Chapter 1
Walking down the long sunlit main corridor of Shishun Gakuen, Ryoma Echizen let out a heavy sigh. Today was turning out to be a long day. It was only 11 o'clock in the morning but Ryoma already felt like he was ready to go home, it just seemed like the minuets were stretching out just to taunt him.
"Hey Echizen! Wait up a second," came a shout from somewhere over Ryoma's right shoulder.
Halting mid step, and almost making several people behinds him walk straight into him, Ryoma turned and searched for the person that had called out for him. Scanning the hallway, Ryoma found his eyes land on none other than his best friend at Shishun Gakuen, Momoshiro. Smirking at the older student, who was currently trying to push his way through the throbbing river of uniform clad students, Ryoma shook his head slightly and crossed his arms across his chest.
As soon as Momo was within a normal talking distance Ryoma finally replied.
"Yes Momo-sempai?"
Stepping up to stand alongside Ryoma, Momo bumped his shoulder playfully and reached across to ruffle his hair.
"What is that smirk for?"
Turning away from Momo and started making his way towards his next class, Ryoma didn't answer his question; instead he just asked one of his own.
"Did you want something Momo?"
"Oh yeh," said Momo, speeding up a little so that he could walk alongside his younger friend, "Bouchu said that practice was going to be extended tonight. You left before he got a chance to tell you this morning."
"I had something to do," mumbled Ryoma vaguely, bobbling his head in acknowledgement of his team mates information as they reached to entrance to Ryoma's classroom.
As he turned to walk inside, Momo reached out and grabbed his should her to stop him.
"Are you ok? You seem to be a bit... not yourself lately."
Bowing his head briefly and a letting a small sad smile flicker across his face before turning and giving Momo a full blown smirk and walking inside his classroom and closing the door behind him.\
"Peachy"
*Two Weeks Ago*
"Game, Set and match," a strong voice boomed out over the loudspeaker, "Echizen wins 6-1"
On the left side of the clay tennis court, pale blue eyes peered, almost mockingly, out from beneath the slightly offset baseball cap.
"You still have lots more to work on."
"You little..." came an aggravated shoots from the blond haired opponent that was striding across the court with his tennis racket raised as if ready to strike.
"Player Hensley," called the referee, as she struggled to quickly climb down from his chair, intending on protecting the younger player, "restrain yourself or you will have to be removed from the grounds."
Turning his attention away from his former opponent to glare at the interfering ref, Hensley spat on the ground mumbling a quick 'whatever' as he turned and strode off the court.
Pulling the baseball cap down lower, Echizen gave a nod to the referee before following and made a beeline for the sinks.
"I won't let you get away with this, you little brat," came a hissing from somewhere over Echizen's shoulder.
Turning away from the fountain, Echizen smirked, "really, I thought I just did Willie,"
Letting rip a low animalistic growl, Hensley leant in close enough to Echizen's face to bump his forehead into the white cap he gave a small humourless laugh.
"You are going to regret the day that you even though about beating William Hensley the third, you better watch your back shortie."
Scoffing slightly at the threat, Echizen turned and started to walk back towards the rest of the tennis team.
'Twice upon a time in the valley of the tears,
An auctioneer is bidding for a box of fading years,'
The rain would not stop falling. It was not the fact that it was rain that bothered Echizen, rather it was the fact that it was a cold, heavy type of rain. The type that made the clouds block out all the light and left you with an ominous sense of foreboding. It was the kind of rain the Echizen normally enjoyed, but today it just seemed annoying.
'And the elephants are dancing on the graves of squealing mice,
Anyone for tennis, wouldn't that be nice,'
Turning off from the main street, Echizen noticed that the smaller lane was not as brightly lit as the one before. There were no lamp posts decorating the walkway and no hangover from the houses either side to block out some of the pouring rain. Shivering slightly, not just from being soaked to the bone, Echizen picked up the pace, wanting to get home before freezing to death.
'And the ice creams are all melting on the streets of bloody beer,
While the beggars stain the pavement with fluorescent Christmas cheer,'
Hearing the splash of other footsteps, Echizen moved over on the footpath, closer to the buildings, intent on letting those behind pass.
'And the Bentley-driving guru is putting up his price,
Anyone for tennis, wouldn't that be nice?'
Suddenly, hands came flying out of the darkness from behind and grabbed Echizen around the neck. Starting from surprise, Echiezen's hands flew to the arm that was now crushing her windpipe.
"I told you that you would regret the day that you beat William Hensley the third."
'And the prophets in the boutiques give out messages of hope,
With jingle bells and fairy tales and blind colliding scopes,'
Echizen was frozen. Whether it was because of the fear throughout Echizens body or the lack of oxygen could not be determined by Echizen's frazzled mind. The rain continued to pound down onto the small group that was now gathered in the darkened alleyway. Almost as if it was in slow motion, the right fist of William Hensley flew out and connected with Echizens nose.
'And you can tell they're all the same underneath the pretty lights,
Anyone for tennis, wouldn't that be nice?'
Immediately the blood started to pour hot, sticky, and wet from Echizen's nose as a resounding crack echoed through the ally.
"Didn't you mother ever tell you," gasped Echizen, losing the battle to stay conscious, "that you should never hit a girl."
'The yellow Buddhist monk is burning brightly at the zoo,
You can bring a bowl of rice and the a glass of water too,'
"If you acted like one," Hensley spat as he watched his gang continue to beat and kick the defenceless girl on the ground, "We would treat you like one."
Turning on his heal, he signalled his gang to leave. And with that William Hensley the third left Masaru Echizen, twin sister to Ryoma Echizen, on the streets of Paris to die.
'And fate is setting up the chessboard while death rolls out the dice,
Anyone for tennis, wouldn't that be nice.'
A.N.
Soooooo... what do you think? I know that it isn't that much different to the first two chapters of my first version but when I went to update Anyone For Tennis I had to go and re-read it to remember where I was going with it and I could barely stand to read my own writing so I re-did it. I will continue to re-do the rest of anyone for tennis and then I will continue the story here if you like it... if not I guess I will just continue on the other one... tell me what you think
(Oh and I lest the lyrics in because it was better with them in then when I took them out, besides it suits the story.)