Xiaolin Showdown Fan12345, crazychick14, f3296, XemlovezyouX11233, LovePrincessZ, miglukee, TheXGrayXLady, xXRandomnessXx, Disciple of Darkness, Rokunami123, Sunshine5643, and others who have read this fanfic... thank you! It makes me happy to know that someone's reading this. :3

Chapter 3: Bets

"Are you kidding me, Tohomiko?" Keiko shrieked, causing everyone in the library to look at the two of them. The librarian shushed them, causing the two girls to blush.

"Keiko," Kimiko replied, exasperated. She flipped a page in her math textbook and scanned it quickly before saying, "It's just soccer. It's not like he proposed to me or something. He's being nice."

"He's being Raimundo!" Keiko muttered, clicking her tongue. She put her hand on Kimiko's textbook, forcing her to look at her. "He's just trying to charm you, Kimmy. The second he has you hooked, he'll just treat you like last year's shoes."

Kimiko pouted as she pulled the book away from Keiko. "You know how much I hate it when you compare things to last year's shoes." She sighed. "You really don't like him, do you?"

"No. I do like him. He's like a brother to me. We act like siblings all the time. He's like a big brother I never had and wish that I would never ever have."

Rolling her eyes, Kimiko said, "What's so bad about Raimundo? He's very nice—"

"Nice is just part of his game. He's messing with you, Kimiko!' She shouted, causing the librarian that was passing by to shush them again. In a hush tone, Keiko whispered, "Can you not see it, Kim?"

Kimiko, rolling her eyes, said, "The only thing I see is a crazy girl in front of me trying to scare me off from Rai. Like I said oh so many times before… it's just soccer." She blushed a bit, in hopes that their plans for soccer after school could lead to something more. Even though she had been warned by Keiko much time to stay clear of the Brazilian boy, she couldn't help but become more interested in him. It was like a child wanting to defy their parents due to the fact that they want to be rebellious.

"I know that look, Kimiko. I've seen that look before."

"What look?" An innocent smile appears on her face.

"You think he's cute or something, don't you?" Keiko's eyes darken as she leaned in over the table. "Stay away from him. That boy is trouble and will just bring you into the center of more trouble. When he said that he was going to help you learn how to play soccer, he probably has more than just soccer on his mind."

"Hey!" Kimiko said, gently slapping her friend's shoulder. "Do not worry for me, Keiko. I just remembered something. It just popped into my head. Daddy's having this party this Saturday. He's inviting all of his new business partners and he told me I can invite my friends. You can bring a date to the party."

Keiko's face went red at the word "date".

"What? Does Keiko have a crush on someone?" Kimiko poked her friend with her highlighter, giggling like a young schoolgirl.

"N-no!" Keiko's face was still red. Seeing the smirk on her friend's face, she said, "Wipe that smug look off of your face because nothing is ever going to happen between us. We're just friends… he only sees me as a friend."

Kimiko nodded. She didn't want to press her for anymore questions, even though she was dying to know who the mystery man was.

Keiko suddenly smiles at her friend. As an attempt to change the subject, she said,"Remember to kick the ball at Raimundo's big head. He needs a little taste of reality now and then."

-x-

He sat there, enjoying the cool breeze as he waited for her to show up. Rolling the soccer ball with his index finger, he was wondering what was taking her so long. Unless…

"She stood me up!" He hissed, standing up. The wind immediately died down as he furiously kicked the ball across the field. Grabbing his backpack, he turned around to see Kimiko standing right behind him.

"I do hope that we're learning something easier than to kick a ball that far," she said as she raised a brow at him. "Unless you want me to instantly gain inhumane strength from nowhere to kick the ball like how you do it." A childish grin appears on her face.

"Huh?" He scratched the back of his neck before saying, "I thought Keiko had finally gotten to you—"

"Please," Kimiko said, tossing her small purse onto the ground. "I tend to just drown her out."

He chuckled. "Me too."

She cocked her head. "Aren't you going to get the ball? We don't have all day."

He smirked, folding his arms against his chest. "Why? You afraid that I'm too good for you that you'll never ever compare to someone like me?"

"Quit dreaming, boy," she said, grinning at him. "Because I am going to own that field!" She marched passed him, her hair caught in the wind. She looked over her shoulder and added, "Speechless already? Hmm… I didn't know I was that good."

The corner of his lip curled into a smirk as he said, "As if. You think you got game?"

"How should I know? I've never played this game in my entire life."

"Then why are you bragging?" He asked; his thick brows furrowed together as he faked a scowl.

"Omi says it agitates you. Does it?" A naïve smirk appears on her face.

"Yes," he admits.

"Good." She grinned at him as she walked towards the ball; leaving him behind, dazed.

-x-

"Okay, this is harder than it looks," she said, wobbling after kicking the ball only to send it a few feet across the field. "You should have told me to wear cleats, not heels."

