Shy girl (free! Fanfic)

Chapter 9

(Masumi's pov)

They all invited me to walk home with them after school. We end up buying ice cream, except for rei he bought a drink. We discuss different ways we could come up with the money for the training camp but come up with nothing good with the time we have till district. When makoto says " we can still have a summer training camp. We just have to do it on a tight budget." He smiles but I can tell is a forced smile. Nagisa and goh are the most excited out of all of us. before we know it were at makoto's house to pick up his camping supplises. as we walk up to the house I say " I have some things at my house as well if you don't want to bring all your camping things." "I actually only have the two tents so it would be really helpful if you would bring your stuff as well." he replies " yea no problem!" I say with a smile, they all stare at me wide eyed. "what?" i ask, "i think that's the first time we've seen you smile and be yourself outside of the water." Goh says. i instantly become embarrassed and hide my face. makoto goes in to grab his camping supplies, the rest of us wait outside.

we were planing on going to haru's house to make sure we had everything we needed for the training camp, but i offer my house for it since it's on the way and i have a feeling haru wouldn't want everything and everyone in his house. when we get to my house i unlock the door and let everyone in while i go grab my tent and whatever supplies makoto didn't bring. "Masumi, this place is really nice!" nagisa says. "thanks! oh makoto, feel free to lay everything out in the living room while i grab my camping stuff. it will make it easier to see whatever else we might need!" i shout from the other room. i dig through a closet and eventually find everything, and bring it to the living room. i lay my things out with makoto's to compare what we will each bring. "wow you both have some really great stuff." goh says. "thanks my family goes camping every summer so we have some pretty neat stuff." makoto says. "same here, though it's only me and my dad that enjoy camping. my mom isn't big on sleeping outdoors." i say.

"speaking of your parents, do you live alone?" rei asks. shit! i smile nervously ans say " oh no their just away on a business trip. they were supposed to be back a few days ago but the trip got extended. i don't really see them as often as when i was younger." why am i  so nervous about telling them the truth? their my friends, but still... i don't want them to worry about me.  "you told me that a while ago. are they usualy gone for long periods of time?" haru asks, and i nod in responce. after mako and i go through everything and figure out who will bring what for supplies, we are faced with a new task. coming up with the money for transportation. "maybe miss. A has a boat she would let us borrow?" nagisa suggests "you heard her she doesn't do charity." rei states. "wait I know someone with a boat!" makoto says as he remembers.

I follow everyone as we walk to the guys house, when we reach the house makoto knocks on the door and I can't believe who answers "coach sasabe?" I ask "hey! if it isn't masumi! last time I saw you, you were headed for boarding school. how have you been?" he asks "good!" I say with a smile. he invites us in and the guys explain our situation " yeah I got a squid boat that my grandpa left me when he passed away. even got myself a boating license but, it will take more than pizza to convince me to let you use it." he says. I hadn't even realized they had pizza when we got here. mako raises his clapped together hands up to his face and says "please help us out coach." nagisa then joins in offering a ugly wooden bird in return for his help "seriously?!?" coach says he sighs then says "ok what the hell." we all light up "I can't take part in your little camp but I'm happy to take you there and back again." he continues. we all give our thanks to him and goh even lets out a cheer. then there's rei "is no one concerned with how a squid boat smells?" I cant help but giggle at everyone's reactions. I laugh for a short time before I realize everyone is watching me laugh. "sorry I've just never had such lively friends." I say controlling my laughter.

makoto and haru see the rest of us off at the train station, they asked if I wanted to walk with them but goh invited me for a sleepover before the camp. and when I say 'they' asked I really mean mako asked, I still think haru doesn't like me much but that's ok, at least he's trying. once the train doors close we all find seats next to each other. " I'm glad to hear you think of us as you're friends!" naguisa says, his comment throws me off, did they think I thought of them as something else? " what I mean is we're glad to see you finally start to be yourself outside the water! today was the first time we've seen you laugh too!" I can feel my cheeks burn with embarrassment. "why are you getting embarrassed?" rei asks I play with my hair avoiding his question. "there's no reason to get embarrassed masumi." goh "I know, I'm just not used to having so many friends. rin was my only friend at the boarding school and I didn't really have friends prior to that." I say, my cheeks starting to cool down. "wait a sec! you know rin?!?" nagisa asks I nod "how? rei asks "they went to the same school in Australia" goh answers. "whoa! no way!" the two boys say. I nod confirming what goh said. "I had stopped swimming for the first two years I was there, rin got me back into it." I explain

we see the boys off at there stop and ride the train till we reach the stop for goh's house. we stay up late watching movies and playing video games even though we know we have to be up early in the morning for the training camp.

when morning comes we are both insanely tired but brush it off. I get changed into a short white sundress and sneakers. "goh? do you have a pair of scissors I could borrow real quick?" I ask "yeah." she replies as she looks through a drawer. "here you go. what do you need scissors for?" she asks as she hands then to me. I tie my hair off into a ponytail just above mu shoulders and cut just above the elastic. " that's what you wanted scissors for?!? but your hair looks so good long!" she says, I throw the tail of hair in the trash and say " yeah but, it's too long for swimming. it would create a drag in the water and make it harder for me to swim in the ocean. besides, all that hair was definitely not going to fit in a swim cap for regionals." " oh I see so it's a competition strategy!" she says excitedly. I just nod in response, she might not be as enthusiastic if I tell her I was planning to cut it anyway.

all of us meet up at the docks mako and the guys pick up his things from his house and goh and I pick up my things at my house on the way there. when goh and I arrive the guys, miss. A, and coach are all ready there. once we load everything onto the boat we set sail for the island.