Without a Sound

Disclaimer: Plot is mine and characters… besides Brian… are not.

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Chapter 36

All of the next day, I had to force myself to sleep. Even Leon commented on my jitters and fidgets. He knew I was excited about the next day.

One thing I must note is that I wasn't nervous or anything around Leon. It surprised me considering what happened the day before. It was probably because I was more concerned about the inter-ranking tournament, but I also think it was because I was more comfortable about what happened after talking with Zell.

It really was true that Leon loved me. Not only did I have verbal proof, but I had physical proof as well. It made me really happy.

When I woke up the next morning, I was so pumped. I got clean and dressed and had a good breakfast. Mom made it to wish me luck. My dad, ever since the kitchen incident, feels the need to tease me about Leon. They're harmless jokes and most of the time they're actually funny. But it doesn't really help me figure out whether or not my dad is really bothered by what happened.

I'm actually leaning more towards the side that says he's bothered by it. He would bring it up so many times if he wasn't I don't think. I have to sign to him about it later.

There was something else that sort of bothered me too. Roxas was not acting like himself, at least not towards me. Well, he would try to act like himself but it was really easy to see through the mask. I was worried that maybe he really was bothered by the way I've changed. I try not to tell him any bold statements and I've been keeping my personal life to myself. Just in an attempt to tone myself down. Because I really don't like the fact that he and I can't talk the way we used to.

When I got to school I moved straight to the gym to check and see if I got rusty. I grabbed the ball and dribbled around. I started slow and began to quicken as I moved down the court. I dribbled all around, twists and turns, through the legs, around the back, and low to the ground. I smiled because I had really missed doing this. I took shots and got them in every time. After a good ten minutes, I had to get to homeroom but I knew for sure that I was ready.

Zell greeted me with a happy smile as I walked into homeroom. 'What's up, man? You ready for this afternoon?' Zell signed as he spoke.

'It's going to be tough, but I know I'm prepared.' I replied.

'That's good. I want you to know… No matter the outcome, you are a great basketball player and a priceless friend. So let's give it our all, yeah?' he signed.

I nodded before giving him a hug. 'I'll see you on the court.' I signed before the bell rang and we moved to class.

I walked into Leon's classroom and smiled. Leon moved from behind his desk to the front of the room.

'You gonna stay awake in my class today?' he asked.

I smiled and gave Leon a nod before moving to sit down. The action of sitting down was interrupted, however, by the sudden embrace of someone I forgot about.

Brian pulled away from me and seemed to exclaim, 'Sora! Where have you been in the past few days? I've been worried sick! I demand to know your phone number so that I can text you next time!'

I smiled at Brian's enthusiasm, the enthusiasm he seemed to secrete at seeing me finally after two agonizing days without me. I actually felt kind of bad for forgetting about someone who actually cared enough to worry about me. I patted his shoulder and pulled out my notebook and pen.

I wrote my number down and ripped the paper from my notebook. I handed it to Brian but gave him a puzzled look. I wrote:

Are you okay?

'I didn't think you were actually going to give it to me...' Brian seemed to trail off.

I wrote:

Well, you are my friend, right? I don't see why I shouldn't give you my number. But don't give my number to anyone else… I don't want people I don't know calling or texting me.

'I wouldn't do that. Do… Do you want my phone number?' Brian asked, seemingly nervous.

I snorted before writing:

Sure, I'll take your number. I can't guarantee that I'll text you, though… I'm not too much of a phone user.

Brian smiled and asked if he could type his number in my phone. I didn't see any harm in it so I handed him my phone and waited for him to finish.

I was looking at the chalk board what I felt a tap at my shoulder. I turned to see Brian giving me a weird look.

'Who's Leon?' Brian asked.

My heart skipped a beat before I calmed down. I picked up my pen:

No one you need to know.

'Why does he have three hearts next to his name? Is he your boyfriend? Can I call him?' Brian asked.

I immediately shook my head and tried to take my phone back. Brian held it away from me.

'I was only teasing, Sora. I'm almost done with my contact. I'll give you your phone back.' Brian said.

I sat in my desk with a pout on my face. I wanted Brian to realize that I was thoroughly annoyed by his invasion of my privacy. I knew it was probably partly my fault for giving him the phone but I was still upset about it.

Brian handed my phone back to me and I half glared at him. Brian winced in a sheepish face before apologizing.

I wrote quickly to emphasize my irritation:

You shouldn't go through people's contacts without their permission. It that really the reason you wanted my phone?

Brian shook his head and seemed to understand that I was not happy with him. He gave me a sincere look and signed his apology.

My eyes widened at his gesture and I smiled. I signed his forgiveness and I jumped when I felt him hug me again.

'I need to learn more sign language… You look even cuter when you talk with your hands.' Brian said and I blushed before pushing him off of me.

I wrote with a silent giggle:

You're crazy!

Brian smiled and nodded. 'Crazy for you, my love!' I couldn't even hear and I knew for sure that he yelled that for the class to hear. I blushed and shushed him.

My watch vibrated to let me know that the bell rang and class was starting.

