Ch 3.
"Ready, girl?"
The girl nodded. Her face was a paradigm of confusion.
"Good." Heero bounced a pass to her. "You get the ball first. Make-it-take-it. Best up to 21."
She received the pass weakly. Her eyes slowly rose to meet his. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because…I am the best." Replied Heero, without a hesitation in his voice. He did not want to show weakness in front of everyone, especially not to her. He went into a defensive posture, his arms outstretched horizontally and feet planted loosely upon the shiny floor.
"No…you are doing this because you are insecure…" She went into an offensive posture, both hands protecting the ball, her body contorted away from Heero's prying hands, "Yes, you are insecure that a girl can be better than you."
Heero had a mildly annoyed look on his face. This girl definitely talked too much.
"You are, aren't you? You're afraid that a girl may beat you…" whispered the girl.
"Shut up and play!"
The girl smiled. She pump faked a shot, making Heero jump up in surprise. With the temporary advantage on her side, she drove right by Heero, scoring an easy lay-up point.
"That's one nothing…" She passed the ball back to Heero. "Check…"
Heero caught the ball and stood silently with it for awhile. "That was luck, girl. No one gets by me like that."
She smiled. "Shut up and play…"
Dorothy Catolina, the captain of the Gundam High cheerleading team, walked into the gymnasium.
What she found inside was pandemonium.
Boys were shouting loudly, their arms flailing wildly around the air in excitement. They had formed a circle around the basketball court.
What do they think they are doing?
She saw Quatre, her boyfriend, among the crowd. He seemed to be caught up by whatever the other boys were captivated by. She sniffed loudly and cracked her thumbs in preparation.
Quatre, you jerk! You were supposed to walk me home today!
She stomped angrily towards the blond boy, pushing other guys in the crowd away with her powerful arms.
"QUATRE WINNER!"
He still did not seem to hear her amidst all the noise of the crowd.
"QUAATREEE WINNEEER!!!!!!"
The blond boy heard her and turned his face. When he saw her, he smiled and waved his hand. He was gesturing her to come on over.
Grrr….I'll come over alright. Boy, you are in a lot of trouble. No one stands up Dorothy Catolina and gets away with it, not even my boyfriend.
When she reached her boyfriend, she put on her angry face. "Quatre Winner, how could you forget? You were supposed to meet me after my class! We were supposed to walk home together! You make me so angry sometimes, you know that? Of course you don't care…men!! They're all alike. Don't try to suck up to me by being all nice, I won't…"
"Dorothy!" interrupted Quatre, pointing towards the basketball court, "Look!"
With a confused look on her face, Dorothy look towards where Quatre was pointing. "What are you pointing at…Oh…it's Heero. He's playing a pick-up game with a girl…" Dorothy grabbed Quatre's collar, "This is why you stood me up?"
"You don't understand! She is beating Heero!"
"WHAT?!" yelled Dorothy, her eyes threatening to bulge out of its sockets.
Relena passed the ball to Heero.
"Check. This is game point. I hope you're ready to be beaten by a girl."
Heero frowned deeply. "I'm only down by two points." He caught the ball and passes it back to her. "I won't lose, girl."
She caught the ball, and went into her usual offensive posture. "My name is not girl. My name is Relena Peacecraft." Maintaining her balance, she leaned in close to Heero's right ear. She whispered, "You know, it's too bad that I'm going to kick your ass, because you're kinda cute."
Heero blushed. "What…?"
Relena abruptly shot a jumpshot from behind the arc. Heero tried to block her shot, but he was a bit distracted from her flirtatious comment to do so effectively.
Her shot went in clean through the basket, touching nothing but net.
Heero Yuy stared, not believing that he had lost.
Relena yelled, "Yes! I win!" She raised her arms up into the air in victory. The boys who were watching rushed towards her and congratulated her. They carried her on top of their shoulders, leaving the gymnasium with her in jovial cheer.
They chanted, "Relena! Relena! Relena!"
They left Heero all alone in the Gymnasium.
Heero walked slowly to the basketball lying on the ground, and picked it up. He studied the ball for a long time.
I…I…I lost? I lost…I…lost…I failed… But I'm the perfect player. I'm not supposed to lose, but I did… Who am I if I'm not the perfect player…What am I supposed to do now?
Heero felt a piece of his identity dying at that moment.
Teardrops fell from his face, landing on the ball.
