Two Bets

Jerry took a deep breath as he was about to feed the ball. He had to calm down. Tennis was a game of skill, but with a weak mind, a skilled player would fail to bring out a hundred percent of their game.

Alicia noticed he was feeding first and got into ready position. Even with weak opponents, one should take things seriously. As a sign of respect to the other tennis player and good sportsmanship.

Jerry nodded to Alicia. He dropped the ball, letting it bounce once. As the ball bounced back up, he waited for the moment it reached the top of its bounce, where it paused in midair before he swung his racket through the ball, rotating his hips, brushing it from the top of the ball, and following through to something like a golfer pose at the end.

The ball was sent zooming over the tennis net. It's trajectory was fast and the topspin generated from brushing up on the ball made the ball kick forward when it landed on Alicia's side of the court.

Alicia was shocked by Jerry's feed. Normally, people would feed it as a nice lob since there was no momentum to rely on to bounce the ball forward. However, Jerry was able to drive the ball forward while giving it topspin.

Is this really Jerry's tennis skill? Alicia was shaken. She had just seen him struggling to keep a consistent rally with the wall the other day with sloppy form, yet his feed just now gave off the feeling of a top varsity player. She planted her foot, rotated her hips and returned the ball back to Jerry's side. It also held a massive amount of topspin which Alicia was known for. Her control along with her topspin was what got her to varsity.

Oops I overdid it a bit, Jerry thought. He got over excited and hit the ball too hard. I have to stay lowkey, otherwise people will get suspicious of how I got so good. When the ball approached him, he swung with a lot less control this time and a lot less topspin. I think that should be more convincing.

Some of the other girls watching heaved a sigh. So he was just lucky. Alicia thought the same thing but part of her felt that something about his forehand was a little too strange. As if he purposely hit it worse.

They kept rallying back and forth, Alicia felt that she was able to go a little harder with Jerry so she hit it faster and in a farther position. Jerry always miraculously managed to stumble and reach the ball in time. They kept rallying back and forth, sometimes Alicia would test him with a more difficult hit. Strangely enough, he was able to keep up.

As they rallied, both Alicia and Jerry began to relax. Playing tennis with one another could also be a way to loosen up and establish a stronger bond through sport. Alicia was sure she'd be able to talk to Jerry normally now. Jerry also felt the same feelings through their rally of tennis.

After two hours of rallying, Jerry realized he was way over his goal of 1000 hits. Apparently the task counted if he played with people too. He waved at her to take a break. Both of them were sweating, their shirts wet as it stuck to their body.

Jerry blushed as they met up back where they had placed their belongings as he saw Alicia. Her tank top was thin and he could see the outline of her sports bra. Her tank top stopped short of her spandex shorts so he could see her slim and toned waistline. Her sweating figure was an enticing sight for him.

Unknowingly to Jerry, Alicia also took a glance at Jerry's figure. His skinny figure was often seen as weak and fragile at school. Yet when he played tennis she noticed how versatile his movements were. His shirt was somewhat see through because it was white and soaked in sweat. She noticed his abdominals hadn't fully emerged but his shoulders seemed a lot broader and reliable up close. His skinny body was now more toned, from stimulation of Qigong technique as well as his training. Alicia's face reddened remembering that she hadn't been this close to a boy since middle school and she could see through this boy's shirt. She didn't run away however. Instead, she felt the urge to get closer to him.

Jerry knew not to stare however, he knew that this was the chance to get closer with Alicia. He took all the doubt in his head and threw it away. It wouldn't hold him back anymore. He smiled at her before giving her a hug. It was just like the old days when they hugged. Except there were two unfamiliar mounds that weren't there last time. His face was flushed red again. Alicia had truly… grown.

"It's been too long since we've talked Alicia… I missed you." Those words came out from the very bottom of his heart. He spoke so softly that only Alicia could hear him.

