College Life Part 22: 'Tournament' is 'Torment' misspelled by Greenbeans Mild cursing and silly bets are made within. Comments, thoughts, complaints compliments, ramblings, and flames are all accepted. But the latter two stand a serious chance of being printed out and turned into paper cranes. All characters are property of their respective holders. I belong to myself, thank you and have a nice day :) ********** Spring Break had come and gone. And as always, heralding the return to classes was the deluge of homework. I didn't mind it all that much, especially since my mind would drift every now and again to the proud fact that I could now swim. It was after dinner when John came by my room. Alex, Jeff, and I were engaged in a fast paced game of Scrabble with Jeff's current turn stretching on into the minutes. John greeted us easily while peeking over Jeff's shoulders to see what letters he had. "What brings you here?" I asked, standing up to get another soda from the fridge. At this rate, we were going to be here all night. He pulled himself away from studying the board to hand me a sheet of paper from his ever present clipboard. "I wanted to give you your team assignment for the upcoming five-on-five basketball tournament." "Wait just a minute," I protested, shooting him a nasty look. "I agreed to play *baseball* not basketball. I don't like basketball. It involves unsavory things such as running around and sweating. Baseball is perfect, I can stand in the outfield and only have to run once in a while to make a play." He gave me a look that clearly said I was trying his patience. Jeff put down a word and Alex quickly pointed out that it wasn't a valid one. He grumbled and picked up his tiles. "I'm having everyone who signed up for the baseball team participate in the tournament as a sort of get in shape exercise. You especially," he pointed at me with the end of his mechanical pencil. "If Beans is playing, the team should have six people to make up for the handicap," Jeff quipped. Alex smacked him lightly. I didn't appreciate his vote of no confidence, but he was onto something. "Baseball teams have more than five people. Why do I have to play? What about everyone else?" I argued, trying to squirm out of this. "Everyone else is playing. We're entering two teams," he explained. "What are the team names?" Alex asked, happily gunning down another one of Jeff's words. Her boyfriend lamented as he picked up his tiles once again. "Team alpha is called the Decompilers and team beta is WYSIWYG." "Let me guess, you put me on team beta," I said dryly. He nodded and I smacked my forehead with the palm of my hand. He obviously didn't expect much from team 'What You See Is What You Get'. "What team is Haruka on?" I asked. He only confirmed my suspicions about WYSIWYG when he said that she was on the Decompilers. Knowing him, he probably wanted WYSIWYG to whittle down the competition and then the Decompilers would be the ones to bring home the win. And the tournament was next weekend. Oh joy... ***** (The next day) ***** Nicholas was once again indulging his latest hobby of losing to Haruka at the hoops. He was certainly improving, Haruka thought, that much was evident. However, he was still nowhere near a level of skill that would require her to show off a bit more of her innate 'talent' as a Sailor Senshi. It wasn't long before he was winded, she had impressively crushed him, and they were both due for their respective classes in twenty minutes. "I don't know how you do it sometimes," Nicholas said as he sat down on the corner of the bleachers. He tossed Haruka the sports towel she had brought with her. "Here my lungs have turned into crinkled little bags, and you've barely broken a sweat. What kind of physical training did you do in Japan?" Haruka grinned. "The rigorous kind." He probably would have laughed and thought it a joke if she told him how she had developed such skill and finesse from fighting daimons. "So then, when's our next rematch?" Nicholas asked. "I'm free on Wednesday from eleven to noon," Haruka replied. She gently padded some of the sweat clinging to her shoulders and the base of her neck. Nicholas nodded as he picked up his duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder. "See you then," he agreed, heading for the doors. "Incidentally," he added over his shoulder. "The five-on-five intramural team sign-ups are this week. Will you be signing up for the 'geek' team?" He acted as if it was an afterthought, but Haruka knew he had planned it. "I already have," she replied. "John made me the captain of the Decompilers." Word of her repeatedly trouncing Nicholas at one-on-one basketball had apparently spread around, and John had been very eager to sign her up. An impish smile crept its way onto Nicholas' face. "Excellent. I look forward to seeing how well you fare against my Paper Airplane Commandoes then." ***** (a few days later) Already my dislike of the tournament had elevated from 'pesky nuisance' to full-blown loathing. John had set up a horrible schedule where WYSIWYG had a few after-classes practice sessions during the rest of the week. "Oh, stop your bellyaching," Dan sighed as we waited in the cafeteria line-up. "I'm on the WYSIWYG team and you don't see me complaining." "That's probably because John paid you off," I grumbled. Dan rolled his