"Okay team remember today's mock tournament is just for practice. But, even if it is for practice give it your hundred and ten percent shot! Alright? We need to see which schools we should worry about next season. Anyways, go ahead and warm-up." Coach Reed announced.
"You nervous." Ryan nudged Lyrica on the shoulder with his shoulder.
"Nah, not at all." Lyrica replied, "We're going to do great like always anyways." She added.
"Yea, but this time we also have to play singles. Do you think you can handle it?" He asked her.
"Yea..." she said quietly.
- a few days ago at practice -
"Everyone listen up! I'm going to call your names for this weekends tournament to tell you what events you will be playing." The coach said aloud.
"I hope I get girls doubles." Lucia sighs, "I swear if he puts me in singles my legs are going to die." She added.
"C'mon you did well last year didn't you?" Lyrica joked.
"That one game? Literally my legs felt like they were on fire because that girl kept clearing that damn birdie." She whined.
"Hey but you did look kinda funny out there." Ryan laughed.
"Oh your right when she kept running back and forth because the girl kept dropping it afterwards!" Lyrica added and they both laughed together. Lyrica then looked at Lucia who clearly had an angry look on her face, "But! I'm sure your right and you'll be in doubles this year right Ryan?" Lyrica looked at him.
"Y-Yea! Lyrica is right, I'm sure after coach saw your performance out there he won't put you in singles." He agreed.
"Lucia and Keanna will be playing girls doubles." The coach said to them.
"See Lucia!" Lyrica looked at her, but this time Lucia seemed even more upset.
"Your in doubles?" Ryan mentioned to her.
"I know I am...But with Keanna of all people." Lucia shook her head.
"Oh right..." Lyrica remembered.
"What's wrong with Keanna?" Ryan whispered to Lyrica.
"Well..." Lyrica started off, "Keanna kind of has something against Lucia for some reason. She just doesn't like her, but we never knew why. When we did our warm-up run she always bumped into Lucia and never apologized, Lucia even asked to be her partner one time but she declined for no reason too." She explained to him.
"She seems friendly to me?" Ryan was confused.
"Well...That's because your Ryan." Lyrica shrugged. Everyone liked Ryan for some reason. For girls it was mainly for his looks, he was known as the eye candy of the badminton team. The flower within all the bushes in the team. Lots of girls would come to their games just for him. It annoyed Lyrica sometimes since they would get distracting, but there wasn't much she could do about it.
"Lyric and Ryan your playing mixed doubles." The coach said to them.
Lyrica gave a fist bump to Ryan, but then the coach added more to his sentence.
"You two are also going to play singles."
"What!" Lyrica exclaimed.
Everyone looked at her even the coach and she smiled nervously. She then looked at Ryan confused.
"We never play singles why are we playing singles?" She asked him.
"I don't know. I haven't played singles since sophomore year. I don't even know what he's thinking right now." Ryan said back, "Let's go and ask him after he's done."
"Alright..."
After the Coach announced all the names it was time for everyone to clean up and head back home. Lyrica and Ryan got up from the floor and walked towards Coach Reed.
"I knew you guys would ask questions." He smiled at the two of them.
"What's up with us playing singles Coach Reed? We're already playing mixed doubles and we have been for the past two years." Lyrica said in a confused tone.
"Now hold on." Coach Reed placed his clipboard into his bag, "I know you guys are mixed doubles players at heart. But, the thing is, after all the seniors left last tour I needed to fill in some gaps within the team. It's easy to find new mixed doubles players, but singles players are a bit hard to find. You two are one of the best players on this team this year. I trust you guys will do good if you change your event for next year."
"But!" Lyrica furrowed her eyebrows.
"It's only temporary." Coach Reed added, "I want to see you guys play singles first then I'll decide whether you'll be mixed doubles this year or singles." He said to them, "This school need s a championship..." Coach Reed looked at the banners on the gym wall showing all the sports that had won some sort of championship, but there was none for badminton.
"This year I think we're close." Ryan says determined, "Lyrica it won't be that bad playing singles c'mon. Like he said it'll only be temporary anyways." Ryan smiled at Lyrica.
"I guess so..." Lyrica said with a sigh.
"I'll see you both at the tournament, for now clean up and get some rest." He patted the two on the shoulder and walked over to help the team pick up the birdies from the floor.
Lyrica crossed her arms and looked at the ground. She wasn't the best singles player after what happened during freshmen year. She had lost pretty badly to a girl, Lyrica couldn't even score that match. She felt a bit unconfident having to play singles again after three years.
