Chapter 14: The Truth Comes Out
"I'm sorry, but no girls are allow-"
"I'm sorry, but nowhere on the flyers did it say 'only boys'," I argue kindly towards the referee, as I begin to lace up my new, bronze Jordans. Gently I trace my fingertips along the smooth, golden texture, revelling in the crisp, new pair of shoes that were soon to become scuffed up.
The referee stammers, unsure of what to counter back with. I clearly had a point and there was no other way around the matter.
"Fine. But if anything happens I-"
"Thank you. I can handle myself," I ensure, as I stand back up to flash him a sincere smile. He grows flustered, clearing his throat as he walks away towards the other officials by the nearby table full of water.
"So?" asks Kagami-kun, as he places his hands on his hips, giving me a slightly discouraged look.
"It's an all go," I assure, as I begin to tie up my blindingly blonde, wavy hair into my signature pony tail. I pull out a black, velvet ribbon from the pocket of my black shorts.
"Guess it's a good thing you've got a pretty face," he mutters, as he begins to look around the big crowd of players, all arriving to compete and watch the tournament going on today.
"What?"
"Nothing, nothing. Come on. Let's go," says Kagami-kun, as he grabs my arm hastily, beginning to drag me as we catch up with Kuroko-kun and the other first years.
"You think I charmed my way out of it?" I ask incredulously.
"I don't know, did you?" he replies back, his voice accusatory.
"What if I did? All that matters is that I get to play with you guys, right?"
Kagami-kun remains silent, continuing to drag me with the flow of the crowd, dropping the matter altogether. Meanwhile, I was still furious. What did he mean by that? So what if I charmed my way through certain things when it came to basketball, I only did it so I could play in the end! What was the hardness in that?
Suddenly, we all come to a halt, with myself walking right into Kagami-kun's, large, hard body. Yelping in pain, I begin to furiously massage my nose back to ease. Although my nose wasn't broken from that punch, it was still pretty sore and achy.
"Teppei?"
Grabbing the back of Kagami-kun's shirt, I gently yank it to the side, along with his body. "Kiyoshi-senpai!" I cheer happily, as I push past Kagami-kun to cling on his arm like a child. Kiyoshi-senpai, stumbles, giving me a slightly confused look. "Kari? You're here too?"
I nod my head furiously, before I shoot Kagami-kun a deathly look. "But I wish that we hadn't brought someone along," I emphasize gravely, looking away from Kagami-kun's crimson irises.
"What was that?! Says the one who had to be woken up this morning by being dragged out of-"
I stick my tongue out a Kagami-kun, causing Kuroko-kun to hold a lunging Kagami-kun away from attacking me.
Pulling out my cell phone, I notice that I received a few messages. I smile, reading the encouraging words from my friends, the team and oddly enough, Kise-kun. Who I hadn't received the chance yet to meet. I wonder what he'd have to say when he saw me?
But much to my dismay, there were no messages from Aomine-kun. Nothing. I wasn't expecting him to wake me up with cute little messages or show up late at night just to talk. Nothing of that sorts. All I was asking for his love now and then and I'd be perfectly content, taking in both of our busy schedules. And I did tell Aomine-kun about the tournament, but it seems it slipped his mind.
Frowning unhappily, I place my phone back into my bag and throw into the pile with the other boys'.
"Isn't that…Seiho?!" asks a bewildered Furihata-kun.
"Seiho? No…way," I trail off quietly, as I take in the boys of Seiho that were across from us, stretching with soured and content looks on their faces.
"Heh, wonder what they're doing here," muses Kagami-kun, as an arrogant smirk overcomes his face. Crossing my arms over my chest, I look the other way and huff out, "Would you like me to use my charm and go pry it out of them?"
Kagami-kun shoots me an irritated look, his mouth opening for a few, heated words. I take an angry step forward, ready to counter back. Suddenly I'm pulled away by the tentative hands of Kuroko-kun, while Kiyoshi-senpai leads Kagami-kun away from me.
"Kuro-kun?"
"You both are causing a disturbance," says Kuroko-kun quietly, as he nods around us. Looking around, I find the males around us with their eyes glued on to Kagami-kun and myself. They snicker amongst themselves before returning back to stretching their muscles.
"Don't make them think-"
"I know, I know. Kaga-kun's just-"
"Getting on your nerves? When doesn't he?" jokes Kuroko-kun, but the look of amusement far from his blank face.
Staring at him, I begin to break out into laughter as I rub his head softly. "Do you ever get mad?"
Kuroko-kun's gaze lands on me, his azure irises peering into my crème ones.
"Yes. I'm mad right now."
Cautiously I take my hand out of the sea of blue, not sure if Kuroko-kun was serious or not. But by the tone of his voice, I had a feeling he was.
"If Kagami-kun and yourself don't make up, I might do something I'll regret."
"Like what?"
"I don't. Maybe you won't be around to see it."
Kuroko-kun walks away, leaving me in the middle of a heart attack. What was that?! Was that a threat? Whatever it was, it had me running towards Kiyoshi-senpai.
"He's going to kill me and feed me to Tetsuya Nigou!" I cry out in delirium, as I cry dramatically into Kiyoshi-senpai.
I then notice the whole court grow eerily silent, taking in that I was being quite loud. Looking around, everyone gives me frightened looks as to what I had just said. Including Kiyoshi-senpai.
