RAIN
by: LegnaThgin
Chapter4 #Heartbeat#
*Riiinng!*
The class sighed collectively as the bell signalled the end of the day.
Christine, for once, didn't join in. She felt absolutely drained, almost lethargic. She took her time fixing her books, then finally stood up, hugging them to her chest as she strode out with the rest of her classmates. As usual, Keira was already waiting for her, because for some reason, they get always get dismissed earlier than they.
As was their TThF routine, the two friends headed outside together. They passed the glass front doors, and turned right, walking towards the court, as Christine had her volleyball practice that Friday.
Keira glanced at her shorter friend. "You seem awfully quiet today," she commented. "Anything wrong?" she questioned, her tone mildly concerned. Between the two, the blonde was usually the cheerful, exuberant one.
Christine shrugged, her expression neutral. "Nothing,"
The black-haired girl coughed. There was obviously something on her companion's mind. She peered at her more closely, and noted Christine's listlessness. "I see..." she trailed off, lost in her own thoughts as she wondered about what might be bothering her.
"Kei..."
"Oh," she spoke suddenly, as if remembering something of importance, as they neared the basketball gym. "I've got to stop here. I need... to see someone about something." she said cryptically.
"W-what?" her head snapped up, her dirty-blonde hair falling back from her shoulders. "Why? But I thought... you..." Christine stuttered. She wanted her friend's comfort, she didn't want to be alone now. She was about to tell her friend about her situation and then... "You can't..." she protested, albeit weakly.
"I know," Keira smiled at her. "But I have to settle something first. I'll see you later, alright? Ja ne!"
She had no other choice but to stare at her girl friend's retreating back in helplessness.
She sighed then, thinking that she might as well just confide in her later. Her mind had been filled with confused, turmoiled thoughts ever since that day when... she shook her head. She was not going to think about that. That incident meant nothing to her. Nothing...
She hugged her books closer to her chest, making up her mind that she was not going to think about... those melting dark brown eyes...
She was doing it again.
She started to continue on her way towards the volleyball court. Her eyes were on the ground, as was her habit, when she came across a pair of Pumas, blocking her way.
"Hey there, where do you think you're going?"
~*~*~*~*~*~
Twin aquamarine orbs dared look upward, directly into warm, smiling brown eyes.
"Hi." His hair was brushed back, falling carelessly over his smooth forehead and eyebrows. His lips were quirked into an amicable grin. Not that she noticed.
She hastily transferred her gaze back to the ground, her mind swirling with alarming thoughts. 'I can't look at him... can't look... can't...'
'I can't. I have to leave. NOW.' she mumbled an almost incoherent, "Excuse me," hoping against hope he understood the 'hurry' she was in and stepped aside for her to pass.
"Chris?" he asked, his expression puzzled, worried. "Something wrong?"
She shook her head, not trusting her tongue to speak.
Kogore raised an arm, intending to lay it gently on her shoulder. He could vaguely sense something amiss. The girl he met that rainy day was friendly, open, easy to talk to. This one was... reserved. Pensive. Unreadable. "You know, you could at least talk to me," he tried to joke, stressing on the last word. "With your eyes on the floor, you're practically talking to my shoes."
She stiffened at the feel of his hand weighing down on her shoulder. "I... I must go. Practice. Excuse me," she hurried out, not bearing it any longer, letting his hand drop in the process. She turned a quarter step to her left, intending to walk around him and leave.
He was quick to sidestep her. "Hey now," he persisted, managing to make his tone casual. "This isn't the Christine I know."
His voice turned serious. "Have I done anything wrong?"
"No," she replied softly. 'It's just me.'
Silence ensued for barely a few moments, and then she finally said, looking him bravely in the eyes, "If you don't mind... I really have to go."
She maneuvered herself around him, and proceeded to walk briskly towards the volleyball courts, trying not to let her mind linger on the hurt that was evident in the depths of those brown eyes. At that instant she felt guilt, but she couldn't place a reason why.
This time, he made no move to stop her, as he was left to his own silent contemplation.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Get that ball!"
Irene dived forward, sending the ball skyward. "Spike!"
She jumped into the air, one hand poised slightly back. As the ball neared her fingertips, Christine slammed the ball over the net, just out of reach of the opposing team.
The whistle blew. The volleyball game had ended.
Her team had won.
"Christine! Good spike!" Coach Minako Aino complimented, slapping the flushed player encouragingly on the back. "That was a great game. You were especially spirited today," she laughed.
