Blossom releases a sneeze as she faces the edge of the couch. The orange haired teen hated being ill, especially not being able to participate in today's activity for the Sports Fest.
'I can't believe I didn't fully dry myself off from the shower.' She stews since she was always cautious as to how she would take meticulous care of her health and body.
'I wonder if someone noticed that I wasn't at school today?' The young girl ponders to herself as she yanks the blanket up to her red tint face due to her fever.
She then covers her mouth with one of her elbows whenever she would have to cough, 'I wonder…if he…notices that I'm not there.'
'Ugh...' Blossom quickly utters before she blocks her face completely embarrassed at the question she had just asked herself.
'Why do I even care about him?' She deliberates to herself while she tightly clenches her right hand.
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"So who do you think we will be facing off against the first round?" Midori poses to the group once they were alone to discuss about today's event.
Bubbles glances over her shoulder as she merely watches their homeroom teacher, Mr. Matura, retreats.
He casually saunters from his class as they sort out the equipment and venture over to where the other Sophomore teachers were alongside with Principal Zeal.
"Since Mr. Matura's class placed first overall in the Swimming portion of the Sports Fest, they'll have the honor to draw from the box last." He broadcasts to the teachers once he lifts a small cubed shape box with a slot in the middle of the top portion big enough for their hands to reach in.
'Just great…I suck at the lottery.' Mr. Matura proclaims to himself after he listens to the directions on how they would determine their position on the bracket.
"I've always been good at the lottery." Ms. Omiya's cheerful voice breaks him out of his thoughts.
He witnesses one by one his fellow colleagues withdraw a folded sheet of paper before he soon realizes that it was his turn to pick from the box.
"On the count of three open the pieces of paper…" Mr. Alma orders them while Mr. Matura closes his eyes and prays that it was something good.
'2-5. What does these numbers mean?' He wonders to himself before their awareness recoils to Mr. Zeal.
"If you will direct your attention to the board, you will notice two brackets with the numbers one and two written over it. If your first number is a one stand on my left and if your number is a two stand on my right." Alma promptly instructs them.
Mr. Matura observes Ms. Omiya steps on the opposite side of him when he considers, 'I guess my luck has changed!'
"The second number you have should tell you where to write your class names' on the board. There are two markers here for you to utilize. Please write your name in the correct slot or the bracket will be completely thrown off." Mr. Alma concludes his explanation of how the bracket works to the teachers.
"One more thing before you return to your respective class section, we will have fifteen minutes for the girls and boys with a five-minute break. This means that they will play seven and a half minutes before halftime." He adds in.
When Mr. Matura advances to the board, he views Ms. Omiya uncaps the marker, writes her name on the board and passes it to the teacher behind her.
Once he legibility scribbles his name, he swiftly peeks at the opposite side of the bracket but did not spot her name on the side.
'That's strange. I mean she did write her name on the board.' Mr. Matura inwardly reflects to himself.
He then glances over to the next set of brackets and recognizes her name in the second round. 'She drew a bye for the first round too?'
"Whoever it is won't stop me from getting even with Bell." Buttercup states before they detect their homeroom teacher, Mr. Matura, meander over to their homeroom section.
"So, who will we be facing off in the first round?" She quickly poses about the identity of their first opponents once he stands in front of them.
"Gather around everyone," He yells loud enough for his entire homeroom to hear him as they draw near him.
"We will be playing separate fifteen minute games with two quarters at seven and a half minutes before halftime, which is five minutes. Since we're on the Number 2 side of the bracket so our first opponents will be Ms. Dashiki's class." Mr. Matura imparts the information that they were told by Mr. Zeal.
"Which side of the bracket is Ms. Omiya's class is on?" Buttercup wonders after she processes the format of today's event.
"Just know that we will square off with them in the championships." He voices as he sense a sudden spike in his class energy and their spirits.
"I think a little payback is in order, wouldn't you agree Midori?" Buttercup directs her question to her red-haired companion.
They exchange high fives along with wide grins present on their face since they could not wait to meet Bell in the championships.
Butch casts his gaze in the direction of where Brick sits with his chin in one of his hand, which cause him to think, 'Not this again!'
He wanders over to Brick, occupies an empty seat next to him, and conveys, "If you're really upset then you should just do something about it! So until we win our part of today's sport, you better keep your head clear."
Brick eventually surfaces from his thoughts when he watches his brother's retreat and joins the rest of his class.
'It looks like I did it again.' He assumes before he hops from his position and assembles with his classmates.
Bubbles quietly witnesses how Butch easily reels Brick back in their homeroom when the idea hit her. 'That's right how could I almost forget that…'
After Buttercup secures the proper equipment on her body, she beholds her adversary in front of the board that displays the tournament bracket.
'So Ms. Omiya got a bye then…' Bell notes while she verifies her homeroom teacher's name underneath the one bracket on the second round. The other Sophomore homeroom names were listed on the first round.
"Surely, we're lucky since we are on the opposite sides of the bracket once again!" Bell comments to Buttercup once she stands in next to her.
"So it may seems. Just try not to lose with your bye." She firmly advises her before she shuffles out of the way so someone can scrawl on the board.
Buttercup overhears an announcement of Mr. Matura's class to report to the asphalt court for their first game.
"Let the games begin…" She then proclaims before she separates herself from Bell and canters over to her classmates.
"What was that all about, Butter?" Buttercup hears Butch's nickname for her once she reaches her homeroom.
"Oh that? That was just a little pep talk among rivals." She replies while she pushes past him.
'If she says so…' He concludes to himself with a shrugs his shoulders and enters inside of the asphalt field.
