.

All three girls pulled out a small black book from between their breast. Eureka watched as Renton signed and received a kiss from each girl. Eureka's hands clenched tightly into a fist. She wanted to hurt those girls and rip their faces away from Renton. "Is this what jealousy feels like?" Eureka thought bitterly to herself. Hilda had taught her what jealousy was long before but this feeling was different.

"Renton!" Eureka yelled but Renton was too distracted to hear.

Renton's face was red after the three girls left. Eureka and Renton walked silently back to the ship. Renton tried to talk to Eureka but she ignored him and did not look at him. They got back inside the Gekko-Go.

"I'm going to change out of these ref clothes." Renton said while glancing at Eureka. She did not respond though and continued staring at the ground. Renton sighed and walked to his room. Eureka also walked back to her room and changed. The ship shook and started to take off. Just before it left the ground, a person shrouded in black jumped onto the ship.

Eureka had finished changing and walked up to Renton's door. She pushed open the door and looked in. Renton had finished changing and was sorting out his laundry.

"Why Renton?"

"What?" Renton asked as he stood up.

"Aren't I good enough!?!" Eureka said as her voice rose in volume.

"Yeah."

"Then why did you have to let those girls kiss you?"

"What else am I suppose to do?!?" Renton's voice was raised now.

"I don't know!"

"Then why are you asking me!?!"

Renton's bedroom doors creaked open. Maeter came in with a frog toy.

"Um, can you fix this?"

Eureka turned her back to Renton. He sighed and quickly fixed the toy. Maeter ran out after Renton handed her the toy back.

"Look." Renton said and walked up behind Eureka and slipped his arms around her.
"I'm sorry about what happened."

Eureka did not take the apology though and pushed Renton away.

"Go away!" She yelled as she ran out of his room. Renton sighed and decided to let her cool off and not chase after her.

Eureka was angry at Renton but she was angrier with herself. She decided to cook Renton's favorite meal and walked slowly up to his room. Eureka knocked on the door, "Renton?" There was no answer though. Eureka exhaled and apologized, "Renton, sorry about earlier. I wasn't thinking clearly."

There was still no reply. "Renton?"

Eureka pushed open the door and took a stop in. The entire room was in disorder: clothes were flung everywhere and it looked as if there was a great struggle here. Renton was no where to be found though. The bowl of food clattered to the floor and shattered.

"Renton!" Eureka gasped.