A/N: Just wanted to give a huge thanks to my Beta reader Rainbowlalaland for sticking with me and helping me make the story all I ever dreamed.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Prince of Tennis.
Unfortunate Acquaintances
'This isn't supposed to happen. Not to me. I'm supposed to win, so why...' Mika thought as she lay on the hard, green and white clay, ground. 'Why...'
Her knee was in excruciating pain; 'Why...'
Everything was going well, the score was 30-40, all she needed was one more point and the thirty minute game would have come to an end. 'Why...'
She knew before she even began running towards the ball that she wouldn't make it, but still she tried. She was supposed to win.
Her knee buckled under her weight, the pain was so intense causing her to plummet to the ground screaming. 'Why...'
She lost by defaulted forfeit. 'I was Supposed to win, so why...'
Mika replayed that day over and over in her head, always wondering what she could have done to avoid the injury, but more importantly, how she could have won.
'I should have kept playing, I shouldn't have fallen. I would have won.' That was her life, winning, of course she had lost games in the past but nothing as humiliating as an injury.
The clearing of a throat made her look up from the window, and a couple giggles made her realize the teacher was talking to her...and that she completely missed what he just said.
"Sorry..." She trailed of hoping he'd repeat what he said.
"Miss Etsuko, would you like to join the class, maybe read the entry."
"Yes Sir...sorry," She stood, picking up the book and looking at it blankly, trying to figure out what she was supposed to read. Or even what page they were on. "Um, Sir...what page?"
The teacher sighed while he ignored the snickers from the other students, "...forty-five"
"Right...present unreal conditions can be used to talk about the future..." She finished and sat down again, looking back towards the window, trailing off into thought about the day again until the bell ran for dismissal.
Everyone but Mika left, shoving their stuff into their bags and bolting for the door to start their club activities. "Miss Etsuko would you come here for a moment." The teacher sighed from his desk. He wondered when she's make some friends and bolt to the door with the rest of the students.
Mika did as asked, wondering if she was going to get detention for always spacing out in his class...but still she managed to get straight C's so it's not like it was that bad...she was still passing so he couldn't be that mad, right?
"Yes sir?"
"Mika, I know you just transferred here a month ago, but don't you think it's time to start making some friends and maybe joining a club...we have a very good Kendo club if you're interested. You seem like you might be good at Kendo."
Mika looked the man over again, emotionless eyes, like she did the first day she arrived, and deducted that he was probably the Kendo coach. "No thank you, Sir, but I'll try to make some friends soon...I'm still adjusting to the new environment. It's a lot different here than Germany."
"Of course, but Miss Etsuko, please do try. You're a very bright girl and I know you can have a lot of fun here if you try."
"Yes Sir."
Mika left the classroom at a brisk pace, making sure to prevent the teacher from calling her back in. She couldn't comprehend how he refuses to see things from her point of view. Don't you think if she wanted friends then she would have tried to make some verses pushing them all away the first week... she just didn't want friends...was that so hard to understand?
Mika left the school, her purple and green tennis bag hanging over her left shoulder. The few people still loitering around the school gates looked at her, wondering why she wasn't at the girls tennis club activities...she did have a tennis bag.
Making her way to the street courts Mika sighed, all the courts were being used by other people. She saw an empty half court on the west side and briskly made her way there.
She was too late. Some tall looking idiot wearing a yellow shirt got there just milliseconds before her, "Looks like I got here first"
Mika even thought his voice sounded idiotic. She sighed and turned her back on him walking away.
"Hey wait! I was just kidding. If you really wanna play tennis I know of a secret court, let's play each other."
She stopped and faced him again; she continued to stare at him for a bit longer making the atmosphere rather awkward. "I don't play tennis." With that she walked off with her purple and green tennis bag, leaving the boy in the yellow shirt dumbfounded.
*The fallowing day after school, at the boy's tennis courts*
"Can you believe that Echizen?" Momo whined while running with his teammates. "I mean she just turned me down."
Ryoma said nothing, he had to listen to Momo's whining all day yesterday and he was still harping about it today.
