Ren exhaled deeply as she pulled the last of her books from her locker and pushed the metal storage unit closed, hefting the heavy bookbag over her shoulder before turning to proceed down the hallway. She meandered along with the steady flow of students streaming toward the large, glass double doors that were the entrance to the school, but when she arrived in the rotunda she suddenly veered to the right, shoving her way through the oblivious students to finally emerge at the edge of the crowd. Huffing and slouched over from wriggling between bodies, she took a moment to gather herself before she primly smoothed her rumpled clothes, pinned the flyaways in her hair back behind her ears, and set off down the empty hall leading to the gymnasium.
As she pushed open the wooden door that led to the locker rooms, a few cheerful female voices floated down the short hallway to greet her. Smiling and waving to the few freshmen who had made the team that year and were currently in various stages of changing into their cheerleading uniforms, Ren marched over to a bench and set her bag down on top of the metal surface to unzip the bag and pull out her own uniform. She unbuttoned her school shirt and shrugged out of it, folding it up neatly and placing it in her bag. She jumped when she felt someone suddenly grab a handful of her chest and squeeze slightly, and with a startled shriek she whipped around and scurried away from the unknown assailant, her arms forming an "X" across her chest to act as a shield from further groping. When she turned about, she had expected to find that one of the boys who were on the basketball team had snuck in; they shared the gym with them for practice, and it had happened once or twice in her school career. Instead, she was very shocked and quite befuddled to find that it was Ino who had snuck up behind her, and was still making the squeezing motion with her hand.
"How the hell do you not have a boyfriend with those? What are you, a D? Double-D? An E, even?" she asked with a sour expression, still staring hard at her breasts, which were contained in a black sports bra. Ren's face scrunched up into a scowl and she grabbed one of her athletic training shoes to lob it at the blonde girl; unfortunately, she ducked, and the shoe sailed over her head to slam into the forehead of one of the freshman girls who had been watching the strange situation unfold.
"Sorry!" she called, leaning sideways to look past Ino, before she straightened up and frowned at her. "You can't do stuff like that, you know! You scared the crap out of me, and besides, people will think you're some kind of lesbian!" she snorted and lowered her arms, comfortable now that she realized it was just one of her vice-captains. Ino just tossed her head, her long, bleach-blonde ponytail whirling like a mace as she waved a hand dismissively.
"Pfft, whatever. Seriously, though! You have one hell of a body, Ren! How are the boys not drooling all over you?" she cried as she set her school bag down on the bench and began unbuttoning her own shirt. Ren shrugged as she wriggled out of her skirt, tossing it aside to begin pulling on her uniform skirt. She wasn't sure why she wasn't popular with the opposite sex. It's not like she had never been asked out, but it was certainly much less than both Ino and Sakura, and it was people that she barely knew- boys on the local sports teams, boys she had in class, even random guys who happened to see her strolling down the hall. Ino suddenly leaned over and snapped her fingers in front of her face. "Hello? Earth to Ren?" Apparently she had wanted an actual answer and it was not a rhetorical question.
"I don't know," she huffed as she pulled her uniform top over her head. "It's not like I'm completely unpopular. I just don't date guys willy-nilly. I want to get to know them first. Maybe that rumor has gotten around." She pulled the sections of her auburn hair that had gotten trapped beneath the green-and-white fabric and flopped it over her shoulder with a small frown. "To be honest, getting a boyfriend isn't my top priority. I'm more concerned with the cheerleading competitions this year."
"Aw! But we made a pact!" Ino whined in a wheedling voice, scrunching up her face. Even with such an immature, ugly expression, Ren thought that Ino still looked beautiful. It was no wonder that the boys were throwing themselves at her left and right.
"What about you? Guys ask you out on the daily," she smirked at her, and the way Ino's cheeks turned pink, Ren knew that she had struck a nerve. Ino haughtily crossed her arms and glared at her, one of her pretty blue eyes twitching in annoyance.
"Oh, don't turn this around on me. You know I have high standards! I need a hunk!"
"You need a Sasuke," Ren accused playfully, then giggled loudly as Ino grabbed her skirt and began beating her over the head with the blue pleated skirt. "Ow! Okay! Okay! I take it back!" she cackled as she held her arms defensively over her head as the embarrassed girl whacked her with the soft clothing article, and she was still chuckling as Ino shoved it into her backpack and began angrily pulling her cheerleading uniform on. Ren smoothed out her hair, which had been ruffled by the girl's flustered reaction, before sitting down on the bench to pull off her school flats and slip into her sneakers.
