Instant fame.

 From being the most inconspicuous member of the populace, she had risen to the ranks of the school’s ace basketball player. Hell, she wouldn’t be surprised if that blockhead was the school’s ace basketball player…what with that height and all those concubines…

 She grimaced, wiping the tears of anger away.

 She was popular now alright…And she was totally unhappy with that.

 Thinking that she must be one spunky chick, boys have been hitting on her for the past few days. The fools…While girls have labeled her public enemy number one. Those flirts…

 They could have Mr. Blockhead’s hide for all she cared. They certainly deserved each other.

 She blew her nose angrily. The warning bell to first period rang and she felt her stomach lurch.

 Fate must’ve been punishing her for all the scheming that she did in the past. Because her most hated person, the one whom she least wanted to see after that absolutely mortifying ordeal, turned out to be her classmate. What irony…

 She growled.

 And every time she saw him... She wanted to strangle him. She wanted to beat him up to a pulp. She wanted to tear out his dull eyes from their sockets. She wanted to crawl out of her skin. She wanted the earth to swallow her up…Of course, all in no particular order.

 She stared one last time at the girl’s bathroom mirror to check if everything is in place before packing away her things.

 She was already here. It was her own decision that got her into this mess. And whether good or bad, she was going to stick to it. On second thought…

 The moment she entered the classroom, rabid fan girls surrounded her. She stared at them grimly. So what’s new?

 ‘Hohum…This scene is getting so classic…’ she thought, acidly.

 The leader of the pack, the one called Mizuki Yanagi, Ru from the Rukawa Brigade and the principal’s daughter, growled. “I wouldn’t be looking so bored like that if I were you.”

 The girl with the wavy brown hair raised an eyebrow. What was this girl talking about? “Then, I wouldn’t be standing there like an idiot coz you’re the one boring me,” she said pointedly, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

 Mizuki’s overly done face wrinkled in a frown. “And who gave you permission to talk back?!”

 “And who gave you permission to look human?”

 Collective gasps from her minions can be heard as Mizuki clenched her fist at her sides. ‘The nerve of this girl…’ she thought, seething.

 “Look who’s talking,” she spat back, sizing up the brown-eyed girl in front her. She haughtily eyed the girl up and down…her dorky galsses…her threadbare uniform…her meager belongings. What was she so proud of anyway? “You don’t stand a chance against me so stay away from him.”

 Here we go again…

 The brown-eyed girl smirked. “Well, if I remember correctly, it was I who told him to stay away from me. I think you’ve got it the other way around.”

 Mizuki’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t get all smart on me, bitch.”

 ‘Bitch?!’ the girl thought, her brown eyes flashing. “Just take a look at yourself before you call me a bitch. You whore.”

 Mizuki gritted her teeth. “Be careful with whom you’re talking to, smarty pants. I could get you kicked out of this school just like that,” she said, snapping her fingers.

 The brown-eyed girl merely raised an eyebrow. “I’d like to see you try.”

 “Oh, if you dare make another move on him…I won’t just try. I’d certainly do it!”

 The girl shook her head in exasperation and disbelief. “All this for a good-for-nothing guy…What lowbrows,” she said in a stage whisper.

 ‘Good-for-nothing?!’ Mizuki thought, outraged. “He’s far from being good-for-nothing, wench.” She stared up dreamily at the ceiling. “He’s handsome, drop-dead gorgeous, sexy, talented. Not to mention, filthy rich…We’re just so perfect for each other, aren’t we?” Behind her, Mizuki’s minions nodded for emphasis. “You on the other hand…” She looked down on the girl from the corner of her eyes, shaking her head in disgust.

 The girl smirked. “Oh, you’re certainly perfect for each other…You’re both deranged.”

 “Is that so?” Mizuki leered at the girl. “I think you’re just jealous coz you’ll never have someone like him.” She gestured towards her. “I mean look at you…You look so poor…whereas-”

 The girl smiled innocently. ‘What was wrong with keeping a low profile?’ she thought, her eyebrows twitching. “So what if I’m poor.” She mentally shook her head. Boy, if this girl only knew… “And who said I’m after someone like him. I’d prefer any other sleaze-bag than him any day.”

