Hi! I'm sorry it took so long to update! I've been having computer problems.and we just got a new one so I'm doing a major file transfer. Sweatdrop. Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter eight!

'I'm going to die,' Shira thought, 'There is no other way to aviod it'

"You could just refuse the starter position," Sharr smirked, as always she knew exactly what her sister was thinking. Kiri smirked as well, for she had been about to say the same thing.

"N-not a chance!" Shira snapped, "I-I can do it!" 'She doesn't look like she can do it,' Shia remarked in her head, watching the girl shiver in terror, awaiting the time she would have to make her move. She took a deep breath and looked once more at the boys'
tennis courts, careful not to lose her nerve.

She began using "Deep-breathing" a warmup she normally would use for an important tennis match. She had a feeling that she would need to do more deep breathing for this than she ever had for any tennis match. With two breaths she got rid of the other starters' faces, with another two she managed to get rid of her petty fears of what the boys might say, their faces melted away from her mind. However, it took several breaths to get rid of the last face: her own, telling her how stupid she was being and wondering if it was turely worth it. One more breath. Her worried face was replaced with a scolding one which told her that she really didn't have it so bad, I mean, comparred to what some of the other starters had had to go through... She shook her head with a slight smile, deciding it wasn't that bad. The deep-breathing had really worked this time, as it had for her so many others.

She sauntered onto the boys' courts with her hands behind her back and ambled over to where the regulars were holding their practice. "Excuse me," she said, and then let out a small 'eep' as Kaoru Kaido turned to her with scary eyes. The tiniest amount of deep-breathing and she was fine again. "Excuse me, but I have an invitation for, uh, Tezuka-senpai, Kikumaru-senpai, Oishi-senpai, Fuji-senpai, Takamura-senpai, Kaido-san, Momoshiro-san, Echizen-kopai, and, um, Inui-senpai." This got all of their attention, as Momo twitched slightly at being called by his full last name, let alone san.

"Y-you see..." She said, blushing slightly, two deep breaths and she began talknig normally, "My family owns a public indoor pool I'm suppossed to ask you all to come, because the girl starters are renting it out to celebrate having made the cut." She looked at them, "Please don't make me beg, having to ask is bad enough." Fuji smiled.

"I don't see why I couldn't go. It sounds fun," The tensai glanced at Oishi to see if he was smiling. He was.

"I love to swim," the assistant captain said, "I'll go if you can tell me the time and adress."

"Nyah! This sounds like so much fun!" Eiji grinned, almost overly excitdly. "I'll go! I'll go"

"Well, I guess..." Momo said, "As long as you just call me Momo from now on"

"It's a deal!" Shira smiled, then turned to the other starters, "I'm supposed to make sure everyone will go, no matter what length I have to go to. It's on Friday"

"I guess I'll go..." Taka blushed, "It really wouldn't be fair to say no just to make you beg.." Shira smiled wider, things were going much better then she had expected.

"Maybe I can gather some data..." Inui said and Eiji, who had been nearest to him at that moment, quickly moved away. Shira sweatdropped, but took it for a yes.

"I guess I'll go," Ryoma said, thinking 'afterall, Shia will be there and I should protect her from any hair-brained sceme Kikumaru-senpai might come up with'

"I'll go," Kunimitsu said, making many heads turn towards him. "Someone needs to make sure you all stay in line," he explained, but actually had to wonder if that was the only reason.

"Fshhhhhh," came Kaido's response, "I have other ways to spend my time"

Shira turned a deep red before muttering something about killing Christine for coming up with the dare and leaned over to kiss Kaoru right on the lips. He turned almost as red as she was (Much to the amusment of many of the starters) and stammered, "I-I think I'll go..." too shocked to say anything else. Momo laughed harder and Kaido quickly regained his composure, glaring at Momo.

"What's your problem?" he hissed, and Momo smirked.

"Problem? Why you're my problem Viper," he snapped. Before they could fight,

however, Sharr walked up and tapped Momo on the shoulder. He whirled around, gasped, turned back to Shira and gasped again. "What the heck!"

"Thsi is my twin sister, and also a starter, well, almost, she's working on initiation right now," Shira informed Momo.

"Well what is her dare th---?" Momo started but was cut off as Sharr whispered a question in his ear. He turned slightly red, "Uh... Sure..." Sharr smiled and then pulled on her sister's hand.

"Mission accomplished! We'll see you guys later!" She said and then both waved and hollered goodbye before heading to meet up with their fellow starters.

"Man today was cool!" Shia said on their way home that afternoon, "The girls' team seems pretty good, it takes guts to do some of their dares they were assigned. I guess they do it to weed out the people that can't take pressure."

"I don't see anything great about making girls run around doing stupid things and kissing people," Ryoma said, not meeting her eyes, his pride wouldn't allow him to let her see the slightly pink color that flushed into his cheeks.

"Did it make you jealous?" Shia asked, "Were you hoping you would be my first kiss?"

"O-of course not!" Ryoma said defensivly, turning a deeper shade of pink, "Why would I care about that?"

"Oh, good," Shia said, pretending she didn't see his blush, "Because that wouldn't have been my first kiss any..." She stopped and looked at a figure that stood only ten feet away from them. "...way..." she finished, still looking at the person.

"Shia, who's...?" Roma started, but couldn't find the words before the figure turned to them and smiled.

"Hi there Shia," the boy said, he couldn't have been much older than they were, "It's been a long time hasn't it?" His light brown hair blew in a picturesque way, the blossoms fally from the sakura tree only seeming to enhance the way everything felt like a painting with this boy. When he smiled his eyes closed ina way that vaguly reminded Ryoma of Fuji, but they opened when he spoke, revealing eyes darker than the blackest of nights, like raven feathers that couldn't catch the light, they seemed to block all happy emotion from his face although he seemed blissful none the less. "Y-yeah, long time..." Shia said, then bowed suddenly, "Uh, Ryoma-kun, this is Ayashii Seikaku. Aya-san, this is my friend Ryoma-kun."

"Oh really?" The smiling boy asked, "I could have sworn you two were going out by the way he kept blushing." Ryoma was a bit ticked off at this, but didn't get a word in as the older boy went on, "And actually, Shia, I tend to go by Ashi now, if you don't mind"

"Of course not!" Shia blushed, "It's your choice if that's what you want to be called!" His eyes closed again as he smiled at the girl in front of him, the picture looked even more complete from Ryoma's angle, as now Shia was near him, staring up and blushing. Ryoma couldn't help but be annoyed to notice his hand resting softly on her head. It just looked too perfect. Way too perfect.

"Shia, we should get going," he said suddenly, grabbing her elbow lightly and pulling her with him.

"Oh, you're probably right. I guess I'll see you around, Ashi-san!" She waved.

"That uniform is Seishun isn't it? You'll deffinatly be seeing me. Bye!" He waved and then turned to leave before Shia could ask what he had meant by that. Ryoma didn't know what that had meant either, but he didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit.