Mr. Tachikawa walked around the back of their trailer and looked to the side where their tent stood, "Mimi, sweetie, I'm ordering dinner ahead for the hotel, would you like anything in particular?" As a response, Mimi threw her duffel down onto the table and followed with a grunt. "Pasta it is then," he turned around to see Matthew putting down a couple of equipment inside, he asked if Mimi was still upset.

"Well, of course she is, that's how all riders are when they first lose," Calica stepped out from the back of the garage and leaned against the side wall. Both men turned to look at her, Calica quickly unfolded her arms. "I-I mean, technically that was her riding out there, and, the girl is probably just disappointed on how it went."

His brows knitted together, Mr. Tachikawa turned his head, "Truth be told, I'm pretty disappointed, too, Miss Wesley. And here I thought I was hiring a professional."

Bursting with a small, nervous laugh, Calica shrugged and apologized, "Even pros have their bad runs, ah'll try not to let it happen again, sir."

"Yes, I suppose I just find it strange that Mimi is the one who's so upset."

Once again his thoughts wandered onto Calica, who grinned timidly and pointed over to Mimi's direction, "Why don't ah talk to Mimi? See if everything's alright," and she marched off in a hurry, slowing to a stop when she saw Mimi sitting glumly on the tabletop. She went and sat by Mimi, who turned away and caused a small smile to appear across Calica's face, and she leaned back on her palms and sat in silence with her.

"I don't," Mimi's crackling voice made Calica's head turn her way, "I don't understand what happened out there."

Calica smiled in a matter-of-factly manner, "You got cocky and lost your focus, that's what happened," a small hint of astonishment and pride flashed in Mimi's eyes but Mimi merely murmured how Calica doesn't have a clue what she was saying before she grunted and walked away. "Hey, it was nothin' personal, sugar! Aw, Mimi, come back!"

Mimi began to march faster when she heard Calica calling and decided to head for the bathroom. She felt it was easier to walk around now and with no supervision since everyone there was packing up or has already left to beat traffic back to their hotels, but whenever Mimi decided to look up she would she some of the riders giving her looks, looks of disapproval and laughter is what it seemed to Mimi. Quickly shutting the bathroom door, Mimi was suddenly disgusted by the unpleasant scene she turned to.

"Ugh, this isn't a bathroom—it's a sty!" she exclaimed, pinching her nose and peeking into the stalls. Mimi whimpered some, inching towards the mirror which was, surprisingly, smeared with just a few mud stains. But when she caught her reflection an even more serious frown came onto her face, she gathered her hair all into one hand and turned on the faucet to wash her face, feeling the day's heat drip down her chin.

Cocky…I was not being cocky! Mimi tried protesting to the mirror. I was just, trying to win the trophy for…arrgh, why am I getting so frustrated? She violently shook her head, turning and on impulse kicking over the trash bin, the metal making a scratching sound as it rolled back and forth on the floor.

-----

"Smile for the camera!" Sora exclaimed. Yamato, Hikari, and Jyou quickly leaned in together as the camera flashed. "Jyou Kido, you never stay arguing on the phone like that when someone is taking a picture!" She scolded and shook her finger.

Jyou flipped it closed and pointed it back at her, "I only do that when I am trying to schedule a private suite for all of you!"

"Oh, well then, I insist," Sora smiled from ear to ear when their truck pulled up from their side view and out came Taichi asking if they were ready to go. Sora waved, "Yes, we're all finished."

Hikari quickly laid a hand on Sora's arm, "No, please, we can't leave yet! Can't we just stay for another hour? I wanted to find Mimi and talk to her; I never got the chance to speak with her all day."

"Mimi?" Taichi crossed his arms and they all heard a soft grunt from Sora.

Yamato went and put an arm around her shoulder, "Takenouchi-san, don't tell me you're still upset with her!" Sora shrugged and turned her head to look at her hands.

"Well, hopefully she didn't let that one race discourage her from continuing, she is actually pretty good."

"Oh, I thought you hated her, Taichi?" Hikari asked in response to her brother's remark, every head turned to look at him. Grinning timidly, Taichi shot a glance at Yamato who was looking at him with an expressionless face, Taichi just shrugged as an excuse. To his relief, Jyou began ushering them all into the vehicle; Yamato resisted and said he would be staying for another few hours.

Jyou arched a brow, "Are you sure? It's getting dark and the runs are going to be hard to make out."

