I'm ALIVE! It's really short so that you guys know I'm not quitting on the story! The summer just caught up with me
Chapter 11: The price of pranks
"I would like to join the club again," Hara bent to her knees.
All the girls stayed silent.
"Is that really what you want?" Nori asked soberly.
Hara didn't look up. She nodded her head.
Hana gave her a cold glare.
"She's going to have to do alot more than just beg to get my forgiveness," she stormed out of the room.
Suzume took one glance at Hara and turned her nose up as she took the same exit. Makio stood up and studied Arisu for a moment.
"Not happening," Makio stood up and walked out of the club room.
One by one, all the tennis girls expressed their negative comments and walked out of the room until the only ones left wer Makio, Nakikora, and Nori. Mayumi walked over and knelt down next to Hara.
"I don't mind if you come back," she whispered in her ear.
Hara didn't move a muscle.
"You see, I've kinda already forgiven you. Because I know you are real. That this isn't fake," Mayumi had a small smile on her face.
Hara's eyes widened. She was in shock. Mayumi got off her knees and walked out of the clubhouse. Nakikora followed her, but didn't say a word. She eye Hara, then turned to leave.
Nori walked over to Hara, and stood over her.
"As I see it, you can still rejoin the team if you wish," Nori offered her a hand up, "but you will start where you should have started years ago: picking up balls."
Arisu took the hand listened intently.
"Maybe you will work up to an alternate with hard work, but as the situation is, you will never join the regulars unless they agree to it."
Hara opened her mouth to argue in protest.
"I'm not going to have the tensions I had last season," Nori said firmly.
She shut her mouth and looked down again.
"Do you still want to join the club?" Nori eyed her.
Hara glanced up to meet her gaze.
"I do."
"Very well," Yamamoto made a sweeping motion, "you may go."
Hara nodded and hastened away. Nori listened to the fading footsteps as she surveyed the room. It was covered in streamers and balloons as well as other party favors. Nori sighed.
"Someone will have to clean this up."
[]
"That stupid captian," Nakikora stuffed an empty plastic cup in a trash bag.
"Dumb, manipulative, lazy," she ripped a strand of streamers off the ceiling.
Kiko continued cleaning the room while muttering curses under breath aimed toward her captian. Niou walked into the clubhouse in search of some extra grip tape, but stopped at the sight of the festive mess.
"Whoa, what happened? Did somebody OD on birthday party or something?" Niou looked around.
"Here, help me," she tossed a trash bag at him.
"Uh, I don't think so," he sidestepped the bag, "why are you cleaning up this mess?"
"Because," Nakikora crammed more trash in her bag with gritted teeth, "the party lasted for five minutes then everyone left. And because I 'made the mess' I have to clean it up."
"That sucks," Niou commented, "if I can't be any more of a burden, I'm going to go."
He began walking for the door.
"No," Nakikora begged, "please help me, I don't want to be stuck in this dump all morning."
Niou stopped and looked back at her, "why should I? What would I get out of helping you?"
"I'll give you the rest of the cake to do whatever you want with it."
"How much cake?" Niou looked at her.
"Enough to make Akaya go on a sugar high," Nakikora told him.
Niou raised an eyebrow. It wasn't THAT hard to get the little brat hyped on sugar.
"For three days straight."
"Deal," Niou grabbed up a bag and started stuffing streamers into it.
The two worked on the club room, till it was back to normal. It took them nearly an hour to do it all.
"Oh my geeze," Niou slumped to the clubhouse couch, "girls are so messy."
Nakikora sprawled down next to him.
"I am going to murder Nori if it's the last thing I do," she vowed, raising her hand in the air.
Niou contemplated this for a moment. Murder... How about social murder... He still owed Sanada one himself... This could work in his favor.
"How about we do one better?" Niou offered.
Nakikora sat up, with rapt attention, "I'm listening."
[]
Yanagi walked into first period and sat down next to Sanada. The fukubucho eyed him, then went back to reading his book.
"Do you want to say something?" Yanagi turned to him.
Sanada looked back up at him.
"Just don't let it get in the way of tennis," Sanada said simply.
"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Yanagi raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe you should ask your girlfriend," Sanada pulled his book closer to him.
