*I do not own Prince of Tennis*
Prologue
When I was 6, my mom, Tsubaki, died in a car accident on her way to the hospital because father broke his big toe. Dad told me not to worry but I panicked and called mom to tell her about it. Even though it was such a little thing, mom was always worried over the smallest things, she was a very caring person. That was 5 months before, dad changed drastically in that time. Worst part, pretty much no one even realized it.
He cut off connections with the world almost. He hasn't seen anyone that would make him even be remotely reminded of his one and only love, which pretty much meant I hardly saw them either. We got calls from many family and friends after she died asking about a funeral of course we couldn't hold one considering father refused to believe she was dead. No one thought it was that serious. They all thought "He will get over it." or "It's just a broken heart that will have to mend". Other people didn't see how terrible he was becoming.
I was the only one, because I had to live in the same house. I saw ever night how he would come home drunk and talking to himself asking how his day has been, like mom used to do everyday.
I would always hide when he was like that, it scared me. The father I knew and loved turned into that.
I missed my father.
One night he came home at about 6 in the morning. I woke up when I heard the door. I couldn't take it anymore so I told him that he changed and I wanted him to change back. That's when he started yelling and screaming at me.
"I AM STIL THE SAME! TSUBAKI IS STILL THE SAME! YOU'RE THE PROBLEM! YOUR WHAT'S THE MATTER! YOU- YOU'RE ALWAYS HIDING AND RUNNING! YOU CAN'T SAY THAT I'M THE ONE WHO'S CHANGED! IT'S ALL YOU! YOU'RE WHO'S CHANGED! YOU IT WAS YOU! YOU MADE TSUBAKI LIKE THIS! WHY YOU DEVIL CHILD! HOW COME YOU ARE REAL AND MY PRECIOUS TSUBAKI HAS TO FEEL LIKE A MEMORY!"
I was shocked it was the first time he started to acknowledge her missing presence.
"IT WAS YOU! YOU- YOU- YOU WERE THE ONE THAT KILLED HER!"
I ran.
I had to get as far away as I could from that monster. He was not my father. He never just spewed out lies like that.
Lies.
They were all lies...
I couldn't have been the one to...
No I couldn't have. That phone call it...
I fell to my knees eyes wide open in realization. I screamed at the top of my lungs, a desperate attempt to release all the built up tension. The tears wouldn't stop. I killed her. I killed mom. I was running out of air. My scream was reduced to a stretched out wheeze.
I blacked out.
I woke to the sound of a tennis ball hitting against a racket.
"Hey baka."
At that I bolted up. Who the heck just called me stupid and why were they in my bedroom. Oh...
I looked around. I was at the park laying in the grass next to the tennis courts. This must be where I broke down last night when I realized... I felt tears threatening to come out again.
"Oi Baka! Are you deaf!"
I take it back. There was no way I was gonna cry in front of this jerk.
"What" I demanded, this guy was getting me mad. I turned to look at him.
He was about my age, 6 or 7, in a red and white t shirt white shorts, and a white cap. He had beautiful greenish brown eyes and blueish black hair, over all he was pretty cute. I blushed a little, then remembered he called me stupid and straightened myself out.
"I said, what did you think you were doing at 7 in the morning sleeping in a park. There was a girl screaming last night, who knows what happened to her. It'd be safer for you to go home, baka." Maybe I should have ran further before I broke down. I hope not everyone heard me screaming. "For the record, my name is not baka it's Sakuno, and its none of your business why I'm sleeping in a park." I felt content with my reply.
"Whatever Baka." He replied cooly as he continued to hit the ball against the wall.
The way he acts like he doesn't care about anything bugs me SO much. I scowled. What's up with him? I started to get up when I looked down. There was a big, red jacket half covering me. Its really warm. How did I get it... oh.
"Is this yours?" Maybe I slightly misjudged him. "Thank yo-"
"Oh, that's where I put it."
I looked up at him dumbstruck. He really expects me to buy that? But then again why would he cover me? Maybe he did just happen to drop it on me.
"Give it back now."
Was this guy for real?
Whatever the case it was his jacket. "Here." I gave it to him with a confused look. He must have noticed it.
"What? Do you expect me to give it to you just cause I dropped it on you accidentally." he said with a smirk.
"Of course not! I ju-",
"Whatever" he cut in.
The boy walked back to the wall and kept practicing. As I watched he seemed to move with a certain grace. He could anticipate the balls movements, swiftly adjust himself to hit it perfectly, and swing with power. This kid could hit the ball so easily. Must have been luck how he hit it each time, but the longer I watched I realized it couldn't have just been luck.I looked closer. He was hitting the ball at the exact same point each time. I gasped. This time when it bounced back he popped the ball up and caught it with his free hand.
