FASH: Alright, I was going to end this here and then write up a sequel that starts off right where this ends when I have free time in the summer, but I figured even with school and work I still should be able to update once a week on weekends, so next week I'll have a new chapter up for you all. :)

""-speech

''-thoughts

Sena eyed the school courtyard warily. 'Where's Mamori-neechan?' He bit his lip, not nervous about the entrance exam results, he was pretty sure he passed, but he still disliked being surrounded by so many strangers.

"Sena, over here!" Mamori called out from atop a bench, waving him over heedless of the odd looks she was getting.

He made his way over to her and smiled brightly. "What's you exam number?" She asked as she stepped down from the bench. "Um..." Sena checked the paper he'd been carrying around. "Zero two one." "Alright, let's go see if you made it." She took his hand and lead him to where the exam results were posted up, muttering the number under her breath as she looked for it.

Sena on the other hand was keeping his eyes peeled for a certain blond quarterback.

'I know club recruitment is prohibited at the assembly, but from everything I've heard I wouldn't put it past Hiruma-san to try and sway some naive first years into thinking he's a good upperclassman and thus a good team captain.'

"There it is! Zero two one!" Mamori exclaimed and Sena let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

"And you used to be so horrible at math and English. I guess you owe it all to Takami-san and I." She elbowed him in the side jokingly before a more serious expression overtook her face. "You're going to be my underclassman again." "Mm-hm, we haven't gone to school together since elementary school." Sena replied, still on the lookout for Hiruma.

"Sena, con-" Mamori stopped abruptly and Sena turned to look at her. 'Con?'

"Oh yeah, I'll go get you a school information packet!" "Huh?" Sena stood still for a moment, then he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"Mamori-neechan, wait for me!" He called out nervously as he chased after her and cast a glance over his shoulder.

He could just make out a couple stray spikes of blonde hair from behind the building.

'I need some more time and mental preparation before I actually meet Hiruma-san for the first time.' Maybe he'd throw in some image training too, even though he'd never really seen Hiruma up close and wouldn't be able to visualize meeting him perfectly.

"Alright, here's everything you need." Mamori handed him several pamphlets. "And I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Out of all the people in this school there is one who you should never associate with for fear of your life, and that's Hiruma." She stared at him seriously. "Understand?"

"Yes, Mamori-neechan." 'But I guess I'll have to disappoint you on that.'

The next week passed in a flurry of activity: getting his school uniform, finding out his home room, buying his text books, mentally preparing himself to speak with Hiruma of his own free will. Stuff like that.

And then the day before his first day of high school Mamori had presented him with his very own cell phone.

'Having my own cell phone, it makes me feel so mature.' Of course his contact list was rather short, but he'd make friends eventually, maybe. 'Unless me hanging around the American Football clubhouse scares all potential friends away.'

As he readied himself for the first day of classes his phone vibrated as it received a text message from Takami that read:

Steer clear of bullies and if anyone tries to force you into running errands, say you'll rock-paper-scissors them for it.

And he received an eerily similar text from Mamori just before he went into class, even though he'd seen her and spoken with her on his way to school that morning.

'I'm not a little kid anymore, they don't need to worry about me so much.' But their sentiments made him smile all the same.

During home room as he introduced himself to the rest of the class he could practically feel several pairs of eyes sizing him up. As he sat back down in his seat he turned around to find the owners of said eyes smirking at him darkly.

'I guess it was just to much too ask to be put into a class of nice pacifists.' He sighed and waited for the inevitable confrontation.

Sure enough, just as he suspected, when class was let out for lunch break the three approached him.

"Sena-kun, I'm Juumonji Kazuki, nice to meet you." Said the blond as he laid an arms across Sena's shoulders, Sena assumed he was the 'leader' of the trio.

"I'm Kuroki Kouji, we're friends now." Said the brunette, leaning in from Sena's right. "I'm Toganou Shouzou, we match each other quite well." Said the one with orange glasses as he leaned in from Sena's left.

'I wonder how many time I'll go through this during my life? No matter, I won't let myself get pushed around, I have stuff to do.'