She shook her dirty-blonde head, smiling modestly. "Nah,"
At the bleachers directly facing Christine's side of the court sat an amused Keira, smirking at the way her friend was playing today. It just wasn't her usual style. Seeing a flash of gray towards her left near the side entrance of the court, she turned to it, and what she saw made her grin widen.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Kogore had stopped near the open entrance, his face searching, expectant. Curling his fingers about the chicken-wire, he leaned a bit towards it, his eyes scanning the volleyball courts. He saw some people about, a lot of short shorts and blurry faces, but all he was looking for was a pair of clear aquamarine eyes and a mop of dirty-blonde hair.
He had happened to look towards the bleachers, and saw Keira. She had seen him too, and had tipped her head in acknowledgement. He smiled at her, then resumed his search.
~*~
Christine exhaled in relief, glad that the game was over. She took out a towel from her bag near the side benches, and hung it around her neck. She raised her hands and fixed her ponytail when she locked gazes with a pair of blue-black eyes.
She zipped her bag shut, and started to head towards the bleachers, intending to stop by and sit with Karla for a while before changing. As she was walking towards her friend, she saw her hands motioning to something almost imperceptively.
Used to the silent communication that had started ever since those many years that they had spent together as close friends, she hesitated. And watched.
Keira's hands were gesturing towards her left, to something... or was it someone? Outside the wire?
~*~
Basketball practice had ended earlier than it should have, what with people either too tired to exert at least some effort itno their practice, or absent because of the upcoming exams. Akagi had relented, seeing his team just wasn't up to it. They had no upcoming games though, so he had no qualms this time in ending early.
Kogore had went straight out, along with the oter players. Although Hanamichi and Rukawa were their usual spunky and undaunted selves respectively, the others had looked tuckered out and not in the mood.
He found himself heading to the volleyball courts, even though it was a long way from the school's front gates. Sometimes, he even confused himself.
His patience rewarded him. Just several meters away stood his purpose for coming to the courts. She was looking straight ahead, apparently having a long distance conversation with someone, as he saw her gesture wildly with her hands, later placing them back on her hips.
Her hair was kept in a high ponytail, short wisps of hair faming her delicate face. Her mouth was turned upwards in obvious amusement, as he guessed she was trying to figure out what her friend at the other side of the court was saying. He shook his head, bemused at his especially keen observation today. Maybe it was caused by her.
"Hey!!!" a voice called out.
Startled enough to turn towards the direction of the voice, he felt something nudge against his foot. Looking down in confusion, he saw a battered soccerball resting a few inches away from his feet.
"Gomen!" the smiling soccer player called out. "Do you mind passing the ball over to us?"
"Sure," he bent down, being the nice and agreeable guy that he was, he complied.
~*~
Oh. Now she got it. She turned to her left, and for a minute she couldn't seem to spot what Kei had been motioning to.
She found it.
Standing beside the fence, with one hand propped against the chicken wire stood Kogore, with his adorable lopsided grin, although it wasn't directed at her. He stooped to pick up a ball and handed it over to a soccer player, all the time smiling and making light conversation.
She thought her heart would stop.
"Oh God."
~*~
Keira watched with dry amusement at the scene starting to unfold just several meters away from her. Her mouth was turned up to one side in her usual smirk.
Christine, she saw, was just standing there, her moth agape like an idiot. She transferred her gaze to the tall, brown-haired basketball player, just in time to see him bend over a ball and hand it to the guy who was running up to him. Her blue-black eyes narrowed in disappointment. He hadn't seen her. Not yet.
~*~
Kogore turned back to look at the courts after handing the guy the ball, only to find her gone. He scanned the place where he had last seen her, but she wasn't there anymore.
He raked his hands through his dark-brown hair in frustration, roving his eyes around the court once again. He saw a girl with short hair move forward, laughing at something her teammate had said, and he saw Christine.
For a heartbeat their gazes locked, confused blue with probing brown.
~*~
She felt herself start to blush at the intensity of his gaze, and she turned away. 'Stupid, stupid!' she berated herself. 'What's he going to think of me now? Shameless!'
Her hands turned to fists at her sides in response to the sudden burst of anger. She closed her eyes for a second and exhaled deeply. 'He has a girlfriend. That gorgeous green-eyed blonde? Yeah. So he's off-limits.' she started walking, away from the bleachers, away from that fence, away from him.
Especially him.
~*~
His first reaction to that display was surprise. What did he do wrong? It was as if... they were friends, weren't they?
He sighed wearily, unsure of what to think. He was sure of one thing, that whatever Christine was going through, it had something to do with him.
He bent to pick up his backpack from the ground to his left, shouldering it. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he turned, and headed home.
Thinking.
tbc............
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Note: Okay, okay, so i purposely left it hanging at the end. Look out for Chapters 5 & 6, coming soon! (as soon as i can get around to typing them...that is.) hehehe!=) email me at LegnaThgin@hotmail.com to let me know what you think! ;)
by: LegnaThgin
Chapter4 #Heartbeat#
*Riiinng!*
The class sighed collectively as the bell signalled the end of the day.
