Ultra Violet Black

Old Fiat

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Chapter 11- Breaking the Friendship

There were dark moods at practice the next day. It wasn't like Fuji had told anyone about Yuta's. It wasn't even that anyone had found out. Everyone was just depressed, jealous or trying to lighten the mood. Actually there were only two people doing the latter.

Echizen, Ryoma: Ryoma was depressed. His mom was still going out with Kenichi Momoshiro and now he had to meet him and his 'eldest son' (obviously Momo) at dinner that evening in some fancy-shmancy restaurant.

Momoshiro, Takeshi: Momo was depressed as well. His (kind of) best friend was still not speaking to him and he still didn't know quite why. Also he had to meet his dad new girlfriend and her son in some dumb restaurant.

Fuji, Shusuke: Fuji was depressed because of Yuta's injury. His little brother was currently in the hospital.

Tezuka, Kunimitsu: Tezuka was depressed because he was trying so hard to keep everything together while everything was falling apart.

Oishi, Shuichiro: Was jealous because of how Tezuka wasn't spending time with him anymore and seemed to only be hanging out with Fuji.

Taka and Eiji were trying to lighten the mood. Inui was just... lurking.

"Heh," Eiji said, trying to lift the dark clouds around the tennis courts, but instead just made everyone annoyed and slightly angry. "Hey, Tezuka-san, your glasses all smeary! Hee heh... heh..." He hung his head. His cheeks pink. Why was everyone being so strange? Why did he feel so strange? He had apologized to Momo and Momo had forgiven him. So why was everyone so... down?

He looked at Taka with a 'Help-Me' expression plastered all over his face.

Taka didn't trust himself to do anything.

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Ryoma sat uncomfortably in the actually quite comfortable chair. The white table-cloth just barely skimmed against his knees. His eyes nearly welled up with tears. But he couldn't cry now. He had to help his mother who was sitting there, her face slightly pale. Mr. Momoshiro was now nearly, he glanced at his watch, fifteen minutes late.

Rinko clenched her fist in her lap and bit her lip. She was dressed up in her brand-new yellow, sleeveless dress. She had put on her make up so carefully, done her hair very neatly and all for what?

He's probably going to stand her up, thought Ryoma, glancing at his watch again. I wish I wasn't here. She'll probably cry when he never comes and they're turning the chairs upside down.

She looked at Ryoma. "Thank you for dressing up sweetie." She rested a hand on her stomach, which was really starting to show.

"Mom, I--" he suddenly realized something. Rinko was too trusting. She trusted Nanjiro enough to think that whenever he looked at one of those dirty magazines; whenever (if ever) he went to a creepy club or party; he would always come back to her. Always be there for her. She trusted Momo's dad enough to think that her would love her forever.

He's not going to come. Then mom's going to start crying...

They sat for several minutes in silence, then the door to the restaurant opened and two men walked in.

Momo's father was tall; his dark hair had a few streaks of gray in it. He was wearing a black suit over coat and crisp white pants. His black shoes were polished to a shine. He smiled at a Ryoma as he walked over.

Momo was wearing a dark purple suit coat and a pair of dark jeans. Under the coat he wore a stripy, violet button-up shirt. He wore a scowl on his face which seemed to recall something of Kaido. His eyes were covered up with large, dark sunglasses.

"Rinko," Mr. Momoshiro kissed her lightly on the cheek. Ryoma tensed. "I'm sorry we're late. It's lovely to see you." He turned to Momo and said shapely, "Takeshi, please take off your sunglasses. This is my son, Takeshi."

Momo sat down, took off the sunglasses and tucked them into his coat.

"Hello Takeshi," she held out her hand. Momo barely gave it a glance.

"Takeshi," Mr. Momoshiro hissed dangerously. "Behave."

Momo bit his lip but still didn't touch her hand.

Rinko blinked, eyes wide, but recovered herself. "It's fine. This is my son, Ryoma."

Ryoma watched as Momo mouth moved ever so slightly, mouthing the words 'My son, Ryoma.' He looked up at him. His eyes seemed to be slightly apologizing, but Ryoma wasn't forgiving. This was the end. No more. There was a fine line between being able to forgive, and not being able to. Momo hadn't crossed that line, his father had. And he just couldn't give, or Momo, pardon for doing that.

Ryoma glared at Momo. He was trying to get the message across the table, 'Breaking the Friendship! It's over.'

Momo stood up. "I'll be right back. Mrs. Echizen, Dad, Echizen." He gave each of them a brief nod. He felt with each step his feet sink into the push, red carpet. The creamy-yellow walls, red trim, white table cloths; everything blurred as he walked quickly towards the restrooms. Sounds slurred and he felt his pace quicken as he felt someone following him.

