Of You And Me
1. Welcome To Serin High!
Riko sighed.
It was the first day of the new school year and Seirin's school grounds looked like a battlefield.
All around her students were shouting and screaming, trying to get the attention of the freshmen and listing off the reasons exactly as to why they must join their clubs, waving around flyers and fighting for the attention of the new students. The freshmen, in return, were looking around the chaos that had taken complete control of their school, trying, (and failing) to make their way across the crowd (and come out in one piece)
Riko herself had sent out Koganei, Izuki and Mitobe to try and get some new fresh meat, ahem… students to join the basketball club. She told them she was expecting at least five new members by the end of the day, otherwise they could kiss their free time goodbye.
Shuffling through the admission papers Riko looked up at Hyuuga, whom she had forced to sit with her, hoping that maybe some of the freshmen might consider joining their club if they saw their captain, which, by the looks of it, wouldn't be happening anytime soon since all Hyuuga seemed capable of doing right now was pout and whine about how they didn't need some pretentious brats that didn't even know how to hold a ball to come and ruin their club.
But Riko knew (and Hyuuga did to, he was just too stubborn to admit it) that they needed help.
Last year they got far, farther than she thought they could possibly go, their team consisting only of inexperienced mostly untrained first years. They had had high hopes all of them, even her, believing they could make it, believing that somehow they, a no name school like Seirin could become the best, but then reality came barging in, showing them just how far you can go relying solely on teamwork and last minute comebacks. Because when the moment of truth comes they were, they are, still nothing compared to the other schools. Which are light-years ahead of them. Seirin not even reaching their ankles.
Besides Kyoshi would not be able to aid them this year, not in his current condition. And no matter how tempting it may be she would not let him come back until he got better. She had promised herself just after the incident that no matter what his safety came first. So that left their team missing a big piece of their game when she realized she could not rely in the Iron Heart to bail them out of trouble anymore.
On top of that, this year they had to face another challenge, the prodigies known as the Generation of Miracles were leaving middle school behind and stepping up to high school basketball, taking the already fierce battle up another level, and marking the beginning of what would be without a doubt one, if not the most, rough and hard-fought basketball high school seasons. Each member of the Generation of Miracles was, without a doubt, going to go to strong high schools, which already presented a great challenge by themselves, mind you and so, if Riko wanted this team to become Japan's number one, she needed well…
A miracle.
What she did not expect was for that miracle to come, dragging Koganei behind her by the collar of his shirt nonetheless, and, in really bad Japanese, present herself as Kagami Temari, Seirin High's new player.
Temari was awoken by the simple yet annoyingly loud ding! That alerted her of a new message. Grumbling she probed around her bedside table until her hand hit her cellphone, which, of fucking course, fell to the floor with a thud.
Sitting upright and rubbing away the remaining sleep from her eyes Temari bend down and picked up her current source annoyance. Flashing through the screen was a little white envelope with ALEX written under it, clicking on it her bleary red eyes scanned the text.
To: Kagami Temari
From: Alexandra Garcia
have a great first day at school Mari-chann!
(ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧
LOVE YOU
-Alex
Frowning at the message Temari pushed herself up from the bed. Was Alex drunk? It wouldn't be the first time she texted her while she was intoxicated, because really first day of scho-
Wait.
Oh, gods dammit!
Hitting herself Temari headed for the bathroom. Of course she would have forgotten that today was her first day of school, in fucking Japan nonetheless.
Sighing Temari step in to the shower, she still had enough time to go through her morning routine without a hurry. Letting the water clear up her sleep-clouded mind Temari let herself relax till the shower ran cold and she stepped out, going into her closet to find her uniform.
It was a good thing she played basketball really, if not Temari would have gone into cardiac arrest the minute she found out she was supposed to wear a skirt.
Cursing, she inspected the rest of the uniform. The blouse she could wear, the neck thingy was not to bad, but the skirt was a big no-no. She couldn't play basketball in that thing, dammit!
After at least half an hour of cursing and procrastinating Temari realized she was running late for school, so gathering up all her courage she put on the godforsaken uniform, grabbed her bag and an apple from the kitchen counter and off she went.
Finding Seirin was easy. Just follow the people wearing the same uniform and try to look inconspicuous. As soon as Temari arrived at the gates she found herself surrounded by total and complete chaos. By the glimpses she got of the school (that means when the people stopped pushing her around and allowed her some very needed breathing space) Seirin, although new, was very beautiful. Making her way across the school's ground, trying to doge flaying limbs and refusing in what she hoped was a polite way the flyers offered to her Temari found herself in the center of the storm. She was feeling dizzy already from all the shouting and the waiving when she heard that one word that she would recognize anywhere.
"Basketball. Join the Basketball Club"
Whipping her head around Temari caught sight of a tall dark-haired boy silently offering flyers to the students. Besides him was another boy this one having brown hair and a weird shaped mouth (seriously what's up with that?) A third one was shouting what seemed to be a pun, a very bad one at that, which ended up with him being hit around the head by the brown-haired boy, the tall one shaking his head in exasperation.
