Forbidden Protege

Ch. 4: Friend and Foe (Part 3)

"So you all are having a shopping trip on our day off?" Alexia asked as she slid into her seat. Miyuki lifted his head from a book, a scorebook, and turned to look at her.

"What are you talking about?" He blinked at her. Kuramochi made his way over to them and leaned against the wall between their desks.

"Ryosuke told me that you two and he and Haruichi are all going out shopping tomorrow during our off day. Planning to get your hair done?" Alexia elaborated, a teasing tone to her voice.

Kuramochi snorted. "As if. Haruichi wants to go a buy a new bat, since his is about to break, and he asked Ryosuke to go along. I need to buy some new shirts. I don't know why he's coming." Kuramochi jerked his thumb towards Miyuki, who had gone back to the scorebook.

He didn't bother to look back at them. "I need some new batting gloves."

Alexia nodded. "So you all decided to just go together. Still a surprising group. And I didn't take Ryosuke for a doting brother."

"He's not. He originally turned Haruichi down then changed his mind," Kuramochi explained. Alexia hummed in response.

"Why did Ryosuke tell you this?" Miyuki asked, eyes still locked on the scorebook.

Alexia felt red creep up her neck. "W-well, I kind of cussed him out so he's making me come along to carry his stuff." She scratched the back of her neck and it was silent for a solid five seconds.

"You what?" Kuramochi blinked at her.

Miyuki turned his head to look at her. "Are you serious?"

"Yes I did cuss him out," Alexia sighed in defeat. "But it was his fault for being an asshole."

"What did he do?" Kuramochi asked, amused and horrified all at once.

Alexia grumbled. She really didn't want to tell these two. Miyuki turned farther towards her. "What exactly caused you to cuss out the one guy you don't want to mess with?" His brows were together even as his voice was teasing.

She took a deep breath. "I was talking to him, Tanba, Jun, and Tetsu as I was walking backwards and Ryosuke let me run into a bench and I fell over it." Silence again.

Then obnoxious laughter from both of the guys. The sudden outburst drew several confused looks and glances their way and Alexia felt her face go scarlet. "Oi! Shut up! It's not that funny!" Alexia pleaded with them.

"Kyahahahahaha! That's amazing! I wish I could have seen that," Kuramochi chocked out between his laughs. He was clutching his stomach and tears gathered in his eyes. He was leaning against the wall and slowly slipping down as he fought for breath.

"Are you serious? My abs... That's too funny," Miyuki said, breathless. His arms were wrapped around himself as he was bent over his knees. His laughter was full and honest. Alexia, as flustered as she was, couldn't help but notice the fact that his laughter was different from before. It didn't have the same teasing tone or arrogant feeling. 'Honest' was the best description she could think of.

'Shut up, stupid hyena!" Alexia scolded. "That could have ended badly! You be quiet too, Miyuki!" She groaned as both of her classmates continued on with their laughing. "You too are idiots."

"At least we didn't fall backwards over a bench."

"Miyuki!"

~

Warm water ran over her hands as Alexia scrubbed them together. She sighed and looked in the bathroom mirror. "Those idiots," she mumbled to herself before a smile crept onto her lips. Light laughter slipped out as she shook her head. As annoying as it was, she couldn't blame them for laughing. If the roles were reversed, she was certain she'd be laughing her ass off. She turned the water off and grabbed some paper towels to dry her hands as the door opened.

"Well well well. Look who we have here?" A light voice said in a sing song tone. Alexia glanced to her left at the trio of girls who stood near the door. The girl in front have wavy chestnut hair and almond-shaped blue eyes. One of the friends had bobbed black hair and brown eyes and the other had long straight black hair and blue eyes.

"Need something?" Alexia asked, turning away from them. She felt her gut clench. Whatever it was, Alexia knew it'd be annoying.

"You've gotten rather close to Miyuki-kun lately. Are you two old friends?" The girl with long hair asked, her tone snarky.

Alexia let out a breath. "No, we're not."

"Then why are you two always together?"

Alexia clenched her jaw. "We're not always together. We've known each other for three days and it's just that we're both on the baseball team and have the same class."

The girl with chestnut hair scoffed. "Why are you on the team anyways? You're not going to be able to keep up. Our team is the best of the best." She narrowed her eyes at Alexia as Alexia turned to face her squarely. "I bet you're just trying to sleep with the members."

Alexia balled her hands into fists. "Like fuck I am. I'm here because Seido is the best of the best. I came to find players who are at my level." Alexia locked eyes with the leader and took a step towards her. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't spew bullshit about something you know nothing about."

"Like you're better than our players," the girl with bobbed hair spoke up. "Admit it, you're just trying to sleep with Miyuki. All Americans are trashy like that."

Alexia glared at her and she flinched. She was a few inches taller than the girl and she capitalized on it, drawing herself up to her full height and looking down at her. "First off, you have the wrong impression of Americans. Second, I'm Japanese. Third, like hell I'd waste time with that." The chestnut-haired leader opened her mouth but Alexia cut her off. "I'm here to play baseball. That means I'm going to be talking with the players. If you've got an issue with that, then grow the fuck up. Stop acting like you fangirls are better than me and, if you're really that obsessed with Miyuki, then grow a pair and ask him out. Let him give you a reality check."

She brushed past the three of them without waiting for a reply and exited the bathroom. Her hands flexed in and out of fists and she took a deep breath to unclench her jaw. 'Well, not like I was expecting anything else,' she thought grimly. 'Albeit, everyone's turned against me faster than I thought.'

She reached out and opened the door to her classroom and made her way back to her seat. Miyuki had his nose in the scorebook still and Kuramochi was giving him a blank look. "Do you do anything besides analyze those books?"

"I play," Miyuki replied with a smirk as Alexia slid back into her seat. "This is my job anyway." Kuramochi groaned at that before looking at Alexia from the corner of his eye.

"Hey, you alright? You look upset."

Miyuki shifted in his seat and Alexia cursed Kuramochi's attentiveness. She shook her head. "Just had a couple girls talk shit about me being on the team."

"Seriously? What did they say?" Kuramochi's tone was offended as he leaned on her desk.

"Don't worry about it. Same shit as usual," Alexia said, trying to wave him off.

"What do you mean same shit as always? Has this been happening?" Kuramochi leaned forwards more and Alexia sat back in her seat, crossing her arms.

"I mean, back in America I heard the same things. Not everyone takes kindly to me being on a baseball team and girls like to make things up to be jealous about," she said, nonchalantly. Just then the door opened and the three girls from before entered. Alexia pointedly did not look to see who entered but Kuramochi did. He turned back to face her with one eyebrow raised and Alexia cut him off before he could ask. "Don't. It's not worth it."

"But-"

"She said to leave it," Miyuki piped up, his eyes following the three girls. "If Miya-chan doesn't want to make a deal out of it then don't."

Kuramochi gritted his teeth and Alexia could see his mind whirring. Finally he 'humphed' and fell back against the wall with his hands in his pockets. "Fine."

Alexia internally sighed, glad to have the topic dropped. What she couldn't see was Miyuki's gaze lingering on the three of them as they giggled together. Nor did she notice the gears in his mind turning.