Chapter Three

---

"Hi guys!," an extremely happy Mai said as she wandered over to Natsuki, Nao and the two other people she didn't recognise.

Upon seeing the pretty girl, dressed in the cheerleading uniform, both Chie and Tate find themselves speechlessly staring. Figuring out that the other person was doing the same thing, the two give each other evil looks before fighting each other for spot that offered the best view.

"Back off Tate!," Chie mouthed at the young man.

"You have a girlfriend!", Tate mouths back.

Chie's eyes narrowed.

"Only a cheater would kick me where it hurts! And looking isn't cheating!," she said.

Natsuki tries to ignore them while making a mental note to wonder why the powers above keep having to introduce her to odd people.

"Mai came too?," she questioned.

"Of course!," the girl replid as she jumped up and down.

Chie and Tate started drooling at the sight while Mai continued.

" Like I'm gonna let you people go on camps and other gossip infested events without me. They made me a cheerleader! People keep hitting on me! I'm excited! I love high school!"

Natsuki wandered closer to her friend and placed a hand on Mai's forehead.

"Mai, you don't look so normal. Is something up with you?," she asked.

"What? What would be up with me? I'm just really, really excited like woo hoo!!"

"Oh my god. Someone let you near the energy drinks didn't they?," Natsuki said as she saw the tell tale cup in Mai's hand.

"Did they let you swim in it?," Nao questioned as she grabbed the cup.

"I love swimming with energy!," Mai said with a nod.

"I also love energy," Chie said as she and Tate nodded along.

"Mai I think you better sit down," Natsuki said while shooting eye-rolls at Chie and Tate.

--

Moments later, Nao realises that another person was walking over to join their little group and a spark suddenly forms in her eye as the smirk on her face grows.

Chie, being ever intuitive catches the change in the redhead and delivers a swift elbow to Tate's side.

"I think I just got the gist of this situation," she whispered to Tate as the young man rubbed his side.

Nao winked at them as Chie smirked and a still in pain Tate attempted to grin back.

'Kuga certainly doesn't aim for the lowbies,' he muttered.

"Seriously Mai, please just sit down I don't want you passing out when your sugar rush is over," Natsuki said worriedly.

"What an excellent idea Natsuki! How good of you to be such a caring and well mannered person!," Nao says with a wink.

Chie and Tate nodded along with the redhead.

"That's right! Kuga here is such an asset to the team! I'm so so so...," Chie began.

"...So so happy she could join us," Tate finished for her. "Not only is she an athletic genius but she's such a great person too."

"And she's hot!"

Chie and Tate nodded further as Natsuki finally turns to question the odd acts of her counterparts.

"Nao what's wrong with you guys did you hit your...," Natsuki starts before she gets interrupted by Chie who not so subtly grabs her by the shoulders and turns her.

"... head," Natsuki finished.

--

Suddenly Natsuki found herself standing face to face with the girl with the chestnut hair.

'Sh... Shizuru!,' Natsuki thought in her head, not without a trace of panic. That was after all the closest she's ever been to the girl. 'So... good looking...'

The girl in question however, just stood calmly stood before her, offering a friendly smile.

"Hello there. My name is Fujino Shizuru, and you would be correct I'm head of the cheerleading squad."

Natsuki stares dreamily at her crush.

Nao was at that moment a little too busy trying to keep a hand over Mai's mouth just in case the girl decided to outwardly declare Natsuki's love for Shizuru without anyone's permission.

Glad that she had help at that moment in time, Nao watched happily as Chie made her way to stand slightly behind Shizuru while making 'pick up your jaw' gestures at Natsuki.

Luckily the girl in question gets the hint, promptly shutting her mouth and staring at the newly made very interesting ground.

"Is Miss Tokiha alright? She is my responsibility as a new member of the squad after all," a seemingly oblivious Shizuru asked.

"She's fine, she's fine. Isn't that right Natsuki?," Nao said as she hand waved the situation.

Unfortunately, she of course had to move said hand away from Mai's mouth.

"I'm totally fine Captain!", Mai says as she salutes Shizuru. "Fiiine and so are YOU! At least that's what Natsuki thinks, right Natsuki?"

The girl in question pales as Chie, Tate and Nao are hardly able to keep in their laughter.

