Sorry that it's been so long! Once school began to close last year, I got very busy and then once school ended, all inspiration ended with it. But now that school's back, and homecoming literally right around the corner, inspiration is everywhere, and so I have started this story again! I apologize again for the wait, and please continue reading! I plan on updating much more! Leave me a review and tell me what you think! Enjoy!
Chapter 4: Arising Problems
Yuna had already left by the time Rikku got up, which didn't disappoint her any, but as they zoomed along to school, with Brother jabbering in the back, Rikku noticed that Tidus looked awfully disappointed that Yuna hadn't come with them.
"Who'd she go with anyway?" Tidus asked, interrupting Brother's rambling.
"I don't know," Rikku just said, leaning back with a disgusted look on her face, "Why do you care?"
"I was just curious," Tidus said with a shrug, "I thought it would look pretty good if I arrived at school escorting the hot new girl."
"Tidus!" Rikku cried, "We both agreed—many times!—that she is not hot, and that we don't like her! Besides, we're worried about my popularity right now, not yours."
"Right, top ten's tomorrow," Tidus just said, "And we need to make sure that Leblanc isn't up there wearing that crown. 'Sides, I get to choose who I escort, and I need to escort the winner."
"Right," Rikku said, "And the winner is going to be me."
Tidus didn't say anything for a while, but then he said softly, "What if Yuna makes it?"
"How would she make it?" Rikku just said, shocked by Tidus' words, "Today's her first day, and everybody's voting today!"
"You heard what Leblanc said," Tidus just said softly, "What if Leblanc does something?"
"There's no way she could get that popular unless she had arrived with you," Rikku just said flatly, "But she's not. I am."
"I am too!" Brother cried from the back, "Does that make me popular?"
"Shut-up," Tidus just said flatly, "It's the most degrading thought ever: A stupid nineteen-year-old who wears makeup arriving with me."
"Back to me!" Rikku just said, "Today, both of you need to make sure that I'm voted for. I have to make top ten."
"That's already done," Tidus just said, "My whole team's voting for you, and Wakka said he did some figuring, and you have to be right up there. Right now, the only one who has the possibility of beating you is Leblanc…And maybe Yuna."
"Tidus! There's no way Yuna is going to—." Rikku couldn't finish her sentence, for as they drove up into the parking lot, there stood none other than Yuna, standing on an outside picnic table, smiling broadly. A crowd had formed around her, and Leblanc was standing by her, as well as the entire cheerleading squad.
"What's going on?" Brother asked, as he stepped out of the car, practically before it even came to a stop, "Why's Yuna up on the table?"
"My thoughts exactly," Rikku just said, coming out of the car too.
"Don't start thinking like him," Tidus said, "Or you'll turn retarded too."
The three of them walked toward the crowd, and they could hear the cheerleading squad talking about Yuna, and going on and on about her.
"She's the daughter of the late Lord Braska!" some cheered, "She's royalty already! We want her as our queen!"
The crowd was cheering, and even Brother had joined in, shouting, "Yeah! Yuna for homecoming queen!"
"Remember," Leblanc said, standing next to Yuna, "If I'm not being crowned, then why shouldn't Yuna?"
"Tidus!" Rikku cried, looking over at the blitzer, "What now?"
Tidus just wore a half-smirk though, and he said, "Don't worry about it, Rik, it'll all die down, and everybody'll forget her."
The bell rang then, and the crowd dispersed, as everybody headed off to class.
-
"At least she won't be on the ballad sheets," Rikku said, as she stepped into her first hour with Tidus, "There's no way they can add her."
"Actually," Leblanc said, leaning into their conversation, "They can. Just wait 'till the ballots arrive!"
"I thought you wanted to win," Rikku said, "Why do you want Yuna to win so badly?"
"Because I like to see you fail," Leblanc just said, "And besides, I'm still more popular than Yuna."
Nooj came in then, and everybody took their seats, all hushing as he walked in, carrying a stack of paper, which everyone supposed were the ballots.
"Alright, choose ten," he said, handing the sheets out, "I'll give you three minutes to choose."
He winked at Leblanc then, causing Tidus and Rikku to giggle to themselves, and started to hand them out.
"Oh, and I've been informed," Nooj then said, as everybody got their ballots, "to tell you all to add a name. At the bottom, please add the new student, Yuna."
Leblanc's eyes met Rikku's, and then Rikku saw Leblanc scrawling out Yuna's name on the bottom of her sheet.
