Ok! I'm back! Still feeling tired from the camp. I'm sorry if my paragraphing is so...argh! Thanks to my darling reviewers! And to all my reviewers: A BIG THANK YOU! And sure, you can print my fic! Before I shut up, are there any netballers out there? I just wanna know.. Read my story and review! Thanks....
Chapter 5: America?
Words in Italic Bold: What the silly characters are thinking. If you're confused bout the whole thing, just note that each paragraph focuses on a certain person's point of view.
Words in " ": The character's speech
Six days! Shioko was startled. Weird... She could only recall fainting in the gym.
She looked around, and saw a little heap of sweets on her bedside table. She sat up and took the colorful card which was underneath a big box of Cadbury Fairy Tales chocolate. Her stomach still hurt, but it wasn't as bad as before.
Shioko-chan,
Get Well Soon
-The Basketball Team-
Below the words was a chibi picture of her frowning. She picked up a bottle of jelly beans which had a note written in fanciful paper. She opened it.
nE sHiOko cHaN, gEt wELl sOoN. wE r GoNnA hAvE a FrIeNdLy gAmE aGaInSt
rYoNaN aNd wE nEeD u!!
-Ria(^-^)-
Shioko grinned slightly. She picked up a large packet of marsh mallows. It had a small piece of ripped off at the edge of the page kind of paper.
And in Sakuragi's illegible handwriting which she had to squint in order to make out the words, it said.
The Tensai wants a remtcah remacht rematch! I will win by hundrde 100 points this time. The tensai will trush trsh tarash trash you! orewa tensai
She snorted, and her eyes landed on a familiar orange ball beside her bed. There was a note beside it. She picked it up and opened it. A piece of Wrigley's chewing gum fell out. The note said:
do ahou dont get well so soon i want my court u can pick my ball and close the doors for me
No prizes for guessing who! Shioko smiled a little. That was Rukawa for you. She ate a few pieces of chocolate, downed a glass of cold water and went back to sleep, forgetting about the pain in her stomach.
Rukawa Kaede did a three pointer shot, and his ball rolled the the other side of the court. He waited for the ball to be kicked or rolled back, but it stayed where it was.
Do ahou. At least my poor baby won't get kicked. His mind said, somewhat unconvincingly.
He walked over to the ball, picked it up and did a alley loop on his own.
Then there came a slight squeal from outside the doors. "RUKAWA! SUGOI!"
Urusai. He thought, irritated.
Then he heard a guy's laughter. "Kaede doesn't even know you exist and i doubt he likes any of you girls. I don't even think he'd get a girlfriend one day. He has no feelings, that nut."
How can I not know they exist? Screaming my name all day long. And do ahou, I do have feelings. And with my parents breathing down my back with "Kaede, I want a grandson one day!" "I want to see you getting married." or his aunts' "Sweetie pie, when are you getting married?" "I want you to get a girlfriend by the next time I visit or down goes your scholarship to America." The last statement was by far the scariest, but he didn't give a damn about that, knowing he was her favorite nephew and she would give in to him some way or another. But that wasn't what his aunt was thinking...
Shioko sat on her bed, playing with her stuffed toys. She wanted to know why she had coughed out blood. Her father threatened to mash her if she asked again.
The nurse had smiled that sickening sweet smile and said "Your dad says he'd rather us not to scare you." Scare her! The only thing she was scared of was lightning and her father's trashing.
Could it be I have tuberculosis? She remembered that Rurouni Kenshin episode when Sayo had died, all because of tuberculosis and she too had coughed out blood. Uh-oh...Shioko started to worry.
She didn't really know anything about that disease. But surely she had taken some kind of injection when she was younger...Or perhaps it was only the fact that her father had punched her too hard and in turn her internal organs got injured...She got up and packed her bag for school.
"Shioko! You're back!" The basketball girls crowded around her, laughing. Naoko grabbed her into a bear hug, and Yuri tousled her hair. Ria patted her on the back, and Shioko laughed slightly, slapping a high five with Chiharu. At that moment, their coach came in.
"Shioko! You're back." She smiled at the girl who was surrounded by her teammates. Shioko nodded and greeted her coach "Sensei." "I hope you are ready for the match later on this week. We need you. Ok team! Let's start training!"
After a few laps, drills, water breaks, games, their training ended. Shioko stayed with Ria, who wanted to practice combinations with her.
"Ok, I'll do a double bounce twice, and feint a shot. But I'll pass to you and you'll shoot a three pointer. Then you'll have to stay further down the court and when I do the feint, you run down." Ria said to her partner.
Rukawa stood at the entrance of the gym quietly watching the two girls. He had to admit they were good for a girl's standard. Then he fell asleep, standing up.
After an hour, they finally managed to execute the whole combination perfectly. It was already six thirty, and Ria had to leave.
Shioko was wondering why that stupid do ahou wasn't there. She did a few shots, and when her ball rolled over to the other court, she found him asleep against the door. She was amazed. How could anyone stand up and sleep?
She decided to wake him. "Eh...." She said loudly. He didn't seem to hear. She poked him in his chest, and she was starting to get irritated. She knocked his head, and wasn't surprised to find it hollow.
His eyes opened slightly, and his mouth got ready to say "No one disturbs my sleep and gets away with it." "No one disturbs- you. Do ahou." He mumbled. "Finally."
Shioko raised her eyebrows at him. "I should have left you sleeping there, you ungrateful do ahou kitsune."
"Ahou..." He stared at her for awhile, then he added "Back so soon..."
"To disturb you." Shioko replied, and punched him lightly in the arm.
"Urusai ne." Rukawa said, glaring at her.
She smirked, and went "Do ahou."
"That's my line, ano baka." She was already bouncing the ball in her court.
"Oh! My precious baby!" His aunt came rushing to him. "My my, you are so tall now!"
Rukawa sighed, as his aunt stood on her tippy toes and planted a wet kiss on his cheek. He rolled his eyes.
His parents, who were sitting on the sofa and supposedly watching their favorite program started laughing. They knew how much their son hated anyone to kiss him.
Kusou. Her saliva.... Stop laughing.. Rukawa stared at his parents who immediately pretended to be laughing at some lame commentator on the Sports channel.
His aunt looked up at him and smiled fondly. As if remembering something, she narrowed her eyes and looked at him "Have you found yourself a girlfriend?" Rukawa faked a smile.
"Looks like he hasn't. He's smiling to cover up. He knows how much she loves that smile of his." His mum said, grinning. "Looks more like a sneer." His father replied, laughing harder.
His aunt smiled, and pinched his cheeks, but narrowed her eyes again. "Have you?" Rukawa shook his head slowly.
Time for Plan B... Smile harder and wider. He smiled again, this time harder and wider. Please let it work...
Rukawa's parents were snorting with laughter, ignoring the fact that their son was glaring hard at them.
"Kaede.. This isn't working," She paused and said "I have spoilt you too much Kaede.."
There goes America. Unless I can find someone to be my fake girlfriend.... Rukawa thought, trying to decide which was better- saying bye to America or getting a fake girlfriend. "Not yet..." He mumbled, looking at the ground.
"Oh! So you're dating some one?" His aunt clapped her hands gleefully.
Rukawa was about to snort when he decided a nod would be better.
His parents nearly choke on that nod, and they started laughing harder.
"What's her name?" His aunt chirped.
He shook his head and turned chibi. "Secret..."
His parents nearly died of laughter. His aunt patted his back. "Bring her home one day. I'll be staying here until next Sunday." She waddled back up the stairs and went into her room.
He looked at his parents, gave a huge sigh and hurried up to his room, knowing he was in trouble. Rukawa sat on his bed and thought hard. Ayako... No.. Miyagi'd kill me.. Haruko... Too sissy...Do ahou no.2... Maybe... He let out a huge sigh and fell back into his bed, sleeping immediately.
Shioko switched her radio on. "I think my boyfriend doesn't-" Click "Seikai ga owaru made wa-" Click "This song is going out to Sendoh Aki-" Click "Next, fry the veg-" Click "Sketches shoes are the best! I love-" Click "There has been a bomb blast in-" Click "I knew I loved you before I met you I think I dreamed you into life... That was Savage Garden with I Knew I Loved You! The next song-" She switched it off, and ate a jelly bean.
Her father would be home any time from now, and she decided to sleep. She took off her shirt and shorts and threw a blue oversized Nike shirt and on. Snuggling under her covers, she went off to dreamland.
"What must you do in order to make sure the food you're frying doesn't get too soggy?" Shioko's home economics teacher asked her.
"Ask your mum for help..." She couldn't resist not adding a "D-uh." but she had self control.
It was already five, and she was itching to practice.
"No! Shioko! I don't seem to understand why you cannot seem to understand what I'm teaching you?"
Shioko shrugged. "I took D&T."
Her teacher nearly exploded. "Alright, here's what you've got to do. You heat it up till the oil is hot enough! You don't ask your mother to do everything for you, do you?"
"Course not...She's dead."
Rukawa watched as Shioko did a lay-up, and he studied her carefully.
Should I ask her... She looks like a boy. But she has .... How are you going to play in the NBA if you don't ask her ..DO AHOU...Rukawa thought to himself Rukawa looked at the girl, and suddenly realized....
He was scared to talk to her .....
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How's that??? Find out how he's gonna ask her! Or maybe not...
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