"You want to play. I just happened to bring two rackets today."
I don't know why he would have two rackets, but I did want to play, though I'm not sure I would be any good. I've never played before.
"Sure."
I'm sure I could catch on fast it looked easy when he hit it.
He gave me the racket as we entered the court. It looked just like how it did on TV though the court sure was a bigger in real life though. I wonder if I could even hit it over the net from where we serve.
"Go ahead and serve first." He handed me the ball and walked to the other side.
"Okay!"
Sure, ya, I can serve. Just throw it up and hit it, or maybe I should try underhand first, no that will make me look weak.
I threw it up and swung ready to hit the ball after the boy returned it.
The ball bounced at my feet.
"Oops."
What's worse, the jerk on the other side of the court burst out laughing. "It's not that funny!" I tried to defend myself, but he kept laughing and fell to the floor, in fact I think he was laughing so hard he started to cry, but he was on the other side of the court on the ground so I couldn't be sure.
"Stop it!"
"Okay, okay. Give me a minute" he laughed out. I stood there arms crossed and my mad face on. Eventually he got himself up, wiping the water from his eyes (I guess he was crying), still laughing a bit to himself.
"Mada mada dane." he said with a sigh. At least he finished laughing.
"Are you sure you can play?" He smirked to himself.
"Of course! That was just a fluke." I flashed a smirk of my own, even though I had nothing to back it up.
Please, please hit it. I breathed in, and then out. I tossed the ball about a yard above my head. Tightening my grip on the racket in hand, I swung. My. Racket...
The boy on the other side of the court abruptly fell and burst out laughing again.
The ball rolled to my foot.
Not again.
My face was as red as his jacket now, I could feel it. I looked at my feet. I'm not cut out for tennis. I should just quit now. As much as I want to play I'll never be good. I will never be as good as the kid on the other side of the net. Oh god the tears, I can feel them coming.
I dropped my racket about to run.
"Wait."
I turned around looking up slightly. He jogged over to me. I'm so embarrassed right now I could just die.
I felt something land on my head.
"I could teach you tennis."
I looked up surprised. Was he serious? I felt my head. There was a hat. I took it off to look at it. It was white and had an R on the front. I looked back up at him sniffling. Good the tears stopped.
"I'd give you the jacket but I borrowed it from my dad and there's only one in the world, made by hand by my mom and I'm pretty sure she's not the type of person to knit much." I laugh and put the hat back on. "Thank you" I said with a smile.
I wiped away my tears and put on a determined face, "And I'll take you up on your offer, coach." He laughed again. "I've never met someone who could make me laugh this much. I like you kid."
I stopped smiling, did he realized what he just said?
I blushed and looked down.
He must have then realized because he looked down too and blushed, "That's not... What I meant was... You know what I mean." he mumbled the last part as he looked away, really red now. I laughed.
"So coach what're you gonna teach me first?" I said deciding to change the subject, there was something about this kid that made me want to smile whenever I'm with him. He cleared his throat before responding.
"Let's start with hit the ball."
He handed me the ball again. "This time try to hit it underhand first."
I closed my eyes, dropped the ball, and swung. I opened my eyes again.
Two gorgeous, big, greenish brown eyes were staring sideways at me about two inches from my face. Coach was standing next to me turned towards me, bent at the neck and leaning forward slightly so his face would be from my front looking up at me.
He's so cute, but so close.
I blushed like crazy and jumped back. Standing up straight again, he handed me the ball.
"You missed."
I sighed. How could I miss that?
"Next time try keeping your eyes open."
I blushed slightly remembering how close his face was.
"Ok. I'll try again." I'm determined now. I held the ball out, gripped the racket tighter ready to swing.
I felt a body press up behind mine.
I practically jumped, but I caught myself. I don't know how red I was but I may have been glowing. Then he guided my arm to hold the tennis ball lower and more to the right.
Oh...
That's what he was doing.
For some reason I felt a little disappointed.
"Your holding the racket wrong," he whispered in my ear as he took the racket and turned it in my hand. Then he stepped away and said, "Unless you plan to karate chop the ball it might be pretty hard hit it like that."
I faked a laugh. It must not have been very convincing.
"What's wrong? Did you expect me to make a move on you."
He put one hand in his pocket and let the other hang at his side. He always looked so cool. I turned red, again.
How did he get to me so easily?
"Of course not. Even if you did I would have hit you." I crossed my arms.
"Oh."
Was it just me or did he sound a little sad?
"Try that serve again."
