Chapter 10: Reserve
***
Ugh! Why do I have to be here again?! I make a point of groaning loudly next to my sister, Ayumi. She sighs and rolls her eyes.
“Coach said it yesterday, it is mandatory for zeroes and ones to come to the matches. So deal with it!” she frowns and searches for the rest of the team. All I see are a bunch of girls in skirts and dresses, I feel oddly left out.
I happen to be wearing jogging pants and a thin jacket over my tank top. With all these girls, I could probably pass for a guy, especially with my hair this short.
I sigh for the ten millionth time this morning. This is going to be a long day, I can just feel it.
Ayumi finally relaxes as she spots the other regulars. She drags me along with her and I barely manage to notice that I’ve never met them.
As if she’d read my mind, Ayumi turns to me, “Ah, you’ve never met the regulars, have you?”
I shake my head and a short naïve looking blondie steps up. “Hi! I’ve heard so much about you! My name’s Kesenai Yuiki, I’m a third year, it’s nice to meet you Aka-chan!” She grins brightly and practically chokes me with a wide hug. Oh dear.
But why can I only focus on the fact that her last name literally means “cannot be erased”? I force a smile. “Nice to meet you too...”
The complete opposite of Yuiki-sempai steps forward rolling her eyes, “Ignore her. I’m Sakurai Karen; I play doubles with this idiot.” Karen, the tall, dark haired model looking person smirks at Yuiki-sempai’s pout. If I didn’t know better, I would think Karen was the sempai, but obviously that’s not the case.
“That’s not very nice Karen-san,” says a person I didn’t even know was there until she spoke. And wow, those are probably the biggest glasses I have ever seen in my entire life. “Hi, I’m Hideko Naomi; I’m in the same class with Yuiki.”
I nod with an even more forced smile. I turn to the last unknown. She doesn’t say a word; in fact she seems to be staring into space. What the actual hell?
“M-Maria-sempai?” Ayumi asks, waving a hand in front of this Maria-sempai’s face.
She turns, almost shocked, “Oh, hey Ayumi-chan, when did you get here?”
I hear a collective sigh from the other regulars. Apparently this is normal. She finally turns to me in the middle of her conversation with Ayumi. “Oh, this is must be your sister! Hi, I’m Tanaka Maria...” She trails off, making me think she has more to say, but she just smiles. Wow, and I thought I was weird.
“Nice to meet you.” I mutter mainly to myself. Coach walks up to the group carrying an ominous clipboard before I can escape to buy some juice.
“Alright, we’re registered; our first match starts in ten minutes against...” I tune out from the rest of the casual explanations. I turn to leave when my name is called.
“Akari will be our reserve.” I turn back to him just in time to meet a triumphant smirk. I swear this man just loves torturing me, doesn’t he?
He glances at the shocked faces of the regulars. “Any questions?”
“May I just ask the reasoning?” Naomi-sempai doesn’t wait for anyone to ask first. “According to my data, Akari is not near ready to be a reserve.”
I glance at her. Data? Really? “I agree.” I pipe in; I have to get my opinion in. I don’t want to play. The regulars, plus coach, frown at me. Ayumi sighs.
Finally coach sighs, “Then if you think she’s not ready, make sure to win so she doesn’t have to play.”
He waits for arguments for exactly five seconds. “Now, doubles two is up first, I expect a win.” He shoots a smirk at the team.
My anger bubbles to the surface. “I’m going to get a drink.” I mutter to no one in particular, and leave before anyone notices.
I knew this was going to be a long day. And it’s going to be even longer. Sigh!
***
I find myself wandering somewhere near the boy’s courts wondering exactly how my life ended up this way. I used to be a total showoff! The old me would’ve jumped head first at the chance of showing people exactly what I can do, heck, I would’ve begged to be in singles one. I loved the promise of a challenge.
Sighing, I frown at the sudden noise assaulting my ears; “HYOTEI! HYOTEI! HYOTEI!”
“Wow, what’s up with that?!” I mutter to myself.
A girl sighs next to me, “That is Hyotei Gakuen, they’re the number one seed.”
I nod, not really caring much. “But seriously, talk about school spirit.”