"Hey." Ryan poked her forehead with his finger.
"Huh..." Lyrica looked up and her eyes met Ryan's eyes.
"Calm down a bit, you'll be fine in the tournament trust me." Ryan gave her that usual reassuring smile he had always given her when she felt defeated.
"Yea...Your right." She have him a half smile.
- back to the present day -
"Lyrica help me stretch!" Lucia pulled Lyrica to her side to help her stretch down. Lucia sat on the ground and spread her legs out so she can bend forward to stretch. Lyrica helped her by pushing her back down slightly with her back leaning on hers, "So what's the Prince like?" Lucia chuckled.
"The Prince...The Prince? I'm completely done with him." Lyrica scoffed, "I told him I didn't want to see him."
"W-what!" Lucia exclaimed and got out from her stretch to turn towards Lyrica, "What do you mean you don't to see him? How are you not going to see him? That makes no sense! How can you not see the Prince?"
"I don't know. Just ignore all his calls by blocking him." She said bluntly. She then crossed her arms and gave out a big sigh, "Look I told you this before too. I'm not into this whole royalty stuff. I just want to be living the life I have been living for the past I don't know eleven years?"
"I mean...I guess it's not my choice. But, if it were I would marry him in a heartbeat. Maybe you should tell him that!" Lucia laughed.
"Yea I sure will..." Lyrica laughed with her.
"What are you guys talking about?" Ryan was hovering over them and squatted down to reach their eye level.
"Lyrica dumped the Prince." Lucia said bluntly.
"W-what!" Lyrica quickly said, "Lucia I just kindly declined his offer. We weren't even a thing."
"Whatever you say..." Lucia snickered.
"So your not going to go with him to Valentino or anything? Are you sure you can cut him off that easily?" Ryan felt a bit concerned for Lyrica.
"I mean...If I avoid them like those telemarketers it should work right?" Lyrica said nervously.
"That—" Ryan then got interrupted by their Coach.
"Ryan and Lyrica your up for doubles c'mon." He said to them.
Ryan got up first then helped Lyrica get up by extending his hand towards her and she grasped it so her can pull her up from the ground.
"You ready?" Ryan asked as he twirled his racquet around his hand.
"Of course I am." Lyrica said with a confident smile.
"You guys got this! I'll head over there after I get some water." Lucia said to them as she watched them walk away.
- outside the building -
"This is stupid." Cassien crossed his arms, "Hey are we wearing these odd outfits."
Cassien and Jeremiah were outisde the school building where the badminton tournament was happening. Jeremiah researched what teenagers wore and noticed they liked to wear vintage items from past decades. So inspired by the 90s Jeremiah got Cassien a big blue windbreaker, a white t-shirt, and baggy pants. Jeremiah was also wearing a windbreaker, slightly baggy pants, but a black shirt.
"Your highness...You need to apologize to her. You crossed the line when you told her that yesterday."
"But she was being so stubborn!" Cassien said, "I mean anyone would want to marry the Prince, but I get the one girl in the entire world who doesn't. What are the odds of that happening." He shook his head, "It's ridiculous."
"What's ridiculous your highness" Jeremiah stopped walking and Cassien turned around to look at him, "Is that you disrespected the Castillo household. You can't use her father's name like that. No wonder she was so upset." Jeremiah told him, "Now..." Jeremiah said with a stern voice, "You need to go inside and apologize to her right now. If the Emperor and Empress were to find out about this incident—"
"Yea okay fine!" Cassien raised his hands to tell him to stop, "I'll go and say sorry."
"Great! Remember what I told you too about asking her out for dinner as an apology. Hopefully then you'll have a better shot than last time at asking where to escort you at your Debutante."
"Yea, yea, I get it. Whatever let's just get this over with." Cassien sighed. Jeremiah opened the door and allowed Cassien to go in first. Inside there was a girl with tickets and she looked up at them confused.
"Uh...You guys want to watch today's badminton tournament?" She said to the two of them.
"U-uh yea." Cassien said, "Do we just go right through?"
"Sir you need to buy some tickets." She pointed at the tickets on the table, "They're twenty dollars each."
"T-Twenty! Lower down the price a bit, don't you—" Jeremiah quickly covered his mouth smiled at the girl and kindly paid the fourty dollars for the two of them.
"Thank you!" She smiled brightly and handed them there tickets.
"Where is Logan high school?" Jeremiah asked.
