The Icy Truth

When who meets who...

When the whistle had sounded, I kicked the ball to my side and caught it back with my own feet.

"Play more smoothly, Ice Princess," I heard Nagumo breathed out.

I rolled my eyes and stepped out of the way when he came in for a sliding.

"Idiot!" he cursed. I smirked at him and slipped through the mid fielders.

Kidou, Fudou and Sakuma were good. They managed to take my ball. Fortunately, I managed to steal it back. How? Well, let's just say that I used some moves that would make gymnasts cheer for me.

I did a lot of gymnastics back then, too.

Hayata and Hino were easy to pass. I know they were good players with those athletic bodies, but I figured they never fought a girl before.

Hino had a fair skin tone, tousled brown hair and deep green eyes. He would be easily one of the boys that girls fall for. Hayata was different: he had really tanned skin and dark black hair that was braided into whichever. I always thought he was one of those people that loved Bob Marley so much. His gray eyes were pretty friendly, though.

"Almost got the ball!" I muttered as Handa was finished charging towards me.

Finally, it was one-on-one with me and Endou. I heard some person who was narrating this game, but I didn't care. I could win this thing.

I finally settled to use my hissatsu technique. One of my favorites and the first hissatsu that I made myself: Northern Impact.

There were others, but I didn't dare use them. It made me think about my school... again.

"Northern..." I said, preparing my technique, "Impact!"

Four degrees. Six degrees. Eight degrees. Ten degrees. Thirteen degrees. Fifteen degrees.

That's how much the temperature had dropped.

"GOD CATCH!" I heard Endou yelled. It was brave enough for Endou to bring out a technique.

Lucky for them, my shoot was stopped by Endou (well, barely stopped). It had shot upwards, and then was caught by Endou.

"Phew..." Hayata whispered.

I grinned at Endou who had yelled, "Nice shot, Suzuno!"

"FUUSUKE!" a familiar male voice yelled.

I looked up and saw my brother. I looked at Endou, told him my thanks and ran as fast as I could to the soccer club's room to change.

"Fumio! Get the hell out of there!" I yelled for the fifth time that afternoon.

See, our mother told us we would be going somewhere. That somewhere was nice and decent like the clothes we're suppose to wear, or so my mother said. One thing I hated about my mother: her winning every argument.

"FUMIO! FUUSUKE! Get down!" our mom yelled from downstairs.

"Tell Fumio that!" I yelled back.

"FUMIO! Don't make me come there!" Mom warned us.

I gulped. Usually, parents were all bark but no bite. My mom was all bark and bite. Mom's way of saying 'don't-make-me-come-there' thing is definitely not nice. If she came here upstairs, she can tear off Fumio's door in moment's notice.

"Fumio? You heard her." I said nervously to his door.

Slowly, the door opened. My jaw dropped open at what I saw.

Fumio stood before me with really decent clothes. His upper body was composed with a checkered shirt; gray and black. A light-colored ascot scarf was tied on his neck. His lower body wore simply jeans, but it seemed to suit him well. He also wore his black Chuck Taylor.

All I could think to say was, "Whoa."

"Shut up, and let's go." he grumbled to me.

"Alright, alright. But, seriously, you look great." I complimented.

He smiled grudgingly at me. "Come on, sis," he told me.

Okay, maybe I didn't mention Fumio's style of hair back then. He looked pretty much like he did everyday. His hair was swept to one side, as if he just woke up from bed.

Why am I telling you this?

Well, I was just making sure someone didn't have to tease my own brother. I only do that!

Oh, was I getting ahead of myself? I'll just narrate the story.

After Fumio and I came downstairs, mom was just as peppy as usual.

"We'll walk! Her house is just near us!" she kept talking.

I sighed and asked my mom, "Whose house?"

"My best friend, of course! Her name's Keira. She's a great person! I'm sure..." Mom just kept blabbing on and on about her best friend. I dragged her outside.

"Alright, mom," I told her, "where to next?"

Mom broke her babbling fit. "Oh! Er... yes! That's her house." Mom pointed to a house right next to ours.

Fumio sweat-dropped tragically and I manage to keep my composure (because I was sure I could break anything by now). The house was just freaking next door! From the way mom sounded, it's as if we were gonna have dinner at an expensive restaurant.

"Mom?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"Why are we supposed to wear decent clothes?"

"She's my best friend! I want her to regard at my children nicely!"

"You lost me at 'to'," I told her.

Fumio nodded, agreeing to what I had said. He added, "I agree… you lost me at 'Hmm'."

I smacked his head as my mother walked happily to the house next door. Why should we even wear decent clothes? My mom just wore some jeans and a nicely done white blouse. Her shoes were her old white Nike. I figured mom just wanted to impress us to her best friend than just 'let her regard us nicely.'

The house was covered with large white walls, which probably is used for keeping people out. I didn't like the house already. Sure, our house was probably big and nice, but it was cozy… unlike the house (or should I say museum?) that stood in front of us.

The gate was black and it was beautifully decorated. Two guards were, ahem, guarding the house (get it?). The two saluted at us as the gate opened (why they saluted, I did not know).

Mom smiled at them.

"You know them?" I asked my mom after.

She shook her head and replied, "Just trying to be friendly."

When I saw the door, I gulped silently. The path to the house was fixed nicely and there were beautiful fountains at the front of the house.

How rich.

Mom knocked at the door. And it creaked open.

"Harriette!" a woman greeted excitedly. The two hugged each other immeditaely after the name left the unkown woman's lips.

Harriette was my mother's name, just so you know.

I looked closely at the other woman. She was as tall as my mom, and as beautiful as she was (of course, mom looked younger, her face looked like it doesn't age). The woman had fair skin and on her face were smile wrinkles. Her eyes were blue… perfectly blue, mind you. Her red hair was tied in a bun.

"Keira! I missed you!" my mom gushed. As in 'gushed'… like what teenage girls do.

After a few seconds, the woman- 'Keira,'- led us to her living room.

As if you called it a living room. It was huge and large and roomy. I'll spare you the details, but it definitely spelled out: 'rich'. Right now, my mom and Keira were in a deep conversation while we siblings watched cartoons at the flat-screen TV with maids giving us food.

"Why do you like Disney so much?" I asked my brother. You guessed it: we were watching cartoons.

Fumio shrugged and replied, "Beats me."

After that, I refuse to ask more questions.

SLAM!

Keira raised her head up and chuckled, "He's here."

"Who?" I asked.

She smiled at me and replied, "My son."

"MOM! I'm hungry!" a boy's voice moaned.

"Be nice, honey! We have guests!" Keira called back.

It struck me right there that the voice was familiar. Plus, I've seen him today at the field. He looked pretty much like her mother. I didn't know why I didn't recognize it before, but, right now: it didn't matter.

Standing at the door with his jaw dropped and his uniform dirty, was-

Oh! I remember his name now, full name.

Kato had called him a bastard.

"So," I whispered to myself, "we meet again."

The dumb ass who teased me a while ago...

Nagumo Haruya.

CLIFFHANGER! Haha.. lol, not really.

Sorry it took me awhile, had to finish my schoolwork.

But no matter, I'm here! I don't have time for replies to the reviews, but: THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Disclaimer: I do not own IE.