She and Ino walked out of the locker rooms and into the spacious gymnasium. Three sets of bleachers lined each wall, while the fourth contained the concessions stand and restroom area. Six basketball hoops were suspended from the ceiling, two on each long side of the court and one on each short side, serving as the official hoops for games. The school's mascot symbol, a smirking ninja wearing a metal headband engraved with a leaf symbol, was plastered in the middle of the court, painted underneath the white lines of the basketball court proper. It was a standard gym, but much nicer than most; Konoha City High School prided itself in its sports programs, from their chief money-maker football to more low-key sports like archery and bowling, and spared no expense for any of them. The proof lie in the menagerie of banners hung on the wall, displaying the long list of school, regional, national, and even international records and victories, and those that depicted this year's graduating seniors. The banners for the cheerleaders were currently displayed alongside those of the football team, which were housed in the massive stadium complex across the street.
Sakura was already dressed and dragging out the gigantic foam mats that they practiced on. On the other half of the gym, the basketball players were already running drills, and the sound of bouncing basketballs echoed throughout the giant court as Ren strode across the smooth floor. Her sneakers made squeak-squeak sounds as they made contact with the waxy surface of the basketball court, but the sound was absorbed as she hopped up onto the padded surface of the practice mat. Sakura had already brought out the stereo that played their routine songs, too. On top of things, as usual. She plays into the role of co-vice captain perfectly, she thought with a smile as the pink-haired girl finished pulling the last section of the mat into place.
"Thank you, Sakura!" she called cheerfully to the girl. Winded, she waved lazily with one hand while her other lay over her chest, which was heaving as she breathed deeply and caught her breath. Though she was by no means out of shape, lugging those heavy mats about was certainly not easy. Ren glanced at the time displayed on her phone screen, then set it down on the edge of the mat by the radio where it would be protected from being trod on. It was 3:30 p.m. on the dot, and the start of the first practice of the year. Girls were milling about on the mat, chatting, but all of them snapped silent when Ren abruptly put her fingers in her mouth the shrilly whistle. "Okay, ladies! It's time to begin!" she called, and they roughly formed a line in front of her. Tryouts had been held at the end of the academic year, so Ren was familiar with some of their faces, but they did not hold training camps during the summer break, so it was essentially as if she were starting with an whole new team. "Good afternoon. For those of you who have forgotten, I'm Ren Hayesagawa, the captain. This lovely lady here is one of my co-vice captains, Ino Yamanaka-" Ren gestured to her right, where her friend was standing.
"Hiya!" she chirped with a cheerful smile and wave.
"And this is my other co-vice captain, Sakura Haruno."
"Pleased to be working with you! Let's make it a great year, cha!" she cried with a fist pump. She then made the girls go down the line introducing themselves. Once those formalities where over, Ren was all-business.
"All right, girls! Watch carefully. We're going to start with a basic cheer," Ren announced, and the rest of the veterans joined her in a line while the rookies stood off to the side to watch. "Five, six, seven, eight!" Ren cried as she clapped her hands. "Big G!" they cried in unison, then clapped loudly twice. "Little O!" Another two claps. "Big G, Little O, let's go!" As they chanted that sentence, they fluidly moved through a series of pom-pom motions, starting high in the air before moving to their lower abdomens and then finishing off with a rolling motion and throwing their arms in the air. They repeated the cheer two more times, and at the end they stomped their feet and rolled the pom-poms yelling, "Gooooooo Ninjas! Chaaaaa!" The "chaaaaaa" part had been Sakura's addition, naturally.
After running through it one more time, Ren and her vice-captains turned it over to the rookies, watching carefully as they performed the routine. They fumbled over the words at first, though it was simple, and were completely out of sync, but that was to be expected of a crop of freshman and sophomore girls. Ren walked through the line as they went through it once more, commenting on a girl's posture here, telling a girl she needed to be louder there, and offering other constructive criticisms. "All right! That's enough of that one for now. Let's try something a little more complicated," she asserted before taking her place at the front once more. "Ino, if you would."
"Extra, extra, read all about it!" she yelled. The girls in the back row stomped a tune, while the ones in front chimed, "The Ninjas are gonna win, so read all about it!" As they chanted, they moved through a series of more complicated motions; they began with a clap, then stomped their feet twice, then a quick series of arm movements and finishing off with the signature cheerleader pose with a hand on their hips, the other in the air, and one leg pulled up in a P-figure. Ren could see the gears in the other girls' heads turning as they watched the routine, so she and the veterans performed it slowed-down, dragging out the motions so they could memorize them. When it came their turn, however, it was a muffled mess of half-hearted chanting and sluggish, confused movements.