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The final whistle of the first round echoes throughout the area as it captures the focus of those who know that their class advances to the next round.
"Alright class, that was good play for both the boys and girls!" Mr. Matura congratulates his class on a job well done.
"Now all we have to do is just wait until they write in the names of who we will face in the second round."
His class easily wrapped up their games against Ms. Dashiki class with favorable odds, her class simply looks happy to be a part of Sports Fest.
Buttercup releases a sigh of relief because she was glad that she was able to catch her breath but her fighter spirit was in full throttle.
"Man that first round was way too easy, what do you think, Butter?" Butch poses once their class file out of the play arena.
"For you it was, guys tend to play fair but girls on the other hand…" Buttercup pauses to find the right word to describe what happens.
"Shady? I saw a couple of unchecked body shots out there too." He interjected the word he thought best described it.
"Who would've thought that the great Buttercup's head would be bothered by such a low ranking team?" Bell's voice chimes in their conversation.
Butch mentally dreads the fact that the girl in front of him was still alive meanwhile Buttercup coolly accepts her statement.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you have to avoid some body shots yourself, bimbo. You will see just how much people resent you once you become an equal." She calmly retorts to Bell's comment.
That was enough to mute Bell before her homeroom teacher, Ms. Omiya, makes her way over to where they stand.
"Bell is everything okay over here?" She inquires to Bell as her voice expresses genuine concern once she approaches the group.
"I think we should rest up for our next game since we didn't have a break from the first round." Buttercup quickly mentions right before Mr. Matura's homeroom class stride away from Ms. Omiya's class.
"Ms. Omiya," Bell calls out for her homeroom teacher and manages to snatches her attention, "Yes, what is it Bell?"
"I appreciate your concern for your students in your homeroom class but have some faith that we can handle battles like this on our own. After all, you of all people should know how friendly our rivalry with Mr. Matura's class is." She remarks with her eyes closed as the rest of her classmates physically agree with her opinion.
Ms. Omiya manages a smile on her face before she responses to Bell's statement, "Alright then, I will place my wholesome faith in you all to maintain this friendly disposition towards Mr. Matura's class."
'Good. However, you're going to stay in the complete dark about our true intentions for the students in Mr. Matura's class.' Bell inwardly appraises prior to the sound of another whistle.
It immediately ensnares their awareness as it was a gesture for them to take the court for their team.
'Wait for me Buttercup, we will cross sticks again and this time I will take the victory again.' She concluded to herself when she advances on to the court with a wicked grin.
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Meanwhile with Mr. Matura's class…
"Mr. Matura, where were you a few seconds ago?" Midori asks about their teacher's previous location as the class locate their respective break area.
The students were assuming that their homeroom teacher was off somewhere enjoying the festive spirits of Sports Fest, since he was not present when it was his class turn to participate in the activities.
However, he was casually lounging on their table and patiently awaiting their return.
"Why? Did something happen to you guys?" Mr. Matura questions once he inspects the expressions on all of his students' faces.
"Yeah, why else do you think Midori would be asking you?" Butch states as he shakes his head in disbelief that their teacher was quite dense for a man his age.
"So why don't someone just tell me what happened already then?" He suggests since his students seem to have sharp responses to his questions.
"Ms. Omiya's class confronted us once we finished with our game. Of course their ring leader, Bell, tried to intimated us when their homeroom teacher, Ms. Omiya, came to their defense." Buttercup opts to answer his question.
Mr. Matura closely scans his students' faces again and voices, "Is that it?"
"Listen, Ms. Omiya has absolutely no type of faith in her class! She's always running to their rescue, especially if they are failing my class! I know you guys and gals will look out for each other so I don't have to worry so much about you all."
"Do you all understand that?" He poses to them with a grave expression present on his face.
"Wow Mr. Matura," Bubbles voice breaks the silence, "We didn't know you cared so much about us!"
Mr. Matura's solemn facial expression shifts to disbelief and declares, "Ah come on you all!"
"I love this class to the point that I will stick my neck out for you all if you needed me too! Besides, I wouldn't be caught dead out here in this kind of weather in a three piece suit if I didn't care about you all."
"Okay we get it…this is getting too mushy for us." Brick speaks up for the first time today as his comment causes the boys to agree with the red haired boy.
"How about we teach Ms. Omiya's class a lesson? We will wipe the floor with their behinds for the simple fact that they tried to strike fear in your hearts plus their teacher had to save them." Mr. Matura suggests to his class whose faces favor agreement with him and his statement.
"Now that's our homeroom teacher!" Buttercup abruptly proclaims after they hold a brief celebration for them to move on to the second round.
"Buttercup, do you think we need to call and check up on Blossom?" Bubbles whispers her question once she ambles closer to her sister.
"Why do you ask that all of a sudden?" She wondered why the blonde asked that question out of the blue.
Instead of a verbal response, she merely points over to where Butch, Boomer and Brick were poise when she remembers that Brick was not his usual self today.
Her light green eyes glance back over to Bubbles, who nods her head to confirm what Bubbles exactly meant.
"I'll let him talk to her once we were done here. I know Butch wouldn't like it if we made Brick felt worse then he already has." Buttercup conveys to her sin ere thoughts to her sister.
"Yeah, you're right! We will just have to wait until we get back in homeroom and call her but for now we need to rest for our next game." Bubbles admits to the reasoning of her sister.
'I wonder how Bloss is holding up at home though?' Buttercup permits her mind to think about her sister's progression of health.
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Author's Note:
04.06.17 Major editing revisions