Chapter 1 - Chapter 1

All was quite on Redding Crescent. That is, if you could hear past the terrible, ongoing noise in the backyards of houses 96, 98 and 100. But Kai had gotten used to those ages ago, seeing as he'd been coming back to this street continually for the past year. Why? Because a good half of his team lived in houses 96, 98, 100 and 107.



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Just like outside, all was quiet. Except for the blaring Relient K music. Mariah Summers was listening to what was - in her opinion - one of the best CDs ever. Yes, Mariah was in paradise listening to `Down in Flames' on her favorite Relient K CD: Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek. Yes, Mariah was making her favorite home cooked meal: A BLT (hold the T) worthy of Subway. So she chopped the lettuce and cooked the bacon in time with the rhythm. `How does one cook bacon in time to rock music' you might perhaps be asking? Frankly, I don't know, but apparently Mariah does.



`Down, Down, Down in Flames,

We're goin' down in Flames -`



Mariah unwrapped the bacon in tune with the music (oh, I see), put it on the stove, and let it sizzle.



`- Down in Flames,

We're goin' down in Flames -'



Mariah took the plastic covering the lettuce and started cutting it up.



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Kai was only half way down the street and he could already hear the familiar grunts, hisses, yelps, and other various sounds of the Summers pets echoing out of the backyards of numbers 96, 98 and 100.

He didn't feel much like walking into the lonely 3 connected houses and than having Tweety - the Summers horse-like dog - jump on him with no one help him get it off. He decided to just go down the street to Tyson's house where he and the rest of the Bladebreakers were staying and get supper and some sleep.



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The bacon was cooked, the lettuce was chopped, the cheese was sliced, the baloney, turkey and salami were sitting on the off-white counter and the mayonnaise was just waiting to be spread

“Now, to retrieve the sub bun from the freezer”

Mariah shuddered at the sheer thought of it.



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`Why is it everyone had to decide to have hockey practice, or baby sit, or sleep over at Max's, or recalibrate their computer system tonight,' Kai wondered to himself. `I know I supposed to be the loner, but it would be nice to have a bit of company.'

As Kai was rounding the corner, he was only looking at the ground. This was probably why he didn't notice the light in Tyson's house sooner. `Why is there someone in Tyson's house?!'



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“Oh wow! I am NEVER looking in THAT freezer for anything AGAIN!” Mariah said, looking extremely disgusted after pulling her head out of the wretched freezer.

“Gramps really needs to get a new toaster,” she sighed as she put her submarine bun in the toaster oven. “This will take FOREVER to defrost!”



“And it always is the same,

Gotta find someone to blame -“



The stereo blared out the second verse of the song. It was so loud, that Mariah didn't hear the front door open and someone come in.



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`Holy cow that's loud!' Kai thought as he came in the front door of Tyson's house. `Well, I suppose it's safe to come in seeing as it's only Mariah. I wonder why she's here. She's supposed to be babysitting.'

Kai walked over and leaned on the kitchen wall, waiting for Mariah to notice him.



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“Down, and down, anddownanddownanddown,

In Flames . . .”



As the song ended, Mariah skipped forward to the next one. Another one of her favorites. She didn't notice the other person standing next to her.



“All the girls in the bathroom talkin',

Who they gonna take to the Sadie Hawkins,

My ears are burnig, but I kept on walking,

Smile on my face and an air guitar rockin'-”



The toaster finished with her bun. She commenced in putting on all the condiments.



“The Sadie Hawkins dance, in my Khaki pants,

There's nothin' better, oh oh oh,

Girls askin' guys, it's always a surprise,

There's nothin' better, baby do you like my sweater?”





She turned around and nearly dropped her plate



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She looked startled.

“Sorry to scare you.” He apologized.

“It's okay,” Mariah replied. “I just didn't know you'd be so early”

“It get's kind of boring watching the sunset by yourself, especially when it's been dark for 2 hours.

Mariah laughed at the joke. While Kai started looking through the fridge for something edible (in other words, something not made be Grampa), she noticed how much Kai had been talking to her, let alone the rest of the team. This was a big improvement, considering he barely communicated with them last year.

`That's from last week, isn't?' Kai thought while looking at some putrid leftover lasagna. `Maybe there's a TV dinner in the freezer.

“You might not - ” Mariah started to caution him, but it was to late . Kai opened the freezer and began to gag at the horrible smell. He started to feel somewhat woozy and made himself close the airtight door, shutting in the ever ripening smell.

“Well, there's nothing in there!” He proclaimed.

“Want half my sandwich?” Mariah asked him, holding out a plate with his half on it. She was trying to hold back laughter from the `freezer incident'.

“Sure,” he said as she gave it to him. “Thanks.”

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