"Is that what this is about?" Yanagi frowned, "because it's not funny or cute."
"But I know what you think is," Sanada almost snickered.
But that would be un-Sanada-like, so he kept his composure. Yanagi was half bent on making a snide remark about Sanada's own interests, but Mayumi and Niou walked in.
"You are immature," Yanagi settled for.
"Wait, what?" Niou stuck a finger in his ear, "Sanada... immature? I must be becoming hard of hearing."
"Sit down, Niou," Sanada looked up from his book, "class is about to start."
Niou eyed the vice captian but sat down anyway. He would get his revenge later.
"But your last comment is far from true," Sanada shot back to Yanagi.
Yanagi looked Sanada square in the eye, "considering the fuss you are making about it, you seem pretty immature from over here."
"Well I'm only making a fuss because you've never had one before," Sanada shrugged.
"If I rember correctly, YOU have never had one either," Yanagi folded his arms.
"That doesn't discount me from picking on you and worrying," Sanada went back to his book, "do you even know what kind of attention she'll need?"
"She seems very indepentdent, but I will spend time with her," Yanagi gave a nod, "I'll even be able to spend time at the upcoming district tournament."
"You're bringing your puppy to the tournament?" Mayumi asked him.
Both Yanagi and Sanada froze.
"What?"
"Well, the only thing I could get out of that conversation is that you got a new puppy and Sanada was worrying because you've never had a pet," Mayumi shrugged, "I could be wrong."
"No," Sanada tried REALLY HARD not to snicker, "that's what it is, Renji has a new puppy."
Yanagi frowned and turned back in his desk. He didn't feel like sitting there and listening to his girlfriend be turned into a dog. Oh yes, Sanada would pay for his remarks later.
[]
Kirihara ran to the lunchroom, searching for his senpai. Yanagi had requested for him to meet him in the lunchroom. Akaya ran until ran straight into someone.
"OOF!" Kirihara tripped and skidded to a halt on the floor.
"Oh," a feminine voice said, "I'm sorry."
She offered a hand up. Kirihara looked up. A first year girl with a pink ribbon in her black hair stood there with books in her other hand. He took the help up and studyed her for a moment. She looked vaugely familiar.
"You're in a couple of my classes, right?" Kirihara asked her.
She nodded and blushed, "I'm Sayuri."
Kirihara realized why he had been running and looked back in the cafeteria, "I'm kinda in a hurry so I can't stick around. Maybe I'll see you around."
He waved and ran off. Sayuri watched him run off and sighed.
"See you."
[]
"Ah, Akaya," Yanagi looked up to see his kouhai running towards his table.
The table consisted of Yanagi, Sanada, Nakikora.
"You wanted to see me?" Kirihara screeched to a halt, "are you sick or something? I tried to ask fukubucho what was wrong yesterday, but he kept telling me to drop it."
Sanada opened his mouth to scorn Kirihara for running in the cafeteria, but decided it wasn't worth it.
"No," Yanagi shook his head, "everything's fine now."
"Then what did you want to speak to me about?" Kirihara asked impatiently.
"The other day you had asked me about training menus and I-"
Kirihara was baffled.
"Traning menus... you wanted to asked me about my training menus!"
Yanagi said nothing.
"Augh! I don't get you senpai," Akaya threw his hands in the air and walked away.
Nakikora watched the frustrated first year walk back out the cafeteria.
"Was there a point to that?" Nakikora looked sideways at Yanagi.
"I could ask you the same thing about calling Sayuri into the lunchroom," Yanagi pointed to the first year walking towards Nakikora, "she usually eats in her classroom, right?"
Nakikora gave a wry smile.
"You asked to see me, Nakikora-senpai?" Sayuri asked her.
"I did Ribbon-chan," Nakikora smiled, "I won't be able to help you train today, do you mind doing it in 2 days?"
"No," she shook her head, "I'm grateful for your help. If you need to take a day off from me, it's fine."
"Stop that," Nakikora gave a small hit on the head, more playful than hurtful, "you could contend with most of the regulars if you played your best."
"Thank you senpai," Sayuri bowed. She turned to Yanagi, "I guess it worked senpai," she gave him a beaming smile.
"It did," he nodded, "thank you."
