Detour towards the courtyard

"You're right I can! I am trying all I can, Anthy!" I said getting as mad as possible. I tried every which way to try and steal the ball, I was furious with little self control but I remained under the pressure, and only played the game as it was. I was mad to be tricked and being beaten so far by Anthy Himemiya, it just didn't make sense. I was going to win, and that was final. I tried following her, and getting around her, but I didn't know if it was going to work.

What's going on here? I thought to myself.

A simple side step was all it took to get away from wakaba's attempts as I was able to control the ball easily enough, this time round I went for lay up shot.
I really shouldn't make her to mad.

"Oh you're no fun Utena!" I covered my mouth right after I said it in shock that I actually did. Why did I just say that she was Anthy? I mean, that was odd.

"Sorry, you're Anthy, don't let that fool you. I just usually play with Utena, and well that kinda crossed my mind. Bring it on!" I went for another round.

I smirked slightly, was that her finally admitting I'm me.
I shook my head at Wakaba and laughed abit.
"Don't get mad wakaba" I said in a sweet tone, as if trying to defend myself though it was funny to get her to that point. She was kinda cute when she was mad.

"Alright then." I sighed as the realisation that she wasn't going to get it anytime soon came in and I went to check the ball.

I was blushing of embarrassment, but trying to conceal it also. I didn't want her to notice the change in the coloration of my face. I blatantly was outraged and confused, frustrated and annoyed.. and refusing to believe that the figure before me was Utena. It was Anthy, it looked like Anthy, talked like Utena. It was weird, but I go by looks most of the time, and so if at the end of this match she proves to be Utena, then.. does that mean they switched somehow and that Anthy was Utena? I had no time for silly thoughts such as these. I had to stay on top of my game if I was to win.

"Just bring it on! I will win and then you will see that you are still the person I know you are! No matter what you say." I stuck my tongue out, and then got back to trying to take the ball again.

I had to keep myself from laughing. man i hope the cutness doesn't distract me. I thought to myself as I continued to play the game.
"As you wish cutie" I couldn't help it, it was either going to make her blush more or mad more.
I focused again and got back into the game properly to try and get the ball in the basket again.

I got even madder, but the friendly kind of mad. I mean I could never actually be this mad at someone. It was just a matter of winning of this game. I was already embarrssed and mad enough. What was with Anthy's acting today? It was just like a boy, just like Utena. And now she was flirting with me, what's this...? Utena would usually do this as a joke, but now it's Anthy doing it. I was definitely confused, and frustrated. My blush increased as it was already spread across my face.

"Wh-what did you just call me?" I was standing with my fists clenched and leaning forward looking at whoever the figure was with the ball in front of me. I stood there as if I was refined yet at the same time, had no form of discipline whatsoever. It was a typical angry schoolgirl stance, and I was not to be beaten. This time I side stepped and tricked her into thinking I was going one way, when I stole the ball from the other direction, if she didn't try and trick me. And I went to shoot it, hopefully to make it.

"I think it was cutie, something wrong with that?" I smiled and chuckled at her stance. Yeap wakaba was definately getting there. I was starting to get abit cocky though or maybe i was just distracted. Either way she got the ball off me.

Owell there was still plenty of time left. I watched her go to shoot it as I chased after her as she had the ball.

I shot for the basket, and stood back in suspense to see if I made it in or not. I stood like that arguing with Anthy. I knew this sort of thing was going to happen eventually. I mean I didn't hate her but I didn't like her either. And I was going to prove that she was Anthy, the rightful person I thought her to be, and that was that.

I continued to blush as she continued to call me cute. "Y-Yeah, you have a girlfriend. And since when do you flirt with me Anthy?" I blushed even harder, getting slightly more embarrssed than mad. I stood there in my stance and the basket went it. That made 2 points for me!

"Wakaba, I told you its me Utena" I rubbed the back of my head at the mention of girlfriend thinking about anthy as I blushed slightly. "Umm and well yea" damn I lost what i was going to say.

I went and fetched the ball for wakaba and handed it to her as a distraction.
Waiting for her to check it so we could continue. Seems it was my turn to get the ball off her.

I got the ball and was dribbling, trying to score another point and not let Anthy, OR UTENA win. I couldn't let her win, it was just impossible. I was getting embarrassed and mad, and slightly jealous.Just because Utena had a girlfriend, and she knew all too well I liked her. Why else would I jump on her everyday and scream out UTENA MY LOVE. I am very open about my love. However everyone just thought that as a way to tease her, since she was my best friend. I guess everyone had their secrets huh? I was blushing too, nd thought it to be funny how Anthy was blushing.

"This .. is it. I am catching up! Haha!" I said running with the ball, trying to trick her and shoot it in. Though I didn't think that I was going to trick her with anything. I was terribly embarrassed, and mad. Jealous too.

"GR!"

I quicly followed her, blocking her off and trying to get the ball off of her.
I reached and jumped when she went to shoot to take the ball out of the air and span around to shoot as soon as I landed.

I stared open mouthed for a little minute or two, because of the amazing shot she just made. After that I pouted and turned around, obviously angry, and upset. I was annoyed, as well, and basically many of the negative emotions you could think of. Like jealous and confused, at the same time I was embarrassed and angry. The blush kept on my face and I stood there back to her face with my arms folded.

