When Worlds Collide

Chapter Nine: WHAT IF TOMORROW NEVER COMES?

Just one more ball, please let me hit it, just one more. Kunimitsu thought, more like pray as he throws the ball into the air, as he raises his left arm to hit the ball he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder and elbow causing him to shout in pain and fall to his knees.

The Seigaku regulars watch in shock as their buchou fell slowly in pain. They run aid their buchou but his firm and commanding voice stopped them in their steps, "NO! The game has not ended yet!" he screamed as he slowly got on his feet hands on his left shoulder.

He fought to the tie break until his shoulder would not permit him to take a shot anymore, and the ball hit the net and his winning record was blemished as he fell at the mercy of Atobe Keigo.

-oOo-

At about the same time Amani was in school busy reciting a poem in her English class as part of their homework. She was in the middle of her poem when she suddenly stopped, searching the classroom her eyes met Cathleah's, then, she suddenly became pale as snow, everything around her appeared to be moving and the voices around her became unclear, then everything went black.

The next thing she knew she was in the Nurses office with Cathleah by her side. "Oh, you're awake. Are you alright Ami?"

"Yes." Amani said in a very low tone.

"You suddenly went pale, and then collapsed in the middle of English class…" Cathleah further enumerated and dramatically illustrated how Amani caused a commotion in class but Amani's mind was somewhere else at the moment, somewhere no one else could fathom or describe. Inside her chest she could feel her heart being crushed into a thousand pieces, and only one person could put it back together. But he himself was hurting, somehow she knew, she could feel it inside.

"Leah." Amani's mind drifting back to her world.

"Yes?" Cathleah being stopped at her mumbling.

"I want to go home." Amani said with tears almost flowing down her eyes.

"Oh. The nurse already called your mom, she's on her way as we speak." Cathleah noticing the hurt in her friend's eyes.

"Okay." Amani turned to her side, her back facing Cathleah so she can hide the tears which were now swelling up in her eyes.

"Did something happen between you and Kunimitsu?" Cathleah asked her friend bluntly. "Did you have a fight or something?"

"No." Amani's voice was cold as ice and Cathleah could sense it.

"Okay. We'll talk about it some other time." Cathleah stood up as footsteps were heard entering the room. "You're mom's here."

-oOo-

Kunimitsu sat on the bench as he watched his kohai win the match against Hyotei opening the doors for them to proceed in the tournament. In his mind he thought How do I tell Ami-chan? How do I explain to her what happened? How will she understand that I did what I did for the team? I promised her I was not going to get hurt.

The deep thoughts in Kunimitsu's head did not escape the keen eyes of Ryuuzaki-sensei. "Your mind is drifting Tezuka. It's not like you to dwell on other thought while a match is going on."

"Gomennasai." Kunimitsu bowed a little to his sensei.

"Hmn." Ryuzaki-sensei knew better than to force information out of Tezuka Kunimitsu.

"Wow! Ochibi is bringing it home nya!" Eiji exclaimed to Oishi as the match got better and in favour of Seigaku.

Kunimitsu remained silent and seated. Fuji and Oishi knew, their buchou was not just thinking about the team, or his shoulder, there was someone else in his mind, someone special. Oishi gave Fuji a glance and Fuji nodded, by that they understood each other that this time around Kunimitsu sacrificed for the team more than what he usually does; this time he sacrificed even his heart.