(Ulrich’s POV)

Uggh.

Don’t you just hate those girls that are showing off all the time? And I mean, constantly? Me, being the star of the soccer team for two years- I’ve had enough of that.

How ironic that I don’t have a girlfriend, eh? It’s not like I haven’t been looking, just the girls that are always around me (Them stalkers) kinda make it a little harder then I wanted. Hey, I like a good chase.

I remember, right after French class the other day, some girl starting yelling at me when I stayed for “torturing” (It was actually just to talk, my French teacher and I are actually okay friends.) and because Ms. Ramando is a…well…miss, she (that stupid girl) thought I was hitting on Ramando!

And just how weird does that reach?

But there is this one girl I have in mind, and looking out for. She’s in only one in school that isn’t tripping over me. Like I said, I’d like a good chase.

Well, anyway, her name is Yumi. Yumi Ishiyama. I’ve heard she’s a nice person, but very quiet. I’ve seen her around the school, but I’ve yet to meet her, but- hey! Won’t fate set us together? Right?

“Well, well, well. Is the player of the school finally left alone?” Odd teased.

“I told them to leave me alone.”

“Good for you.” Jeremie smiled.

“Yup. So, how’s you and Sam going?” Ulrich sat up, looking at Odd, and then changed his glance to Jeremie, “And you and Aelita?”

Odd sighed. In his case- this was good.

“Being on the soccer team made me svelte to hot in a year.” Odd replied strongly, “No wonder girls are always after you.”

Ulrich rolled his eyes and looked back to Jer.

“Eh, something wrong Jer?”

“Aei has been hanging around with that quiet girl –Yumi, isn’t it?- and she doesn’t have any time to be with me much anymore.”

“Aw, Jer. They probably want their precious girl time. Let it pass.”

Yeah, I suppose.”

“Better- there she is.”

“Who? Aei?”

“No, my mom. YEAH, Aei!”

Aelita had just walked into the loft, looking around for someone. She saw Jer, smiled, and blew a kiss as she walked east-ward, toward the second part of dorms.

“Hmm? You see? No time for her loved boyfriend anymore.” Jeremie sighed, “Never. Not anymore.”

“Hey! HEY JER! Remember, I don’t have a girlfriend at all. Always remember that.”

“You could always choose. At random, for that matter. Just point to a girl in the year book, and bam. Their yours. At any time.”

“Some are too clingy, Some try to hard, Some talk to much, some have a horrid attitude.” Ulrich listed problems with the feminine species.

“So, how would you describe Aei and Sam, eh?” Odd questioned.

Ulrich’s eyes widened.

Oh, dear. What do say?

“Oh, well, their different. They’re cool. If they have a flaw, I don’t care enough to look for it, or I’m already used to it.”

“Ha. I feel better knowing that my friend thinks my girlfriend has a flaw.”

“Sorry to break it to ya.”

“Oh, but of course!”

It went silent for a while as the boys watched two other students play ping-pong only three feet away. From there, a friendly conversation began with all five of them. Soon enough, they were all laughing and clowning around.

The two new friends were also athletic, but were on the football team. Their names consisted of Mark and Henry, and they said that they watched that “amazing soccer game” a few nights before.

“I knew you looked familiar.” Henry snickered, “Though the only time I see you is at the games.”

“Don’t we all have science together?”

“But with that fan club of yours.”

“Oh, yeah. Right.” Ulrich kinda forgot about that, and he didn’t really want to be reminded.

“So, any girlfriends for you two?” Odd asked out of the blue.

“Just broke up. The exact reason he and I went down here, he was trying to cheer a friend up.” Mark replied, but sank in his chair, relaxing, not upset, “All’s good though.”

“Glad to hear it.” Henry grinned, “Hard to watch a brother brake down like that, y’know?”

“Eh, girls come and go, don’t they? Who was this girl, anyway?”

“Sora Ishiyama. Yumi’s sister.”

“Yumi has a sister? And she goes here?!”