Yamato shrugged and strapped on his gloves, "I can deal, and I've been riding during nights before so there's nothing to worry about."

"What about a ride home?"

"I have it all set up, there will still be a few guys around here after I'm done, I've asked and they said they could take me back."

"And do I know these boys? I thought you said you weren't feeling so good earlier," Jyou prodded, Yamato laughed.

"What? You're starting to sound like my mother, Jyou," he said and smiled. "Go, don't worry about me, I'm just fine," Jyou gave him one final cutting look of suspicion before waving and getting into the vehicle with the rest of the gang. Yamato smiled and waved as they drove off before he turned to hop onto his bike.

Yamato laid his hand on a handlebar and quickly slid off when his skin came in contact with oil, "Shoot, where did all this stuff come from?" Moving his bike to a safe place, he hurriedly rushed into the nearest bathroom where he took off his glove and washed his hand on the water fountain. His attention was suddenly stirred over to the girl's bathroom where he heard a banging noise and someone's groaning, the door opened and Yamato's eyes widened when he saw a brunette walking out. Muttering some things to her, Yamato smiled and watched as she ran her fingers from her scalp down and sighing. She was beautiful.

"Excuse me, miss?" he reached his hand out. The girl, obviously surprised that he was there, turned with a slight gasp. "I'm sorry, are you alright?"

She blinked and inched back, "Yes, I'm fine, Mr. Ishida." It's really him; I can't believe I'm face to face with The Yamato Ishida.

Yamato chuckled some, "Please, none of that 'Mister' stuff, just Yamato. And you are?"

"I…don't you recognize me?" Mimi asked.

Nodding, Yamato observed, "Well, I would say you are Mimi Tachikawa but then again, I saw two of you running around today…" with this he heard saw a sudden shock appear in Mimi's face, she opened her mouth to speak, slightly shaking her head and saying she doesn't know what he was talking about.

"You must be mistaken," she said with sudden coolness. "I think the heat must've been playing with you."

Yamato shook his head and had a lopsided smile, "Oh, no, I think I was seeing just fine, Mimi…or are you that decoy they hired for her? And don't bother denying it, I've seen you both and I know I'm not wrong."

Looking at him cross his arms, Mimi hesitated and tried to search for a believable answer she could feed him, but to her dismay could not come up with one. I guess it would not hurt to tell him the truth, Mimi thought biting her lip and sighed, "You are right…I'm…Wesley," she whispered, looking up and smiling as she reached out her hand. "Calica Wesley."

"The Calica Wesley? Wow," he exclaimed and looked very impressed. "I didn't know that you were back already from your meet in Europe."

"Er, yeah, well, I dropped everything when I got the call from the Tachikawas," Mimi said.

Yamato nodded, slightly lifting his chin up, "Forgive me if I'm being so curious here, but, I would have never guessed that that was you riding considering how you, ah, how things turned out."

Dropping her head, Mimi muttered a reply, "Thanks for the reminder…" Yamato offered an apology but she shook her head. "Hey, we all have our bad days, right?"

"Right," Yamato smiled and looked around. "Listen, I have a bit of a proposal for you, Calica…I'm just going to go run laps for a couple of hours, and maybe I can show you some pointers? To help you with your races."

Mimi beamed, "You want to teach me?"

He shrugged, refastening his gloves, "I know you're a professional but, I just thought, it could benefit you if you are willing—"

"Of course! I-I mean, yes, I'd love it if you would teach me!" Mimi practically grabbed his collar in excitement. Surely taken aback, Yamato gestured towards the track's direction.

"Well then, grab your bike and meet me out there…Calica," he smiled his charmingly slanted smile and walked away. Watching him walk away, Mimi bit her bottom lip to keep her from grinning ear to ear, with Yamato Ishida teaching me I'll be a better racer in no time! She ran back as fast as she can back to where everyone was, relieved to find Calica inside the garage, tuning Mimi's bike. Calica was taken by surprise when Mimi jumped onto the truck and reached to pull the door down.

"What on earth are you doin' now?" she asked.

Mimi gestured for Calica to whisper, still unable to keep her giggle down, "I'm going to need to switch with you again, Calica, and please don't tell Otou-san."

Calica stood up, putting her hands up and shaking her head, "And have a replay of what happened out there? Oh no, you're barkin' up the wrong tree, sugar, what if your daddy actually finds out? I'll not only be fired but be cut from any foreign competitions!" Mimi waved her hands for Calica to calm down.

