A Vivid Dream

Chapter 1: Wish Granted

It was near twilight as the people in the comfortable hotel room waited anxiously for answers. Then a shout broke the silence in the room. “Argh! I can’t stand this wait! It’s like a morgue here! I want answers!”

“Tyson, will you please be quiet,” snapped Hilary as she away from the window to glare at him. Her brown hair curled around her pretty face as she frowned at her friend. “The doctor has to check Kai thoroughly. We’ll know as soon as the walks out that door.”

“Listen to the girl, my man,” said Grandpa as he knocked his grandson on the head with his knuckle. “All your noise won’t be helping Kai any bit.”

“We’re all worried about Kai, Tyson,” Max said as he touched Tyson on the shoulder. “It’s just not like him to collapse after a match.”

“Even if it really was an awesome match,” Rei said as he looked at his beyblade, Drigger. He looked at his friends. “Kai will get over this- whatever he has, and knowing him, Kai will demand to see his Dranzer and then be pissed over all the commotion.”

“Exactly,” Kenny said as he looked up from his computer, Dizzi. “That’s why I’m recalibrating Dranzer right now. It’ll be the first thing he’ll want to see as soon as he opens his eyes. He’s just lucky that it was Hilary that he collapsed on and not some stranger.”

“Yeah, lucky,” Tyson scowled as he looked at Hilary. She was looking real worried over Kai. What was up with that? “So what were you doing with Kai?”

Hilary bristled at Tyson’s tone of voice. She gave him a look that could freeze mercury. “I didn’t know that it was illegal of me to talk to him now that he’s on a separate team.”

Tyson scowled back at her. “It’s not- but if you’re going to remain with the team-”

“Are you threatening me?” Hilary demanded as she glared at him.

“Hey there, little lady! Anything you do will be all right with us,” Grandpa interrupted as he looked at Hilary. He smiled at Hilary as put his hand on Tyson’s shoulder. It was three years since Hilary joined the Blade breakers as an unofficial assistant trainer. The boys were just fourteen then, and now they were already nearing adulthood. Hilary started off as just being a regular classmate of Tyson and Kenny’s to becoming an integral member of the support team. Her cool headedness was a great counterpoint to his grandson’s hotheadedness, but though sparks flew when Tyson and Hilary went at it, he had the feeling that it was Kai that she wanted to make fireworks with. It was just a feeling that he had, it was nothing concrete. Absently, he just wondered if Kai took his eyes off his Dranzer long enough to know that Hilary was interested in him.

Grandpa certainly hoped not, because he also had the feeling that Tyson was finally waking up to the fact that Hilary was a catch. She used her brains, had guts and was able to go at it with his grandson. All that and she was nicely packaged as well. His grandson had better not blow it. He squeezed Tyson’s shoulder. “There’s no harm in seeing how a friend is. Right, Tyson?”

“I suppose so,” Tyson groused as he looked at Hilary who was looking really cute in her pink blouse and wrap skirt. She looked like she always did, but there was something about the way she looked, the way she was acting. He just didn’t get it- there as something he was missing. And why he was so pissed that Hilary chose to miss his match just to talk to Kai. He just didn’t like that idea at all. It made him want to break things. What was up with that? “So what did you want to talk to him about? What do you have to talk to him about?”

“You weren’t going to ask him how he got that awesome technique,” Daichi hopefully started to say. Then he scowled at her. “And you weren’t going to tell him about ours- Were you?”

“Hilary would never do that, Daichi!” Tyson said hotly as he glared at his teammate. “Isn’t that right, Hilary?”

“I wasn’t trying to tell him your secret training techniques if that’s what you’re so worried about. Kai doesn’t need to cheat like that, I don’t betray secrets like that and you should be ashamed of yourself for thinking like that,” Hilary snapped as she placed her hands on her hips. She looked at Kenny and Grandpa; they were easier to look at. Her hand was just itching to slap Daichi. “I wanted to see if he was all right. Before he came to the stadium for the match, he was really pale and then after his winning the match, Kai practically stumbled away from the stadium. He’s never done that before.”