Alicia didn't expect Jerry to give her a hug out of nowhere and then say something like that. Her heartbeat sped up as she felt his sturdy arms embrace her. She was relieved that Jerry had said that. Her previous doubts also disappeared. He doesn't hate me! She thought as she wrapped her arms around his muscular torso. He was actually many inches taller than her now, she smiled as she thought back to the tiny Jerry that always looked up to her.

"I also missed you Jerry." She said with a huge relieved smile. They embraced each other and stood there, enjoying the moment.

The other girls had their mouths gaping open. They had never seen their captain close to a guy, yet a loser guy from the junior varsity group managed to get her to hug him back.

"Impossible! Captain can't possibly have fallen for him!" One of the girls, with glasses and long blue hair said. She was the vice captain of the team, Mia. Her long, beautiful legs which were outlined quite nicely by the spandex began walking towards where Jerry and Alicia were sitting.

Jerry and Alicia sat next to each other, enjoying each other's company as they watched the other girls play. They had started talking again and Alicia had completely changed from the shy girl everyone thought she was. She was back to being the old Alicia that Jerry knew, always joking around with a lively spirit. Unlike the old days when they were innocent kids, they were now also adults. Subconsciously, a flirting element was introduced to the conversations.

"Enjoying the view Jerry? It must be nice to stare at my tennis girls like that." Alicia said as she leaned onto Jerry's shoulder. She smiled, it was just like in the old days.

"Cough! Staring? I wouldn't dare! I was simply checking out their tennis form!" Jerry said with utter denial. "And why would I have to look over there with such a beautiful girl next to me?" He looked into her big blue eyes and smiled.

Alicia blushed. "You've really turned into a hooligan in the last 5 years. Humph! I won't fall for your tricks!" Deep inside, she felt a warm feeling in her chest when he looked at her.

"How am I a hooligan? I'm a gentleman through and through!" Jerry laughed and Reginald shook his head. Master, you sure are full of yourself now. Especially after you almost went into cardiac arrest a few hours ago.

Jerry had realized that he wasn't nervous when talking to Alicia anymore. His social anxiety seemed to have disappeared suddenly. Perhaps it was the nostalgia of the past that was making him feel comfortable with Alicia.

"Yeah right, a gentleman! If that's so, then who took my old homework to copy from back then?"

"Y-You knew about that? "Jerry was flushed red from embarrassment. He was lazy so he didn't want to do summer work, luckily Alicia kept hers from last year, so he figured he'd "borrow" it and return it later.

"Of course, I did, I was the one who put it out in such an obvious place in the first place!"

Jerry suddenly had an idea.

"Okay, fine how about I show you how much of a gentleman I can be. Tomorrow at eight o'clock, I'll pick you up."

Alicia was blushing red now, averting his gaze. Is he asking me on a date? What if other people misunderstand?

Seeing Alicia's face reddening, Jerry knew exactly what she was thinking. It's now or never, he thought to himself. He had an unexplainable feeling that had sprouted from meeting Alicia again. Maybe they were feelings he had held from childhood. Either way, his gut feeling told him that there was something special with this girl that lit a fire up inside of him. He didn't believe in "the right moment", that was near impossible to gauge. He knew he wanted to ask her out, and so he did.

"Alicia Bright… I'm asking you on a date. A date-date so that you don't misunderstand." He smiled gently, taking her slender hand into his own. "Do you dare?"

Alicia's heart fluttered. She took a moment to process what Jerry had said. Her face which was still burning red turned redder as she looked away, unable to make eye contact. No matter how confident a girl was, when she is with the boy she likes, she become a shy little girl once again. She said doubtfully in a tiny voice, "…but we just met each other for the first time in years. Isn't this a little too sudden?"

Jerry knew there was no going back after he asked that question. There's only one way to move and that's forward. "I'm being honest with myself about my feelings. I wanted to ask you out, so I did. I didn't want to wait and then miss my opportunity with someone as wonderful as you. That would be one of my life's greatest regrets. Now I have no regrets. Now it's your turn… are we going on that date-date tomorrow or not?"

Jerry was still holding Alicia's soft hand. The fact that she didn't pull away her hand was a good sign.