eyes at me. "Do you really have that much homework to contend with this week?" "No," I admitted, "It's not that I'm incredibly busy this week, I just hate basketball, that's all." "Careful," Dan told me, "Some students here would call such words blasphemy." "Then why don't they play on the team instead of me?" We both turned our heads as Andy called out my name and joined us at the line. "A company contacted me," Andy said, brimming with excitement. "Apparently I made the top of their headhunting list. They want me to do my internship with them, and if they like my work enough, they're going to hire me on when I graduate!" Dan cheered, slapping Andy on the back. "So where do you get to go, you lucky man?" "They've got branches all over the country, but they want me to work at their headquarters in Miami." "How sweet that is," Dan sighed happily, "summer in Miami." Andy looked at me, and with that wide smile of his face said, "You should come along too, if you can, Beans. I'd love to spend the summer in Miami with you." "You could use the tan," Dan agreed. I gave Dan a good-natured punch in the arm. Andy had to run off to a meeting of some sort before his next class, and since he had only stopped by to tell us the news, he was off pretty fast. As I watched him leave, I couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of my stomach as I thought about Miami. Could I actually go to a place where I knew no one else--save for Andy? I hated to admit to it, but while I cared for Andy, the idea was not exactly thrilling me as I had wanted it to. As I searched for a seat, mulling over my own options for the upcoming summer, I spotted Haruka and Michiru at one of the tables. Not surprisingly, Nicholas was there too. "Ah, it's the Beanie herself!" Nicholas remarked as he waved to me. "I was just telling Haruka here how the Engineering's intramural basketball team has been able place somewhere among the top three for the last decade." "With Haruka, we might just be able to get back at you Engineering students for once," I said. It was fun seeing the look of mild indignation on Nicholas' face. While he was never one to hold any personal grudge against us geeks, he always enjoyed teasing us about the geek/engineering rivalry. "Hey, one really good player doesn't make up the whole team," Nicholas replied evenly. "You geeks will have five of us all in Haruka's face." "And I'll probably dance circles around all five of you," Haruka taunted Nicholas. She spun the basketball around on her index finger with minimal fuss. "See, this requires skill." Michiru nodded and not-so-quietly said aside to Nicholas, "You don't know the half of what those hands can do." Nicholas, drinking a Coke, promptly choked on it. "Are you trying to kill me before the game?!" he sputtered. "No point, really," replied Haruka, "You're not much of a threat anyways." A coy smile appeared on Michiru's face. "Ah," she said, "and I don't want anyone to try and outshine my Haruka now, do I?" Both Nicholas and I regarded Michiru with some newfound degree of concern. "You scare me sometimes, Michiru, you know that?" Nicholas said. I rolled my eyes and excused myself from the cafeteria before they could carry on with more of their swaggering. Thinking about Andy and Miami had spoiled my appetite anyways. "It's like working with six year-olds sometimes," I sighed on my way out. Haruka was still trying to barb Nicholas. "Oh, going to tuck your tail between your legs and scamper off already?" she said. "Excuse me," Nicholas retorted evenly, "but my team is going to mop the gymnasium with your Decompilers. There's no debate; it's a reality you're just denying right now." Haruka laughed and twirled the basketball on her fingertip again. "If you're that confident, why not a friendly wager on the outcome?" "You're on," Nicholas said. "If my team wins the five-on-five basketball tournament, then you get to treat me to dinner at a very nice restaurant, Haruka." Haruka was just about to say that it wasn't much of a bet, but then Nicholas added, "And you get to wear a dress." Haruka stared dumbfounded at Nicholas. Michiru did little to hide the grin on her face. "You've done it now, love," she said to Haruka, a hint of amusement in her voice. "I've heard the tales of how rare it is to see you in a dress," Nicholas continued. "Sound like high enough stakes for you, or is that fear I smell?" "You're just smelling the beef stroganoff," Haruka snorted, jutting her chin over at the cafeteria counter. She seemed convinced, though. "You're on, Nicholas. If my team wins, which it will, that fancy dinner is on you." Nicholas nodded. "Works for me. Deal." "Ah, but that's too easy," Michiru drawled. She flashed Nicholas a devilish smile, and a chill ran down his spine. "If she wins, you get to wear the dress at dinner." Haruka wished she had a camera to capture the horrified look on Nicholas' face. Oh, the memories that would have made in years to come! ***** Later that evening, I found myself staring at Yggy's screen and unable to type anything. It wasn't because I had spent an hour practicing for the tournament earlier. It also wasn't because I was trying to figure out what to type. What Andy had said at lunch had me thinking probably more than I should have, but I couldn't help it. Here he was, already getting an internship and a