Shizuru nods and gives Mai a smile as she turns her attention back to Natsuki.

"A-ra Natsuki, that's a beautiful name. I find it hard to believe that we're only just being introduced today."

Natsuki nods, thankful that Shizuru didn't seem to pick up Mai's meaning earlier.

"Why of course it is, isn't it Natsuki?," Nao offered.

Natsuki nods again, willing her brain to actually form words.

'Come on brain, think! Form words!,' she begged in her head. 'Ahhh not happening, come on anyone else... say something... I'm gonna pass out from nervousness!'

"Oi idiot redhead and two newly introduced sports players, bring your newly crazy-fied friend over here so she can sit down!," Haruka yelled out.

'Saved by Haruka,' Natsuki thought as she heard Haruka continue her yelling. 'Never gonna live this one down.'

"You stay there Fujino, you know too much of you annoys me. Kuga, you make sure she doesn't wander off. She did that last time and it took us hours just to find her at this tea store at the other side of town!"

"Don't worry about it Natsuki, I've got Mai covered. You stay here and take care of Miss Fujino," Nao said as she helped the girl over along with Chie and Tate.

"Well it seems we have just been instructed to keep each other company Nat-su-ki," Shizuru said as she looked the girl over.

"Uhhh..."

"Am I right in assuming you don't like to speak much?," Shizuru questioned as pursed her lips and turned her head to the side.

'Lips,' Natsuki thought. 'Gaah why is she so close. She's close and annoying and she smells good!'

Natsuki gulps and blinks as she tried to fight the blush coming to her cheeks.

Shizuru covers her mouth to giggle a little.

Natsuki frowned a tiny bit as certain lips were now hidden from her view. In an unexplained moment of thoughtless boldness, the girl reached out her hand...

Shizuru was taken aback by the movement and looked down, her brain registering that a girl she had met only moments before was now holding her hand.

" Umm, no I ... I can speak. Umm...," Natsuki sputtered. 'I grabbed her hand!,' she added in her head. 'I grabbed her hand and Oh my God I'm still holding on to her hand! Why won't any of my body parts listen to me anymore?!'

"Shizuru is fine. After all I just called you by your first name did I not?," the head cheerleader replied, with her calm mask in-tact.

The girl was fully aware that she was still being held by Natsuki although she made no move to remedy the situation. Inwardly, she wondered why that was the case. Due to having several dozen fans, Shizuru was not new to moments of unwanted affection from people she had just met.

What she truly wondered at that particular moment however, was why such moments weren't quite so unwanted when they were shared with the blue haired beauty before her.

Natsuki still found herself nodding as she'd been doing for the past minute or so.

Shizuru found her obvious shyness endearing and gave the younger girl's hand a tiny squeeze before reluctantly letting go.

"I wouldn't mind knowing what your full name was," she said, down-playing the movement even more.

"My last name is Kuga. Kuga Natsuki," Natsuki replied.

"I assure you I won't forget that name."

--

At a bench nearby...

"Don't tell me you just helped us out Haruka," Nao said while playfully smacking the blonde on the shoulder.

Haruka as expected just tried to swat the hand away.

"Are you kidding me Nao? If that Fujino should somehow get officially attached maybe the crazy fan girls will stop flooding our changing rooms with unnecessary gifts and things."

At Nao's smirk, Haruka felt the need to add yet another not so sincere statement.

"It's not because we're friends or anything!"

Nao continues smirking at her for a moment longer while Chie and Tate wander decided they needed to wander off, both grinning and mumbling about how things suddenly got interesting.

"Oh look there's Yukino," Nao said while motioning for Haruka to turn around.

"I'm not falling for that again Nao," the blonde replied with an eye-roll.

"H-Haruka, hello," a small voice coming from a shy, kind looking girl said from behind them.

"Y-Yukino!," Haruka said in a similarly shy fashion.

"Nao!," the redhead said from behind them.

"Shut up Nao," Haruka replied before turning back to Yukino and giving the girl a quizzical look.

"Oh you forgot your book at my house, I just came to bring it to you. I'm not interrupting or anything am I?" the girl replies as she adjusts her slightly broken glasses.

Haruka frowned a little at the sight.

"No it's fine, thank you for bringing it over for me... What happened to your glasses Yukino? They were fine the last time I saw you."

