Chapter 4: I Love Basketball

"......Takeno Rika, Taro Mia, Kimayi Shita..." Anzai-sensei droned.

All 3 of us got in! I couldn't believe it! I grinned like a chesire cat at Mia. She returned me a wink. For the first time I saw some sort of emotion in Shita's eyes! She smiled at us happily. Yes! I felt like the luckiest girl on Earth!

"Girls, you may be dismissed now. First training starts next Tuesday!" he announced.

I said my goodbyes to Mia and Shita. I felt like staying back to shoot. It was only 3 p. m. and there were still the guys' tryouts. I guess I'll wait in the courts.

I headed up to the viewing gallery and found nice spot where nobody was near me. I was just enjoying the tranquility seldom experienced in a court when B1 and her friends stormed into the gallery opposite me. What luck.

They were donned in the most ridiculous outfits my poor eyes had ever seen. Blinding pink cheerleading costumes with teeny-weeny white tank tops and Wa, Ru and Ka were printed on them. What were they here for?

Suddenly, I noticed a swarm of girls streaming in. Hmm, not bad! Shohoku sure has lots of basketball enthusiasts!

******

It was finally time for tryouts. Takeno Rika was in basketball? Funny. I stuffed my school uniform into my duffel bag. Then I tied my shoelaces thrice, good and secure.

It would start with a game. Great, I loved games.

Checking that I'd brought everything, I locked my stuff in a locker.

With that, I stepped onto the court.

"Rukawa! Rukawa! L-O-V-E Rukawa!"

******

Rukawa? As in Rukawa Kaede from 1-10? That guy?

Out of curiosity, I stood up to look but the girls behind whined and yanked me down. Well, so be it. Maybe it was another Rukawa, y'know. I knew two Hitoras last year.

Oh man, the place was getting more and more crowded! I got sick of it after awhile; I could see nothing but heads... A ponytail, a plait, some streaked hair, flowing long hair... Yup, that was all that was within my vision. Everybody was trying to stretch their neck longer than the girl in front of her.

Guess it would be more sensible to come back later. I pushed my way through the crowd and ran down the stairs. The air was so much fresher and cooler! I was just about to leave when Anzai-sensei stopped me.

"Rika, help me record for awhile please? Ayako is off for extra classes. You know how to do it, right?"

"Yeah, okay!" I agreed enthusiastically but my smile was wiped off my face when I saw Rukawa Kaede staring at me. I pretended not to notice him and followed Anzai-sensei to the bench. He went off to referee the game.

I looked around. There were more guys than there had been girls, duh. So, it was a full-fledged 5-on-5. I took down the names of the players acording to the introductions each of them had to do.

What on Earth? That red-haired freak played basketball? Why did I have to make enemies with two from the guys' team already?

The whistle was blown. The game had begun. It was top action, I tell you. A beautiful display of speed and skills combined on court. The coolest part was the guys slamming the ball into the hoop. I wondered if the team was good enough for national standards. Well, probably not yet...but soon, I guess. They were really of a high standard.

No matter how much I disliked Rukawa, I had to admit that he was a genius on court. His movements were swift and decisive, his shots were beautiful, with a perfect arc. I decided that I had to admire his skills. But note: his skills, not him. He stunned me with his fancy moves but that didn't excuse him for acting like some hotshot.

That red-haired guy, though I'd come to know him as Sakuragi Hanamichi I'd prefer sticking to that, was not bad. He had lots of potential but he acted like a goon. Any idiot could tell he'd never played basketball in his life. Haha, he made me smile because he was deliberately giving Rukawa a hard time.

The ball was being passed to the red-haired guy but it was way yoo high, even with him jumping up and down with hands raised he couldn't reach it. It flew way over him...and towards me!

The next moment was a blur...

******

Darn it! I jumped and reached for the ball, slamming it back into court. Then I came crashing down onto the bench! OW!

Where was that damn girl? Wasn't she sitting there? It wouldn't have hurt so much if she hadn't moved! Asshole!

I gave her a murderous look and ran back on court. Stupid red-haired baboon!

******

What the heck was he expecting me to do? Be his landing pad? Hullo? Someone comes flying towards you and you sit there happily for him to land on you? Oh, I understand. Thousands of girls would be dying to have him in their lap. Well, I wasn't part of that thousand. I don't want two fractured knees or to be wheeled around in a wheelchair. I still wanted to play basketball! Unreasonable freak.

The game went on and on... I was still a bit shaken from just now though. Every cross I drew for that Rukawa every time he scored, was drawn with hatred and anger. The problem is, he kept scoring and scoring...

The whistle signalled the end of the game. Hurray! Hurray! Pack up and leave! I wanna shoot! Hurry!

I waited impatiently as each of them took their own sweet time to leave. Finally, everybody was gone.

It was just me, the ball and the hoop...

