"The prefect of Team Bellona is Miss Hillary Tachibana!" the principal announced in the auditorium. Hillary, who sat near the front, beamed with joy, turning around to accept congratulations from those around her before walking up to the stage.

The girl had absolutely knocked a lot of people off their feet with her quiet, strong voice and out-of-the-box reform ideas.

Laura, her longest and closest friend, positively hated Hillary and made sure that anyone who would listen hated her too. That was how a good deal of the rich kids (who got in through their parents' money or reputation and not their own talents) ended up disliking her.

Cassie wanted so badly to hate the girl. Hillary had practically snatched everything she'd ever had in just a few months. First, her championship title (informally), then the position of president of Amity International, and now this.

Maybe it was because Hillary had won them all fair and square. Maybe it was because she hadn't actually done anything outright to undermine her, but Cassie couldn't feign more than indifference toward the upstart, as Laura often called her.

For now, Cassie sank into her chair, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone. She was the first to leave when the announcement was over. Notable among the winners were Ray and Luke, who had become captains of their respective teams, and Max, who'd also become the prefect of his team.

As soon as she got out, she searched for a quiet place to be alone. It wasn't hard, as most people had moved directly to the cafeteria for lunch.

Tears welled up in her eyes. Cassie had been Bellona's junior prefect for the last two years and had performed remarkably well. How could she lose this to someone new?

Kai slipped into the room after a few minutes, prompting her to quickly wipe away her tears. She didn't want to look like a crybaby in front of him. Tactfully, Kai ignored her red-rimmed eyes.

She was grateful for his presence, honestly. After Laura had walked in on them together last week, things had spiraled further out of control.

Laura had been, unsurprisingly, livid. And most of her friends had started avoiding Cassie, somehow taking Laura's side even though she was the one who'd introduced them a few months ago.

They thought it should have been beneath her to steal her best friend's boy—which, for one, wasn't even factually correct. They'd broken up a few days before she and Kai got together. Second, she hadn't actually expected it to happen. And most importantly, Laura had no right to comment on her dating morals, especially since she didn't have the best track record in dating either.

Now, the only person she spent time with at school was Kai. And his teammates, whenever they were practicing. She had planned not to intrude too much but soon found that they were quite welcoming.

Kai had also invited her to sit with them for the past three or four days. She wasn't yet sure if it had anything to do with her or if he just wanted to take a dig at Laura.

He was a lot different with her than he'd been with Laura. They didn't have their hands all over each other or kiss all the time, but they still shared quiet moments, which she loved. Mostly, she just liked being in his presence.

Kai took hold of her shoulder, turning her towards him. Taking her hands in his, he began. "You were good, Cassandra." She loved the way her name sounded on his lips, with a bit of an accent. The intense look in his eyes made her heart flutter. "But your opposition was just as good," he continued, reminding her of Hillary again.

"Someone had to come out on top anyway. So stop feeling sorry for yourself and aim for your next face-off." His tone shifted to a business-like manner.

Cassie scoffed. "Is that how you give a pep talk? No wonder your teammates call you Captain Sourpuss!" She teased, ruffling his hair.

"I don't do pep talks. You're one of the only exceptions." He smirked, then kissed her forehead lightly.

Cassandra loved it when Kai showed her affection like that. It felt like he wanted more than just a physical relationship with her. "I'll head out for lunch. Join us soon," he concluded, leaving the classroom and giving her a moment alone.

Kai was right. All wasn't lost. The major test in her and Hillary's long-standing standoff was yet to come. And she planned on winning it—if not for herself, then at least in memory of her brother.

*****

The news of the Bladebreakers planning a Halloween-victory party had spread through their grades like wildfire, completely overshadowing the announcement of prefects of each house. Hillary didn't mind it much though, she got to savor the victory quietly for herself, amongst her friends, for a bit more time.

The party was all anyone would talk about during breaks, with only three days left until the event.

The party was supposed to be a tight-knit affair due to security concerns, so only a few people were invited. "I heard Royson got invited by Max this morning," Aarushi gushed.

