Sugar and Spice [BeyBlade Fan Fiction]

#10

The next morning, somehow, we all ended up waking an hour late than what was the standard time. I woke up to the sound of Ray and Tyson yelling outside my room.

"Why in the name of—" I muttered as I walked out to be met by the most ridiculous sight in my entire life.

Ray stood outside his door, in his pajamas, guarding it like a treasure trove. Tyson clung to his arms, shoving him away.

"Please! Let me do it, Ray!"

"No! I am getting late! I go in first!"

"Stop being so possessive of a shower Ray!"

Max stepped out of his and Kenny's room, brushing his teeth. Kenny followed him, half asleep, without his glasses on. His huge green eyes were cloudy as he stared at them in silence.

A complete minute passed in commotion until Hilary's scream echoed throughout the suit. "There's only an hour for the opening ceremony!"

There were various responses to the information. But all in all more chaos ensued.

"WHAT! I still haven't showered!" "See Ray we'll get late. Let me use the shower!" "Kenny move quickly!"

I didn't panic outright but I did make a run for the shower.

Twenty minutes later another fight broke in the living room. The phone beeped from a message.

Room 146, 147, 148, Team White Tigers, Team BEGA and Team Blade Breakers your official uniforms for the opening ceremony have been deposited at the reception of your wing, i.e. 4C. Kindly collect them as you will be entertained only in your assigned uniforms.

"Go and fetch the uniforms from the reception." I said to Max who was surprisingly the only one ready on time, except me.

"Me? Uh..." At the moment Kenny chose to make an unfortunate entrance. "Kenny, Kai wants you to fetch the uniforms from the reception."

"I have to... do stuff." He leaned his weight on one side and glanced at the other side.

"You don't have to, I know." Max joined his hands in a prayer and Kenny started to caved under it.

"I do!"

"You don't."

"Stop it. Go and fetch it, both of you." I said. Honestly? There were bigger things I had to deal with right now.

"Ray!" I rapped his door with my bare hands thrice. "Be out in ten."

"Fifteen please." He sounded like a strangled cat.

"Five!" I said sharply.

"Granger!" I walked in Tyson's room, the door was already open.

The huge, luxurious room looked like a tornado had hit it. Coffee stains covered the bed, and clothes lay on the floor, and wrappers on the bed. The TV's cables were hanging out limply from behind. How did he manage to find anything here?

I heard the sound of shower running and wondered: Tyson was still showering?

"We're leaving you behind!" I said.

"What?" The shower stopped. "Yeah, come again?"

"We're leaving!"

"What! No! I'll hurry—" I cringed as he fell down inside. In the body of a sixteen year old he had the brain of a three year old.

"Hn. You have ten minutes in hand."

I started making instant coffee in the hall where Hilary and Nikita were doing their hair.

"You braid mine, and then I'll do yours," Hilary said. While the girls busied themselves I turned away from them and walked to the balcony.

C'mon get a grip on yourself, I thought as I peered at her from the periphery of my vision. She was bent over Hilary with a comb in her hand, braiding her hair. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration and a smile played on her lips continuously. There was no sign of last night's accident.

That was until her eyes met mine. She looked at me, shocked and then mouthed something.

I raised a brow in confusion. She did it again. Can we talk?

Later. I said over my coffee.

The uniforms came soon. Each ironed and packed in a bag and labeled.

Our formal uniform was a crisp white shirt and black trouser complete with a black tie on which imprinted was a white monogram of BBA.

It reminded me of the posh school I had attended a couple o' years back. While the uniform style itself didn't bring back any good memories it looked professional.

The girls' uniform was a matching color. A pleated black skirt and white blouse.

We dressed up quickly, as quickly as we could, and made a dash for the lift.

There were a few sponsors and some rich ass men who gave long speeches on topics they didn't have any idea about. We all sat in the last row since the rest of the hall was already filled (thanks to Tyson). Half the function later, Ray got up from my side and Nikita replaced him.

"Shh." She nudged me. I responded almost immediately. C'MON GET A GRIP!

"Huh?"

"About last night... I am sorry. I don't even remember what I told him and..." She whispered apologetically.

"It's okay I guess." I said stolidly.

"How did you even find me?" She asked after a long pause.

"I... knew about it." I whispered in a small voice.

"You what!" Her eyes went wide and she looked at me with a fixed, fierce look. "You could have told me!"

I didn't reply to this outright. I couldn't. What had I been expecting? Appraisal for being a knight in shining armor?

"I just feel so stupid for getting in this bet with you. All boys—" She turned away from me rigidly.

The reaction felt like a punch in the gut. What had I done? How was I going to prove worthy of her?

"I heard Tala and Ming-Ming discussing it last night... I thought I would be able to catch him red handed. I had no idea he was going to stoop so low. He's never been the one to understand feelings." I spewed out the basics, watching as her reaction changed a bit.

"Ming-Ming?" She twirled her braided hair thinking. "Gosh I can almost piece it together now."

"What do you mean?"

"It must have started that day Tala lost against me while trying to suck out Cerberus' power. let me tell you now that my head isn't muddled," she turned to me seriously, "that day Tala asked me out, I felt like I couldn't speak against him.

"I never ever feel flustered. But at that moment... gosh. Dammit."

"What are you going to do?" I asked as she clenched her wrists.

"Nothing for now."

"Huh?"

"Revenge is a dish best served cold." She released the tension from her shoulders, looking at ease again.

I sighed as she focused in front again.

"Don't be too happy. I have already done one out of six. If my rest five dates are like this I swear the thousand yen won't make me happy with you."

My heart swelled as the playfulness returned to her voice and I had a sudden urge to hold her hand. So I did what I do every time my emotions are too strong. Pull up the facade. 

"Whatever."

The first match of the season in Pool A will be: the Saint Shields v/s the defending champion Blade Breakers. The evening match for Pool B will be Ralph and Julia from the F Dynasty against King and Queen of the Part Hunters.

A thrill ran down my spine as we got ready for the real matches to begin.