The sun was well below the horizon when I woke up. It was a lazy day and I could just feel it in the air - I didn't want to wake up, practice or do anything for the matter. I felt lazy.
I could hear chattering outside by the time I rubbed sleep out of my eyes.
"You're up!" Ray flashed that big, agitating grin of his the moment I stepped out of my warm, cosy haven.
"And?" I ask.
"We're playing Spin the Bottle. Come, we'll probably adjust you in the circle," the short girl with purple hair jostled. She was sitting on the black leather sofa huddled together.
"I don't have time for frivolities," I answer simply, cursing myself for leaving the room before dinner.
"But-"
"Leave it Nick," Max put a hand on her back and leads her back to the game. "He never plays."
I should probably have become angry; instead, surprising even myself, I calmly looked at her in the eye. "See?"
"Geez, you're so crabby."
I shook my head at her statement and plopped down on a suede brown bean bag.
"He's always like this?" She asked someone in a whisper.
"I can still hear," I said and saw her turn away in embarrassment.
Dinner time rolled around eventually and we all left the suite quickly. Tyson was leading the group, of course, and Max and Kenny were in tow. Hilary and Ray were talking about someone called Akira. I looked around to find the short purple haired girl. I didn't know why, but I just did.
She was trailing several feet behind us, looking slightly awkward. She looked around for a while until her eyes landed on me.
I raised a brow as she stopped fiddling with the hem of her blue dress.
"Don't be so slow." I said, putting a monotonous edge.
"Sorry," she muttered and quickly fell in step with me.
I looked at the luxurious corridor of the hotel. The walls were a sharp white with miniature fish tanks embedded in the wall. The floor was made of shiny black stones and neon lights were fixed on the edges. Several modern chandeliers were hung at several spaces.
"Reminds of home, huh?" Nikita asked out of blue.
"Hmm... no, too flashy."
"My home in India is not so flashy either, but the one in Glasgow is more like this," she said.
"You're from Glasgow?" The image of one certain ginger from Glasgow came to me abruptly.
"My mum is, so I've spend a lot of time there too."
I nodded and nothing more was said. I looked at her from the corner of my eye and saw she was perfectly calm. Her hands were tucked in her pocket and her head, barely reaching my shoulders was straight ahead. Right now, she looked like a proper Blader I wanted. Ready to win.
We crossed the gates of our wing and stepped out in the campus where warm wind was blowing. I saw the White Tigers and Blitzkrieg Boys along with a plenty of other smaller teams making their way to the diner, or in the case of Barthez Battalion, simply talking.
We were a few metres away from the diner, when a team appeared from the wing opposite to us.
Majestics.
I turned my head away from those spoiled brats and continued walking until I realised the four were walking towards me. Or us.
"Nikita!" The Scottish ginger waved a hand at the short girl beside me.
"Johnny!" Nikita waved back and waited as the four of those... revolting idiots walked to her.
When Johnny opened his arms for a hug Nikita went in his embrace easily.
"You didn't even inform when your plane landed? I could've picked you up," he said affectionately rubbing her back.
"I didn't want to trouble you," she replied breaking free from the hug.
I stood there like a sore thumb, I could leave but it felt unnatural.
"Enrique, Oliver and Robert, right?" She asked giggling like a child while shaking each of their hands.
My patience finally wore thin and I stepped away from the group on my way to the diner.
"Be on time for the practice." I called as a warning to her and left. I am not meant to wait and I won't. How did you even stoop so low as to wait for a brat?
Nikita's P.O.V.
I shook Oliver's hand when Kai walked away angrily. Seriously what's even wrong with him? I didn't speak with anyone on my way so I could engage him in a conversation and he didn't even wait five minutes for me.
"Why were you with him?" Johnny asked looking at Kai's lone figure like he was the scum of Earth.
"I don't know..." I answered truthfully. I didn't know.
"Well we are meeting after what six months?" Johnny asked. I looked at my cousin with a wide grin.
"Short time if you ask me. You bug me enough to last ten years."
"Hey Johnny, it'll be a shame if you don't re-introduce us to your beautiful baby cousin. Right Oliver?" Enrique said looking at me with a twinkle.
Flirting? Two can play this game.
"No offence to Nikita but I and Oliver will prefer to go the diner first." Robert said coolly.
"Oh, I'll be ashamed if you wait for me. We'll follow you soon enough." I said in the most polite manner I could.
"As for you Johnny, I didn't know your friends have become so charming," I said eyeing Enrique with a smirk.
"You just didn't respond to his flirting?" Johnny rolled his eyes striding ahead.
"I was being genuine." Johnny turned back, held my wrist and dragged me behind him, Enrique following quickly.
The diner was full by the time we reached, and thanks to my height, I couldn't find my team.
"You don't mind if I eat with you?" I adjusted the straps of my blue romper, pulling my hair out while asking Johnny.
"No," he said scanning the area for signs of Oliver and Robert.
"Hey let me help with that," Enrique said when I still couldn't free my hair. He softly pulled my hair from the damned straps.
"Thanks," I said to him following Johnny through the crowd. "I am not wearing this romper again. Ever."
"Good choice. Blue isn't really your colour," Enrique said casually. "You still look good but darker shades will look better on you."
I giggled at his advice and his blue eyes danced in amusement. "Years of dating tend to have this effect."
The dinner passed slowly with Enrique's playful, flirty bantering - to which I of course responded. Flirting is a wonderful time pass, till it remains light. The clock started moving towards midnight and the diner emptied by the time we were finished.
"We'll accompany you to your room," Robert offered and I agreed at once.
P.O.V. Ends
The clock struck past midnight and she still wasn't back. I tapped my foot impatiently on the carpeted floor. For god's sake, she's fifteen. If you don't understand your damned responsibilities even now, you shouldn't be on a big team.
"Can you please just sleep? She'll come back," Ray asked lying on a sofa.
"Sleep?" I said dangerously. "She didn't sit with the team for dinner, didn't meet Stanley since her arrival ten hours ago!"
"She's new to all this. Give her time," Tyson said from his recliner.
"You can sleep if you like. I've got to talk to her first and make a few points clear. The most dumb-ass would know-"
On cue the door opened and there stood Nikita, laughing, with the four boys.
"Good night," she said to the four.
Enrique laughed a little and tugged at the straps of her blue frock. "Remember what I said about those," he said. I burned in anger as he touched her bare shoulder. Not following rules was one thing, straying from path before day one was a different story.
The door closed and she turned to see me standing. Her smile dropped and a frown took its place.
"You've got some explaining to do comrade," she said with a twinkle in those big eyes.
"Me?" I smirked completely. "You've got it all wrong kid."