Welcome to the World of Beyblade!

They laugh at me because I'm EMO (2)

Zac is just leaving his vocal session when his phone rings. He checks the caller ID, and sees that its Freddy. He contemplates answering it as he clambers into the back of his chauffer's luxury car, but decides against it as he settles into the soft leather of the backseat. It's only 5, so the sun is still out, illuminating the cloudless sky with its golden rays and bathing the streets in warmth.

Somebody calls his phone again, and Zac fishes the thing out of the pocket of his black sweatpants.

"In high demand today, huh? Do I need to take you somewhere else?" Mr Ishikawa, Zac's chauffer, asks good-naturedly, and Zac shrugs. He checks the caller ID.

It's Bowie, so naturally Zac immediately swipes to pick up the call.

"Hello, Bowie?"

"OH, YOU RAT! YOU WOULDN'T ANSWER WHEN IT WAS ME BUT YOU'LL ANSWER BOWIE'S CALL?" Freddy's voice screeches down the line, and Zac almost drops his phone in shock.

"Wha- Freddy? What are you doing with Bowie's phone?"

"We're all waiting for you at mine. At least, you would have known that sooner if you'd picked up my call." Freddy sulks. Zac can picture him pouting in his minds-eye.

"I didn't know you called, honest!"

Zac is a blatant liar.

"Give me that- hello, Zac? Come to Freddy's. Awful hangout spot, I know, but the gremlin insisted." Bowie snatches the phone and speaks in a calm manner, thank goodness.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Are you staying the night or something?"

"At Freddy's? Absolutely not. It'd be like some real-life horror game."

Zac laughs as he hears Freddy complain in the background.

"Alright, I'm coming soon." He hangs up the call.

Zac politely requests Mr Ishikawa to take him to Freddy's house. They get there in around 10 minutes. Mr Ishikawa asks Zac when he should come to pick Zac up, and Zac just waves his hand dismissively, and tells him that he can just take the rest of the day off, and that he'll be fine.

He's barely even knocked on the door, knuckles slightly brushing against polished wood, when it swings wide open. Freddy's mother lets Zac in, offering him a quick greeting before she disappears down the landing.

He takes the stairs two at a time, long legs making quick work of the staircase in no time. He bursts into Freddy's small, cluttered room and sees the entire gang sprawled out across the floor, with the exception of Mick, who lays on Freddy's unmade bed.

"Hello, my dear companions!" He beams, and shuts the door behind him.

He's met with blank, unimpressed stares.

"Glad to see you're all bright and chipper as always." He grumbles as he sits down cross-legged between Orochi and Bowie. Orochi shuffles aside to make space for him, giving him a quick nod in greeting. Bowie offers no such courtesy, and instead gives Zac a light kick  as a greeting.

Freddy starts tugging on Mick's trouser leg excitedly.

"Mick, you should tell him now he's here! Quick, quick, I wanna meet them already!"

Zac raises an eyebrow. "Tell me what?"

Mick grins mischievously.

"I found the twins- you know, from the 'Emo Zac' thing. Their school, their contact details, their address-I even know which hospital they were born at." Mick proclaims proudly. He flicks his bangs out of his eyes and shoots Zac his most dazzling, winning smile.