potential job once he graduated, and I had barely given either of those any real consideration. There was also the fact that both would put him in Miami. If he spent a summer there, it wouldn't be that much of a problem. It was to be expected of college romances. That didn't stop me from worrying about after the summer. What if Andy was given that job in Miami? Would he want me to come along with him? Did I want to go with him? Were we that serious about our relationship that we'd have to talk about the option of moving? Would I even be able to find a job there? What sort of job would I want if or when I got there? What sort of job did I want anyways? The biggest problem about worrying over future dreams is when you come to the understanding that you've lost sight of whatever future dream you had going into college. I needed to take a walk and clear my head. ***** Nicholas was in one of the gymnasiums, hording a basketball hoop all to himself. It was late enough in the night that none of the indoor sports teams were practicing, so he practically had the entire court to himself. "I was hoping you'd be here," I said as I walked into the gym. "Where else would I go to procrastinate on that physics assignment?" he glibly replied. "So, what's with my favorite bean? Something on your mind?" "Andy's got a job lined up for him when he graduates," I said. I wondered if I sounded excited at all as I relayed the story. "If they like him while he does his internship there this summer, they plan to hire him on full-time. It's a good position that pays well, and it's located in Miami." "Nice beaches, if you don't count the tropical storms, Disney and the alligators," Nicholas remarked, making a shot from the three point line. His shot sank through the hoop with a swoosh of air. "You know, I've always wondered why they name hurricanes after ladies." I shot him an incredulous look. "Sorry, random thought," he apologized. "Go on." "You know how hard it can be for even a university graduate to get a job lined up like this," I said. Nicholas nodded his agreement. "Andy is really hyped, and will probably want to move there." Nicholas busied himself lining up his sights for making his next shot. "And?" Suddenly I felt a lump in my throat, but swallowed in back. It was near impossible for me to say it, but if I couldn't now, when would I ever be able to? "If he asked me to go with him, I don't know if I'd want to," I answered. "I'm not even sure myself of what I want to do in the future." Nicholas winced. It took him a moment before he continued with making his shot. Not surprisingly, the basketball swished its way in. "Sounds complicated," he said finally as he walked over to retrieve his ball. "You're not helping me," I told him. "I don't think I can help you there, Beans," he said, turning to me. It was one of the few times I had seen him serious; he had that fond, honest look you'd get from an older sibling trying to look out for you. "You're asking me advice on something I know nothing about. I wouldn't even know where to begin." Somehow that was not exactly the answer I had been hoping for. When I thought about it after, I realized I wasn't really sure what I'd hear from Nicholas, but it was certainly not anything along those lines. He wasn't even going to offer advice. Nicholas must have seen the expression on my face. "Look, sometimes the wisest person around is the one who knows they can't help you find the answers," he said. "The only thing I can tell you is to stick with the strengths you know you have at your disposal." He made another shot. This time, the basketball bounced off the rim. "There's two I'm thinking of in particular." I already knew what--or rather, whom he was referring to. I had grown so close to Haruka and Michiru in this past year that they felt like members of my own family. "Thanks, Nicholas." "I really do hope it works out for you, Beans," he said as he retrieved his ball. I mutely nodded, listening to the sound of his basketball being thrown across the air and sinking through the hoop. "Say, can I ask you a question?" Nicholas said. "Sure." "Hypothetically speaking," he said, "what if I had somehow made a bet with Haruka that my Paper Airplane Commandos would win against her Decompilers?" "Hypothetically speaking, you're asking for trouble," I told him. Nicholas nodded. "And, hypothetically speaking of course, what if the bet was dinner, and the loser had to pay?" "I'd be worried about what Michiru would hypothetically think about this." "See, that's just it," Nicholas said. He tried to make a shot, but right before he would have released the ball, he held back and turned to me. "Now again, Beans, this is all hypothetical, but what if Michiru not only endorsed this hypothetical bet, but also added that the loser would have to wear a dress to dinner. Hypothetically speaking, how bad is that?" I told him what I would have told any other guy in his position: "You're a dead man in drag, Nicholas. I'd say shave your legs now." "Some comfort you are!" Nicholas groaned. "Whose side are you on?" "Hey, you're the guy who willingly signed himself up for this torment," I said. "It's just a tournament," Nicholas replied. I shrugged. "Tournament, torment; the words are interchangeable." Nicholas rolled his eyes. "First you laugh at my fears, now you're stealing my