Naomi Takahashi's red Tokyo jersey fluttered in the wind as she sprinted past Riku Harada, her best friend. Naomi smirked as she pasted her. Just a few more blocks to go. She'd get there first, that is if her body didn't give way now. Her light,naturally straight, black hair started to unravel from the bun she had put it in that very morning. Her blue eyes shimmered in the early sunlight. she turned a sharp corner hearing Riku coming up behind her. There was the gate. Yes, she'd get there first.
She had been friends with the Harada twins ever since the three of them had been born. Their mothers had been old friends, great friends. It was almost destined for them to be the same. And destiny had won. Of course Naomi's mother had wanted a nice little girl who played with dolls, but oh no, Naomi had taken the place of the baby boy her father had wanted and grew up with a basketball in one hand and a soccer ball in the other.
She had really connected with Riku and preferred her over Riku's self-centered twin, Risa, but Risa's selfishness didn't keep Naomi from being her friend. When they had been younger, Naomi had once, only once, let Risa do her hair. That very same day they both had played dress-up, which Naomi despised but went along with it with a smile plastered on her face. Riku and Risa were her two closest friends.
Naomi grew up in a family where the parents were never home. Both her mother and her father owned a huge company in Japan called Sony. They were both Japanese but had moved to Europe when Naomi was born. They thought, in Europe, Naomi could have a better life than she would if she would live in Japan. Her parents owned many houses all over the world but Naomi thought this "stupid" because they never got any time off to go to those houses so why own them? Her parents traveled to Japan once or twice a week and some times to other places where Sony was having difficulties.
It was not that they didn't want to be with there daughter, but that they couldn't. Yes, they could quit or retire but they lived off their jobs. There jobs were their lives. It made them happy and that was all Naomi wanted for them. To be happy. When they were in their home town Naomi still didn't see them. They left in the morning before She woke and got home after she had gone to sleep. When she had been 6, she asked her nanny if her parents had had super-powers of some sort because she thought about how they must never get much sleep. When ever she thought about this memory it always made her giggle. If it wasent for the postits her mother and father left every morning she could sware they were dead.
"Niwa! Move!", Naomi said as she almost ran him over to get to the gate. She slid to a halt and touched the gate with her hand and said, "I win."
She turned to Daisuke with a smile and said, "Hey Dai! Nice day we're having her isn't it?"
Daisuke was sitting on the ground looking shocked. Naomi had knocked him down when she had been running past. "Sorry Niwa! It could have been worse. I could have….broke your noise or something…" She stretched out her hand to him and he took it.
Riku came to a halt behind her and bent down to catch her breath. Naomi smirked and said sarcastically, "Riku! What took you so.. long? I was getting old!"
"Oh shut it!"
"Didn't you say winner got praise?" Naomi said while her smirk grew bigger.
Riku sighed and said a little annoyed, "Naomi. You are the best. The Queen of running ..er.. I mean racing…there, you happy?"
"Very." She turned back to Daisuke, "So Dai, why are you hear so early and on a Tuesday?"
"You know that math test yesterday?"
Naomi and Riku said at the same time, "Yep. What about it?"
"I didn't do very good and teacher wants me to come and redo it…"
"Oh…yeah that was a very hard test." Riku said calmly.
"I would agree…" Naomi said while taking her hair out of it's, now, pony-tail and re-doing it.
Daisuke nodded and asked, "Why are you two here?"
They both said together, "Basketball."
Naomi continued with, " Just three words : early. morning. practices. Not cool."
Daisuke nodded but his facial expression changed very quickly. Naomi watched this with confusion. He blushed and looked down to his left. Naomi heard a sound of wheel coming to a stop. She turned to see Risa getting off her bike with a smile. "Hey Naomi, Riku, Daisuke. Whats up?"
Naomi smiled, "Nothin much Risa, just going to basketball practice."
Risa asked quickly, "Can I watch?"
Riku said back, "Sure. But were going to be late if we don't go now! Lets go Naomi!" Riku ran through the gate with Naomi and Risa in hot presute. Naomi looked back at Daisuke and thought, 'Poor Niwa…Risa just doesn't like you the way you want. She's to busy with the phantom thief…' She turned her head forward and sprinted to the gymnasium.