chapter 42: Everyone Sees

"Mac, Bokuto, you're needed in the volleyball gym," called an office assistant who poked his head into our classroom.

Our teacher let out a sigh and looked at the clock, we only had an hour left in class. He waved his hand, telling us, "Go Go." And we grabbed our stuff and left.

"I can't believe we're getting interviewed for an actual sports magazine."

"I know right. First times always exciting," Bokuto said with a cocktail smile.

"Sorry if we're not all, sports magazine worth," I rolled my eyes as I stepped outside.

"Well you are now,"  Bokuto told me.

We rushed to the gym where a man stood with two camera men. He turned to us with a wide smile, "Bokuto, Mac! How are my Champs doing? Let's get you two changed and start this interview."

Bokuto took my hand and pulled me towards the locker room saying, "You got it."

He pulled me into the locker room and closed the door. We walked down the few steps and said, "I'll change down in the bathrooms, you can have the locker room." He turned down the hall towards the bathroom without giving me a chance to say anything.

"Okay?" I shrugged, turning to the doorless locker room. Honestly though, I'd prefer this over the boy piss covered bathroom.

He probably had that in mind when making this call.

I moved away from the door frame, dropped my bag on a bench as dug out my uniform and sweats. I started to change, pulling off my school skirt and shoved it into my bag. I pulled on my shorts and sweat pants. I pulled my shirt off and dug through my bag for my jersey. Where is it?

"Hey, Baby Bird?" I heard Bokuto's voice say as he stepped into the locker room.

"Hey!" I tried to cover myself as I stood only in a bra.

He waved it off saying. "Relax, I already saw you in a swimsuit, remember?"

"That's different," I barked, but he just stepped closer.

"Yeah sure," he said taking my face in his hands, "I just wanted to check something."He titled my head up and looked at the right side of my neck, "Looks like that hickey is almost gone. But still there though. Hopefully they'll photoshop it or something."

"Yeah, hopefully, great, now can you please leave?"

"One more thing," he smiled, before bringing his lips to mine.

There was no gentle build, just going at it. I placed my hand on his chest, ready to push him back, but instead my hand seemed to grip on his jersey, pulling him closer.

His hand rose to mine and he pulled away saying, "Easy Baby Bird, gotta take pictures in this." He let go of my hand and stepped back saying, "Now finish getting dressed."

"Trying to," I rolled my eyes as he left the room.

I finished dressing and went upstairs to see Bokuto already sitting down with the interviewer. Bokuto saw me first, and waved me over, causing the interviewer to turn to me, "Ah great, camera men, let's get shooting." He smiled to me, "Darling, I'm going to be asking you a few questions while my camera men shoot okay. Just follow Bokuto's lead okay?"

"Okay," I nodded.

I jogged over and stood beside Bokuto as he stood up. Actually, it seemed more like I stood behind him. Just a step behind tucked slightly behind him as the cameras began to flash.

"So Zara Mac, what brings you to Japan?"

Questions were fired off as the cameras snapped. The camera men, positioned and repositioned Bokuto many times. Once they told us to take off our sweats, the interviewer smiled, "Oh this is good. You're both the number four and both landed the fourth spot in the nation. Ha, does it get any better than this?"

"Hey, you think we can get some action shots of you two?" One of the camera men asked.

Bokuto looked to me with a shrug, "Wanna do a few jump serves."

"Alright," I shrugged as well. I started to take a step towards the supply closet, but Bokuto stopped me, grabbing my hand and smiling, "I got it," before letting go and jogging for the closet.

Leaving me alone. With the camera still flashing.

My eyes stayed on Bokuto as he disappeared into the closet.

"He's pretty amazing," the interviewer said, "Have you gotten the chance to see him play?"

A chuckle escaped my lips as I said, "Oh yeah. The first day I met him, he told me to come to his gym when my practice was over and he did this spike that scared the life out of me. I never saw power like that before."

"Wait, why did he as you to come to his practice, if you had only met that day?"

"He was supposed to walk home with me," I explained as Bokuto returned with a ball cart, "He's my new neighbor. Everyone has been expecting him to look out for me."

"How is her doing so far?"

A smile pulled to my lips as I answered, "Pretty good," Just as Bokuto appeared me handing me one of our newer balls.

He placed the ball in my hands and asked with an excited smile, "Ready Baby Bird?"

"Ready," I nodded, with his contagious smile spreading to me as I looked up to him.

"I'm sorry," the interviewer questioned, "Baby Bird?"

Bokuto threw an arm around my shoulders saying, "Oh yeah. Once I started seeing Z's skills, I decided to take her under my wing."