"And give you a bigger advantage?" he teases as he stops the ball with his foot. He rolls the ball back and forth for a bit before saying, "You know… Keiko and Clay had told me to stay away from you."

"That's funny. Keiko and many other girls have warned me to stay away from you."

"And yet, look where we are." A smile appears on his face. "Not staying away from each other."

"Obviously," she snorted. A toothy, shy grin appears on her face as she blushed.

"Funny. People had told Romeo to stay away from Juliet and vice versa but that never stopped them." He watched as her cheeks went red, showing signs that she was blushing at what he had said.

"I think the poison and their deaths did," Kimiko said, her face still red. Seeing the look on his face, she laughed. "Boy, you never paid attention in English, did you?"

He shrugs. "The only thing that has my attention and interest is—" He stopped himself. He was not going to tell her that his interests were basically soccer, surfing, and girls. He was trying to score, not repulse her.

"Sport?" She guessed when he didn't reply.

"Exactly." He might as well go along with the flow. He didn't know what else to say—his mind had went blank went he needed it most.

"Alright, Tohomiko, show me your stuff. Are you as good as you claim you are?" Raimundo said, grinning at her. He pointed to the net behind him and said, "You have to get the ball in—in one attempt."

"Easy," Kimiko said, glaring at the net with fiery passion in her eyes. "As pie." She stretched her arms over her head and said, "Bring it on."

"But," he said, smirking at her still as he folded his arms across his chest. "If you can't get it into the net in one attempt, you have to go on a date with me."

Jaws dropped, she looked at him. "What?" No wonder Keiko has been warning me, nonstop! Kimiko thought as she stares at him. "No deal."

"Chicken?" he said, clucking at her. He put his hands on his hips and started clucking like a chicken as he flapped his arms.

Scowling, she said, "No. I just don't want to go on a date with you," she replied, lying somewhat. She did think he was cute and had some potential boyfriend qualities, but she knew better to trust Keiko than her instants. After all, Keiko had known Raimundo a lot longer than she has.

He shrugs. "Your lost. Now all I have to do is tell everyone that the daughter of Tohomiko is scared of kicking a ball." He smirked at her.

She scowls at him. "No way." She picked up the ball. "I am not going to risk it. I understand that you're dying to go out on a date with me, but I'm not that desperate."

"Neither am I!" Raimundo hissed. Despite the fact that he should be pissed that she had intentionally called him desperate, he was enjoying their little quarrel. She was feisty and he liked that she didn't get hurt by words he said. "Want to prove that you're not chicken?"

"Want to prove that you're not desperate?" She smirks at him.

Scowling, he ignored her comment. "I know how much you hate being called chicken—"

"Don't call me chicken!" She snapped, throwing the ball at his head.

He caught the ball before it hit him in the face. "Now that was uncalled for," he said, smirking at her. "You're just scared, Kimiko. Aren't you?" Taunting the ball in front of her, he said, "C'mon Kim. You know you want to."

"Fine!" Kimiko said, shrugging as if she didn't care. "It's just one kick—how bad can it be?"

-x-

"You lost the bet?" Keiko shrieked into the PDA, causing Kimiko to pull her PDA away from her ear. "How?"

Kimiko looked up at Raimundo, who still had a smug look on his face as he took a drink from his bottle of water. "I don't know—it all happened so fast."

"Did you want to lose? He's the reason why our school's soccer team made state championship. Were you out of your mind when you agreed to his stupid bet? He was just taunting you! That's just how he plays! I told you he had more than soccer on his mind. He probably planned to make a bet too!"

"Keiko, you have a mind of a mad woman," Kimiko said softly. She wondered if she had lost on purpose. Now that she had thought about it, he wasn't even trying his hardest to block her from kicking the ball in for someone who claimed that soccer was in his blood. Confused, she said, "Keiko. I'm coming to your house after school—"

"Don't even bother. I'm already at your house. Your maid let me in."

Sighing, she said, "You know I can't take the bus home. Half the city probably recognizes me from that magazine spread. You know daddy will have a cow if I take the bus home. He doesn't trust strangers."

"So? Get a ride home from lover boy." Kimiko could picture Keiko's smug, sly face when she said that.

"He's not—don't call him that!" Kimiko said, blushing. "I'd rather take the bus home." She took a glance at him as he put his cleats away in his sports bag.

"It's not like he's busy after school or anything. He doesn't do his homework. How he manages to pass his classes, it's still a mystery to me." Keiko sighed. "Either you walk home and risk dangers that lurk in every street corner, risk bus mugging, or get a ride home from Raimundo. Trust me; I'm not ecstatic about it either."

"Okay… I'll see you in ten minutes." Hanging up on Keiko, she stuffed her PDA into the pockets of her jeans. "Listen Rai—"

His left brow rise as a smirk grew on his face. "Yes?" he said in a fake sweet tone.

"I need a ride home." She looked at her feet when she said that. She didn't want to see the look on his face, just as much as she doesn't want him to see the look on hers.

