The Trials Of Love And Life

I do not own Beyblade of any of it’s characters. Any side character belongs solely to me and will not be touched or used by another.

Summary: Review to chapter 1.

Writing Style: Review to chapter1.

A/N: Don’t kill me... next chapter up.

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Chapter 8.


Kai sat down in his class during the lunch break. He felt horrid for some reason and was trying to swallow down the growing thickness of the lump restricting his windpipe. His heart kept hammering painfully, and he scrunched his eyes painfully as a sting went up his spine, worsening the pain.

What was wrong with him?

With a deep, heavy sigh, Kai pulled the essays his previous class had just written from his desk drawer and began to sift through them. With a rather bored expression he began to read the first. Only after ten minutes did he realize he had read the same line at least a dozen times. With a growl of frustration, he thrust the papers back into his desk drawer and slammed his fist on the oak surface of his desk.

“Dammit,” he muttered.

He wasn’t concentrating. Ever since that Kon kid decided to come and talk to him about what happened, he hadn’t been able to focus. Students in his last class were actually looking at him weird, like he was sick or something. He had easily set them straight with a glare, but it still didn’t help to get his mind from Ray and the way he had ran from Kai’s sight.

Wonder where he is?

Just as the question left him, the thick lump erupted and his throat and itched like crazy. He placed a hand to his mouth, coughing deep within his chest and pulling at his lungs. He coughed again, feeling something splatter the back of his hand. His body convulsed and he leaned forward, gripping the front of his desk hard, his chair sliding backward.

His body trembled with every quaking cough and ripple of his throat. His hand was being sprayed with a warm salty fluid, a metallic taste resting heavily on his tongue. He closed his eyes, his body quivering as he dropped to the floor, heaving for air, but coughing again. The bubble in his throat popped again and the fits of coughing and wheezing died down.

Now he was trembling?

Slowly, Kai pulled his hand away from his mouth, shoulders shaking as he looked at his hand. Blood was dripping onto the carpet, the scarlet fluid trickling down his long fingers and over his palm. He swallowed, the salty taste of his own blood dripping in the back of his throat. He frowned and reached up to his desk, grabbing a tissue and wiping his fingers down.

With another deep sigh, Kai closed his crimson eyes and placed his stained hand to his forehead. With a shock he found himself sweating like crazy. His body felt extremely hot and he was dizzy. Why hadn’t he noticed before how so horribly wrong he was feeling? With a shake of his head – only causing him to feel dizzier – he got to his feet and stumbled to the back office of his class. He opened the door with trembling fingers and tottered over to his other desk; wrenching open the bottom drawer and sifting through the many files and papers for his bottle of pills.

With a grateful gasp of relief he found them and popped the cap immediately. Four pills dropped into his waiting – trembling – hand and he swallowed them dry, letting out a long low gasp of calm. Such a thing hadn’t happened to him in years. The last time it had happened... was just after the death of his sister.

Sniffing back the feeling of worry, he set off back to his desk and opened the top drawer again and pulled out the essays he was about to read earlier. He plopped the pile onto his desk and read through them slowly, his heart still thumping madly in his chest, the feeling of unease and dread slowly seeping through him.

*~*~*

Tyson flopped down onto the couch after class, breathing a deep sigh of relief. It was his only break before lunch and he was going to use it to the best of his known abilities... eating and then sleeping. With a smile, he got up and walked to the fridge, peering into it’s contents. The hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood up and he peered over the top of the fridge door toward the table.

“Ray.”

Sure enough, sitting at the table, the lights having been off, was Ray. He looked up slowly when Tyson said his name and smiled weakly. His face was blotchy from tears and his eyes red and puffy. Beside him, to Tyson’s great horror, was the tallest – empty – bottle of vodka. Some head seeped onto the table, dripping from the neck of the clear glass.

“Ty – ” hic “ – son,” Ray said in a slurred voice.

“Ray, what have you done to yourself?” Tyson gasped, running to his friend as he began to slip from his chair.

Ray giggled weakly and sniffed hard, flopping back into his seat and sliding forward onto the table, his head hitting the surface very hard. He groaned and rolled his forehead from side to side, more tears spilling from his eyelashes.