lines." "What are you so worried about?" I said with a laugh. "Haruka cross-dresses all the time. When have you ever seen her in really feminine clothes?" Nicholas failed to appreciate my logic. "And that's supposed to make me happy about feeling a draft up my skirt, how?" ***** (Soon after) ***** With so much riding on the outcome of their match (this was, of course, assuming either team made it to the finals), Nicholas and Haruka had turned to that age-old strategy of psyching your opponent out. Nicholas tried to use his charm and the overall skill of his team to razz Haruka. Haruka used the most fiendish weapon of all: Michiru. The world in which they share became one of harmless, childish pranks and scary innuendo. Haruka more than anyone turned psyching someone out into an art-form. For their Wednesday one-on-one match, Nicholas started by tossing Haruka a basketball covered in Vaseline. His laughter was short- lived as some globs of Vaseline fell onto the floor, and he slipped on that. [This bean does not endorse such a prank on a gym floor that sees a lot of foot traffic. It's slick stuff and you could hurt someone! Just covering my butt here, folks. ;) ] Switching to a non-greased basketball he brought along, the games continued as Haruka stood by Nicholas and talked smack while he practiced his free throws. "Yeah, it's easy to toss 'em up there when you're standing still," she said casually right as he made another throw. "Ooh, too bad, you missed it anyway!" Their next "versus" match was on the Friday, and that found the razzing getting raised to a new level as Haruka brought Michiru along for the session. "So slow," Haruka said as she raced around Nicholas and made a lay-up. "Maybe I should bring you a cane or a walker for the game." "Hey, if I had sexy, well-toned legs like yours, I'd be able to just bound across the courts too," Nicholas retorted. With the ball now in his possession, he began the daunting task of getting past Haruka's defense. "I'd rather she put her sexy, well-toned legs to better use in the bedroom," Michiru drawled slyly. "After all, it's where she toned them up in the first place." Not expecting to hear something like that, Nicholas froze. Haruka stole the ball from him, but didn't bother with making another lay- up. "Michiru, darling," she said, her face a little flustered, "can I talk to you about not revealing any more of our love life to strangers for a moment?" "No, go on," Nicholas said. "This is getting interesting." That earned him a glare, and just for that, Haruka bounced the ball off his head and then dropped a three-point basket. "Hey, no fair!" Nicholas called out. "I was distracted. It's two against one here!" "Cry me a river," Haruka said. "By the way, Michiru wants to take your measurements after this, so we can shop for a dress that's the perfect size for you. Feel free to tag along and model for us." That certainly served to ignite Nicholas' proverbial fire again, and for the next ten minutes he went after Haruka with every bit of strength and cunning he had. It still didn't stack up against Haruka's natural skill and speed. Yet Nicholas did have his moments, especially when guarding her. In basketball, it's not uncommon to have your hand resting on the other player's hip. Haruka noticed Nicholas' hand on her hip. "Can I help you?" she inquired dryly. "Just a light touch to know where you are while I'm tracking the ball," Nicholas said with as innocent a grin as he could muster. "Don't manhandle my Haruka," Michiru stated in no uncertain terms. Haruka was a little embarrassed by the remark, but took it in stride. "Why, Michiru," Nicholas quipped, "I never knew you cared!" "I care about you damaging my merchandise," Michiru replied. Nicholas stopped dead in his tracks. "Um... okay." ***** "You've been having far too much fun pushing him, you know that?" Michiru said as she and Haruka left the gym behind. Haruka nodded. "Poor guy just doesn't know when to admit he's outmatched." After all the running around, she was ready to have a nice, hot shower and wash the sweat off her body. At least for the time being she had a good track suit that ensured she wouldn't freeze outside. "Tell me that amidst all the bravado, you at least haven't forgotten why I'm here visiting?" Michiru said. "We're heading to Beans' dorm room and not the parking lot, aren't we?" Beans was busy typing up an essay on Yggy when they knocked on the door to her room. Alex was out practicing for the tournament, so Michiru sat down on the edge of her bed, while Haruka wanted to stand after all her exercise. "Hey!" Beans said, happy to see them. "What brings you two here?" "You asked us over, didn't you?" Haruka remarked, a bemused grin on her face. Beans laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I did. I see you've been giving Nicholas another run for his money too." "Guy doesn't know when to admit he's outclassed," Haruka said. "At least you two can enjoy it," Beans grumped, "Tonight's the first real night off I've had to do work. John's actually expecting WYSIWYG to do something productive on the courts." "The question is: will you do something productive on those courts, Mame-chan?" Haruka replied. She made a face as she peeled a bit of her sweat-drenched collar off her skin. "If you want, you can go catch a shower in the bathrooms," Beans