A/N: My creative ADD strikes again! So does my not-so-secret obsession with high school AUs. Shhh... The birth of this story is totally unexpected. I've had it planned out for a couple days now, but I wasn't expecting to write any of it out until much later. But then I sat down to start writing something and just kept writing. And writing. And writing. Ten hours later... Anyway! You get the gist. I now have a couple fics that I'm currently in the process of updating so expect a few delays, folks. But I pinky promise that I'm going to get to everything. Fear not! :) For now, please enjoy the first installment of my brand new story!

THE GAME OF LOVE: Chapter 1

Tidus' day is already off to an unfavorable start from the moment he wakes up.

It all starts when he opens his eyes, immediately squinting against the dull light that shines down through the overcast clouds and his window. He stretches his muscled limbs underneath the bed sheets, heaves a groggy moan, and turns his head toward the alarm clock on his nightstand.

And that's all it takes to have him tumbling out of bed, frantically reaching for the first articles of clothing he can find within the confines of the mess that is his bedroom. The time on the clock berates him with blaring red numbers that read 7:30am, a good hour after the time he set his alarm the night before - or, apparently, the time he thought he set it for.

The savory smell of his mother's coffee and bacon still hangs heavy in the air as he flies down the stairs, but there is no time to make a pit stop in the kitchen. Tidus shoulders his backpack and is already halfway out the door by the time he calls out, "Sorry, Ma, running late! See you after practice!"

It's drizzling outside by the time he starts sprinting to school. As he charges through puddles and makes some risky maneuvers across the traffic-ridden streets, Tidus racks his brain for a way to turn this unfortunate bout of weather into an acceptable excuse for his tardiness. It doesn't take him long to determine that it's useless. Not only is it completely ridiculous for a blitzball player to be deterred by a little sprinkling of water, it's equally as ridiculous to think that Coach Jecht will accept any kind of excuse for missing a mandatory morning scrimmage - other than death or severe hospitalization.

Always so compassionate, old man, Tidus thinks dryly to himself as he barrels through the student parking lot to the sound of protesting car horns. From there, it's only a quick hop over the chain link fence that divides the sporting field from the front quad of Zanarkand High. He can already see his teammates huddled in the distance, stretching and guzzling water as if they'd already completed a successful scrimmage without him.

The vibrant red hair of his best friend, Wakka, is easy to spot in the huddle as he turns around to see Tidus running toward them. The other teammates follow suit and exchange a few glances and grins that seem to convey a strange combination of relief and fear.

"Hey!" Tidus calls out to his team, waving a hand in the air as he hurries across the damp field. When he finally approaches them, he's already heaving and sweating just as much as everyone else because surely a three mile sprint from his house will suffice for a morning workout. Wakka doesn't even dare to greet Tidus with his usual clap on the back, fist bump, or headlock. Instead, the teammates silently step away from the huddle to reveal their thoroughly unamused coach.

"Well, well, well," says Jecht with his arms crossed and eyes hardened. "Look who decided to join us this morning."

Tidus winces and scratches the back of his disheveled blond head sheepishly. Jecht never goes easy on him - not as his coach or his father.

"You know, funny thing about alarm clocks," Tidus begins flippantly. "They gotta be turned on before they start working."

His comment garners him a few hesitant snickers from his teammates, which are promptly stifled as soon as their coach shoots them a stern warning glance.

"You missed the whole damn scrimmage," Jecht reminds him gruffly, taking a slow step toward his son. "What the hell's the matter with you, boy?"

Tidus visibly deflates as his father begins his onslaught of reprimands. "I told you, I-"

"I know it's your last semester, but this better not be senioritis going to your stupid head," The coach warns. "You think just 'cause we made it into the blitz championship we get to slack off now?"

"No, sir," Tidus mumbles to the ground.

"You think you're better than everyone else? Just 'cause you get some attention from the ladies you think you're some kinda superstar?" Jecht continues, his voice rising dangerously with anger. The burly man takes another stride toward Tidus to speak right at his son's face. "Lemme tell ya somethin', boy. You're no superstar. Those college scouts ain't even gonna glance at a kid who can't even make it to practice on time. Look at me when I'm talkin' to you!"

Slowly and gravely, Tidus lifts his head at his father's command. All traces of amusement have vanished from the boy's face as he locks a challenging gaze with Jecht.

Without breaking eye contact, the man flashes an unexpected smirk. "What, gonna go cry about it now?"

