AN: I actually found writing this hard. I guess it's cos I didn't know how to realistically depict how it feels to be dumped.

Chapter 10

Tomo couldn't say her weekend got much better. Yuuta had called back and apologized to Sakuno about running out and she in turn apologized to him about her forcefulness. That of course was good. However, Tomo was still left not knowing exactly what to make of her own problems and in an effort to not worry her friends, opted not to discuss it with Sakuno.

Momo, her boyfriend of 3 years, had just dumped her without any real reason and it definitely didn't sit well with the girl. She passed the weekend wondering why and tried to contact Momo, only to have her calls not returned. She knew he was busy studying for his entrance exam, which was next week, but she didn't think that was sufficient reason enough for them to break up. They already discussed the gravity of that matter and agreed to see each other less while he prepared himself. That couldn't be it.

The weekend came to an end and Tomo returned to school, though a bit unwilling. Her heart ached and yet her mind continued to try to make sense of the matter. She struggled to pay attention to class but soon gave up as her mind took up the task of recalling every past conversation she had with Momo the previous week, but it was as if nothing were missing. Momo had appeared a bit stand offish, but even that behavior was inexplicable. She in turn tried to find answers through conversations with her friends.

She remembered that Sakuno had suspected him of feeling uneasy about her pregnancy scare, but if that were the case they could easily have talked about it and opted for safer and preventative sex.

She then remembered Ryoma and his side comments about Momo perhaps not wanting to see her. Her heart ached at that possibility and she knew she couldn't rule it out. Ryoma was Momo's best friend so chances are Ryoma really did know more than he was letting on that day. Tomo didn't like that Ryoma kept the fact he knew that Momo planned to break up with her as a secret. She didn't care that Momo was supposed to be Ryoma's best friend, she thought she held some sort of priority on his friendship scale.

Tomo tried not to have her broken heartedness broadcast to the world, but she knew if her and Momo didn't mend their relationship soon, everyone would know. They were both top tennis stars in the school and as a result well known. She was just happy Sakuno wasn't in her class to see her so down. It was already bad enough that from where Ryoma sat in the classroom he kept sending worried glances her way.

Tomo managed to get though the first half of the school day without having some sort of broken hearted melt down and she was dead set on eating lunch alone. Yet, Ryoma had decided that today was the day to start acting like a good friend. He went over to the desk Tomo sat at with her lunch and watched her stare out into space.

"Tomo-chan, is everything ok?"

Tomo slammed her chopsticks down and spat, "No everything isn't ok and I think you know why!"

"Don't get mad at ME! It's not like I told him to break up with you," Ryoma replied, not sounding the least bit hurt by the girl's outburst.

Tomo sagged her shoulders. "Sorry, Ryoma-kun."

But she refused to say more about it and Ryoma just ate his lunch quietly beside her until Sakuno came into the room.

"Tomo-chan!" Sakuno said, hurrying to her side.

"Yes?"

"Are you ok? I heard what happened!" Sakuno said, sitting on the other side of her friend. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you were so upset about your date with Yuuta-kun, it didn't seem that important."

"But me and Yuuta-kun made up! You could have told me then," Sakuno scolded in a manner some may consider unlike herself, but over the years Sakuno rarely held her tongue around Tomo and Ryoma.

"Sakuno, I don't think scolding me will make me feel any better," Tomo sighed, hiding her head in her arms. She felt so pathetic with her two best friends sitting there and yet neither of them managed to make anything better. She just wanted to go away and be alone. Or at least see Takeshi… Momo. She wanted to see him so bad.

If anyone asked she'd say she only wanted to ask him why he broke up with her but she knew that what she really wanted was to be held in his arms. He was the cause of this hurt in her heart and yet he was the only one who could mend it. She couldn't explain it.

She kept her head hidden in her arms, which were folded across her desk, hoping that Ryoma and Sakuno would let her alone. Neither did.

"Ryoma-kun, has she been like this all day?" she heard Sakuno ask.

"Yes, but it's only understandable," Ryoma replied. "How would you feel if it happened to you?"

"Huh? I don't see why it's so bad. She still got co-captain," Sakuno said.

There was a long silence as Tomo and Ryoma realized what it was that Sakuno was talking about. Tomo slowly lifted her head.

"Sakuno-chan, what did you say?" Tomo asked.

"What? Why are you two looking at me like that? Ishibashi-san told me today that Morino-buchou-tachi told her she was going to be Buchou next season."

Tomo couldn't believe her ears.

"Mieko… Ishibashi-Buchou," Tomo stammered.

"Tomo-chan--" Ryoma began but Tomo continued…

"But… but I was supposed to be Buchou."

"Tomo?"

Tomo didn't know whether to be angry or sad, she didn't know what else to do. All she wanted was to be happy and yet life was sending her blow after blow. First Momo and now this.

"It isn't fair," she said. "I worked so hard. I'm better than Mieko-chan. I don't understand. Sakuno-chan! Who told you that?"

"I told you, Ishibashi-san," Sakuno said, truly confused. "But I already told you, you'll probably still get co-captain."

"It's because Kiyoko-sempai is jealous," a loud grating voice cut in, interrupting their conversation. It was none other than Horio. When had he come into the room?

"What do you want, Horio?" Tomo shot. "Don't you see we don't want you here?"

"Tomo-chan!" Sakuno gasped.

"No! He can just leave me alone! What does he know about Kiyoko-buchou anyway?"

Horio laughed. "I know a lot more than you apparently. It seems funny that she wouldn't give you the captain spot after all this time training you for it… but then again I guess it all makes sense now that she's dating Momo-chan-sempai-buchou!"

Sakuno's eyes widened and Tomo launched up out of her seat and grabbed Horio by his collar.

"Stop spewing off about things you know nothing about, you idiot! Me and Takeshi-kun are just having a rough spot, ok! So just shut up--"

"Tomo-chan," Ryoma said, touching her shoulder and causing her direction to be on him instead of the boy she had by the collar.

Ryoma seemed to hesitate a little, but then he just plainly said it, "He's right."

Tomo's grip slackened on Horio's collor allowing the loud mouthed boy to breathe again.

"What?"

"For once, Horio's right," Ryoma said. "I didn't want to be the one to say it but, Momo's been dating Kiyoko-buchou."

Tomo stood there a moment, letting it all sink it. Momo had been cheating on her. Momo broke up with her and now he's public with Kiyoko-buchou. Tomo lost her place as Buchou. She didn't even know which one hurt the most. Everything happened too fast.

"Tomo-chan--" Ryoma began, as he was the only one to fully understand what was going on. "You should sit down."

She heeded Ryoma's advice, slumping down in her chair. It didn't even matter anymore, she realized. Being Buchou was the least of her concern. The only thing she could see was the image of Momo happy with Kiyoko-buchou and it hurt so bad. Tomo was tough and impulsive and at time overbearing, but beneath it all she was still a normal girl and as a normal girl she had the same normal girl feelings. She did the only thing a girl could do: cry.

-to be continued-

AN: hey! uhm Yuuta is not out of the picture yet in case you were wondering if he was going to show up again. He is. He, Tomo and Sakuno still have unfinished business. But next chapter will be the entering of a very favorite old Seigaku regular. Can you guess who? thanks for reading and please review. I really love to hear feedback. especially this chapter since it was hard keeping them in character for this section. Sakuno and Tomo especially.