RAIN
by: LegnaThgin
Chapter1 #Accident#
The volleyball practice had ended an hour later that Friday than the usual four fifteen, and Christine, exhausted, had planned to take a long hot shower and then head straight home. But by the time she had changed into her clothes, it had started to rain outside.
"Damn," she cursed softly, resuming to tie her shoelaces after taking a quick glance outside the windows. Her bike companion and close friend, Keira, was absent because of the flu. She had left her bike home because of that reason. "Guess I'll have to take the bus then, instead of the train."
If it was one thing she disliked, it was taking the bus. Buses made her queasy and she didn't quite like the idea of public transportation. All the jostling to get good seats, pressing against strangers, pushing... she shuddered. If only the subway station was nearer. Taking the bullet train wasn't so bad. It still made her uneasy, but at least it was more comfortable. But still, it was three blocks away, and she didn't bring any umbrella with her. She wouldn't risk getting sick... the volleyball practice games would begin soon.
The locker room was beginning to empty. Her teammates' muffled giggles can be heard echoing distantly out in the hall, excited about the coming game. Soon, she was alone.
Sighing to herself, she stood and hung her towel inside her locker. Unzipping her duffel bag, she gathered her things and placed them carefully inside. She ran her comb one last time through her hair and stuffed it into the back pocket of her skirt. Pushing her locker door shut, she headed outside, backpack, duffel bag and books in check.
~*~*~*~*~*~
It was already pouring when she came out of the girls' locker room.
Christine glanced around. Only a handful of students were left, milling about waiting for their rides, fooling around, or making last-minute touches on their projects.
She walked slowly towards the waiting shed. There were about three people already there, two tall seniors and one teacher.
She stopped beside the teacher, greeted her and lapsed into silent contemplation while waiting for the bus. She was jolted back into reality when one of the other students came running out of the rain and accidentally pushed her, causing Christine to lose her balance and to drop her books, papers flying every which way.
"Hey--!!" was all she managed to choke out as she stumbled. Then she started muttering to herself, giving the offender, a sheepish red-headed sophomore a good glare as she bent to pick up her fallen Algebra book, folder and strewn papers.
At the instant she reached her things another had done the same, and whereas her hand had frozen in hesitation, the other had not. Straightening, she tilted her head up to see her aid in the face to thank whoever he or she, was.
Warm brown eyes were looking back at her, sheilded behind rimless glasses. "Here, miss."
She blinked, shocked at the good-looking senior who held her saved (though wet) folder, papers and book in front of her. Shaking herself out of her stupor, she managed an "A... arigato." as she took her things from him.
He inclined his head slightly, a sheepish smile on his face, his hair falling lightly to frame his forehead. "I apologize for my teammate's clumsiness."
"It wasn't your fault." she amended, giving him a shy smile.
"It was my, Sakuragi Hanamichi's, fault." The sophomore spoke up, and bowed to her. "Sumimasen!!"
"Baka," the other senior grunted. To her, he added, "I'm sorry for his inconsideration." This one was the direct opposite of the one who had helped her. This one was very tall, dark, and formidable looking.
"It's all right. Just be careful next time," she said, turning to the redhead. She reached around her bag for a spare towel, and tried to soak up the water and mud from her folder.
The bus then drove up to the shed, cutting off their conversation. They stepped up to it, the teacher going in first, and at their insistence, Christine next.
She found four seats after the teacher had settled down and sat down on one near a window, leaving the aisle seat empty. Glancing outside, she noted that it was still raining heavily, and getting dark fast. She saw the three boys settling themselves and was mildly surprised when the good-looking one stopped beside the empty aisle seat.
"I hope you don't mind." he said, "But Akagi and Sakuragi need to talk on a few things about manners."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Nope, go right ahead."
"Thank you." he sat down.
"So... you mentioned something about being teammates. What sport do you guys exactly play? I'm thinking... Basketball?"
His eyes twinkled as he turned to look at her. "How did you guess?"
"As a matter of fact, you guys ARE pretty tall. And for say, a short girl like me that's REALLY huge." she joked.
"I see." he laughed, too. "Well, Akagi and Sakuragi are two of our tallest players. How about you? You're staying pretty late. You're a volleyball player, right?"
