Chapter 1: We're Just Friends

A boy of age 16 was deep in thought as he came home from his race again Skylark. His black hair was smoothed down, except one little spot. Instead of sticking up though, it poofed down. Not saying a word when he walked through the door, he went straight to his room. He slammed it shut, not even paying attention to what he was doing. The boy, Takeshi Jin, was lying on his bed, a blank expression on his face. He just couldn't stop thinking, thinking about her...

"I'm sorry Takeshi, but it's over between us." he remembered her saying. The words kept echoing in his head, and he continued to fiddle with the gold and silver pieces, trying to get them apart. He sighed in aggrivation and threw the things on the ground. He turned to his side on his bed, and closed his eyes. He tried to sleep, but he couldn't. The words, it just wouldn't leave him alone.

"There's nothing you can do to change my mind." he remembered her saying. He growled under his breath, and turned on his other side. There was nothing he could do, and he only yelled in aggrivation. He picked up the two-piece, and started to fiddle with it once more. He stopped in mid-fiddle, and looked across the room to see his cell phone beeping. He decided to ignore it and continued to think about what else she had said to him.

"Obviously I'm not the one for you, but I know someone else needs you, and that you're a better match than me."

"Who Liz? We're just friends!" As the phone finally stopped it's ringing, he took his eyes away from it and back to the two piece. Unfortunately, the one who had called him was Fantine.

"That's right...we're just friends..." he said to himself as he continued to try and pry the two pieces apart.

"Hm...I should try and cheer up Takeshi. He's pretty down ever since today's race." a girl of age 17 said to herself. Her short, mahogany hair color was being blown by the wind, and her blue eyes stared into the distance. The girl, Liz Ricarro, gave a sigh and ruffled her hair with her hand. 'Gosh Takeshi...Why in the world do you have to be like this now? I thought you were back with us man.' she thought.

"Obviously I'm not the one for you, but I know someone else needs you, and that you're a better match than me."

"Who Liz? We're just friends!" she remembered that part of Takeshi and Fantine's sad conversation. 'Just friends...is that it?' Liz wondered and slapped herself across the cheek mentally. 'Get ahold of yourself Liz! You're not really saying you like him, are you?' she thought in disgust and lost her train of thought when she heard a meow from behind. Liz whirled around to see a girl of age 15 in her hospital uniform. Her nice light brown hair was longer then Liz's, and the cat below her continued to meow.

"Oh it's only you. Sorry did I take too long up here?" Liz asked sheepishly.

"No it's all right. I probably know what you're thinking about though." the girl, Amy Stapleton, replied, her voice as calm as ever. The cat trotted over to Liz and began to purr. Liz picked up the cat in her arms and began to scratch behind his ear.

"Oh really? Just try me." Liz said with a smile.

"Takeshi. It's sort of obvious isn't it?" the girl said with a giggle.

"Ha. You're too good Amy. Are you sure Luca didn't drag you up here and tell you that himself?" Liz asked and the two laughed. As they walked back down to the hospital room, they found Takeshi sitting on the chair.

"There you are. I decided to come visit. Didn't think you'd still be here Liz." Takeshi said casually.

"You got a problem with that Takeshi? Cause I came here way before you did." Liz shot back and Takeshi only laughed.

"Ha. No way, chill I was just saying." he replied as he waved his hands in front of him.

"Pssh." Liz responded and Amy laughed. Luca went over to Takeshi and curled up in his lap. 'Looks like Luca doesn't mind me being here.' Takeshi thought as he pet the cat lightly. He could feel Luca purr. As Amy was back in bed, Liz decided to stand and looked out the window. Everyone was silent, and Luca decided to sleep with Amy now. As he left Takeshi's lap and onto Amy's bed, Luca made a silent wail.

"So, I heard you won against Skylark. Congratulations." Amy said to break the silence.