 Mizuki’s patience snapped. “Stop insulting Rukawa-kun!” She shoved the girl roughly. “You don’t belong here with us.” She gave another push. “You’re pathetic! You’re stupid! You’re a dork! You’re ugly!” she trumpeted.

 Ugly?! The girl opened her mouth to let out an angry retort but the last push Mizuki gave her made her loose her balance, sending her tumbling backwards towards the door. She braced herself, her butt in particular, for the rough landing.

 But it didn’t come.

 Instead, she felt her back hit a brick wall and strong hands encircled her shoulders, steadying her. In front of her, Mizuki and her minion’s eyes turned into hearts and a dreamy sigh escaped from their lips.

 “So what? You have a problem with that?” came the deep voice behind her. The rabid fan girls instantly dispersed, scrambling back to their respective seats.

 Confusion marred her brown eyes. Was it the teacher? Oh, boy! She’d get into trouble again if he heard that argument they were just having!

 “Sensei -!” she exclaimed, whirling around abruptly, her mind working in overdrive for all kinds of valid excuses-

 “Hey.”

 Her jaw dropped. Oh, it was just him…She sighed, almost laughing with relief. She thought it was-Wait!

 Her eyes narrowed. It was him.

 The tall lumbering blockhead… The one who embarrassed her in front of the whole school… He was staring down at her with those dull expressionless eyes, with no hints of emotion whatsoever. She moved in closer, glowering, in an attempt to intimidate the enemy. But he remained there, emotionless as an ice cube.

 Section 1 Class 10 of Shohoku stared nervously as their two classmates engaged in a heated staring match, invisible sparks practically flying all over the place.

 An exceptionally brave member of the class slowly stood up and approached them. “Anou…” came his trembling voice in an attempt to break them up.

 “Shut up!” his two towering classmates snapped in unison, not breaking their eye contact.

 With over 10 years of practice, Kaede had now mastered the perfect deadpan look. And obviously his opponent here, had not. He watched with amusement as the girl’s eyes and lips twitched, betraying the fact that she was losing her cool. This was too easy…

 “Look here, you…” she said, gritting her teeth, finally giving up the silent match. “If you think - !”

 “Don’t let them get to you.”

 “W-What?” she stammered, hearing but not understanding.

 “You heard me.” He lifted his hand. She winced, thinking that he might want revenge and strike her.

 Kaede frowned. Hitting girls was way below him... He tentatively placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “I think you dropped this…” he said expectantly, glancing down at the neat print in front of her book. “…Ms. Akagi.”

 “Oh,” she said, the angry retorts completely dying out in her throat. She watched dumbly as he offered back her chemistry textbook. “Yeah, that’s mine,” was all she can utter, as she took the book from his hand. Whatever happened to that fighting spirit awhile ago, huh?

 “Sorry.”

 She sent him a puzzled look.

 “For the other day at the cafeteria.”

 Oh, that…

 ‘Oh THAT!’ she remembered, her brown eyes suddenly blazing as the anger all came back in a rush. She was never going to forgive him for that. It was simply the most mortifying, humiliating, degrading, embarrassing, and demeaning moment of her entire life. And he thought his measly little ‘sorry’ was going to compensate for that?!

 She stared up at him. Oh, he was gravely mistaken…One of these days she was going to-

 “You can close your mouth now,” he said flatly, giving her a sideways glance.

 With her thoughts interrupted, her eyebrows knotted in a frown. Close my mouth…? What’s he-

 “Gaping doesn’t suit you.”

 Kaede had to bite down the inside of his cheeks to keep his face straight the moment he saw her snap her mouth shut and that brilliant red blush spread across cheeks. Caught on the spot. That would be a point for me…

 ‘Why, this creep…’ she thought, scandalized. She was certainly not gaping at him. The nerve of this jerk! “I told you to stay away from me, didn’t I?”

 “You bumped into me.”

 “Jerk.”

 “Do aho.”

 This time their staring match didn’t last long. He averted his gaze quickly away before sauntering off to his seat to doze.