“And why do you care about that?” Daichi demanded with a scowl.

Seeing red, Hilary was about to berate the little pipsqueak when the door to Kai’s room opened. The room became quiet as the doctor and Mr. Dickenson stepped out of the room and quietly shut the door. Mr. Dickenson looked at the young people in the room and smiled. “Well, it looks like that Kai just needs a lot of rest.”

As a huge wave of relief ran through her, Hilary smiled as she looked at the doctor. “That’s really great news!”

“Yes, it is,” the doctor said as he looked at the people in the hotel room. He smiled at Hilary as he started to put away his stethoscope. “He was very lucky that you were there to catch him. The boy’s body was on the verge of total exhaustion. He’s really wiped himself out with all his training and that match he just had certainly took a lot out of him. Right now he has a fever and needs to be watched. Maybe occasionally wiped down.”

“We’ll take care of it. Thanks for taking care of Kai,” Grandpa said as he shook the doctor’s hand and walked him to the door.

“So now what do we do?” Tyson demanded with a groan as he looked at his friends.

“What are you talking about?” Hilary snapped as she looked at Tyson. “We have to stay and watch over Kai.”

“That would be a problem, Hilary,” Mr. Dickenson said with a shake of his head. “Tyson and Daichi have to be at a press conference for the tournament. Max and Rei also have to be there.”

“And after the press conference?” Hilary asked as she crossed her arms.

“Well, I promised my parents that I would have dinner with them,” Max admitted. He looked at Rei. “And what about you?”

Rei looked at Max and flushed a deep red. “Well, I sort of have a date…with someone.”

“A date? With who?” “You’re going on a date?” Tyson and Daichi demanded at the same time.

Feeling cornered, Rei glared at Tyson. “And why is that so hard to believe?”

“So who is it? Is it someone we know?” Hilary interrupted as she looked at Rei who face grew red at her question. She hid a smile. “She wouldn’t happen to have pink hair would she?”

Blushing furiously, Rei stammered, “Well- um-”

“Hey there Rei! Your date’s here!” Grandpa said with a big smile as he escorted a very dressed up Mariah into the room. “You ready to go Kenny?”

“Hey Rei!” Mariah said as she waved at him from behind Grandpa. She smiled as she glanced at Hilary and the others. “Hey guys! Hey Hilary!”

“Whoa! You-uh- you look great Mariah!” Tyson stammered as he looked at her. He started to give her a goofy smile when he noticed the hard glint from Rei’s eyes. He gave his friend an apologetic look. “Sorry, dude. She does.”

Daichi stared at the way her dress clung to her every curve. “How the hell do you breathe in a dress that hugs your-Ow! What was that for?”

“You want to live, don’t finish the sentence,” Tyson hissed as he nodded his head towards Rei.

Daichi gulped when he saw Rei crack his knuckles. He gave Rei a weak smile before he pointedly looked away from Mariah. “Eh- never mind.”

“Hey Mariah! Where are you two going, Kenny?” Hilary demanded as she looked at Kenny.

Kenny looked at Hilary sheepishly. “Well, I’m a guest lecturer on beyblade mechanics at a different hotel and I have no idea how to get there, so Grandpa offered to drive me.”

Sighing, Hilary rubbed the back of her neck. “So am I to understand that I am the only that has to stay here?”

“What’s going on?” Mariah whispered to Rei as she put her arms around his waist. “Everyone seems so serious.”

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Rei whispered back. “Kai is sick and the only one that seems to be able to stay with him is Hilary. Unless you want to stay here.”

Pulling away slightly, Mariah gave him a dark look. “You want to get out of this dinner with me? After all the planning I went to?” She tiptoed to whisper into his ear. “After me getting a new lace teddy?” She lowered her body slowly against his and let her hand discreetly brush against his ass. She looked at him with lowered eyelashes and gave him a sultry smile. “Think about it before you say anything, Rei.”

A flash of heat surged through Rei as he gulped. “R-right.”

“How about Rei and Mariah? Can’t they cancel their date and stay here?” Tyson asked.