Tidus' intense glare doesn't waver even as he musters a strangled, "No."

"Better not. 'Cause we've got work to do before the championship, Abes," Jecht says. "What's our goal?"

The shaken teammates reply with a lackluster chorus of, "Victory."

Jecht scoffs. "Didn't realize I was coaching a bunch of wusses. I said, what's our goal?"

"Victory!" The team - minus Tidus - repeats with a bit more zeal.

"That's right. Now hit the showers and head to class," The coach instructs, causing a majority of the team to disperse from their huddle and hurry toward the locker room. Jecht turns on his heel to leave as well, but not before throwing a sinister glance over his shoulder at Tidus. "Maybe by then your team captain won't be such a little good-fer-nothin' punk."

Yes. Definitely an unfavorable day.

Tidus watches his father's retreating back until he disappears inside the school building. Even then, the boy remains perfectly motionless, his expression still contorted into a spiteful scowl. He can feel the familiar need to scream bubbling up inside his chest like rising lava, but keeps it all bottled up. Screaming means weakness, and being weak means that his father wins. For as long as he can remember, Tidus lives his entire life making sure that his father doesn't win - or, at least, doesn't know that he wins. Tidus doesn't budge until he feels a sturdy hand come down on his shoulder.

"Ouch, that was harsh, ya?" Wakka consoles in his thick Besaid accent, appearing at his friend's side. "You okay?"

"Yeah, whatever, I'm fine," Tidus answers quickly. He already begins to loosen up now that his father's intimidating presence has left the vicinity. "God, I hate him."

Wakka chuckles under his breath and even has the audacity to return to his usual ways by swinging a strong arm around his best friend's neck to catch him in a brotherly headlock. "I know, I know. You say it all the time. Might wanna try sayin' it to the rotten son of a shoopuf himself sometime, ya?"

"Yeah, right!" Tidus squirms helplessly against Wakka's hold. His redheaded friend has always been bigger and more capable of holding him in his clutches until he takes enough pity to release him. Tidus finally shakes himself free and rolls his shoulders back and forth in complaint. "The only thing worse than getting your ass chewed out by your old man in front of the entire team is getting clocked in the face by your old man in front of the entire team."

With a lighthearted grin, Wakka waves a hand cavalierly. "Ah, don't worry about us, brudda. You'll always be our mighty captain, no matter what. Once an Abe, always an Abe, ya?"

It isn't necessarily difficult to lift Tidus' damaged - and already quite resilient - spirits, but Wakka has the uncanny ability to do it right. The blond boy is all smiles again as he aims a playful punch at Wakka's broad shoulder. "You got that right," He cheers.

For someone who grew up without a father, Wakka certainly hows how to curve the angst on Tidus' daddy issues. In fact, the carefree pair have a mutual knack for curving the angst on any situation - a bad breakup, a failed pop quiz, an injured leg during a blitzball game. The two have been through it all, side by side through their years of laughter and friendship.

"Hey, hiya!" A high-pitched voice calls out through the gentle patter of rain. Tidus and Wakka both cease their horseplay to look over at the chain link fence where their tomboyish friend Rikku is jumping up and down by the perimeter. Her field hockey stick is hanging haphazardly out the top of her backpack and her usual bouncy ponytail is slightly more saggy due to the drizzle, but she still manages to make her tiny and excitable presence known.

The two boys race to the fence where they are greeted by Rikku's bright and vaguely accusing Al Bhed eyes.

"So am I going completely wacky or did I see you skipping out on blitz practice this morning?" Rikku teases as she pokes a finger against Tidus' athletic chest. "Not very becoming of Zanarkand's favorite heartthrob!"

Wakka, unafraid of the consequences, throws his head back in a booming guffaw and ruffles a hand through Tidus' already drastic case of bed head. "Don't even bring it up, ya? He already got a big 'ol mouthful from coach."

"Gee, thanks a lot!" Tidus barks, swatting the hands of his friends away to the sound of their good-intentioned laughter. "I just might've-maybe overslept a little… Honest mistake, right?"

Much to Tidus' chagrin, the playfully unconvinced glance shared between Rikku and Wakka doesn't go unnoticed. The peppy field hockey player quickly reaches over the fence to tug on the sleeve of her blond friend's jacket. "Hey, no frowns allowed! Today's gonna be a good day."

"Oh, yeah?" The corner of Tidus' mouth twitches upward. "Got any proof?"

"Because I say so!"