offered. She thumbed over to Yggy's screen. "I still have to contend with another four pages to write and footnote. Can I scrounge up something for you to drink while you wait for her, Michiru?" "Beans," Michiru said softly. "You're trying to dodge the real issue." With a long sigh, Beans relented and explained everything to them: Andy, Miami, her uncertainty about where she'd want to be in the future, let alone over the summer. "I just don't know what to think anymore," Beans said as she finished, "It's like I've been able to use my classes as an excuse not to really think about what happens once I graduate. All I've needed to do in the past is just focus on finishing up the semester, and there'd always be another one to follow it. But now... I have no clue what I really want to do with my life." Beans slumped down in her chair. "I still have an internship to do before I graduate. How does that fit into everything? I haven't even started looking." "Everyone has a dream, Beans," Michiru said. "Some dreams are the most noble things you've ever heard, so much so that you want to be a part of them yourself." "I feel a distinct 'but' coming on." Michiru nodded. "But some dreams don't belong to us, no matter how much we or someone else wants us to take part." "Chasing after the wrong dream can be dangerous," Haruka said. "Sometimes chasing after a dream that isn't ours means we're only running away from our own dream. Believe me, I know." "But that's just it," Beans said quietly, feeling so utterly overwhelmed. "I don't know what my dream is anymore. I thought I knew once, but now I have no idea." Haruka came over to Beans and placed a consoling arm over Beans' Shoulders. She also gave Michiru a look, as if to silently ask if there was anything they could do to help get the ball rolling. Michiru just responded with a warm smile at her partner. Something would turn up in the end. It always would. And she had a feeling that Haruka was already hatching a plan that could be best described as 'interesting'. ***** The night before the tournament ***** Beans gingerly rubbed her hands together as she took in all that the cafeteria food line had to offer. Usually Friday's pickings were slim since it was assumed that the students had other plans for the weekend, but tonight seemed to be the exception. With her tray on the rails and her mouth watering she pointed to a yummy looking roast beef sandwich when John interrupted. "She wants the spaghetti," he told the cafeteria lady. Beans shot him an evil look. "No I don't. I want the roast beef," she corrected. John lightly poked her in the back and motioned for the cafeteria lady to keep going with what he'd ordered for Beans. "You should eat pasta the night before a game so that you have a solid base. You'll be having spaghetti for dinner like the rest of your team mates." With a pout, Beans accepted the plate of spaghetti that was handed to her and continued down the line to get some vegetables. Already gathered at their customary table, most of the geeks ate their dinner and psyched themselves up for the tournament tomorrow. None of them expected to win, but they'd give it their best showing. Beans sat down next to Andy and stared at her dinner, which matched his and everyone else's. "What's wrong, I thought you liked spaghetti?" He asked her as she played with her food. "I like it well enough, but I have to be in the mood." "Just chalk it up as a sacrifice for the team!" Dan chipped in between bites of the dinner he was attacking hungrily. "We've got to show the rest of the school what we're made of!" "Wouldn't you need to be a medical student to be able to show them what we're made of?" April quipped wryly. "That's disgusting," Andy groaned. Beans paled even further as she poked at her dinner with her fork. Beans was not looking forward to this tournament. It was bad enough that she had to get up *early* on a weekend (before even the sun was up to cook her between her covers), but she had to change her diet as well. Stupid game. Couldn't they have a basketball video game tournament and call it good? She glanced over at the other tables, and noticed that, while everyone else was more animated with excitement, Nicholas was looking a little paler than usual. Hard to imagine why... ***** Far earlier then any bean should have to get out of bed ***** Much to Andy's surprise, I was already awake and dressed when he came by my room this morning. I may complain endlessly about having to be up this early, but I don't need to be prodded to get out of bed once I'm committed. The two teams were gathering in the cafeteria for a solid breakfast and a final strategy meeting. Even though team alpha and beta started in different brackets, we were in the same division. There was no way we'd meet each other in the finals. If team WYSIWYG made it so far as the semi-finals, they should give the game to us by default, in my opinion. There really wasn't much to our strategy. Our team had a few plays, as in, maybe three. We hadn't even chosen a captain yet. We did have an idea for how we'd position ourselves, that was something. Andy and Dan would take up the post positions down under the net. The guy's height is what earned them their placement. I'm going to be one of the wings, the position off to the side that tried to feed the ball to the posts. Well, I