Noah, Aubery, and Drew had already been invited by Kenny, Ray, and Tyson, respectively. Noah and Kenny shared a love for computers, Aubery had become Mariah's best friend in a short time, and Drew had been a teammate of Tyson's before the Bladebreakers formed.

Since they were allowed to bring a partner to the costume party, Ahanaa, Luke, and Aarushi were covered. Which left her. Being the seventh wheel in a friend group kind of sucked.

She'd declined to go to the party altogether, saying she wasn't a party person and preferred to sleep early. Nonetheless, her friends were determined to find her a partner.

This knotted her stomach. The irony that she needed someone else to take her to the Bladebreakers' victory party, despite having a part in it, wasn't lost on her.

"You could ask Royson, you know. You two know each other from Amity," Ahanaa suggested. That was true. Royson was aspiring to be a pop star and had recently signed with a major music label.

"Or maybe you could go with Rick; he seems to have taken a liking to you," Noah teased, glancing behind her. "It's not funny. I don't like the way he looks at her," Luke muttered, stabbing his salad.

"Hush, Luke. Just because he's a bit socially awkward doesn't make him bad," Aubery admonished. Hillary knew Rick from her previous school—a bit of a math genius but hardly talked to anyone. She'd helped him a few times with literature and other things, and he'd seemed nice enough. Kenny seemed to have invited him, too.

After celebrating her newest prize, her friends kept debating on whom she should go with, and Hillary played along, despite her souring mood.

She turned back to look at where the Bladebreakers sat, along with Mariah and Cassandra, their group's newest addition.

She didn't mind Mariah much. Mariah was a skilled Beyblader and had history with Ray, and as far as she knew, they were just a step below being betrothed. But Cassandra was a different matter.

She hated the way they all laughed at something Tyson said. While she was glad that Kai had ditched Laura, she didn't like Cassandra any better. Mostly, jealousy made her dislike seeing Cassie sitting with the boys. It felt like Cassie had taken her place at the table.

She turned back, sighing to herself. True, she didn't want to be too involved with the Bladebreakers, but they had several other connections to her, too. Even though she knew she hadn't played an active part in winning the world championships, it hurt that they hadn't even bothered to invite her.

What were they even thinking? It seemed like they'd invited almost everyone but her!

*****

It had been an oversight, Max admitted reluctantly to himself later. They shouldn't have rushed to announce the Halloween costume/victory party without finalizing the guest list.

As far as he knew, there were three Beyblade teams at school (including theirs) and a few skilled individual Bladers. They'd invited all of them.

However, they'd missed one major team: the Forged Furies. All the players on that team had retired from professional Blading when they'd just started and were now in their senior year. They were set to graduate in a few months, and they barely saw them around, much less interacted with them.

But as ex-national champions, the Forged Furies hadn't taken the oversight well.

Their after-school training started as usual. They practiced for just over an hour every day, beginning with basic maneuvers, testing out new moves and techniques, and then sparring with each other.

Kai sat on the sidelines, dishing out commands and suggestions. Cassie had joined them today as well, reading through some literature homework. Kai wasn't an affectionate person, but Max found it wholesome whenever he saw the two talking quietly.

Kai still wouldn't join them in practice, but Max suspected he'd taken to practicing alone. He knew their captain liked to maintain a perfect image, so he probably wanted to train privately until he regained his original form.

All was going well—until it wasn't. Ray and Tyson had just finished sparring when the training room doors creaked open, and the Forged Furies walked in.

Max saw Kai whisper something quickly to Cassie before standing up. He didn't like how tense Kai had suddenly become. Their leader, a muscular guy named Adam Grey, wore a polite, even friendly smile—but only on the surface. Tyson, the sweet doofus he was, greeted them with a wave and a grin. "Hey, guys! Didn't expect to see you here."

Grey's smile widened, but his gaze was hard. "Tyson, my man! Or should I say, champ?" His tone was light, but there was a sting to the words. Tyson laughed it off. "Heard about your victory party. Would've been nice to get an invite." His gaze swept over the Bladebreakers with an almost predatory intensity.

