Chapter 8

Temari followed behind the team hoping they wouldn't run into any players until after the game started. She stayed close to Tobio hoping he'd live up to his promise. The school itself was pretty large and much more modern than Kurasuno. The grounds were decorated with big beautifully green trees and grass that looked so soft she just wanted to lay in it. They rounded the corner to the gym. Tanaka and Tsuki lead the way. As they did, three players dressed in white Aoba Johsai warm ups. Her stomach welled up in her chest as Kindaichi's spiky black hair came into view.

She couldn't help the flashbacks that flooded her brain. The flashbacks of this stupid boy and his stupid laugh as he shoved her into lockers. His taunts about how she was a nobody, how nobody liked her. She was a freak with a freak brother. Her knees ached remembering the bruises she would get from being tripped. Once he stepped on her hand and laughed about it. He would shove her into trash cans and puddles, pull her hair in class and throw spit wads at her from behind all while him and the other teammates laughed about it.

"Umm, hello," the boy next to Kindaichi spoke. He was a shorter grey haired boy though he looked like an upperclassman. She grabbed her stomach as she looked at the third player standing next to the upperclassman. It was a boy she had recognized all to well. Though his height had added a whole foot since the last time she saw him, his shoulders grown out three times the size they had been before, the muscles in his body larger than her own head. His dark red hair was now practically shaved underneath with the top part longer and tossed around messily by the wind. His wide jaw was no longer slacking, but tightly cut, his shoulders no longer slouching but held up high complimenting the blinding white smile on his face. How had so much changed since the first day of school? How had her best friend gone from a shy kid in the back of the class to this towering giant without her noticing? He was in a volleyball uniform. But how? He had never even played! How did he get into Aoba Johsai? And why? He knew the torment Kindaichi and the others put her through how was he friends with them?

She tried to hide behind Tobio, though it didn't help he had moved up towards Tsuki and Tanaka. She could feel both Kindaichi's and Suda's eyes on her.

"Don't mock my team bro," Tanaka spoke, a devilish look in his eye. "We'll tear you apart."

"Oh stop," Tsuki laughed in a low tone she hadn't heard before. "Look at them, you're scaring them." Sure Tanaka may have scared the upperclassmen, maybe even Kindaichi. However the sheet white look that came over Suda's face was soley based on her own presence.

"Please, we're not scared of you," Kindaichi spoke in his condescending voice.

"Oh yeah, I guess it'll hurt more when we kick your asses on the court," Tanaka smiled an evil smile.

Suda didn't bother to acknowledge anything else but her. She herself was oblivious to the world around her. How did he get so hot within the last couple of weeks? Why didn't he tell her about joining the volleyball team? She couldn't help but feel betrayal.

"Will you knock it off?!" Daichi's voice boomed snapping her eyes away from Suda's trance. "We're sorry," Daichi grabbed Tanaka's head forcing him to bow to the players. If Daichi only knew who these people were. "Walk away Tanaka," Daichi pushed him as well as ushering the rest of the team away.

"Temari, wait," even Suda's voice had gotten deeper, sounding almost like a fully grown man. She stopped and turned to him as his large hand grabbed her frail arm. "I can explain,"

"Don't bother," she shook her arm away from him and he let her go not wanting to cause a scene.

"Let her go," Kindaichi said. "The King and the Queen won't bother themselves with lowly commoners like us."

The words burned inside of her as she looked in the ground. Anger built up inside her and she couldn't move. She refused to be bullied like this again. She was strong! She was not going to stand for this. She glanced up anger burning in her eyes. Tanaka was staring at the three pushing his sleeves up about to say something and Daichi... Daichi watched her. Not the three boys, but her. He saw her anger and shame. How could she let this happen in front of him? Was he seeing her for the helpless loser she was?

"Come on Temari," Tobio said placing a hand on her back. She gained feeling in her legs and the anger was replaced with embarassment. She cast her eyes to the ground not wanting to look Daichi in the face as she walked with Tobio away from the three.

"Just as stuck up as ever," Kindaichi scoffed.

"Just ignore it, I'll show them up on the court." Tobio said. Temari looked up at her brother and nodded. This was all she had ever asked for. She just wanted him to be there during the bullying, for him to stand up for her and be there for her. The rest of the team joined them shortly after, though no one spoke a word of what just happened. They made their way to Gym number three, the atmosphere immediately changing. There was a new sense of energy in the team as they stepped into the hot sweaty gym.

"Thank you for the game," the team bowed to the Aoba Johsai players. Then they stepped onto the court.

"Everyone on Aoba Johsai's team is good enough to be an ace everywhere on the court." Daichi spoke.

"They also have exceptional defense power." Suga added.

"Will you two knock it off?" Tanaka spoke.

"Hinata is going to blow those suckers away!" Tanaka said grabbing Hinata's shoulder, though Hinata looked like he was about to vomit. "Try not to screw it up,"

Everyone looked at Tanaka shocked. Couldn't he tell Hinata was having a hard time already? Hell after that encounter, Temari herself wanted to vomit.

"I've got to go!" Hinata exclaimed running out of the gym.

"Way to go Tanaka," Narita said as they walked over to their side of the gym setting down their duffle bags. She glanced around the gym hoping her eyes wouldn't land on Suda. They, for a time they didn't.

"Hey are you okay?" Tanaka's voice met her ears.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Why?"

"You seem a little off," he said.

"I promise I'm not as nervous as Hinata," she smiled.

Tanaka chuckled. "If he keeps it up we might have to put you on the court,"

"Oh no, I am too clumsy," she said holding her hands up defensively. The team began her warm ups and she watched Daichi lead them through. She admired his leadership skills. She admired the way the team trusted every command he gave and followed without question. She sat on the bench next to Kiyoko and watched them warm up.