think that's what I'm supposed to do. I'm still a bit shaky on the rules. As long as I don't shove my elbow into anyone's gut or push them down, I should be all right. Haruka was already here when Andy and I arrived. She was looking at something on John's clipboard and discussing it with him. Spotting us coming in, she nodded once more then whistled with an impish grin on her face. "We get to see those sexy legs of yours, Beans," she teased. I felt my cheeks become hot. I wasn't that fond of wearing shorts, but even I saw the practicality of it when playing a game as active as this one. "Lemme alone," I grumbled sourly. "I haven't teased you, have I?" "What could you tease me about? I know I'm hot. If I had any doubts, I could ask Michiru and she'd confirm it for me," Haruka continued to grin. "Michiru's biased," I pointed out. "That's the best kind of opinion to have, isn't it, Andy?" Haruka ribbed him. It was Andy's turn to fluster. Today was definitely going to be one of *those* days if Haruka was this randy and the sun wasn't even up yet... **** The five-on-five basketball tournament began, and the turnout was quite impressive, with the stands pretty much filled up as students from different divisions cheered their teams on. It was expected that the Athletics department team would (once again) sweep the tournament and take first place. Team WYSIWYG, as John figured from the outset, accomplish little outside of whittling down the competition. That, and provide Haruka with great amusement as I got called for traveling multiple times because I didn't quite get the idea of a pivot foot. "Choose one and stick with it, Beans!" Haruka called out to me from the front row of the stands. I scowled and stared down at my sneakers. "Why?" With a groan, Haruka sighed, "Baka." In the end, WYSIWYG was the third team to be eliminated, and I was more than happy to head for the safety of the bleachers and continue the tournament as a mere spectator. "You didn't fare so badly out there, Beans," Haruka said to me as she got up and let me take her seat. According to the tournament roster, the Decompilers would be playing the next game in about ten minutes. That would give the teams a chance to warm up, and the officials to clean up the court. "Really?" I asked, somewhat surprised by her encouragement. Haruka shrugged. "I'll avenge your horrible demise, at any rate." "John won't like it if I hurt his star player before the next game," I threatened. "I don't think I'd be thrilled with that either," added Michiru. In a stunning contrast to all the casual jeans and sweaters dominating the bleachers, she had dressed with her usual stylish flair. Before any other jabs could be made, John called Haruka over to the Decompiler's bench. The tournament continued for the rest of the day, and as the evening approached the Decompilers were among the top three teams. Despite the tournament having already taken most of the day, the bleachers were still packed. In a not exactly startling way the Athletics team, Team Pump You Up, creamed the competition and took first place. Nicholas' Paper Airplane Commandoes lost to them in the game deciding first place. However, that meant that battling for second place would be the Paper Airplane Commandoes... and the Decompilers. While the Decompilers had half-decent players, they were relying primarily on Haruka to help pull them through. On the other hand, Nicholas' team consisted of students whose basketball skills were pretty good. On the other hand, we had Haruka. As the game began, the two captains faced off at the center line. "I've got those reservations for us ready," Nicholas said, a cocky grin on his face. "Do try to co-ordinate your earrings with your ensemble." Haruka sized him up with a glance, and then it was her turn to grin wickedly. "Ah, you *are* about a size nine after all. I'll have to tell Michiru that we're going with the stiletto-heel pumps after all." The referee tossed the ball into the air, and from there on, the gymnasium was alive with the sound of dribbling, basketballs bouncing off the backboards, and the crowd cheering at the top of their lungs. Now, understand that at a tourney like that, they have snacks. Most gyms have a snack stand that is manned by a club trying to earn cash (they take turns), so there was plenty of soda, nachos, hot dogs, and mishaps along the sidelines. As it so happened that as the basketball game went on, the fans started growing rowdy as they cheered their teams of choice on. The geeks were especially proud that their team had reached this far, which usually didn't happen. For the Electronics division, who usually placed well, it was a matter of pride. I was suddenly very glad that I was sitting with Michiru in the front row; I didn't have to worry about standing up the entire game, or being jostled all over from the moving masses. However, I was more worried about Michiru going wild in the stands. "Take him down, Haruka!" she screamed in Japanese, startling me. "You know the reward that's waiting for you at home!" I didn't want to know about that, personally. Then Michiru practically jumped up and down like a cheerleader when Haruka made a slam dunk as Nicholas tried to block her. "Now that," she said to me, quite satisfied, "is how you beat the pants off someone, Mame-chan." "Seems almost appropriate that