“I don’t think so,” Rei said quickly as he looked at Tyson. He felt Mariah’s breasts against his arm and started sweating. “Something’s up- I mean, uh- that since she’s up-no, I mean-”

Taking pity on him, Mariah answered, “Rei means since our second month anniversary is coming up; we already have plans that we can’t cancel.”

“I should think not,” Hilary said with a scowl as she crossed her arms. “It’s horrible of you to think that they should just cancel their date.”

“Then I’ll stay here and help you out,” Tyson said as he crossed his arms. He didn’t know what it was, but he just didn’t like the idea of Hilary staying to take care of Kai. “I don’t think that I have to go to press conference.”

“Well, I don’t think that you can get out of this, Tyson, or any of you,” Mr. Dickenson said with a shake of his head. “You have to be there- the international press will want to see you and the other semi-finalists. And we really have to go now.”

Tyson frowned as he looked at Mr. Dickenson. “But I can’t see how you really need-”

“Mr. Dickenson is right,” Kenny said as he shook his head. “There has to be an appearance of stability with the BBA, especially with what happened this last year. You have to be there.”

“So, Hilary, I’m terribly sorry, would you be able to look after Kai?” Mr. Dickenson asked as he looked at her. “Or if you want I can try and hire a nurse to look after him.”

Max shook his head. He gave Hilary an apologetic look. “That wouldn’t be a good idea. He hates strangers, even friends, looking at him when he’s not feeling his best. So I hate to say it- I think it has to be Hilary here tonight.”

“Since you put it that way, I guess I have to stay,” Hilary sighed as she looked at everyone. She waved everyone away. “All right go already before I start complaining.”

“Here’s Dranzer, make sure that he sees it and tell him I recalibrated it for him,” Kenny said as he gave Hilary the beyblade. “It’s as good as new.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll give him Dranzer,” Hilary said as she gripped the beyblade tightly. “You guys had better start going.”

As everyone started to file out, Mariah stayed behind. “I’ll be out in a minute Rei.”

Grandpa shrugged as he reached into his pocket and gave Hilary a piece of paper. “The medicine man said to make sure that he doesn’t get too dehydrated and on the way off chance, he might start having hallucinations and when that starts, just let him ride them out. Unless it gets too bad, then you can call him.”

Hilary stared at Grandpa. “How off chance might he start hallucinating?”

Grandpa shrugged. “With a minor fever like that? Practically nil. Kai should be sleeping like a baby all night long. Just a quiet night. Catch you later, little lady.”

“Later Grandpa,” Hilary sighed as she rubbed her forehead. She looked at her friend as she waited for Grandpa to clear the room. “What Mariah?”

Mariah gave her friend a sheepish smile. “You know I’d stay with you- but-”

“I know, you and Rei have plans,” Hilary said with a nod. She gave her friend a smirk. “And I know you’re dying to get your hands on him. I saw you squeezing his butt.”

“Caught red-handed,” Mariah giggled. She looked at her friend mischievously. “And what about you? Will you be caught red-handed?”

Hilary snorted. “As if. The man is sick, there’s no way-”

“But isn’t this what I prayed for?” Mariah said innocently. “For Kai to be incapacitated so that you can have your wicked way with him?”

A gurgle of laughter came out of Hilary as she looked at her friend. “You want me to take advantage of a sick man?”

“At least kiss,” Mariah allowed. “Or even better, a French one.” She smiled even more dreamily. “Or if you’re really lucky, you could suck on his-”

“Mariah!” Hilary scolded as she blushed furiously. “Don’t think of Kai that way!”

“Chest,” Mariah finished innocently. “And where was your mind going?” She let out a laugh. “At least think about it- this chance might never come again.”

“I think that Rei’s turned you into a sex fiend,” said Hilary as she shook her head.

As she headed towards the door, Mariah gave her a smug smile. “Oh yeah! It’s the best way to be. I’ll lock all the doors. Have fun!”

“Not likely! And don’t wear Rei out!” Hilary called back as she shook her head. She looked at the ceiling and all she heard was silence. Gathering herself up, she started towards the bathroom door. “I might as well get my wet cloths before I see the invalid.”

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TBC...