Chapter 3 – The Match

I walked inside my new dorm room, trying not to notice the weird contraptions that littered the floor. I focused my attention on a). Not tripping over before mentioned contraptions, and b). The girl bent over desk with a screwdriver and a wrench in her hand. "Um, what are you doing?" I asked cautiously. It seemed as if the girl hadn't seen me come in, because she looked up with narrowed eyes.

She had pale skin, and her hair was black and cropped short. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of violet and on her face was an expression of surprise. All in all, she looked completely like one of those porcelain dolls that were in the cupboard back at home.

"That's none of your business. Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Mikan Sakura. I think that you're my new roommate, Hotaru, right?" I asked. It was amazing how Hotaru's expression had changed from surprise to indifference in less than a second.

"Oh. Well then, we'll have to set some ground rules," she said, approaching from behind the desk. "That room," she said, indicating the one on the right. "is yours. This one," she pointed to the left room. "is mine. You are to never set foot in my room, ever. I'll need help moving all of my equipment to my room, so I suggest you get started." Wow, talk about being cold. I helped Hotaru pick up her "equipment" and carry it to her room. Normally, I would argue, but I was way too tired from the journey, that I didn't even bother. Besides, I would have all year to argue with her if I had to.

Once all the debris was cleared, and Hotaru was in her room, (there were very weird sounds coming from it, though I tried not to think about what she might be doing in there) I finally focused on the dorm. It was quite big, and it looked more like an apartment. There was a simple living room, with two black sofas and a glass coffee table, all facing the small TV. Behind the sofas, there were the bedrooms, Hotaru's and mine. Branching off from the living room was the bathroom on the left, and the kitchen on the right. Feeling curious, I decided to check out the kitchen. There wasn't much, except a fridge, (the small ones you find in hotels next to your bed) a microwave, a stove, and a store cupboard.

I looked at my watch and gasped at the time. It was already six, and I had wanted to go and checkout the soccer field before unpacking. Oh well. There was always tomorrow. (tomorrow was Sunday, and the semester began on Monday) I looked around for my bags, but didn't find it anywhere.

I was about to knock on Hotaru's door, so that I could ask her if her bags had come yet, when I heard a knock on the door. I hesitated before answering. Who would come to visit barely ten minutes I had just arrived? But then I heard a knock again, so I opened the door, and ended up face-to-face with a man. (who had the ugliest expression in the world)

"Miss, is there a Mikan, or a Hotaru in the vicinity?" he asked, looking at a piece of paper in his hand.

"Yeah, that would be-"

"Well, could you sign here then?" said the man, his expression even more sour.

I looked at the paper he was holding, and just nodded once. I definitely didn't want to talk to this guy. "Here are your bags," he said, shoving a cart at me. I barely dodged it before it hit the wall.

"Watch it," I cautioned. I could tell that I was close to being a Mikan pancake. The guy just shrugged, as though near death experiences were common for him. "Do you need help unloading the cart?" was all he said. How rude. But I knew that I would never be able to get everything in the room, so I just nodded.

When the guy was gone, and there was a huge pile of bags near the door, I walked across to Hotaru's room. I knocked, and said, "Umm, Hotaru? The bags are here. Don't you want to unpack?" I heard nothing from inside, but the next thing I knew, there was a small clicking sound, the door was open, and in the doorway was . . .. well, Hotaru. Her face was blank as always, and I wondered if she really saw me there. "If you know what's good for you, you won't try to come near my room ever again."

I just stared at her. Was she for real? I mean, come on. I just got close to her room. I mean, what's going to happen?? And that's just what I asked her. Surprisingly, instead of the usual expressionless face, I got a small smile. WOW. The ice-queen smiled. "You know, you got guts. Maybe a little too much for your own good, but still. You got guts," she said, and her face was again expressionless. "Anyway, where did you say the bags were?" I nodded to the door, and I couldn't help but smile. I could tell that Hotaru was a hard person to get close to, especially with that mask of indifference that she always wears.

The rest of the evening was spent unpacking, and when we were done (Yeah, for once Hotaru actually helped. Not much, but still, she helped) we slumped on the couch. We decided that since there wasn't anything to make for dinner (and neither of us was a good cook) that we should order in from central town. I was pretty surprised that any school could have a restaurant (much less one that delivered) on the campus. So obviously, I rushed to the door the moment I heard the bell ring, trying to sniff the air. (Hey, we don't order in much – there was always someone in the house to cook anything that we could buy outside)

I opened the door, and saw that another guy was standing there in full uniform, looking perplexed as he saw me sniffing the boxes of pizza in his hand. "Don't make a fool of yourself," said Hotaru, brushing past me to pay the delivery guy. I nodded, blushing at the thought of stupid I must have looked.

"Hey Hotaru? Can you come with me around the school tomorrow? I would go myself, but I really think that I would get lost," I asked as we were eating pizza. I watched as she looked me up and down.

"Normally, I would say no, but since I need to get a few things myself …. I'll come."

"Thanks," I said. Wow, that was quick. I thought that I would have to beg her for hours to get her to come.