"Ready, girl?"
The girl nodded. Her face was a paradigm of confusion.
"Good." Heero bounced a pass to her. "You get the ball first. Make-it-take-it. Best up to 21."
She received the pass weakly. Her eyes slowly rose to meet his. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because…I am the best." Replied Heero, without a hesitation in his voice. He did not want to show weakness in front of everyone, especially not to her. He went into a defensive posture, his arms outstretched horizontally and feet planted loosely upon the shiny floor.
"No…you are doing this because you are insecure…" She went into an offensive posture, both hands protecting the ball, her body contorted away from Heero's prying hands, "Yes, you are insecure that a girl can be better than you."
Heero had a mildly annoyed look on his face. This girl definitely talked too much.
"You are, aren't you? You're afraid that a girl may beat you…" whispered the girl.
"Shut up and play!"
The girl smiled. She pump faked a shot, making Heero jump up in surprise. With the temporary advantage on her side, she drove right by Heero, scoring an easy lay-up point.
"That's one nothing…" She passed the ball back to Heero. "Check…"
Heero caught the ball and stood silently with it for awhile. "That was luck, girl. No one gets by me like that."
She smiled. "Shut up and play…"
Dorothy Catolina, the captain of the Gundam High cheerleading team, walked into the gymnasium.
What she found inside was pandemonium.
Boys were shouting loudly, their arms flailing wildly around the air in excitement. They had formed a circle around the basketball court.
What do they think they are doing?
She saw Quatre, her boyfriend, among the crowd. He seemed to be caught up by whatever the other boys were captivated by. She sniffed loudly and cracked her thumbs in preparation.
Quatre, you jerk! You were supposed to walk me home today!
She stomped angrily towards the blond boy, pushing other guys in the crowd away with her powerful arms.
"QUATRE WINNER!"
He still did not seem to hear her amidst all the noise of the crowd.
"QUAATREEE WINNEEER!!!!!!"
The blond boy heard her and turned his face. When he saw her, he smiled and waved his hand. He was gesturing her to come on over.
Grrr….I'll come over alright. Boy, you are in a lot of trouble. No one stands up Dorothy Catolina and gets away with it, not even my boyfriend.
When she reached her boyfriend, she put on her angry face. "Quatre Winner, how could you forget? You were supposed to meet me after my class! We were supposed to walk home together! You make me so angry sometimes, you know that? Of course you don't care…men!! They're all alike. Don't try to suck up to me by being all nice, I won't…"
"Dorothy!" interrupted Quatre, pointing towards the basketball court, "Look!"
With a confused look on her face, Dorothy look towards where Quatre was pointing. "What are you pointing at…Oh…it's Heero. He's playing a pick-up game with a girl…" Dorothy grabbed Quatre's collar, "This is why you stood me up?"
"You don't understand! She is beating Heero!"
"WHAT?!" yelled Dorothy, her eyes threatening to bulge out of its sockets.
Relena passed the ball to Heero.
"Check. This is game point. I hope you're ready to be beaten by a girl."
Heero frowned deeply. "I'm only down by two points." He caught the ball and passes it back to her. "I won't lose, girl."
She caught the ball, and went into her usual offensive posture. "My name is not girl. My name is Relena Peacecraft." Maintaining her balance, she leaned in close to Heero's right ear. She whispered, "You know, it's too bad that I'm going to kick your ass, because you're kinda cute."
Heero blushed. "What…?"
Relena abruptly shot a jumpshot from behind the arc. Heero tried to block her shot, but he was a bit distracted from her flirtatious comment to do so effectively.
Her shot went in clean through the basket, touching nothing but net.
Heero Yuy stared, not believing that he had lost.
Relena yelled, "Yes! I win!" She raised her arms up into the air in victory. The boys who were watching rushed towards her and congratulated her. They carried her on top of their shoulders, leaving the gymnasium with her in jovial cheer.
They chanted, "Relena! Relena! Relena!"
They left Heero all alone in the Gymnasium.
Heero walked slowly to the basketball lying on the ground, and picked it up. He studied the ball for a long time.
I…I…I lost? I lost…I…lost…I failed… But I'm the perfect player. I'm not supposed to lose, but I did… Who am I if I'm not the perfect player…What am I supposed to do now?
Heero felt a piece of his identity dying at that moment.
Teardrops fell from his face, landing on the ball.