She grins, “I know right?” She holds out her hand, “I’m Ann.”
I take her hand, with a smile, “I’m Akari” I continue watching the makeshift game where it looks like one side is losing horribly.
“Well, I’m going to go now, this game’s no fun.” I turn from the match just as I assume it ended. Doubles can be a bore sometimes. Sigh.
Wandering around some more, I find myself near the familiar blue and white jackets of the Seigaku regulars. I spot Fuji-sempai by the gates and can’t help walking over there. I hope he doesn’t do that creepy smile thing again...
“Fuji-sempai!” He turns to me along with all the other members of the boy’s tennis team. I groan, not another intro fest.
“Ah, Amamiya-san.” He’s not smiling. How is that the first thing I notice?!
I turn to the match which seems to have gripped his attention again. “Uhm, is something wrong?”
He raises an eyebrow and I just now noticed that his eyes were open. His lips stretch into their familiar smile. I shake my head quickly, “Never mind.”
I turn to the match just as the dark haired chibi sends the ball at a high arc. At first it looked like it would fly straight out, but for some reason, I knew it wouldn’t. And just as I thought, it curved dramatically into a B shape.
“Wow, he’s pretty good.” I state, eyes still one the game.
“Which one?” I turn, startled to find one of the craziest people in my class grinning at me. Momoshiro Takeshi is probably the one person I would say is crazier than my sister, and that doesn’t happen often.
“Momoshiro!” I frown, since when was he on the tennis team?! I should really pay attention more often.
“I told you to call me Momo-chan, and isn’t your hair longer?” He asks, looking a bit confused. He did always hang out with Ayumi more.
I sigh and motion to the dark haired chibi on the court. “Ne, Momo...chan, who’s that?”
He barely glances at the court, “Who, Echizen?”
“AKA-CHAN!!!” The entire area seems to turn at the sound of my sister’s lovely mating call. She dashes toward me looking frantic.
I barely notice Momo-chan’s eyes widen with realization. How could he not have noticed with us being in the same class, all three of us?! Jeez!
“What’s wrong?” I frown at her, she’s rarely ever frantic; hyper, yes, but frantic? Never.
She takes a deep breath, goodness, how long did she run? “I looked everywhere for you!”
My frown deepens, “I was barely even gone ten minutes.”
Her eyes widen in disbelief, “It’s been half an hour!”
Seriously?! “Oh really, oops.”
She sighs loudly, “You’re needed on the court.”
I raise an eyebrow, “Excuse me, what?!” I take a minute to comprehend what she just said. “I have to play?!”
I pull her aside as the referee announces that dark haired chibi, Echizen won his match. “I know what you’re thinking, but I promise it’s not that bad.”
“Not that bad?!” I practically screech, “I’m pretty sure I made it perfectly clear that I did not want to be anywhere near that court, especially not on it!”
She sighs, “And I understand that, but we have no choice.”
I’m about to retaliate when I realize what she just said. “Wait, ‘we’?”
“Yea, we. Yuiki-sempai got injured so we have to play in doubles one for the semifinals.” She explains, not looking too happy about it either. “Man, I was really looking forward to singles 3!”
“Well, you’re going have to tell them I can’t do it.” Her glare comes almost immediately.
“Uh, no!” She frowns, “This is not just about you, Akari. This is doubles, and might I remind you, you don’t have a choice.”
I manage a small sigh. As much as I hate to admit it, she’s right.
“Now are you coming or not?” She asks impatiently.
I sigh again with a small groan, “Give me a minute.”
She rolls her eyes, “I already gave you fifteen, now hurry up, their match should be over by now.”
I manage a small smirk, “How nostalgic.”
“What do you mean?” she continues dragging me to the girl’s courts.
“Just that, we haven’t played doubles in years.” I mention softly. Suddenly, she stops causing me to slam into her back.
“Yea, we haven’t.” She frowns with the income of old memories. And all of a sudden I feel guilty; she loved to play doubles.
“Race you to the courts.” I murmur, hoping she wouldn’t hear me. She did.
A wide grin meets me and I roll my eyes. “I thought you’d never ask.”
I sigh again as she takes off, “I didn’t ask though.”