"Hmph, you're still not Utena to me. I believe that you are here, but I just can't see it, or how it came to be. GR." I said pouting more.

"wakaba..." I said in a disheartened tone, I walked up to her and went to ruffle her hair as I still stood behind her.
"Why can't you believe its me?," I spoke in a soft tone. Trying to calm her down.

I shrugged calming down only a little.

"I do... I do believe you that's.. just it. It's a little weird for me you know? I don't get how this came to be.. and Utena, this.. this isn't the m-main issue here." I said looking down at my fingers anywhere but looking Utena in the eye would be good. I spoke in a soft tone as well, one of the more touching moments between best friends, however as she ruffled my hair I would have smiled for that short minute.

"Oh? then what is it Wakaba?" I was kinda confused as to what it could be. I stood there waiting for the answer.

I turned around and then smiled at her, though hiding the tears in my eyes, and then sudden anger. Boy do I have a lot of mood swings. Well it isn't my fault when you have to deal with confessing or thinking of it every day.

"It's something far more complicated than that, and more than emotion itself. I mean.. Utena, it's hard to.. it's hard to..." I just couldn't complete the sentence so I changed it to something else. Keeping my real secret hidden from her.

"It's hard to watch you go to that dueling thing everyday and almost kill yourself. I am tired of seeing you every single day pretending to be this strong person. And I am tired of seeing you always enticed with whatever you're doing at the moment to not pay attention to old time friends like say me." I pouted, and twiddled my fingers turning back around so that my back was facing her, my face still seeming to look down. I was definitely a mixture of emotions right now. I stood there, at a crossroads with my friend once more.

I just stared at her for a time being, I didn't really know what to say, I had to do the duels it was my duty but I didn't realise I was ignoreing my friends.
I went to give Wakaba a hug wraping my arms tightly around her.
"I'm sorry if i've ignored you wakaba you know i'd never mean to"
I thought that might at least make her feel abit better.
I really didn't like seeing her upset like this and would do anything to make her feel better.

I felt her arms around me tight in a hug, and I wasn't upset anymore at the touch of them... but I was surprised, and blushing crimson. I loved when we touched, when she touched me,and it was too much to keep hidden, though I wasn't going to tell her anytime soon, I'm sorry but I couldn't. I tried to detach my arms from hers, and then her arms from my waist area, I turned around grabbing her hands and smiling that same smile that hid everything behind a mask of joy.

"Then you win, I think we should go back to Anthy right now, she's gonna be awfully lonely without us there. And, this is going to take some getting used to." I sighed and was ready to walk off with her, when the coloration in my face was still bright and dark red all the same. A big blush spread across my face.

I smiled back at her, "Well good to see you not upset anymore"
It was good to see her seeming happy, it was confuseing at times being who Wakaba is.

"Yea we should" I agreed as I realised she hadn't followed us here. I led the way back wondering what would take getting used to.
"Are you sure your don't want to rest abit before going off?, your look abit flushed" Though I thought she was blushing it was possible that she was just flushed from the exercise we had done earlier.

I blushed even harder at that compliment, she was so sweet and endearing, why did she have to have a girlfriend? This task alone of keeping it hidden was hard enough to do, but I mean wanting to be like Utena as well. Popular, an all around good person, one of the "special people" in our school. I wanted a little praise too, and the jealousy of that plus Anthy made it times two. I hated how these feelings would just manifest themselves so deeply into my way of thinking and feeling, living, and everything about life. I hated the way I could get really jealous like that, and I hated the fact that I had to keep this hidden.

"Yeah ,Anthy is lonley without her prince there, and unprotected as well." I giggled then teasing her more on the subject of her girlfriend which would get her to blush. I would feel accomplished and yet she would be cuter as time went by because of the blush, if there was one. I shook my head no to resting and headed back with Utena to the place where we were with the fountain, that resembled a courtyard. I smiled to see Utena was good now too.

I blushed at the word prince. I brought a arm up to the back of my head rubbing it as I smiled nervously "R-right" I nodded to her then and continued on to where anthy was.

By that time the blush faded and I smiled at Anthy as we got there.
"Hope we wheren't gone to long Anthy"

"Yeah that was one heck of a game. It's official though I believe that you two have switched. The only questions still are, how did this happen? And how/when will you switch back?" I seemed inquisitive, I was curious. I felt accomplished that I made Utena blush and I smiled... but we reached Anthy and it faded.

"Oh that's very nice. May I ask who won the game?" I said handing them each a rose I picked and kept healthy for them. I was doing no harm to the flowers which was good, because I cared more for them than I did my life. And Utena I loved beyond all of course. I simply gave them an apathetic smile and listened for an answer.

"Thats a good question, I really don't know"
That really was a good question afterall we had switched and now we have no idea how to get back to normal. I started to think about this further but that could wait till later I suppose.

"I think you know who did" I smiled and took the rose as I didn't really want to brag or say anything about it further then that. I twirled the rose in my fingertips absentmindedly as my thoughts went back to the how we had switched.