Christine, for once, didn't join in. She felt absolutely drained, almost lethargic. She took her time fixing her books, then finally stood up, hugging them to her chest as she strode out with the rest of her classmates. As usual, Keira was already waiting for her, because for some reason, they get always get dismissed earlier than they.
As was their TThF routine, the two friends headed outside together. They passed the glass front doors, and turned right, walking towards the court, as Christine had her volleyball practice that Friday.
Keira glanced at her shorter friend. "You seem awfully quiet today," she commented. "Anything wrong?" she questioned, her tone mildly concerned. Between the two, the blonde was usually the cheerful, exuberant one.
Christine shrugged, her expression neutral. "Nothing,"
The black-haired girl coughed. There was obviously something on her companion's mind. She peered at her more closely, and noted Christine's listlessness. "I see..." she trailed off, lost in her own thoughts as she wondered about what might be bothering her.
"Kei..."
"Oh," she spoke suddenly, as if remembering something of importance, as they neared the basketball gym. "I've got to stop here. I need... to see someone about something." she said cryptically.
"W-what?" her head snapped up, her dirty-blonde hair falling back from her shoulders. "Why? But I thought... you..." Christine stuttered. She wanted her friend's comfort, she didn't want to be alone now. She was about to tell her friend about her situation and then... "You can't..." she protested, albeit weakly.
"I know," Keira smiled at her. "But I have to settle something first. I'll see you later, alright? Ja ne!"
She had no other choice but to stare at her girl friend's retreating back in helplessness.
She sighed then, thinking that she might as well just confide in her later. Her mind had been filled with confused, turmoiled thoughts ever since that day when... she shook her head. She was not going to think about that. That incident meant nothing to her. Nothing...
She hugged her books closer to her chest, making up her mind that she was not going to think about... those melting dark brown eyes...
She was doing it again.
She started to continue on her way towards the volleyball court. Her eyes were on the ground, as was her habit, when she came across a pair of Pumas, blocking her way.
"Hey there, where do you think you're going?"
~*~*~*~*~*~
Twin aquamarine orbs dared look upward, directly into warm, smiling brown eyes.
"Hi." His hair was brushed back, falling carelessly over his smooth forehead and eyebrows. His lips were quirked into an amicable grin. Not that she noticed.
She hastily transferred her gaze back to the ground, her mind swirling with alarming thoughts. 'I can't look at him... can't look... can't...'
'I can't. I have to leave. NOW.' she mumbled an almost incoherent, "Excuse me," hoping against hope he understood the 'hurry' she was in and stepped aside for her to pass.
"Chris?" he asked, his expression puzzled, worried. "Something wrong?"
She shook her head, not trusting her tongue to speak.
Kogore raised an arm, intending to lay it gently on her shoulder. He could vaguely sense something amiss. The girl he met that rainy day was friendly, open, easy to talk to. This one was... reserved. Pensive. Unreadable. "You know, you could at least talk to me," he tried to joke, stressing on the last word. "With your eyes on the floor, you're practically talking to my shoes."
She stiffened at the feel of his hand weighing down on her shoulder. "I... I must go. Practice. Excuse me," she hurried out, not bearing it any longer, letting his hand drop in the process. She turned a quarter step to her left, intending to walk around him and leave.
He was quick to sidestep her. "Hey now," he persisted, managing to make his tone casual. "This isn't the Christine I know."
His voice turned serious. "Have I done anything wrong?"
"No," she replied softly. 'It's just me.'
Silence ensued for barely a few moments, and then she finally said, looking him bravely in the eyes, "If you don't mind... I really have to go."
She maneuvered herself around him, and proceeded to walk briskly towards the volleyball courts, trying not to let her mind linger on the hurt that was evident in the depths of those brown eyes. At that instant she felt guilt, but she couldn't place a reason why.
This time, he made no move to stop her, as he was left to his own silent contemplation.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Get that ball!"
Irene dived forward, sending the ball skyward. "Spike!"
She jumped into the air, one hand poised slightly back. As the ball neared her fingertips, Christine slammed the ball over the net, just out of reach of the opposing team.
The whistle blew. The volleyball game had ended.
Her team had won.
"Christine! Good spike!" Coach Minako Aino complimented, slapping the flushed player encouragingly on the back. "That was a great game. You were especially spirited today," she laughed.