“Why me,” he whispered, oblivious to Tyson standing over him.

“Ray, what’s wrong?” Tyson whispered, sidling into a seat beside the neko.

“Tyson,” Ray whispered, his voice quivering.

He looked up slowly again and gasped, his eyes going wide, almost like he just saw him for the first time. His eyes watered and he hugged himself protectively, rocking back and forth on his seat. Tyson watched with worried eyes, reaching out, but hesitating. He withdrew his hand and placed it on his lap slowly, looking up as Ray rocked forward again and let out a low shudder.

“Tyson, I’m such an idiot,” whispered Ray.

“What happened?” said Tyson in a soothing voice.

“I turned myself into a complete and total jackass, that’s what,” Ray snarled, more to himself than to Tyson.

Tyson reached out again and placed his hand on Ray’s shoulder, gently rubbing the tense area. He watched as his friend relaxed into the touch, his back slumping even further into the chair. His eyes spilled more tears. He blinked them away, but more came. Finally, giving up, Ray fell forward again and buried his face in his hands, biting down on his lip to stop from bursting into sobs.

“God, I’m such an idiot, Tyson,” Ray said, hiccoughing.

“You already said that,” said Tyson, smiling some.

Ray frowned.

“What happened bud?” asked Tyson.

“I screwed over my entire career by – ”

“Oh, God, you didn’t con one of the lady Professors with sex, did you?” Tyson asked, giving Ray a pleading look.

“Far from,” snorted Ray, frowning more deeply. “Tyson, what would you say if – you see I – um – well, you see I was – ”

“Ray, just say it,” Tyson said smirking.

“I kissed Professor Hiwatari...”

Silence.

Ray already felt the odd hatred. He could understand. Who’d want to be friends with someone who made out with their Professor who was also oddly kind to that one who made out with him. If anyone every wanted to make a crude guess as to why he was even back in Defense class, that would be a good one. Why would Kai Hiwatari kick out his own lover?

“Wow...”

Ray looked up quickly; maybe a little to quickly because his head began to pound and he felt extremely dizzy. He groaned and massaged his temples, opening one eye to look at the navy haired person beside him. Tyson didn’t look angry, or disgusted.

“Wow, that’s all you have to say,” Ray growled. “You should hit me for what I’ve done.”

Tyson’s eyes hardened on him and he said, “you’re right, I should, but I wont. It was probably just a simple mistake, heat of the moment, you know.”

“Yea, that’s what Professor Hiwatari said,” Ray gritted out.

“Well then he’s probably right,” Tyson noted, without hearing the deep resent in Ray’s heavy voice. “Don’t let it eat you up, bud. Sometimes these things just happen.”

Ray sighed and looked back at the table, drawing small circled with his index finger invisibly over the surface. Tyson was right... Kai was right, it was a mistake. A big, stupid, fucked up mistake and he had to get over it. Kai was his professor, he was Kai’s student. It was wrong, all to wrong. But why did it hurt him so much?

“Listen, Ray,” Tyson said, patting him on the back. “I have class in twenty, but Max will be back for his break soon. You two can talk. He knows more about this than I do, since he’s been dating Miguel for three years.”

Ray nodded slowly, still watching the table and his finger. He stopped drawing circled and looked at the bandage Kai had placed their for him. It was stained with the brown dryness of blood, and he sighed. When his Professor had touched him, he felt like electric shocks were coursing through him.

Wonder if he felt the same? Ray thought miserably.

He heard Tyson’s chair scrape the ground and the navy haired boy feet swish over the tile floor. The door clicked open and shut. He was alone, again, finally. The light was still on, the bottle of empty vodka still on the table. His head was spinning like crazy. He felt nausea’s, but not enough to actually vomit.

*~*~*

“Reckless Homicide. Who can tell me what it means?”

Ray looked up tiredly as Kai paced below him, holding a book open in his hands, staring around the class. A few hands were raised, Hilary’s included. She was bobbing up and down on her seat enthusiastically beside him, practically whimpering to answer the question. He didn’t know what actually made him get to Kai’s class, but he was now sitting in his seat, staring at his open books.

He hasn’t looked at me once, Ray thought sadly.

