Only Love Sets You Free

Chapter 3: Blood!

Shioko woke with a start, and heaved a sigh of relief. So Darth Vader wasn't after her after all. And her light saber was gone. She had a dream cum nightmare. Yeas. That would describe it perfectly.

She dreamt she became a Jedi, and she was Obi-Wan Ken obi's apprentice. Or whatever you called that. And her light saber was green! But Darth Vader was after her, and was about to strike her when she came back to reality. She looked at the clock. 8 a.m. Sunday. No school today. Hurray.

Her brother was cooking, but it was more of burning the food. She could smell the burnt toast and bacon. She went into the kitchen, and winced. Her brother grinned at her. "Bacon and eggs. Want some?" "No." Shioko replied, frowning.

"Your face is almost as black as that." He pointed to the piece of burnt no, charred toast. She glared at him, and snorted. Pulling out two pieces of frozen waffles, she stuffed them into the toaster. She sat down at the dining table, waiting for the waffles to pop out and scare her.

Her brother's plate of bacon and eggs seemed to smile at her. "Eat me, eat me." They said pathetically. Poor food. They obviously don't want to go to waste. She took a plate and covered the "food". They reminded her of her dad. Disgusting, black, and wasted. Her brother carried another plate of bacon and eggs. At least those looked all right. Then her waffles popped out of the toaster, scaring her like always.

Bounce, bounce, bounce, aim, shoot. Three points. Cool, I can close my eyes and shoot! Shioko thought, grinning slightly. She decided to go home. It was six, and she had been practicing for a few hours. On her walk back, guess whom she saw? Mitsui Hishashi, the perv. He smiled at her, only to get a frown in return. Crazy guy, Shioko thought.

"Hey, I liked the way you played with Sakuragi." Mitsui said, smiling at her. She gave him a smirkle. Shioko's definition of smirkle was nothing but a smirk with lips curled upwards to seem as if smiling. In other words, a literal smile which is actually a smirk, or a sarcastic smile.

Mitsui grinned. She's playing hard to get, he thought. "Thanks." She went off, without even looking at Mitsui. She looks cute when's she smiling, he thought, and went off to get a book from the bookstore. (Book= Magazine with blonde babes tanning in the sun.)

When she stepped into the house, the first thing she saw was her brother's live burnt bacon and eggs staring at her. It started to talk. Some funny alien language. One that only E.T would understand. He came towards her, fuming. She pretended he was singing. Singing "Who told you to stay out till six? You lazy bum! Why aren't you replying!" He started to trash her.

Though it hurt, her face displayed no emotion. Her father got even angrier at her lack of emotions. "Stupid girl." He rammed her basketball hard at her, and it got her in the stomach.

This time, she really couldn't pretend she wasn't hurt. It hurt, bad. Shioko clenched her teeth and glared at her dad. Just then, the doorbell rang. Saved by the doorbell! She ran up to her room, and locked the door. Her father put on another mask and went to answer the door.

She lifted her shirt slightly to inspect her stomach. It was an awful shade of bluish purple, and it hurt. Damn her father. If it were not for his money she would have ran away a long time ago. She poked the wound, and yelped softly. At least she was safe up here. Her father never bothered to come up.

His room was on the first floor, thankfully. Where is it? It must be somewhere around. She dug around her drawers, trying to find her first aid kit. Darn. It wasn't anywhere. Who cares? She thought. Without bathing, she fell asleep on her bed, completely pooped out from her own training.

"That is why we should learn the importance about global warming. One day we might get burnt if we still continue on this way…" Miss Kentaro droned on and on. Damn. Shioko clutched her stomach. It was getting worse by the minute. How am I gonna train later? Perhaps I ought to go to the nurse's office to get some painkillers.

When the bell rang signaling an end to the torture of school, she went to the nurse's office. "Good Afternoon dear. How can I help you?" the nurse smiled a sickeningly sweet smile at her. "I need painkillers." The nurse narrowed her eyes and looked at her suspiciously. "For what, may I ask?"

Shioko's brain started to think of a sensible answer. Think brain, think. "I have stomach cramps." She replied confidently. The nurse smiled. "Of course, its that time of the month I presume?" Shioko nodded. The nurse handed her two painkillers.

"Thanks." She hurried out of the nurse's office and popped the two tablets into her mouth. She hurried off to the water cooler to get a drink of water to wash those two pink pills down her throat. Part of it had already melted in her mouth, and it tasted bitter and disgusting.

She entered the locker room. It was full of girls. Giggly ones, short ones, tall ones, quiet ones and noisy ones. A hushed silence came over the room when she entered. They turned to look at her, and being girls, they started to yak away excitedly.

"That's the girl from Shoyo. She knows Fujima." "She's his girlfriend!" "She's so tall!" "I heard she was sent her by Fujima to spy on our basketball team!" She went to her locker, and begun chucking things inside.

Everything heaped into an untidy pile. An unpleasant sight to the eyes it was. "Shioko Toume." Someone drawled. She turned. An unfamiliar face greeted her sight. She turned back to her locker and started to arrange her things neatly. The girl who had called her was totally pissed off. Doesn't she know who I am? I'm the captain of the basketball team and I only allow those whom I want in the team! Ruriko Konoe thought, completely pissed.

"I am Ruriko Konoe, captain of the girls basketball team." She said loudly, so that the whole locker room of girls could hear her. Shioko continued with her packing. More like bitch of a captain, she thought.

This girl has nerves made of steel! Ruriko thought, wanting to strangle the taller girl. "I said, I'm the basketball captain of this team." Ruriko tried again. The whole locker room was watching this little melodrama. Shioko got fed up. She turned to Ruriko and looked down at her. "I don't care." The whole locker room gasped.

