709A. N.- Okay, so it obviously wasn't my best, and it obviously wasn't your favorite. But I think this one'll make up for it:) And, due to their undying loyalty to the story and ability to make me happier with every review, FREAKIERTHANFREAKS IS THE NEW MOST LOYAL READER FOR THIS STORY. And there's 2,000 of you, so I guess it's somewhat of a big deal;) Congrats girl, you deserve it! And I know, I forgot the babies last time, but I decided, "hey, it's really late and I'll make it up to them next chapter with plenty of action AND a quick update, like, the next day!" So don't loose your cheese over it, it was JUST A FILLER GUISE! Now, there might not be baby action here either, but trust me, just wait, it's coming for ya! Now, enjoy chapter 17 of Parenting A Fake Baby 101:D [Hey, guise, I think I'm getting better at this updating thing!]
We pulled into the hotel just around midnight. I stumbled out of the van, grabbing Violet and my bag and following everybody else into the lobby, trying to keep my eyes open.
"Yo, I still don't get why the girls gave us the babies, on this weekend of all weekends!" Jerry complained, Christopher in his one hand. I watched as Eddie and Milton struggled while carrying their own babies, Amanda and Elizabeth. I just shook my head and ran a hand through my hair, just praying to get to the hotel room already and going to sleep!
"Hey, yo, my baby can totally be the player baby, you know, since he's the only guy! Woo!" Jerry said, pumping his fist in the air, over-joyed at this fact.
"Like father like son." Jack mumbled beside me. I tried my best not to laugh out loud, but it burst out anyway. I started cracking up laughing.
"What's so funny back there, Lovebirds?" Eddie said, turning to look over his shoulder. I immediately ceased my laughter and shook my head.
"Nothing. Just an inside joke, you wouldn't get it." I lied, and to be fair, it was better than most times. So believable, in fact, that Eddie didn't even second-guess it. I smiled to myself.
"Finally succeeded in telling a lie, Kimmy?" Jack teased, wearing a smug smirk. I just blushed and nudged him over as we waited for Rudy to get our room keys. He just shook his head and reached down to take Violet and the baby carrier. "Here, I got it." He said, grabbing her and holding her, grabbing my hand with his free one. I smiled and mouthed a thank you to him before plopping down into one of the chairs they had set out.
I looked around at the lobby for the first time we had gotten in. It was definitely better than the average Best Western, but it wasn't any five-star, glitzy and glamorous hotel either. It was average. But I liked it. The lobby seemed small and quiet enough for someplace to go and relax after each day of the tournament, somewhere to unwind. I smiled and sighed lightly in content. We hadn't really been to a tournament yet with all five of us competing. I was just hoping everything would go good and we'd do the best we could.
"What do you mean there are only three rooms!? I order six!" Rudy yelled, drawing all our attention. I stood up and walked over to where the guys stood at the desk, all wearing concerned faces.
"Well, another team came and booked them for double the amount you paid, so we had to! You could always split up the rooms, two and two?" The concierge suggested, desperate to keep his costumers.
"Guys, it's not a big deal. Jack and I can share, we have been living together ya know. Then Milton and Rudy can share, and Eddie and Jerry. Problem solved, right?" I asked. They all looked a bit more relieved, not realizing the simple solution that was staring them in the face... except Rudy, he still looked upset. "What's the matter Rudy?" I asked.
"I have to share a room with THAT." He said, pointing to the little baby doll in the carrier. I rolled my eyes.
"You'll live. Now let's hurry up and get to our rooms so we can go to sleep, unless you want us to all eat mat tomorrow." I said, getting aggravated by my sleep deprivation. Rudy put his hands up in the surrender position, nodding his head and grabbing the keys.
"Thanks Mr Concierge man." He said as we headed towards the elevators on the other side of the lobby. They dinged as they both hit the bottom floor. Another team, at least I was assuming by their matching jackets, walked out. One girl in particular bumped her shoulder into mine. I turned to say sorry but then I saw who the person really was. I'd recognize that brown haired girl with the fake extensions and the piercing green eyes anywhere. It looked like she hadn't changed at all in the past three or four years.
It was the one and only Savannah Whitlock. Savannah was from Bell Buckle, Tenessee. And so was I. We were always best friends growing up, inseparable, in fact. Until one day, a few years back. It was the day of my last tournament. Usually, me and Savannah had never made it very far. At least, not as far as to the bottom two, together. But that day, fate had other plans and at the end of the day it was me and her on the mat. And there could only be one winner. And that winner was me. I won and Savannah hated me for beating her, as childish as it seems. Her family comes from a long line of martial arts champions, much like Jack's family. And for me to defeat her, it made her ten times more determined. I still remember the exact words she said.
"How could you? I wanted this, I need this! I hate you Kimberly Crawford!" And those were the last words I thought I'd ever heard Savannah Whitlock say. Apparently not. She turned towards me and smirked, looking me up and down as she crossed her arms.
