Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis. WOOSH.
Well that's pretty much it, enjoy.
Here's a song you can listen to while you read: "Bring Me To Life"
/watch?v=FiOKWwxVH2M&feature=BFa&list=FLxFVCTewHnskYnGQjTiDRTA
(add the youtube . com part)
I've never needed to feel pressure.
Or work hard.
It's just a game.
It's as simple like that.
I have everything.
So why do I feel like I have nothing?
~ Atobe Keigo
There's always a reason.
~x~
"Get away from me." An Tachibana's heart skipped a beat. Not near the courts of Fudomine, and isolated behind the back door of the school, An was trapped. The sun was still up, and it would be perfect hanging out with her non-existent friends if she wasn't here.
"Why? Don't you wanna come play with us?" The larger of the two boys spoke up.
"I refuse." An stared emotionlessly. Back against the wall, hoping she would fall through any moment. This feels like a scene from the movies, where the soon-to-be prince saves the princess...
"No need to get so serious." The same boy walked up so that their bodies almost touched. As he breathed on her, and their height differences started to stand out. Well, I won't be saved...
"C'mon, we should get going. That's Tachibana's sister." The other boy motioned his friend to leave.
"Tachibana? Who gives a shit? She walked by me without greeting me." The boy looked back down. An stared in disbelief. Ah, What the hell. She ran as fast as she could on the road leading towards the courts. She felt a strong need to get her brother, to clasp onto his sweaty uniform and to stay there forever. To get revenge against the bastards who bothered her.
But she didn't.
She split off into the school and raced down the halls, bag slung over her shoulder. The boy—most likely abandoned by the other, followed her, catching up every minute. Hot on her heels, he almost got a hold on her hair, when she skidded into a wall, and crawled into the girl's bathroom. Luckily for her, there were two or three girls there to keep the coward outside from coming in. They silently ignored her, but An didn't need another problem.
Holy shit.
She noticed the blood trickling down from her knees to her ankles and staining her socks. Looking around, she spotted a towel dispenser. No kidding; she was in a bathroom.
Furiously pulling out sheets of paper, she drenched them in water and wiped her legs down. The other girls had already left, either because they were done, or she had disrupted their secret meeting. She went through her bag. Pulling out a bandage, she stuck it on sloppily. She pulled off her socks and threw them out. At least there isn't any blood on my sneakers, she thought as she stuck her bare feet into her shoes.
Feeling quite satisfied with herself, she touched her band-aid one last time. Gathering her stuff, she peeked out the door and noticed that the halls were clearly deserted.
I would have made it to the courts in time. I could've been saved from these scrapes. I could get farther lost in my brother's shadow and continue to play a game that I would never win.
She angrily dismissed the thought from her mind. The last thing she needed was regret on top of hate, anger, and homework.
Let's change the topic, An. You ran into a bathroom. Two or three girls having a secret meeting... They could be spies... or detectives... maybe they were detective spies... or spy detectives...?
She finally exited the building when the sun was going down. Rounding the corner, she shuffled to the courts where the regulars were packing up and getting ready to leave. The team made their way towards An.
"An-chan! Where've you been?" Kamio walked up to her, and soon his eyes trailed to the band-aids on her knees.
"Just sight-seeing. Oh, and this," She motioned down at her knees, "...is just the result of fighting aliens in black tuxedos aka walking into a wall."
"Very convincing... Walls..." Ibu trailed off muttering on.
"What happened, An? Where are your friends?" Tachibana came to the front of the group.
"I just tripped. My friends..." An trailed off, as the group caught on and remembered what happened the last year.
"Well, don't worry! We're here for you." Kamio brightened.
"Ah, about that," An stiffened and faced the team with intensity building up in her eyes.
"I want to transfer to Hyoutei."
~x~
"You wanna what?" Kamio shouted.
"I know you heard me, so let's get over the formalities and move on. This has already been taken care of, and I'm transferring next week. I'm leaving the tennis team here, and starting again in Hyoutei. I made this decision because I need to start fresh. To escape what happened last year and to do things on my own, without you're help, brother." An stood her ground waiting for a response.
"If that's what you want." Tachibana gave her one short glance and left the scene, with the team following close. Although it was a short glance, the look in his eyes was terrifying. She could feel the torturous, cold look in his eyes. He was hurt.
This was a decision I made on my own. I should be proud. Happy. I could start over. So why do I feel so regretful? This wasn't an "It's nothing." moment, because it was never nothing.
There's always a reason.
~x~
Feeling hated and regretful, she was being ignored by everyone in the team. Even Ibu wouldn't mutter a word to her, which seemed almost impossible unless there was something going on. The week went by torturously slow and left her with a bitter feeling. Hyoutei was an obvious choice to her, considering the huge population of students. The only other places that she could go to were Rikkaidai and Seigaku. No way.
