Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Prince of Tennis' nor any of it's characters. Nor do I own Starbursts-...you'll see what I mean.
"Hey! Watch it!"I yelled angrily, being pushed to the side with a-hell-of-a-lot-of-force. Worst of all, HE was pushing me.
"You're not a threat, just some silly little girl," Momo smirked, which caused me to fume even more. We argued like this since I came from America and joined the boy's tennis team, Seigaku. That's right. I said Boy's. I'm a girl. How can a girl be on a boy's team? Easy. I'm good. Really good. So good I beat Inui Sadaharu and Momoshiro Takeshi themselves in the ranking tournament. Ha! Perfect timing to remember I defeated Momo.
"Just a girl? I know that this girl beat you in tennis, taking what would have been your spot had Echizen not left." I smirked, watching his smug face turn pink in embarrassment. It's true that had Ryoma not left for America, Momo wouldn't be a regular. Momo's pink, embarassed face turned red with anger.
"W-Well, you're a girl so I went easy on you. I could have easily beaten you if I wanted." Momo said cockily. A memory of him entered my mind, showing him covered in sweat and breathless after the ranking match.
"But you didn't." I replied smugly and continued my journey down the hallway toward my classroom. I usually got the last word in during our arguments. I needed to, or else I got all frustrated and couldn't concentrate on anything. But, it was easy to get the last word against him. My vocabulary skills outdid his. He was smart, but I applied myself in school a lot more then he did. It helps too, that way there's something else I outdo Momo in. I do it just to get him mad. It's this little 'game' we play. We act all high and mighty around each other and normal around other people. I guess you could say we were showing off.
Anyway, we've been rivals since I arrived here at Seishun Gakuen. We even argue more than Kaidoh-san and Momo did before I got here. It annoys the regulars greatly, especially Tezuka-buchou. We annoyed him so much he gave us a hundred laps once. No joke.
I turned around to see how Momo took my 'victory'. Stunned, Angered, Stuttering. Yup, the usual reaction from Momo. I flashed him a cocky grin, which made him fume more, but then his face changed slightly. He seemed to have gotten an idea? I made myself laugh. What was Momo thinking of trying to do? Okay, I give him little credit. He does have some pretty good ideas that have helped me with my playing style and he has gotten the regulars out of a few tight spots.
Anyway, Momo turned around, fists clenched, and stalked off the opposite way I was heading. I must say I was kind of surprised. I never saw him walk away without trying to say something. He kept walking down the hall. I stared after him, and started taking in his physical features. His spiky hair, broad shoulders, his waist, and below that...
Oh god. No. No. No. No. No. That never happened. Never. Never Ever Ever. I was not just 'checking him out', (I told myself that anyway).
With my face slighty pink, I turned around to face the way I was walking originally, only to collide with a door. The impact of my head hitting the door caused me to unbalance and fall to the ground, landing on my back. Ow.
"Nya! Rei-chan! Watch where you're going!" A heard a voice call out. It made the corners of my mouth twitch upward. I felt two hands grab each of my shoulders and hoist me up right. Then, I was enveloped in a bone crushing hug. "I don't want you to get hurt!"
Yeah, typical thing for Eiji-chan to do, right? Eiji-chan's been my best friend on the tennis team since I got here, and by now I thought I was used to those lung collapsing hugs. Wrong. I gasped at the tightness of Eiji-chan's hug and he immediately released. "Gomen..." He said, rubbing the back of his head with a smile. I swear, he's the most adorable thing ever. I almost felt bad for scolding him the next minute. Almost.
"Eiji-chan, I told you to warn me before doing that." I said, trying to keep a stern face and hold back the smile that was forming at my lips. He pouted slightly and looked at the ground.
"But, that's not fun then Rei-chan." He looked sad, so I had to give in and hug him. I pulled away and walked toward my classroom once more.
"See you at practice, Eiji-chan!" I called with a slight wave of my hand. He nodded with a smile and walked off to his own class. I entered the room, class 8. There had been some arrangements of students to make room for me. Kaidoh-san was added to class 8 during the changes. Momo wasn't the happiest person when he found out. Insert girly giggle here.
I walked over to my desk and sat down, arranging my pencils and notebooks in a neat row. I sighed and looked out the window overlooking the courts. Oh! Introductions. Right.
