Your POV 

"(y/n)!"

I tear my eyes away from the empty streets. Now, I don't know how I expected to see but it was definitely not Layla Carter, my best friend (?) with her blonde hair swishing as she slows down to meet me. She bends down to pant. "What are you doing here-"

"Oh (y/n)," she engulfs me in a warm hug, also something which I did not expect. I stand there, unmoving and still as a board. "Are you okay?"

I lean back, slightly uncomfortable with being so close to her after she just left me to the wolves a few minutes ago. I point to my face, mascara running down my cheeks and red patches blotched all over. "What does it look like?"

"I'm so sorry," Layla whispers and she hugs me again. This time I feebly hug back, thinking that I should be grateful that at least someone apologized and bothered to check up on me. "I know apologizing is all I've been doing to you, but I'm sorry. For not sticking up to you, for pretending like I didn't like you, for being such a toxic friend, for everything I've done this past year! And for just standing there while Ashley insulted you and called you a whore. Which you aren't, by the way. 

"I really do understand if you don't forgive me, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm so sorry."

It's silent for a moment as we step away from each other. I allow myself a smile. "Jeez, Layla. Taking advantage of my overwhelming kindness isn't very nice of you."

She laughs unsurely. "So...you don't hate me?"

"Of course not," it's my turn to laugh. "You can't act like you're the one with all of the faults. I should've told you everything. From watching anime to falling in love with a 2D character..."

"You fell in love and you didn't tell me?" Layla joking rolls her eyes. "Tell me all about it later on. I want to know everything about how you fell in love. Facetime once you get home?"

"Yeah," I agree guiltily, knowing that that won't be tonight like Layla expected, but rather in a month. Maybe even longer if I decided to stay there-

"(y/n)!"

A voice calls out, and for a second I've tricked myself into thinking that it's Chanel, who, like Layla, decided to come find me and reassure me. But it's only my sister, pulling up on the sideways with a fancy car and fortunately, no Jordan in the passenger seat.

"Woah," she mutters under her breath, glancing between Layla and me. "Who hurt you? Who do I have to sue? Who do I have to beat up to a pulp? Don't be shy, tell me."

Layla laughs again but I only smile softly, wondering how Blair could be so upbeat for my sake when her secret got exposed to the whole world. "It doesn't matter. I just need you to take me away."

"Fine," Blair sighs and opens the door before I clamber in. "I'll beat them up another day. See ya."

We wave to Layla before driving off, leaving that hell of a school behind. Blair begins to turn left, towards our home, but I grab her arm. "Actually...could you take me to the airport?"

Blair immediately swerves into a park, sharply raising an eyebrow at me. "Why?"

"Because," I squirm uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze.

"If it's for the reason I think, you are not going," Blair shakes her head.

"But I want to go to Shinwa!"

"(y/n), are you listening to yourself right now?" Blair looks at me incredulously. "Did something happen at the social? Did a guy give you a drink?"

I wave off the questions. "No. I'm perfectly fine, Blair."

"Then you would know how ridiculous you're being right now," Blair scoffs. "Are you crazy? Living in a different galaxy?"

"I'll only be gone for a month!" I exclaim indignantly, although I might be tempted to stay a little longer. Probably more than a little longer, actually.

"But what about all your belongings?" Blair asks a little too wildly. "Your clothes? Your toiletries? Your bare necessities? What if in Shinwa it's a completely barbaric system and there's no shops and no buildings and-"

"And that's all in your head," I finish for her, annoyed by how she is sticking with the stereotypical image of an alien. "It's exactly like our world, except with more emphasis on beyblade. Of course I'll be able to shop there."

Blair huffs, "You don't even have money here, so how will you afford all of those things?"

"By using my fame over there," I admit guiltily. "For goodness' sake, I'll be fine, Blair. Stop nagging and take me to the airport!"

The words slip out from my mouth and Blair reacts badly, her face contorting into an expression of shock and hurt. And guilt floods me once again.

Because I know Blair is right. And she's not nagging. It's too crazy to book a last minute flight to another galaxy. 

But I'm not thinking right now, my heart ruling where my mind should be. 

Blair is the same, her kindness and loyalty to me finally disappearing. She clenches her jaw, her eyes hardening. "Fine. Go to Shinwa. But I'm not taking you."

She points to a bus stop in the far distance, just visible in the dark. "Just catch to bus to the airport and leave for Shinwa. Take your little boyfriend and get out of my sight."

As soon as I'm out of the car, she drives off into the distance, absolutely no sign of remorse on her face. To be honest, I'm not even mad at her. From ignoring her pleads and being the reason why one of her biggest secrets is out for the world, I deserve worse than this. 

After waiting at the stop for about fifteen minutes, the bus finally pulls up. I thank the heavens that the bus is empty and thank them again when the driver is a plump old lady who only smiles sweetly at me when I get on board, not thinking twice about what a sixteen year old girl is doing by herself when its dark. Or she perhaps she is, but just keeping it to herself. 

The bus drives away from the stop, steadily heading into the darkness of the night. We leave, on our way to the airport, where I will leave everything behind.

------------------------------

I'm running.

Running as fast as my legs can go, desperate to make it to the departure gate before the aircraft takes off. Everyone glances at me but no one bothers to stop or ask me anything as I make my way through the familiar upper class section of the airport. 

It's home to private jets and helicopters, so I figure that it would house the Oculi Aircraft too. And as expected, it's there, surrounded with bodyguards, several more than what usually make up my parent's entourage. 