“Um, yes Yumi has a sister and no, Sora doesn’t go here. She’s still in her…freshman year…I think.”

“Oh, two years. Being a Junior isn’t that bad.”

“’Cept with all those seniors teasing us…”

“True, but next year, we’ll be the top ones, right?”

“Right. Ooh, can’t wait.”

“Us either. What about you guys, any girls?”

“They do.” Ulrich answered, “Not for me.”

“The most wanted player in school doesn’t have a lady?” Mark and Henry asked in unison.

Ulrich sighed, “Nope.”

“Ain’t that sad?” Jer laughed, patting Ulrich’s shoulder.

“Mmm Hmm.” Henry nodded, and then his glance settled on Ulrich, “So, who are you aiming for?”

“No one.” Ulrich fibbed, “Singe and loving it. You can be both happy and single you know.”

“YEAH! Amen, Ulrich. Amen.” Mark tittered.

“Girls can be such a pain.” Henry sighed, “Always wanting to be with you, or want nothing to do with you. There’s nothing in the middle for them. No mercy.”

“Yeah, I know.” Jeremie sank deeper in his chair, THIS case, in depression, “I think my girlfriend doesn’t love me anymore.” Jer looked at the door Aelita took toward the second dorms almost half an hour ago.

“Oh? Is she cheating on you? Do you know it? Are you sure? Does she stop talking to you? Is that so?” Mark sat up, falling on the way in the sofa would suffocate people.

“Well, no. She just doesn’t want to be with me anymore.”

“Yeah? Hey. She might just want to be with her friends for awhile. Let time go on. If you continue to feel that way for another week or two, you have the entire right to dump her, AND my permission.” As Mark spoke, he moved his hands around, his way of showing he was in a content mood.

“Yeah, that sounds good to me.”

“Yep. Dude, you can’t rush them. They always want their lady nights.”

“Mmm Hmm.” Odd nodded.

Ulrich glanced at the clock- seven and a half minutes before fifth period.

“What do you guys have 5th?”

“Math.”

“Both of ya?”

“Yeah. What about you?”

“Sure. See ya.”

“Hey, Theo. What’s the rush?”

“Did you hear?”

“Hear….what?”

“That the girls have to come over to THIS field.”

“Okay, WHY?”

“Dunno. But, HELLO!”

Odd and Ulrich shared a look, before rolling their eyes, and setting out for the field.

“Alright fellas. It seems word has leaked out before I made the announcement.” The coach for the boys stated, “It’s true, since the other field is under construction, the ladies will come over here. Okay?”

Moans, groans, snickers, whispers, laughs, wolf whistles, and grr’s were heard from the field.

“Don’t get too outta control, now guys. It’s only for a week. Don’t get too attached.”

“SURE THING COACH SMITH!” The boys chanted at once.

“That’s right men! Now, before we can really do anything, we have to wait for the girlies to come over here.”

“Duddde.” William whispered to Theo, Ulrich, and Odd, “A whole week with pretty girls in short shorts and barely any tops!”

“Uggh. I’m not that desperate.” Ulrich answered, after a rolling of his eyes, (Of course, Odd and Theo snickered) “Big whoop. I honestly don’t care. Most of our guys will be too busy checking those girls out, our performance will suffer greatly.”

“Oh? But Romeo, I heard that Yumi has gym 5th.” Theo looked up to Ulrich.

“Yeah…so?” He answered. Although, inside, he was jumping up and down, and screaming. His heart-race spiked, but of course, it’s all inside.

“Dude, she’s such a model.” William added, “Have you seen her?”

“Yeah.” Ulrich nodded, “I’ve seen here around school, but I haven’t really spoken to her.”

“Oh, you will now.”

I flicked my ear, and heard the coach talk back, no, not deaf, just pissed off.

“I know, I know, girls. But don’t you worry. Their coach has talked to them. Besides, there’s only fifteen guys there anyway. Remember, 5th period is soccer practice for the guys.”