"Yeah right," Rikku just whispered, "Like I'm adding her name!"
"I am," Tidus just said with a smirk.
"You jerk!" Rikku said, "Don't!"
"I'm just kidding," Tidus said, and then he began to check some names, including Rikku's.
It wasn't long before the three minutes were up, and everybody handed their sheets to Nooj, and prepared themselves for another long and boring day of school.
-
"I voted for that new Yuna chick," Rikku heard Wakka say as they, along with Tidus, exited their last class of the day.
"You did what?" Rikku cried, "Wakka, she's my stupid cousin!"
"She's related to you? No way!" Wakka just said, and then immediately changed the subject to the upcoming blitz game.
"How many other people voted for her?" Rikku said, changing the subject again, "Do you know?"
"Lots 'o people," Wakka just said, "But I doubt she'll make the top ten. According to my figuring, Leblanc is on top, followed by you, Rikku."
"Good," Rikku said flatly, and then looked over at Tidus, who had been walking along silently at her side, "Do you guys have practice today?"
"Not today, ya," Wakka said, "So I'll see you guys later."
"Bye Wakka," Rikku said, waving, but still, Tidus said nothing. His eyes were straight ahead. Rikku followed his eyes, only to see that he was staring at Yuna, who was deep in conversation with Leblanc about something or other.
"What do you think they're talking about?" Tidus said, breaking his silence.
"Who cares?" Rikku said with a shrug, "Come on, I got tons of homework!"
"You go ahead," Tidus just said, "I'm going to see what they're talking about."
"You're my ride!" Rikku just moaned, "And look, Brother's ready to go too."
Sure enough, Brother was waving to his one and only friend, and walking over to them, smiling broadly about something or other.
"Yeah, yeah, it'll only take me like two seconds," Tidus said softly, almost distantly, as he marched over to where Yuna and Leblanc were standing.
"Tidus!" Rikku said, but then just sighed and followed him.
"Hey Leblanc," Tidus greeted the two, "Yuna. How was your first day?"
"What do you want?" Leblanc just said, rolling her eyes.
"Just wanted to know what you two were doing," Tidus said, as if he always wondered what they were doing.
"We're just talking, do we have your permission?" Leblanc said sarcastically, "But if you really want to know, I was just telling Yuna how I think it wise that she doesn't join the squad."
It was then that Rikku noticed that Yuna's eyes were downcast, and the girl looked sad. Rikku just convinced herself that she didn't care, and crossed her arms to show this feeling.
"How come?" Tidus questioned, crossing his own arms, although not to show that he didn't care.
"Because, it's too late in the season," Leblanc said flatly.
"We've only had one game," Tidus said, "She's not too late."
"She is to, end of discussion!" Leblanc just said, and her face was beginning to turn as pink as her shirt. She marched off then, huffing as she went.
"Whatever, run away to your Noojie!" Tidus just yelled after her, and then looked back at Yuna, who was still standing there, looking sad.
"Hey, I'll get you on the cheer squad," Tidus said to Yuna then, "I'm the star player of the blitz team, after all."
"Ugh, you don't want to be with them anyway!" Rikku just said, even though she had promised herself she wouldn't say anything, "They're all a bunch of jerks. Every single one of them. Especially Leblanc."
"She was just pretending to be nice to you," Tidus put in, adding to Rikku's words, "And Rik's right. You don't want to be friends with them."
It hit Rikku then that she had done something very wrong. She should have been encouraging Yuna to join the squad, not discouraging it.
"Anyway, want a ride home?" Tidus asked, smiling at Yuna.
"No thanks," Yuna just said, and slowly strutted off.
Rikku started laughing, and said, "Ooh, she turned you down!"
"Shut-up," Tidus just said, "Let's go. Who needs that loser anyway?"
"Who, Yuna?"
"Yeah…After all, when she's homecoming queen, she'll have no choice but to come with me!"
Tidus marched off then, toward Brother, leaving Rikku to stand there looking as if she'd just been smacked.
"Tidus!" Rikku yelled after him, "There's no way Yuna's going to become the homecoming queen and you know it!"
Tidus didn't answer. He just twirled his car keys around his fingers and continued toward the parking lot with Brother on his heels.
Rikku just continued to stand there, and finally, she sighed, saying softly, "Why does all of Spira seem to be against me?" Slowly, and sorrowfully, she just trailed after the two, who were arguing over why Brother couldn't become the homecoming queen.