My Definition of a True Friend

Disclaimer: Do not own Prince Of Tennis!

Oishi smiled as he read the small newspaper article.

"My Definition of a Friend"

A true friend would apologize if they did something to hurt you. They would not go and stab you in the back. They would not get mad if they lost something of yours, instead they would apologize for losing it. A true friend would not force you to do something you did not want to do or could not manage to do. They would care about you and try to help stop you from feeling upset. A friend would not stand there and watch you cry. A true friend is someone you can trust and they can trust you. They would make mistakes, but try everything in their power to fix them. A real friend would help you out if you asked them to. A friend would not hide things from you. They would stand up for you, just as you would for them. They would not gossip about you. A real friend, unfortunately, is extremely hard to find. That is my definition of a true friend.

Anonymous

'Hey,'Oishi thought to himself as he looked over the article. 'That reminds me completely of Eiji!' He then started to compare times when Eiji did just as the story said. He went line by line.

A true friend would apologize if they did something to hurt you.

"Oishi! Can't you hit the stupid tennis ball!" the normally over-cheerful boy snapped at his doubles partner. He was in a bad mood because he had almost failed English. He had gotten 51 percent, also known as a pity-pass. Oishi wasn't making anything better, either. Eiji watched an easy volley come toward the horribly playing Oishi. "For the love of-" The acrobatic player leapt up and hit the ball back to the opponent's side.

After the game they lost (6-1), Eiji realized what he had done. He walked over to his upset partner and friend. "Oishi?" His voice was soft. "I'm sorry for snapping at you…I'm just in a bad mood."

Oishi smiled, as he was relieved of a ton of stress. "It's okay, Eiji. Thanks for caring!" Eiji smiled brightly at that.

They would not go and stab you in the back.

"Come on, Acrobat!" Rudolf's manager coaxed. He was staring down at Eiji's slightly smaller form. "If you join St. Rudolf's team, then I will personally tutor you. I know you are failing." He knew he was playing the right cards. 'The doubles Acrobat is mine now!' he thought.

Eiji frowned, knowing he needed the tutor. "No…" His voice was level and confident. "I can't do that. Seigaku is my team and the starters are my friends. Besides, Oishi or Kunimitsu or even Fuji can tutor me!" Eiji got up and walked away from the despairing manager. Oishi smiled as he watched the manager curse.

They would not get mad if they lost something of yours, instead they would apologize for losing it.

"OISHI! OISHI! OISHI!" Said teenager looked up from his book to see a panicked Eiji run up to him.

"What is it?" Oishi asked worriedly. His gaze shifted from his book and into Eiji's blue eyes. They were wide and guilty. "Out with it!" he coaxed, gently.

"I LOST THE ASSIGNMENT WE WORKED ALL NIGHT ON!" the acrobat blurted. Tears filled up the blue eyes. "I'm SO sorry! I wouldn't blame you if you hated me…" he sobbed. Tears started to run down his face.

Oishi smiled as he wiped some of the tears away. "You always have been the emotional one on the team…" Oishi commented gently. "It's ok, Eiji…I made a second copy," he informed the sobbing teen.

Eiji looked up and wiped his eyes. "I KNEW I could count on you, Oishi!" He hugged the co-captain in a tight, friendly hug. It wasn't that uncommon for the red-haired teenager. "Good job!'

A true friend would not force you to do something you did not want to do or could not manage to do.

"Come on Oishi!" Eiji begged his partner. "It's only a flip! Come on!" Eiji, you see, wanted Oishi to attempt to do a flip. Oishi, on the other hand, was not giving an inch to Eiji's pitiful pleas. "I'll be here! You won't get hurt!" the acrobat coaxed in his calmest voice. "PLEASE?"

Oishi took the time to glare down at Eiji. "I WILL NOT!" His face reddened a bit at the next thing he was going to say. "I can't, Eiji. I will fall flat on my face…"His eyes were downcast as he spoke the solemn words.

