Mark and his crew were backstage, waiting for the MC to call them centre stage. Mark feed off the adrenaline from the crowd. He couldn't keep steady - rolling his shoulders, neck and ankles, jumping up and down.
A staff member called for everyone to get ready. Mark was jittery with excitement.
"Now for the boys you've all been waiting for - XKG MACHINATON!"
The lights were blinding at first and the crowd's cheers grew louder, deafening. Mark waved at the audience. He caughtt his friends in the crowd, cheering and hollering, trying to outmatch the rest of the audience - "Mark! Mark! Mark!" Ivan initiated, and the rest followed.
Beside Gina was an empty seat. Jessica's seat.
"Mark!" his teammate nudges him to get into position.
The booming of techno beats bounced from the large speakers and the lights dimmed. Him and his crew began slow and slick.
The music sped up. Mark does a sequence of moves then goings all out in complex leg choreography come the chorus.
He shouldn't doubt Jessica. Maybe something else came up like an emergency!
Mark and a couple of dancers run backstage as part of the choreography.
A dancer slapped his arm. "Focus Mark! You almost missed a step back there!" he whispered.
"Sorry!"
The guys quickly head back to the main stage.
It was almost time for Mark's solo dance break. He pushes through, adverting his gaze from the empty seat. He couldn't mess things up for his team. But curiosity got the better of him. He took a peek. There was still an empty seat.
A spotlight shone on him.
He aggressively danced, putting too much power into the moves. But he's angry. So angry and dance was his only outlet.
Mark begans his break dance routine, twirling his legs and spinning upside-down.
Jessica missed it. She missed his solo performance.
Mark froze mid-dance.
What was the next step?
His arms tangled together and he fell, landing funny on his ankle.
The crowd gasped. The crew kept going as if nothing happened. Mark got onto his feet. He winced at the slight pain in his ankle.
He went to the back of their pyramid formation, following along with the others. His twisted ankle makes it hard for him to stay in sync.
Nobody cared about the other dancers, just him, watching as he hobbled and limbed along to the choreography. His ears redden, flustered and avoiding the crowds accentuated stares. They were whispering about him, mocking him.
Mark was used to being the centre of attention at school. He wasn't ashamed to admit, in some occasions, he'd indulge in it. But today, he wished he was invisible.
Mark could take solace in that the song was almost over.
He executed the final move, thankfully slow and didn't require much footwork. The lights dimmed and the audience applauded.
Sympathy - they applauded out of sympathy. That was Mark's cue to leave.
A resistance apposing Magor wasn't much of a shocker to Nick. From studying World Wars, coups and rebellions - even with Gorm's own political history - a resistance group wasn't out of the ordinary. It was about time some lava gormiti grew tired of the long feud between fire and the other elements.
Nonetheless, Nick never imagined being taken to one of the underground lava villages splintered from Magor's reign.
The underground was alit by the geometric lines of lava - coursing through the floor and swirled along towering stone structures. Homes where cavered out from the tunnels - small bungalows.
A group of child lava gormiti chased each other, laughing and running around a large stone monument - inscribed with ancient gormian. Another group played by the flowing river of lava, splashing eachother.
"Most of the lava gormiti here are second-generationi." 'Boss' as they dubbed, the head of the resistance, explained. They walked through a small square.
"Second generation gormiti?" Nick asked.
"That's what we call lava gormiti who are not direct offspring of Magor but who are conceived by other lava gormiti." Boss explained.
Nick didn't expect the lava gormiti to share reproductive capabilities as their other elemental foes. The books in the Primal pad always portrayed them as evil power-lusty creatures.
The group of children spot the lords and stop their game. Jessica smiled and waved. The children yelped and scurried away.
They received similar reactions from the other villages - gawking, diverted gazes and shut doors.
"Thanks for the welcomed introduction," Toby said.
"The villagers here aren't quite used to seeing gormiti of other nations. They've cut themselves off from the outside world, only the resistance members go topside." Boss explained.
"How awful." Jessica said. A villager turned their back to them, as though they weren't of any importance. It was rude but it was clear they just didn't know how to engage with them.
"It's how things are, unfortunately. But that's why the resistance exists, so that one day the village people, no, all the lava gormiti hiding underground can feel safe to live topside alongside the other nations." Boss said with a hint of aspiration.
They stop, reaching their destination. The architecture was different from the others. A hint of the usual foreboding, familiar nature of the lava terrority - a sharp clawed bridge overflowing with walls of lava. However the building at the end of the bridge was by far the tallest in all the village. It was reminisce of earth gormiti architecture - a makeshift stronghold.
Nick looked at Bullrock. He's been in cahoots with the resistance all this time.
Boss continued, "And we're requesting the help of the lords of nature. Working together, we might just make this dream a reality."
"There's no question there." Lucas said, "We're glad to help the resistance in any way." The other lords share looks of agreement.
Boss smiled. "Then shall we?" she motions to the entrance of the weird building. "There's much you need to catch up on, about Magor and the book of Tartarus."