"Oh, it's nothing... some people were playing roughly that's all."

The blonde felt her frown deepening and looked at her friend squarely in the eyes.

"Yukino you wouldn't lie to me would you?," the blonde asked gently. "Yukino?"

"Yukino!," Mai repeated loudly as she jumped up, breaking the slightly solemn moment between the two friends.

"Oww Mai... come on!," Nao said as she held her stomach where Mai had accidentally hit her on her way up.

"Yukino!," Mai repeated again. "Yukino's a genius! Some idiots were prolly bullying you huh Yukino! Don't worry, I'm gonna send Natsuki to kill them all! Natsuki!!!"

Haruka immediately fumed at the revalation which the look on Yukino's face had just confirmed.

"Bullying?! How dare they?! Names Yukino I need names!"

--

Closeby, Natsuki and Shizuru had silently made their way to sit on a bench.

Shizuru because she said there was a nice view of some flowers by the side of the field and Natsuki because she felt her legs had turned into jelly at the sight of the beautiful girl and that they would soon refuse to hold her upright.

"Are your friends alright?," Shizuru asked as Mai and Nao's raised voices reached her ears.

Natsuki nodded. She was at least a little calmer at that point and was happy to know her brain to voice functions had returned.

"I'm sure they are," she replied. "Are yours?"

Shizuru offered a smile in response.

"Haruka is known for getting a little too excited at times. I'm sure she means no harm..."

--

The blonde in question had at that moment taken to jumping up and down while waving her arms up and down.

Mai stood up to join her as Nao finally gave up on keeping the girl under control.

"I'll kill them all! Who's been bullying you Yukino?!"

"Yeah, we'll kill them all! Someone find Natsuki!"

Nao who was suspiciously calm, looked Yukino up and down before giving a decisive nod.

"Bullies huh," she said. Ok if the Rambo blonde and bouncing Mai could just calm the heck down we can figure out how to sort this out. Don't worry Kikukawa. I've decided you're one of us now," she finished.

"She's what?," Haruka questioned.

"Yeah! Yukino is one of us!," Mai yelled.

"That's right. And I'm not gonna let anyone get away with pushing one of us around. Come with me."

Haruka stood dumbfounded for a moment before dashing after two redheads and Yukino.

"Um, I'll say it again... what?! Idiot! You can't go dragging Yukino wherever you please! Yukino just tell me who did this to you, I promise I'll take care of them."

--

When they reached Chie and Tate once again sitting at their perch, Nao marched confidently towards her new Captain and gave a play salute.

"Permission to speak freely captain!," she said.

Tate nudges Chie and the girl flashes a sheepish smile.

"Oh, right that's me. What's up Yuuki?"

"I've come bearing gifts!," Nao declared.

Chie looked at the group and flashed Nao a thumbs up sign.

"The loudest cheerleader you could find. Good job Yuuki. Unfortunately, she's one of the rare breed who doesn't see me as her type. I tried to hit on her once and she hit me in the face. Position her where the largest crowds are and let the cheering begin!"

"No captain I didn't mean Haruka, I meant Yukino!"

"Uh no offence Yukino and other people closely guarding Yukino. But you're not really the cheering type are you?"

"I didn't bring her for the cheer squad! I want her on the team," Nao said as she shook her head prompting Chie to give her a questioning look.

"What team?"

"Our team."

"Our team as in the soccer team?"

"No way!," Haruka proclaimed. "Are you crazy?!"

"Of course!," Nao replied with a grin. "But just because I'm crazy doesn't mean I don't have genius ideas you know."

"Well I don't care how genius you think you are or claim to be Yuuki, I don't want Yukino getting hurt! I'd rather have her cheering with me!"

"Haruka, we all realise you want her with you but that defeats the purpose of this whole thing."

"Stop winking you idiot! There's no time for that! We have to take action!"

"Take action!," Mai said, mirroring the yell as Nao grabbed her shirt.

"Mai sit down... Listen Captain, I'm not just suggesting this because I like to make trouble."

Everyone pauses to look at her in a slightly suspicious manner.

"Everyone knows Yukino's a genius and everyone knows genius' get a hard time around here so I thought we could help each other out. There's no one else that can make plays like her and there is no one that'll make fun of anyone on the team. I'm just asking everyone here to give the girl a chance that's all."