Eiji smiled brightly. "OK! I don't wanna force you. Now, at least, I got an explanation why!" He leapt lightly so he was in front of his friend. "IT'S OK!" Oishi jumped at least a foot in surprise when Eiji bellowed that in his ear.

They would care about you and try to help stop you from feeling upset.

Oishi sighed. Today was TOO long of a day for him. First, he was late for school. Second, he forgot his homework. Third, he forgot to study for his science quiz. And fourth, he was late for practice. Currently, he was running the THIRTY laps that Kunimitsu ordered him to do. He was only done two so far.

"Eiji! Stop goofing off!" The captain's furious voice rang out, making Oishi turn. There he saw Eiji with a tomato. He was attempting to throw it at Momoshiro, who was playing against Kaidoh. Oishi had to admit, it made him laugh at Eiji's bizarre antic.

"But Kunimitsu!" Eiji whined as he looked up at his stoic captain. "The tomato WANTS to be thrown at Momo! It is telling me to throw it!" Eiji's face was unrealistically serious.

Kunimitsu tweaked at those words. "If you think you're so funny…JOIN OISHI IN HIS LAPS!" he ordered. He looked at said person, who was watching the entire time. "Finish your laps or I'll make you double it…" he warned calmly.

Oishi nodded and waited for Eiji to start running. "So…what lap you on?" he drawled pleasantly. Oishi put up two fingers. "Two? Ok! 28 more to go! He ran alongside Oishi, knowing he could go much faster.

"Thanks…"Oishi muttered. Eiji looked at him confused. "For helping make me feel better. I know you did that on purpose."

Eiji smiled brightly. "No problemo!" He picked up the tomato just as we were passing Momo and Kaidoh. "But I DID want to do this!" He chucked the tomato square into Momo's face. "SUCKER!" he cried, sticking his tongue out playfully.

"I'LL GET YOU FOR THAT, EIJI!" Momo yelled as he wiped the tomato gunk off his face.

Eiji smiled heartedly at him. "Catch me if you can!" He then grabbed Oishi's hand and dashed down the track. Oishi simply laughed as he kept up.

A friend would not stand there and watch you cry.

Oishi stared at that line. He couldn't remember a time where Eiji stopped him from crying. He did, however, remember a time when he stopped Eiji from crying.

Oishi walked into Eiji's room to hear sobbing noises. He walked carefully over to the bed, only to see his friend curled up with his giant teddy bear, crying his eyes out.

"Eiji?" He sat down beside the acrobat. "What's wrong? What happened?" Oishi questioned, staring down sadly at Eiji.

"I'm a failure! I let the team down!" Eiji sobbed. He hugged the bear tighter still. "We'll lose the tournament and it's all my fault!" He raised his flooded blue eyes to look at his friend's confused face. "I failed English class!"

Oishi blinked, knowing that if they failed a class, they were kicked off the team until they could make up for it. "It's ok…I'll help you study for your make-up exam. We've still got a week till the tournament!" He smiled kindly down at his partner.

Eiji's eyes lit up a bit, before dulling once again. "You could tutor me all you want…I just can't understand it! I never will!"

Oishi smiled. "Even if it takes every hour of the week. I WILL make it so you can understand!" He smiled even more cheerfully when Eiji smiled back, rubbing his eyes of the unwanted liquid.

"Thank you, Oishi…"

A true friend is someone you can trust and they can trust you.

"Eiji…I don't think this is such a good idea…" Oishi looked down at the girl. The duo was sitting up on the roof. Eiji decided to take Ryoma and Sakuno's relationship in his own hands.

Eiji looked over at his friend. "It is!" he chirped. "Sakuno will get hit with the water balloon and Ryoma will make sure she's all right. If things work out all right, they will be closer. If not…well…they'll still be good friends! Trust me!" Eiji played the words wisely.

Oishi sighed. "Ya…I guess you're right. But she could get sick!" His mother-ness shone through.

