Yay! Another chapter! I think it's a good one, like always. Enjoy!
I sat staring at the ceiling for several hours. The sun was just starting to rise and peek through the windows. The clock in Mr. D's office read 6:30 in the morning. The restless feeling that I should be doing something grew stronger until I flung my feet out of bed. I hadn't been able to sleep anyway.
I yanked on a fresh pair of clothes, scribbled a note to Mr. D, and strode out the door, grabbing my backpack before I left.
The streets were busy with people heading to work and I made my way through the crowds. I inserted Nyclix into my launcher and fired. My beyblade flew out, spun a few times, and dropped to the ground. I sighed and tried several more times before Nyclix kept up a steady rotation. I still hadn't gotten used to my one-handed blading style.
"Where should we go today, 'Clix?" I muttered. I studied the clear blue sky, watching for the tell-tale signs of a storm. There were barely a few wispy, white clouds floating around. "Let's take Sunside."
Breaking into a steady jog, I made my way to the beach training location. I occasionally stopped and pivoted, swinging my feet in small semi-circles. My beyblade flashed in similar patterns, striking at a place on the sidewalk. There was no point in waiting until I got all the way to Sunside to start practicing.
Hours later, I collapsed onto the sand-covered beach. My hair hung in matted strings around my face and sweat dripped from my chin. I breathed heavily and stuck out a hand, which was shaking slightly, to reclaim my beyblade.
I walked quietly away from the beach, but stopped when I noticed a few white flowers growing on the grassy hill lining the area. I leaned down and softly picked one of them. Mr. D had told me the night before that he had something planned later today that he wanted me to go to. Before I returned to the office, however, there were a few things I needed to do.
After several minutes of quick-paced travel, I arrived at a metal fence marking the town's cemetery. Tall, upright stones formed the silent city of graves. Japanese symbols were engraved into the rocks.
The symbols were a lot different from the English alphabet, so I struggled to read a few of them. However, I already knew which grave I was looking for. I had visited it several times since the funeral.
I approached a sleek black stone with white symbols carved into it. There were several family names carved, but out of all, only one name stood out to me: Liam Mori, otherwise known as Lee. I smiled slightly at the memory, but my smile faltered when the pain of loss hit me.
"We're glad to have you on the team. It's time to introduce you to the rest of the Daredevils. This is Tus, Chan, and Jos. Boys, this is our newest addition, Alexandra Hayes," Lee said cheerfully.
"Tus?" I asked questioningly. I grimaced as I realized too late that my tone could be considered rude.
"It's a nickname. His real name is Brutus," a blond-haired boy with spectacles said kindly. Was his name Chan? The tall, dark-haired boy next to him glared.
"Don't say my name," he growled grumpily.
"Nicknames build comradery. Besides it means any shady people we deal with won't know our real names and when we get into trouble, everyone's names will be a short, one-syllable word," Lee said. I stared at him. 'Shady people' and 'when we get into trouble'? What kind of team was this?
"Tus is the one who started it. He hated his name so much, he insisted we call him something else," the shortest and youngest boy – I thought his name was Jos – said.
"Speaking of which, we need to give you a nickname, Alexandra," Lee said.
"Alex?" I said, raising an eyebrow.
"Too easy to guess. There aren't that many girl names that could shorten to 'Alex.' How about using the last part of your name? We'll call you Sandra and shorten it to 'Sand' when necessary," he said.
"Sorry, but Sandra doesn't fit me very well," I said quietly, a bit shy when the rest of my new team turned to listen to me. "What about Sandy?"
I gently reached out a hand to place the little white flower in the vase by the grave. I clenched my jaw as I stared at the name engraved on stone.
"I won't let you down, Lee," I whispered. A small voice echoed in the back of my mind. You already have let him down. My heart twisted painfully as I remembered that all of the teams had refused to take me. I wasn't continuing in the tournament anymore. I had already failed my team.
I turned and walked away. I had intended to visit the hospital to see Jos, but I didn't know if I could handle it anymore. It would be better just to return to Mr. D's office and see what he'd wanted me for.