"Well, well, well, look at who we have here." She said to her team. I recognized each and every one of them. Dave, Nate, Ethan, and Mikey. Mikey? I hadn't seen or talked to him in ages! They still looked so familiar. They had definitely all grown though, standing taller than me by a good few inches. They all wore smug looks on their faces. I could feel them analyzing each and every one of us. Except Mikey. Mikey had always been the nice guy. Kind of like a blonde-haired southern version of Jack. "If it isn't little ol' Kimmy Crawford. What are you doing here?" Savannah asked, disdain crystal clear in her voice. I quickly pulled myself together and put on my most defiant look.
"What do you think? We're here to compete at the tournament. And I'm guessing that's why you're here as well?" I asked, not even needing an answer. She just nodded and looked behind me at the guys for the first time. I could practically see her shallow judgement as she scanned over Milton, Jerry, and Eddie, clearly underestimating each and every one of them. But her glare stopped at Jack and immediately softened. Her features softened and there was a spark in her eye, and I knew exactly what she was doing. She smiled and shoved me into Mikey as she walked straight up to Jack, placing her hand on his arm.
"You okay?" Mikey asked, concern in his voice and eyes. I noticed his hand was placed on my arm. I remembered back to before I left when Mikey and I had had... what could be considered a relationship for 13 year olds. I just nodded, trying to avoid eye contact with him as I regained my balance and watched the scene unfold in front of me.
"Well, hello there. Who are you?" She asked, twirling her hair with her free hand and cocking her head to the side. I'm guessing she was going to try and pull the Southern Belle thing. That was her tacky flirting tactic, as far back as i could remember. Jack looked over her shoulder at me with a confused look on his face. He reached for her hand and took it off his arm.
"I think the better question is who are you." He said, trying to walk around Savannah. She cut him off with her arm though, forcing him back.
"You don't know who I am? Oh, Kimmy Kimmy Kimmy, I guess you forgot to mention us." Savannah said, looking back at me before returning her attention to Jack. "I, am Savannah Whitlock. One of the reigning teenage girl champions in the country. You see, me and Kimmy over there, we go way back. Way, way back." She said, flicking her hair off her shoulder. "I'm part of the Bell Buckle Bulls' Dojo, one of the best dojo's in the south. Of course, we've never been to Florida before, but we decided to try something new. And we even got to run into our old pal Kim. Now, I've told you who we are. Now what about you guys? Huh? Are you supposed to be the underdogs that everybody roots for here or something?" Savannah asked, looking behind Jack at the others. I could see their faces drop with each syllable. I stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, yanking it back, forcing her to turn around.
"Savannah, leave us alone."I warned. She just smirked even more and shook her head, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth.
"What's the matter Kimmy? Is it true? Are you guys really as bad as you look?" She teased. She was manipulative, she always had been. But it seems like she had gotten even better at it.
"No, in fact, we're not. We're the Wasabi Warriors. That's Eddie, Jerry, Milton, and our sensei, Rudy. I'm Jack. Jack Anderson." At this point I heard Dave, Ethan, Nate, and Mikey gasp with recognition. Of course they knew who Jack was. He'd been to every tournament imaginable from the east to west coast, even in China! I smirked, knowing the guys had a feeling of what they were up against. "And that girl standing behind you is my Kimmy, and I'm the only one that gets to call her that. So if you don't mind, how about you and your dojo just go along and do whatever you were doing, because, frankly, I have better things to do than deal with some sassy Southern pageant queen." Jack said, pushing past Savannah towards me and bringing me towards the elevator.
"You think you're too good for us or something? You know, we-" Savannah started but Dave cut in.
"Savannah, just quit it." Dave said quietly. Everyone's attention was turned towards him.
"What? I'm just telling him where it's at. D-"
"This guys' an international champion." Mikey said quietly. Savannah's eyes widened and she looked over. She cleared her throat and regained her so-called "poise" but I could see the obvious embarassment in the blush that crept onto her cheeks.
"This isn't over." She said and with that, they turned around, heading out the main doors of the lobby. I let out a breath and marched into the elevator, pressing the button and slamming my back against the door. Jack stepped in right before the doors closed. He set Violet on the floor and walked closer to me.
"Kim?" He said. I had two fingers pressed to my temples and my eyes squeezed shut, and I just shook my head. In Milton's words... GAH! I was so frustrated I wanted to cry, no, scratch that, I was on the verge of crying. Savannah just kept pushing and pushing. Insulting me was one thing, but my dojo? NO. That is where I draw the line. I felt Jack's hands on my wrists as he lowered my hands and knelt on the ground, looking up at me. He saw the tears about to spill over and he just stood up and wrapped his arms around me.
"Don't cry. Don't let her get to you like that." He said. Just then, the elevator dinged and he grabbed Violet, walking out. I followed him, still angry and frustrated and aggravated. He turned towards me as we walked down the hall.