“Yes, Miss Tatibana, since your so enthusiastic,” Kai said lazily, looking up in Ray’s direction.

His heart leapt, but Kai wasn’t looking at him. His gaze was fixed solely on Hilary, who was giggling with glee and sat forward in her seat, clearing her throat with a definite ‘hem hem’ and looked around at all the others students who were watching her intently, some of the girls glaring.

“Reckless Homicide is without thought or care for ones consequences or actions in a murder, sir,” Hilary said almost mechanically.

Kai nodded. “Correct. When someone commits a reckless homicide they can be given a sentence of seven to twenty years of imprisonment pending on their actions. If their actions were unintentional to kill a person or persons...”

Ray zoned out from what Kai was saying and looked back down at his books. He was surprised to see what he had written and hastily tore the paper from his binder, crumpling it up and stuffing harshly into his pocket. He hoped against all hope what Hilary hadn’t looked over to see him drawing little hearts with the letters K. H. and R. K. in them.

The bell rang...

“ ... we shall continue our discussions on reckless homicide on Thursday. No homework today and make sure you hand in your previous essays on Man Slaughter and the Sentence given to one who commits it,” Kai said fluidly, sitting back at his desk.

Everyone muttered excitedly, most talking about no homework, some of the upcoming party on Friday. Ray walked slwoly down the aisle to Kai’s desk, dreading seeing his Professor’s crimson eyes gazing piercingly on him. He stumbled over the last step and gasped, reaching out and gripping Kai’s desk tightly.

He blanched. He felt eyes on him. Not just a set, but many sets. Some people were giggling and pointing. Others were muttering behind him. But one pair stood out completely. He looked up slwoly blushing insanely as his golden eyes met blazing ruby ones, one finely curved eyebrow raised upward. Kai was... smirking.

“Essay, Mr Kon,” Kai said, holding out his hand.

Ray nodded slowly, looking down at the floor as he thrust his essay in Kai’s hand and picked up his bag, walking away fast. He felt his Professors eyes on him all the way up the stairs and out the door. The other students laughter followed him into the lunch room where he thrust himself into a chair and glared at the table.

He didn’t know how long he was sitting their, nor did he hear the seats around him fill and voices boom over the large cafeteria. Someone clapped him on the back, making him look up and fell upon the sky blue eyes of Miguel staring down at him with a small delicate smile on his face.

“Something eating you?” the older man asked, sitting down opposite him.

“Or someone?” Claud said, falling into the seat beside Miguel, smirking broadly.

“No, and I wish,” grumbled Ray to their two questions.

Claud laughed and Miguel shook his head smiling. He punched Claud in the arm to shut the icy blue haired male to be quiet and looked back at Ray with thoughtful eyes.

“Some things bothering you, I can tell,” Miguel said.

“Honestly, it’s nothing,” Ray sighed, grabbing a plate of spaghetti from the trolley going around and handing the lunch woman five dollars. “I’m just really tired.”

“If you say so,” Miguel shrugged, grabbing a plate of sandwiches. “Where’s Max and Tyson?”

“Maybe their secretly meeting to make out,” Claud said, shrugging and taking his own plate of spaghetti.

“Yea, right,” Miguel snorted.

“What’s right?” said Max’s voice as the blonde neared, looking very healthy considering his nose was still slightly red.

“Nothing,” Miguel mumbled, kissing his boyfriend. “Shove over, Claud.”

Max giggled cutely and shook his head, falling into Miguel’s lap and picking up a sandwich from the plate in front of him. Miguel smirked and wrapped his arms around Max’s waist as the blonde offered him a bit of his sandwich. Ray couldn’t help but notice how in love they really were. Miguel had the right idea to want to marry Max. The blonde was just to sweet.

Claud looked over the many heads of people around, frowning as he looked from one face tot he other. He sighed and sat back down, stirring his food aimlessly. Out of the crowd, two voices raised higher and higher until they reached breaking point.

“DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME, PARKER.”

“Tyson,” everyone said around Ray’s table.

They all turned swiftly, Claud shooting to his feet and glaring through a part in the crowd gathering around. Tyson was standing in the middle, glaring at a deep red headed male who was holding his wrist, one hand on Tyson’s waist. Tyson, in Ray’s view, was looking very bothered, straining to get away from the taller and much more built red haired man.

