Chapter 4: Playing with fire

"I think I failed my freaking Quiz too" Lara hung her head in defeat, school was too damn hard.

"Lara! You need to study more" Michiru looked at her friend, how could she be such a slob and not feel even slightly guilty about it?

"Nah... What for? I'm a wealthy heiress..." The two friends walked past Haruka, Michiru looked away as soon as she met the green eyes. "So what now? Do we finally hate Tenoh?"

The aqua beauty shook her head. "Why should I? She's not the reason I lose, I should have trained more"

"Ah, why do you always chose the hardest path? Hate her, its healthy"

"Please stop it; I am not going to hate Haruka just so I can feel comfortable on my own skin."

"Listen it's easier to hate someone than yourself, take my advice; for example I failed this test...why? Because the teacher is a bitch...see? No guilt, if I start to think I failed cause I'm lazy and Koichi takes too much of my time I'll be all stressed and depressed...like you"

Michiru looked at Lara and shook her head again. "That doesn't work for me, she has done nothing for me to hate her, for God's sake she hasn't even been here a whole day"

"Take my advice, she's trouble I can sense it... hey look there's Tenoh with the Dumb Duet what did I just told you?"

"Don't call them that, would you like people to call us names?"

The two friends turned to look at the bench Haruka was sitting on; she was talking with two other girls. Michiru was about to say something when a blonde tall slim girl approached them "They already do, Hi Lara, Michi"

"Mina, where have you been? And what's all about people calling us names?" Michiru frowned, who called her names? Seriously.

"They call us the lil princesses"

"Cool" Lara smiled. "We should have some sparkling tiaras made and maybe some pink jackets like in Grease!" The blonde and Larisa laughed at the thought but Michiru's face was serious.

"That's not cool Lara"

"Sure it is, we have royal titles"

"Yeah" The girl that had joined them shook her long blonde hair, she had a beautiful face and big blue eyes, her name was Minako Aino, and she was a year younger than them so they weren't in the same class.

"I don't like the idea of people calling me princess Michiru"

"They don't" Mina smiled at her and Michiru looked puzzled.

"They don't? Didn't you just say..."

"They don't call you princess Michi; they call you Queen Michiru..." The blonde giggled and so did Lara. Michiru shook her head exasperated.

"You two are impossible"

"Hey who's that Girl talking to the Dumb duet?"

"Don't call them that Mina…" Michiru sighed.

"The new girl, Haruka Tenoh, she's in our room"

"And why is she talking to the freakazoids?"

"Don't call them that!"

"Whatever, why is Tenoh talking to Amy and Usagi?"

"I like Usagi, don't call her names" Michiru did liked her, Usagi Tsukino was a nice girl with a sweet disposition, although they were not friends Michiru had always liked her, the Aura around the blonde was very peaceful.

"You like everyone Michi, but they are the enemy, have you forgot when she try to burn your hair in the Chemistry lab?"

"That was Amy..."

"Go see what are they talking about..." Lara kept sending the group curious glances, Michiru rolled her eyes.

"Fine" Michiru grabbed her blue bag and walked to the girls, after all she was curious too. Amy seemed to be trying to get Tenoh into something. "Hi, Haruka I need to show you some other things around the school, are you busy?"

The blonde look into the sea blue eyes "Ah, no we're done here"

"Yeah, we were Kaioh, I was just asking Haruka to join the swim team, unless you're too afraid she'll defeat you ...again" Michiru smiled at Amy's words, she was not losing her cool again, not again.

"I Told her I'm not interested..." Haruka knew what crossfire looked like and she knew also she was in the middle of one.

"You'll do just anything to piss me off ah Mizuno? Guess what? I don't mind if she joins the team, I think competition is healthy. I will love it if she joins every single sports team in the school. "

"Is that so? Then why do you look upset, is it that you're scared to lose in the only thing you're good at?"

Michiru gave Amy and icy smile. "I'm not scared. I'll win"

Haruka tried to interrupt the conversation between the two girls; she was feeling quite uncomfortable "I'm not a good..."

"If you're so sure why don't we make a little bet then?"

"Guys...I'm not..." Haruka closed her mouth again, she felt it was useless to talk; they don't seem to be paying any attention to her.

"Seems you have thought this through already Mizuno, so why don't you spit out what you have in mind?"

"If she wins you'll quit the swim team"

Michiru weighted her answer, the stakes were too high. "You'll love that, right? Fine, but if I win..."

"I'll be out then"

"No, that'll be too easy Mizuno, I won't weaken my team just because you're stupid, if I win you'll be my track and field mascot...you'll wear 'the costume'."

It is more than obvious that everyone around was now paying full attention to the battle of egos when Michiru spoke many of the girls held their breath.

However Amy was confident. "Ok. You have a deal Kaioh."

"We'll do it tomorrow before lunch." Michiru turned to look at the blonde who still looked shocked. "Better bring tissues Tenoh"

"What for?" Haruka was confounded at this point, was anybody going to ask her opinion about this?

"For you and your friend's tears!" "Maybe Lara is right, hating her gets easier and easier..." Michiru then turned around and fixed her long silky and walked away swaying her hips, Amy left too along with Usagi who waved a silent goodbye, Haruka had the impression things were going to get even worst between Michiru and herself.

In a minute everyone had left, Haruka sighed, this school was too complicated for her. "Seems you're the news around here Blondie" A dark haired girl went out of the shadows and walked towards Haruka, her raven hair fell down to her waist.

"Not by choice I can assure you" She lent the blonde girl her hand. "Haruka Tenoh"

The girl look at her doubtful but shook her hand. "Rei Hino, nice to meet you, well I shall go now"

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

Rei gave her a sad smile."It's not convenient for you to talk to me"

"That's nonsense why not?"

"I'm the freak around here"

"I built my own opinion about people" The girl looked at her and Haruka realized she had dark deep purple eyes.

"I like you already, so ready to beat the swimming captain? I heard you're making out of it your new hobby"

"You want the truth? I can't swim any better than a drowning dog"

Rei smiled. "It's a shame; I was willing to see someone able to defeat her in the water...poor Amy..."

-o-o-

Michiru walked away from Amy and Haruka, she was totally PO right now, Lara and Mina joined her. Lara looked at her roommate with concern. "Are you sure about this Michi? What if you lose?"

Michiru sent her a killer look. "If I lose Larisa I'll eat my own swimsuit, there's one thing in this world I'm sure I'm good at and that's swimming, now whether you stop talking nonsense or leave me alone now"

"Sorry"

"Hey, Lara where's your bag?"

"Mina! I thought you got it, let's go find it"

The two girls went back to get the pink bag, Michiru thanked she was able to cool alone, she loved her friends but sometimes she felt they didn't understood her.

-o-o-

"Michi is too nice, I say we should torch Amy's locker"

"Yeah, Mina look, seems Tenoh has a taste for outcasts, she's there talking to Hino"

"Why? I bet she doesn't know who she is"

"I think Mina, we should warn the new girl about not to play with fire"

"Yeah, before she hurts herself" The two girls smile evilly. "We'll do it tonight"

(Evil school girls no? What do you think is going to be their lil warning? Well you'll find out of you review me...)