"Let's do this thang!" Eiji muttered softly. He dropped he water balloon on the unsuspecting Sakuno's head. He watched, pleased, as Ryoma ran over to see if she was all right. He gave her his starter jacket to wear until they got her in something dry.

"Guess you were right," Oishi mused gently. "Plus, she is in good hands with Ryoma."

Eiji smirked smugly. "Was there any doubt?" he commented. "I knew you would trust me. I trust you the same way."

Oishi smiled at that. "Ya…"

They would make mistakes, but try everything in their power to fix them.

"I can't believe him!" Oishi fumed as he snapped to Fuji. "He helped Rudolf by giving them some information!"

Fuji frowned. "He didn't GIVE them information. Not exactly, anyway…" He looked up at his friend. "They challenged him to a match. He complied. Most people would, Oishi." He opened his eyes to stare at Oishi's brown ones. "Eiji asked me to talk to you, since you wouldn't talk to him. He is sorry, but knows that you have many more surprises up your sleeves. He's your friend…listen to him…"

Oishi sighed. Eiji did always know how to make things better. "Ya…I'll go talk to him now…" He looked up to see Fuji's smiling face. "Thanks for helping me understand…"

A real friend would help you out if you asked them to.

"Um…Eiji…?" Oishi stuttered into the phone, not sure if he should even bother asking. "Um… I know that you have relatives over, but I need some help with my Japanese History homework. I don't really understand it…"

"Hey sure!" Eiji's voice came over the line. "Sure can do!"

"Really?" Oishi asked, surprised. "But what about your relatives?"

Eiji was silent for a second and then burst out laughing. "Think they'd miss me with a family THIS big?" Oishi laughed. "I'll come right over!"

"Thanks…"

A friend would not hide things from you.

Oishi looked worriedly over at his partner. His playing today stunk! And that's being NICE about it! "What's wrong, Eiji?"

Eiji looked over at him, missing a volley entirely. "Um…I'll tell you later!" Oishi sighed and nodded, before going back to the practice match they were definitely going to lose. And to Ryoma and Kaidoh, no less!

After practice he walked Eiji to his house. Inside Eiji's room, Eiji decided to explain.

"I failed science and history…I'm sorry. They said I can't play in the tennis club for the tournament. I'm sorry…" Eiji rubbed at his eyes. "I'm sorry, Oishi!"

Oishi smiled. "Hey, it's ok. I'll just play with Inui!"

They would stand up for you, just as you would for them.

"GO AWAY, YOU COACH'S PET!" The grade three boys on the tennis team cried. "Go away!" One kid pushed the nine-year-old Oishi to the ground.

"HEY!" Eiji ran in front of his fallen friend. "Leave him alone, nya! He's not the Coach's pet!" Oishi watched through tears as Eiji took hit after hit for him. The boys soon got bored with Eiji and walked off.

Eiji stumbled over to Oishi. "You ok, buddy?"

Oishi looked up. "Ya…you shouldn't have done that! It wasn't concerning you, Eiji! Look at you! You're covered head to toe in bruises and cuts now!"

Eiji frowned, pulling Oishi up by the wrist. "It did concern me. You're my friend…I stand up for my friends! Just like you…" he added with a smirk.

They would not gossip about you.

"Hey…what's up with Oishi. He seems a bit flustered lately!" Momo questioned. "Does he like someone?"

Eiji smiled brightly. "Is it any of your business?" He looked at Momo for an answer. Receiving none, he replied smartly, "Didn't think so…NYA" Momo jumped at the loud cat-like noise.

Momo later asked Oishi about it. Oishi didn't give him an answer, either.

A real friend, unfortunately, is extremely hard to find.

Oishi had to agree with that last one. It took him a year to finally accept Eiji. There is also the fact that Oishi has never met someone like him ever again!

That is my definition of a true friend.

Oishi smiled at the last line. 'Mine, too,' he thought.

Ok! Done! I wrote that definition after I got in a fight with my friend Emma.