"R-ryoma-kun…." Now or never.
"Hn?"
"I-I… I li-li-LIKE YOU!" I bowed my head in embarrassment.
"…..Sorry."
That was his curt reply. I picked my head up and watched him turn and walk away, leaving me alone on the rooftop. The door closed behind him. His figure was gone, as was the thought that I had a chance with him. I was thankful for his cold demeanor; it would make getting over my first love that much easier. I was also happy that he wouldn't see me cry. The little self-confidence I had gathered just for this encounter shattered, and I cried, choking, never thinking I was ever going to stop.
I awoke to find myself alone in the dark. It was nighttime, and I had apparently cried myself to sleep here. I sat up, the door to the school was shut, just as Ryoma had left it. I stared at the door, gathering what was left of me. I am Sakuno Ryuzaki. I am fourteen years old. I have been rejected by my first love. The last thought stung, but I repeated the three phrases, reminding myself of who I was and what had happened.
I knew my grandmother would be worried about me, but I couldn't get myself to move from the rooftop. A beep from my back pocket reminded me that I had a cell phone. Taking it out, I texted her a message, telling her I was studying with my best friend Tomoka. I put my phone down, sighing; I lied down, staring up at the night sky. The view from the rooftop during the day was always warm, but the view at night was cold. Yet I found this comforting. The stars never shined so bright as they do now, I thought. The moon was a Cheshire grin, as if laughing at my predicament.
How will I face Ryoma from now on? How will I explain to Tomoka? Will I avoid the tennis courts? What should I do?
Thoughts ran through my head, as I continued to staring into the night sky. A shooting star flitted across, and deciding I had nothing to lose, I made a wish. A wish to be a stronger me, a Sakuno who could never be stripped down raw emotionally as I was now. I also wished for my broken heart to heal, and I hoped that one day, I would find a happy ending.
Current day.
"Sakuuuuunoooo!" My name was shouted from a couple yards away. I looked up from my book, squinting in the bright sunlight to see a figure running towards me. That voice….
"Tomoka?" As it got closer, I made out that it was indeed Tomoka.
"Guess what, guess what, GUESS WHAT!" He face held hardly contained her excitement.
Collecting my wits, I stared at her. "…Hi. What?"
"We, my dear Sake, have been invited to go to a party tonight!"
I sat there confused, "….But Tomoka, we're always invited to parties. We always go out. I don't see what the big deal is…"
"It's not a normal party! It's a ten—I mean it's the university athletes' party!" Tomoka put her hands up in a ta-da fashion, making me crack a smile.
"Ah. Sounds fun, but how did we even get invited anyways?"
" .No. Do you already not remember our Seigaku buddies? Momo-senpai invited us!"
"Oh yeaaah, hahah, I forgot he goes here! Wait… he plays tennis for our university?!"
"YES! I mean he's obviously not the best player here, but he does!"
"Eh, as much as I want to see Momo-senpai, I'd rather not get involved with any tennis guys. I'm fine with our normal college guys."
"But, Sake, it's not only tennis! There's football, basketball, soccer….Damn, what other sports are there… Lacrosse! So much variety, right? Riiiight? C'mon Sakuno," Tomoka commenced her puppy eyes and begging. I closed my book, sighing in defeat. Early studying for finals definitely wasn't going to happen, and I knew she was waiting for my response.
Tomoka has been my best friend for God knows how long. She was always looking out for me, and ever since a certain ordeal, she won't go out without me nor would she let me go alone. Not that I minded; we were bestfriends, it made sense for us to be each other's party buddies.
Last year as freshmen, we didn't have a buddy system for parties, and Tomoka once went out and almost got raped. Luckily, some people leaving a party nearby heard her struggle and got her out of that pinch. I'm not quite sure about all the details, but I do know that it shocked her into reality. Not that we stopped going out, we just become smart about it.
Tomoka became protective of me, though. She knew I was not the same shy, meek girl I used to be. In fact, after that night on the rooftop, I started my change. I assume Tomoka understood why because she never asked for an explanation for my change in interests. I stopped going to tennis practices, stopped cheering on my grandmother's team. I started studying more and doing better in class; my self-confidence grew so that I could function as normal as any other person, with no more stuttering! I picked up horseback riding, and I became the person I am today.: Sakuno Ryuzaki, nineteen years old almost twenty, college student, and enjoying life. But as much as I changed, I was still innocent Sakuno, according to Tomoka. I had romantic knowledge, but as for experience, let's just leave it as I still haven't had my first kiss. Have I had crushes after Ryoma? Of course! I just never acted on them and wasn't interested in starting relationships.