She shook her dirty-blonde head, smiling modestly. "Nah,"
At the bleachers directly facing Christine's side of the court sat an amused Keira, smirking at the way her friend was playing today. It just wasn't her usual style. Seeing a flash of gray towards her left near the side entrance of the court, she turned to it, and what she saw made her grin widen.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Kogore had stopped near the open entrance, his face searching, expectant. Curling his fingers about the chicken-wire, he leaned a bit towards it, his eyes scanning the volleyball courts. He saw some people about, a lot of short shorts and blurry faces, but all he was looking for was a pair of clear aquamarine eyes and a mop of dirty-blonde hair.
He had happened to look towards the bleachers, and saw Keira. She had seen him too, and had tipped her head in acknowledgement. He smiled at her, then resumed his search.
~*~
Christine exhaled in relief, glad that the game was over. She took out a towel from her bag near the side benches, and hung it around her neck. She raised her hands and fixed her ponytail when she locked gazes with a pair of blue-black eyes.
She zipped her bag shut, and started to head towards the bleachers, intending to stop by and sit with Karla for a while before changing. As she was walking towards her friend, she saw her hands motioning to something almost imperceptively.
Used to the silent communication that had started ever since those many years that they had spent together as close friends, she hesitated. And watched.
Keira's hands were gesturing towards her left, to something... or was it someone? Outside the wire?
~*~
Basketball practice had ended earlier than it should have, what with people either too tired to exert at least some effort itno their practice, or absent because of the upcoming exams. Akagi had relented, seeing his team just wasn't up to it. They had no upcoming games though, so he had no qualms this time in ending early.
Kogore had went straight out, along with the oter players. Although Hanamichi and Rukawa were their usual spunky and undaunted selves respectively, the others had looked tuckered out and not in the mood.
He found himself heading to the volleyball courts, even though it was a long way from the school's front gates. Sometimes, he even confused himself.
His patience rewarded him. Just several meters away stood his purpose for coming to the courts. She was looking straight ahead, apparently having a long distance conversation with someone, as he saw her gesture wildly with her hands, later placing them back on her hips.
Her hair was kept in a high ponytail, short wisps of hair faming her delicate face. Her mouth was turned upwards in obvious amusement, as he guessed she was trying to figure out what her friend at the other side of the court was saying. He shook his head, bemused at his especially keen observation today. Maybe it was caused by her.
"Hey!!!" a voice called out.
Startled enough to turn towards the direction of the voice, he felt something nudge against his foot. Looking down in confusion, he saw a battered soccerball resting a few inches away from his feet.
"Gomen!" the smiling soccer player called out. "Do you mind passing the ball over to us?"
"Sure," he bent down, being the nice and agreeable guy that he was, he complied.
~*~
Oh. Now she got it. She turned to her left, and for a minute she couldn't seem to spot what Kei had been motioning to.
She found it.
Standing beside the fence, with one hand propped against the chicken wire stood Kogore, with his adorable lopsided grin, although it wasn't directed at her. He stooped to pick up a ball and handed it over to a soccer player, all the time smiling and making light conversation.
She thought her heart would stop.
"Oh God."
~*~
Keira watched with dry amusement at the scene starting to unfold just several meters away from her. Her mouth was turned up to one side in her usual smirk.
Christine, she saw, was just standing there, her moth agape like an idiot. She transferred her gaze to the tall, brown-haired basketball player, just in time to see him bend over a ball and hand it to the guy who was running up to him. Her blue-black eyes narrowed in disappointment. He hadn't seen her. Not yet.
~*~
Kogore turned back to look at the courts after handing the guy the ball, only to find her gone. He scanned the place where he had last seen her, but she wasn't there anymore.
He raked his hands through his dark-brown hair in frustration, roving his eyes around the court once again. He saw a girl with short hair move forward, laughing at something her teammate had said, and he saw Christine.
For a heartbeat their gazes locked, confused blue with probing brown.
~*~
She felt herself start to blush at the intensity of his gaze, and she turned away. 'Stupid, stupid!' she berated herself. 'What's he going to think of me now? Shameless!'
Her hands turned to fists at her sides in response to the sudden burst of anger. She closed her eyes for a second and exhaled deeply. 'He has a girlfriend. That gorgeous green-eyed blonde? Yeah. So he's off-limits.' she started walking, away from the bleachers, away from that fence, away from him.
Especially him.
~*~
His first reaction to that display was surprise. What did he do wrong? It was as if... they were friends, weren't they?
He sighed wearily, unsure of what to think. He was sure of one thing, that whatever Christine was going through, it had something to do with him.
He bent to pick up his backpack from the ground to his left, shouldering it. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he turned, and headed home.
Thinking.
tbc............
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Note: Okay, okay, so i purposely left it hanging at the end. Look out for Chapters 5 & 6, coming soon! (as soon as i can get around to typing them...that is.) hehehe!=) email me at LegnaThgin@hotmail.com to let me know what you think! ;)