GOODBYES

It was very early on Saturday morning when Hilary arrived at Tyson's, she looked around it was quiet she had known that most of the guys would be asleep but she was pretty sure that Kai would be around here somewhere.

Today the blade breakers would all go their separate ways returning to their various teams ready for the next world championship.

Walking around the side of the house Hilary found him, "Hello Kai" he looked up and gave a light grunt of welcome, "good to see you too" Hilary laughed as she said this.

Kai didn't show it but he was surprised, how had she known he was thinking that?

he shook his head assuming that she was being sarcastic. He made no move to walk away he just remained where he was leaning against the wall holding his beyblade in front of him and staring at it.

Hilary smiled at Kai's confusion, she had begun to notice that Kai had different grunts with different meanings, it was like trying to understand a baby when they first started talking and thanks to her nieces and nephews she had plenty of experience with that!

"So I guess Tala, Ian, Bryan and Spencer will be there today?"

"Hn"

"You must have missed them." Kai snorted but Hilary could tell that he didn't mean it, his eyes were still concentrating on his beyblade.

Hilary looked at the centre where Dranzer's picture had once been located. "Kai you can be of use to the team, bitbeast or no bitbeast, you guys almost won last year and you didn't have Dranzer then. Anyway I know you've got something up your sleeve"

Kai looked up into the girls ruby eyes, what the hell was this? Had Hilary taken some sort of mind reading course that he wasn't aware of?

"Besides Tala and the others would have said something if they didn't want you back they aren't the kind of people to just have someone tag along out of pity, not like you guys" Hilary knew that she was often thought of as just a tag along, it was because of this that she had decided not to be part of the team this year, she was going to miss travelling around with the guys but she needed to make some serious money this summer "they're just not like that and you know it."

"How did you….?"

"Know what you were thinking?"

"OK stop it," Kai was even more freaked out by the fact that she was now finishing his sentences for him. Hilary laughed it wasn't often that Kai had any emotion showing on his face and the look he had now was almost priceless (literally, she could have taken a photo and sold it to the papers).

"Don't worry Kai, I haven't got the gift of telepathy. I just know you better than you think I do. For example the fact that you haven't already left to join your team tells me that you're a little worried they won't want you back after last years loss. I also know that the reason you have refused to battle Tyson over the last few weeks is because you're working on something new and are afraid that you'd get angry battling Tyson and let it slip. I also know you really value Tala's opinion and need his acceptance."

"How do you know that?"

"Because you don't acknowledge me when he's around." This was said without a trace of reproach it was just stated as fact. Kai looked at Hilary she was staring at the beyblade in his hand. "As that's the case I know you won't be in touch with me over the next few months and as I'm not coming along this year I'll say it now. Good luck Kai, I actually have this feeling that this year, you'll do it" And with that Hilary turned and walked away.

Kai watched her go, she had changed a lot over the years and Kai was finding it hard to get along with her. Once upon a time he had spoken to her instead of just grunting but recently he found himself withdrawing from their easy friendship, was it because he was ashamed of getting close to a girl? Was Hilary right about him ignoring her when Tala was around? He had never thought about it consciously before, but he knew that she was right when Tala was around he never spoke directly to her. Whatever it was he was losing her, he was losing her friendship and he didn't know what to do about it.

"Oh yeah" Tyson four times world champ grinned and waved at photographers as he Daichi, Hiro and Kenny made their way into the building "The boys are back in town!"

There were crowds of paparazzi lining up by the entrance to the BBA, Tyson was as usual enjoying the perks of being famous.

"We never left town?" Daichi looked up a little confused

"Figure of speech dude!" Tyson signed a few autographs and posed for a few pictures but despite his cheerful façade he wasn't feeling right this year. Something was wrong it wasn't until he looked around at the other teams all laughing and joking that he realised what it was. Daichi was a good kid but very like Tyson in disposition, Hiro was his elder brother so he was very bossy, and Kenny was usually buried in his laptop. This year there was no one to have a decent joke with. This year there was no one to talk to about things other than beyblade. This year there was no one to instinctively know what he was feeling and try to help. This year there was no Hilary, stangely enough he almost felt as though he needed her there.

"Hi guys" Tyson turned to see the White Tiger X team making their way over to them.

"Hi everyone" Tyson smiled at them all especially Mariah who noticing his troubled eyes put an arm around his shoulders,

"What's up Ty?"

"Nothing Mariah I'm just thinking about the tournament"

"Tyson thinking? Someone alert the media," the familiar female voice caused Tyson's face to light up

"Hilary!" Mariah and Hilary both ran forward and threw their arms around each other jumping up and down, "Damn girl you look great" Mariah gave Hilary an appraising look it had been over a year since they had seen each other and Hilary had filled out giving her an air of sophistication. Her hair was longer and was now (thanks to curling tongs) shaped in loose curls around her shoulders.

