Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis

A/N: No beta, so typo and grammar corrections, as well as comments and critique appreciated.

"You shall be my boyfriend," the girl stated at recess and Ryoma was already missing Ryuzaki Sakuno.

It was his first day in a new school in New York, his second day back in the States and he already had a girlfriend. Some guys, Ryoma knew, would have killed to be in his shoes, especially since the girl was cute, but Ryoma didn't want a girlfriend. They got in the way of playing tennis.

"Ryoma's a weird name. I'll call you Rick," she smiled at him and Ryoma blinked. "You can carry my bag," she shoved her back-bag to Ryoma and started walking. "Coming, Rick?" she smiled at him over her shoulder and winked.

His dad was easy to find, staring at the TV in the living room. "I'm going back to Japan where no one calls me Rick," Ryoma informed his dad and locked himself up in his room and did not leave until his mother threatened him with no tennis the whole year.