After running around the tournament like a mad woman because a certain someone forgot to hand in our sign up form, I had to find the sign in table and refill the forms for all of us. Then I had to run back to the team, get their signatures for the waiver and then run back to the table, which I couldn't find until 10 minutes later.
Luckily, I had arrived just in time for the tip off. I'm not sure what happened while I was gone, but the sudden shift in atmosphere was making my skin crawl. And not in the good way.
"Hey guys!" I greet breathlessly, as I join in on the circle that the team had formed.
"You just missed it!" says Furihata-kun.
"Missed what?"
"Noth-"
"That guy over there," points Furihata-kun, as he nods his head towards a pale, lean boy with short, raven hair. What was interesting about him was that he had a beauty mark underneath his eye, and a ringed necklace around his neck. Huh, that necklace looked really fam-
"No…." I trail off, realizing what Furihata-kun was pointing out.
"Yeah, and before this he took down Seiho by himself!"
Aghast at what Furihata-kun was splurging out, I look around the faces of the boys to confirm.
"Kagami-kun, how's your-"
"What's it to you?" he snides in remark, as he begins to crack his neck in response.
Frozen at the coldness in his voice, I feel myself begin to grow angry. Ever since we got here he's been showing more attitude than usual. Especially to myself. What was his deal?
"Kagami-kun, I understand you, and the rest of us, are under a lot of pressure, but-"
"Please, Kari. Don't say you're under pressure after coming back from playing around in Miami."
"…playing around in Miami." By the tone of his voice, I knew he didn't mean basketball when he mentioned playing.
"Easy guys. We're all friends-"
Kagami-kun angrily cuts off a worrisome Kiyoshi-senpai. "Are we?"
Kagami-kun walks away with a grunt, kicking the air in front of him as he goes. Placing a hand on my hip, I use the other to run an annoyed, stressed out hand through my pony tail.
"Breathe. He's just throwing a tantrum. He's a kid, and so are all of you guys. Just take it easy," coo's Kiyoshi-senpai, as he places a hand on top of my head. Staring up at him with a frown, he flashes me a reassuring smile. I had to wonder, was there anything that made Kiyoshi-senpai upset?
Standing in the middle of the court, ready to face Kagami-kun's childhood friend, I begin to quickly make small talk with his friend, as I notice him giving me a surprised look.
"So you're the legend who's been putting up with Kaga-kun for so long," I joke, as I give him a kind smile.
"Really? He's gotten worse, I'm assuming."
"I suppose you-"
"What? Trying to make your opponent fall in love with you too?" interjects Kagami-kun, as he directly stares into my eyes.
What…was that?
"What do you mean by fall-"
"You know exactly what I'm talk-"
"Yes, Kagami-kun, because I'm clearly a mind reader!" I shout, as I throw my hands up in frustration. I've had it. I didn't care if we were stalling the game or if I was making a big scene. I've had enough of Kagami-kun's attitude.
"Just say it now, Kagami-kun. Just say what you've been hold-"
"You know how much that game against Touou meant to the team! What defeating the ace of the Generation of Miracles would have meant to us! Yet after losing to him, facing humiliation you still decide to go out with him! Are you…are you kidding me?!" growls Kagami-kun, as I watch him bite his tongue at the last part, trying to hide what would've been an onslaught of profanities.
"I'm sorry, Kagami-kun. I thought out of all people you'd be the one to not hold grudges!"
"It's called rivalry, Kari. It doesn't help us when you're two timing the team by practicing new things with us and then running off to him at Touou!"
Taking a step back, I wince in pain as I feel the dept of Kagami-kun's slashes. So this is what he'd been holding back all along.
"How come you-"
"Pick, Kari. Make up your damn mind and choose either us, or him!"
"N-No! I want both-"
"Who the hell cares what you want! Think of the team for once!" yells Kagami-kun, as he rubs the bridge of his nose at an attempt to calm himself.
I really didn't want to seem like I was putting on an act, but what Kagami-kun was saying was really hurting my self esteem right now. Just after I had learned to realize what I wanted out of life, he had to break it all down. I can't help it when tears begin to roll down my face.
The crowd around us had grown silent, staring in awe and confusion as to what they were seeing.
"Hey, Taiga. Calm down a little, you're making the poor girl cry," says Kagami-kun's friend, as he places a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
"Please. All of it's just an act to get what she wants," mutters Kagami-kun, as he continues to keep his eyes closed as he rubs his nose.
The tears stop as I hear what he says. As I hear what his true thoughts were of me. They had to be true. The truth always comes out when you're the most angriest.
I'm about to say something, anything to make him feel as bad as I was feeling. But I realize that I wouldn't stoop to his level. I was better than that. Than him.
Biting my tongue, I brush past him and towards my bag that lay in a mess with the other boys'.
"Hey, hey imouto. Come on, Kagami doesn't-"
"If that's the truth. Then let's hear it from him," I ask quietly, as my voice cracks midway through. We all look at Kagami-kun, the boys with hopeful looks in their eyes' as they usher Kagami-kun to apologize.
"For what?"
Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I find Kuroko-kun before I leave.
"I'm sorry," I whisper pathetically, as I gently rub his soft, plush hair before running through the crowd of people.