Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis or any of the characters. I don't own any franchises, songs, video games, ect mentioned either (like Facebook, song lyrics, and DDR).
If you notice any spelling, grammar, plot errors please let me know. I will fix them as soon as I can. Reviews are always nice, like the chocolate syrup on top of a banana sundae, but aren't necessary.
.-.
After the crowd dies down there's a short break, the award ceremony will take place after the girl's game. Butterflies rise in my stomach again as Kiyomi and I go to warm up together. We go to the same court Sanada and I went to just moments ago. It's quiet, a few people mill about getting snacks and drinks.
"Game plan?" Kiyomi asks as I hit a ball towards her.
"Same as always." I tell her with a shrug of my left shoulder. Left shoulder means we hang back and let me figure out their habits and we'll go from there. Right shoulder means figure it out as we go, don't hold back. Kiyomi nods her head. After a minute of volleying we head back, my muscles feel ready but my stomach isn't. This is it.
"Singles Three to the courts." An announcer says. Tsukiko swings her racket over her shoulder and heads down to the court. Yamabuki. Perfect. Tsukiko's playing against the pigtails girl. The game is quick. Tsukiko is fast and powerful. 6-1. Pigtails stood no chance. I laugh internally before Kiyomi and I head onto the courts. People are cheering and it's making my stomach twist.
"Rough or smooth." That voice. It's the girl with neon red hair. The girl that knows Sanada. The girl that punched me in the face. My eyes narrow and without thinking I say "Rough." The racket spins round and round before it clatters to the ground. Any noise of the crowd is lost as I glare down the girls, the other girl I don't know, though she's probably the most feminine looking of them all with black hair in a high pony tail.
"Rough." The girl spits out.
"We want the serve." I say as I hand Kiyomi a ball. Perfect. Kiyomi can serve and I can observe. I crouch low at the net and watch. My eyes search for anything. Pock. The yellow ball flies beside me and I watch closely. One tell. Redhead, Shig I think her name is, dips her left shoulder when she hits a cross shot. Next point I find a habit, black haired girl, Shizuka, twists her wrist in the direction she's going to move. Kiyomi does well keeping up a long volley for me. I jump in just at the right second and land us our points. Shig is strong, manly strong, she could rival Jackal, and Shizuka is really good at net play. We win the first game and I head back to talk to Kiyomi.
I still need more time to find more tells but I have enough information for right now. "Keep Shizuka back away from the net as much as possible. We can handle Shig's power, it's like fighting Jackal." Kiyomi nods and our game continues.
The ball zips back and forth as Kiyomi and I attempt to keep both Shig and Shizuka back at the baseline. They're strong, but I can finally feel how strong our muscles have gotten. 40-30. Match point. Shizuka bounces the ball twice and I step closer to the corner, the ball zips by Kiyomi and into my racket. Two bounces and she hits close to the corner. Three she hits to the centerline. The ball zooms over the net into Shig's racket who smirks and launches the ball towards my feet. I shuffle and scurry but manage to return it over the net. My knee throbs from the awkward movement but I just run through the pain until Kiyomi gets the last point. Good. 2-0.
"You ok?" Kiyomi murmurs.
I nod and tell her about Shizuka's tell before I roll my knee as inconspicuously as I can. I don't need them knowing about my weakness. Kiyomi nods her head and goes to the net, bending at her knees she's ready for anything. Right. Let's do this. I bounce the ball a few times in my hand before I toss it up, I jump and twist my body and the ball is off like a rocket. I've been watching how Tsukiko serves, how she twists her body into her shots, it feels a little unnatural and my spine snaps with the movement but the speed is perfect.
15-0.
Kiyomi sends me a thumbs up behind her back and moves closer to the center line. I follow in suit. She leans on her left foot then on her right and back again. She's going right. We've formed a new system, odd number of movements she goes right, even number she goes left. It doesn't matter which side she starts on either. We came up with that to keep the opponents guessing for longer. It works, Shizuka goes right in anticipation but Kiyomi is there and gets our next point.
We're in perfect sync today. I rub sweat off my forehead and blink a few times. It's really hot today, the sun is beating down at us, sweat drips down my chin. Focus. I bounce the ball and count Kiyomi's movements, four, left. I toss the ball up and hit it over the net. Like a well trained magic show Kiyomi and I move around each other without using any calls. We use no signals and take the next game easily.