"I-I…" Alicia had a million thoughts flash around in her brain. She took a few deep breaths and looked at Jerry. He looked very average, but something told her that he was more than what met everyone's eye. He was her best friend from childhood, who had her absolute trust. She could tell he was the same lovable Jerry back then. There was also that feeling that he gave her whenever he got serious. That fiery gaze that gave her chills and made her heart race. She had seen that side of him from when they were younger, and it always pulled on her heartstrings. She was young and didn't know how to deal with love back then, so she ran away. Now she understood what those feelings she had for Jerry back then were.

His gentle smile as he held her hand, gave her a strange feeling of happiness that she had never felt in a long time. She wanted to be with him as well, she knew that. Why was is that Jerry seemed so calm about it? That's so unfair! She smiled as she suddenly felt the urge to make things more difficult for him.

Jerry had seen that smile before. But he was prepared for it. Nothing good would come so easily.

Alicia smiled as she looked into his eyes. "I accept your offer, but why don't we make things more interesting?"

There it is, Jerry thought.

"Okay, what do you propose?"

"Since we're on the subject of being a gentleman, how about we make a bet? If you end up making a hooligan of yourself, I win. If you sweep me off my feet, you win. Loser does whatever the winner wants."

"Alright. Since you want to lose so badly, I'll let you lose with grace. After all, I am a true gentleman." Jerry's lips curved upwards into a sinister grin.

"I won't allow it!" A voice shouted.

The heck? Jerry turned to find one the tennis girls with especially beautiful and slender long legs standing there with her arms crossed.

"Who are you to try and be close our captain? You're only junior varsity on the tennis team, and your grades are only mediocre. What gives you the guts to chase after a swan as a frog?" Mia said. All of the other tennis girls from afar nodded in agreement.

Alicia frowned and was about to inject when Jerry pulled her towards him. His left arm snaked around her slender waist, as his sinister grin turned into a haughty smirk.

"Mwahahah. I apologize, but you're too late. Your captain has already become my woman." He said as he laughed uproariously. Alicia blushed profusely as she was being held in Jerry's arms. She put up a weak struggle and then gave in to Jerry's hooligan acts.

"Jerry… who would want to be your woman, you hooligan!" She said quietly as she lightly pounded on his chest. Jerry smiled gently at her before returning his focus to Mia.

"Mia, right?" he asked as his eyes wandered onto her shapely figure. His eyes ate up the sight of her slender, and long legs, and her perky ass while he kept his arrogant smirk. "What's it to you?"

Mia shivered as she felt two ravenous eyes ogled her from head to toe. These stares were even more intense then whenever the men's tennis came over to watch their matches. This man is one hundred percent a shameless pervert! If Reginald could hear her, he would also agree.

"Y-You! Shameless!" Mia said as her face turned red. She suddenly remembered who he was though.

A junior varsity player!

She kept her composure as she looked at him with disgust. "I challenge you to a tennis match! If I win, stay away from the captain forever!"

Alicia who was still in Jerry's arms shook. "Jerry, she's the vice-captain of the team! In terms of skill, she's only below me. You're only junior varsity!"

Jerry's eyebrows raised. "Oh? Vice-captain you say?" As he spoke nonchalantly, his hand inconspicuously strayed lower from Alicia's waist.

Alicia felt his hand on her butt, and she blushed. "Stop getting distracted! You're not her match!"

She felt a mischievous hand slap her butt in response. "That's what you get for doubting me! Humph! Watch as your man punishes this vice-captain of yours." Alicia was speechless as Jerry stomped over to Mia, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.

"And if you lose?" Jerry asked.

"What do you mean if I lose?" Mia was taken aback.

"A bet goes two ways. I can't just be the only one risking something in the bet."

Mia didn't think she'd lose to a junior varsity player, so she said nonchalantly, "Fine, if you lose, I'll do anything you want!"

Jerry's eyebrows raised again. "Really?"

Alicia blushed, she had bet the same thing earlier.

"Sure!"

"Alright, lets shake on it then. With the Women's tennis team as out witnesses for our bet let our match begin!"