Making her way over to them, she tapped Mouth Guy in the shoulder, hoping to catch his attention, it seemed to work since the guy turned over to look at her, his eyes widening and his mouth dropping a little.
She was used to that kind of reaction. Having always been taller than most girls her age. Her red hair dropping a little past her shoulders was tied into a high ponytail, her bangs covering her red eyes.
"Oh hello, do you need any help?" He said. A smile slipping easily into his face.
"Eh, I would like to join the Basketball Club" Said, Temari returning the smile.
"You! I mean a-a girl!?" And just like that her smile turned into a scowl.
She had had to deal with the same thing for most of her life.
People finding it unbefitting for a girl to play basketball of all things. Always telling her to drop the ball and to go play with dolls. Well. Fuck them. If she wanted to play basketball she'll be dammed if something like it's a boy's sports was going to stop her.
"What. You got a problem with that?" Temari replied back, making sure the boy noticed her annoyance at his earlier remark.
"Yes! I- I mean n-no, is just that… Well this is the boy's basketball club."
"And I don't see any problem with me being in it"
Before Mouth Guy could reply one of the dark-haired boys interrupted them, making sure things didn't got out of hand.
"Why don't you take her to Coach, Koganei? Maybe she can sort this out" the guy said, eyeing her wearily up and down.
"Yes, Mouth Guy why don't you, ne?"
"Mou-Mouth Guy?! Whoa, hey wait!" Picking Mouth Guy (or Koganei apparently but, really, Mouth Guy fit him so much better) by his collar and ignoring his splutters and the glances the students were throwing her Temari started walking in the general direction one of the other guys (later she would learn his name was Mitobe) had pointed her to. She had no idea who this "Coach" person was but, If he could help her get into the club, well, Temari was not complaining.
As it turned out "Coach" was not a he but a she. (which was a pleasant surprise because, you know, Girl Power and all)
After finding the table Koganei told her to look for, Temari had released her hold on him, letting him go (and leaving him frankly more than a little traumatized) plopping herself down in one of the chair that sat opposite the table and stated her desire of joining Seirin's basketball club.
Riko was the first one of them to come out of shock. Looking at her right she found Huuyga still gaping like a fish, mouth wide open and eyes as big as saucers.
Shaking her head a little she turned her head to face the girl who sat across her, looking frankly a little annoyed frankly.
Clearing her throat a little to get the girls attention she spoke, a bit unsure because of how Koganei was motioning wildly behind her, looking panicked.
"Um, eh I'm sorry… eh"
"Kagami Temari"
"Well then, I'm sorry Kagami-chan, but this is the boy's basketball club and well you're, eh, you're a girl" Riko said, flinching a little when she saw the red-head's face turn into a scowl.
"So, I don't see a problem with me joining the club. This is the XI Century for fuck's sake. Why is everyone still so sexist?"
Taken aback a little by the girl's language Riko hurried to explain herself. She had nothing against Kagami joining the club, but she doubted if she could endure the practice she put the boys through. It wasn't like her to go easy on someone and she sure as hell wasn't going to do it for her with the sole excuse of her being, well, a she. Besides the other high schools posed a problem too, she seriously doubted they would let a girl compete against them.
"Look I know what you're thinking, but I'm not weak. I bet I could win against everyone in the club if you would just let me prove it to you" then as an after thought Kagami added. "Please"
Stunned into silence Riko could only stare. She knew the look in Kagami's eyes Riko had it herself. A look of pure determination, the desire of wanting to prove herself worthy of playing the sport Riko could see she loved so much.
Smiling to herself Riko looked up at Huuyga, who in turn only nodded to her. So he could see it too, couldn't he? Turning her head to see an expecting (and hopeful) Kagami, Riko told her.
"Come to practice tomorrow Kagami-chan, and if you're any good, I'll speak to the headmaster to make an exception for you"
Grinning from ear to ear Kagami jumped up from her seat, bowing hastily in her excitement and stuttering out thank yous and I won't disappoint yous in really bad polite Japanese.
"We'll see about that, brat. This is the only chance you'll be getting so don't fuck it up" Said a frowning Huuyga although a smile had worked a way up his face.
Nodding and stuttering out a final thank you, Kagami left. The crowd swallowing the mop of fiery red hair whole.
"This is going to be an eventful year, isn't it?" Riko said.
Chuckling, Huuyga looked down at her.
"Yeah, it certainly will"
So here to is. I hope you guys like it. I know there isn't much Kuroko but he will appear next, don't worry.
Romance won't be a big part of the story. first i want friendship to be established and then will see. I have next to nothing planned out, this was a spur of the moment kind of thing. I'm planning on doing different one-shots with Temari/various pairing but with no connection to this story, so please tell me if you guys are interested.
I'm still looking for a Beta Reader so if you're interested PM me please. Well that's it really. hope you like it (✿ ‿ )