The moment we finished eating our pizza, Hotaru disappeared into her room. I was really tired, and I would have been more than happy to follow her, (to my room, of course, not hers) but I knew that trying to sleep would be a useless attempt. I was used to sleeping as late as five in the morning on Saturdays, (due to my parents always taking me out, usually on trips to one of their colleagues' boring dinner parties) and like they say, old habits die hard. So instead of trying to sleep, I turned on the TV, flicking through the channels.

"You know, the reason they have bedrooms is for people to sleep in them,"

What was that voice? Why did it sound so familiar? And why was I not in my bedroom, with the ever so annoying sound of my alarm clock waking me up? Then suddenly, everything dawned on me. I wasn't at home, I was in my dorm at Alice Academy, and the voice that had acted as the substitute for my alarm clock was Hotaru's.

I stretched, yawning. "What time is it?" I asked. I tried to get up, but my body was cramped up from falling asleep on the couch.

Hotaru looked down at me, and without glancing at her watch, replied, "It's nine. You should be ready by ten."

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and got up, stretching again. "Sure. Whatever," I mumbled, stumbling across to my room. I glanced at my bed longingly. I never wake up earlier than eleven on Saturdays, but I knew that I would have to get a move on if I wanted Hotaru to come with me. Besides, if I could get her to show me where the soccer field was, then I could play the moment I had a chance. With this in mind, I opened my closet, and took out a t-shirt and sweats. (I could tell that if Hotaru was going to central town, then we would probably be doing more than a little walking, and what was more comfortable to walk in than sweats?) I walked back out, to the bathroom, and took a nice hot shower that relaxed my cramped limbs.

By the time I came out, I saw Hotaru sitting in front of the TV, surfing through the channels. "There's some pizza out on the counter, if you want some," she said, without looking at me.

"Thanks," I replied, and popped a slice of pizza in the microwave. As it started to rotate quietly, I looked back at what Hotaru was watching. It was the school's channel, (The school pays some of its students to do small documentaries and announce events about the school on a separate channel that was only available within the campus. How cool was that??) and there was a small girl with black hair welcoming back the students for the new school year.

"Hurry up. Apparently there's a sale at the warehouse. Up to 50 off, and I'm definitely not going to miss it."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming," I said, shoving the last piece of pizza in my mouth. "Just let me get something first." I ran into my room, grabbed my soccer ball and my purse and joined Hotaru at the door.

"Ready? Make sure you have some money. We're probably going to eat out."

"Don't worry, I got it covered," I responded, checking my purse.

"Wait a sec," said Hotaru, locking the door behind her. "Why do you have a soccer ball?"

"Oh, I was hoping that I would be able to play in the field whenever I had a chance. You know, like after you're done with your um…. shopping."

Hotaru just raised her eyebrows, walking down the long corridor. Again, I felt as though I would never be able to find my way out of the labyrinth of hallways and rooms. I made a mental note to myself to memorize the map of the school whenever I got the chance. Trying not to focus on the turns and twists, I instead focused on Hotaru's back.

"Hey Hotaru," I asked when we were out of the building. (Surprisingly, it didn't look as big on the outside) "are we going to walk all the way to central town?"

"No, of course not," she said, snickering. "you're going to walk all the way. I'm not."

"Argg, Hotaru!! Do you know how far that is?" I said, groaning. "Besides, how are you getting there if I have to walk?"

Hotaru just glanced around, as if she was looking for something. "Ah, there it is," she said, heading towards a small parking lot. (There were only a few cars there, and they most probably belonged to the people who drove to school each day rather than staying in the dorms) She took out a remote control and turned it on. She fiddled with the buttons a bit, and then I heard a whirring noise. I held my breath. What in the world was she doing??

My question was answered as a sleek back sports car turned the corner to stop directly in front of us. I peeked through the windows, and was shocked to see that there wasn't anyone driving it. Hotaru just snickered at my expression and got in the driver's seat. I didn't have the time to focus on magic auto pilot-ing cars at that moment. I had a worse problem on my hands. How in the world was I going to walk all the way to central town??

"Hotaru, please. Can I come with you?" I asked, trying my best puppy dog face. (Not that it worked, of course. Hotaru just looked colder)

"Fine," I nearly jumped up in excitement. "….but, you're going to have to pay me."

My eyebrow twitched. That was so like Hotaru. "How do you expect me to pay you back?" I asked slowly.

"Oh, you'll see…" said Hotaru. (I could really picture her with horns right now..)

I just sighed, opening the car door. Once she was driving towards Central Town, I couldn't help but ask her the questions that had been nagging me ever since I saw the car. "Is this car remote controlled, or something? And why do you even have a car in the first place? It isn't like you have to drive to school everyday. How did you get it here , if you came in the train?" I asked.

"Be quiet for a moment, and give me time to answer. The car is remote controlled, as any dim-witted idiot can see. And of course, I have certain special … connections who would be willing to transport my car here for use within the school grounds." But no matter how much I pestered her, she wouldn't tell me who her special 'connections' were. I would really love to not have to depend on the buses to get around school. Half of the time, they don't show up when they're supposed to. That is, if they show up at all.