An shook her head hoping to shake off any sadness she was feeling. Move on. Man up. She grabbed her tennis bag and ran to an empty court far away from the school behind an abandoned building. It was at least 10:00 at night. It was dark. Lonely. For hours and hours she started hitting to no one. Eventually, she slowed down her pace. Nothing was in her control, not even the ball. Soon, she ran out of tennis balls and begun to pick them up for the millionth time. She accidentally kicked a ball into the grass field next to the court, out of frustration. Running to chase it, she ran into the grass where the ball came to a halt. She reached for the ball, and then stood looking at it for a while. Oh yeah, tomorrow I'm transferring. I don't want to go home. She lay down next to her abandoned tennis ball, and sank into despair. What a depressing week.
The gray clouds filled the sky with a damp feeling. The smell was thick and the air felt heavy. Just breathing was an inconvenience. However, it wasn't the air that made everything difficult, and she knew it.
Why is it that all I can see is black and white?
Suddenly, she felt herself hoping for rain. A thick storm that would wash away all her problems, and her memories. Just to forget.
It didn't rain that day.
~x~
There's too much... too much of it... too much emptiness...
I woke up quickly and fiercely as the bell sounded. Class was over. It went by so fast.
Yesterday, I ran back home to shower and such. Quickly, I ran out and slept in that abandoned building with the court, bringing everything I could. I couldn't take the pain of staying in that house. Even if it meant severe loneliness.
At that time I didn't realize how convenient it was, having a bed and food and such. Why would that have been there ahead of time? But if I hadn't come here, I would've regretted it.
"Tachibana-san. I let you go this time, because you're a new student here. But please refrain from sleeping in class. I don't know what vile things you may have done in Fudomine Middle School, but this is Hyoutei." I could've sworn she said Fudomine with some disgust in her voice. The stark thin and short lady named Ms. Yoshida was my english teacher.
"Yes, I understand. I'm very sorry." I quickly bowed and exited the room. I broke into a half-skip and half-run. Looking down at the slip of paper in my hand I smiled. It's been so long since I could smile, but I did. It read:
Hyotei Girls Tennis Team. Open for try-outs any time.
~x~
With her tennis bag slung over my shoulder she raced through the halls, ignoring the crazed looks of the people around her. An was about to enter the only place for her. Where she could start over.
Finally, she got outside the building, where she noticed the boys tennis team practicing. Examining the slip, there had been no location on it. There was no way she was asking the boy team where to find the girl team. It just seemed so wrong.
Wandering absentmindedly, An started to get annoyed. She had planned to get to the team early, so no one would be there to stare at a new girl who wanted to try out in the middle of the year. But coming on time had to suffice.
Without realizing it, An walked face-first into a fence. Rubbing her face in pain, she tried to pull her bag away. Unfortunately, the bag was hooked onto a part of the fence that was sticking out. Ah, shit.
She pulled frantically, and at the same time, tried to look cool when people walked by. She sighed and attempted to bite it. Before she could, a hand reached next to her head and gently unhooked the bag.
"Oh, finally! Thank you ver-" An looked at the familiar face and frowned.
"Speechless, An-chan? That's not like you at all." Atobe smirked. He was in his tennis regular jersey and was holding his tennis racket. When An stayed quiet he continued.
"Well, you'll have to tell me all about transferring later." Atobe moved his face closer to her. After annoying her enough, he walked passed her and waved.
"The girl's courts are to your left." Atobe finished as he went to join his team members in practice.
"Ugh... God help me..." An muttered as she went to the left. I guess the boys start practice early then.
"Line up!" A girl with long red hair and blonde highlights stood in front of the crowd of kids in her tennis regular jersey. She seemed like an over-sized Barbie doll.
"I see we have a newcomer here, Tachibana An, was it?" The girl read off the slip.
"Yes, buchou. It's nice to meet you." An bowed.
"I see, well no need for the formalities. Please take your racket and go with our vice-captain over here and she'll give you the ranking test. By the way, my name is Eri Mukahi." She shook An's hand.
"Okay, thank you... Wait? Mukahi? As in Gakuto Mukahi's sister?" An's eyes widened.
"Yes, yes. Don't compare me to my older brother though. You'll see how different we are. Okay! Get in line and start forehand strokes!" Eri went on directing the team. An went to follow her vice captain.
Boy, she wish she didn't.
"Hi. I'm Naoki. Pretty, huh? So call me that instead of fukubuchou," She grinned. Naoki had pure blue short hair.
"By the way, I saw you sleeping in class. Now I like you. Let's be friends. Not friends, but FWENDS." Naoki smiled.
"Uh... okay. Umm... where are we going to take the ranking test?" An felt like the answer wouldn't be good.
"To the boys court, of course."
~x~
Soooooooo, how was it? I felt like this chapter was all emo and stuff. But it ended a little better. If I copied anyone or anything, let me know! As far as I know, there aren't any stories with An transferring to Hyoutei. -_- but you never know...
Please review, favorite, follow, comment, add, hit-with-a-frying-pan and stuff.