Short Story I
Untitled (otherwise known as "The fic that showed my total obsession with PoT")
Words: ~3830
Rating: G
Warnings: Don't read this. Really, just don't. I just posted it up cause ... well, kish-t-rethya asked me to. But I said no. And now actually I don't know why I'm doing this. Maybe just to fill up my journal? Yes, that sounds about right.
This was my first short story I had to write for my creative writing class. I couldn't think of a plot so I turned to my favorite anime and based a few things off of it. I know, I'm a dork. But I'm a happy dork cause my professor liked it well enough.
Any similarities between characters and incidents either in real life or imaginary are entirely coincidental. In other words, this isn't like PoT. And if it is, that was my unconscious' doing and I shouldn't be held liable for it. Cause, really, it does its own thing and I'm just along for the ride.
The first time he was stood up at the tennis court, Ryan Carmody was more than a little annoyed. Mitsu Iwahara hadn’t shown up to tennis practice earlier, either, which was very unlike his teammate. But Ryan thought he would at least show for their daily game after dinner.
The second time he didn’t show, Ryan was more than pissed off. He had seen Mitsu at school earlier that day so he knew the he wasn’t sick, though he did look tired. Still, was it too much to ask for some notice that he wasn’t going to show?
When Mitsu didn’t appear the third day in a row, Ryan was about ready to strangle him. He stayed at the court for an hour in hopes that perhaps Mitsu would show, albeit late. Or at least call him to say that he wouldn’t be able to make it. When there was no word, Ryan decided enough was enough.
The next morning at school, he looked for Mitsu at his locker. He spotted Jared Hunter, Mitsu’s best friend and a fellow tennis team member, instead. Ryan didn’t hesitate and stomped up to him. “Where has Iwahara been?” he demanded without preamble.
Jared spared him a brief glance as he pulled several textbooks from his locker. “And hello to you too, Sunshine. Are you always this cheerful in the morning or am I just lucky?”
Ryan ignored the sarcasm. “So? Why hasn’t Iwahara shown his face lately?”
“What do you mean? He’s been around.”
The vague response sent a trickle of unease down Ryan’s spine. He could tell Jared was hiding something. “No, he hasn’t. He hasn’t even shown for tennis practice, either. What’s going on?”
Studying his face for a long moment, Jared finally shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, Carmody. Just focus on the school ranking matches tomorrow. We’re counting on you to make a strong showing for Singles 1 or 2.”
Ryan narrowed his eyes at the other teen. “I’m planning tpo beat Iwahara for Singles 1 … if he bothers to show up, that is.”
Jared snorted. “I’ll let him know. Gotta go, the bell’s going to ring any minute.” With a brief nod, he hurried down the hallway and disappeared in the throng.
Ryan watched him leave, the prickle of anxiety becoming more pronounced. There was something wrong. Normally, Ryan couldn’t stand spending more than two minutes in Jared’s presence because he was always so damn happy all the time. But today, he had acted unusually subdued.
The shrill call of the warning bell jerked Ryan from his thoughts and he obediently headed for homeroom, wondering what was going on with Mitsu.
At tennis practice after school, Ryan attempted to squeeze information from Coach Max. Instead, the coach bluntly told him to worry more about the ranking matches tomorrow instead of their missing captain. “You’ve wanted that Singles 1 spot ever since freshman year, right? Now’s the chance for you to get it, Carmody.”
Ryan’s fist clenched at the reminder. He was now a senior and this season would be the last time he would be able to try for the Singles 1 spot. He had to win this time or his father would never let him live it down.
With that thought in mind, Ryan turned and headed to the court to find someone to play a match with.
*****
Despite his annoyance, Ryan showed up at the tennis court after dinner again. As he waited, he hit the ball against the wall, rhythmically alternating between a forehand and backhand. Only when he heard the squeak of sneakers on the asphalt did Ryan catch the ball with his free hand as he turned to face his rival.
Mitsu Iwahara smiled weakly at Ryan. He looked unusually pale, especially in the dismal fluorescent yellow court light and his clothes hung on his lean frame more loosely than normal. Even his dark hair was mussed as if left uncombed - it was completely unlike the teen. “Jared said you were looking for me today.”
“Considering you haven’t shown your face here for three days, you think?”
Mitsu sighed softly. “I’m sorry I haven’t come out lately. It’s been … a little hectic at my house lately and I couldn’t get away even for a moment. I only managed it now because I promised I’d be back in an hour at the latest.”
“You didn’t bring your racket,” Ryan observed warily.
“No, I didn’t,” he agreed. “Can we talk for a moment? It won’t take long.”
Ryan hesitated before following Mitsu to the nearby park bench. They sat on opposite ends and looked everywhere but at each other. Ryan’s nerves thrummed uneasily, knowing he was going to hear something he wasn’t going to like.
Unfortunately, he was right. Mitsu finally shifted his gaze to look at Ryan and said, “You’re probably wondering why I haven’t been to practice or shown up for our matches this past week. I didn’t want to say anything until my family and I spoke with the doctors and was completely sure. We got the call right after school today so I guess it’s okay to tell you now.”