"Good guess, my friend. The team's practicing for the practice game against Taiyo High two weeks from now. But whatever gave me away?"
It took him a while to answer, but she waited patiently. "It's... ah... your skirt."
"Oh." she blushed lightly, looking down at her SHORT skort. That was the assigned uniforms for the volleyball team, for them to be able to move freely. But still, they barely came to her mid-thighs.
She returned her gaze to the window. It was already dark outside, what with the weather and all. The rain didn't let up, though. "It's still raining..." she mused out loud.
"Yeah, it is." he leaned over to look, his shoulder pressing against hers.
Christine felt her blush coming back full force. How often does a decent guy cross her path? and save her wet books? and act so gentlemanly? and lean against her willingly? and be so good-looking-?
She felt him lean back into his seat. She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.
"I'm sorry." he told her abruptly.
"Hm-? What?" she asked, confused.
"I'm sorry... I've been so thoughtless." he cleared his throat and extended a hand towards her. "I'm Kogore Kiminobu. You are-?"
She shook his hand, "Christine." His hand felt so warm....
"I.. I'm afraid I haven't exactly seen you around. You do go to Shohoku high, don't you?"
"I just transferred from my old school. I'm a freshman." she looked down to see that he had not released her hand yet. She squeezed it slightly, a subtle reminder of that fact.
"Oh!" he grinned, "Sorry." he drew back his hand.
"That's alright."
The bus had coasted to a stop, the two not aware, so engrossed in their coversation were they.
"I better get off, this is my stop." she informed him, when she finally realized that the bus HAD stopped. She stood and he did too, to let her pass. "See ya Monday, Kogore-kun. Ciao! And... thanks." She winked at him, and got off.
"Sure. G'bye." The bus doors slid close.
He watched out the window as she disappeared in a run towards one of the houses by the street, her dirty-blonde hair flying in the wind and rain after her.
The bus pulled away and he was still staring out the window.
tbc...
~*~*~*~*~*~
Note: What do ya think? I got the 'rain' idea watching a very cute Thai video. I sorta developed from there. =) Comments? Suggestions? Email me at LegnaThgin@hotmail.com, I'll be happy to hear from you! =)
by: LegnaThgin
Chapter1 #Accident#
The volleyball practice had ended an hour later that Friday than the usual four fifteen, and Christine, exhausted, had planned to take a long hot shower and then head straight home. But by the time she had changed into her clothes, it had started to rain outside.
"Damn," she cursed softly, resuming to tie her shoelaces after taking a quick glance outside the windows. Her bike companion and close friend, Keira, was absent because of the flu. She had left her bike home because of that reason. "Guess I'll have to take the bus then, instead of the train."
If it was one thing she disliked, it was taking the bus. Buses made her queasy and she didn't quite like the idea of public transportation. All the jostling to get good seats, pressing against strangers, pushing... she shuddered. If only the subway station was nearer. Taking the bullet train wasn't so bad. It still made her uneasy, but at least it was more comfortable. But still, it was three blocks away, and she didn't bring any umbrella with her. She wouldn't risk getting sick... the volleyball practice games would begin soon.
The locker room was beginning to empty. Her teammates' muffled giggles can be heard echoing distantly out in the hall, excited about the coming game. Soon, she was alone.
Sighing to herself, she stood and hung her towel inside her locker. Unzipping her duffel bag, she gathered her things and placed them carefully inside. She ran her comb one last time through her hair and stuffed it into the back pocket of her skirt. Pushing her locker door shut, she headed outside, backpack, duffel bag and books in check.
~*~*~*~*~*~
It was already pouring when she came out of the girls' locker room.
Christine glanced around. Only a handful of students were left, milling about waiting for their rides, fooling around, or making last-minute touches on their projects.
She walked slowly towards the waiting shed. There were about three people already there, two tall seniors and one teacher.
She stopped beside the teacher, greeted her and lapsed into silent contemplation while waiting for the bus. She was jolted back into reality when one of the other students came running out of the rain and accidentally pushed her, causing Christine to lose her balance and to drop her books, papers flying every which way.
"Hey--!!" was all she managed to choke out as she stumbled. Then she started muttering to herself, giving the offender, a sheepish red-headed sophomore a good glare as she bent to pick up her fallen Algebra book, folder and strewn papers.