Glad for the change of subject, I tried again I closed my eyes. Wait no. I opened them again. I dropped the ball and swung...
I felt the ball hit the racket, and continued through the swing. The ball flew across the court and landed in about a foot from the out line.
"Yosh!" I shouted. I finally hit it!
I couldn't stop smiling.
I quickly hugged my coach while thanking him then started feeling embarrassed again and quickly let go. Then before I could step away he pulled me in and hugged me back.
"Good job" he said genuinely proud.
I blushed a bit, but smiled even bigger letting go. "Arigato coach." We both laughed.
He looked at his watch and frowned. "I'm sorry but I'm starting school today." I frowned back.
I would have started this year too, but father refused to pay for tuition and no one's willing to hire a six year old to work.
"It's almost 8. I'll walk you home." He took the racket from my hand.
"Wait!" I said suddenly.
Oops.
Suspicious much? He stopped and looked up.
"Umm. I mean... My house is nearby I can get there on my own." I panicked waving my hands in front of me as an 'its okay sign'.
"Then it'll be fast to walk you home." He said, giving me a suspicious look.
Shoot.
"I meant it's really far you'll be late to school if you walk me home."
Dang it. I messed up.
"Then how could I let a little girl walk home all alone..."
I couldn't come up with an excuse.
"Look, what's wrong? I can help. I got your back." The concerned look on his face really made me believe I could trust him.
"I was the girl that screamed last night," I looked up to see his reaction. He seemed surprised for a second then covered it up, so I continued.
"5 months ago, my mom died after I called her from the hospital..." I told him my story, about my dad's change, how I told my dad he changed, how he yelled at me, and how I realized I killed her. As I continued I started to cry. Eventually I was crying so much I couldn't understand what I was saying. I laid my head in my hands. The hat fell off my head.
Suddenly, for the second time today the boy suddenly pulled me close and hugged me.
He was so warm and his jacket was so soft. I remember when I woke up, it laying on me.
Maybe he did put it on me.
I can't tell anymore.
I slowly reduced the tears to sniffles. He was so big compared to me. We are about the same height, though he's a bit taller than me, but I'm so scrawny and weak, he feels so strong. His presence makes me feel safe. I could do anything with him there. I could confront my father with him there. I could tell him it's not my fault.
But...
What if it is?
What should I do?
I may have been the one that killed her.
"It's not your fault."
I gasped, and started to cry even more. This boy I just met, why? Why does he always know just the right words. Why can he make me feel so mad, happy, or sad so easily.
I needed to hear those words I've needed to hear those words for a long, long time.
"Thank you." I whispered as I cried, now hugging him tighter.
After probably 5 minutes I calmed down enough for him to ask me if there was anyone close I could call. My first thought was my grandma. We stopped by the racket stringer's place since it was nearby, to use the phone.
It turns out he had two rackets because his dad made him take both their rackets to get the strings straightened. We borrowed the phone there to call my grandma. Under the watchful eye of my tennis coach, I repeated my story.
She was shocked and yelled at me for not telling her sooner. She said she would be right over. After I told her where I was. She hung up. I thanked the man for letting us borrow the phone then waited outside.
About 3 minutes later her car got here. She rushed out of the car and escorted me quickly into the car. When she closed the door I remembered to thank the boy again so I rolled down the window he walked up and placed his hat back on my head.
"Thank you for everything. Next time we meet I'm going to be so good I could beat you in a tennis match." I said determined.
"I doubt that" he smiled. "I hope we meet again, Sakuno."
I grinned knowing he finally said my name.
The car started and he stepped back.
"By the way you never told me your name."
The car started going. I stuck my head out the window to try and catch his name still.
"My name is-"
He was so far away I couldn't hear it.
His hat was knocked off my head by the wind. I quickly snatched it back and sat back down in the car. I rolled the window up and looked at the hat.
"Who was that boy? He looks familiar" Obaasan questioned. "He is..."
Who was he?
"A good friend."
That's what I said but I know he's more than that...
-End Chapter-
*Author's Note*
This is my first story so I hope its okay. That was the epilogue (as it says at the top) the other chapters are going to take place a little more than eight years in the future when Sakuno just started her first year of high school. I'm sorry that Sakuno's personality changed a lot but I couldn't have her to much of a pushover for this story. I'm sure everyone who has watched Prince of Tennis previously knows who the little boy is, but if you don't you'll know in the next chapter or two. I was kind of experimenting on paragraphing. I don't know if I should keep the paragraphs longer, or short (like above). I'm sorry if I have an irregular pattern for updating chapters. Sometimes it will be a week wait, or a month wait, who knows! So please review, post comments. I know I'm not the best writer!