Hi, this is my second chapter. Sorry it took a while but I'm quite busy at the moment. Anywayz, I hope you'll like it and review me about it. I'll try to update soon.

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I've been hiding behind this mask

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Monday, lunch period found Sena again under the trees next to the football-field. While he might have been discovered here last saturday, Sena had decided that this had only happened because he had left the shadows. So there was no reason whatsoever for him to abandon such a perfect hiding emmm… LUNCH spot. Sena leant backwards, his back meeting the tree, a soft wind caressing his skin and blowing through his hair. Once again running the memories from that day through his mind.

After the 40-yards dash, which he knew Shin had done faster than him, the coach had shown him a basic exercise known as the ladder-drill and told him to start. Sena had tried his best, it seemed to be a lot like the footwork he had been immitating earlier. So if he hadn't been so self-consious the WHOLE DAMN TIME, since the rest of the team still seamed to stare a him constantly, he probably would have had a good time. He still didn't feel he had done a very good job though. When he was told to stop, about half an hour later it took him quite a while to catch his breath. And after that…

Suddenly Sena's face took on a deep color of red. This was the part of the memory he really didn't like to recall. After he had caught his breath, Shin had taken him to a room with lots of fitness equipment, weightlifting devices and halters. Sena had been told to lay down under the halter which Shin had given 20 kg of weight to start with. And it had almost crushed him… While beeing almost crushed by a halter should have been disturbing, Sena was far more disturbed by the fact that he, in the end, could only lift the bar of the halter (which weight was about 10 kg). He almost wished that Shin had given him 50 kg to start with. That way he would have been crushed for sure and he wouldn't have to bare the knowledge that Shin could lift 140 kg. He was surprised at how bad he felt. Sena knew he wasn't jalous, and the room had been empty besides Shin and him and it wasn't like Shin had laughed at him. But still…

Shin had let him join the team for one afternoon and Sena had, if he was brutally honest, had the time of his life. Okay, so he hadn't really talked to anyone and only done beginners exercises AND basically made a fool out of himself. But he had still had fun. Hell, he had almost felt like he seriously wanted to try this dangerous sport. But by performing this badly he had probably proven Shins reasons to let him join, whatever they were, to be void.

Sena couldn't seem to loose the sickening feeling that he had let someone down. Which was totally rediculous since nobody ever expected anything from him in the first place. Even Mamori had been like that, always seeing Sena as a child to be babied. The only one who had ever expected Sena to do well (though not as good as himself) was Riku. But that had only been for a very short time…

"If Riku could see me now he'd probably be disappointed too."

Sena mused before tencing. Someone was behind him. Had Arog and his groupies found him again? Sena stiffened even further at that thought. Since their last encounter he was left with no doubt that they had no problem with seriously hurting him but he had started to hope that they had gotten tired of chasing him down by now. The option of jumping to his feet to run away shot through his head before it was discarded as he heard the person behind him walk closer. Sure, he was fast, but not that fast. So Sena stayed were he was. He didn't turn around. He just sat thare, completely stiff, his lunch forgotten on his lap. The relief, when he felt the person sit down, under the tree, next to him, was overwhelming. At the same time he was surprised. He didn't know anyone in the entire school who would waste his or her time to sit with him during lunch. Slowly Sena turned his head to identify the person next to him. Hesitiating light-brown was met with the strong gaze of a pair of midnight blue eyes. Sena almost tumbeled to his side. What was Shin doing here?!

As much as Sena wanted the awnser to that question, it seemed like his brains had seased functioning from the shock. The only thing he seemed to have registered, after about 10 seconds, was the fact that he was staring. Immediately emberrased Sena turned his head back down and focussed (his eyes) once again on his lunch. At first he was tence, all of his nerves focussed on the person next to him in case he would need to run. Never minding the fact that Shin would probably be faster than him.

But it was a nice afternoon, the sun was shining, the wind was still softly rufling throught Sena's hair. The break continued on and Sena started to relax somewhat. As the time to go back to class neared it had gotten almost comforting. For once, not having to eat alone.

Just before the bell rung to call the students back to class Shin got onto his feet. Sena didn't move, planning to depart as soon as Shin was gone. He had to sneak around after all…

"Kobayakawa".

Sena's head shot up, eyes wide, waiting. When Shin didn't say anything else he slowly got on his feet, giving himself time to compose himself, and then turned to Shin and peered up at him from under his bangs.

"Yes?"

He sqeeked. Faintly the thought that he sounded pathetic registered in his mind. But he didn't have time to think it over as Shin awnsered him.

"Join the football team."

Surprise widened Sena's eyes as he looked up.

Serious eyes.

Though Shin hadn't frased it as a request or even made it sound like one, Sena could tell he meant it as a question nevertheless. He kept staring for a few more seconds before looking down. Hiding his eyes completely behind his bangs.

"Can I?"

Carefully trying to keep the longing out of his voice. He also didn't think there was any pain mixed in. 'Pain? Why would there be any pain in his voice?' Sena reasoned with himself. 'There was no reason for him to be anything else then happy. It wasn't like anything had changed from before. Sure he had wanted things to change but that didn't mean that he was moping about things not working out the way he wanted to. He was used to things beeing the way they were… wasn't he? But even though that was true… there wasn't any reason why he couldn't really like the idea of joining the football team… right? It wasn't like it was forbidden right? Even IF everyone would laugh at him… Even IF he'd just be in the way…'

A voice broke through his musing.