Rikku makes the perfect addition to Tidus and Wakka's dynamic duo. The three jocks reign supreme at Zanarkand High, ruling the social sphere with fun-loving attitudes and impeccable extroversion. Funnily enough, Tidus can recall back to their earlier high school years when the trio's friendship hadn't been such smooth sailing over the tremulous social waters. It has taken Wakka a while to warm up to Rikku and her blatant Al Bhed heritage, but when it comes to the race's stereotype for pretentiousness, not even the stubborn redhead can deny the girl's innate down-to-earthness.

A distant rumble of thunder interrupts the trio's animated chatter. Tidus and Wakka both avert their attention to the sky, but Rikku, ever perceptive, spins around to examine the student parking lot.

"Whoa…" Wakka openly gawks when his gaze follows Rikku's lead.

It hadn't been thunder that was obscurely rumbling in the distance - rather, a very slick and expensive-looking car with an engine that purrs like an elegant beast. Small raindrops thump rhythmically against the polished exterior, but easily roll down the inky black paint job. The metal masterpiece is sitting idly in front of the quad, right against the curb, and is already attracting a few stares and impressed whispers from nearby students.

"Uh, what's up with that? Did someone win the lottery?" Tidus wonders aloud because, clearly, no student at Zanarkand High can afford such a luxury vehicle.

Bouncing excitedly on her toes, Rikku spins back around to face her friends. Her hands grip onto the fence that separates them and leans in with a conspiratorial grin. "That's gotta be Mayor Braska's daughter! Apparently she just transferred here for her last semester. Pretty weird, huh?"

Tidus and Wakka share a bewildered look. Rikku's seemingly endless supply of Zanarkand High gossip has never led them astray before, so they have no reason to distrust her now. It just seems strange, in their opinion, that someone would go to the trouble of transferring schools with only one semester left before graduation - let alone a public school when she can clearly afford something more prestigious.

There is a collective holding of breath when the driver's door of the car opens. A mysterious and strong-looking man in a sharp suit makes his way around the car to the back seat, opening up an umbrella that he pulls, seemingly, out of thin air. The tension is cranked up a notch when the back door swings open slowly. With care and unearthly grace, a beautiful girl steps out of the car and under the safety of the umbrella that is still being held by her driver. Even from afar, her delicate features are noticeable - the gentle curve of her pale cheek bones, the pink pout of her lips, and the softness of her chestnut hair as it swings just above her shoulders while she glances curiously around the quad.

"No denyin', that's definitely the mayor's daughter. Can't even drive herself to school or get a little wet," Wakka grins and jabs Tidus with his elbow knowingly. "She's kinda cute, though, ya?"

Tidus is still a little too fixated on the girl's lips when he feels Wakka nudge his side. He returns to reality a beat too late, shaking his head absently as he meets his friends' quizzical stares.

"Huh?" He blubbers awkwardly.

Rikku segues the attention away from their distracted friend and onto Wakka, hands planting on her hips defiantly. "Don't get any ideas, mister! I'll tell Lulu, you know."

Wakka snaps to attention at the mention of his short-tempered girlfriend. Lulu and Wakka have been together since their freshman year and make quite the unexpected couple. The dark-haired girl, who wears copious amounts of black eyeliner and purple lipstick, is as quiet as she is terrifying. She and Wakka have their fair share of bickering, but also their tender moments of affection - when they think no one is watching, that is.

"Gimme a break!" Wakka cries with a faint blush on his tanned cheeks. "I don't got any ideas. Zero. You know Lu's the only girl for me."

"Yeah, yeah. Sounds like someone's trying to cover their ass!"

As the sounds of his friends' playful banter fade into the background, Tidus allows his mind to wander once again. The mayor's daughter is still lingering by the car door, nodding wordlessly as her driver speaks to her in what appears to be a hushed tone. Although her shoulders are back and her posture is straight, she keeps her arms close to her side and her head hung low. Tidus can't help but wonder why she looks so sad.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite Zanarkand threesome," A painfully snarky voice approaches the group from across the quad. They don't even have to turn around to know that they're about to receive an unwelcome visit from Gippal and his Al Bhed cronies.

The tall, blond, and strikingly handsome boy is social royalty in his own right, mostly due to his captaincy of the Al Bhed Psyches, home team of the neighboring Al Bhed Prep and - more importantly - the Zanarkand Abes' main competition at the upcoming blitzball championship. Al Bhed Prep sits merely one block down from Zanarkand High and boasts a top-notch private education exclusively for Al Bhed students. It embodies all the pompousness and flamboyancy that Al Bheds are often criticized for - and so does Gippal himself.