Back to my decision, I looked up from the cover of my book into Tomoka's hopeful eyes. Dang, she really wants to go, huh. I closed my eyes, preparing myself for her reaction. Smiling, I replied, " All right, all right! Let's go!"
Tomoka let out a piercing shriek, took my hands in hers, and started jumping up and down in excitement. "I can't wait! I CAN'T WAIT! WE are going to have SO. MUCH. FUN! Sake, you won't regret this!" And with that proclamation, I was dragged with her back to our dorms.
"Tomoka…it's still only 4 pm," I complained. We weren't going to be leaving for another six or seven hours, and I wanted to enjoy the warm sunlight a little bit longer.
"Sake, we need time to get ready! Picking out the right outfit, showering, the works. C'mon, work with meeee!"
"Ai, okaaaay, fine," I laughed. I did enjoy the prettifying process just as much as Tomoka. After showering and doing the essentials, it was time to start make-up and hair. Tomoka usually wore sparkly eye-popping make-up, but tonight decided to go with a mature, smoky-eye. I admired her skill with eye shadow, as I watched her do it. She saw me in the reflection of her mirror.
"Does it look okay?" Tomoka asked me.
"Okay? It looks gooooood, girl!" I replied, making her giggle.
"AH! Sakuno, do you want me to do the same for you?"
"Haha sure, let's give it a try," I shrugged. I normally went with browns and the more natural tones, so going out on a whim for once would be refreshing. After Tomoka finished my eyeshadow, I was left to do my eyeliner and mascara. By the time we both were done, our faces were perfection. Our brown eyes glittered, and our skin glowed.
"Wow…Tomoka, you really should consider being a makeup artist! Our eyes look amazing!" I complimented. She smiled and nodded.
"If I become a makeup artist, you should be the hair stylist I work with! Sakuno, can you…?"
"Of course!" I knew what Tomoka was asking. She wanted me to do her hair again. My hair styling skills were famous in our dorm. I didn't even know I could style hair until I stopped putting my hair in twin braids. When I decided to change, to spite Ryoma I kept my long hair. Sure, I cut it to a more reasonable length (more toward my lower back), but my signature braids of the old me I couldn't bear to wear anymore. Everyday I started going to school with different styles, each new one earning praise from not only girls, but guys too. That's when I discovered my hidden talent.
Since Tomoka usually has straight hair, I curled it enough that by the time we got the party, they would be loose, perfect curls. She too, changed her hair since middle school. She bleached her hair (as scary as it sounds, it complimented her features more) and wore it down, rather than in pigtails. Her blonde hair suited her personality, and the change made her look foreign but still gorgeous. Once done curling her hair, I looked up into the mirror at my own auburn locks. I never dyed them, never wanting to change what my mother left me. My grandmother told me my hair was exactly like my mom's, and with that in mind, I cherished it too much to change the color. From keeping it in braids when I was younger, it permanently changed my hair to be wavy, so I decided to keep it simple since the makeup was dramatic. I straightened it out, making my hair almost reaching my bum, and left it as a silky curtain.
Tomoka and I then raided our closets to find the perfect outifts for the party. It was already nine, and we didn't have much time left, at most two hours. We ransacked Tomoka's first, then mine, then mixed both. Tomoka settled on a high-waisted teal bandage skirt with a white crop top, while I wore a red bandage skirt with a black halter top. We left our dorm, and made our way to the house where the party was being held. Being on a college campus, it wasn't weird to see people dressed to party walking the streets.
Tomoka excitedly pointed out a house at the end of the street we were on, "Momo-senpai said it's that one!" The house had a beat vibrating out into the neighborhood, and there were already people getting some air in the front yard. We made our way to the house, squeezing through the crowded entrance. Immediately, we headed to the keg to go get ourselves some drinks. It was dark inside, lit up by blacklights and cool dancing laser lights. The stereo blasted throughout the house, playing beats that made us dance as we walked. Already I was glad we came. When Tomoka and I finally got to the keg, a spiky-haired fellow was pouring the drinks.
"MOMO-SENPAI!" Tomoka yelled over the music. The guy looked up, and recognition flashed on his face.
"Hey guys! So happy y'all could make it! Man, you two grew up!" Momo smiled, hugging us both. He and Tomoka shared a knowing look before Momo started to pour our drinks. "I was worried that our Little Ryuzaki wouldn't have wanted to come," he teased.