"They should be up there." She pointed at the bleachers inside the gym.
"Okay thank you." Jeremiah smiled and dragged Cassien to the staircase. Cassien removed Jeremiah's hand from his mouth and furrowed his eyebrows, "You almost blew your cover your highness. Are you okay? Your a bit more angry than usual."
"Me? I'm fine." He said with a sigh, "I just want to get this over with." He grunted.
They walked all the way upstairs and a couple of teenagers passed them with their racquets. They looked around and saw the team for Logan High School and went towards them. Cassien went towards Coach Reed since he seemed like the person in charge and tapped him on the shoulder. Coach Reed was a small guy, only around five three so when he turned around to see a five nine Cassien his head turned all the way up.
"Uh..." He scanned their outfits and was confused as to why they were wearing something so outdated, "Do you guys need help? I think the audience is down there."
"We're here looking for Lyrica Park." Cassien said, "Can you tell us where she is."
"Lyrica?" Coach Reed questioned and took a closer look at them.
Lucia overheard the conversation and got up from the bleacher to talk to them.
"What's going on?" Lucia looked at Coach Reed then looked at the guys standing in front of them. It hit her once she saw their figures, "Y-You!"
"Shh!" Cassien quickly said and pressed his finger to his lips.
"Who are they?" Coach Reed asked Lucia.
Lucia whispered to the Coach's ear who they were and he crinkled his eyebrows at them.
"You guys shouldn't be here. I'm going to have to ask you two to leave." Coach Reed said to them quickly.
"W-What why!" Cassien slightly raised his voice and Jeremiah placed his hand on his shoulder firmly.
"You have been distracting Lyrica." The Coach pointed to Cassien, "During practice she told me what had happened through the week and why it made her play a bit worse than usual. I can't have you distracting her right now."
"He's not wrong." Lucia nodded her head, "I had to listen to her go on about how she didn't want to be a royal. Don't you guys take no for an answer?"
"W-Well...It isn't that easy." Cassien sighed out, "Look it would be hard for you guys to understand."
"What I understand is that you haven't been taking in how she feels about this situation. I get you guys have some sort of rule or something for an arranged marriage, but Lyrica...She doesn't want that life. So just turn around and go." Lucia said bluntly, "I don't want to see my friend hurt again."
"I..." Cassien said with defeat, "I just wanted to apologize to her. I messed things up yesterday, which is why we're here. So please.." he said desperately, "Just let me see her."
Coach Reed looked at him and sighed out, "Fine, Lucia." He turned to her, "Watch them carefully. Lyrica and Ryan are at the old gym."
"Alright, c'mon fellas follow me. I'll be your tour guide at this school." Lucia walked passed them and the two men followed her downstairs. She opened the door to reveal the outside and next to the new gym was the older smaller gym, "So what's up with your outfits. Did you guys watch Back to the Future recently or something."
"Jeremiah said this is the trend people in the States wear." Cassien said and turned around at Jeremiah who was nodding his head.
"Yea sure...Maybe in the 80s..." She said the last part quietly. She opened the door to the old gym and once you opened it all you can hear were the sounds of the birdie being hit and the squeaky sounds of the players shoes.
Cassien looked inside and there were only six courts in total. He could quickly spot Lyrica at the last court as she was hitting the birdie back and forth to the opposing side.
"Hey you." Lucia asked the person at the table, "How's court seven doing." This was the court Lyrica and Ryan were at.
"I think they're losing, they're on the second set. Plus, they're versing Mission."
"Dammit." Lucia exhaled, "Well I guess they'll be only playing one match of doubles."
"Why is playing Mission bad?" Jeremiah asked.
"That team is filled with experience players. It's almost unfair because they're literally on a whole other league than the rest of the schools here. Those players have been training for years, while most of us the most we've played were like four years." Lucia explained to him, "This was and probably will a quick match..." she sighed out.
Cassien crossed his arms and watched as Lyrica was playing. She was fast, but she started slowing down later on the game. There were shots that she completely missed or some shots that went out of bounds because they came at her too quick. He looked over at Ryan too and he was sweating like crazy. After a few more times of going back and forth the match ended. Lyrica was breathing heavily, but still had the energy to shake her opponents hand and she gave a fist bump to Ryan, though it wasn't as energetic as it was at the beginning.
"We tried our best it's okay." Ryan patted her back, "It's Mission...What can we do about it."
"But we were so close!" Lyrica cried out, "I just need to get stronger."
"Hey don't overkill." He said to her sternly.