“…Right.”

And the complaining stopped there.

And ew, all these preps around soccer players? Oh geez, what are these coaches trying to pull? A new way to find true love?

Sheesh.

I wish Aei was here with me, I wouldn’t feel so all alone, I have Sam here, sure, but she has other friends. Aei has English with her boyfriend, so I guess it’s for the better, since they barely talk anymore.

“ISHIYAMA!”

“Yeah?”

“You’re the new captain!”

“WHY?!”

“Because I said so!”

I gave the coach a puzzled look and she added on.

“Alright, the girls had a vote.”

“And I was chosen?” I didn’t really want to be, we were walking and talking over to the other field, toward the boys.

“You sure were darlin’. No blame on them either. You’re a fine athletic girl –on a sports team- I presume.”

“Thanks, Coach, Thanks.” I puffed out a breath, the blow my strand of hair away, and because, I just felt like it. As we came closer, I could see figures running up and down the field, man, does the coach push them that hard? The boys were wearing our school colors- blue and white. Oh, how amazing.

“Hush it, Yumi, and listen to yourself.” My coach told me, she and I are okay friends, she only being 7 years older than me, made it okay to talk to her, and hang out in public, she’s a pretty well respected “teacher” here, “ When I was your age I would kill to be with my school’s soccer hunks.”

Hunks? Did she just call 10th grade perverts, hunks? I admit, there’s this one that I kinda like, but that’s cause we’re friends, but that doesn’t matter, I don’t think he’s cute. I think he’s nice, and stuff like that. I’d never date him, but I love hanging with him.

And hunk would never cross my mind about him. AT ALL!!

“Uggh, I’m not into stuck-up athletes, that think they’re better from all the rest, when they are failing all classes, but gym.” I retorted.

“No, Ish, many of them are doing just fine in every class, but I do agree, some are pretty full of themselves.”

“THANK YOU.”

Uggh. Those damn boys with their stuck-up attitudes, with their bitterness, and their…EVERYTHING. I hate them.

I don’t know them; but I know I’ll hate them.

But that one, cuz he’s cool like that.

“Amazing sir.” Theo replied, “We’ll send them a bouquet of flowers, gift cards, and gift baskets once we start to care.”

“Very funny. I’m not too sure what we all are gonna do…”

“No worries, HEY there, ladies!”

“Hi there boys.” Most girls replied.

As the girls walked closer, whispers and spurs twined between the boys.

“Oh my god, that one on the left? She’s so hot!”

“Do you think the one in the middle, red hair, Do you think she’d go out with me?”

“Hey, man, do you think I should just dump Rachel, and date her?”

Were some of the sentences spoken between the boys.

As both groups came together, the coaches gathered them toward the bleachers, and the coaches talked for a little while in ‘private’ and they ended up going over to the principal to find something for both sexes to do.

The teens took advantage, and started chilling around, lazing, and chatting. Who wouldn’t? It’s a Thursday afternoon.

“You must be Yumi.” Theo smiled a flirtish smile her way. As Yumi nodded, he added, “I’m Theo, I don’t really think we’ve met.”

“Well, I guess you don’t really think at all. We met in the school’s loft two hours ago, Mr. Gaunter.” Yumi responded, “So, was that Mr. Not-so-smooth’s nice move?”

Theo stayed quiet as another boy shouted,

“You just got TOLD!” And the boys snickered vigorously.

“Pardon, I must’ve forgotten.” Theo apologized.

“Course you did. Pardon, but what kind of a dunce do you think I am?”

“…Not one at all, Yumi.”

“Yeah? Well, good thing we have a whole week together, eh?”

“…Sure.” Theo sat next to her, “Anything planned?”

“…This week? Yeah. School.”

“Nah, this weekend.”

“Yeah, one thing.”

“What would that be?”

“Avoid you.” Yumi got up and walked away, toward Sam and Teri who were the only people standing up, five feet from the bleachers.