At the instant she reached her things another had done the same, and whereas her hand had frozen in hesitation, the other had not. Straightening, she tilted her head up to see her aid in the face to thank whoever he or she, was.
Warm brown eyes were looking back at her, sheilded behind rimless glasses. "Here, miss."
She blinked, shocked at the good-looking senior who held her saved (though wet) folder, papers and book in front of her. Shaking herself out of her stupor, she managed an "A... arigato." as she took her things from him.
He inclined his head slightly, a sheepish smile on his face, his hair falling lightly to frame his forehead. "I apologize for my teammate's clumsiness."
"It wasn't your fault." she amended, giving him a shy smile.
"It was my, Sakuragi Hanamichi's, fault." The sophomore spoke up, and bowed to her. "Sumimasen!!"
"Baka," the other senior grunted. To her, he added, "I'm sorry for his inconsideration." This one was the direct opposite of the one who had helped her. This one was very tall, dark, and formidable looking.
"It's all right. Just be careful next time," she said, turning to the redhead. She reached around her bag for a spare towel, and tried to soak up the water and mud from her folder.
The bus then drove up to the shed, cutting off their conversation. They stepped up to it, the teacher going in first, and at their insistence, Christine next.
She found four seats after the teacher had settled down and sat down on one near a window, leaving the aisle seat empty. Glancing outside, she noted that it was still raining heavily, and getting dark fast. She saw the three boys settling themselves and was mildly surprised when the good-looking one stopped beside the empty aisle seat.
"I hope you don't mind." he said, "But Akagi and Sakuragi need to talk on a few things about manners."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Nope, go right ahead."
"Thank you." he sat down.
"So... you mentioned something about being teammates. What sport do you guys exactly play? I'm thinking... Basketball?"
His eyes twinkled as he turned to look at her. "How did you guess?"
"As a matter of fact, you guys ARE pretty tall. And for say, a short girl like me that's REALLY huge." she joked.
"I see." he laughed, too. "Well, Akagi and Sakuragi are two of our tallest players. How about you? You're staying pretty late. You're a volleyball player, right?"
"Good guess, my friend. The team's practicing for the practice game against Taiyo High two weeks from now. But whatever gave me away?"
It took him a while to answer, but she waited patiently. "It's... ah... your skirt."
"Oh." she blushed lightly, looking down at her SHORT skort. That was the assigned uniforms for the volleyball team, for them to be able to move freely. But still, they barely came to her mid-thighs.
She returned her gaze to the window. It was already dark outside, what with the weather and all. The rain didn't let up, though. "It's still raining..." she mused out loud.
"Yeah, it is." he leaned over to look, his shoulder pressing against hers.
Christine felt her blush coming back full force. How often does a decent guy cross her path? and save her wet books? and act so gentlemanly? and lean against her willingly? and be so good-looking-?
She felt him lean back into his seat. She let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.
"I'm sorry." he told her abruptly.
"Hm-? What?" she asked, confused.
"I'm sorry... I've been so thoughtless." he cleared his throat and extended a hand towards her. "I'm Kogore Kiminobu. You are-?"
She shook his hand, "Christine." His hand felt so warm....
"I.. I'm afraid I haven't exactly seen you around. You do go to Shohoku high, don't you?"
"I just transferred from my old school. I'm a freshman." she looked down to see that he had not released her hand yet. She squeezed it slightly, a subtle reminder of that fact.
"Oh!" he grinned, "Sorry." he drew back his hand.
"That's alright."
The bus had coasted to a stop, the two not aware, so engrossed in their coversation were they.
"I better get off, this is my stop." she informed him, when she finally realized that the bus HAD stopped. She stood and he did too, to let her pass. "See ya Monday, Kogore-kun. Ciao! And... thanks." She winked at him, and got off.
"Sure. G'bye." The bus doors slid close.
He watched out the window as she disappeared in a run towards one of the houses by the street, her dirty-blonde hair flying in the wind and rain after her.
The bus pulled away and he was still staring out the window.
tbc...
~*~*~*~*~*~
Note: What do ya think? I got the 'rain' idea watching a very cute Thai video. I sorta developed from there. =) Comments? Suggestions? Email me at LegnaThgin@hotmail.com, I'll be happy to hear from you! =)