Doctors. That definitely didn’t sound like a good sign. Ryan swallowed hard, mouth suddenly dry. “Tell me what?”
Mitsu smiled briefly though it didn’t quite seem sincere. “It’s nothing too terrible, I guess. I just won’t be able to play tennis much longer.” He took a deep breath before saying, “I’m losing my vision.”
The words hung in the air like a ten ton weight and Ryan just stared at the other teen. It took a few moments to remember how to work his jaw before he exclaimed, “W-what? What do you mean? You’re going blind?”
“Sort of. I won’t be losing all of it. Just … most of it. Enough to be legally blind, anyway.” He smiled again, though Ryan was able to tell it was painfully forced. “But hey, at least I’ll never have to drive my sister anywhere again.”
“This isn’t a laughing matter,” Ryan snapped, suddenly furious at his flippancy. “What do you mean you’re losing your vision? You’re barely eighteen!”
Mitsu sighed and rubbed his shoulder wearily. “Yeah. Have you ever heard of Stargardt’s disease? It’s also known as juvenile macular degeneration. My parents have taken me to every specialist they could find in the area in hopes of finding a cure but there isn’t one. All I can do is protect my eyes as best as I can and probably wear goofy contraptions to enhance what vision I’ll have left.”
The quiet matter-of-fact tone convinced Ryan that this was no joke. He lapsed into silence for a long while, looking away uneasily. His entire body felt numb and he couldn’t think clearly. Mitsu was going blind? He couldn’t play tennis anymore?
“My parents are letting me play until I graduate this year,” Mitsu said softly, breaking into Ryan’s jumbled thoughts. “The ophthalmologist said it’ll be all right until then. At least I can play in the state tournament with you guys.”
“But after that … no more tennis?”
Mitsu smiled wryly. “Not unless you want to see me swing at air. I can probably try and play for fun but I’ll never be able to compete again.” He sighed again. “Look, Ryan, Coach Max and Jared are the only other two people who know about what’s happening to me. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell the rest of the team about it until after the tournament.”
“So why tell me?” Ryan asked though he had a suspicion as to why.
“You’re one of the best tennis players we’ve got and I really want to win the Title I division. So I want you to take the Singles 1 spot for the rest of the season. I know that if you do, we’ll be able to win.” He smiled at Ryan.
Ryan stared back at him in patent disbelief before saying flatly, “No.” This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He was supposed to win the spot from Mitsu, not get it by default. He abruptly stood up and stalked towards his tennis bag.
As if anticipating his reaction, Mitsu stopped him with a hand to his arm. “This is for the team, Ryan. I’m asking you to do this so we can win.”
Ryan shook his hand off. “You can still play until the state tournament. So you’d better play.” He veered straight for his bag and stored his racket inside it.
Mitsu sighed and Ryan clenched his jaw at the weary sound. “I know this isn’t ideal but we all have to accept things we don’t want to. At least consider it.”
Zipping up his tennis bag, Ryan slung it over his shoulder and stalked away. He barely glanced back as he said, “If I can’t win it from you, there’s no point. So be ready tomorrow.”
“If you accept the position, you can finally tell your father you’re playing Singles 1.”
Ryan froze in mid-step, mentally cursing Mitsu Iwahara and whoever he heard that from. How did his father end up in this conversation?
“Isn’t that what you think he wants to hear?” Mitsu continued calmly. “It’s the only way you think he’ll be proud of you.”
Ryan took a deep breath. His heart twinged in pain but he ignored it as he muttered, “I’ll think about it.” Then, before he changed his mind, he left.
*****
The next morning, Ryan woke up early to get to school for the ranking tournament. Leaving through the back door, Ryan moved past him before he realized his father was sitting on a lounge chair, smoking a cigarette. Frowning, he turned around and looked at his old man. “What are you doing up so early?” he demanded. Ethan Carmody rarely got up before nine on most days.
The elder Carmody merely took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled the smoke into the air. “Today’s the day, huh?”
Taking a step back from the smoke so it wouldn’t affect him or his lungs, Ryan frowned at him. “Yeah. So what?”
“So good luck, kid. You’re going up against that Jap again, aren’t you?”
Shifting impatiently, the teenager nodded. “So what?” he asked again.
“You’ve never beaten him before.”
He glowered at his father’s blunt words, trying to cover up the hurt. As usual, he wasn’t good enough to live up to the great Ethan Carmody’s expectations. “I’m going to win today,” he muttered.
“And what makes you think that? Cause that kid was nice enough to practice with you the past six months? Cause you always won games with weaker opponents? What makes you think you’ve gotten good enough to go farther than you’ve been before?” The elder stretched his body and stifled a yawn with his free hand. His steely gray eyes fixated back on his son. “Don’t get too cocky. That Jap is good. And you still have a lot to learn.”