******

Wow, not a bad game at all. That red-head kept marking me. It was so deliberate but challenging. That crash into the bleacher spoiled it all though. Breaking my fall was her job, wasn't it? She was supposed to but she just stood aside. Asshole, she doesn't even do what a girl's supposed to do. Come to think of it, she doesn't even act like a girl... Ha, for all you know she might just be a transvestite.

I wiped my sweat off my face. Funny. I heard somebody dribbling. I loved the thump of the ball when it hits the ground. Maybe the Gorilla-man stayed back too.

I took a basketball out... As I looked up I caught sight of a feminine figure. What was she doing here, again?

******

Swish!

I loved basketball with all my heart and soul. It looked simple but behind that mask, it was a battle of skills and teamwork and it was a lot of hard work.

I dribbled a little, then set up a shot... Swish! That feeling was the only thing that could genuinely cheer me up. That feeling when the ball goes in, nothing but net. It was indescribable...

Someone else's dribbling broke my chain of thoughts. I spun around on impulse and caught Rukawa making an incredible dunk. He was about to look up so I quickly turned back to my shooting in order for him not to see me gawking. It would just make his ego bigger.

******

Haha... I saw that, Takeno Rika! You thought I didn't see you? Well, you were wrong there.

I felt triumphant that I'd caught her. That girl was an unladylike asshole. Everytime notes were circulated around in class, she'd "accidently" drop mine on the ground! Absolutely unreasonable.

******

He was unreasonable. When my pen rolled over to his seat, he would kick it even further away from me "discreetly", as though I could not see. What was his problem?

******

I tell you, she has a major problem. Everytime she was forced to say something to me, she called me by full name, "Rukawa Kaede". Who did she think she was? My mother?

******

My mother once told me that guys weren't gentlemen unless they helped a girl up. I still remember that time I fell onto the ground, he was just behind me but he just walked on as though nothing had happened!

******

Mental Warfare:

RK--- Asshole.

TR--- Shit face!

RK--- Asshole...

TR--- Idiot!

RK--- Male Chauvinist Pig!

There was a long moment of silence. Then they turned to face each other simultaneously, sending hate messages through invisible cables between them. As though synchronised, they bounced their ball hard, one, turned back and shot. Both balls floated through the air, almost exact reflections of each other. Then CLANK! Both balls hit the rim and flew off in the opposite direction.

******

Damn! It's all because of him! I grabbed my ball but at the same time, his rolled over to my side of the court. He shouted, "Pass it back to me!"

I took another shot and yelled back, "Why don't you come get it yourself? Scared of my cooties?" What an idiot. No "Please", no nothing. Just plain "Pass it back to me". What was I? His slave?

I imagined myself as a robot, walking around doing whatever he said. Yes Sir? Oh, your ball rolled out into the mud? Oh, it's okay, don't worry! I'll get it for you! Or how about: You're falling? I'm coming! And suddenly I am transformed into an exercise mat made from top quality sponge to protect his delicate limbs from breaking. Bah! He must be one of those spoilt young masters who have trained staff to take off his socks for him.

******

I told you she was an asshole. She wouldn't even pass the ball back to me! Fine, I'll get it myself.

I shot a hundred more shots and hit about 97%. Good. Shower and leave.

******

Perfect! I glanced at the clock which showed 6.46 p.m. Time to go. I quickly changed into something fresh in the locker room and stepped out.

I looked around, good, the coast was clear, free of Rukawa.

"It's the hardest thing I'll ever have to do. To look you in the eye, and tell you I don't love you. It's the hardest thing I'll ever have to lie, to show no emotion when you start to cry..." Boy, I loved singing...

******

"...to turn around and walk away pretending I don't love you..." I heard from the corridor, you mean there're still girls in here at this hour? That's one nice voice though.

I walked out and gaped in astonishment. T...Ta...Takeno Rika? Somehow that voice and the name didn't go together.

She must have heard my footsteps because she stopped singing abruptly and tensed. However she continued walking without turning around.

This was the first time I'd seen this side of her throughout the two weeks that I'd known her. It felt awkward.

******

Shit, was that him? Hadn't he left? He must be laughing at my disgusting voice. I vow never to sing in the gym anymore.

I decided to stroll home. It was just one bus stop away anyway. I always liked to watch the sunset but it was a little cold though. That didn't matter.

I smiled at a girl on the swing but my eyes narrowed when I took notice of the footsteps behind me. They had been there since I'd left school. I harboured a thought about a murderer armed with a sledge hammer, ready to murder me because I bore some resemblance to his unfaithful ex-wife.

Unable to contain my curiosity anymore, I looked behind.

It was only Rukawa but that was bad enough. The look of him made me furious.

******

Man, I knew she lived near me. But I got the shock of my life when she turned into the house a couple of houses away from mine. This was crazy. I can't be on the wrong street, could I?

******