"You better beat it, Psyches," Tidus snaps at the rivaling team as they assume their position dutifully behind Gippal. "This is Abes territory."

Gippal mockingly places a hand over his heart. "Aw, and miss out on this fun little party?" He shifts his smirk over at Rikku, who is already grimacing. "Hey there, Rikku. You're looking delicious, as always."

The blond girl whips her field hockey stick out from her bag and holds it out like a weapon, poised for battle. "Stop being so icky!"

Tidus can also recall back to a time - more specifically, sophomore year - when Rikku and Gippal had actually been an item. It hadn't been an ideal situation for her two friends, who were both fiercely loyal to their blitzball team, but they endured Gippal's haughtiness for the sake of Rikku. To this day it still remains a mystery as to why their relationship ended. Rikku doesn't particularly enjoy discussing it and neither Tidus nor Wakka have ever dared to pry - their tiny friend is actually much stronger than she looks.

Gippal laughs breezily and swipes a hand through his damp, spiky hair. "So, gang, what are we up to? Lamenting over the things that are too good for us? Like blitzball championships and daughters of the mayor?" He motions with his head toward the fancy car that is still humming expensively in front of the quad while his teammates chortle in appreciation.

"I wouldn't start celebratin' just yet," warns Wakka, his tempter flaring. "The Abes are plannin' on ending this year with a bang - and that includes wipin' the floor with your spoiled Al Bhed asses, ya!"

Gippal's eyes widen, as if he's honestly shocked that Wakka is capable of forming coherent sentences. "Ooh, how intimidating," He deadpans. The boy's spiral eyes skirt over to Tidus, who has opted for glaring rather than arguing. "And so what about the mayor's daughter, huh? Are you also planning on ending that with a bang…?"

"Hey, hold on a sec, buddy," Tidus charges forward, in front of Wakka, to get as close to Gippal as he can be with the fence still separating them. The Al Bhed boy doesn't even flinch. "You seriously wanna take this fight out of the arena? 'Cause I say bring it on, but I'm not gonna sit around and let the likes of you tell us what we are and aren't good enough for. Got it?"

The same smirk is still plastered across Gippal's face as he folds his arms in retaliation. "It just sounds to me like you're scared, superstar."

"Scared?" Tidus makes a face, his nose crinkling in disdain. "Me? You're full of it."

"I mean," Gippal begins to explain with exaggerated nonchalance. "Obviously a guy who's not worthy of a blitz championship wouldn't be worthy of a lady like that, yeah?"

The way Gippal's sidekicks begin roaring with laughter really starts to grate at Tidus' nerves. He feels the familiar itch to erupt again, just like he had with his father.

"I bet you don't even know what I'm worthy of!" Tidus thunders, effectively cutting through the annoying chuckles from the Psyches. "The blitz championship and a girl like that. No problem," The blond boy sneaks a glance at the pretty brunette, silently praying that the slight redness on his cheeks doesn't take away from his coercion.

Suddenly, Gippal's eyes are twinkling with amusement. He taps a finger against his chin thoughtfully as a low chuckle rumbles inside his throat. "Bet? Hm… This could be fun."

"Spit it out," Tidus demands.

"If you really think you can pull it off, then prove it," Gippal proposes eerily. "If you seal the deal with the mayor's daughter by the day of the tournament, I'll willingly drop out of the final championship game."

Gippal's claim is met with outraged murmurs from his teammates, but the Al Bhed captain remains stoic as he awaits Tidus' reply.

"And if I don't?" asks the boy.

Gippal grins dangerously. "Then you have to willingly drop out of the final game."

Tidus opens his mouth impulsively, but Wakka is suddenly interrupting him with a boisterous cry of, "whoa, whoa, whoa" just as Rikku chimes in with a shrill, "hold your chocobos" in the Al Bhed language.

"Time out!" Wakka yanks Tidus away from Gippal by the back of his jacket. "We gotta talk this one through, ya?"

"Huddle, team!" Rikku concurs frantically. Gippal takes a curious step forward, but the Al Bhed girl sticks out her hands to halt his movement. "Nuh-uh. Good guys over here and big meanies stay right where you are!"

The Psyches share a round of incredulous scoffs, but otherwise obey the command. Meanwhile, Rikku hops the chain link fence to join the makeshift huddle that Wakka is now dragging Tidus into.