I swallow, realizing that it's going to be harder than I expected. I don't have a plane ticket. Or a passport. Or even some form of identification. 

Shu's most likely deep inside the aircraft right now, so there's no hope of him bailing me out of yet another sticky situation. Even if he did, I doubt he would have enough power to persuade everyone to let me on board. 

What I need is someone that knows me well, but with enough power to persuade not only the bodyguards, but also Ashtem that I can go to Shinwa. Someone like -

"Mrs. Mabok!" a bodyguard suddenly shouts, gesturing for someone in the distance to come here. "The aircraft is this way."

I nearly break down and start crying in joy when I realize that that 'someone' is Mrs. Mabok, known to me as Aaliyah, my father's most trusted assistant. 

"Sorry I'm late!" Aaliyah pants, stopping to catch her breath and wipe the sweat lining up against her dark forehead. "Got held up back as CSIRO. Workers and paparazzi was going crazy because of the boss' daughter - (y/n)?!"

Aaliyah shrieks in surprise upon seeing me before coming up to me and placing her hands on my shoulders. "I heard all about how some bitches invaded your privacy. And your friends too! People were freaking out back at CSIRO because apparently you went missing. But I found you! You were right here, at the airport! Probably saying goodbye to your boyfriend, eh? But anyways, I need to take you back to headquarters before your parents find out-"

"Oh, I'm supposed to be here," I interrupt, the lie sitting uneasily on my tongue. "My parents thought it was a good idea to have me go to Shinwa and gather some information. You know, with the schools and stuff seeing that you probably won't have the full experience of Shinwa's education and the beyblade tournaments."

It scares me easily I can lie now. 

"Are you sure?" Aaliyah raises an eyebrow, unconvinced. 

"Of course! Why would I lie?"

Aaliyah opens her mouth, but before she can say anything a security guard calls out to her, "Mrs. Mabok, the aircraft is departing in fifteen minutes we need you in there now."

"Oh alright," Aaliyah tiredly caves in before shooting me a sharp stare. "But if I found out that you lied, I'm going to totally kick your ass."

Just before we enter the aircraft and my adrenaline spikes, a cluster of guards stop us. Aaliyah quickly shows them her passport.

"Who's this?" a security guard asks before we board, looking at me suspiciously after I fail to present any sort of identification or even a boarding pass.

"(y/n) (l/n)," Aaliyah answers for me, making sure to put emphasis on my last name. "You know, the daughter of CSIRO's CEOs."

Aaliyah (and maybe my last name) has so much power that nobody else bothers to ask why a sixteen year old with nothing is accompanying her. She's starting to suspect me too, but doesn't bother to make any comment. 

After passing security for the second time, we board the aircraft. 

I've only seen the Oculi Aircraft once, and even then it was a tiny glimpse, but I'm still amazed at the high technology used. I'm no engineer, but I can tell that this is an extremely advanced aircraft, even if I haven't explored the entire aircraft yet. 

Actually, all I've seen are corridors. But even then the hallways have small screens containing information about Earth, Shinwa and the aircraft details (like arrival time) occasionally dotted through the sterile white walls, a black, reflective and spotless type of material that makes up the floor and wide, slide-in doors that lead to different rooms. 

Aaliyah oohs and aahs over the features, jumping to touch the roof where cracks of light reside, serving as the main source of the bright light despite how thin they are. 

It takes a while before we arrive at her room, where she's been notified to buckle up and wait until an announcement over the intercoms say otherwise. 

The aircraft is so big that we haven't bumped into anybody at all, except for someone called Dr. Tarver who was at the entry of the aircraft, doing a head count and raising an eyebrow at me. I thought it was end of the road there, but he only gleefully smiled and said, "The more the merrier!"

Shu must be in the headquarter areas, I figure. Only a selected few would be there, and obviously Aaliyah wouldn't have made it. Oh, well. I'll just go look for him when we're allowed to explore.

"Are you excited?" Aaliyah asks, barely keeping in her own excitement as she buckles herself into a secured chair. 

I nod as I do the same, though I'm surprised that I'm actually not too excited. The anticipation and adrenaline has cooled down to be replaced by guilt. Guilt for making an empty promise to Layla, guilt for leaving my close ones who are also hurting and guilt for leaving my parents without telling them anything.

My busy parents, the ones who had been determined to shelter me from real life so that I won't end up leaving them for fame and wealth and happiness, going to the other side of the world like Blair.

And now I'm going to the other side of the universe. 

"You lied to me, didn't you?" Aaliyah suddenly whispers, perhaps sensing the guilt. "Your parents didn't actually ask you to go to Shinwa."

If my expression didn't tell her before, now it sure did. 

"It was so rash of me, I know," I say quickly. 

"Extremely rash. Not to mention stupid," Aaliyah tiredly sighs. "(y/n), you need to leave now before-"

She silences when the rumble of the engine begins and we're moving away from the airport, finding a large space before the big take off. 

"Would you like me to send at least a message to your parents explaining what has happened?"

I meekly nod, thankful that Aaliyah cares enough to do that (since I didn't even bring my phone after it had fallen out while I was running the stairs at the social). My parents would worry less then. If there were anyone else besides them and Blair that had to take care of me, Aaliyah would be that person.

"Tell them," I take a deep breath. "And Blair. Layla, my best friend. Tell everyone that I'm going home."

That's right.

I'm going home. 

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word count: 2241