Sayuri smiled with a blush and walked away. Yanagi turned back to Nakikora.
"You called her for the same reasons I called him?"
Nakikora glanced down at her lunch, a smile growing, "more or less."
Sanada observed the whole thing. Then he turned back to his lunch.
"You two are meddlers," he told them, "glad you guys are togther."
Nakikora looked between Yanagi and Sanada.
"Did you tell him?" Nakikora asked him.
"No," Yanagi looked at Sanada, "I'm 87% sure he watched the whole thing."
Sanada suddenly became more interested his lunch.
Nakikora grinned with a likeness scarily resembling Niou.
"And you had the gall to call us meddlers."
[]
Yagyuu walked into the cafeteria and sat down a his usual table with book and lunch in hand. Out of nowhere, Niou came to the table.
"Cool, you brought me lunch," Niou pulled Yagyuu's lunch to himself.
"Very funny Niou-kun," Yagyuu pulled the lunch back, "why don't you go pester Nakikora?"
"I will go pester Kiko," Niou pulled the lunch back again, "but you're at the top of the list for the moment."
Yagyuu gave up fighting for the lunch and picked up his book. Niou began browsing through the lunch.
"Ah, Mayumi," Niou didn't look up from the lunch, "come to help me eat Hiroshi's lunch?"
Mayumi blinked. She was surprised he had seen her walk up.
"No..." she sat down at the table, "I actually came to ask Yagyuu something."
Yagyuu sat down the book, "yes, Mayumi-san?"
"Well, you see, I was so happy back at school, that I just realized today how far behind I am in schoolwork. I was wondering if you could tutor me until I catch up?"
"I don't mind," Yagyuu shrugged.
"That's great," Mayumi smiled, "uh, is it alright if I sit here?"
Yagyuu shrugged again.
"I'm going to get some lunch then," Mayumi got up.
Niou grinned from ear to ear.
"Oh come off it Niou-kun," Yagyuu went back to reading.
"You JUMPED on the chance to tutor her," Niou was still grinning.
"I could hardly call saying yes jumping on her offer."
"But you almost never answer that quickly to such an offer," Niou smirked.
Yagyuu looked up from his book to stare at Niou. Then he went back to reading his book. Niou gave a knowing smile and pushed the uneaten lunch back to Yagyuu. He got up and walked away.
[]
"Renji, what did you bring for lunch?" Nakikora asked curiously.
"I didn't bring anything," he told her, "I had planned on buying lunch today."
"Well," Nakikora slid her hand in her bag, "I have an extra ongiri if you want it..."
Her hand pulled out a small cloth covered box.
"You made me lunch?" Yanagi looked genuinely surprised.
"Nakikora... a homemaker?" Sanada had a small smirk at the title.
Nakikora gave him a withering look.
"Look, if you don't want it I can give it to Niou," Nakikora blushed.
"No, no... I'll-"
"Kiko!" Niou waved Nakikora down and sat next to her.
She shoved the ongiri back in her bag.
"Yangai, Sanada," he greeted them.
Sanada grunted and Yanagi sighed.
"Do you two mind if I borrow Kiko for the rest of lunch?" Niou asked them.
"What do you need me for?" Nakikora motioned Niou to leave.
"There's a project we need to finish," his eyes flashed as he got up and pulled her away.
She grabbed her bag and tried to yell sorry to Yanagi. Yanagi watched her go.
"Don't worry," Sanada patted him on the arm, "I'm sure you can meet up with her later."
"Yeah, I'm sure," Yanagi sighed and stared into the table.
"And I'm sure you two will-"
"If you finish that sentnce, and I know EXACTLY what you are going to say," Yangi warned, "you will regret it."
Sanada smirked, and went back to reading.
[]
"Do you want to do this, Kiko?" Niou pull her to the side in the hallway, "I thought we were going to start planning."
"Yes Niou," she rolled her eyes, "but I was in the middle of a conversation when you interrupted me."
"Quit lying," Niou whacked her arm, "I know you were doing something you didn't want interrupted."
Nakikora held her blush off her face, "whatever. Let's just get the ball rolling for this prank."
[]
Nori walked into the clubroom and went through the papers on her desk. She pick up a note that was left on the desk.