"Good grief! You have your work cut out for you this year, Ren," Ino tutted with a shake of her head.
"Be nice, Ino. They're beginners," Sakura reminded her friend patiently. Ren just sighed simply and announced that they would display the cheer once more.
Practice went like that for two hours, performing a chant and having the girls copy it. They moved through all the basic cheers that they would perform at the football games, mostly because Ren didn't feel like they could tackle tumbling routines at their current level. When the alarm on her phone blared in a poppy tune, indicating the end of practice, Ren exhaled deeply and ran the back of her hand across her forehead, frowning when it came away slicked with sweat. "Okay, everyone, great practice! We'll meet back here tomorrow, same time, so bring your A-game!" she called, and the girls began filing out of the gym back to the locker room. A few of them lingered behind, staring longingly across the gym to where the basketball players were receiving their end-of-practice lecture from the coach, Kakashi Hatake.
"Look at them. So gorgeous."
"Ah! Naruto looks so hot when he's so sweaty! And those eyes. Don't you think that blue color is so beautiful with that bright blonde hair of his?"
"I like Sasuke. He's so cool and mysterious. And those arm muscles! I think I might faint!"
Girlish whispering like this floated around Ren, but she wasn't gawking like the rest of them. Sure, they were physically attractive, but that had never been what mattered to her. Unless they have a good personality, all you end up with is a hot dirtbag. I'd rather have an average guy with a heart of gold, she thought wryly as she began dragging the heavy mats back toward the corner of the gym. As she shuffled backward, bent over, she froze when a high-pitched whistle suddenly echoed across the gym. She glanced over her shoulder to see that the basketball team had been dismissed, and that a couple of them whom Ren did not know had wandered over to the edge of the mat and were smirking lewdly at her.
"Nice ass, babe. Mind if I give it a good smack?" Ren's face flushed with red fire, but she just turned around and continued doing what she was doing. It was always better to ignore boys like that.
"Ooh, thanks for the view. Bend over a little more, though, wouldja?" another cackled at her.
"You got bloomers on, doll, or just a thong? Or nothing?" another jeered, and they exploded into raucous laughter, apparently finding their sexual harassment of her quite amusing. Ren bit down on her lip as the boys continued to jeer at her. Sakura and Ino, who would normally come to her defense, were off in the corner of the gym talking to Naruto and Sasuke, and the other freshman girls were standing awkwardly off to the side, looking fearful and unsure of what to do. Just ignore them, Ren. She gasped as she suddenly bumped into something behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder to find that one of them had planted himself directly into her path, and her behind was brushing right over his groin area. She went an even darker shade of red and went to move, but he suddenly grabbed her by the hips. "Hey, hey, where ya goin'? We're just getting started," he grinned at her.
"Let go of me!" she demanded and straightened up, and as she did his arms slid about her waist and pulled her close to his body. Her heart jumped into her throat, its beat rapidly accelerating, and her red face went deathly pale in a matter of seconds.
"What's the matter? I just want to get to know you better," he purred in her ear. Afraid and mortified, Ren shook violently as the panic set in, and she wriggled around in his grasp.
"Let go! I'm not interested, you pervert!" she shrieked, managing to wrestle free. However, as she scampered away, he caught hold of her wrist with painful force. As she cried out, tears rising to her eyes, one of the girls finally managed to pluck up some courage and darted toward the corner of the room, shrieking for help and pointing wildly at the developing scene. Ren could see over the man's shoulder as Naruto and Sasuke shoved the girls aside to begin running at her attackers, but before they could even reach the corner of the mat, the boy suddenly yelped in pain as his arm was forcibly removed from hers and wrenched behind his back in a savage hold. Ren gulped and took a few fearful steps back, then gasped when she realized who was standing there.
"She said she is not interested. You need to learn how to take 'no' for an answer," Lee huffed as he looked down at the boy in utter disdain. The boy was squirming in his grasp, spitting curses and going on about how Ren was a 'stupid slut' and other derogatory terms. She saw Lee's thick eyebrows narrow, but before he could act, Naruto had cleared the mat and punched the boy right in the jaw.