He pointed a finger at us saying, "So this is some buddy buddy mentorship relationship here?"

"Yeah," Bokuto answered with a big grin. This interviewer is obviously picking up on something between us. I'm shocked Bokuto isn't screaming from the top of his lungs that we're dating.

"Mac, Bokuto," One of the camera men called.

"Right," Bokuto nodded, taking my hand and dragging me to the end of the court.

I bounced the ball twice, and breathed deep, readying myself.

Bokuto seemed as though he's always ready. He looked to me with a nod, "Ready?"

"Ready."

We tossed the ball up and made our approach, but I jumped too late. The ball came down and I ended up swinging at it close to my ear, causing it to go into the net.

Bokuto’s went over clean but he turned to me saying, "You're nervous Baby Bird, shake it off. Where do you want to hit the ball?"

I rolled my eyes saying, "Up here," rising my hand all the way up with my palm open wide.

"That's right," he said high fiving my raised hand. He linked his fingers in mine and let our hands drop between us. He stepped closer saying in a soft voice, "Don't worry about the cameras, it's just you and me, okay?"

"Okay." I nodded.

Bokuto placed a kiss on my forehead, before backing up and saying, "Let's do this!" He jogged over to get some more balls.

And I smiled. Almost forgetting anyone else was here. Until the interviewer shouted, "Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Are you two… dating?"

"Yeah," Bokuto answered with a shrug.

The interviewer danced, literally danced. Spinning around and shaking his butt in his suit. "Ooo, I love these guys!" He high fived Bokuto saying, "You two earned yourself half a page. The readers are going to eat this up!" He turned to the cameramen, "Crew, be sure to get some more couple-y shots of them. Keep it subtle."

They gave him a thumbs up and then told us, "Do the thing again. Give us a few good ones."

So we did. We did a few jump serves before they started posing us together again.

They had us standing with our backs to each other. Each of us holding a ball. I kept mine between my arms and my stomach. I peeked back to see what he was doing. He had the ball gripped in one of his larger hands. I can't do that.

I peeked over my shoulder up to him saying, "Show off."

He peeked over his shoulder whispering, "Gotta keep up with you." He dropped his free hand and reached back to take mine. His fingers laced unto mine and a soft smile came to my face.

"Stop!" One of the cameramen called out, "That's perfect!" He started snapping away.

The other one called out, "Bokuto, look here."

I wasn't supposed to look back, but I did. I glanced back, looking up at his confident smile. The glowing baboon, with the contagious smile.

"That's the money shoot," the camera man said, "I think we're done here."

The interviewer, who shifted his questions to questions about us, smiled saying, "If you two both make it to nationals. You'll be seeing me again. Call me if anything important happens. You break up, get her pregnant."

"Will do," Bokuto nodded. He shifted the ball down to his hip and held it there with his arm to shake the interviewers hand. Then the cameramen's hands. All while still holding mine.

Once the men started packing up Bokuto looked at the clock then turned to me. "So we have like 20 more minutes before the bell rings. We could change back into our uniforms and go back to class. Or, we could change into our practice clothes and stay here."

"And what are we going to do in those 20 minutes?" I asked.

His smile showed that he had no intention of getting a head start on homework. I laughed a little saying, "I think I'll take the second option."

"Hoped you would," he grinned. He dropped his ball and pulled me by my hand back to the locker room. He ignored the chuckles of the men as they packed up. They can't wait to write another article about us.

"Japan's high school volleyball couple," the interviewer chuckled once more. Before Bokuto and I disappeared down to the locker room. Bokuto pulled me to a bench and sat down pulling me to sit on his lap. Being a little excited myself, I may have done a little more than just sat on his lap. I  straddled him, through my legs on either side of him and pressed my lips onto his. One hand sat at the back of his neck, with my fingers creeping up towards his soft hair. The other hand traced the lines on his abs. If they really wanted a money shot, they would have got him with his shirt off.

As if he read my mine. Bokuto backed away for a moment, and pulled his jersey off in one swift motion before bringing his lips back to mine. His lips trailed, down to my neck as his hands reached for the hem of my jersey. "What are you doing?" I moaned as his tongue traced the shrinking mark he left Friday night. I meant to push him back and shout, what are you doing? But that didn't happen as planned.

"Multitasking," he chuckled, "You gotta change anyway."