"All I did was asked her if she wanted to play a game of tennis and she said she didn't play tennis. I mean who goes to the street courts and not play tennis? She even had a tennis bag for crying out loud!"
"Maybe she meant that she doesn't play tennis…with strangers. Did you tell her your name, or did you do that thing where you ask strangers to go to a secret tennis court with you?"
Momo thought back to yesterday. "Hmm… I guess I didn't, I know I'll go there today and introduce myself…I mean no one can say no to this face. Wanna come with me Echizen?"
Ryoma just sighed as he ran ahead not wanting to be pulled into one of his schemes. "No."
Once practice ended Momo ran to the street courts still in his regulars uniform and searched around for the mystery girl.
Mika had gotten to the courts early in hopes of finding an empty tennis court, but again they were all filled up by morons who couldn't serve if their lives were on the line. Instead of going home she sat on a bench waiting for an opening.
Not long after Mika was surrounded by three guys, all of which looked like they were in high school.
"Hey cutie, I play on the high school tennis team…I'm real good if you know what I mean." One guy with blonde hair said in a seductive voice getting closer.
"I seriously doubt that…" Mika stood up, coming chest height to them.
The guy with the blonde hair growled as he grabbed her wrist. "Listen little girl, my name is Kabaki and todays your lucky day cause I've chosen you to go out on a date with me."
Mika tried to pull her wrist away but his grip was much too tight. "That's really nice, but-"
"Hey you punks let her go!" Momo yelled running up to them. "Don't worry miss; I'm here to rescue you."
"My hero…" Mika bluntly said as she continued to pry her wrist away from Kabaki, thinking to herself that this guy was just going to make matters worse.
"Listen man, I've decided to take your girlfriend out on a date so butt out." Kabaki sneered puling on Mikas wrist.
She stopped trying to escape; did he really think that the big goof was her boyfriend? "Girlfriend? I don't even know who that guy is."
"Oh right, I'm Momoshiro Takeshi…but you can just call me Momo" He looked at the two of them and realized nether one was listening to his marvelous introduction that he worked on the whole way to the courts.
Mika had put her free hand up to her mouth; blocking Momo's view of it. "Listen I don't know who he is but if you want to go on a date with me so bad…let's make a deal." Mika grinned.
Kabaki let go of her wrist, even though he loved the ladies, he liked wining even more. "Sure…let's see…we'll play a single match round of tennis and if I win you go out on a date with me."
"This is perfect!" Momo dropped his arm around Mikas shoulder. "Me and uh…this girl will play doubles against you and anyone of your friends there."
Mika wondered what was up with his guy; why was he so persistent on playing tennis with her? "What?"
"Don't worry, I'm an amazing tennis player, just relax and have some fun." Momo had a wide grin plastered on his face.
She let out a sigh, there was no use to try and argue with this guy. "Looks like the jolly green giant and I will play a doubles match with you. If you win I'll go out on a date with you…and this guy will shave his head."
Momo stood there with terror in his eyes. He began running his hands through his black hair, besides his tennis skills, his amazing smile, and charming looks, his hair was his favorite trait about him. "Hey speak for yourself! And my name is Momo, not jolly green giant!"
Kabaki grinned, he knew he had this game in the bag; after all he was the captain for his high school tennis club. "Alright, but what if by some miracle you guys win?"
Mika hadn't really thought about that far in advance. "Don't worry I'll tell you when we win." Mika went over to the bench and took out a black piece of material from her tennis bag.
"What's that thing?" Momo wondered what it was, maybe some secret weapon.
"It's a cute accessory …what does it look like." Mika coldly sneered. "It's a knee brace; I have to wear it as a precaution."
Momo's pride took a beating from that last remark, but he wasn't going to let it get him down, he was going to have his chance to show off his skills. Before he could make his way to the court he felt a tug at his shirt, he turned himself around and looked at his doubles partner.
Mika raised her racquet up and brought it back down quickly inches away from his face. "Listen, I play tennis to win…so don't mess up."
Bringing his hand up to the racquet and gently lowering it Momo grinned and held up a 'V' with his hand. "No worries, we can beat him."
She rolled her eyes walking past him, thinking to herself what she had gotten into. "Idiot."