"So do you" Hilary grinned Mariah had had an image change she was no longer the sweet but minxlike girl she had been when the two had first met. She looked more mature but she still had that spark of mischief in her eyes, Mariah's hair was shorter and more layered, Mariah had also taken to wearing skirts that showed off her long and shapely legs.

The two girls had gotten close over the last few years, Ray had been travelling backwards and forwards from China a lot, once Mariah had come with him and had persuaded Hilary to travel back with them. Hilary had spent three weeks in China and the two girls had become firm friends. They spoke on the phone almost constantly when Hilary got the bill she occasionally got confused as to which of the figures on the page was her phone number and which one was the amount she owed.

"So is that the famous uniform?" Mariah grinned as Hilary gave a quick turn, Hilary hated her work clothes but truth be told she looked pretty good in that low cut top, "shows off the cleavage!" Mariah complimented

"I know but I swear I feel so on show," Hilary adjusted the neckline so that it hung like it was supposed to, it showed a lot more Mariah moved forward and took hold of the neckline folding it back up.

"Yeah I can see why you fold it like yo…" Mariah cut herself off, both she and Hilary had forgotten their audience. Mariah turned and watched as the boys around them all looked in different directions or pretended to intently read the forms in their hands. Mariah laughed 'God guys were so predictable' "We'll finish this another time" Hilary who had also found it amusing that the boys all pretended they hadn't been watching laughed with her.

"I wish we did have more time!" Mariah raised an eyebrow questioningly, so Hilary explained "I'm not coming at all this year, the restaurant has offered me more work and you know why I really need the money"

"Your not coming?" Mariah looked upset "But who am I gonna talk to about…stuff" Mariah said winking. The two girls laughed they each knew what 'stuff' meant.

"It's called a phone Mariah, we've managed this last year just using the phone."

"Bye!" Hilary stood at the airport waving to her friends as team by team they all presented their tickets and passports and made their way onto the plane. One of the last teams to go were the blitzkrieg boys, there was no particular reason for this, it was probably just that they wanted to spend as little time on the plane with the others as possible.

Kai kept his eyes on Hilary as he made his way towards the gate, she had her back to him as she waved goodbye to Max and his fellow PPB All Starz. As the team got closer Kai began to feel something in the pit of his stomach, it took a while for him to register it but eventually he worked out what it was, he was already missing Hilary.

Hilary turned and saw the Blitzkrieg boys coming towards her, she smiled and bowed "Good bye" she then continued walking past them and not looking back she made her way out of the airport.

Ian watched as Hilary walked away, "nice ***" he remarked causing Kai to give him a glare, if looks could kill this one certainly would. To Kais disappointment looks don't kill and Ian continued to watch Hilary as she slowly went out of sight.

"Are you OK Kai?" Tala looked at his team mate who had his fists clenched

"Fine!" Kai muttered and giving himself a shake he turned and followed the rest of the teams onto the plane.

Hilary felt like crying as she walked out of the airport and away from her friends,

"Hey Hil" Mac was standing by the taxi rank waiting for her "you OK?"

"Of course" she didn't even attempt to look cheerful as she answered her cousin they walked together heading for the car park

"You don't look OK, you look unhappy"

"Maybe because I am" she leant against Mac as they got to the floor they needed.

"Well I have something to cheer you up" Mac smiled and pointed over to where their convertable was parked. A attractive tall brunette was leaning casually against the car, he removed his sunglasses and gave her a grin. It was a devastatingly attractive smile that had made many a girls heart flutter. Hilarys heart jumped as she saw the smile, she was in no attracted to the thirty three year old male leaning back oh so casually but he had aways been her hero.

"Shane" Hilary ran forward and was hugged close by her cousin

"Hey little girl" they stood squeezing each other tight "hey, hey come on" Shane pulled away from her and found that she was crying "things can't be that bad, what happened to the optimistic never say die Hilary I know and love?"

"Her friends are all about to travel the globe and see interesting sites while she has to spend her summer working as a waitress with long hours, high heels, and customers who think that waitresses are to blame for all the worlds problems" she began to sound croaky as she said all this, her tears falling fast,

"Aren't they?" Shane laughed as the young girl hit him on the arm. "Let's go home and talk this through OK little girl?"

Hilary nodded and sniffing sadly she climbed into the back seat. Shane and Mac exchanged worried looks as they got into the car, the engine started and music blasted from the stereo and they pulled away from the airport.

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