Class was rather uneventful. Leon stood and wrote some questions on the wall and called people to the board to answer them. Those who got theirs wrong would have to stay at the board until they got it right. I smiled because Leon would drop little hints here and there for those who were stuck. The people who listened to Leon carefully would eventually get it.

Leon was such a great teacher. I don't think he realized how amazing he was at teaching. The people who thought otherwise were the people that make no effort to learn.

They were really missing out.

Leon asked me up to the board to answer a question and I frowned when I noticed it was a distance formula question. I hated those. They were really annoying because there were little things could mess up on. I watched carefully as I breezed through the question. I made sure everything was checked before looking to Leon.

Leon nodded and I sat back down. I gave him a smile before picking up my pen to doodle.

When my watch vibrated for the nest class, I placed my things nest to Leon's desk before moving to my study hall to check in. I walked back up to Leon's classroom and sat at Leon's desk.

Leon sat at his desk and I kissed his shoulder before looking at him for instruction.

Leon didn't sign his calculus lessons. He said there would be too much finger spelling that it would be hard for him to keep up. So I always made sure my eyes were on him to absorb everything he said.

Today I was learning about implicit functions and differentiation. It was cool because it involved a lot of the other stuff I had learned earlier. I really liked using the chain rule because once you got the hang of it, it was super easy to use.

Leon put his hand on mine as I was solving so I looked up at him.

'You have one more thing to multiply on the inside. Though that 3x is a tiny thing, you have to include it or your answer will be wrong.' Leon warned.

I blushed. I can't believe I missed that. 'Sorry.' I signed.

'Don't apologize, just remember for the next question.' He seemed to say.

I nodded and moved on to the next question. This one I answered without mistakes.

Eventually the class came to an end and I hugged Leon before going to eat lunch.

I realized as I sat down next to Rude and Raijin that I only had two periods after lunch before the tournament. I actually let out a huge gasp that grabbed the attention of everyone at the table, including Tseng.

'Something the matter, Chicken Wuss?' Seifer asked.

'Nothing, I just got really excited.' I signed.

Seifer turned to Zell who translated for me.

'Ah, the tournament. We're all really excited. All I know is that I don't want to be in the block with Tseng. That was I know my spot as a started won't change.' Seifer said and everyone, with the exception of Tseng and I, nodded.

'Ohhhhh, I see Sora is not afraid of Tseng!' Zell seemed to exclaim.

'Not yet…' Seifer mumbled but I managed to catch it because I was looking at him in that particular moment.

I frowned. This wasn't about being afraid or being worried about being on the team… I wanted to challenge myself and prove that Tseng was wrong about me. Someone who judges others before really knowing them isn't someone I should feel intimidated by. I was going to prove to everyone on the team that I respected basketball and I wasn't a quitter no matter what.

It really pissed me off actually… to think that everyone else wasn't going to challenge their strongest opponent.

I continued to eat and I cast a small glance over to Tseng. He and I didn't make an effort to communicate. I didn't bother him, he didn't bother me. That was it. I couldn't bring myself to like him until he took back what he said about me.

When my watch signified the end of lunch, I picked up my things and threw them away. I had about three hours before this tournament and I was going to spend them pumping myself up for the final moment.

-Without a Sound-

I walked into the locker room and smiled at all of the other people getting ready for the competition. I changed into my clothes and shoes and took a deep breath. I wouldn't take this lightly. I would think as though everyone had trained just as hard as I had. That way I wouldn't underestimate anyone. Everyone was a threat and I would give my all to defeat them.

As fellow sports players, I had to respect them as such. I took another breath. Focus. I looked to my bag and pulled out my water bottle. I needed to go fill it up.

I walked out of the gym and moved to the water fountain outside. I held the bottle under the faucet and waited as it filled. When I felt a hand on my shoulder I turned to see who it was.

It was Leon. I finished filling my bottle and turned to him fully. 'What's up?' I signed.

'What kind of number one fan would I be if I didn't wish you good luck before your competition?' Leon signed.

I blushed for a second before I shook my head to clear it. 'Leon! I'm trying to focus. You can't woo me while I'm trying to get in the zone!' I signed with an accusing look.

Leon seemed to laugh. 'I'm not wooing you. I'm giving you a good luck kiss.' Leon signed before wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing him lips to mine.

I pulled away from his quickly and looked around to make sure we weren't caught. I turned to him again and hugged him.

'Thank you, Leon. It means a lot to me that you're my number one fan. How can I lose when I have you as my luck charm.' I signed.

Leon seemed to make a scoffing noise. 'You don't really need me, babe… the real skill is right here, in you. I'm really just here to see you before everything falls right into place.' Leon said and ran a hand through my hair.

'I love you.' I signed.

'I love you, too.' He replied in a sign.

With a smiled and I wave I moved back into the gym feeling ten times more relaxed than I was before.

I was ready.

'Alright, I need everyone's attention.' Yuffie seemed to yell.

I moved over to the large chart in front of me. The chart was divided into four then there were names in each block.