 “Hey, come back here you - !” she called back at him. Her voice died out when she realized that her efforts were futile as the object of her rage slumped against his seat, fast asleep. Mr. Blockhead was, after all, a blockhead…

 Oh, well… She’ll let him off the hook this time… She smiled wistfully when she remembered how he silenced those raving lunatics awhile ago…Well, he should’ve…They were his fan girls after all…The conversation played back in her mind…

            “You’re pathetic! You’re stupid! You’re a dork! You’re ugly!” exclaimed Mizuki, pushing her roughly.

 “So what? You have a problem with that?” he said, coming up behind her.

 Then it struck her, her smile dying out instantly.

‘Hey! Wait! Wait! Wait!’ she mentally fumed, her eyes narrowing. The jerk came to her rescue alright…But after he actually admitted that she was…pathetic, stupid, a dork, and…ugly – just as that bitch Mizuki had said.

The brown-eyed girl gritted her teeth. ‘There were really not much differences between the idol and the fans after all…’ she thought angrily as she stomped over to her seat two rows ahead of his when the teacher arrived.

But before the teacher started the day’s lesson, she looked back and sent him a murderous look. This time, the blockhead wasn’t asleep, but merely looking away innocently.

She seethed. Oh, this was definitely war…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Even though it was an hour early before try-outs for the swimming team that afternoon, she sat there by the poolside, her eyebrows knotted in concentration as she planned the perfect revenge for Mr. Blockhead.

She tried to think back to the time she used her most formidable scheme, sending the enemy in a twitching heap to the hospital. Oh, she loved that one…If only she could sneak something into Mr. Blockhead’s lunch…

“So there you are, you ugly bitch!”

Upon hearing that high-pitched voice, the brown-eyed girl whirled around. “Why are you here?” she asked Mizuki pointedly. “Don’t tell me you’re with the swimming team.” Her eyebrows knotted in a frown. “I’m sure you’ll multiply if you get wet.”

Mizuki’s eyebrows twitched. This girl was really annoying…

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” she said, sarcastically. “I’m with the basketball team. With him,” she purred.

“It figures,” the girl, shrugged indifferently. “Birds of the same feather flock together.”

Mizuki gritted her teeth. Enough was enough.

“Look here, bitch,” she said, her sapphire eyes flashing dangerously. “We’re definitely not through yet. You just got lucky he arrived in the nick of time to save your ass.”

“Yeah, whatever,” said the girl, waving her hand.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you, you worthless trash!” Mizuki exclaimed, grabbing the girl’s shoulder.

“Not when you’re spit’s flying around, you pig!” she retorted back, slapping her hand away.

“Why you!” came an enraged Mizuki as her anger completely blew over the top. With all her might, she pushed the brown-eyed girl into the 20-feet deep pool.

Everyone turned to them as the girl with the wavy brown hair hit the middle of the pool with a gigantic splash. She surfaced in a few seconds, her eyes blazing with fury.

“Serves you right!” Mizuki called out, with a high-pitched laugh as she started sauntering off to the nearby basketball court.

“Come back here, you - !” the wet girl called out as she started wading towards the poolside to catch her breath. But the sudden jolt of pain in her leg muscles made her stop in mid-sentence. Then there was nothing…The feeling in her legs had completely disappeared.

Reality struck her as she began to sink rapidly. Her legs had cramped up.

She couldn’t swim.

She thrashed around wildly, trying to fight the unseen force trying to pull her down. The few people at the poolside at that time could do nothing but stare. When they realized that the girl was in trouble they scrambled to their feet, calling out for help.

‘Please… someone,’ she mentally called out. She held her breath as the surface disappeared from view. It was no use struggling. The lower part of her body now felt like lead. Her lungs were bursting with pain as the water engulfed her.

She didn’t know how long the painstaking journey down took…Maybe a minute…Or more…Time seemed to stop.

Reaching the bottom, she released one final breath.

‘Mom, Dad, I’m sorry…’ she thought regretfully before slipping into unconsciousness.

And it was then that the dreams began.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Just stay away from me.”

 Her voice reverberated over and over in his mind. ‘Who does she think she is?’ Kaede thought angrily underneath the suave exterior. She should’ve been thankful he even bothered to say sorry for what had happened… when everything was her fault.

 He couldn’t seem to stop thinking about that girl with the wavy brown hair and warm coffee-colored eyes. She’d looked terribly familiar, like he’d already seen her some place or some time long ago…But when and where, he could not remember…

 ‘Get it over with will you?’ he scolded himself silently.