He had to leave before his father said anything more to hurt him. As it was, his chest and head were aching from every condemning judgment his father placed on his lack of skills. Spinning around on his heels, Carmody muttered, “I’ll see you later, Dad.” He hurried away as fast as he could without looking back.
*****
Although only the tennis team members were required to appear for the ranking matches, other spectators had shown up in anticipation of the four year rivalry between the two best tennis players on the team. Their competition had turned into something of a legend and they were eager to see the conclusion of it.
Firmly shoving all thoughts of his father’s disappointment away, Ryan headed over to the courts, dodging the milling crowd. Leaning his tennis bag against the fence, Ryan began stretching and carefully ignored everyone so he would be left alone.
“You ready for today, Carmody?” Coach Max asked, drifting over to his side. “This is going to determine the line-up for the state tournament and it could be your last chance to get
that Singles 1 spot you’ve been eying.”
“I know,” Ryan muttered. He leaned over and touched his toes with his hand, concentrating on the pull of his muscles.
“Do your best. I know you won’t let me down.” Coach Max patted him on the back and moved on to torment other students.
As he continued warming up, Ryan focused on what he was doing. He didn’t want to think or feel. Last night’s talk had confused him to the point where his head ached. He couldn’t believe that Mitsu would never play tennis competitively again; he always thought the teenager would someday turn pro. But this would be the last time Mitsu would play tennis to the fullest of his abilities.
Yet his father was expecting him to lose and never take the Singles 1 spot. It hurt, knowing that his old man didn’t have confidence in his own son’s abilities. Ryan sorely wanted to prove his father wrong. He didn’t want to be known as the second-best tennis player in the school. He wanted to be acknowledged as the best.
“So Mits asked you last night, huh?”
Startled from his thoughts, Ryan glanced up at Jared who was standing next to him and staring at the crowd waiting for the start of the matches. “What?”
“Mits told me that he approached you last night with the offer of the Singles 1 position. Why didn’t you just take it? You know you wanted to.”
Ryan scowled at Jared. “That’s none of your business.”
“Actually, it is. It affects the whole team.” He finally turned to look down at Ryan. “This is the last chance for him to compete before he loses his sight. Don’t take the offer. Let him play Singles 1.”
Ryan stood up and stared Jared down. “I didn’t ask him to explain anything so don’t blame me for this, Hunter. I didn’t even know what was going on. So whether or not I accept the offer has nothing to do with you.”
Jared shrugged though his body was tense. “Fine. But is it really so much to ask that you step aside one last time? You’ve still got your eyesight and can turn pro if you wanted to. Did you know that Mits decided to go to a tennis school right after graduation? But he has to write back now and explain why he can’t attend. He always took tennis seriously. You, on the other hand, never did. You just hated the fact that someone was better than you at it and you just wanted to beat him.”
Ryan took a step forward with fists clenched as his face tightened in anger. “You wanna say that again, Hunter? I dare you.”
Jared opened his mouth to retort when a voice called out to them. “Jared! Ryan! Are you two done warming up? The matches are going to start soon.”
Both teens looked at Mitsu who was glaring pointedly at them. Jared looked away first, cheeks stained a faint red. “Sorry, Mits,” he mumbled. He shot Ryan a vitriolic glare before moving to his friend’s side.
Mitsu sighed as he looked back at Ryan. “I’m waiting to hear your decision.”
Shrugging, Ryan turned to get his racket out of his bag. “You’ll see soon enough, Iwahara,” he said simply.
The first ranking matches involving the ten members of the active tennis team began with all three courts being utilized. As he waited to play, Ryan continued to wrestle with the issue until he was called to the court.
Despite his preoccupation, Ryan managed to defeat his opponent 6-3, 6-3. As the tournament progressed, the ones with the lowest three scores were dropped as alternatives. The remaining seven players began vying in earnest for the positions.
Ryan’s next opponent was Jared; he ruthlessly played him, winning in a tie on the second set 6-4, 7-5 (7-5). When they approached the net for the customary handshake, each one eyed the other warily. Finally Jared sighed and stuck a hand out. “Good game.”
Staring at the hand as if it was some sort of poisonous object, Ryan felt Coach Max boring holes in the back of his head and he hastily clasped the other’s hand briefly. “Good game,” he echoed.
When they stepped out of the court, Mitsu approached them, looking serious. “I need to know your decision now,” he said. “Coach Max doesn’t want to drag this on any longer than it has to. Are you going to take the Singles 1 spot or not?”
Ryan met Mitsu’s frank gaze for a long moment before nodding. “Yeah, I’m going to take it.” He ignored Jared’s gasp of disappointment, keeping his eyes pinned on the captain. “But I’m going to take it from you fair and square. You’re going to lose that spot to me in the game. So get ready, Iwahara. I’m not going to go easy on you just because you’ve got a condition now.”
Staring at him in surprise, Mitsu finally roused himself enough and offered Ryan a tiny smile. “All right, then. But I won’t go easy on you, either. You’re going to have to earn it.”