Meeting in room 1103 at 4:15. Attendance manditory.
"Hmmm," Nori put her hand on her chin.
Nakikora walked in the club room.
"Here are the forms you asked for from me," she put them on her desk.
"Nakikora, did someone come in here and put this on my desk while you were cleaing this morining?"
"No..." Nakikora frowned, "not while I was cleaning."
"Huh," Nori read through the note again, "thank you for the papers."
She nodded and walked out the door. Nori was still reading when she closed the door with a small smile.
[]
Sanada walked into the changing room and opened his locker. He adjusted some clothes in his locker and a piece of paper fell to the floor. He picked it up.
Meeting in room 1103 at 4:15. Attendance manditory.
Sanada looked around the lockeroom. Nobody in sight. He opened the door and looked outside. Yukimura was walking to the lockeroom.
"Hey Genichirou," Yukimura walked in, "what's happening?"
"Do you know about this?" Sanada showed him the note.
Yukimura took it from his hands and read it.
"It seems you have a meeting to attend," he passed it back.
"But it isn't school official," Sanada argued, "it will interfere with practice."
"I can have Renji supervise if necessary," Yukimura shrugged, "and besides, it might be important."
"But... tennis practice..."
"Just leave early," Yukimura smiled, "you're overcomplicating things."
"And you're not helping," Sanada crossed his arms.
"You're my best friend," Yukimura raised his eyebrows, "I'm supposed to be a hinderance, not a help."
"You are worse than Yanagi," Sanada muttered.
"Accoridng to some of the others, you have been the one pestering Yanagi, not the other way around," Yukimura gave Sanada a knowing look, "that's very out of character for you, if I do say so myself."
"All I can say is he deserved it," Sanada began changing.
"Did I miss something?" Yukimura pulled off his shirt.
"You could say that," Sanada replied, thinking about the events of the previous day.
"Did something worth knowing happen?" Yukimura pulled the yellow shirt out of his bag.
"Oh yes," Sanada finished changing.
Yukimura waited. Sanada tugged his hat on.
"Well?" Yukimura adjusted his headband.
"Well what?" Sanada looked at him.
"What happened with Renji?" Yukimura asked.
Sanada tugged on his hat, "that, is something you will have to ask him."
Yukimura frowned, "secrets don't make friends."
Yanagi walked into the changing room and shut the door behind him. Both Yukimura and Sanada were staring at him.
"What?"
"Do you have something you want to share with me?" Yukimura crossed his arms.
"No...?"
"Something about yesterday?" Sanada motioned his eyes at Yukimura.
Yanagi scrunched his eyes at Sanada. Sanada mouthed the word 'Nakikora'
"Oh..." it finally dawned on him.
Yukimura looked at Yanagi questioningly.
"I was just having wierd mood swings yesterday," Yanagi shrugged, "I kinda flipped on Genichirou."
Yukimura studied Yanagi's face carefully. Yanagi just looked at him calmly.
"I guess, I will start practice," Yukimura walked out the door.
Immediately when the door was shut, Yanagi nearly melted.
"That was pretty good," Sanada amended.
"Another 5 seconds I would have cracked," Yanagi fell onto the bench.
"I might have been able to last 10 more than that," Sanada shrugged.
"Oh shut up. You would have been putty within the first 3 seconds. The way you act around him sometimes," Yanagi scoffed
"That's not fair," Sanada folded his arms, "after he got out of the hospital we were all worried."
"Yeah, and if Nori hadn't come along, I would be thinking you are gay right now."
Sanada glared at him.
"Well about 52% of the student population thinks you are anyway," Yanagi told him.
Sanada gave him a dirtier glare.
"Loverboy," he spat.
"You know, now that I think about it," Yanagi scratched his head, "with both Yukimura AND Nori, you could be bi, but that would be disconcerting for me because-"
Sanada threw a towel at his face.
[]
Nori watched as first years passed her doing laps. She checked her watch and called practice to a halt. The regulars stopped their warm up rallies and the second years stopped doing their exercises.
Hara got up from picking up balls and putting in the crate.
The members walked over to her waiting for the announcement.
"I have to go to a meeting," she told them, "you are to continue your drills until I get back."
There was silence.
"Who's going to run practice?" Sayuri asked meekly.