He went into the bathroom and locked himself in the stall and leaned against the door. There was a light knock. "There's someone in here." he choked. He wasn't going to cry. He hadn't cried in years... well... actually it was only a month ago. But before that he hadn't cryed in years.

"Takeshi?" It was his father, now he was going to try and make peace. But there was no way he could absolve him of this. His best friend's mom… "Takeshi, please come out."

"Go away."

"Come out Takeshi, you must know I'm doing this for you."

"How? How is ruining my life going to do anything for me other than make me hate you? Which I did before!"

"I loved your mother very much, all I'm trying to do is find someone who can take care of you when I'm somewhere else," he jiggled the handle. "Just let me talk to you."

"Go away."

He heard his father sigh and leave the bathroom. Momo stared at the tiled walls.

Echizen Ryoma. He had been his first real friend. Someone he trusted to come over to his house. Someone he trusted enough to think that he wasn't just being his friend for money. Someone he thought would be his friend. "Damn him... Ruining it all..."

But of course, he'd always been by himself this no different.

On his first day of grade school he had tried make it so no one could touch him. By then he was already sick of forced smiles and money-made friendships. He also had a bodyguard, which is basically like having a neon sign above your head that says 'Freak Here'. He didn't want to talk to anyone and in return they didn't want to talk to him, quite simple.

When his mother left he was more anti-social then ever. That's when he had put on the cover-up, but it had been washed away within a year. But he always reapplied it. He said he'd learned cover up will come off with water, but he hadn't learned a thing.

Then he had gotten into Seigaku and decided something. His father was mainly popular in the USA. No one need know about his rich family if he didn't tell them.

He had gotten closer to Masa, but something had never really locked. But there was always Viper. Kaido had always known. He'd gone to the same grade school as Momo and at first had tried to be his friend. But Momo had not let him in. There was always a weapon Kaido had that Momo lacked; He knew everything Momoshiro didn't want anyone else to know.

Some how he'd gotten tangled up in Alfonso's gang at this time. He didn't know how it happened; he knew he didn't like doing it but he was afraid to stand up to him.

Then Ryoma had transferred. He was so strange. Coming from the US, Momo knew there was a small chance he might be faking their friendship until he found out who his father was, infamous pervert; Nanjiro Echizen.

Momo shut his eyes. The world was going to fast again.

He came back to the table a few minutes later. Putting back on the cover up. Every smile reached his eyes; every laugh was perfect; but there was one thing off, his hands. They were not doing all the usual motions he did. Waving, miming, and sometimes there were even motions for searching for a word; But he wasn't doing any of them. His hands remained still.

Ryoma watched Momo charm his mother into thinking he was the most innocent thing in the world. His mother fell for the whole charade. But Momo acting wasn't a surprise, he understood that Momo lied fluently. What was really surprising was Momo's father.

He seemed to be genuinely in love with his mother. He listened to her every word and whenever Ryoma spoke he looked him in the eye and took his opinion seriously. He had a feeling Mr. Momoshiro was actually a kind person. What was strange was—

Was—

Momo was more of a jerk than his father.

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Yuta gazed at the ceiling. He hadn't moved, spoken or thought anything since the— visit.

"Yuta," Hajime had smiled his most charming smile, or tried to anyway. It made Yuta's stomach do a back flip. "You want what's best for St. Rudolph, don't you?"

He tried his best to smile back. "I know, Mizuki-san. I'll give up my regulars spot and start to train with my right hand."

Mizuki sighed. "Yuta, you don't want to drag our team down do you? I mean- starting at the beginning… ugh. Actually, I think it would be best for all of us if you just quit the team."

He examined the stucco pattern. No want— correction, no NEED, to move anymore. He would just let himself rot inside for the rest of his life.

"Mr. Fuji, your son is right here," he heard the doctor say. "Not too long, he needs his rest."

"Yuta?" Mr. Fuji walked over by his son's bedside. He ran his fingers through the boy's short light brown hair. "Yuta?"

"Dad?" his voice felt slightly rough from not speaking for quite some time. At least a few hours.

"Yes?"

"Can I learn tennis with my right hand?"

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I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm soooooooo sorry! Schoolwork has sucked out my (no) life!

It's my first time going to "real school". I used to be home schooled and now I'm online. I don't have time to do anything…

Oh, by the way, I recently watched the St. Rudolph (anime) episodes and noticed they make it so Yuta FINDS OUT what Hajime is doing to him! How lame is that? In the manga they don't tell him AT ALL. So this is done with the MANGA version.

Also, because of school, this fanfic will not be updated as frequently, but will have longer chapters (hopefully) instead.

REVIEW!

-Old Fiat s. Italy