Ruriko turned red in the face. "You better watch out Shioko Toume. I'm beginning to really detest you." "I don't care." Shioko turned away and started to arrange her things again. Ruriko stalked off, and a few of the girls laughed.

"Nice one Shioko!" "Yeah! You told her off!" "You're cool!" Shioko nodded, and went to the bathroom with the jersey she had been presented with. Want to guess what number she got? Just her luck. 14. Mitsui's number.

"Alright. I'm going to break you into two groups, seniors and juniors. Send five of your best members." Their coach said. Ria, the one that had caught Shioko's eye during the first training started to pick the members. She was a nice girl who had long brown hair tied into a ponytail. "Naoko, Chiharu, Yuri, Shioko and I. Any objections anyone?" She said with a twinkle in her eye. Shioko ended up as the center.

The senior team consisted of Ruriko, Reiko, Suzume, Miaka and Kaoru. The referee blew the whistle. Shioko and Reiko jumped for the ball, and Shioko hit it to Ria who was already running toward their goal area. However, Ruriko the bitch was already there. Ria continued to bounce the ball, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shioko who was free. She did a superb pass to Shioko, who caught it, and without landing, shot a three pointer.

It went in. And there were many cheers from the bench. "Don't mind guys!" Suzume encouraged them. They brought the ball back to their own court. Shioko was guarding their best player, Miaka. She was fast, but Shioko was faster. Miaka was getting irritated with Shioko's guard.

Shioko had a frown on her face as usual, but inside, she was full of joy. She loved to see her attacker rendered helpless. Suzume tried to pass the ball to Kaoru who was being guarded by Chiharu. Ria saw that pass, and intercepted it.

More hoots and cheers came from the bench. "Fast break!" Ria yelled. She threw the ball to Naoko, who brought the ball down court. She threw it to Yuri, who did a lay up shot. The ball hit the rim, and "Rebound!" Shioko caught the ball and gently threw the ball up. It was a silent one. 5-0. Then it became 7-0, 9-0.

The seniors got the ball, and Kaoru did an under net shot which went in. They were very much encouraged by that. Ruriko, who gained back her confidence and haughtiness decided to guard Shioko.

When it was their ball, Naoko brought it down. Yuri ran forward and got the ball. Ria looked at Shioko, and she nodded. Ria ran towards Yuri, and she got the ball. hioko jumped, and so did Ruriko but Ria made sure the pass reached the Shioko's highest point, which also meant that Ruriko would not be able to get the ball. Shioko did a three pointer. If she could do it with her eyes close, do you think it went in? Duh.

The score was now 12-2. They played on and on, and finally the juniors won 27-8. It was a terrible shame for the seniors. Ria slapped a high five with Shioko.

"I'm very impressed with the way you two understood each other. Especially that nice one where you got the ball and threw it to Shioko in mid air. You two are indeed exceptionally talented and gifted players." Their coach said with a beam. The other players clapped except certain people.

Ria grinned. "We discussed it. I've played against her before, and I saw her did that with the captain of Shoyo. She's the brilliant one, I just assisted her." Shioko looked at Ria who smiled at her. "She was a great assistant then." Shioko said, surprised. But she was surprised she could work so well with Ria. But she was more surprised at the words that came out of her mouths. She hadn't praised anyone in years. She could hardly remember praising anyone.

The only other person she could really understand was Fuya Kinoshita, Shoyo's second year captain. She caught sight of Ruriko's face, and she liked what she saw. Ruriko was staring at her, but her eyes glowered with signs of embarrassment.

So he's here again. Who cares? She bounced the ball on the floor twice to let him know she was here and from that moment, he could only have half court.

Rukawa heard a double bounce and blew his bangs out of his eyes irritated. Couldn't he have the whole court to himself? He desperately wanted to be Japan's No 1. But what he didn't know was that she was having the exact sentiments as him.

Damn him. He doesn't know how much I loathe studying. If I don't become an Under-17 National player I'll need to study! Which means Number 1 one day! And shucks. The pain is coming back again, Shioko thought.

Rukawa did a backward dunk, and landed. The ball rolled over to the other court. He expected her to throw her his ball like she always did, but he found her clutching her stomach, half kneeling on the floor. He walked over and picked the ball up. He turned to face her.

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Kusou. Kusou. Kusou. Cough. I see blood. Coming out of my own mouth. Shioko looked and the blood, and fear was starting to get to her. Could he have damaged her internal organs? She looked up. That stupid fox. She looked at him.

Blood. Rukawa looked at her. She stared back and hacked out more blood. He was freaked out. He looked at the pool of blood, then back at her. Then at the pool of blood and back at her. She looked at the blood and stared at him again. He did the same. And she coughed out more.

The gym floor, he thought. Damn. Can't he stop looking at me like that? That freak! Shioko was irritated, and her stomach was killing her. She coughed out more blood.

What if she dies… and they think I killed her because she stole half of my court. Rukawa thought, suddenly frightened. Then they'll send me to prison. (You didn't think Rukawa was capable of such thoughts didn't you?) Then I'll never be Japan's number one! Do ahou. I better stay and make sure she does not die.

Shioko felt like punching Rukawa's face. She didn't like anyone staring at her. Not even the best basketballer of Shohoku. She looked at Rukawa who was squatting down in chibi form, his head in his hands. She coughed, and added a few more drops to the pool. Rukawa looked at the blood again and at her.

Then she fainted …

How do you like the story? Ok, since I'm not getting any reviews. I don't think I'll continue for the time being. Unless I get reviews telling me I'm doing fine. No flames please… Maybe slight criticism, but not FLAME. They will be used to burn the flamer's flame!