“I’ll do that,” Ryan promised. “Just you wait.”
Singles 1 came down to Ryan and Mitsu. Their famous rivalry would meet one more time and the crowd shifted restlessly in anticipation of the match.
“Captain Mitsu Iwahara versus Ryan Carmody! Three-set match. Iwahara to serve!” the referee announced.
From his side of the court, Iwahara smiled. “Ready, Ryan?”
Crouching in a ready position at the baseline and bouncing on his toes, Ryan nodded. “Let’s see if you’ve still got your skills, Iwahara.”
His smile deepened and Mitsu served.
The world narrowed until the only thing left was Ryan himself, his racket, the round yellow ball, and his opponent. With his racket grasped lightly in his hand as a comfortable extension of his arm, Ryan defended his territory as aggressively as any lion. Anticipation and excitement sang in his blood, thrilling him as the game had never done before. The ball sailed back and forth, thudding heavily on their rackets or the ground or rattling the fence. Ryan grunted at the effort to return the sharp slices and spins, summoning every ounce of energy and adrenaline he knew he would need to defeat Mitsu. Time melted away until he felt as though he had been playing forever. And perhaps they had. Ryan didn’t even know the score anymore.
And suddenly it was match point and Ryan held the ball in his hand. He panted, staring across the net at his opponent who looked winded but just as exhilarated. Their eyes met and in that instant, Ryan thought he understood Mitsu and realized exactly why the other teen played tennis. It wasn’t to defeat opponents or prove oneself to be the best. He merely loved the game for what it was. It was as simple as that.
With that thought, Ryan squeezed the tennis ball hard before throwing it up high. He slammed the ball over the net and sprinted to the net for the offensive. The next moment, Mitsu was returning the ball, a hard topspin that met Ryan’s racket’s sweet spot with a thwack. Ryan returned the ball but his eyes widened as he saw Mitsu fast approaching. Mitsu hit the ball back before it bounced and swung the racket with a yell. The ball surged past Ryan and slammed precisely on the service line before skidding to the back of the court.
Ryan, too stunned to move, could only follow the trajectory of the ball until it stopped. He slowly turned back to Mitsu who was panting heavily.
Then, “Match point! Game to Mitsu Iwahara, 6-4.”
The crowd erupted in roars and nearly deafened the players within the court. Everyone was shouting and cheering at the spectacular game. Mitsu approached the net where Ryan already was. He smiled tentatively and offered him his hand. “Good game, Ryan.”
Ryan looked at him for a long moment before he slowly nodded his head. “Yeah. Good game.” And he took the hand and lifted it above their heads to acknowledge his opponent one last time.
The crowd was still cheering as Coach Max strode up to them, a huge grin on his face. “Fantastic game!” he boomed. “The best I’ve seen since my own days on the team! Excellent job, Iwahara, Carmody! Now that I’ve seen how far you guys have come, I know we can win the state tournament and go on to the Regionals!”
Jared sprinted up to them and jumped on Mitsu, yelling, “You did it! You did it!” Mitsu laughed and protested the treatment, bent over from the sudden weight. Ryan watched them and suddenly realized what Jared had meant earlier.
Trying to hide a small smile himself, he turned away and headed for his tennis bag. He was ready to go home. Ryan wasn’t sure how his father was going to react but in the end, he didn’t matter. It was too difficult to live up to his father’s expectations he had to realize that fact and accept it.
The rest of the tennis team surged onto the court, surrounding their captain with joyful shouts. Taking the cue, the spectators converged in as well, milling around and trying to congratulate Mitsu. Ryan managed to slip through the crowd, brushing aside any hands that reached for him, and grab his tennis bag. Slipping his racket inside, he zipped the bag up and shouldered it before heading towards the fence door. As he headed out, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.
“That was some game you played there.”
Ryan froze in mid-step, his heart rate suddenly accelerating. The voice was strangely familiar but he couldn’t believe it was who he thought it was. Maybe he should get his hearing checked.
The grip on his shoulder tightened and Ryan slowly turned, despising the way nervousness coursed through his veins. His heart lurched then clenched at the sight of Ethan Carmody standing there, offering him a tiny smile. “Dad?”
“Yeah. I figured you’d need a ride home after playing. And uh, I happened to be driving by so I thought, you know, I’d stop by.” Ethan shifted uncomfortably but squeezed Ryan’s shoulder again. “Lucky I did, else I wouldn’t have seen how much you’ve grown. You did good, Son. Real good.”
Ryan stared up at his father for a long while. Finally, he swallowed and almost whispered, “Okay, so who are you and what did you do with my dad?”
Ethan’s sharp bark of laughter broke the tension in the air. “As rude as ever. Come on. I think your mom is making you your favorite meal: steak and potatoes.”
“That’s your favorite meal, Dad,” Ryan said dryly. He fell in step next to his father as they headed for the car. He glanced back once and noticed Mitsu watching them. He lifted a hand to acknowledge his teammate one more time before turning around and going home.
