Hurricane - Ushijima Wakatoshi

Chapter Four

There was absolutely no avoiding the glares that Ari was drilling into Mei's skull. The golden eyed girl was pissed beyond all belief at her current situation. However, luckily for the four boys carrying her she had abandoned her wild flailing, so Tendou and Ushijima had a much better grip on her torso, and Semi and Ohira who had clumsily introduced themselves to her no longer had to worry about being kicked in the face.

"Put me down." Ari said. Her voice was dangerously low and menacing, and even though she felt Semi and Ohira Tense for a second, they didn't listen.

"Quit freaking out Ari! It's all gonna be good my dear partner in crime!" Mei smiled. Ari responded to that smile with a withering glare.

"It is not all good and you know damn well why it's not all good!" Ari was panicking more and more the closer they drew to the gym. She just was reluctant to start squirming again since she wasn't particularly fond of the thought of being dropped hard on the floor, especially since she had a strong feeling that her legs would be dropped before her torso.

"I found the loophole Ari! This is it! You're gonna be back on a team!"

"Loophole?"

"Not important right now gray hair, I can see the gym! Let's pick up the pace!"

"No! Put me down!" Ari demanded in the most menacing voice she could muster at the moment. But the boys couldn't see the threatening look on Ari's face. They could, however, see the face of Mei Akinai, and if a look could kill, the four of them would be dead.

"Oh, So you're both terrifying... got it." Ohira said, nodding his head, noting that he should avoid pissing these girls off in the future.

"Let's pick up the pace like we were told! Yeah?" Tendou shouted before speeding up. Ari nearly shrieked in fear as the four first years started running to the gym. If she wasn't still trying to avoid volleyball, this would be a funny story, a fun experience, and she probably would have just been laughing this whole time as these four idiots sprinted her to the gym, with Mei leading them.

Mei reached the door first, and she hesitated, was she making a mistake? If she did this, she could lose her best friend. Mei knew just how Ari's mother could be. Maybe it was a stupid scheme, maybe she should just call it off now and apologize. She looked at Ari, Silver eyes meeting Gold, and for the first time in a long time there was a warmth in Ari's eyes, they were sparked to life with hope. Those distant eyes were beginning to brim with life and excitement. What kind of best friend would she be if she allowed that spark to die out again? If she continued to do nothing? Mei Akinai decided then and there that even if she lost her best friend, even if Ari was never allowed to contact her again, At least it would be because she was doing what she loved. That was worth it.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Mei flung open the Gymnasium doors, and felt the gaze of the whole Shiratorizawa boys team fall upon her and the gaggle of first years behind her carrying Ari.

"You four!" It was Washijo the demon coach yelling. Mei stiffened, maybe she should have thought this through a bit more, she wasn't prepared for this. "You're late! And why are you carrying Little Soto?"

"Coach~" Tendou said, releasing Ari, trusting Ushijima to support her weight without him. "We had to carry her or else she wouldn't have come!"

"What am I? A baby? Put me down!" The remaining three first years ignored her once again.

"That wasn't what I asked. Semi! Ohira! Don't just stand there, start running laps until you drop while Tendou tries explaining this to me! The rest of you! Get back to work! Stop Gawking!"

"But we're holding-"

"Ushijima can hold Little Soto, then he'll run later and Tendou will run for the next three years if I don't like his explanation."

"Little Soto doesn't need to be held," Ari yelled, but once again she was ignored.

Semi and Ohira reluctantly adjusted the way Ari was being held, and passed her fully off to Ushijima, so he had one arm beneath her legs, and the other behind her back. Ari's face was contorted into a scowl, her arms crossed.

"You can put me down you know," She seethed to the stoic holding her. Of course she had to end up in the arms of the one person who pushed all the wrong buttons for her. He simply shook his head.

"If I put you down you'll leave."

"My damn leg is broken you idio-"

"Explain Tendou!" Washijo yelled.

"I'll explain, Tendou." Mei interrupted.

"Ah, The Star setter is the ring leader. How unexpected. Explain, and maybe give Little Soto her crutches so Ushijima can put her down, she looks like she may maul him at any moment." Ushijima glanced at Ari's face, sure enough she was glaring a hole straight through his head. Mei chuckled as he gently set her down, finally realizing the danger he was in. Ari hopped over to Mei and snatched her crutches as Ushijima began to run his laps.

There was a moment of silence as Mei contemplated what to say and how to say it.

"I want Ari to be your team's manager." Mei got straight to the point, without any extra details, or one of her famous mile per second stories after a hurried breath. Ari was taken aback at her short explanation, and squinted at her best friend, tilting her head.

"Who are you?" Ari was appalled. Mei was never really so serious; she didn't explain the nitty gritty details of a story. Tendou nodded in agreement to Ari's question, he'd had a single interaction with Mei Akinai, and that was enough for him to know she wasn't one to cut to the chase that simply. Mei rolled her eyes at Ari's question.

"You want Little Soto to manage this team?" By now, the three first year boys who began running had already completed one or two laps each around the gym, and paused to listen to what Washijo was about to say. "What about you Little Soto? What would you like to do?" Washijo's gaze was fixed on Ari.

What did she want?

It was a good question. Obviously she wanted everything to be back to normal. She wanted to play volleyball, and be on the court with Mei. She wanted everything to be how it was before the stupid bus crash. She hadn't been able to voice an opinion on any choices concerning her own life lately. Every choice was made for her. She had no choice in leaving her sport, she had no choice in staying away from the girl's team, Hell, she hadn't even had the choice to come to the damned gym either. The once mighty Hurricane truly was reduced to nothing more than a weak little breeze. She felt she should just leave now, it wasn't like her mother would allow any of this to continue once she found out.

"Do you want to be this team's manager?"

Her mother. Ari was sick of being controlled. She knew what she wanted, She wanted to play again, to feel that rush of adrenaline through her veins as she stepped onto the court. To be the Golden half of her duo, to be the Hurricane. Volleyball was her life. She couldn't believe how stupid she was being. She'd been giving up so easily, rolling over and accepting defeat as if there was no other choice but to accept that she would never play again.

She was the Hurricane for crying out loud!

It was time to push back.

"Yes. I want to be Team Manager."