Tyson missed the hostility in his tone. "Of course, of course. Sorry to have missed you guys! It's been busy this week. Anyway, I have some entry bands right here." He rummaged through his backpack and walked over to give them the passes.

All pretense of friendliness shattered when, without warning, one of the Forged Furies, Jeremy—Adam's younger brother and the hothead of the group—struck Tyson hard on the shoulder.

Tyson stumbled back, more from surprise than from the force, his eyes widening as shock turned into indignation.

Kai's eyes narrowed, his voice like steel. "Touch him again, and I'll make sure there's nothing left of your Beyblades except scraps," he threatened, his deadly calm sending a chill through the room.

The Furies hesitated momentarily, but Adam chuckled, refusing to back down. "Oh, is that a promise, Kai?" He sneered, stepping closer to Kai. They were nearly the same height. "The great Kai Hiwatari—former prodigy, former champion." He mocked. "Tell me, Kai. How does it feel, knowing you're no longer the strongest in the room? Everyone falls from grace eventually. Yours was just... more public."

Kai's expression didn't change, but his eyes glinted with cold amusement. "Funny, coming from you. You talk about 'falls from grace' like you ever had a peak worth remembering." Tyson, had he not been struck first, would have burst out laughing at this.

Jeremy lunged to take a swing at Kai, but Adam held him back. A flash of anger crossed Adam's face, but he quickly recovered, his sneer returning. "Still got that attitude, huh? But attitude doesn't win battles, Kai."

"Want to test that theory?" Kai countered, his tone laced with cold amusement.

Max glanced at Ray, worried. They knew Kai still had a long way to go to return to form, and didn't want him to get hurt. But they knew they couldn't stop him if he'd made up his mind to fight Adam.

Thankfully, Tyson intervened, placing a steadying hand on Kai's shoulder. "Let it go, Kai. They're not worth it."

Adam, mostly known as the Grey Fury, laughed openly, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "You see, that's your problem, Tyson." His words dripped contempt. "You're weak. You're soft. If you won't defend your team without backing down, what kind of champion are you?" His gaze slid over to Ray and Max, his voice full of venom. "And the rest of you—wasted talent, loyal to the wrong team. Ray, Max, if you knew what was good for you, you'd have left ages ago."

"Say another word," Kai growled, moving forward, but Tyson held him back firmly, his face set. "We don't need to prove anything to you. We're here to train, and you're wasting our time."

Adam chuckled, mocking Tyson's calm. "Right. So you accept that you're just a soft-hearted coward with misfits for teammates?"

Tyson's eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, his voice tight. "If you want something, say it. Stop hiding behind your 'good old days' bitterness."

Adam's eyes gleamed with satisfaction, as though he'd been waiting for Tyson to bite. "Alright, then," he said softly. "How about a match? Just you and me. One-on-one."

Tyson crossed his arms, unimpressed. There were a thousand ways to request this—no need for such hostility. "Right here, then. Let's go." He reached for his Beyblade.

Adam chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, no. Not here, in the familiar comfort of the school." His smile turned colder, his eyes gleaming with something darker.

"Let's take it somewhere a little more... private. The abandoned scrapyard in two hours."

Tyson studied him, aware that this wasn't just a challenge—it was a dare, meant to push him out of his comfort zone. But he wasn't about to back down.

"Fine," he snapped, his voice steady. "I'll be there." The seniors exchanged a look, smug and triumphant. They'd gotten what they wanted. "Perfect. We'll see if the two-time world champ can handle a real battle."

With that, Adam turned, leading his team out with one last look over his shoulder, leaving the challenge hanging in the silence.

*****

Words: 2300

*****

A/N: So sorry for being out of the loop for so long. I do want to make promises for the next update, but I don't want to jinx it. Just have faith in me, I do plan to keep this story going till the very end. 

I hope you like this part.  Looking forward for all your  votes and comments/speculations. 

Happy diwali and Halloween for all those who celebrate it! 

Happy reading!