Everyone looked at her.
"Ah..." she blushed, "that was a bad question."
Arisu, who was in the back of the crowd, let out a small sigh and went back to picking up tennis balls.
Not at all, Hana thought, the question 'Who is running practice' is the same as 'Who is the new vice captian'.
Nori was silent.
"Makio," Nori turned to her.
There were some gasps in the crowd. They backed away from the third year that was called out of the crowd.
"You know what to do," Nori told her.
"On it," Makio nodded.
"No way!" Hana exclaimed.
The girls backed away from Hana.
"You got a problem with me being in charge?" Makio eyed her.
"I do," Hana stepped up, "I don't think you're responsible enough."
Makio's mouth became a fine line.
"It's my decision," Nori separated the two, "if you have an objection, talk to me."
Hana backed off and bowed her head.
"Yes bucho."
Nori glanced at the girls and left. Everyone stood for a moment and absorbed the shock of what just happened.
"Why are you guys standing around?" Makio crossed her arms, "get back to training!"
First years began running again, and the others returned to the courts.
"Man!" Hana bounced a ball hard on the court, "Makio shouldn't be in charge!"
"Obviously Nori trusts her," Mayumi examined her racket.
"But she's so immature!" Hana argued.
Mayumi gave her a look.
"Okay, not immature," Hana raised the hand holding the ball, "but come on, her hair is three different colors."
Mayumi shrugged.
"RRRR!" Hana hit the tennis ball straight into the fence, inches away from hitting Arisu.
The blonde blinked and quickly walked out of the way as fast as she could. Hana watched the girl scamper away and walked back to the ball box.
"You think you should be vice captian?" Mayumi said with a smile.
"I know it sounds vain, but yeah," Hana began bouncing the ball, "Nakikora is too mischevious, you are too nice, Makio is too rebelious, and Suzume is too... well, you know."
Hana hit the ball to Mayumi. She returned the ball.
"That's why I don't understand why Makio is now vice captian," Hana sliced the ball.
Mayumi smiled.
"There's one thing that I don't know," she ran to return the ball, "when did Makio become vice captian?"
Hana stopped running. Mayumi sent the ball flying to the other side of the court. It bounced and hit the fence.
"Nori said she is in charge-"
"Of this practice," Mayumi nodded, "but I never heard her say Makio became vice captian."
Hana looked down at the ball with a smile. She picked it up.
"You know, I think you're right."
"Hey, have you two seen Nakikora?" Suzume walked onto the court, "she was warming up with me before practice stopped and now I can't find her."
Mayumi and Hana looked between each other.
"Maybe she's helping Ribbon-chan," Hana shrugged.
"Sayuri?" Suzume pondered, "maybe..."
"Don't sweat it," Mayumi smiled, "you can warm up with us."
[]
Sanada walked throught the school hallway and up the stairs. He walked through the door of room 1103.
"Genichirou? Why are you here?" Nori said in surprise.
"Why are YOU here?" Sanada asked her.
She pulled out her note, "because of this."
He scanned it.
"I got one just like it," he pulled it out of his pocket, "even the same handwriting."
"Handwriting..." Nori looked at the two notes, "waitaminute! This is Nakikora's handwriting."
"Are you sure?" Sanada leaned in.
"Positive," Nori looked up, "she gave me some forms this afternoon that had her handwriting on it. Look."
She pulled a piece of paper and showed it to him. They were the same.
"It can only mean one thing," Sanada concluded, "Nakikora is up to something."
BAM! Click!
Sanada and Nori looked to the sounds and the door was shut. Sanada walked over to the door and jiggled the knob.
"It's locked," he told her.
"Well use the lock on the inside to unlock it," she waved her hand at the door.
"It's a double lock," he said, "there's only a keyhole on this side."
"What?" Nori's eyes widened.
She ran to the door and tried to open it. They were screwed.
"Whatever is happening, it can't be good," Sanada said grimly.
"I'm going to kill her," Nori gritted her teeth.
Sanada had a dark look on his face.
"You won't be the only one."
Ooooh! Cliffhanger!
But I am alive by the way. Sorry for the long wait.
Hope you like and I'm always open to ideas, so throw them out! and Review! I really like reviews.
Thanks :)