"Oh look, the game is about to start," Kiyoko said pointing to the officiate who was stepping up to the net.

"I'll be right back I should use the bathroom before the game starts." Temari said.

"Okay, want me to come with you so you don't get lost?" Kiyoko asked.

"No that's okay, I'll be fine." she bowed then walked out the gym.

It took a while for her to find it but eventually she did. These bathrooms were much nicer than at Kurasuno and even had touch less hand dryers! When she finished, she walked out of the restroom, though the large door was quite heavy to push. Once she did get it open, it only opened part way and smacked into something hard.

"Ouch!" she heard on the other side of the door.

"Oh sor-" she stopped realizing she had just hit none other than Suda. "-ry"

"Temari," Suda said at a loss for words grabbing the back of his head.

"Watch where your going your highness," Kindaichi remarked standing next to him. Great he was here too.

"Hey knock it off Kindaichi," Suda said. "I'll meet you in the gym."

"Better hurry up the game is about to start." Kindaichi spoke then walked off.

"I didn't know you would be here." he spoke looking down at her.

"My brother does play for Kurasuno." she said in an obvious manner. "You know I have to go everywhere he goes." she crossed her arms over her chest annoyed. "Seems I told you everything and yet you still don't know anything. Then again you didn't tell me about this either."

"That's not fair, I tried calling you, you ignored all my calls." he said.

"I've been going through some stuff," she grumbled. "You could've sent me a text."

"Like you would answer. You're so busy with your new school and new friends." he remarked angrily.

"What new friends?" she scoffed.

"Obviously the ones you talk to instead of me." he said leaning into his hip. She looked up into his eyes. He had thinned out a lot and bulked up. He was never the athletic type which was why they got along so well.

"I thought you hated volleyball," she said.

"Turns out I'm pretty good at it," he shrugged his shoulders.

"You hated Kindaichi. You hated the way he bullied me." she said and he didn't answer.

"He's not such a bad guy," Suda responded almost afraid to speak the words.

"I can't believe you," Temari scoffed turning away from him to head back to the gym.

"Temari," he called after her grabbing her arm though this time much tighter. "I wanted to tell you, there's a lot of things I've wanted to tell you. Please can we just start this over?"

"Start what over? This day or our whole friendship?" she asked. "I don't even know who you are anymore Suda. Clearly everything I thought about you was wrong."

"That's not it," Suda said grabbing her arm tighter, pulling her close to him.

"Was our whole friendship a lie to you?" she asked tears forming in her eyes. She couldn't stand the thought that her best friend was now buddy buddy with the guy who had made middle school a living hell. He had interests she didn't even know about. What kind of a friend was she?

"No Temari that's not it at all," he said his clear blue eyes glowed against his tan skin. He had become one of them? He had the good looks to fit in with the popular crowd now. He was one of them.

"You're hurting me Suda," she tried wriggling out of his grasp, though his hand was too large, his muscles to strong for her to fight against. Finally he let go and she threw her arm out of his grasp taking a few steps back.

"I don't want you to hate me." he said his eyes looking down to the floor.

She turned to leave but ran into something hard.

"Oof," she stumbled back looking up at what she ran into. It just so happened to be Daichi's firm chest. As she stumbled he caught her and pulled her back into him, his hand resting on her lower back.

"What's going on here? Are you okay Temari?" She could feel the vibrations in his chest from his voice through her hands which she had instinctively placed there. She looked up at his face, his jaw was clenched and his eyebrows knit together. Why was he so bothered? How long had he been standing there?

"I'm fine," she responded trying to wipe the tears from her face.

"I think you should go to the gym. The game is about to start." Daichi demanded looking at Suda.

She watched as Suda sized Daichi up. If it came to brute strength, Suda was much bigger and a couple inches taller too. However, Daichi was much smarter and knew just how to use an opponents own strength against them. She had seen it on the court. Daichi was strong even if he didn't look it.

Suda scoffed and licked his lip as he placed his hands on his hips. "Whatever," then he trudged past Daichi shoving his shoulder as he did so. Why was Suda so angry? Daichi tightened his grip around Temari even as Suda shoved him. Though he didn't move... didn't react... just stayed still. When Suda had left, Daichi pulled away and looked at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked looking down at her, his voice changed to a much softer tone.

She nodded, her hand still comfortably placed on his chest, his hands at her hips.

"Ex boyfriend?" Daichi asked.

"What no!" Temari exclaimed. "He was my best friend... Or I thought he was." She looked in the direction he had walked in. "H-how much of that did you hear?"

Daichi shook his head. "Not much, I just saw him grabbing you and it looked like you were hurt."

Temari nodded allowing her head to drop. "Please don't tell Tobio."

"That's what your concerned about?" Daichi asked surprised.

A loud whistle filled her ears as she realized that the game was probably starting.

"Daichi you have to get out there!" she exclaimed pushing his chest. He chuckled as she grabbed is arm turning him around pushing him to the gym.

"I'm going I'm going," Daichi chuckled as the two entered the gym. Both teams were lining up. Temari's eyes glanced at Aoba Johsai. Her eyes met Kindaichi and Kunimi, and finally, Suda. He stared at them a look of anger in his eye. What was wrong with him? Daichi untied his sweats and shed them exposing his volleyball shorts. He unzipped his jacket and shimmied it off of his muscular shoulders. She watched mesmerized by the way his muscles moved under his jersey. Then he turned to her.

"I'm sorry to ask this but I need to get on the court before the team gets in trouble. Would you mind putting these into my duffle bag?" he asked.

"I don't mind at all," she nodded taking the clothes from him, his fingers brushing her own.

"Thanks," he smiled then ran out onto the court.