"Yea I know, c'mon let's head out. We're going to do singles since we're done with this for the rest of the day." Lyrica grabbed her water bottle from the ground and she walked towards the exit of the gym when she saw Lucia.
"You guys did your best. What was the score?" Lucia asked.
"The final set was nineteen to twenty-one." Lyrica then looked over Lucia's shoulder and saw Cassien and Jeremiah standing behind her, "No..." she quickly gripped her racquet tighter and furrowed her eyebrows. She walked passed Lucia and looked straight at Cassien.
"How the hell did you know I was here." She demanded.
"I have my resources...Your Principal." Cassien replied and noticed she has an upset look.
"Ugh...Just get out of my sight, I'm busy right now." She walked pass him until he grabbed her wrist.
"Wait a minute—"
"Can't you get a clue!" She smacked his hand away and turned around, "I told you already—"
"I'm sorry." Cassien quickly said to her. He looked away and scratched the back of his head.
Lyrica was a bit taken aback by his attitude because she never expected him to apologize to her. She thought he would've just left it as it is.
"Can we talk outside?" He asked.
"I..." she didn't know what to say.
"Lyrica just go." Ryan stood next to Cassien and extended his hand towards Lyrica, "I'll put your stuff at the gym and I'll call you when your up." He reassured her.
"Okay..." she silently said and handed her items to him. Lyrica and Cassien walked outisde side by side and found a corner where they could talk alone. Lyrica avoided Cassien's eyes and instead looked over to the left side.
"I didn't mean what I said the other day." He looked at her even though she didn't look back, "I was just frustrated...I definitely crossed the line mentioning...Your father yesterday. I truly didn't mean it. To make it up to you..." he looked over to the side, "I reserved a place at this French restaurant in the city. It'll be after your school ends on Monday."
"A French restaurant?" Lyrica's eyes widened. She really liked French cuisine, but it was hard to find unless you went to an expensive one. Then, it suddenly hit her...Should she have really forgiven him this easily. She then crossed her arms and looked at him, "I-I don't know if this is right."
"It's the least I could do after troubling you this whole week. I'm serious. Im not going to try to convince you to go to Valentino either. I'll make it clear to my parents when I fly back home. Just let me repay you for happened with the paparazzi and what happened at the mall."
Lyrica gave herself a few seconds to think before she answered him.
I mean it wouldn't hurt if he's insisting...I'll just say yes.
"C'mon think about it. You and me at a restaurant, and get this it's actually in the ocean." Cassien added.
"Okay." She answered, then she crinkled her eyebrows again, "Wait in the ocean?" She said in disbelief.
"Mhm." He nodded his head proudly, "It's a restaurant in a private boat that sails just a bit off the coast. " he boasted, "Oh but we also need to—"
"Lyrica!" Ryan walked towards them and interrupted, "Your in the main gym for your first match."
"Really?" Lyrica started to get nervous, "Who am I against?"
"It's...It's going to be Mission again." Ryan broke the news to her.
"Again...I have to play that damn school again." She said furiously, "C-Crap I'm not even ready, I don't know if I can do this." She started to freak out.
"Hey!" Ryan places his hands on her cheeks and squished them, "You got this!" He said to her, "Whatever happen will happen. Just like coach said give it more than your hundred percent shot." He let go of her cheeks pushed her towards the gym, "You better run!"
"A-Alright!" She held her fist in the air, "I got this!"
No I don't, I don't got this at all.
Ryan smiled and looked to the side. Cassien looked a bit irritated at him.
"I don't think we've properly introduced ourselves, I'm Ryan." He extended his hand out.
"Right, I'm sure you know me be now." Cassien changed his irritated face into a kind one by smiling gently at Ryan. He gripped his hand to shake it and quickly let go.
"You want to watch her match?" Ryan asked, "Shes playing in the main gym."
"Yea why not. I cleared most of my schedule today so I might as well." Cassien agreed.
They both walked together to the main gym and Ryan led Cassien back upstairs where Jeremiah and Lucia were. Lucia waved her hand to signal them to walk to them. Cassien looked at the bottom and spotted Lyrica playing her match in one of the middle courts.
"How is she holding up?" Ryan asked Lucia.
"She's doing good so far...But, I think she's getting tired out. It seems like that girl from Mission kind of found her weakness."
"As long as she gives it her best shot I told her, she will be fine." Ryan places his elbows on the ledge and looked down to watch her match.