"Dude," Wakka scolds in a hushed whisper. "You been takin' too many blitzballs to the head or somethin'? You lose this bet and you could be puttin' the whole team at risk by not playin' in the championship. You're our secret weapon, brudda!"

Rikku issues a swift smack to Tidus' head and the boy whines in protest. "Yeah, you big dope!"

"Not to mention you'd be blowin' your chances at gettin' noticed by college scouts," Wakka quickly reminds his friend. "The big ones always show up to the final game, ya know?"

"And what about your dad?" Rikku pipes up. "Just think of all the craziness that'll happen when you tell him you're dropping out!"

"I don't owe my old man anything. Besides," Tidus flashes his friends a cheeky smile despite their warnings. "I'm not planning on losing, guys. I'm gonna play the championship game, put Gippal and the Psyches in their place, and score with the new girl. Trust me! I've got ladies lining up at my locker every morning just to say hi. This'll be a piece of cake."

Wakka and Rikku share another wary glance even though they know that their friend has a point. If any boy at Zanarkand High can make a girl fall at his feet, it's Tidus. They also know that the boy's brash competitiveness cannot be stifled no matter how many excuses they attempt to drown him in. At this point, it's either his way or the highway and - in this case - the highway is just going to circle back to his original destination.

"I just got dissed by my father in front of the entire team so I'm not about to let the Psyches do the same," Tidus adds, just in case his friends need more convincing. "That's more than enough public humiliation for one morning."

Rikku is quickly grinning along with Tidus. "I do really wanna see Gippal's face when you totally show him up!"

"Whatever you think is best, captain," Wakka agrees with a little less spirit than Tidus would've liked - though he knows it won't take long for the thick-headed redhead to warm up to their grand scheme.

Tidus pumps his fist energetically and then extends his hand out into the middle of their small huddle. Rikku places her hand over his, soon followed by Wakka. "Let's do this!" The blond boy exclaims.

Their huddle disperses slowly. Rikku begins bouncing in place again while Wakka anxiously scratches the back of his head, and Tidus makes his proud march back toward the fence.

"Gippal," He announces confidently and holds out his hand. "You're on."

The Psyches are buzzing excitedly now as Gippal meets Tidus' firm handshake with another smirk. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"Yeah, yeah," Wakka sighs loudly as he waves his hand dismissively at the opposing team. "Now that we got that all settled, get off our turf, Al Bhed!"

"With pleasure," Gippal scoffs. "And good luck to you. You're gonna need it."

The Al Bhed blitzers begin filing away from the field, making their way off the quad. Gippal stays behind long enough to wink at Rikku, which causes the girl to take a swing with her field hockey stick that Gippal dodges artfully. He joins his fellow teammates and together they make their way back to Al Bhed Prep.

"Ooh, what I would give for one good whack!" Rikku whines childishly once the Al Bheds are out of earshot, taking another swipe at the air with her stick.

"Don't even sweat it," Tidus stretches his arms over his head idly. "We're gonna get our revenge."

Rikku giggles and prances her way over to the fence, leaning against it wistfully as she watches the mayor's daughter get escorted through the rain. "Hey, you better get going if you wanna get a head start on this super-duper secret mission. Code red, the eagle is landing!"

Tidus quickly looks toward the front of the building. The mayor's daughter has already made it across the parking lot and is now standing beneath the overhang at the main doors. Her driver leans in to tell her something and the girl simply nods in reply. He looks hesitant to part ways, but the mayor's daughter appears to reassure him before he turns and heads back to the immaculate car. The engine gives a smooth hum as he circles the lot and then turns out onto the street.

"Hey," Wakka calls out to catch his best friend's attention. Tidus looks over at the redhead and groans when he feels the boy's hand once again ruffling through his messy locks. "Go make 'er swoon, ya?"

Tidus laughs, relieved that Wakka is already beginning to loosen up about the idea. He punches at his friend's retreating hand and then gives a lively salute. "Aye, aye, boss!"

Wakka runs back across the field toward the locker room while Rikku waves and hurries back to the quad. Tidus is left alone just long enough to catch the mayor's daughter's backside retreating through the front doors of the school. With impressive skill, he swings himself over the chain link fence and jogs his way after her just as the first bell of the day beckons the students inside. Tidus grins.

Let the games begin.

tbc

A/N: Obviously I watch too many rom-coms. Either that or I have way too much free time on my hands. The world may never know. Thanks for reading, reviewing, and staying tuned for the next chapter!