Accessory Wars

Chapter 27-Ki

            I tried. I tried so hard to make it a fun day and to have a good time. All the karma in the world wouldn't be able to counteract the insane amount of bad luck that happened. It was a literal nightmare. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Seeing Kami again was a shock. Last I saw her was my last day of school in tenth grade. We said we would keep in touch but after a handful of texts, we lost contact. During the fifteen months we knew each other, we were practically inseparable. As soon as she hugged me in Bailey, all the good feelings and memories came back. I then realized how much I missed her. She was still the same Kami. Proper, observant, a little weird, amazing at making clothes. She made my costumes for all the plays we were in together and not a stich was out of place.

Her partner seemed sweet, albeit shy. I don't think she realized she fiddled with the ends of her hair the entire time she talked to us. I could tell she wasn't from Askara. Her accent sounded like she came from Hanara, the continent south of Askara. After the girls left, I wished I got their phone numbers. I made a mental note to get them after the tournament.

Reagan finally finished his coffee and we hurried to our seats. We weren't that far up so our view of the arena was good. Nice job, Mysti! Jay sat between Colfry and myself. My other side was occupied with Reagan and Mysti. Jay's fingers clutched the arm rests of his seat. I thought of telling him to calm down but I wasn't much better. My hands were a tangled bundle in my lap. The stadium wasn't full but there weren't too many open seats either. Based on the holding capacity, there was about ten thousand people present, not including competitors.

The opening ceremony started and I kept counting in my head with my breathing exercises. Bit by bit, I started to relax. The first fighters took the field and my spine tightened as the buzzer went off. My heart rate spiked and the air left my lungs. I expected to be much more afraid but after the initial rush, it was like sitting on a roller coaster. Even though I knew the glass would keep me safe, I still jumped whenever a fighter landed on it, flew to close or a stray shot slammed against it.

Reagan took plenty of pictures and I could hear Mysti cheering her lungs out two seats away. Colfry looked bored, which didn't surprise me. The car ride over he told us of tournaments he went to in the past and how they compared to cases he helped the ERT investigate. Fighting wasn't cool for him anymore. It was mundane.

During the tenth match, Jay excused himself and Colfry went with him. I moved to go with them but Jay told me to stay put. He muttered something I didn't catch as he left. O-kay then. Reagan patted my shoulder as I watched the two climb the stairs. I punched him in the arm when I caught the shit-eating grin on his face.

Felisa and Kami's fight arrived and I winced as they nearly became barbequed as they left the lift. I grinned at the gothic fashion Felisa wore, definitely a Kami touch. It was easy to tell Felisa was a new fighter. She was clunky but her practice showed. In a few years, the two would be a force to be reckoned with. The three of us cheered the girls on, our voices drowned out by the thousands of others. When they won, Reagan hooked his arms around Mysti and my neck, jerking us into a celebratory group hug. Mysti spilled her fruit snacks all over Reagan in the process.

Jay didn't return by the time the ten minute break started so I went looking for him. I was feeling like a third wheel anyway as Reagan and Mysti talked at a hundred miles per hour about their favorite fights and Reagan showed her all his favorite shots. I made a mental note to rifle through his camera later as I headed for the stairs.

I found Jay across the hall from the doorway with Colfry standing in front of him, the man's face frowning but not in an angry sort of way. When I approached, I noticed Jay's eyes were red. My heart sank. I managed to convince him to come back to watch and I looped my pinky around his as the second round started.