Hello

Hello!! Not a lot to say…just hope you enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Chapter Two

Misao sat in the middle of the court surrounded by other basketball players. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and her chin was resting on one knee. The coach was droning on and on about what the meeting was about and how they were so "lucky" to be chosen to attend this meeting. Misao had tuned her out after a couple of sentences.

"This meeting does not mean that you are a part of the basketball team. You still have a choice of whether or not you want to join. But be aware, that you have talent. A talent that was given to you for a reason. Our school has won the state championship four times in a row. We are a winning team. You can be apart of that." Coach Gathes said.

The boy's basketball coach stood silently beside her, not interested in the meeting. That might have been the reason why all the boys were goofing off.

Misao glanced over at Aoshi who was obviously not paying attention. He and the other guys were messing around and quietly laughing. They had heard this speech three times already. They pretty much knew it by heart.

A paper was being passed around and a girl beside her flung the stack in Misao's face, throwing her out of her thoughts.

"Couldn't she have just given us the papers and be done with it?" she grumbled.

"Seriously." Misao whispered. She took a stapled sheet and passed it on. She was flipping through it as Coach Gathes said her last words of the practiced speech.

"And remember, success is a group effort. Being a star-player isn't everything. This…" She said gesturing toward the rowdy group in front of her. "…is everything. See ya'll tomorrow." She waved and then walked off the court.

Everyone jumped up and hurried out of the gym. Misao stood in the middle and stared at the pages. She wasn't one for multi-tasking. She flipped through the sheets; parent and student signature, physical exam sheet, uniform size…

She jerked her head up as the lights switched off. Misao grabbed her bag and ran out of the gym and into the parking lot where Aoshi was waiting for her.

"Took you long enough." He mumbled as he started the engine. Misao glared at him and then pulled herself into the truck.

"I was delayed." She said simply as they pulled out of the parking spot.

"I don't think so." Misao said defiantly.

She stood in the Shinomori's drive-way watching Aoshi shoot hoops. He stretched to the balls of his feet and sent the ball into the hoop with an arch of his wrist. The net swooshed as the ball went straight through it without any hindrance from the rim. He turned to her after he caught the rebound.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I just don't think I'm cut out for basketball." She said. Her comment threw off Aoshi's concentration making the ball hit the backboard and bounce back toward the concrete.

"You wouldn't have been at that meeting if you weren't cut out for basketball." He said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Misao grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest. So it was a stupid excuse.

"I don't see why you wouldn't. I mean, you're going to get a lot of practice during football season since you have P.E. first period with Coach Gathes. And she's going to pressure you anyway if you don't.

"You say that because basketball's practically your life. It'd be stupid if you didn't play basketball."

Aoshi smirked as another shot sailed perfectly into the net. "What else are you going to do, Misao. Cheerlead?" he said with a sneer. He caught the rebound and threw the ball to her.

"Maybe." She said distantly.

He scoffed as he walked up to her and crouched into a defensive stance. "Believe me, you'd be better off sticking with basketball. Now, let's see how bad Coach Gathes' 'upcoming elite' are." He said teasingly.

"Is that what we're called." Misao asked with a cock of her eyebrow. She met him face to face, faked to the left, and then dodged to the right. It threw him off but his long legs soon caught up with her and stopped her before she could attempt a shot.

Misao turned and started to dribble away but Aoshi grabbed her from behind, lifting her off the ground.

"No fair! Foul!!" she cried, laughing at the same time.

"I don't see any referees." He said. "But here, I'll let you have one shot." He hefted her over his shoulder and backed up to the goal. Misao inclined her chin and chunked the ball. It hit the square dead in the center and fell into the net.

"But that's the only one." He dropped her, placing her on her feet and picked up the thrown ball.

"Now we play for real."

Yay!! Second chapter is up and out. It's not very long. Kind of a filler. The next one might be out tomorrow but it depends on what kind of mood I'm in. I'm on spring break so ya'll might get a lot of chapters. Read and review.

Sincerely, straightjacket