Did you just read this?? Why??? *dies*
Words: ~3830
Rating: G
Warnings: Don't read this. Really, just don't. I just posted it up cause ... well, kish-t-rethya asked me to. But I said no. And now actually I don't know why I'm doing this. Maybe just to fill up my journal? Yes, that sounds about right.
This was my first short story I had to write for my creative writing class. I couldn't think of a plot so I turned to my favorite anime and based a few things off of it. I know, I'm a dork. But I'm a happy dork cause my professor liked it well enough.
Any similarities between characters and incidents either in real life or imaginary are entirely coincidental. In other words, this isn't like PoT. And if it is, that was my unconscious' doing and I shouldn't be held liable for it. Cause, really, it does its own thing and I'm just along for the ride.
The first time he was stood up at the tennis court, Ryan Carmody was more than a little annoyed. Mitsu Iwahara hadn’t shown up to tennis practice earlier, either, which was very unlike his teammate. But Ryan thought he would at least show for their daily game after dinner.
The second time he didn’t show, Ryan was more than pissed off. He had seen Mitsu at school earlier that day so he knew the he wasn’t sick, though he did look tired. Still, was it too much to ask for some notice that he wasn’t going to show?
When Mitsu didn’t appear the third day in a row, Ryan was about ready to strangle him. He stayed at the court for an hour in hopes that perhaps Mitsu would show, albeit late. Or at least call him to say that he wouldn’t be able to make it. When there was no word, Ryan decided enough was enough.
The next morning at school, he looked for Mitsu at his locker. He spotted Jared Hunter, Mitsu’s best friend and a fellow tennis team member, instead. Ryan didn’t hesitate and stomped up to him. “Where has Iwahara been?” he demanded without preamble.
Jared spared him a brief glance as he pulled several textbooks from his locker. “And hello to you too, Sunshine. Are you always this cheerful in the morning or am I just lucky?”
Ryan ignored the sarcasm. “So? Why hasn’t Iwahara shown his face lately?”
“What do you mean? He’s been around.”
The vague response sent a trickle of unease down Ryan’s spine. He could tell Jared was hiding something. “No, he hasn’t. He hasn’t even shown for tennis practice, either. What’s going on?”
Studying his face for a long moment, Jared finally shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, Carmody. Just focus on the school ranking matches tomorrow. We’re counting on you to make a strong showing for Singles 1 or 2.”
Ryan narrowed his eyes at the other teen. “I’m planning tpo beat Iwahara for Singles 1 … if he bothers to show up, that is.”
Jared snorted. “I’ll let him know. Gotta go, the bell’s going to ring any minute.” With a brief nod, he hurried down the hallway and disappeared in the throng.
Ryan watched him leave, the prickle of anxiety becoming more pronounced. There was something wrong. Normally, Ryan couldn’t stand spending more than two minutes in Jared’s presence because he was always so damn happy all the time. But today, he had acted unusually subdued.
The shrill call of the warning bell jerked Ryan from his thoughts and he obediently headed for homeroom, wondering what was going on with Mitsu.
At tennis practice after school, Ryan attempted to squeeze information from Coach Max. Instead, the coach bluntly told him to worry more about the ranking matches tomorrow instead of their missing captain. “You’ve wanted that Singles 1 spot ever since freshman year, right? Now’s the chance for you to get it, Carmody.”
Ryan’s fist clenched at the reminder. He was now a senior and this season would be the last time he would be able to try for the Singles 1 spot. He had to win this time or his father would never let him live it down.
With that thought in mind, Ryan turned and headed to the court to find someone to play a match with.
*****
Despite his annoyance, Ryan showed up at the tennis court after dinner again. As he waited, he hit the ball against the wall, rhythmically alternating between a forehand and backhand. Only when he heard the squeak of sneakers on the asphalt did Ryan catch the ball with his free hand as he turned to face his rival.
Mitsu Iwahara smiled weakly at Ryan. He looked unusually pale, especially in the dismal fluorescent yellow court light and his clothes hung on his lean frame more loosely than normal. Even his dark hair was mussed as if left uncombed - it was completely unlike the teen. “Jared said you were looking for me today.”
“Considering you haven’t shown your face here for three days, you think?”
Mitsu sighed softly. “I’m sorry I haven’t come out lately. It’s been … a little hectic at my house lately and I couldn’t get away even for a moment. I only managed it now because I promised I’d be back in an hour at the latest.”
“You didn’t bring your racket,” Ryan observed warily.
“No, I didn’t,” he agreed. “Can we talk for a moment? It won’t take long.”
Ryan hesitated before following Mitsu to the nearby park bench. They sat on opposite ends and looked everywhere but at each other. Ryan’s nerves thrummed uneasily, knowing he was going to hear something he wasn’t going to like.
Unfortunately, he was right. Mitsu finally shifted his gaze to look at Ryan and said, “You’re probably wondering why I haven’t been to practice or shown up for our matches this past week. I didn’t want to say anything until my family and I spoke with the doctors and was completely sure. We got the call right after school today so I guess it’s okay to tell you now.”