"Yeah. We were great, even Andrei was great!" Liz said with a smile. There was no reply from Takeshi. Amy couldn't help but wonder what had happened that made him so...quiet. Of course Liz was the one to talk, and Takeshi would join in sooner or later. But now, with Takeshi so quiet all of a sudden, what happened? Then again...

"Hm? What was that, Amy?" Takeshi asked. As he took his gaze away from the floor he remembered Amy had said something. 'Idiot. You should be paying attention.' Liz thought to herself with a chuckle.

"I just said that you won against Skylark. Congrats." Amy repeated herself and Takeshi didn't smile. His only reply was, "Yeah." As the silence began to continue, Liz couldn't stand it. 'Say something nice. Something around the lines, 'Takeshi, cheer up man. You're making everyone around you sad and we don't want you to be that way'.' she thought.

"You're not still moping because of Fantine now are you?" she was brave enough to ask. 'NO! That wasn't what I wanted to say!' she thought. 'It wasn't even around the lines of what you wanted to say. Way to go.' her inner self chirped bitterly.

"Excuse me?" Takeshi replied coldly.

"You heard me. You shouldn't be moping like this Takeshi it's bad for you! Especially when you're our team leader! I thought that you had said you were back in the game with us!" Liz shot back.

"I can mope if I want to! Apparently you don't know what it's like to be dumped by someone you care about!" Takeshi roared back. Liz was silent by that and Takeshi only grumbled.

"Sorry..." he managed to say.

"I'm...sorry too. Look, okay so you're not Fantine's boyfriend anymore. That shouldn't make you like this man, you need to be okay for the next race." Liz said, trying to be nicer to Takeshi. She had to admit that was a little rude to say. I mean, she only dumped him a few hours ago.

"Easy for you to say. Don't worry about me I'll be okay for the next race so just drop it." he said.

"Takeshi is that why you're quiet?" Amy asked.

"Since when did it become your business?" he snapped and Amy was taken aback.

"Hey knock it off Takeshi! She was only asking I'm the one you should be mad at for bringing it up!" Liz said in Amy's defense.

"You know, you're right! I don't need to take this! I'm leaving. Bye Amy." he said and walked off.

"Well-...Fine!" Liz managed to call after him and then re-entered the room. Once more silence filled the room. Amy read her book silently, concern was written all over her face, but never once did she come to ask what was going on. Luca could feel the mood in the room, and shuffled around in the sheets uncomfortably. Liz only stared out the window. Her thoughts carried her away, and she ignored any other noise that she could hear.

'It looks like you're the one that's moping. You just made Takeshi feel bad, way to go!' a voice inside her head said.

"I am not moping. I don't have time to mope anyways. Besides, what do you know?" Liz shot back with a shrug.

'Are you sad?' her inner self asked.

"Sad? About what? What's there to be sad about?" Liz asked.

'Don't play dumb with me! That he only thinks of you as a friend, nothing more. He still loves Fantine you know.' her inner self replied, almost sounding challengingly.

"Nah. I wouldn't care if all the fangirls had a crush on him and he loved them back. Even though for Takeshi, that would totally weird and disturbing." Liz replied.

'Are you sure? You can't fool me. I'm you after all.' her inner self said.

"Hm...I don't need to hear this, especially from you, er, myself...whatever just shoo!" Liz said and gave a cold shoulder.

'Fine, fine. Be that way. Remind me again why I thought you couldn't get any more stubborn?' her inner self sighed and Liz was pulled back into reality, feeling something bump into her and fall to the floor. She turned around to see Amy who had been calling her name constantly.

"I'm sorry Amy, I was lost in thought." Liz said with a laugh as she gave the pillow back.

"Is something the matter Liz?" Amy asked.

"Sorta...Hey Amy," Liz said.

"What is it?" she asked as Luca's ears perked up.

"Why is it...that when you want to say something to someone that's so pure and kind, it doesn't come out the way you plan and you say is something even more hateful and stuff?" Liz asked. Luca only meowed a couple of times, and went back to sleep in satisfaction.

