Sigma/Star

Chapter 46: Sakura vs. Toriyama

Mr. Toriyama's year seven bowling team stood triumphant in the doorway of the bowling alley. Much to Chase's chagrin, they had been given out their matching purple uniforms with gold lace trim (Chase had argued this was a direct violation of his "style"). Sitting in their assigned lane was Ms. Sakura's year six students, dressed in a creamy white. Upon seeing the arrival of their opponents, the younger students scrambled to attention before giving a bow before their seniors, as was customary during all sporting matches in the academy.

Porter returned the gesture as captain and a staredown ensued during the awkward silence between the two groups. The teachers shook hands and nodded to each other, exchanging formal greetings but doing nothing else otherwise. Toriyama then returned to his group and ushered them all over to their lane. "Listen guys, Ms. Sakura over there has been gunning for my job ever since that whole space wolf incident and the rumours I would be fired," the professor whispered to his team. "Please, please kick all their asses for me. I really need it to show her!"

"Yes sir!"

"Excellent." Toriyama rubbed his hands together menacingly. "Then can you please submit the order of play captain Porter?" Chase grumbled as Porter got up and withdrew the paper from his pocket with the names written on it. "Go hand it to the match referee."

Porter absently followed his master's orders, sauntering up to the man who stood between the two alleys. As the teen relinquished the sheet he looked up at the ref and their eyes met. And Porter nearly fell backwards. "Rick?! What are you doing here?"

The Circuit Breaker snatched the paper from Porter's hand and examined it. "The school caught on to me being Mr. Shotuku's assistant and said it wouldn't work because that wasn't a real job opening so the old man got it so that I am the referee for many of the inter-class games." Rick looked over at Riya and Gretta, who had come in to watch and cheer. Rick's voice dropped down and he drew close to Porter. "Just because I have a job at the school doesn't mean I don't have time to watch and make sure she doesn't get hurt." Even in his striped umpire's outfit Rick still looked intimidating as Porter slowly backed away and returned to his team.

"Teacher coin toss!" Rick shouted and Ms. Sakura yelled out "Heads!" in response. The Circuit Breaker flipped a little coin and checked it, then motioned towards the year six team, who gave out a cheer. "Heads called, heads turned up. Ms. Sakura's team to bowl first."

The younger students gave out a round of high-fives before sending up the first bowler. "They're not that good a team,"Mr. Toriyama hissed. "But their anchor is unbelievable. He's one of the greatest bowlers I've ever seen. If we can beat at least three of them and keep the other scores close then the last shots shouldn't matter at all." As he spoke the opposing group took their first two shots, grabbing eight pins total on an unlucky split. Rick called for Nami and she bounded up to the lane as soon as she heard her name.

The stalker girl's shots had a ridiculous spin to them that came from the little twirl she did any time she tossed a ball, and it wobbled from side to side down the lane, flirting with gutters before crashing into the pins at the end and leaving just a single one teetering in the corner. She followed up with a straight, hard shot to finish things off and complete the spare. Afterwards she gave the cutest wink she could back towards the boys on her team and they all swooned and clamoured for her (except for Porter).

Raul was next up, and he nervously stumbled into knocking down seven pins and dejectedly returned to the team. The seven was enough to put everything into a tie, much to Toriyama's dismay. Raul still received a warm welcome back to his chair and looked so depressed over it that Nami reached up and gave him a little peck on the cheek. This immediately sparked a fight between Ardwen, Chase, and Raul as Raul was first to get a kiss, however small, and it took until Nami agreed to give out equivalent kisses to the other two boys before things resolved and they could move on (Nami had also snuck in one to Porter as she went down the line of suitors).