"So, why don't you go and buy some bread for us?" Juumonji 'asked', the three of them all moving in a bit closer, but Sena wouldn't let that intimidate him.

"Actually," he began brightly, causing all three of his would be bullies to arch an eyebrow at him. "I have something very important to do, so I'm afraid you'll have to go get it yourself."

"Huh?" "Huuuh?!" "HUUUUH?"

Sena winced a little. 'Man, didn't anyone ever teach Kuroki-kun to use his indoor voice?'

Juumonji was frowning at him. "Look Sena, I don't think you realize what we're getting at here." "Oh no, I understand, it's just I really do have something very important to do." He quickly got out of his seat and was at the classroom door before any of them thought to hold him down.

"Sorry I can't help you guys out. Bye bye." He waved cutely to the shell shocked trio before taking off in search of the American Football clubhouse, adrenaline rushing through his system.

'I think that's the first time I actually stood up against bullies instead of just running away from them.' He took a deep breath to calm himself down as the small clubhouse came into sight. 'Alright Sena, relax, this is what you've been waiting for.'

He knocked on the door and opened it up without waiting for an answer. 'Aw, no one's around.' He looked around curiously. 'And it's a huge mess.' He toyed with the idea of waiting around for one of the two regular players, but decided against it.

'I'll come back after school, someone should be around then.'

He stepped out, closed the door and headed back towards the main building, passing by the back and catching sight of Juumonji, Kuroki and Toganou lounging around and having a smoke.

Normally he would have at least attempted to sneak by unseen, but when he saw that Toganou was leafing through a volume of Shonen Jump he couldn't help but walk towards him.

"Is that the latest volume?" He asked and Toganou turned around to give him a strange look, but nodded.

"Anything cool happen in Bleach?" "Yeah, but I wouldn't want to spoil it for ya." Toganou said in an unsure sounded voice, probably confused about how to deal with the oddly sociable brunette. Sena nodded in understanding and Kuroki stomped towards him.

"So," he began angrily, "what was this 'very important thing' you needed to do that only took five minutes?" He asked as he put out his cigarette against the wall.

"That," Sena moved his index finger to his lips and winked. "is a secret." He spun around on his heel and walked away.

"Weird kid." Kuroki commented, Juumonji nodded in agreement and Toganou shrugged, eyes glued to the pages in front of him.

'Man, bullies are oddly easy to deal with when you act confident and cutesy to throw them off.'

When the end of the school day rolled around Sena once again found himself standing in front of the American Football clubhouse, but this time he could hear people inside it.

"Fucking fatty, I'm going to the store to buy some sugarless gum. If anyone comes around tie them up and don't let them leave until I get back."

The door to the clubhouse swung open and Hiruma stepped out, pausing for a moment when he noticed there was someone in his way.

"What do you want, fucking shrimp?" He asked and in the background Sena could hear Kurita asking the blond to be a bit nicer.

Sena glanced around to make sure the coast was clear, half expecting Mamori to pop up from out of nowhere and drag Sena far away before he could open his mouth.

"I-" His voice caught in his throat and Hiruma gave him a dark look.

"I want to join the American Football Club." An excited shout was heard from inside the clubhouse and Hiruma smirked at him.

"Oh really? Why don't you come inside?" 'Said the spider to the fly.' Sena added on mentally, but he walked into the clubhouse as Hiruma stepped aside to make room for him.

Kurita happily lead him into a chair and made him some tea. "How many dozen sugars do you take?" He asked brightly as he fixed his own tea just the way he liked it. "J-Just one is fine." Sena replied. 'Ew, that looks so sugary.'

"Alright, let's get down to business." Hiruma was polishing a pistol and Sena tried not to let that, or the fact that he had no idea where the pistol had come from, bother him.

"First things first, name?" "Kobayakawa Sena." Hiruma set the pistol on the table and pulled out his Devil's Handbook. "First year huh? Not much info on you, yet." He grinned evilly. "Do you have any experience?" "No, but I've been to many games and I understand the rules pretty well, so you don't have to explain too much to me. "Alright, final question. What position do you want to play?

Sena set down his tea, clenched his fists and took a deep breath, this is what he had been waiting for. He looked Hiruma right in the eye.

"Running back."