"Care to translate what your tabby had to say?" Liz laughed.

"I think Luca meant to say, was that, 'Don't worry Liz I'm sure someday you'll be able to tell Takeshi how you really feel'." Amy translated and laughed when Liz's face went pink.

"Wha-what? Why I oughtta! If Luca weren't asleep right now I'd chase him around this whole hospital building!"

Takeshi wandered around the park, finding a bench to sit on that had a working lamp post, that actually worked and didn't flicker. He looked up at the moon as he continued to walk around cluelessly. When he found somewhere to sit he happily plopped down and stretched.

"Stupid Liz. What does she know? If that talk back there was to cheer me up, she has a weird sense of that." Takeshi grumbled. 'I shouldn't be saying that about Liz, but sometimes she can get...argh!' he thought and closed his eyes. He tried to clear his mind, of Liz, Fantine, everything. Until finally he could picture himself on the track. He could feel the sensation, the thrill, everything that made him calm down. He took a deep breath, and heard a voice calling his voice. A very familiar voice in fact.

"Takeshi?" the voice asked again as he opened his eyes.

"...Fantine." he said quietly and she sat down next to him.

"Hello. I wasn't sure how you were taking it...and I see you aren't taking it very well...I'm sorry. I tried calling you on your cell but you wouldn't pick it so I thought, I'd go for a walk. Maybe I'd be able to run into you." she explained.

"It's okay. I don't mind. Actually, I'm okay now...really." he said to reassure her. 'What are you saying? You can't get over the fact that you still love her, and you want her in your arms again!' his inner self roared.

"Oh. That's good news. I'm very, happy for you." Fantine said with a smile and stood up.

"Well, I'd best be off. Goodbye, Takeshi." she said and ran off. He didn't give her a reply, and she didn't expect one back. Still, it saddened her that Takeshi wouldn't tell him his real feelings. Because, underneath it all, somewhere deep inside Fantine wanted Takeshi back as much as he wanted her. When she was out of sight, Takeshi wondered what to do. 'Well, guess the right thing would be to go home.' he thought to himself as he got up too. As he stumbled on his way home, he ran into Liz.

"Oh. Hey Liz. I thought you were still with Amy." Takeshi said slightly.

"I was, but then I decided to walk around a few minutes later. I hope that doesn't bother you." Liz replied with a smile.

"Course not. So um, wanna take a...walk?" he asked casually and Liz nodded quietly, she was in mid-blush when she snapped herself out of it. 'Don't even interfere in my thoughts that might make me totally embarrass myself!' she growled to her innerself who just gave a happy, innocent smile. The two walked down the path silently, without a word.

"Sorry about, Fantine and all Takeshi. I didn't mean to make you mad back there. I was trying to make you feel better, but the words of kindess became something else." Liz apologized.

"Ah, it was nothing don't worry. I'm okay now." he replied with a small smile.

"Yeah..." Liz replied and continued to be silent from there. When they reached Team Satomi's headquarters, she said goodbye to Takeshi.

"Later. See you tommorow at practice." he said to her and waved.

"Yeah. Better not screw up lover boy." Liz teased and Takeshi kept his cool. 'Back off Liz!' he thought to himself. 'Chill man.' his inner self said with a monotonous look.

"Yup I won't. You can count on me. See ya." he said and walked off. She smiled a little, and then went inside. She flopped on her bed, and wished that Luca were there, even though he gave her a suprise in the morning by yowling and sitting on her stomach. She frowned, and turned on her side.

'Stupid cat. Telling me how I feel about Takeshi. That dope. After all, we're just...friends.' she thought and went to sleep.

A/N: Hello again people :) my fourth story is of IGPX! (yes we already know that doofus: inner self) . . .anyways, i'm still a fledgling with fanfiction, and i hope my stories do make people like them. plz R&R! o yea, i don't own IGPX or any of it's characters, although i think it's a great show! thumbs up