 Before shutting his locker, he smirked at yet another of the many copies he had of his future bride’s picture. Unlike the framed one he had at home, this one now hung on his locker door where he was sure to see it when he felt like bashing someone.

 “I actually found someone more troublesome than you,” he grudgingly said to the violet-eyed girl in the photo.

 The girl gave him an innocent smile.

 He sighed. ‘What were you expecting? Fool.’ he thought as he shut the locker with a loud bang. Talking to inanimate objects, particularly to violet-eyed girls in photographs, was way out of his league. Maybe he needed to have his sanity checked…

 He tried counting the number of times he’d unconsciously done what he just did during the past few days…And the overwhelming number shocked him. Was Kaede Rukawa losing it?

 No. Way.

 He certainly could not and would not lose it at a time like this. Important games were coming up and the team needed him in perfect physical and mental state.

 Besides, he thought, eyes flashing with determination, he could not admit defeat to a mere image of his soon-to-be mortal enemy. He’d have to be on his guard for their ultimate face off… His future depended on it... His life depended on it! He didn’t want to be tied down in bed like some hen-pecked husband…which, he was sure, what he’ll become once he married that bossy, haughty, and overbearing girl his parents had chosen for him. 

 He shuddered, remembering the horrifying encounters he had with her when they were just mere kids. Of course, he still had to remember others, but the few initial ones he had dreamt of was enough to give him the creeps.

 The entrance to the basketball court came into view and high-pitched laughter can be heard from within.

 He groaned.

 The Inter High games committee had recently included a female chapter in the tournament, thus, requiring all high schools to form female basketball teams. It had been a fair move from the committee and had been a long awaited one at that. And it only showed that high school basketball wasn’t just for men. But then…

 He cringed when the frenzied irritating laughter grew louder.

 Shohoku try-outs had started two days ago and will be ending a week from now. And within that short period of two days, the peaceful, serene basketball court, which he had considered holy, was turned upside-down.

 The place had been a henhouse…what with squealing girls running around freely.

 The bottom of his stomach dropped.

 And to make matters worse…some of his obsessed fan girls were able to make the cut.

 He cursed out loud, not bothering anymore who heard him…That gave them official business to be in the place…to be near him…to bug him whenever they pleased.

 He gnashed his teeth together.

 But that was only half the story…Anzai sensei, also assigned as the female team’s coach, had come up with another one of his brilliant ideas which will train the new members and will also make use of the male basketball team’s talents…

 This thing was called the Buddy-Building crap where each male member was required to recruit one female member. Then he and this recruit will be paired off throughout the school year to study the basics and advanced techniques of the game. If a male member didn’t have a recruit he’d be forced to choose among those who were able to make the cut.

 And Kaede Rukawa absolutely refused to choose among those who were able to make the cut…Because they were composed mainly of lustful fan girls…This was one of those instances where he felt cornered and trapped…

 And he definitely hated it.

 He was about to comment out loud on how his world was coming to a bitter end when he heard some people not far from the pool frantically scream for help.

 “Help!!!”

 “Please someone save her!”

 Breaking into a run, he made his way to the poolside. By now, a small number of people had gathered around the huge body of water, watching in horror as the girl in the middle of the deep part struggled to keep herself afloat.

 Some brave souls had also arrived at the scene, frantically throwing off their shoes and clothes, in preparation for the jump.

 Arriving just as he had and seeing the girl’s head sink beneath the surface, Kaede’s mind worked in overdrive. Without second thought, fully-clothed, shoes and all, he jumped into the water.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She didn’t know where she was…

Maybe in this place between the conscious and subconscious where everything seemed to come in subtle but overwhelming sensations. Thunder and lightning seemed to clash inside her head as memories flashed in her mind…

The happy couple and their hearty laughter…Mother, Father.

The overwhelming applause and those smiling faces…Friends and family.

A blinding flash of lightning stroke and everything crumbled.

The once happy couple was now bickering, their relationship, on the rocks… ‘Mother, Father, stop it!’

Then there stood another couple, their faces smiling, their hands outstretched “Come with us child. Be part of our family.” they seemed to be saying. She remembered them. Uncle Kazuma and Aunt Sakura… ‘No, I don’t want to come with you!’

