Chapter 3: Kicked Around

"Hey the last soccer tournament for the team is tonight, before the winter weather comes, you guys wanna watch?" Kukai asked them at the picnic table as they sat together eating their lunch.

"Sure. Is Utau coming to watch?" Amu asked.

"No she had an appointment with her acting coach for that movie she's going to be in...it's okay though! We're both aspiring people, so I don't blame her." Kukai said as if he was proud of her commitment...not to mention his own.

"Well that will be cool to see her on the big screen." Nagihiko said kindly.

"So what time is the game tonight?" Tadase asked.

"Just after school. The other teams coming here, so it's a home game. Last one!" Kakai smiled proudly.

" Are you going to come too?" Amu asked Ikuto.

"Yea, I just have a few things to do for my music class after school. I might be late but I'll show up. Plus you'll need a ride back anyway right?" Ikuto wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Yea...I guess..." Amu always felt awkward in front of her friends with Ikuto. She wondered if they'd had an intense of a relationship.

"You always blush when Ikuto's with us Amu. We're use to it you know." Rima said, pointing out her color.

"I'm not blushing! I'm just warm..."

"Same thing." Kukai laughed. "I'll see you guys tonight then. I want to go hit the ball a bit before classes start again."

"I'm going to go too. Maybe I'll see if Yasuko-chan can come." Tadase smiled.

"How's that going with her?" Rima asked as if it was casual.

"Good." Tadase's smile remained. "She felt really bad for her outbursts as Silver Heart Queen...I couldn't blame her though. Half of it was my fault for not realizing how she felt. They've been training back at Seiyo though. Yaya and Kairi actually..."

"Actually what?" Amu asked.

"Seem like...they've been getting closer." Tadase admitted.

"Really? That's so..." Rima held her tongue.

"They seem kind of opposite don't you think?" Ikuto asked.

"...you're really saying that?" Amu looked at Ikuto . Amu and Ikuto were kind of opposites themselves.

"It's good for them. Hows Ryu doing then?" Nagihiko asked.

"Well. He's taking more control of the temple, and his parent's plan to leave it to him when he gets older. Yaya and him are close friends but it seems like he's accepted Kairi now too. They kind of remind me of us when we were their age." Tadase smiled.

Amu always could count on Tadase for being the one who brought them together. He was a good Leader...although he wasn't really King anymore.

"I think we should go, the lunch break is almost over." Rima added finally.

"See you guys later at the game!" Nagihiko walked off with Rima, as Ikuto and Amu separated their way as well.

"You're going to come tonight aren't you?" Amu asked.

"I will. Why you want me there that badly?" Ikuto grinned.

"I...I just want Kukai to have as much support as possible..." Amu said trying to prevent herself from turning red.

"Right. Well then I better come to 'support Kukai', because if I don't come I know 'he'll' miss me." Ikuto smirked and kissed her before he parted to the stairs.

Amu walked away with two large huffs as she tried to regain herself, so she wasn't red before entering her class.

Kage had been standing in the same hallway and happened to hear the conversation.

"Skipping class?"

He felt a light nudge on his left arm. He looked down to see Amaya.

"I'm thinking about it." He admitted.

"Well then that makes two of us." Amaya added. "Want to go do something...this place can get so boring at times..."

"Actually... I think I might go to class..." Kage said was he turned around, nonchalantly, his eyes doing that thing where they half opened as if he was relaxed or unimpressed about something.

"Then maybe I'll-" Amaya started to follow when she realized that he went inside the boys bathroom instead of going inside the class. "Shit." She whispered under her breath. She decided to go to her picnic table and claw up more of the woodgrain instead.

"Thats not good for you're nails Amaya-chan! You should character change with me first so you sharpen your claws instead!" Kodami insisted.

"I'm really not in the mood." Amaya said as she looked at her reflection in the glass window across from her. What was so wrong with her that no guy that she ever wanted ever wanted her back? She put her head in her arms on the table and sulked.

"I know what will cheer you up!" Kodami floated around to the front of her.

"What?" Amaya said muffled in her arms.

"I heard that Amu and Ikuto are going to a soccer game tonight...and Kage will probably be there too if Amu is."

"Are you trying to rub it in?" Amaya said.

"No, but if Amu is with Ikuto, you can flirt with Kage since he can't be bothered by Amu!" Kodami said, grabbing her tail and hugging it as if she was mimicking the notion of love.

"Good point. It's worth a try." Amaya said and laid back on the bench of the table. "Until then...I'm going to dream my problems away."

"Hey Amu, where's Ikuto?" Rima asked.

"He said he had some music stuff to do for his class, but he'll be here soon hopefully." Amu said as the game was about to start.

"Don't you think we should sit back farther?" Nagihiko asked.

"Why? This seems like a good spot?" Rima said as they sat on a blanket just outside the field lines.

"We are kind of close, but Kukai will be happy to see us supporting him!" Tadase said, next to Yasuko who had come, still in her Seiyo uniform.

"How've you been Yasuko?" Amu asked, hoping it wouldn't be awkward.

"A lot better thank you! I'm sorry if I said anything rotten to you or Tadase before! I really didn't mean it. I guess I didn't realize how jealous I was." Yasuko said in a very polite manner.

"It's okay! I remember being jealous too at one point of another too!" Amu admitted.

"When?" Tadase said surprised.

"Uhm...well..." Amu remembered all the times Tadase was referring to dogs as the person he liked...and the other time he called one cute...and she thought it was another girl. "Oh look the games going to start!"

The others focused their attention on the game, and Amu breathed a sigh of relief. She really didn't want to have to explain that one.

Amu and the others watched as Kukai was proving to be a strong force for a younger member of the team. Some of the other guys from the opposing team were getting agitated even though Kukai's pride lead him...and therefore didn't pay much attention to their irritation. But they also had a good player on their team. Sooner or later the score was 3-3 and the two teams seemed to be getting pretty intense.

"Wow that balls moving fast..." Amu said trying to watch it dance beneath the feet of the players.

"They're pretty into it." Tadase commended.

"I don't know where they get all that energy." Yasuko agreed.

"Hey, is it just me or does -" Naghiko said but Amu tuned out. Where was Ikuto? He said he'd be here...she turned around to see if she could see Ikuto coming at all from the school, and she swore she saw someone walking over.

"AMU DUCK!"

"What?" She said as she turned around, and the soccer ball hit her flat in the face.