“Aww, come on sexy, why wont you go out with me,” the redhead said in a dull voice.

“Because you’re a fucking prick and I have a boyfriend I love,” Tyson snarled, pulling his wrist, but only causing the hold on his wrist to tighten. “Let go of me Parker.”

“I don’t think so sweetie,” the man, Parker, said in a husky voice.

Ray didn’t even hear Claud walk around the table. His vision was impaired when the icy haired mans body walked in front of him, storming toward the two in the middle. Both Max and Miguel had gotten up as well, following after Claud. Ray got up also, not wanting his friends to get hurt.

It almost happened without seeing it. Claud’s fist connected with the side of Parker’s cheek, knocking him sideways. Tyson collapsed onto the ground in tears, holding himself, Claud kneeling with him, holding him tightly. Miguel was standing in front of the pair, glaring at the redhead getting up front the ground. Max was holding Miguel’s arm, looking down at Tyson worrisomely.

Ray stood to the side, watching Tyson with worry. Slowly, almost like cold liquid, his eyes flew to the redhead and he gasped, stumbling back and pointing. Fear drained his face, making him go pale. The redhead looked up at him with a glaring stare and his own eyes widening with apprehension.

“You,” Parker whispered.

“Y-you go to this school,” Ray gasped, stepping back fearfully.

“What’s wrong Kitty Kat,” Parker said in his dull haughty voice.

“Get away from me... get away from my friends,” Ray snapped.

“Now now, Kitty Kat,” Parker said rather boredly. “Don’t act like that. He deserved what I was doing.”

Parker brandished a hand in Tyson’s direction and Claud stood up swiftly. He would have attacked Parker, but Tyson had grabbed his hand and pulled him back down, hiding his face in his boyfriends broad chest. Ray glanced over at them, watching as Claud’s mouth moved, whispering silent words to his lover.

“Don’t touch him, Michael,” Miguel hissed, moving to Ray’s side. “You’re already being watched by the schools head office. I don’t think mommy and daddy would be very happy if you got kicked out.”

“Stay out of this you prat,” Michael snapped. “At least I have a mother and father to go back too.”

Miguel went white with rage. He jumped forward, but Max wrapped his arms around his waist quickly and pulled him back. Miguel was shaking with rage as Max ran his fingers through his boyfriends hair, whispering quietly, kissing him gently. Ray stepped back again as Parker – now Michael – advanced on him slowly, his eyes dull and watchful.

Ray took another step back, Miguel still trying to get at Michael, Max holding him back. Tyson clinging to Claud, shuddering horribly. Ray took another step back, and another, and another, and suddenly, something broad and strong was against his back, towering above him, glaring over his head.

Michael was frozen to the spot, taking gradual steps away from Ray. He stopped near the edge of the crowd, his hands clenched at his sides. Finally, the voice of the broad shouldered body spoke above Ray, and he gasped.

“Parker, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Kai snapped from above Ray.

“It’s nothing Professor, just a friendly talk,” Michael said acidly.

Kai surveyed the five boys around him. Moving from Tyson still huddled in Claud’s embrace to the spiteful look in Claud’s eyes; to Max holding back Miguel, and Miguel shaking with unreleased rage. His eyes finally fell on Ray’s pale face and frightened stature and then back on Michael.

“Friendly talking, Parker,” Kai said in a calm ethereal voice. “Then why does Mr Granger look like he’s been through hell?”

“Maybe because he’s a pussy,” Michael hissed.

“Fuck you, Parker,” Claud snarled, standing up again and advancing. “You were attacking him. What, couldn’t find some petty little freshman to fuck so you decided to attack my boyfriend.”

Kai glanced from the corner of his eyes as he watched Ray flinch and move closer to him, turning his eyes away from the two bickering men. He was staring at Kai’s shoes, counting the laces when a hand pressed calmingly against his back and he looked up, but Kai wasn’t watching him, he was watching Michael and Claud.

“Parker,” Kai snapped, stopping Claud dead and making both turn to him. “My office. NOW.”

Michael glared at everyone around him.

“See you later, Tyson,” Michael whispered sickeningly.