Then something changes, Shig rolls her shoulder and smirks at me. Why is it whenever Kiyomi and I feel like we're winning the opponent pops out with some super power they kept back? Shig's sadistic look sends a shiver up my spine. There's nothing I can do to warn Kiyomi, I can only hope my partner noticed the look too. The ball is fast, Shig's speed doubles, and I'm sent running back and forth across the baseline. My knee throbs with the awkward motion from earlier but I refuse to give in. Kiyomi's helpless and tries to intervene but shots go right over her head or too close for her to hit. She's stuck.
The game is taken too quickly for comfort. I pant as we switch courts. I should be used to this. I should be used to all this running. What's different? Kiyomi taps my shoulder and I glance at her. "Let me take the shots ok? They're running you, making you bend… using all the nasty tricks we like to use." I nod my head and go to the net to glare at Shig. Kiyomi takes the first point easy. Just before Shig and Shizuka switch positions the redhead sends me the nastiest grin I've ever seen before. Under her breath she whispers, "I'm going to make you bleed." My heart thumps inside my chest and I grip my racket tighter, too tight, I need something to squeeze.
The yellow ball zips by me and I almost jump surprised by it. My sense of sound is gone I'm too focused on not getting hurt. Stop that. Sanada just broke his wrist for his team. My fingers brush over the elastic and I throw myself into the next shot adding as much power as I can possibly manage. Shig laughs at me and sends the ball straight for my legs.
"Watch out!" Kiyomi shrieks. I stumble and scramble but it's too late. The ball zips by my leg, burning across my calf. It smarts but it's not the first time I've been caught by a fast ball before. "You ok?" Kiyomi's at my side, touching my shoulder.
"Fine. Fine." I push her away thinking this is what Sanada must have felt, that pure and utter determination to win and dominate. The feeling is overwhelming and adrenaline pumps through my body. I will win. Kiyomi and I will not disappoint our senpais.
In the next match alone Kiyomi and I each get more and more balls aimed at our bodies and feet. The hot, searing pain of a rug burn is everywhere; my calves, my arms, and one nasty one on my cheek. Kiyomi has just as many as I do. We bat wrists and I stare at the black elastic, my silent promise to win. "This pain is nothing." I tell Kiyomi who nods her head. We narrow our eyes at Shizuka who's preparing her serve. Shizuka's speed has increased too but her power is the same. When her balls scrape across my ankle it doesn't hurt as bad. I'm surprised and angry the ref hasn't called them out yet but I say nothing as one particularly fast ball skims my knee. Pain shoots up everywhere but Kiyomi and I aren't going to give in. Shizuka plans to make both of us run as much as possible. Kiyomi's losing steam and so aren't I. We're losing too.
The little yellow ball moves barely out of reach of my racket and I growl we've lost another game, but then, pock! Thud! Kiyomi dove for the ball and hit it up and over the net just barely to get us a point. 40-30. Kiyomi smiles at me and I smile back, we're both sprawled on the courts exhausted with little red welts forming on our body. I stand at the same time she does and then everything is gone.
Cool water laps at my ankles and I look around searching for the tennis courts and a screaming crowd. What the hell? Kiyomi appears next to me, her long hair flowing out around her. "Where are we?" She asks as we search the beach looking for anyone. The smell of salt and seaweed tickle my nose as I inhale.
"I have no clue." I tell her back, when I hold out my hand Kiyomi takes it and we walk down the beach together. The red welts are on our bodies but when a big wave comes up over my calves the welts vanish. We're both wearing white sundresses and our hair flows out behind us in a soft breeze. "Hey Kiyomi?"
"Yea Amaya?"
"I'm glad I met you and got to play tennis with you."
"I'm glad too."
"Can we play tennis together forever?" I ask.
"That's so cliché." Kiyomi giggles under her breath and I join her until we're both rolling around in the water giggling. A wave swells up and over our heads and all the welts on our body vanish. "Magic water." Kiyomi deadpans and I giggle some more before I crawl to my feet and run out across the beach alone. "Wait for me!" Kiyomi yells behind me. I turn to look at her, to laugh at her, when I trip and pain rockets so far up my leg I'm sure I'm dying.
"Kokawa!" Voices all around me are screaming and yelling. The beach is gone. The white sundresses are gone. I smell sweat, burning rubber, and the metallic scent of blood. There's something wet and warm seeping against my leg and I look down and gape. My knee's bright red with oozing blood and beside me is a tennis ball just as red as my knee. Pain shoots through my body and I throw my head back and scream. Kiyomi and Buchou are at my side before I can blink.
"What happened?" Kiyomi asked, her eyes just as wide as the full moon.