'These are the blocks. Each block was picked randomly using names from a hat. You will play a full court one-on-one game with every player in your black. Those with no losses automatically become a started. Since there are four blocks, A though D, only four starters will be chosen this way. The fifth starter and the starter alternate will be chosen in a next round between those with two losses or less. Those will be in an undetermined black called block E. There will be 8 players in this block. The two players with two or less losses will be the last two starters.' Coach Yuffie explained.

I looked at the block I was in and smiled. Rude and Tseng were in my block. I was in black D so I would have to wait until the other blocks were done before I could play. These games would be quick, though. Each game was two minutes. I had 14 minutes to make a name for myself in the first round.

So about an hour later, all the other blocks were done and three out of the six starters were chosen.

Since the captain had seniority I our block he was first on the court and he had the privilege of picking his first opponent. I was shocked when he called me to the court. I stood and took a breath. There was no turning back now, it was time for things to start rolling.

Yuffie held the ball between us and I bent my knees for the jump. She threw it up and the game began.

I jumped as high as I could and managed to take the ball. I dribbled low to the ground and looked Tseng in the eyes.

He was waiting for his moment to strike. So I decided I would give him a moment.

I dribbled around my legs and then moved the ball around my back as I moved around him. I bolted towards the goal and when I felt Tseng go for the ball I took my shot.

Without any sort of thought completely free of formula, I trusted in my body to do what I wanted.

I smiled when the ball fell through the goal. But now wasn't the time to celebrate. I had a minute and a half to defend my lead.

I watched carefully as he dribbled the ball before me. Tseng would combine speeds and skills to get an upper hand. I had thought about it for hours and hours looking for a weakness in his basically flawless technique.

His movements were mostly prompted by my own. He started slow and the minute I took a chance he would speed up to get away. I wouldn't let that happen.

I moved to take the ball and as I predicted, his gears changed from slow to fast. I had that split second to act.

The minute the ball hit the floor to speed up I knocked out the flow of the ball sending it rolling off behind Tseng.

I dove for the ball and managed to get it back into dribbling motion before taking a shot.

I watched as there was yet another point on my side.

Tseng didn't waste the last forty-five seconds on the clock. I tried to keep up but it was as though his speed had increased 10 fold.

He made a shot and through the basket it went. I took the ball and switched it up. I got passed him and took a shot. I watched in amazement as Tseng jumped up and caught the ball as it moved towards the hoop. He zoomed down the court and shot again.

I got the ball and wasted no time. I took my shot but it missed by bouncing off the hoop. Tseng in the last three seconds of the game took a shot from the middle of my side of the court.

I sank to the ground when the ball fell through the hoop. I couldn't hear the cheering that people were screaming from the bleachers. I stood and took a deep breath. This wasn't over. I still had many more opponents to play. I walked back to the bleachers and took a drink form my water.

I would watch the next games carefully. Tseng had beaten everyone in the block and I chose a guy to be the next person to be on the court. That person called Rude up to the court.

I smiled as Rude won the game with the sheer power of his defense and skillful offense. But when Rude moved to sit down, the guy called me to the court to play.

I stood and waited for the ball toss.

The guy was looking at me. 'I was the alternate for three years and I won't lose that spot to you.' The guy's mouth said before the ball went up.

I wouldn't let his words intimidate me. He was just another strong opponent in my list of strong opponents. So I wasn't cutting any slack for him.

I jumped up and grabbed the ball. I managed to get around him before he could try and take the ball.

I ran to the goal and made a lay up. It went in perfectly.

I moved back to center and waited for my opponent to try and get around me. The guy literally just barreled down the court. I moved to block him but knocked me out of the way. I ran up to block him again but it was too late.

It went in.

I took the ball and used his own tactic against him. I started charging down the court.

'Your pathetic… that isn't going to work!' I watched him say. He made planted himself and waited for my collision.

That never happened. I stopped about two feet in front of him and took a shot. I smirked. I could imagine the swish noise that ball made as it passed through the net.

The guy looked like he was about to blow up. It was 5 to 2 with only a minute left on the clock.

I got ready because I knew he had no time to waste. He moved down the court and I was going to be ready for anything.

When he finally approached me I moved to take the ball and I grabbed it when I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my ankle.

I fell to the ground and dropped the ball. The guy took it and went for a three pointer.

I got up as quickly as I could with my ankle throbbing in pain but it was two late. The score was tied up and I had fifteen seconds.

I took the ball and dribbled up to him. He was trying to stall me, to take up my precious time but I had an opening. I dribbled the ball through his legs and got around him. I took a shot from the free throw and a wave of relief crashed over me when the ball went in.

The guy was on a rampage he was so angry. He had three losses and was removed from the next round. He clamed down after a second and walked over to me.

'I don't have to worry though… with that ankle I destroyed, there's no way a retard like you will make it to the next round either.' He grinned and moved to sit down.

My ankle was killing me but I had to keep going. I called the other opponents to the court and managed to defeat them with minimum movement. But when it was my time to play against Rude… my ankle wouldn't hold out and I lost.

But I knew it wasn't over. There was still a chance I could become a starter. With two losses, I made it to the next round.

I was so happy when I heard there was a thirty-minute break. I needed ice badly but I had to make sure no one would notice how injured I was.

A/N: Review and I will give you the rest of the tournament. And hurry! I only need ten reviews!