Doctors. That definitely didn’t sound like a good sign. Ryan swallowed hard, mouth suddenly dry. “Tell me what?”
Mitsu smiled briefly though it didn’t quite seem sincere. “It’s nothing too terrible, I guess. I just won’t be able to play tennis much longer.” He took a deep breath before saying, “I’m losing my vision.”
The words hung in the air like a ten ton weight and Ryan just stared at the other teen. It took a few moments to remember how to work his jaw before he exclaimed, “W-what? What do you mean? You’re going blind?”
“Sort of. I won’t be losing all of it. Just … most of it. Enough to be legally blind, anyway.” He smiled again, though Ryan was able to tell it was painfully forced. “But hey, at least I’ll never have to drive my sister anywhere again.”
“This isn’t a laughing matter,” Ryan snapped, suddenly furious at his flippancy. “What do you mean you’re losing your vision? You’re barely eighteen!”
Mitsu sighed and rubbed his shoulder wearily. “Yeah. Have you ever heard of Stargardt’s disease? It’s also known as juvenile macular degeneration. My parents have taken me to every specialist they could find in the area in hopes of finding a cure but there isn’t one. All I can do is protect my eyes as best as I can and probably wear goofy contraptions to enhance what vision I’ll have left.”
The quiet matter-of-fact tone convinced Ryan that this was no joke. He lapsed into silence for a long while, looking away uneasily. His entire body felt numb and he couldn’t think clearly. Mitsu was going blind? He couldn’t play tennis anymore?
“My parents are letting me play until I graduate this year,” Mitsu said softly, breaking into Ryan’s jumbled thoughts. “The ophthalmologist said it’ll be all right until then. At least I can play in the state tournament with you guys.”
“But after that … no more tennis?”
Mitsu smiled wryly. “Not unless you want to see me swing at air. I can probably try and play for fun but I’ll never be able to compete again.” He sighed again. “Look, Ryan, Coach Max and Jared are the only other two people who know about what’s happening to me. I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell the rest of the team about it until after the tournament.”
“So why tell me?” Ryan asked though he had a suspicion as to why.
“You’re one of the best tennis players we’ve got and I really want to win the Title I division. So I want you to take the Singles 1 spot for the rest of the season. I know that if you do, we’ll be able to win.” He smiled at Ryan.
Ryan stared back at him in patent disbelief before saying flatly, “No.” This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He was supposed to win the spot from Mitsu, not get it by default. He abruptly stood up and stalked towards his tennis bag.
As if anticipating his reaction, Mitsu stopped him with a hand to his arm. “This is for the team, Ryan. I’m asking you to do this so we can win.”
Ryan shook his hand off. “You can still play until the state tournament. So you’d better play.” He veered straight for his bag and stored his racket inside it.
Mitsu sighed and Ryan clenched his jaw at the weary sound. “I know this isn’t ideal but we all have to accept things we don’t want to. At least consider it.”
Zipping up his tennis bag, Ryan slung it over his shoulder and stalked away. He barely glanced back as he said, “If I can’t win it from you, there’s no point. So be ready tomorrow.”
“If you accept the position, you can finally tell your father you’re playing Singles 1.”
Ryan froze in mid-step, mentally cursing Mitsu Iwahara and whoever he heard that from. How did his father end up in this conversation?
“Isn’t that what you think he wants to hear?” Mitsu continued calmly. “It’s the only way you think he’ll be proud of you.”
Ryan took a deep breath. His heart twinged in pain but he ignored it as he muttered, “I’ll think about it.” Then, before he changed his mind, he left.
*****
The next morning, Ryan woke up early to get to school for the ranking tournament. Leaving through the back door, Ryan moved past him before he realized his father was sitting on a lounge chair, smoking a cigarette. Frowning, he turned around and looked at his old man. “What are you doing up so early?” he demanded. Ethan Carmody rarely got up before nine on most days.
The elder Carmody merely took a drag from his cigarette and exhaled the smoke into the air. “Today’s the day, huh?”
Taking a step back from the smoke so it wouldn’t affect him or his lungs, Ryan frowned at him. “Yeah. So what?”
“So good luck, kid. You’re going up against that Jap again, aren’t you?”
Shifting impatiently, the teenager nodded. “So what?” he asked again.
“You’ve never beaten him before.”
He glowered at his father’s blunt words, trying to cover up the hurt. As usual, he wasn’t good enough to live up to the great Ethan Carmody’s expectations. “I’m going to win today,” he muttered.
“And what makes you think that? Cause that kid was nice enough to practice with you the past six months? Cause you always won games with weaker opponents? What makes you think you’ve gotten good enough to go farther than you’ve been before?” The elder stretched his body and stifled a yawn with his free hand. His steely gray eyes fixated back on his son. “Don’t get too cocky. That Jap is good. And you still have a lot to learn.”