I'm Mizuki Rei. 2nd year, Class 8. I love music and tennis. I really don't care for girly attire (Skirts, dresses, heels etc. etc.), and I love playing the Violin. I like to read. A lot. I come off as geeky until you talk to me. I excel in a lot of things, except for most sports. Tennis I have worked really hard to get good at. I'm not really as good as I come off to be. The only reason I won the regular spot was because I had on my lucky bracelet during the ranking tournament. I wear it everyday now for luck. That's pretty much it. Oh! My only 'rival' is Momo. Who, no matter how hard I try to deny it, just so happens to be my crush. I think Fuji-senpai is starting to notice. He keeps saying things like, "Emotions are often found in the eyes." Fuji-senpai can creep me out sometimes. He's a bit of a sadist.
I saw someone walk in the room and I turned my head to see who. Kaidoh-san.
I greeted him with a smile and he replied with a hiss. I reached inside my school bag and pulled out some warm, melting Starbursts, and waved them in Kaidoh-san's face as he sat down. His eyes widened in acknowledgement and he turned his head. Kaidoh-san sits next to me and everyday after lunch we take turns placing things in Momo's hair and pelting them at him when he least expects it. I swear, it's hilarious to see Momo's reaction when he runs his hand over his hair and finds he can't separate the spiky strands, due to sticky candy gluing everything together. Throwing the candy at his backside seems to annoy him most. He once yelled out during class after getting hit. He looked furious. It was great! He got himself detention after failing to state his problem and not being able to catch me throwing objects at him. I enjoy it a lot, tormenting Momo. I think Kaidoh-san does too. I sometimes catch Kaidoh smirking at the sight of Momo's hair and how Momo clenches his fists when he gets hit with something. We're a good team, Kaidoh-san and I.
I turn my attention to the door, waiting for Momo to come in. I stuffed the Starbursts behind my back and watched countless people return to the classroom from lunch.
Not him.
Or him.
Or her...
Where was Momo? I looked over at Kaidoh, who didn't seem to notice or care that in 30 seconds if Momo didn't arrive, he'd be late. He was usually on time to class. Reminding myself of that, I sat back and relaxed. He wouldn't miss class, not purposely. I placed both hands behind my head and leaned back. He'd show up soon.
But, he didn't. He was missing the next period, too. In fact, he was missing the rest of the day. I really didn't know what was wrong with him, missing class. Maybe he felt sick...? No, he'd try to tough it out.
Men.
I knew I'd see him at practice and then I'd ask him. He definitely wouldn't miss practice. The bell rang and I gathered all my belongings. I stuffed them in my school bag and gave a nod to Kaidoh-san in which he returned. I rushed out of the classroom and toward the girl's changing rooms. I entered the changing room and switched outfits at top speed, storing everything in my locker except my racket. I exited the changing room and walked out to the courts where the team was assembled. Everyone was there.
Except Momo.
"Where's Momo?" I asked nonchalantly. I was freaking out inside. The team looked around, then realizing that Momo wasn't there.
"He wasn't in the locker room either, Nya!" Eiji said, finishing tying his shoelaces. Everyone nodded in agreement.
"So, no one knows where he is?" I asked, glancing at each of their faces. I remember seeing a streak of blue in one of the faces. Eek, Fuji-senpai.
Fuji-senpai grinned widely and shook his head.
"Maybe we should look for him." Fuji suggested in a sickeningly sweet voice. He was planning something, I just knew it. I thought back to when I looked at him. Shit! I made eye contact with Fuji-senpai, he knew what I was feeling. He must read minds or something. Not like that wasn't creepy at all or anything.
"No." Tezuka-buchou said and looked at the team. "We only need one person to look, it's no use in having the whole team search. We need to practice." I saw Fuji-senpai nod.
"Saa, You're right, Tezuka. I think Rei-chan should search for him. They are rivals, so they know each other better than anyone else." Woah, wait. Why am I being volunteered? I saw everyone nod in agreement, excluding Tezuka-buchou and Kaidoh-san. I looked at the team's faces, watching their emotions. Oishi-senpai looked exceptionally worried. I felt a pair of eyes staring at me with intensity.