"Ugh!" Lyrica groaned. She has been rallying against this girl for only fifteen minutes and she was getting tired. In the beginning she was doing fine, but her opponent started to clear the birdie very far. Lyrica was quite the small girl, she was only around five three, so it was harder for her to move to the back of the court.
"Your highness, your next schedule is going to start in an hour. I think we should start heading back."
"Let's stay for this match." He told Jeremiah.
Ryan overheard that and was a bit surprised he wanted to stay back and watch Lyrica.
"You know I feel like she's been doing pretty bad in badminton because of what has been going on." Ryan said to Cassien.
Cassien looked to Ryan who was on his right side and furrowed his eyebrows.
"What do you mean by that?" Cassien questioned.
Ryan kept his eyes on Lyrica while he talked to Cassien, "I mean in honesty your apology doesn't make up for what happened this whole week. All the stress you gave her, can't be gone because of whatever you planned."
"Look, this isn't even your conversation to be apart of—" Cassien started but Ryan looked at him with a stiff look.
"It is, because I care about Lyrica a lot. For me to see her like this really annoys me you know." Ryan bluntly said.
"Tch, is that all you wanted to say to me?" Cassien smirked.
There's no way this guy...
"Or are you a bit jealous?" Cassien could see right through Ryan's words when he told him he cared about Lyrica, he knew exactly what he was saying even though he wouldn't admit it.
"W-What! I'm not." Ryan said firmly and looked away to hide his red face, "I just hope that after today you'll be done with her. I don't want to see her getting hurt again. Not like last time..." he silently said.
Cassien's eyebrow raised when he heard the last part of what Ryan said.
Again? What does he mean by that.
"Alright." Cassien looked down and saw the birdie go straight at Lyrica's eye. She fell backward and covered the eye that got hit. He quickly furrowed his eyebrows and gripped the ledge.
"Your highness are you alright?" Jeremiah asked.
"Isn't that illegal! Shouldn't they get points deducted!" Cassien told him.
"It's fine." Ryan responded, "Look." He pointed at Lyrica, "She's getting up. She's a strong girl you know."
Lyrica got up from the ground and he opponent quickly rushed to her aide.
"I'm so sorry! Are you okay! I didn't not mean to hit you in the eye like that...Oh my gosh." Her opponent said apologetically.
"It's fine, it was an accident." Lyrica smiled and she slowly opened the eye that got hit, "It's not black is it?"
"N-No! It's a bit red, but it's seems like it's fine." Her opponent answered.
"Okay, lets continue then." Lyrica said determined.
- 1 hour later -
"Ugh seriously, I almost won this one too." Lyrica sighed out to her coach.
"It was amazing you were able to get to the quarter finals. We were even surprised you made it passed your first round." Coach Reed said to her.
"Yea honestly I'm surprised too, especially after that girl hit my right eye. But, it was an accident at least I'm glad she didn't do it on purpose..." Lyrica headed upstairs with her Coach and noticed it was only Ryan and Lucia waiting for her.
"You did great!" Lucia cheered, "I mean sure you didn't get to the semi finals, but the quarter finals are just a a great!"
"Yea thanks..." Lyrica looked over Lucia but didn't see any signs of the Prince or Jeremiah anywhere.
"He left." Ryan told her.
"He did?" Lyrica kept looking around.
"Yea, him and his servant left around forty five minutes ago during your second match. They said he had somewhere to be." He explained to her.
"He's not his servant." Lyrica laughed, "It's his secretary or something." Lyrica walked over to her bag and noticed she had some missed calls. She opened her phone to check her voicemail. The Prince had left her a short message.
It's me, call me once you lose.
"What the!" She crinkled her eyebrows, she quickly called the number and waited until they picked up.
"Hello?" Cassien answered.
"Until I lose huh?" Lyrica said to him.
"Oh so did you lose just now? Sorry I left I had to—"
"You didn't want to say good effort or anything." Lyrica said in an annoyed tone.
"Sure, good effort." He said in a monotone voice.
Lyrica rolled her eyebrows, "What is it anyways?"
"I was going to tell you we'll pick you up in front of your school on Monday. Did you let your aunt know about it yet?"
"My aunt...I'll tell her soon trust me." Lyrica sighed.
She won't be happy to hear where I'm going, she won't even be happy it's him I'm going with.
"Just tell her soon." Cassien tells her, "I got to go to a meeting now. So I'll see you then." He hanged up before she could say goodbye and she just stood there.
How am I going to bring this up to Aunt Mei...