He lifted the jersey more and I let him. My black sports was exposed, but he's right. He's seen more when I had my swimsuit on than this. Only back then, he was grabbing at my breast as he is now. That swimsuit would probably be better right now anyway. At least that was padded, unlike the spandex held sports bra that allowed my nipples to poke through. And he noticed, I felt his grin spread across his face as his lips came back to mine. His thumb began to brush across the hardened nipple as his other hand glided down my bare skin, latching onto my waist and pulling me closer. Close enough to feel the growing bulge in his pants.

But quickly I jumped off of him, at the sound of the door opening and male voices. "Shit," I muttered, reaching for my bag. Trying to find my shirt, a shirt, any shirt!

Bokuto hopped up from the bench and in three steps was in the hall, cutting off the group of boys. "Hey hey hey! What… what are you guys doing here?"

I dug through my bag and found my t-shirt. I slid it on as I listened to one of the boys says, "We're going to change? What's the big deal?"

"Oh um…" Bokuto stumbled, "Baby Bird is changing. Z… Z is changing, we um… we just got done with our interview."

I heard Akaashi’s voice as I changed my shorts, "So if Z is changing in there? Why were you in there?"

"And with your shirt off?"

"And is that a-"

"Hey, hey hey okay," he stumbled through.

I grabbed my bag and threw it over my shoulder, I moved past him, nudging him as I said, "Were you peeking on me? Perv!" The boys got out of way as I walked up the stairs. The moment I was through the door, I heard someone say, "You perv," and smiled.

I'd rather them see Bokuto as some peeping Tom than let them know that we were just half nakedly makeout in the locker room that they're about to use.

I hurried over to the girls gym and once I was in there. I was snatched by the shoulder and pushed up against the wall but one of the 3rd years.

"Hey!" I shouted as Hina approached me. "What is wrong with you, let go of me!"

Hina did not touch me, but looked intensely at the right side of my neck. She smirked, "I thought I saw a hickey. You're so dark, he most of really been going at it. Slut."

"Just let's Bokuto do whatever he wants I bet."

"It probably wasn't even Bokuto. You see how these boys look at her. She's probably slept with half the school by now."

"Probably let the whole boys team pass her around."

"Shut up," I scoffed, snatching myself from their grip. I looked around the room, for the coach for Aimi, for help as the girls cornered me, telling me how much of a slut I am.

I found Aimi, putting up the net and pretending to not notice. At least until she looked to the door and called out, "Coach," softly. Not to get the coach's attention, but to warn the others. So they backed off.

We started to stretch as I thought about what Uncle Kaoru said. I'll have to live with the comments and assumptions. A punishment for being so weak willed. But hey, at least Hins found something else to call me besides the n-word.

As we stretched our coach circled around us and when we were done she called out, "Mac, run so laps."

"How many?" I asked.

"Until I tell you to stop."

"Um.. okay," I said and took off jogging around the gym.

And she didn't tell me to stop. I ran the whole practice. The whole two hours.

Once practice ended, coach called me over. She said simply, "You represent the team Zara. Represent it well."

"Yes coach," I nodded.

"And Z," she sounded calmer now.

"Yes coach?"

"You have enough problems with the girls around you. Don't invite trouble to yourself."

I nodded again, "Yes coach."

"Now go, and don't be surprised if you have to run for another hour."

I nodded and walked to the boys gym, with heavy legs. I won't be much good today anyway.

And I wasn't wrong. My dead legs, plus an extra 7 inches of net, I was barely getting my fingers above the net.

"Z!" Coach roared, "What's going on, jump!"

"I was just running coach, like, a lot. My legs are dead," I breathed, dropping my hands to my knees.

The old coach walked over to me. He looked at me hard and I tilted my head to the side, trying to hide what's left of my hickey.

But of course, he saw it and called out, "Bokuto, start running!"

"What? Why?" Bokuto shouted.

"Sir, it was," I started but coach turned to me with a sharp look and I threw my hands up saying, "Let him run."

Bokuto still sat there, looking foolish and wondering what he did wrong.But once the coach's sharp eyes turned to him, he started running. And didn't stop running until practice was over.

Once it was done, coach called over both I and Bokuto. He pointed a finger at me but looked to Bokuto saying in a stern voice, "Don't do that! You'll make all of us look bad. Especially her!"

I tucked my head low, as Bokuto said, "Yes sir."

I suppose me and Bokuto have been feeling a little too adult lately. Nothing like bringing us down to size like a good scolding, from everyone. Mrs. Ito is too short to see my neck and I haven't been to Bokuto's house so, those are the only two who haven't said something. We get it. Hickeys equal no no.

"Now that we got that out of the way. I can tell you two the good news."

"Good news?" We both asked.

"Yeah, you two have been invited to NCU for a week, to train with the teams and get the campus experience. Don't blow it kids."