"C'mon, help me lift her." Buchou demands, I hear feet slapping against the courts. I can play! I can still play! I try to get my feet under me when Buchou and Kiyomi heft me up, my knee pops, blood leeks out faster, and I can't stop myself from screaming again. My eyes squeeze shut and tears leek out of the corners. Crying is for babies! Stop crying!
"Will she be alright?" Sacrasm drips from that voice. Shig. Shig. Shig did this. Why don't I remember what Shig did? Something cold and stinging rubs against my knee and the smell of alcohol burns through the smell of sweat and blood.
"She can't play." Chie's voice states.
"No!" I croak, "No. K-Kiyomi and I… we… we ha-"
"Stop." Kiyomi's voice says so gently I have to listen, "The team can still win… please don't injure yourself any further."
"Doubles 2 forfeits." Buchou says proudly. I squeeze my eyes shut as pain pulses, whatever happened I couldn't win, I wasn't strong enough. Chie wraps my knee in gauze and then she and Kiyomi heft me off the courts and onto the bleachers where I stretch my leg out in front of me and watch the blood seep. Setsuko's playing now, she looks pointedly at me and nods her head, everything will be alright.
"What happened?" Kiyomi asked as Niou, Kirihara and Sanada all rush to my side, the rest of the team trailing close behind.
"It was so amazing!" Kirihara coos as he grabs my arm in his. "You two hit synchro!"
"Synchro?" We ask together. Pain shoots up my leg and I wince, Sanada's strong hand squeezes my shoulder.
"Synchronization is a technique in which both players become fully synchronized and move as if they were one; breathing as one and knowing exactly what their partner's next move would be." Yanagi informs us. Kiyomi and I look at each other, we both ask the same question, was that when we were by the ocean?
"It was so amazing." Tsukiko says, wrapping her arms around Kiyomi and I. Sweat sticks to me and I just want a shower as Tsukiko knocks her head into mine. "You two were so awesome. Not even Chie and Madoka have hit synchro yet."
"Why not?" Kiyomi asks.
"They argue too much." Imai comes over and sits beside Kiyomi. "They've never allowed their minds to just stop."
"Too bad you had to trip." Kirihara sighs.
"Yea, what happened?" I pointed to my knee that was leaking hot blood down my leg.
"They were exploiting your weakness." Tsukiko says, "They made you run and bend and they kept hitting your knee. The two of you were so strong. But then you tripped and took a digger." No wonder there are red welts on my legs.
"It was a good match." Sanada murmurs into my ear.
From then on out I blocked out conversation and watch Setsuko control the game with her skills. She moves fluidly around the court and uses her opponents power, one of the girls from before, against her. The ball keeps slamming into Setsuko's racket but somehow her little arms manage to fling the ball back over the net. She'll win. Setsuko is determined and not someone to mess with.
"Let's go Setsuko!" I shriek suddenly. Setsuko hasn't broken much of a sweat when they change courts, she yanks back her hair into a ponytail and looks even more determined to win. Someone in the crowd starts to chant and the noise fills my ears.
"Amaya!" A familiar voice shrieks, "Amaya what's wrong!" Mom? What the-? My mother hugs me tightly and jerks away, "Dear you're covered in sweat! And what happened?" She points to my knee, "Are you alright?"
"Fine." I brush her off focusing more on Setsuko's game where she controls the pace with ease despite how strong the other girl is.
"We should get you to a hospital!"
"I'm fine." I slide closer to Kiyomi, the movement sends pain shooting up my spine. The blood leaking down my leg has finally reached my sock and is starting to get soaked up.
"Amaya, I'm taking you to the hospital right now."
"No." I say solidly, "Mom I'm fine! We're at Nationals right now and my team needs me. Go home." I narrow my eyes at her, not like she ever came to my games before, ever saw me play or practice. No. She has no right to come and try and take me away from my life.
Mom's eyes well up and I almost cave and go with her but I don't, I just pout and glare. She sighs and stands, "A-ah, alright… call me when you're done here… I can give you a ride."
I shake my head, "Thanks, but we're going out for food tonight, the boy's won."
"Ok." Mom stands and looks sad before she walks off. There's an awkward silence as everyone watches Setsuko win the last game with ease. 6-2.
"Sorry guys." I mumble.
"It's ok." Kiyomi squeezes my hand. It's not, the bright red DEF letters shine through like a beacon telling me I failed, when everything mattered the most I lost. I brought Kiyomi and my team down… and even with Setsuko's and Tsukiko's win we still might not take Nationals and it's all my fault.
Doubles 1 starts up. Madoka and Chie chatter as they head out onto the court to greet their opponents. I feel ready to cry so I push myself up and, fighting through my pain, I make my way through the crowds.