He had to leave before his father said anything more to hurt him. As it was, his chest and head were aching from every condemning judgment his father placed on his lack of skills. Spinning around on his heels, Carmody muttered, “I’ll see you later, Dad.” He hurried away as fast as he could without looking back.
*****
Although only the tennis team members were required to appear for the ranking matches, other spectators had shown up in anticipation of the four year rivalry between the two best tennis players on the team. Their competition had turned into something of a legend and they were eager to see the conclusion of it.
Firmly shoving all thoughts of his father’s disappointment away, Ryan headed over to the courts, dodging the milling crowd. Leaning his tennis bag against the fence, Ryan began stretching and carefully ignored everyone so he would be left alone.
“You ready for today, Carmody?” Coach Max asked, drifting over to his side. “This is going to determine the line-up for the state tournament and it could be your last chance to get
that Singles 1 spot you’ve been eying.”
“I know,” Ryan muttered. He leaned over and touched his toes with his hand, concentrating on the pull of his muscles.
“Do your best. I know you won’t let me down.” Coach Max patted him on the back and moved on to torment other students.
As he continued warming up, Ryan focused on what he was doing. He didn’t want to think or feel. Last night’s talk had confused him to the point where his head ached. He couldn’t believe that Mitsu would never play tennis competitively again; he always thought the teenager would someday turn pro. But this would be the last time Mitsu would play tennis to the fullest of his abilities.
Yet his father was expecting him to lose and never take the Singles 1 spot. It hurt, knowing that his old man didn’t have confidence in his own son’s abilities. Ryan sorely wanted to prove his father wrong. He didn’t want to be known as the second-best tennis player in the school. He wanted to be acknowledged as the best.
“So Mits asked you last night, huh?”
Startled from his thoughts, Ryan glanced up at Jared who was standing next to him and staring at the crowd waiting for the start of the matches. “What?”
“Mits told me that he approached you last night with the offer of the Singles 1 position. Why didn’t you just take it? You know you wanted to.”
Ryan scowled at Jared. “That’s none of your business.”
“Actually, it is. It affects the whole team.” He finally turned to look down at Ryan. “This is the last chance for him to compete before he loses his sight. Don’t take the offer. Let him play Singles 1.”
Ryan stood up and stared Jared down. “I didn’t ask him to explain anything so don’t blame me for this, Hunter. I didn’t even know what was going on. So whether or not I accept the offer has nothing to do with you.”
Jared shrugged though his body was tense. “Fine. But is it really so much to ask that you step aside one last time? You’ve still got your eyesight and can turn pro if you wanted to. Did you know that Mits decided to go to a tennis school right after graduation? But he has to write back now and explain why he can’t attend. He always took tennis seriously. You, on the other hand, never did. You just hated the fact that someone was better than you at it and you just wanted to beat him.”
Ryan took a step forward with fists clenched as his face tightened in anger. “You wanna say that again, Hunter? I dare you.”
Jared opened his mouth to retort when a voice called out to them. “Jared! Ryan! Are you two done warming up? The matches are going to start soon.”
Both teens looked at Mitsu who was glaring pointedly at them. Jared looked away first, cheeks stained a faint red. “Sorry, Mits,” he mumbled. He shot Ryan a vitriolic glare before moving to his friend’s side.
Mitsu sighed as he looked back at Ryan. “I’m waiting to hear your decision.”
Shrugging, Ryan turned to get his racket out of his bag. “You’ll see soon enough, Iwahara,” he said simply.
The first ranking matches involving the ten members of the active tennis team began with all three courts being utilized. As he waited to play, Ryan continued to wrestle with the issue until he was called to the court.
Despite his preoccupation, Ryan managed to defeat his opponent 6-3, 6-3. As the tournament progressed, the ones with the lowest three scores were dropped as alternatives. The remaining seven players began vying in earnest for the positions.
Ryan’s next opponent was Jared; he ruthlessly played him, winning in a tie on the second set 6-4, 7-5 (7-5). When they approached the net for the customary handshake, each one eyed the other warily. Finally Jared sighed and stuck a hand out. “Good game.”
Staring at the hand as if it was some sort of poisonous object, Ryan felt Coach Max boring holes in the back of his head and he hastily clasped the other’s hand briefly. “Good game,” he echoed.
When they stepped out of the court, Mitsu approached them, looking serious. “I need to know your decision now,” he said. “Coach Max doesn’t want to drag this on any longer than it has to. Are you going to take the Singles 1 spot or not?”
Ryan met Mitsu’s frank gaze for a long moment before nodding. “Yeah, I’m going to take it.” He ignored Jared’s gasp of disappointment, keeping his eyes pinned on the captain. “But I’m going to take it from you fair and square. You’re going to lose that spot to me in the game. So get ready, Iwahara. I’m not going to go easy on you just because you’ve got a condition now.”
Staring at him in surprise, Mitsu finally roused himself enough and offered Ryan a tiny smile. “All right, then. But I won’t go easy on you, either. You’re going to have to earn it.”
“I’ll do that,” Ryan promised. “Just you wait.”
