AN: an update. oh dear. uh... i trying not to mess up the time line but it did. hahaha this is one week later and hopefully still in character.

Chapter 5

Finally it was the Saturday of Sakuno and Yuuta's anniversary. Tomoka was so excited. She didn't know what to do with herself. She wanted to know how it went and she wanted to know now! Too bad there was still some hours before the actual date.

The first thing Tomo did, after getting ready for her day and eating breakfast was call Sakuno up for a quick reassuring chat.

"Are you sure you have everything ready?" Tomo asked, worriedly into the phone. She got up from the table and put her dishes in the sink.

"I'm fine, Tomo-chan!" Sakuno said. "It's just a normal date right? Don't get me more nervous than I already am!"

"Ok ok!"

Tomo could hear by Sakuno's voice that she was blushing. Tomo adjusted the phone on her ear and headed back up the stairs. She entered her room and plopped down at her desk.

"I'm just trying to be a good friend. I would be by but you know, I have tennis."

"Yea, don't worry about me. So what are you gonna do after tennis today?" Sakuno said, happy to get the subject away from her and Yuuta.

"I dunno. I was gonna call Takeshi up and see if he wanted to go out," Tomo sighed. "I haven't really talked to him since that time we were all over here. I normally wouldn't be concerned about it but… we had a talk last time--"

"A talk?"

"Yeah… about the pregnancy thing--"

"You think he's avoiding you?"

"I wouldn't say that! Gee, Sakuno you're making it sound worse than it is!"

There was a pause before Sakuno finally answered with, "Sorry. It's just I hear guys are weird with that sort of thing."

"Well who wouldn't be? We're nt ready to be parents," Tomo shot, suddenly becoming defensive.

"I'm just saying if it happened he had best be a man about it--"

"Right, well whatever," Tomo cut Sakuno off, not doing much to amsk her anoyance and frustration. "I'm gonna call him and see if he wants to hang out. And if he doesn't then I guess I'll chill with Mieko-chan or something. Or maybe Ryoma-kun. I dunno."

Sakuno sighed on the other end, notifying Tomo that the other shier girl didn't completely drop the subject of Momo in her mind. She was sure Sakuno would want to talk about it again sometime.

"Look, Sakuno, you just worry about you and Yuuta today ok?"

"Yes…" came the soft reply.

"Ok I gotta get ready to go to tennis. Call me later!"

Tomo hung up her phone and sighed once before dialing Momo's number. She returned the phone to her ear, waiting as it rang.

"Hello?"

"Takeshi-kun--"

"Yes."

"Hey it's me, Tomo."

"I know who it is--"

Tomo hesitated a bit at that, Momo sounded a bit rushed. Maybe he was busy. Tomo wasn't usually one to be hesitative, especially around her boyfriend, but certain events (and a very recent phone call with Sakuno) had led her to feel a bit uneasy.

It had hitherto been hinted at that Momo's reaction to the pregnancy news had him a little spooked. He behaved normally the remainder of that night he was with Ryoma and Sakuno, but afterwards it seemed he closed up a little. That week at school, when he'd usually tease Tomoka in front of their friends or school mates, or seek her out in the mornings to just say hi, when he's usually flash his cheesy grin at her from his classroom window when she was in gym, or slip cute letters in her shoe cubby, all of that was gone. It was weird, and to Tomo it absolutely made no sense. It wasn't like she said she was actually pregnant.

Tomo sighed into the phone.

"I was wondering if you're busy today."

"I am," Momo said with a little agitation. "My exam is next weekend remember?"

"Oh… yes I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize, Tomo-chan. Why not ask Sakuno?"

"Today's her and Yuuta's anniversary, remember. Idiot."

"I forgot. Ok well talk to you later."

With that Momo hung up without waiting to hear Tomo's goodbye. Tomo sighed and felt a little dejected, but she knew there was no fighting it. Momo's university entrance exam was of course more important right then. That was something she learned to accept, as it was only a natural part of a 3rd year's life. So instead of thinking about her worries, Tomo made up her mind to call Ryoma and ask him if he could hang out instead.

"Sorry, I can't."

"What!" Tomo cried, not even masking her frustration. "But I'm going to be so bored after tennis!"

"Mada mada dane, Tomo-chan. It's Kunimitsu's first weekend in a long time without homework."

With that the other boy hung up and Tomo sulked until time to leave for tennis.

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It was actually a warm day so that really made Tomoka happy. She preferred practice on the outdoor court over the indoor facilities. That was at least one thing to brighten her day!

She made it to the courts and dressed and stretched. By the time the other 3 girls arrived she was warmed up. She practiced on the wall a bit before the other girls came out to join her.

"Good morning, everyone," Kiyoko buchou beamed.

"Good morning," was Mieko and Tomo's reply.

Mieko was set to play a match with Isumi and Tomo with Kiyoko. Tomo was excited, it was always really fun to play against Kiyoko. Kiyoko really had talent, and it was easy to understand how she was able to easily lead their team to the Kanto tournament, though they lost in the semi finals to the Midoriyama girls. They had that freakishly tall girl on their team that just gave Tomo the creeps.

"You're planning for Nationals right?" Kiyoko asked, as she hit her serve.

Tomo hit it back with ease and replied, "Yes, Buchou."

"Good. There's not reason to aim for less. I think next year you'll have a good team. What with you and Sakuno-chan in Doubles 1 and Mieko backing you up as your vice captain. I'm really really proud of you guys and I trust you too!"

"Thanks," Tomo said, trying her best to stifle an embarrassed blush. "We'll not let you down!"

After practice ended Tomo decided she'd ask Mieko to hang out instead.

"Bye Buchou-tachi!" Mieko and Tomo said, before turning the opposite way of their sempai.

"Hey, Mieko-chan!" Tomo said. "you wanna go do something?"

"Like what?" Mieko asked.

"I don't know. I'm just bored out of my skull for the rest of the day. All my friends are ditching me for their boyfriends and my boyfriend is studying for entrance exam," Tomo sulked.

Mieko giggled, "You say it like I'm your last choice!"

Tomo shook her head, "I didn't mean it like that!" She blushed out of embarrassment.

"No, I'm just kidding. I know you didn't mean it like that. Hey your phone is blinking."

Tomo looked down at her bag and sure enough the phone charm was hanging out of it and blinking. Tomo took the phone out and looked to see she had missed calls from Ryoma while playing.

"It's Ryoma-kun!"

"Kya! Ryoma-kun! He's so cute!" Mieko exclaimed. "I forgot you're good friends with him right? Does he have a girlfriend?"

"Fufufu, Mieko-chan, he's gay and he has a boyfriend."

"Eh!? No way! But he's so cute and good at tennis," Mieko interjected.

Tomo just chuckled and called Ryoma back.

"Hello?"

"Ryoma-kunnnnnnnnn So why'd ya call me?"

"You're too loud, Tomo-chan."

Tomo laughed, she could totally imagine Ryoma rubbing his ear in annoyance.

"Kunimitsu's only day without homework and he's helping your stupid boyfriend study. I'm not talking to either of them now!"

Tomo laughed. It was funny when Ryoma got annoyed with Tezuka. He's always say he wasn't going to talk to him but it never lasted.

"You wanna come hang out with me and Mieko-chan from the girls team."

"I don't care," Ryoma said.

"Ok We'll come by and then we can decide what to do ok."

"Whatever. Cya."

Ryoma hung up and Tomo turned to Mieko.

"Seems as if Ryoma's going to tag along."

Mieko beamed, "Fine by me."

-to be continued-

AN: Finally the part is coming... oh wait I can't spoil ya'll! lol Thanks for reading. Hiyoshi says review!