"No, no, that's not going to happen, trust me!" she said. "Yamato Ishida…he has offered to give me lessons so that I would be able to ride better, maybe even as good as you so papa would not have anything to be suspicious about. Calica, please, Calica!" she grabbed Calica's hands into hers and pleaded.

Looking into her puppy-dog eyes, Calica could not help but laugh, "Oh, dear, you're not gonna stop all this until you get what you want, aren't you?" Mimi nodded vigorously. "Alright, I guess ah'll be givin' in, but I ain't taking the blame for none'a this, you know," she shook her finger as she tossed Mimi a helmet.

-----

"I was beginning to think your boss was overprotected with you, too."

"Very funny. Pa—Mr. Tachikawa isn't that overprotective of his daughter," Mimi replied to Yamato's joke while she parked her bike beside his.

Yamato snatched his water bottle and leaned in, "You should really do a thorough sweep on your bike before you take it out, you've got enough dirt clods by your brakes that your back wheel's going to start messing with you."

"Heh, thanks, I'll remember that," Yamato shrugged and offered his water to Mimi, with a hesitant hand she accepted and took a sip. When she was preparing to hand it back Yamato was just in the middle of fixing his gloves on, Mimi observed those sweaty blonde strands of his grazing above his eyes and how he clenched his fists after putting on the leather gloves.

"Are you ready?" he asked and threw on this shiny black helmet, only opening the lens to smile at her.

Mimi felt her cheeks growing warmer, "Hhngh?"

Yamato took on a curious glance then chuckled a bit, "You're a little stranger than I had imagined you to be, Calica," pausing for a second, Mimi smiled deviously before squirting Yamato with water and throwing the bottle at him. He gave a bit of a yelp while she quickly sped off into the dirt tracks and leaving him in the dust, Yamato merely shook his head and pushed off to follow.

-----

From the spectators it only looked like the rider getting the big air on the winning jump was throwing their arms up in victory, but inwardly Mimi was practically shrieking in triumph. Mr. Tachikawa, Calica, and even the members of Cerulean Passion had to join in giving her credit for her second win that week, and they applauded for when Taichi had his winning jump for third.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Mimi clenched her fist and gave Calica thumbs up as she and the rest of Mimi's friends and fans gathered to pat her back; ecstatic could not begin to fathom how Mimi felt landing that jump.

"Ya'll keep this up and you might be runnin' me outta the job," Calica remarked and followed it with a huge smile, helping lead Mimi's bike through the crowds, Francis and Matthew finishing the tail.

Out of breath and giddy, Mimi couldn't help but smile in return when her party crossed the party of Cerulean Passion. The moment Hikari saw Mimi she ran ahead of the group and gave her a huge congratulating hug and the two began in their giggling conversation. From a distance, Sora laid a hand on her hip and watched Mimi.

"I'm surprised."

"—you mean impressed?" Taichi pointed out.

Sora scowled, "No, I'm surprised that she has managed to get such high places in the past two races."

Taichi shrugged, "Well, I'm impressed at how close she can get to me out there. She has yet to get first place though, but she's doing good. Ano, Yamato."

Both of them watched wordlessly when Yamato decided to walk towards Kari and Mimi's direction. Sora scrunched her face tetchily, seeing him shake Mimi's hand while the other patted her shoulder, and it certainly didn't make her any happier when the Tachikawa girl smile widely at something Yamato was saying to her.

"What do you think he's saying to her?" Sora looked over at Taichi who now had his arms crossed, wearing an unusually jealous face.

"Don't tell me you like her!" she demanded at Taichi.

He seemed surprised by her accusation, "I do not like—um, I mean that's not it—" his sentence was cut short when Yamato and Kari began heading back towards them.

"Well?" Sora said as they began walking.

"I invited her to come out with us tonight."

Shocked by his answer, Sora threw up her arms, "What? Why?"

"Taichi," Hikari cut in and tugged at her brother's arm. "Is it alright if I go with Mimi, just until tonight?"

Taichi waved his arm, "Okay, alright. Just keep your phone near you," Hikari jumped, gave him a hug and ran back the other way. Then Taichi turned to Yamato just as Sora asked him the same questions again.

"What's going on between you and Mimi Tachikawa, huh, Yamato?"

"Wait," Looking around, Yamato stopped and ushered them to a small cluster of trees, "I have something to tell you guys about Mimi Tachikawa…"

-----

Sorry for the sloppy finish!