Singles 1 came down to Ryan and Mitsu. Their famous rivalry would meet one more time and the crowd shifted restlessly in anticipation of the match.
“Captain Mitsu Iwahara versus Ryan Carmody! Three-set match. Iwahara to serve!” the referee announced.
From his side of the court, Iwahara smiled. “Ready, Ryan?”
Crouching in a ready position at the baseline and bouncing on his toes, Ryan nodded. “Let’s see if you’ve still got your skills, Iwahara.”
His smile deepened and Mitsu served.
The world narrowed until the only thing left was Ryan himself, his racket, the round yellow ball, and his opponent. With his racket grasped lightly in his hand as a comfortable extension of his arm, Ryan defended his territory as aggressively as any lion. Anticipation and excitement sang in his blood, thrilling him as the game had never done before. The ball sailed back and forth, thudding heavily on their rackets or the ground or rattling the fence. Ryan grunted at the effort to return the sharp slices and spins, summoning every ounce of energy and adrenaline he knew he would need to defeat Mitsu. Time melted away until he felt as though he had been playing forever. And perhaps they had. Ryan didn’t even know the score anymore.
And suddenly it was match point and Ryan held the ball in his hand. He panted, staring across the net at his opponent who looked winded but just as exhilarated. Their eyes met and in that instant, Ryan thought he understood Mitsu and realized exactly why the other teen played tennis. It wasn’t to defeat opponents or prove oneself to be the best. He merely loved the game for what it was. It was as simple as that.
With that thought, Ryan squeezed the tennis ball hard before throwing it up high. He slammed the ball over the net and sprinted to the net for the offensive. The next moment, Mitsu was returning the ball, a hard topspin that met Ryan’s racket’s sweet spot with a thwack. Ryan returned the ball but his eyes widened as he saw Mitsu fast approaching. Mitsu hit the ball back before it bounced and swung the racket with a yell. The ball surged past Ryan and slammed precisely on the service line before skidding to the back of the court.
Ryan, too stunned to move, could only follow the trajectory of the ball until it stopped. He slowly turned back to Mitsu who was panting heavily.
Then, “Match point! Game to Mitsu Iwahara, 6-4.”
The crowd erupted in roars and nearly deafened the players within the court. Everyone was shouting and cheering at the spectacular game. Mitsu approached the net where Ryan already was. He smiled tentatively and offered him his hand. “Good game, Ryan.”
Ryan looked at him for a long moment before he slowly nodded his head. “Yeah. Good game.” And he took the hand and lifted it above their heads to acknowledge his opponent one last time.
The crowd was still cheering as Coach Max strode up to them, a huge grin on his face. “Fantastic game!” he boomed. “The best I’ve seen since my own days on the team! Excellent job, Iwahara, Carmody! Now that I’ve seen how far you guys have come, I know we can win the state tournament and go on to the Regionals!”
Jared sprinted up to them and jumped on Mitsu, yelling, “You did it! You did it!” Mitsu laughed and protested the treatment, bent over from the sudden weight. Ryan watched them and suddenly realized what Jared had meant earlier.
Trying to hide a small smile himself, he turned away and headed for his tennis bag. He was ready to go home. Ryan wasn’t sure how his father was going to react but in the end, he didn’t matter. It was too difficult to live up to his father’s expectations he had to realize that fact and accept it.
The rest of the tennis team surged onto the court, surrounding their captain with joyful shouts. Taking the cue, the spectators converged in as well, milling around and trying to congratulate Mitsu. Ryan managed to slip through the crowd, brushing aside any hands that reached for him, and grab his tennis bag. Slipping his racket inside, he zipped the bag up and shouldered it before heading towards the fence door. As he headed out, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.
“That was some game you played there.”
Ryan froze in mid-step, his heart rate suddenly accelerating. The voice was strangely familiar but he couldn’t believe it was who he thought it was. Maybe he should get his hearing checked.
The grip on his shoulder tightened and Ryan slowly turned, despising the way nervousness coursed through his veins. His heart lurched then clenched at the sight of Ethan Carmody standing there, offering him a tiny smile. “Dad?”
“Yeah. I figured you’d need a ride home after playing. And uh, I happened to be driving by so I thought, you know, I’d stop by.” Ethan shifted uncomfortably but squeezed Ryan’s shoulder again. “Lucky I did, else I wouldn’t have seen how much you’ve grown. You did good, Son. Real good.”
Ryan stared up at his father for a long while. Finally, he swallowed and almost whispered, “Okay, so who are you and what did you do with my dad?”
Ethan’s sharp bark of laughter broke the tension in the air. “As rude as ever. Come on. I think your mom is making you your favorite meal: steak and potatoes.”
“That’s your favorite meal, Dad,” Ryan said dryly. He fell in step next to his father as they headed for the car. He glanced back once and noticed Mitsu watching them. He lifted a hand to acknowledge his teammate one more time before turning around and going home.
Did you just read this?? Why??? *dies*