"Watch your mouth, you good-for-nothin' shitbag! That's a lady!" he fumed, his teeth grinding together and steam practically shooting out of his ears. Before he could punch him again, Sakura ran up behind him and pinned his arms behind his back, and Naruto just stood there stamping his foot and slinging curses at the nearly unconscious boy. With a huff, Lee released his arm lock, and the boy dropped to the ground with a groan. As the other two boys went to rush him, Sasuke planted himself firmly between them, glaring daggers.
"You two have a problem?" he growled. They gulped and froze in their tracks, shaking their heads emphatically and slowly slinking around the terrifying senior to drag their friend to his feet and make a hasty retreat.
"I'll have you off the team, the lot of ya!" Naruto screeched after them, still bright red with anger. "Grrrrrrr…" he growled as Sakura released him, holding up one balled fist, before he cooled down enough to look over at Ren. "Why did you just let them do that to ya? Ya should've socked them!"
"Not everyone is as violent as you, Naruto. Look at Sasuke! He handled it so professionally!" Ino gushed with a squeal, batting her eyes at the handsome basketball player who was completely uninterested in her affections. With a huff, he tossed his varsity jacket over his shoulder and glared at her.
"You just stood there. No wonder they called you a slut."
"Hey, Sasuke! That's uncalled for!" Naruto screeched and whipped around to point at him, teeth grinding again, while the cool boy just shrugged it off. Ren hung her head, on the verge of tears. He's right… I just stood there while they said such nasty things about me… But I…
"I was really scared," she sniffled, and the squabble abruptly ceased as they realized she was crying.
"You jerk! You made her cry! Apologize!" Naruto shouted angrily to Sasuke, who looked mildly uncomfortable and was gazing off in the distance with a frown. He mumbled something on the level of an apology, but it didn't make Ren feel any better. She just continued to softly weep, ashamed of herself. Someone placed a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up tearfully to see Lee smiling brightly at her.
"Do not cry!" He was grinning toothily at her and giving her a thumbs-up. She sniffled slightly, then nodded and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. He's right. I shouldn't be feeling sorry for myself. I have to make sure that nothing like this happens again.
"Thank you. You fought that guy off for me." She graciously dipped her head at him, and he smiled sheepishly, blushing a bright shade of pink and rubbing the back of his neck while mumbling shy nonsense.
"Yo, Lee, what're you even doing here, dude?" Naruto asked him with raised eyebrows.
"Oh, yes! I was in the hallway putting away equipment when I saw what was happening through the window in the door, and so I naturally had to come to Ren's aid!" he reported matter-of-factly, holding up a finger and closing his eyes while his other hand rested on his hip. "I just cannot stand for men who think that they own women and can do what they want! It is shameful!" he continued hotly, his hand clenching into a fist as he fumed. Ren blushed slightly, flattered, while Sakura rolled her eyes and Ino made a throwing-up motion behind his back. Naruto smiled cheekily at him and walked over to clap him on the shoulder, calming him down immediately.
"All right, Casanova, that's enough outta you. Whadaya say we go get some ramen?" he offered, to which Lee replied with a cheerful crow. "Sasuke, you game?" he asked the raven-haired boy, who shrugged with disinterest. "That's a yes, then. How about you ladies? Wanna meet us at Ichiraku's?"
"I have to plan tomorrow's practice and do my homework, but thanks for the offer," Ren answered.
"I have Calculus homework, sorry," Sakura sighed and looked forlornly at Sasuke.
"I'm these girls' rides!" Ino chimed, and Ren knew that she was only refusing because she didn't want to hang out with either Naruto or Lee. The blonde took no offense, just shrugged and waved at them dismissively. They said their goodbyes, and her friends assisted her in putting away the mats. Once they had changed, they walked out to the car, chatting and surfing on their phones. Sakura suddenly gasped.
"Oh, no! Look what's gone viral!" she groaned and held the phone out to Ren, who flushed when she realized it was the video of Lee pinning her to the ground after he had slammed into her that morning. She groaned, running a hand over her face as she came to the realization that she and the dorky boy would be the subject of rumor until something more juicy came along. Ino just laughed.
"Man, Ren, you sure have some rotten luck! I don't wanna be you!" she cackled as she clapped her repeatedly on the back, hooting with laughter. Ren smiled weakly, oddly not embarrassed. Rock Lee… He's certainly an interesting character, she thought as she slid into the backseat of the convertible and rubbed her head, which was still swollen from striking the tiled classroom floor. Ino was still chortling at her expense while Sakura chastised her, but Ren was barely listening.
She was thinking about how manly Lee had looked when he had pinned that guy's arm so effortlessly.