Soon, we were in Central Town, and I could see the early customers (It was only about ten – thanks to our head start – and most people would start showing up at eleven.) moving around, some with shopping bags in their hands, some talking on their phones, and all looking sleepy. The shops on this side looked small and insignificant, but as we drove farther and farther into the town, I could see that they were getting bigger (and fancier).

"We're here," said Hotaru, cutting the engine. I got out, looking around at my surroundings. We were parked in front of a huge building. I couldn't tell what the shops name was (or if it was even a shop at all) due to the lack of any distinguishing signs or billboards.

"Hotaru, where are we?" I asked.

"It's a warehouse. You might want to wait inside the car. It's going to be boring inside," she replied, tossing the keys to me. I caught them (thanks to my superb hand-eye coordination that I had gained in soccer) and I headed back to the car. I was sure that I didn't want to spend time in a warehouse, no matter what was in it. (Knowing Hotaru, it was probably just parts that she needed for one of her many gadgets) Especially this one, considering how uninviting it looked.

After about thirty minutes of fiddling with the radio, Hotaru showed up again, this time with piles of scrap metal and other parceled stuff in her arms. She shoved them into the back seat, and got in.

"So, where are we going now?" I asked, a bit enthusiastic. I normally wasn't fond of shopping, but Central Town was an exception. It was awesome.

Hotaru glanced at her watch, then looked back at me. We have a little time before lunch. Want to look around?" she asked.

"Um, sure," I said. I was a bit unsure how to act to Hotaru's sudden act of kindness. The next thing I knew, we were speeding down the streets in Central Town.

Normally, I would be almost uncontrollable in my happiness that I would be able to get out on the field, where I could be myself and not care about what anybody thought. (Then again, I never did care about what anybody thought) Where I could truly enjoy the feeling of wind in my hair, and the grass under my feet.

And don't get me wrong. I was totally looking forward to getting on the soccer field; it's just that I wasn't looking forward to the big figures that were jogging on it.

"Looks like there's somebody out there. Good luck trying to find a way back to the dorm." Hotaru stopped the car, waiting for me to get out.

"Huh?" I asked, confused. "What do you mean? Don't tell me that you're leaving without me."

"I'm leaving without you," said Hotaru. "And don't give me that look. First of all, you owe me enough already, and second of all, it doesn't work. (I was trying to do a puppy dog face)" Hotaru slammed the door on me, and sped away. Great. Now I was going to have to walk back. But then again, I was happy that I would be able play soccer.

It was then that remembered that I wasn't the only one on the field. I turned around, and saw that a) the figures had stopped running, and were staring at me. And b) they were walking towards me. I tried to keep my breath even as I saw that they were headed towards me. As they got closer, I saw that there were three guys, all three of them shirtless.

"Oi, little girl. We're playing. So leave," came an all too familiar voice. Natsume's. At the last moment, I saw that the two other guys were none other than Ruka and Koko.

"No. Why should I? I have the right to play here as much as you do," I said, after I got over the shock of seeing all of three guys' well-defined abs. (Just to make it clear – I do not fall after every guy I see who had a six-pack. Actually, a lot of the guys in my karate class had six-packs, and I certainly did not fall for any of them. It was just a shock, that's all)

Ruka looked actually a bit pleased to see me, and Koko, well, he looked just like Koko. (You know, with the big goofy grin and all) "Hey, Mikan," said Koko. "Yeah," Ruka nodded in agreement. I smiled at both of them, and then turned back to Natsume.

"Ok, here's the deal, little girl," began Natusme. I had a feeling that he was up to no good. "We'll play one on one. Me against you. If you make one goal in the next twenty minutes, then I'll let you play.

"You're joking me right? Like I said before, I have as much right to play here as you do," I said. I looked at Natsume, and was surprised that there was a smug expression on his face. "What?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious.

Natsume brushed past me, saying one word as he passed. "Chicken."

Oh no he didn't. No one had called me chicken ever since third grade. (Don't worry, that was resolved by a quick punch in the face) I twirled around, (I would have grabbed his shirt, but unfortunately, he wasn't wearing one) and ran, skidding to a stop in front of him. "You're on," I hissed, aware of the change in Natsume's expression. Now, it didn't look as smug as it did before, and instead, there was a smirk on his face.

Koko wolf whistled, "GO MIKAN!" until he was silenced by Ruka. (I would say that there was no violence involved, but then I would be lying)

I moved into position in the middle of the field. What had I gotten myself into? I had been thinking of practicing some of my new moves (alone) and now I was playing a match against some freak. Hooray. Oh well, what's done is done I thought as I watched the ball drop in between us.

Let the match begin.

Hey, sorry it took me so long. The internet wasnt working, and i had a tne page essay to do. Anyways, thanks for the reviews, all of you. I wonder if i could get twenty reviews this time?? Well, its all up to you.

--A manga freak

p.s. dont forget to tell me how the chapter was.