"Why wouldn't you?"

He raised his eyes again to be met with Shin's slightly confused face. Sena was sure Shin would have no problems whatsoever telling anybody they weren't training enough, or weren't playing good during football. He'd seen so himself last weekend. But it still seemed he couldn't see a reason why Sena couldn't join. So Sena just softly smiled at himself, while awnsering:

"No reason."

Shin seemed even more confused after that before regaining his composure.

"Will you join?"

silence

… "Yes"….

Sena tenced as Shin's eyes changed. Whith that simple awnser iit seemed like they started to burn. Then Shin turned his back to him.

"Training starts right after school. Be there."

And started walking. Sena nodded to Shins back before sitting back down. He couldn't go to class until just before it started after all...

Sena ducked his head behind his book. He had math after lunch and he had made it just in time too. But thanks to his lateness he now had to sit next to… Sena silently glanced to the person next to him. Meeting a pair of crazed and angry eyes looking straight at him. Sena ducked back behind his book right away. His classmates name was Ikari and Sena didn't know very much about him beside the fact that he was scary. Ikari was a lot larger than the average first-year and had short grey hair and crazy eyes. Different from Arog Sena knew Ikari didn't just beat up weaklings like himself. He would beat up practically anybody for no apparent reason so Sena usually tried to stay away from him. Shaking his head Sena tried to concentrate on what was beeing taught. He didn't want to think about anything right now… Not even about the training after school. If he was going to think about it he just knew that he was going to make himself nervous. For now he'd just look forward to it and not think about anything too deep…

Arog was angry. 'hat little loser kept getting away from him! Who did he think the was anyway! If he would just appoligise for his irritating precence, wouldn't slip away like a coward when he and his friends had their fun and just do a few things for him… Maybe he'd have gone easy on him. When he had last seen Sena, in grade school, he had acted exactly like he was supposed to. But apparently he just had to build an additude and try to get away! Did that stupid brat have any idea how much time he had wasted looking for him? 'Arog raged to himself. Okay he knew very well how rediculous his arguments were but he had missed lunch cause he just 'had' to look for the little coward and now he was hungry. He glared once again at the small spikey-haired boy before him and noticed with rising interest that he wasn't the only one glaring. And when he saw Sena trying to hide behind his book, a plan rose in his head.

Sena never noticed the nasty grin on Arogs face as he kept looking from him to Ikari and back...

Math was over and Sena was on his way to his final class of the day. Like every time since the ambush he had slipped out of the classroom as soon as they were told to leave and was now taking the long way to make sure he wouldn't run into those classmates who somehow took the fact that he rather ran than that he got beaten up, personal. In this case his 'long way' was through the basement of the school. On wednesdays and tuesdays some artclasses were taught here but today it was empty. The lights were off and the only light came through a few small dirty windows. Sena, not comfortable at all, was hurrieing his way through when an angry scream from behind halted him.

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN CALL THE OUJOU FOOTBALL TEAM GARBAGE?!!!"

Sena tenced at the harsh voice which came closer fast and was easily identified as Ikari's before forcing himself to relax. It wasn't as if Ikari was after him, after all he had never said such a thing. Taking a few deep breaths he was about to walk on when someone harshly shoved him to the floor. He hit his head hard against the cold cement and the world seemed to spin around him. Before he had the chance to pull himself together someone gripped his collar and he was roughly pulled up and looked straight into a few crazed eyes, wide with anger. Words were spit at him:

"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!!!"

"DO YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST INSULT THE KNIGHTS WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE IT?!!"

"I WON'T LET YOU DO THAT!!!"

And with every accusation Sena was punched in the face. Again, and again, and again and it all seamed to blur together. His dizzyness didn't stop and to stop the blurring he just closed his eyes. Waiting for it to be over. He had seen Ikari fight before so he knew something he had rather not known at this moment. That the larger boy wouldn't stop unless he was forced to. But there was no-one here and Sena seriously doubted he was going to be rescued. The one who rescued him was Mamori. Plain and simple. But Mamori wasn't here anymore so all he had left was his speed. And his speed only helped as long as he was free. When caught he was completely helpless. So Sena bet on the tiny chance that Ikari would stop if he thought Sena was unconcious. Forcing himself to stop resisting, Sena let his body hang limply in Ikari's grip. He didn't think he would but you could always try right? Besides… It wasn't very hard to pretend. Not hard at all. Somehow the pain seemed to fade. Ikari´s yelling was still there but it was suddenly extremely difficult to understand.

Somewhere in his mind he registered beeing let go of. Another kick in his side and the sound of footsteps walking away from him. Even so, the small bruised boy on the ground didn´t move for five more minutes before he opened hid eyes. Still slightly dazed he slowly managed to get on his feet. Breathing shallow. His side hurt. His ribs would probably be slightly bruised, he noted dully. His face hurt. His eyes already started swelling and he had a bleeding lip. It was a miracle he hadn´t lost any of his teeth after all the punches that had been aimed at his face. He had a killer headache. He brought his hand to the back of his head and felt. Blood… Not much though. He´d just have to clean himself up for a little bit, maybe take an aspirin and he´d still be able to join the training this afternoon. Ikari had luckyly left his legs alone. If he wrapped up his side he´d still be able to run.

Sena smiled a strange grimase with his bleeding lip before hurrying up the stairs. Focussing on getting to the bathroom. It wouldn't do him any good to break down now…