He chuckled, not taking his eyes off of his sports bag. "And you think that I'm so desperate for your undying love that I'll drive you home?" he teased.

"Rai! This isn't funny!" She looked at him, only to realize he wasn't looking at her.

"Take the bus. You said you would rather take the bus, anyway." He tried to sound sarcastic but his words came out cold.

"You heard."

"Yeah. Of course I heard." He turned so that his eyes looked directly into hers. "Keiko's not a quiet girl, you know. She has the lungs of an offspring of an opera singer and a gym coach."

"Please, Rai! I won't call you desperate ever again," she begged, looking at him. "You wouldn't want something bad to happen to me, do you?"

Sighing, he said, "No. Because I'm not evil or as bad as people think I am."

"Oh? What happened to the guy I met in detention who thought he was all bad?" She wagged a brow at him, causing a small smirk to appear on his face.

"Do you want to ride the bus?"

"I'll be shutting my mouth now." She gave him a grin. "Thank you, Rai."

"Yeah, yeah. Just shut your mouth." He grabs his sports bag and throws it over his shoulder before grabbing his backpack. After a brief moment of silence, he said, "Coach will probably kill me tomorrow."
"Why?"

"Your heels probably turned the grass field to Swiss cheese." Looking at the blushing girl, he said, "It's not your fault. I forgot to tell you to bring cleats. Don't worry. It's my fault, anyway. I asked Coach for the keys so that I could practice after school. He actually believed me. Ha! As if I, Raimundo Pedrosa, need any more practice. I'm legendary on the soccer fields. You should see me." He winked at her, causing her to blush.

"Don't be so full of yourself," Kimiko said, raising a brow at him. "You'll never know how karma will repay you."

"In that case, walk home," he said, smirking at her.

She glared at him, jaws wide. "You know I can't—"

"Gotcha. Just so you know, I'm not desperate. I can get any girl at school that I want."

"Uh huh." Kimiko said, looking at the ground as the two of them exited the field. She watched him place the lock back onto the gate before closing it. She waited for him to turn the set of keys to the janitor before the two of them headed to the front of the campus. "Do you normally drive to school?"

"Normally? I guess it depends whether or not I'm hanging out at Omi's or Clay's. Sometimes, I prefer walking. I always like the breeze," he said, not sure why he even said the last bit. "Or if I have a date or something." Looking at her, he wished he hadn't said that. He always enjoyed making girls jealous, but he didn't want to do it to her. There was something about her that made him look at things in a different light.

He was always trying so hard to keep his reputation as a lady's man, but also as the guy at school who had scored with every chick that he never ever thought about himself. His feelings. Or anyone else's for that matter.

Kimiko looked at him. "You okay, Rai?"

"Hmm?"

"You look… confused. Do you not know where you parked your car?" She poked him in the shoulder in a teasing way.

"I know where it is… I was just… thinking."

"Hmm. Okay. Whatever you say, Rai." She smiled at him.

He looked at her and he knew he was doomed. He was taking her out on a date. And if the date actually goes well, as much as he prays that it doesn't, he might end up wanting more than just scoring with Kimiko.

She just wasn't any girl he always saw as he walked through hallways. She was the girl that any guy would want to be with. Not for wealth, connection to Toshiro Tohomiko, or popularity, but that wasn't what he wanted. What he wanted was different this time. He wanted her.

And then he just realized, he was playing a new game where new rules were very much different from the game he was a master at. Because this game, rules were different. And he was sure he didn't know the rules at all.

"If I'm not mad at you after tomorrow's 'date', do you want to come to some party my dad's hosting?"

He looked at her, a sly grin appearing on his face. "Are you asking me out?"

"What? No! As friends. Keiko's going. I'm asking Clay and Omi to go too. I think it's going to be fun to watch Omi annoy daddy's business partners and Clay all southern hospitality to them."

He cracked a smile as he unlocked his car. As he got in the car, two words kept replaying in his head like a broken record.

As friends.

So this is what karma feels like, he thought as he slams the door to his car. Looking at Kimiko, he thought to himself. As friends, right? Well, we'll see about that.

A/N: So... Another chapter to the fic. You do not know how badly I want to just write about how Rai and Kim falls in love... but then it would seem rush. And I hate making things sound rush/unrealistic. So... let's continue doing it the slow, old fashion way.

Keiko has a crush on an anonymous guy. It shall be revealed.

Also. This fic needs more Clay and Omi appearances. The next one will have an appearance of Clay, Omi, possibly Keiko (because she is Kimiko's friend)... but I know one thing's for sure...

Thank you for putting up with me and my random updating... I just post new chapters whenever I finally think of the scenes for the chapter.

And if you want to read a cute RaiKim fic I've written, I suggest you read: Flowers. It's very cute and sweet. Trust me.

Comment/Review? It'll be very much appreciated. I'm fueled by reviews. :3