"I should've defended them. The guys, I mean. Going after me, I can stand that. But to do it to the guys was completely uncalled for and-" I stopped myself, trying to calm myself down. I laughed bitterly as we got to the hotel room and he opened the room. "I don't even know why I'm crying, this is so stupid! It's just... I thought I was done with Savannah Whitlock and her childish games, but... apparently not." I said, more to myself than Jack as I threw myself on the bed. And of course, then, of all times, Violet chooses to cry. I sigh, exasperated, and cover my face with my hands, overwhelmed by the past ten minutes.
"Kim, I got it. You can take a shower, I'll take care of her." Jack said, reaching for the baby bag as he scooped Violet out of the carrier. I smiled slightly and got what I needed out of my bag and ran to the bathroom, stopping on my way to kiss Jack on the cheek.
"Thanks." I said. He just smiled and I ran into the bathroom. I took a quick shower and let the water get rid of every little problem. I stepped out and quickly slid into my PJ's before going back into the room. Jack was asleep on the bed, Violet in his arms. I smiled at the sight. Even if it was a fake baby it was still incredibly adorable. I quickly pulled out my I-Phone and snapped a picture, making sure to save it before I sat next to them on the bed. And, as much as I didn't want to wake Jack up, I had to. His first round was at eleven in the morning, and I doubt he'd feel like having to wake up early and take a shower when he could just do it now. I nudged him gently, taking Violet out of his arms in the process.
"Jack?" I whispered. He groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes and bending over on the bed, his elbows resting on his knees. He ran his hands through his hair, messing it up perfectly. I bit my lip and looked down at Violet, rocking her back and forth slowly in my arms. "I just figured it'd be easier to take a shower and be able to get dressed than to just sleep like... that." I said quietly as I reached down and placed Violet back into the carrier. Jack nodded and turned towards me.
"Can we talk first though. I'm still a bit confused as to what exactly just happened down there." He said, referring to the lobby incident. I nodded and pursed my lips, trying to think of where to start.
"Savannah and I used to be best friends. We lived in the same town, and I even went to that same dojo, with the same people. And then, in my last tournament, it had come down to me and her in the finals. We knew you weren't supposed to really enter two from the same dojo, so, since I was moving, I claimed to be from a different dojo. Anyways, it was me against her. And..."
"You won." Jack said, filling in the gap. I nodded.
"Ever since then, I'm assuming she's had a vendetta on me considering the way she acted. It was one match, one stinking match! It was local and the trophy was plastic, there was barely and glory in the victory. But to Savannah... every match counts. She comes from a family with a history of martial arts. And she hates losing. So I'm guessing she took it out on all of us instead of just me today. And then she tried flirting with you, that really got to me. She better not have anything planned, or I swear to my Ginger Jesus that I-" I started, about to rant when Jack cut me off.
"Kim, be nice. Don't do anything too bad, okay? I don't want you to get in trouble." He said, kissing my hair as he wrapped one arm around me. "And by the way... there's no reason to worry. She's nothing compared to you." He said, smiling that classic Jack Anderson smile that made my heart skip a beat before he disappeared into the bathroom. I yawned and stretched my arms, getting up and getting everything ready for tomorrow, when I noticed the window curtain was open. I walked over and went to close it when something caught my eye.
Savannah and the crew, well, minus Mikey, were down there, sitting on the curb at the front of the hotel. Then a big, long, fancy looking car rolled into the lot. Someone in a dark hoodie stepped out and approached them. I was quiet a few floors up so of course I couldn't hear. Savannah conversed with the mystery guy in the hoodie and they exchanged something before they separated, Savannah and the guys walking back into the hotel and the hooded stranger getting in the car and driving off again. I felt my stomach drop as I crawled underneath the covers. I had no idea what had just happened, but I knew it was no good.
My mind whirred through everything today. From the "I Love you" to the conversation between Rudy and Jack that might have or might not have even occurred, and especially to Savannah and this mystery guy... it seems like everything was being thrown at me at once. I shoved all thoughts to the back of my head as I mentally prepared myself for this tournament. If I wanted to prove I was number one, I'd have to focus, concentrate, and work hard, or else I could kiss first place goodbye. 'No distractions Kim' I thought to myself, closing my eyes and drifting asleep. 'Easier said than done'.
A.N.- ROUGHLY 3K WORDS! And, I know, I ALWAYS leave you guys with cliffhangers. But it's just how I do things, okay? I need you to come back for more. SOOO. DUH DUH DUH DUNNNN! This is quite the intense chapter, if I do say so myself. What is this with Mikey, you ask? Why's this Savannah chick getting all up in Kim's grill? WHY IS THERE NO BABIES AND WHO IS THIS STRANGE HOODED MAN YOU SPEAK OF? Guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out;) Remember, it all comes full circle folks. CIRCULAR, NO CORNERS, CIRCLE. I will give you one hint for a future reference though. Beating Savannah is not the only thing Kim has done to anger "the beast" [cuz she definitely ain't no beauty. HA, jk, trying to be funny and it turned out mean] So, drop a review, tell me whatcha ya thought, I tried to cut out the EXTREME FLUFFINESS I tend to let seep it's way into my brain. BYE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE OF THIS WEBSITExxx