Book One: Someone New (Reginald Kastle)

Chapter Fifteen: Day Two

Shark POV:

I toss over, and fall off of what I'm sleeping on.

"Ugh..." I groan, holding my behind.

"Well, good morning, sleepyhead. I thought I was lazy." A familiar voice giggles. I look up to see Rose standing above me, two plates in her hand. Her hair has a light blue ribbon in and she's wearing a teal thin-sleeved top and a dark blue skirt. Her eyes sparkle with amusement.

"Shaddup." I grumble. Sleep sticks to my eyes, tiredness coming off me now. I wondered how I ended up on Rose's couch, but then I remember the night before. Rio would have loved it.

"Come on, I've got you breakfast." She slams down the plate on the table and sets hers down opposite. On our plates are two English breakfasts, cooked well. Rose's is missing the tomatoes and mushrooms, but she hates those anyway. I take a small mixture of food on my fork, and place it in my dry mouth; as I do, flavours burst alive and I smile in delight.

"You're an amazin' cook!" I compliment, as I take more food.

"Thanks, Reginald. Can you cook?" I nod.

"...I've had to learn in the past year." She sighs.

"Don't worry, Rio'll be up on her feet before we can say pineapple." I chuckle.

"You're strange." I conclude and she laughs.

"I'm fully aware."

As we continue the meal, I can't help but think of how brilliant Rose is...'Rio chose a good friend.'

Today's the second day of the preliminaries, and I can't wait to see if I can make Quattro pay. Rose already has her heart piece out, gazing at it. After a few minutes of her doing so, I start to worry.

"Rose? Hey, you okay?" I grip her hand and she looks at me, with the smallest tint of pink in her cheeks and narrowed eyes, before they revert to normal glowing emerald ones.

"I'm just thinking about stuff. Yuma's one of my worries. Tori told me he duelled for a Number last night." She sighs, once again, in clear frustration. "He'll never give up." She gathers the empty plates and attempts to wash them, before I stop her.

"I'll do them." I offer. Rose looks like she's about to refuse but thanks me instead.

Soon, we're out of her house, zooming on my runner in the city. Rose rests on my shoulder, her eyes tending to droop occasionally.

"Did you sleep last night?" I ask.

"Uh, yeah. I did."

"You didn't. Well, if you did, you didn't sleep well." Rose gives in.

"Alright, alright. I couldn't sleep. Every time I shut my eyes, I saw something that made them snap open. When that Number possessed me-"

"Shut up. You're being stupid. That Number won't get a hold of you like it did again. I won't let it hurt you. Like you continue to assure me, Rio will be okay soon enough. And I'll take Quattro down. Your mom's away from you now; she can't hurt you anymore." I snap, but one look at her emerald green eyes (with pricks of tears on the edge) and I stop the runner.

"Thank you." She dives into a hug, and I hold her, running a hand through her soft hair. 'This feels...right.' I think, I shaking it off, like all the other thoughts I have like that. But, as something flutters in my stomach, I can't fight away that thought.

Two yells disturb us, and Rose gasps.

"That was Bronk and Caswell!" She gasps. I grab the runner and sped to the source of the sound. I hear a chuckle; Quattro's. I zoom faster and Rose seems to focus on the sound as well.