The guys gate back to Earth, the night looming over them. The evasion at Volcano Mountain had been a slurry of heightened emotions. And Nick felt it the most. But now that Nick has calmed down, huge guilt weighed on him. He'd have to face Mr. Ono head-on and apologise. They all walk together to Shinzuku.
Toby slapped his back. "Ease up little bro. Gramps doesn't seem like a bad guy."
"Yeah, Nick." Jessica said. "You only went behind his back because you care about Kagami so much. It's a good thing."
A good thing? No, he went there out of selfishness. Nick did it for himself. His hands were tucked away in his pockets. They were nearing Shinzuku.
Toby grabbed his brother by his shoulders, literally shook away his funk. "We're here for you bro. We won't let you go it alone."
He received yeahs and thumbs ups from Jessica and Lucas.
"Thanks guys."
They arrived at Shinzuku, the lights from inside cast the shape of Mr. Ono. His clean shaven head and stocky silhouette recognisable.
He opened the door, the signature ding from the bell gives them away.
"Nick." The other man said sounding stern.
Nick dropped his head.
Toby was about to speak but Jessica thugged at his sleeve. Lucas and her shook their heads.
"Did…you find her?" Mr. Ono spoke.
Nick nodded.
"Is she doing okay?"
Nick let out a small smile,"Yeah, she's still the same old Kagami at heart. I think she'll be okay for a while."
Mr. Ono brought Nick in for a fatherly hug.
"What matters is that all of you made it back." He turned to the others and smiles. "Say, shall we go in for dinner. You guys must be hungry after a tough mission."
'And tired.' Lucas said. Anyways, they had to fill him in on the new info drop from Boss.
Jessica grimaced, "Um…about that…"
After explaining things to Mr. Ono, Jessica went after Mark. She texted him a dozen times, furiously apologizes but she knew that wasn't enough – she had to tell him in person.
Mark responded back to her in an instant. He's home. Jessica texted him back – she's going to see him.
He didn't live too far from Shinzuku. She better hurry, the sky appeared dark and about to rain.
Jessica arrived in less than 20 minutes. Mark sat outside his front porch.
"Mark…." Jessica slowly approached. He heard Jessica but he didn't respond, refusing to met her gaze. "Mark, I'm so sorry. I thought I'd be back in time for your show but things got complicated and - "
"You ran off with Toby."
Jessica fell silence.
Mark stood up, "I guess it was for the best you weren't there to see me make a fool of myself."
"Oh Mark - " Jessica reached out to console Mark.
"That's enough Jessica," Mark slapped her hand away.
"What can I do to make it up to you?" Jessica said.
"Just…be honest for once. Tell me the truth."
"About what?"
"Toby! That you're still in love with him, that your cheating on me with him!"
Jessica scoffed, "Mark I am not - "
"Then where did you go?" Mark raised his eyebrows, imploring for an answer.
A heavy sigh escaped Jessica's lips. She couldn't be honest with Mark and it pained her. "I don't want to lie to you, but I can't say. You just have to trust me."
"Trust you?" Mark let out an airy laughed, "After everything, the club, the day after, now today. You knew how important this dance competition was for me!"
"I know and I'm sorry. Tell me what I need to do to make it up to you!"
"I-" Mark paused, Thunder and rain "I need you to stop hanging around Toby. Lucas and Nick included."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm being serious Jess."
"You don't get to dictate who my friends are!"
"You're not leaving me with many options! You can't tell me the truth, you can't tell me where you went - "
"It's complicated - "
"Cheating isn't complicated -"
"I am NOT cheating -"
"THEN TELL ME WHAT IT IS JESS!"
Heavy rain poured. Jessica is too mad to even be bothered by getting soaked. {}
"…it's over." Mark said.
Jessica wasn't about to grovel at her feet begging for Mark not to break up with her but she didn't want the relationship to end either.
"Can you…at least give me time. To make a decision." Jessica said.
Her feelings for him were genuine. She loved Mark dearly, so much so she couldn't imagine a future without him. Damn, dare she admit, she viewed him as "the one".
Mark didn't respond as quickly as she hoped. Jessica waited for him to look at her properly, allowing the emotions to surface, pleading with her eyes to reconsider.
"I think we both need time. A break, I suppose." Mark said.
"Oh, okay." Jessica said meekly.
The rainfall kicks in again at another silence. Both now calm, they didn't know what to say to each other.
Mark broke the silence, "Uh, do you need an umbrella to head home. My mom could drive you home."
Jessica shook her head. "No thanks. I'll be fine on my own. You should head inside."
Mark fumbled with his pockets, "Okay…uh goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Mark rushed back inside leaving Jessica out in the cold pouring rain.
Jessica sniffled. No, she must not cry. She wasn''t going to let what happened get through to her. No, she'd let the rain cry for her instead, lash out her torn heart for the entire Venture Falls to bear.
A/N: Little behind schedule but here's chapter 32 at last. felt like this chapter could've been better but eh. Hope ya'll enjoyed it.
Chapter schedule is up on my deviantart under same username (LET ME POST LINKS FANFICTION . NET!)
Updates will all be there and who knows, maybe some sneak peeks into future chapters?
Ciao guys!