Haruka thinks about it while the others can't help but nod.

"Am I right? I'm right, right? God I love being right," the red head said as she waited to be praised.

"If she gets hurt Nao I swear..."

"Relax miss protective pants. Captain Chie can help tone her up a bit and Natsuki and I will watch her back I promise."

--

The girl in question suddenly felt a chill begin at her neck and go straight down her back.

"Ugh," Natsuki got out.

"What's wrong?," Shizuru asked the girl as she scooted closer.

"No it's nothing I... sometimes I get this weird feeling at the back of my neck..."

"Oh, would you like me to massage it for you?," Shizuru questioned innocently.

She brushes her hand on Natsuki's neck, causing the girl to feel sparks once again...this time however they are not unwelcome.

Watching the girl instantly blush at her touch Shizuru allowed herself an inward smile.

Dropping her hand as soon as she received the desired effect the chestnut haired girl looked on as Natsuki attempted to regain her composure.

"W-what?," Natsuki sputtered.

The girl beside her however, looked as innocent as ever. 'How could I have missed this cute person before?,' Shizuru thought in her head. 'Striking green eyes, beautiful flowing hair, athletic body...'

Shaking her head ever so slightly as to avoid Natsuki noticing Shizuru attempted to continue the conversation.

"What does that usually mean?," she asked.

"Oh. Usually... that Nao's planning something weird and it's gonna get all of us in trouble. Us as in me and Mai."

Shizuru nodded while beating down an inward pout.

'I'm not usually excluded for anything,' she thought. 'It's not that I care a whole lot but when it involves this girl, I'd prefer to be included...'

"Shizuru? Are you okay,?" Natsuki asked as she leaned closer to the suddenly thoughtful girl.

--

Before Shizuru could get further wrapped up in her thoughts, a certain blonde marched her way over only to grab Natsuki by the shoulder and look her in the eye.

"Don't let her get hurt Kuga or I swear I'll kill you!"

Natsuki jumps up and away from Shizuru at the comment.

"I Don't know what you're talking about Haruka. Shizuru and I were just talking I swear!," Natsuki said nervously.

Shizuru happily looked on at the sight.

'Ara. I wonder what she thought Haruka meant by that... the way she started blushing was too adorable.'

Natsuki on her part continued with the semi-stuttering.

"I mean ok so there was the touching, which was nice but then after that it was all talking and very minimal look stealing!"

At the comment, Shizuru decides to break out into her Ara pose but chooses not to say anything.

Meanwhile Haruka found herself having difficulty stringing together coherent thoughts.

"Graargh!," the blonde got out.

Natsuki blinked.

"Ok Haruka I get you're kind of aggravated right now but I don't actually speak lion so needless to say, the roaring isn't helping."

Shizuru agreed wholeheartedly.

"Haruka, perhaps you should explain it to us? How about over a meal or something?"

Sighing in defeat Haruka just stood and massaged her temples.

"Don't you have a fan meeting to oversee or something Fujino?"

"A-ra my fanclub runs itself..." Shizuru replied matter of factly.

"Of course it does."

"I'd much rather spend my time getting to know the interesting new people I've met today..."

"Of course you would," Haruka replies as she begins to walk away only to have Shizuru and Natsuki staring after her.

"Well are you people coming or are you going to stand around there semi-dating by yourselves or what?!"

Almost as if it was an automatic response, Natsuki blushed at the comment.

"Haruka!," she yelled out.

The blonde didn't even bother turning back and instead chose to shoot out another loud comment.

"We have plans to make! Date at other times!"

Natsuki sputters and follows her with Shizuru close behind.

--

On the way Haruka grabs Nao by the collar taking a calmer Mai and Yukino along.

"What just happened there?," Mai questioned. "My head feels weird, I totally feel like I have a headache coming on."

Nao shrugs.

"If I were you Mai, I'd just be happy there's no photographic evidence."

Mai frowned at the reply but decided not to delve into that particular comment.

"Where are we actually going?," she asked instead. "And wow Natsuki moves fast, is that Shizuru walking with her?"

Nao wraps an arm around Mai's neck and does her best impression of the girl.

"Well, in the words of certain people drunk on energy drinks...I'm excited! I love high school!"