Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. I only own my original characters.

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

A/N: I am basing this off how schooling is in America because it makes it easier for me to relate but I hope to still keep everything as in character as possible.

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'Deep breaths. Calm yourself. Don't pay them any mind. You've worked hard for this. Just breathe.'

Eyes snap open, and feet take off. She's flying through her routine just as she practiced. Step. Step. Dip. Spin. Rest, and leap. She feels the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Letting her eyes shut, she's airborne before landing soundlessly on the the balls of her feet.

The tempo of the music slows down, and she realizes she's almost at the end of her piece. Taking in a deep breath of air in time with the slow beats of the drums, she does one last spin before dropping down in a kneeling position. Slowly rising, she lets her eyes open and takes in her surroundings.

Dipping down into a bow, she feels rather than hears the roar of the audience. Tears of happiness streaming down her face, she lifts a hand up to the sky and-

*BEEP**BEEP**BEEP**BEEP*

Reaching over she knocked her phone off her nightstand, effectively shutting it up. Raising one arm over her face, she lay in bed a few more minutes before slowly rising and getting out. Still half asleep, she began getting herself ready for the day.

It was the start to a whole new chapter of her life. She, Naomi Tadeshi, could finally see her goals within her reach.

'Almost," She thought. She was almost there.

She opened her closet and pushed the clothes aside until she was left staring at a clear garment bag with a neatly pressed uniform hanging inside. She slowly dressed herself in the white dress shirt before tucking it into her forest green skirt. After tying her tie in an orderly knot, she grabbed her blazer and headed out her room and to the kitchen where the smell of freshly baked muffins awaited her.

"Good morning darling!" Her mother was positively beaming while holding out a glass of milk in one hand and a folder in the other. Black-blue hair tied in an elegant chignon at the base of her neck, her mother looked more fitted to be in an office building or behind a large desk rather than with a frilly pink apron on over a navy blue pencil skirt, flipping pancakes.

"Good morning mom. Are you heading to work soon?"

"Unfortunately Aiko-san needed help in the office earlier than usual so I was called in. I'm sorry sweetie, I know I told you I'd drop you off on your first day."

She waved her hand lazily, "It's okay mom, I get it. Besides I'm old enough to get to school without help from my mother remember." She ended with her sentence with a smile reserved just for her mother.

"Besides knowing you, you would probably embarrass me before I had a chance to do so myself hehe."

Her mother huffed in reply, but couldn't help the small smile from crossing her lips. "Alright you've been saved this time, but I'm still taking you out to dinner later tonight so you can fill me in on everything that happens today. Who knows, maybe you'll meet a cute guy!"

"MOTHER!"

"Kidding! Kidding! But really Naomi, would it kill you to show some interest in boys like other girls your age," Her mother said with a teasing smile, "I mean really, it's okay to take a break and let yourself have fun in the present sometimes."

"I know mother, but like I've said before, the time for fun will come right when I make sure everything is set for the future."

They had the same conversation almost everyday, neither side willing to give up. Growing up with only her mother to lean on, Naomi had realized the importance of hard work from a young age despite her mother's attempts to allow her a normal childhood.

Natsume Meiko was a young woman who was arranged to marry the son of a family friend, Tadeshi Naoko. Despite never properly going on a date, the two agreed to be married and their union was one of pure bliss and happiness as short as it may have been. A year into their marriage, the couple had a beautiful baby boy named after Meiko's beloved father who had passed away, Naohiro. They were elated, after all they had everything they ever wanted.

Two years passed and before they knew it another addition to the family was welcomed, Naomi. Their life was picturesque. Naoko ran his own business firm which was doing well and Meiko had just finished her degree and joined him in running the business, making it truly a family affair.

Never did they know that just eight years after Naomi was born, Naoko would be struck down by a drunk driver on his way home. The perfect family image was shattered in just a few short moments. Meiko had become a young widow, and Naohiro and Naomi fatherless children.

"Naomi. Naomi! NAOMI!"

Naomi jumped in her seat, before turning to her mother who was staring down at her with an indescribable look in her eye.

"Sorry! Did you say something mom?"

Meiko, who had unshed tears in her eyes, simply smiled while shaking her head slightly.

"I just thought about how proud your father would be if he saw how grown up you were now."

Naomi took in a sharp breath as butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the mention of the man she didn't remember but loved all the same. Feeling tears come to her eyes as well, she gave out a hoarse laugh.

"Mom stop teasing me! If I cry I'll ruin my mascara and you know that I can't be looking like a panda on my first day."

"Okay. Okay! Here, I'll clean up in the kitchen and put away the left overs while you go put your shoes on. We don't want to be late now do we?"

Naomi got up and went to the door to put her shoes on before straightening up and staring at her reflection in the mirror they had by the front door. She hadn't grown much after leaving middle school and now at seventeen she was still shy of 5'3. Her black-blue hair had grown however, and was now to her elbows with shorter strands framing her face and falling in front of her eyes. Her hazel eyes, which was all that she could see that she got from her father, could be appear to be blue or green depending on the lighting and environment. Over all she was a good looking girl, nothing too special, but certainly couldn't be called ugly either. If it weren't for her eyes, which were slightly unusual, she was just a typical Japanese girl.

Taking one final look in the mirror, she checked the time before yelling out a quick goodbye to her mom. "I'm leaving now mom! I'll see you tonight!"

"Have a good first day!" Her mother yelled back.

Her first day at Rikkai Dai Fuzoku Chūgakkō High School Division as a senior was bound to be interesting, after all she was probably the only one who didn't attend the Junior High Division or even the first few years of the High School Division. Nervous butterflies flitted around in her stomach. She kept praying internally not to run into any trouble and just last one year before she could finally reach her dreams.

Little did she know what exactly she was getting into by enrolling in RikkaiDai.

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A/N: I know it's short, but I haven't written anything since like middle school and I'm in Uni now. I just relapsed in my Prince of Tennis obsession and had to write this story down before I forgot. It'll definitely be focusing on my favorite POT characters (Yukimura, Fuji, Shiraishi, and Niou).
Hope you guys enjoy and please review!