Tyson flinched.

“PARKER,” Kai barked angrily. “NOW.”

He grabbed Michael’s upper arm, stepping in front of Ray to block his view and pulled him from the cafeteria. Ray looked over at Tyson still huddled on the ground, looking at the tiled patterns. He was very white and shaking badly. Ray strode over to him, dropping to his knees and lifting Tyson’s face with both hands to look in his eyes.

“Come on, Ty,” Ray whispered. “It’s over now. Calm down. Were here for you.”

“He – he attacked – me,” Tyson gasped. “Claud – WHERE’S CLAUD.”

“Shh, baby, I’m here,” Claud whispered, kneeling down beside Ray and cupping his boyfriend’s cheek. “Take it easy, he’s gone. Professor Hiwatari took him away. Don’t worry now.”

“Fucking prick,” Miguel hissed, pulling Max closer to him. “I don’t believe him. Why hasn’t he been kicked out yet.”

“Because his families rich,” Max whispered. “Tyson, you okay?”

“No,” Tyson whispered.

“Stupid question. Sorry,” Max sighed.

Ray turned around and walked away. He picked up his bag and left the cafeteria, taking the stairs two at a time and walking out into the sunlight hanging overhead. Many students were outside, already spreading the story about what had happened in the caf.

That was the guy... I remember his voice, Ray thought, staring at the grass. He was the one who attacked me...

Ray walked across the lawn, watching as shadows descended over the sun. He was climbing stairs now, moving upward. His eyes unfocused and unclear, he turned a corner and stopped dead. His eyes traveled over his Professor and Parker, both glaring daggers at one another, hatred flaring between one another. Ray jumped around the corner, hearing Kai’s voice ring through the hallways.

“ ... lawsuit not enough for you Mr Parker, had to attack a student as well, and two in less than two week, no less,” Kai said angrily.

“Professor Ivanov deserves it,” Parker snarled back. “He brought this on himself.”

“That’s not what this conversation is about, Parker,” Kai hissed aggressively.

“If it’s about that Granger bitch, he got what he deserved. We made a bet and he lost. I may have not set my terms, but he had to do what I wanted him too,” Michael said in a rather bored voice.

“I may not know Mr Granger personally, Parker,” Kai said, rather calmly. “But I do know he’s not stupid enough to make a bet with you, no less.”

Ray peeked around the corner just as Michael frowned and took a step back from Kai. They hadn’t even made it to Kai’s office. They were both standing in the hallway, the door partially open. Ray, finally noticing it, saw a bruise forming on Kai’s left cheek, a soft purple that was growing darker still.

“Maybe that little Kitty Kat freshman should place a lawsuit against you too,” Michael laughed as Kai’s glare increased to deadly.

“I’m not following, Parker,” Kai said, still very calm.

“I saw the way you were touching him. A little too intimate for a student and Professor, don’t you think, sir,” Michael said, smirking.

“Watch yourself, Parker,” Kai whispered in a deadly voice. “Just because you’re mom and dad are rich, doesn’t mean they can keep you from me. Professor Ivanov will win this case, and you’ll be thrown from this school.”

Michael frowned deeply.

“And about, Kon,” Kai said, even more lowly that Ray had to move his head around the corner to hear. “You touch him again, in any way, and I will kill you.”

Michael stormed away in the opposite direction, the door on the opposite end of the hall banging open and shut again. The door to Kai’s office clicked open and closed calmly. Ray hardly noticed how heavily he was breathing and turned from the corridor as the bell rang. He passed student after student and broke into sunlight again. What was going on? Why was all this happening to him?

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A/N: Next chapter will be the party everyone is talking about. Ohh, so, Michael was the attacker, eh. And what’s wrong with Kai? Why was he coughing up blood. If some of you don’t know, when Hilary goes ‘hem hem’ that was taken from Harry Potter book 5, when Professor Umbridge clears her throat. I thought it’d be funny to add. Well, next chapter will be very... VERY... active. Don’t forget to review. CHEERS!
Tell me, am I moving to fast? Well, if I am, I can slow down, if I’m not, then the stories going good. I’m stilling looking for title names. I have seen a few good ones, but I haven’t decided yet, so keep writing them in.