you've got a dress ready for him, then," I remarked. Michiru smiled. "Ara, you heard about that? Poor Nicholas doesn't stand a chance." On the court, the ball changed hands and one of the Decompilers passed it to Haruka. She made a fast break down the court and made another lay-up. Michiru cheered even louder this time, and I almost thought I'd go deaf. "Wai!" Michiru shouted. "Take those Electronics boys apart piece by--" Michiru nearly got clocked by a flying hotdog over that remark. Indignant, she stood up and glared at the stands behind her. That entire section of the stands went silent for a moment. It wasn't made any better when I pointed out the mustard on her dress. "Damn... Haruka will be pissed if she finds out," I said. Michiru's eyes narrowed as she made a quick scan of the crowd and spotted someone who had hotdog buns but without the hotdog. "My revenge," she stated evenly to me, "is much, much worse." I wasn't really paying attention, with the game going on and the other fans still roaring at their favorite team. "Maybe we can get some cold water to take out the worst of it," I suggested. But Michiru demurely sat herself back down and flashed me a very calm, very unnerving smile. "All taken care of," she cheerfully announced. I later learned through the gossip channels that someone sitting about four rows behind us somehow wound up with cold ice not only down his shirt, but his pants as well. And then when he sat down on the bleachers, he found himself plopping down onto a large puddle of very cold liquid. Back to the game, it was kept pretty close for most of the time. Nicholas was bent on going to dinner with pants on, but Haruka was moving faster than I'd ever seen her move before. Given the broad smile on her face, she was certainly enjoying herself. She also amazed everyone as she dropped three point shots and gave a few more dunks. I wouldn't have been surprised if the college's Women's Basketball Team tried to sign her up after this performance. The game was only twenty minutes long, and ended with the Decompilers winning with 10 points over the Paper Airplane Commandoes. Michiru was thrilled and raced over to give Haruka a victory kiss. Nicholas was mortified. ***** the next day (Sunday) ***** Since our dorm floor was made up mostly of geeks, we celebrated our second place victory for most of Saturday night and Sunday morning. Being the reasonable bean that I was, I called it quits and crawled into bed at around 1am. Some of the others, like Dan, were apparently up until 4am. As a result of the party, the residence was rather quiet as students tried to catch up on sleep, or tried to catch up on exams. More than a few just tried to recover from their hangovers from the night before. Around mid-afternoon, I chanced upon Nicholas, who was milling about in the common area. This was odd, since he wasn't a resident of this particular dorm. "What are you doing here?" I asked. Nicholas glanced my way, looking about as a forlorn as a puppy who had lost its favorite play-sock. "Tonight's the night," he said. "Haruka's collecting on our little bet. She's due to be picking me up here in a few minutes, as a matter of fact. I don't suppose you could talk Haruka out of this, could you?" I shook my head. "You know Haruka." Grudgingly, Nicholas had to nod in agreement. "I don't suppose you could just kill me right now and spare me the abject humiliation?" "You earned it, not me." "Details, details," Nicholas waved it aside. I waited around with him until we saw Haruka pull up to the front of the residence. Zipping his jacket up, Nicholas steeled himself for the evening and headed out to her car. I waved to Haruka from the warmth of the indoors, and she waved back. As Haruka pulled away with her prisoner, I couldn't help but wonder if she and Michiru would actually go through with something like that. But it wasn't my problem, so I returned to my assignments more amused than worried. ***** Nicholas whistled his approval as he strolled into the house behind Haruka. "Nice place you two have here. Suits Michiru more than anyone, though." "It has a large garage, so I was sold on it," Haruka said, hanging up her coat. Michiru was seated upon their living room couch, reading a Japanese novel. She looked up from her book and smiled warmly at Nicholas. "Welcome to our home away from home." "You know," Haruka remarked as she glided into the kitchen with a few bulging grocery bags in her hands, "I think he's maybe the fourth person to ever see what our house looks like." "If you don't think I can handle your interior decorating skills, I could just leave," Nicholas offered, reaching for the doorknob. "No need to bother you, it'd be my pleasure!" Haruka stuck her head out from the kitchen. "Oh no you don't! You find a spot on the couch, sit down and like it." Still shaking his head at how he'd managed to get himself into this situation, Nicholas sat down next to Michiru on the couch. "I suppose making a break for escape's out of the question," he said. Michiru nodded as she turned a page in her book. "Haruka would catch up to you in three seconds, then drag you back here. Not really worth the effort." "Thought not." Haruka emerged from the kitchen a few minutes later, savoring every minute as she watched Nicholas squirm where he sat. "Well, no sense delaying the inevitable. Care