Ray looked outside his window and watched the rain fall. He'd never really minded a good downpour, so long as he had something to do.

That something was usually Mariah. Originally, they'd simply been best friends, playing board games or just talking when it rained.

Ray sighed. Lately, their relationship had been had been more than just friends. Mariah felt it, too, she'd confessed it to Ray.

They'd always told each other everything, and that hadn't changed now, mostly. There were a few things Ray hadn't told Mariah, though.

There was the fact that he couldn't stop thinking about her, night and day. This sometimes interfered with his training, and royally pissed off Kai.

There were also those mad desires. The desires to touch her, feel her. It took all of Ray's self control not to race into her arms and hold whenever he saw Mariah. He might have, too, had it not have been for the publicity.

As more tournaments rose, so did the rivalry between the Bladebreakers and the White Tigers. It was already enough stress for the two teams that there were about four hundred rumors going around in Beyblade magazines about Ray and Mariah.

Ray sighed again. To clarify those rumors, he just couldn't do that to his old team, let alone his current one!

Kai wasn't the only one beginning to suspect something, Lee was, too. And unlike Kai, he wasn't likely to keep his mouth shut to the teams about it.

Ray sighed for the final time and got up from his bed. He slipped on a shirt and went into the kitchen to get a snack.

Meanwhile, two floors below him, Mariah was sitting in the White Tigers' kitchen, munching on a piece of toast and deep in thought. Suddenly, Kevin plopped down beside her.

"Whatcha thinkin' bout?" he asked, and Mariah jumped. Kevin raised his eyebrows and suddenly saw the locket around Mariah's neck. Quick as ever, he was out of his seat and behind Mariah, looking at it.

"This is new" he said, pulling it from her neck. Mariah gasped, "Give that back!".

"I wonder who's in it" Kevin said, and began to open it. "Don't you dare!" Mariah cried, and tackled Kevin.

Kevin squirmed as Mariah tried to get at the locket, and wriggled out from under her. He quickly took three steps away and opened it. Inside was a picture of Ray.

"Ooooh" Kevin cried with glee, happy to have some good dirt. "Mariah likes Ray! Mariah likes Ray!"

Mariah chased Kevin madly around the suite, shrieking, "Give that back you filthy little thief!"

Suddenly, Kevin took a sharp turn and began to run down the hallway where the bedrooms were. He turned around to stick out his tongue, and ran smack into Lee.

Both Kevin and the locket went skidding across the floor, and Mariah bent down to pick it up.

Lee looked over at the end table's clock, which read 10:48 PM.

"It's pretty late" Lee said, "You two should get to bed. After all, we have training tomorrow". Mariah nodded and began to walk up to her room, while Kevin got up, grumbling and rubbing the back of his head, and took off for the room he shared with Gary.

"Oh, and Mariah" Lee called after her, and Mariah turned around to look at him. "That locket looks nice on you"

Mariah's eyes lit up and she flashed her brother a grateful smile as she went back to her room, making sure to put the locket in a safe place.

Author's Notes: Well, not bad for a first chapter, if I do say so myself. Considering this is the first Beyblade fic I've ever written, I think I like it. Now, I want 4 reviews if you guys want me to upload my next chapter, which is already written (and so are the six chapters after that, I just have to type them all up). Anyways, until next time!