Laughing it off, I replied "You know I love dancing, who could pass this up?!" As we all bantered for a little bit, the music kept calling me. "Tomoka! Let's go start dancing!" I pulled her to the crowded dance floor where we found a pocket of space and started moving in time with the music. Guys one by one came up to ask us to dance, and we danced with multiple people. Little did I know, there was someone on the wall watching the entire time.
The guy I was dancing with, I assumed, was a soccer player. He smelled nice, and had that attractive appearance that made giddy inside. We were having fun, laughing and dancing. But then he started to try kissing me, just as every other guy does. I at first playfully rejected him, but he still didn't understand I didn't want to kiss and starting to kiss my hair, moving towards my face and spinning me to face him. Tomoka was busy on the wall, and I knew if she saw what was going on, she'd go on her crazy drunk act. Thus, I had to handle this lightly without attention. I ducked my head as he went for my lips, taking a sip from my cup. He smiled at me, a lopsided grin that was adorable, making me wonder why I couldn't kiss him. I smiled back, and told him I had to go refill my drink. He volunteered to go with, and as we walked to the keg, a pair of hazel eyes watched us move. This time, I could feel us being watched. I glanced over at Tomoka who seemed to be enjoying herself, putting me at ease, and shook my head, smiling. I'm just buzzed and getting paranoid, I thought. On our way, the bathroom line caught my eye, and the urge to pee hit me. I told the guy I had been with (his name I think was Greg?) that I'd meet him at the keg and stood in line. I sighed, waiting for the girls in front of me to hurry it up, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was warm, and I turned to see who it was.
"Momo-senpai!" I exclaimed, surprised to see him not monitoring the keg anymore.
"Ryuzaki-san! You should come over and say hi to some old friends!" Momo began to lead me away from the bathroom. What old friends?
"Haha Momo-senpai, I need to use the restroom though! I need to get back in line," I hinted at him. He was a little tipsy, and an apologetic look crossed his face.
"Ah, I'm sorry you lost your spot! Do you really need to go?"
This is embarrassing, I thought. "Haha yeaah. I'll come say hi after I go!"
"OH! You can use my bathroom upstairs!"
"You live here, Momo-senpai?!"
"Yeah, I room with a couple other tennis players! Just go straight up the stairs, the first room to the left is mine and the door to the bathroom is across from the bed," he explained, giving me a small push in the direction of the stairs. I thanked him and followed his directions, finding the bathroom in time. As I washed my hands, an uneasy feeling settled over me. What old friends is Momo talking about? I looked in the mirror, adjusting my makeup and hair. Smiling at myself, I told my reflection, "It's probably nothing! Go back downstairs and have a good time." I left the bathroom and returned downstairs to the party. I could see Greg was already dancing with another partner, not that it bothered me, but he totally gave away my drink. Heading back to the keg, there was Momo-senpai. He was surrounded by some guys, and I sat back, waiting to get a drink. Momo-senpai glanced up and saw me, then started motioning for me to join the circle. Glancing back at the dance floor and making sure Tomo was okay, I walked over, cup in hand. My attention on the keg, I started to fill up my drink as the circle laughed at something another one said. I hadn't been noticed that I joined the circle, until Momo-senpai put his arm around me and proclaimed, "Look who it guys!"
"Aw it's Ryuzaki-chan!"
"Ryuzaki!"
"Ochibi's girlfriend!"
I glanced up at the circle of faces, and recognized them all to be old Seigaku regulars. There was Fuji, Oishi, Eiji, and Tezuka. Ah! So this is what he meant by old friends! We all shared greetings and caught. I was glad it was them; I really liked them all. I missed watching them play tennis. We were joking around and laughing, when a calm voice interrupted.
"Mada mada dane." The laughter slowly died, as the regulars looked past me and smiled.
"Echizen! We thought we lost you!" They started laughing again, and I nervously chuckled. I hadn't turned around yet, and I sort of didn't want to. So this is why Tomoka really wanted to come tonight, I figured, as I thought of ways to escape the situation.
"Hn," was Ryoma's reply, and I could feel his gaze on the back of my head.
"Hey! Why don't you two go dance?" Momo, in his drunken stupor, suggested.
"Haha Momo-senpai, I think you've had a little too much to drink. I'm not done catch—" I tried working my way around it.
"Ryuzaki loves to dance, Echizen! Bring her out to the dance floor!" I was then pushed back and fell into a solid body. Warm, taller, muscular body. Oh god. I slowly looked up, and there was Ryoma's face, smirking down at mine.
End of chapter one.
Author's note: Hi, I hope you all are enjoying the story. This is my first, so please be nice :) I would appreciate critiques and reviews. I'd love to hear from you!