to show him what he's won, Michiru?" Michiru led Nicholas down the hall and stopped at the door to the master bedroom. "Your dress awaits you," she said, opening the door and showing him inside. Laid out on the bed for Nicholas was a red, short-sleeved, short- skirted maid's outfit, complete with a small white apron that tied into a bow at the back. Nicholas gaped. "I have to wear THAT?" "Well, not just that," Michiru said. "There's a nice little maid's hat to go with the outfit." "Is that pantyhose?" Michiru nodded. "Unless you'd rather shave your legs for the occasion." Nicholas buried his head in his hands. "It's a dark day for Electronics majors everywhere." Michiru placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. "After we make sure the size fits, I've got some mirrors I'd like you to model in front of. Haruka made sure to buy extra film this weekend." Stuck in shock, Nicholas could only stare at the maid's outfit. "Well, look at it this way," Michiru offered. "At least we're not making you go out public wearing this. Haruka and I get you all to ourselves tonight." ***** Nicholas took his time changing, understandably. When Michiru did finally manage to coax him out of the bedroom, his entire face was a shade of red to match the dress he was now wearing. Haruka applauded his entrance. "Good thing you play so much basketball," she said. "Your legs don't look half bad with that dress." "You are going to pay for this one day, Haruka," Nicholas stated in no uncertain terms, "Yes, you shall." Michiru chuckled at that. "So, if we're not going out to a restaurant, as Michiru indicated," Nicholas said, "then what are we going to do?" "Oh, I thought it was obvious," Michiru said. "You get to cook for us in that delightful little outfit." Nicholas blushed again. "Uh... Mac and cheese sound good?" "I expect better than that!" Haruka snorted. Michiru led Nicholas into the kitchen and presented him with a sheet of paper atop a small stack of cookbooks. "I have a list of what we'd like served for our dinner tonight," she said, "along with the recipes. All the necessary ingredients are here, and if you can't find any of the kitchenware or utensils, just let either of us know." Nicholas nodded, resigned to his fate, and skimmed through the list. "A bottle of chilled 1957 Merlot red wine?" Wide-eyed, Nicholas looked up from the list. "Do you have any idea how expensive that is?" "I should hope so, since I was the one who purchased it," Michiru replied. "Now get to work; Haruka and I usually eat by seven each night." On her way out, she lightly smacked Nicholas' rear end, causing Nicholas to almost hit the ceiling. "I swear I'm never going to make a bet with those two ever again, so long as I live," he muttered. For the next half hour, Haruka and Michiru entertained themselves by sitting on the couch and listening to the sounds of Nicholas fumbling around in the kitchen. "Why are we doing this exactly?" Haruka inquired of her partner. Michiru rewarded Haruka with a coy smile. "It's not often we find someone so willing to let us play dress-up with him. Do you know of anyone in Tokyo who would let us get away with this?" That got Haruka thinking. "Handmaid Mamoru?" she remarked, scratching the back of her head. "No, definitely not." Suddenly Nicholas' voice came from the kitchen: "Um, not to alarm anyone, but could either of you tell me where the fire extinguisher is? Like right now?" ***** Two and a half hours later ***** "Okay, I think I've got everything," Nicholas said as he surveyed the dining table. There was barely any free space left; every single open area was crammed with food or plates. Nicholas began pointing to everything. "The bruschetta bread's all there, I've just brought the Caesar salad out from the fridge, and with any luck the roast isn't overcooked. And I can only pray I haven't screwed up on the chocolate brulee." "I'm sure it will be quite an enjoyable meal," Michiru said, taking her place at the table. Haruka beamed and sat down. "Humiliation is the best spice, after all." "I'm sure. Can I get out of this dress now?" "Hush, Handmaid Nicholas!" Nicholas retreated back into the kitchen, trying to cover his butt with his hands as best he could as he walked. "I think he's a little self-conscious," Haruka remarked. "Care for me to pour you a glass of the Merlot, love?" Michiru nodded her head and held her glass aloft for Haruka. "Nicholas," she said, turning her head towards the kitchen, "you really should join us out here for dinner. It simply wouldn't do for you to hide such a lovely figure in the kitchen." "Do I have to?" he whined. "Yes," the two ladies chorused. Grudgingly, Nicholas came out from his hiding place in the kitchen and shuffled over to the table. "We have a place for you right here," Michiru said, gesturing to a spot already prepared with a plate, wine glass and utensils. "Do us the courtesy of sharing a meal with us. I know it would mean a lot to Haruka." Haruka was wearing the biggest Cheshire cat grin ever. "Have I told you that I really do love you, Michiru?" Haruka looked down at his plate of food, sighed, then sat down in his chair and picked up a fork. "Beans was right," he said, "'Tournament' is 'torment' misspelled." ********** End part 22 ********** Maybe this should have been an omake... It's almost too strange... o.O