 Then there stood a tall young man in a tuxedo, his face hidden in the shadows. “You will be mine,” he whispered in his cold arrogant voice… ‘No! Leave me alone!’

 It was too much. The sensations…the memories…they were just too confusing …too overpowering.

 She curled up in a tight ball. Please…just go away…

 Maybe this was the end…They said it was like this when one was about to die…

 “Marina!” a familiar voice called out. Despite her confused state of mind she looked up to see who it was.

 She was surprised to see that it was him… The little boy from her childhood.

 Worry-filled lines marred his round youthful face as he came running towards her, hands outstretched. His deep blue eyes were glassy with unshed tears and his soft raven locks billowed in the wind.

 Could it be…

 “Marina!” he called out once again, reaching out to her with all his might. “Please don’t give up!”

 She was trying to remember him…his big blue expressive eyes having the exact same color as the deep troubled seas…his sometimes gruff but sometimes gentle voice…his brotherly care for her…the sound of his melodious laughter…

 Something inside her snapped when everything fell into place.

 The bright light exploded, almost blinding her, when she remembered who he was… The cowardly boy who remained nice despite her bullying…The one who always cheered her up when she was lonely… Her partner in crime… Her first true friend…

 Her lips formed his name, the sound creating a warm feeling around her cold troubled heart.

 “Kaede.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 ‘Please, don’t let it be too late…’ he silently prayed to any almighty power listening at the moment, as he swiftly stroked through the murky waters of the pool.

 His muscles cried out with pain, his eyes stung with the harsh chemicals, and his lungs felt like bursting as they craved for a fresh breath of air. Adrenaline pumped into his veins as he dove deeper. His clothes and shoes weighed like a ton as he struggled to maneuver himself amidst the cold silent vastness.

 Ignoring everything else, he swept his eyes over the misty expanse of the pool, intent on finding the small fragile figure.

 “Kaede,” a gentle voice seemed to whisper in his ear.

He whirled around and dove deeper…And there she was at the very bottom, lying still, her face calm as death.

He grabbed her small lifeless body and pinned her against him as he started their ascend. ‘Hang on…We’re almost there…’

 Everyone cried out in relief as the basketball star and the young woman surfaced with a big splash. Other students swam towards the middle of the pool to assist the couple as they waded towards shallow waters.

 The afternoon sun momentarily blinded Kaede as he hoisted the girl and himself up by the poolside. He took a big gulp of air and almost sighed with relief had he not seen her cold ashen face.

 She lay there, pale and unyielding, her usual flushed color now gone. He felt a vise-like grip squeeze his heart. He stared momentarily in shock, his mind unable to register what had happened to his previously spirited and brazen companion.

 No, it can’t be… she can’t be…

 “Quick! We need to revive her!” came a voice whom he recognized as Mito, one of Sakuragi’s friends.

 Snapping out of his trance, he quickly initiated CPR, thankful that he had paid close attention to first aid in junior high. After listening for any signs of a heartbeat, but found none, he pressed his lips tightly and securely against her open mouth and gave out one full breath while Mito pressed several times against her heart.

 ‘Please…you can do it…c’mon,’ he mentally encouraged her, repeating the process several times.

 Until finally, giving her a fifth mouthful of his breath, she sighed against his lips. She quickly tipped over to the side and coughed out the water in her lungs.

 Seeing the girl was now able to breath on her own, everyone gave out a thankful sigh of relief and cheered on for the heroes.

 Ignoring the noise around him, Kaede helped the girl up to a sitting position so that she could breath properly. She opened her eyes tentatively against the afternoon sun. Her brown orbs seemed bewildered like that of a child seeing the world for the first time.

 Kaede felt the slight traces of a smile tug at the corner of his lips. The relief was just so overwhelming as she tentatively reached out to touch his cheek. And it was then that he noticed the hot tears coursing down the side of her face.

 The young man held the precious burden against him as her shoulders shook with quiet sobs. Unmindful of the people around them, the girl cried tears of gratitude and buried her face against her savior’s chest, her small hands fisting tightly against his cool damp shirt.

 “Thank you.”

To be continued…