"Go." I heard Tezuka-buchou say to me, and I left. No use in fighting buchou. I trudged my way back to the changing room and grabbed my things. I didn't bother to change, I had a feeling it was going to be a long search. I placed my racket in my bag and I left the school, heading towards the burger joint I always saw Momo eating at. It took me 20 minutes to walk there. As you can see, I was taking my time. I knew Momo could take care of himself. He was a big guy and he had a lot of strength. I was aware of that.
I peered inside the window of the burger joint. Empty. So, I headed to the Street Tennis courts he's always at with An-chan. An's a personal friend of mine, and she says Momo and her are just friends, but she always cheers him up by playing tennis games there. That took another 20 minutes, even though I quickened my pace by jogging. Again, empty. I sighed. Those were really the only two places I had predicted he might be. Knowing I just might run into him out of luck, I ran around town, peering in every store window.
And for every window I saw that was missing a spiky haired big shot, I panicked more. I must have ran down every street twice in the neighborhood. No Momo. On the verge of crying, I decided to go to my favorite calming and thinking spot. The School Roof.
I walked slowly through the front doors of Seishun Gakuen, remembering that practice was still going on. If I ran into one of the regulars, they'd think I was skipping on my job. I wasn't. I just needed time to regain my composure, so I could think of the possible places he could be. Not at home. Not at school. Where? I continued sneaking down hall ways and made it to the staircase that lead to the school roof. I looked down the hallway, left and right, and made the short journey up the stairs. I came to a near halt as I stepped up off the staircase and felt around for the door knob. I found it off to my right, grasped the handle and turned it right. I stepped up to the door and pushed it forward. Only, it didn't swing forward as usual. It collided with something.
Thunk. Followed by a grunt and what sounded like feet stepping backwards. I slowly opened the door this time and revealed a red foreheaded Momo. I felt heat rising inside my chest and face. I had searched all over town for him, worried about him, nearly cried over him, and there he was. Standing in front of me. Looking like he had the last time I saw him. Minus the red forehead. I was glad the door hit his forehead. He deserved that and oh so much more.
"Momo...WHAT. THE. HELL." I growled, clenching my fists together. His right hand was rubbing his forehead, and he seemed...to enjoy the fact that I was angry with him. I stepped forward and a face of disgust. I slammed the door behind me, and pushed up the sleeves of my Seigaku jacket. He was going to get it. Sure, I was nearly a half-foot shorter than him, but I packed a powerful punch. And Momo was going to feel that punch and so much more. I raised up my arm and made a motion to slap him, but he jumped back and grabbed my hand. Then, he leaned down, and placed his head next to mine.
"Miss me?," I felt his breath tickle my ear and I fought the urge to shudder. I tried pulling my hand out of his grasp, but he wouldn't let go. Then it dawned on me.
He was planning it all along.
Angry at my stupidity, I tried yanking away from his grasp one more. Unsuccessful. He pulled his head away from mine and stood up to his normal height, smirking. I flushed at the sight of his face. It was sunset, and his face was brightened with gold, orange, and pink. I took in his almost angelic appearance and started to stare into his eyes- until I remembered I was furious with him.
"Momo. That's not cool! You had me worried sic-" As soon as I said that, he let go of my hand and grinned.
"So, you do like me?" He asked. How the heck did he get that I like him out of-
I'm gonna kill Fuji-senpai.
My face turned a lovely shade of maroon.
"Th-th..That's NOT TRUE! How could I ever like a jerk like YOU!?" I took my free arm and pushed Momo's chest, to get him away from me. This wasn't what I wanted to happen. I struggled for a minute until suddenly I was being pulled forward into Momo. I looked up at him with wide eyes as we collided.
And the next thing I knew, I was kissing him. Just like that. My anger melted away and something in my head clicked, sending off...fireworks. I made a motion to hold his hand and placed the other hand on his shoulder. He embraced me around my waist and we pressed our bodies against each other. It felt amazing, unreal, indescribable. It was unlike anything I ever imagined. It was, above everything, perfect.
We might have stayed there for minutes, hours, or days had Momo not pulled away.
"I think I win this argument." He whispered in my ear. I tilted my head up to look him in the eyes and kissed him once more. After all, he was right.
Gah, I'm so sappy. 333333
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