Chance Ball Chapter 4: Connections

You were almost out the school gates when a panting male pulled up beside you.

“Hey wait up a minute.” He said.

You glanced to your right.

Dabi.

“What.” You said coldly.

“Umm. Sorry.” He mumbled, looking away. “Sorry for being so short before.”

You ignored him.

“I don’t like being in tutor class. It makes me feel..” he paused, looking for the right word.

“Inadequate?” You queried, filling in the final word for him.

“Yeah… well, I don’t even know what that word means so…” He replied glumly.

“You’re not dumb or anything, dude. You’re just talented in other areas. Like sports.” You said with a shrug. “There’s nothing wrong with being good in one area and not in another.”

“It is a problem if you get bullied though.” Dabi said softly.

“What?! You?! Bullied?!” You replied, shocked.

“Yeah, well… I rub people up the wrong way and they’re always looking for some kind of way to get back at me, y’know.” Dabi shrugged. “I don’t let it get to me… on the outside that is.”

You didn’t reply but you knew what he was talking about.

“What if I help you study?” You said finally. “I’m not amazingly good at maths but I get the gist of what the teacher is saying. I could give you some pointers?”

Dabi thought for a bit.

“Yeah ok, if it gets me some alone time with you then I’m in.”

“You’re such an ass, you know that right?” You said, trying to hide a smirk.

“And proud of it too.” He said straightening a little.

You looked away to hide a smile. You were glad you at least cheered him up a little bit.

………………………..

Next Tuesday after tutoring class he came home with you to do a bit of extra study.

“Why the fuck are there more alphabet letters in this thing than numbers?” He whispered harshly, clutching his head.

“That’s because it’s algebra, it’s supposed to have letters in there.” You replied, face palming. “Here, this is the basic formula to solve it.”

You leaned across and wrote some things down on his piece of paper, showing him how to solve the equation.

“Hey it works!” He said excitedly.

“Of course it works, it’s how the teacher explained it.” You deadpanned as you rolled your eyes. “Do you even listen in tutor class?”

“Well no, because the teachers is not hot but I find it easier when you teach me because you are hot.” He said leaning back and giving you a cheeky smile.

“There you go again, ya weirdo.” You said punching him in the arm. “Focus!”

“On you?” He asked provocatively as he leaned an elbow down on the table, looking at you with his glowing turquoise eyes.

“Shut your face.” You replied harshly.

“Ugh, fine.” He said with a long drawn out sigh as he got back to work.

The next few weeks were much the same. You two would attend tutoring class then head back to your place to continue for another hour or so.

He kept up with the random flirtatious lines but you were so used to it by now it was almost as if it were part of his vocabulary.

On some occasions you two would stop by the local Bubble Tea cafe and grab a tea to drink as you walked home.

“Which one did you get this time?” Dabi asked, taking a sip of his.

“Lychee, green tea with grape balls.” You replied. “It’s actually pretty good!”

“I’ll lychee your grape balls,” he leered. “Let me try some?” He asked as he leaned across to you as you walked beside him.

You stretched your arm out for him to take a sip.

“Mmmm.” He hummed, a glint in his eye. “You taste amazing. I can taste your lips on the straw.”

Your eyes bulged and your heart nearly jumped out of your throat.

“You frickin’ dumbass! Don’t say stuff like that!” You took a swipe at him but he dodged, laughing.

“Oh ho? That one got you.” He sneered as he laughed again.

“Asshole.” You growled angrily as you took another sip and scrunched your eyes shut.

“You need to come up with better nicknames for me than just ‘asshole’ and ‘dumbass’.” He said, taking another sip of his tea.

You didn’t respond.

…………………………..

The next day at school you ran up to him excitedly.

“Hey jerkface, I came up with a new nickname for you!” You screamed as you approached him.

“Is that it? Is that the new nickname? ‘Jerkface’?” Dabi deadpanned, looking disappointingly at you.

“No it’s….”

You dabbed, flicking your arms up to the right and smacking your forehead into the crook of your left arm.

“What?” He asked as he blinked in disbelief.

You dabbed again.

“That’s your nickname.” You replied, doubling over with laughter. “You know? Because your name is ‘DAB’-I, get it??? I just took the ‘ng’ off dabbing  and it’s your name! So this is going to be your nickname from now on.”

You dabbed again.

“Stop doing that, please.” Dabi said in an almost panicked tone.

“What, this?” You asked, dabbing again.

“No seriously, cut it out, you’re embarrassing me.” Dabi said hurriedly, trying to catch you to pin your arms down.

“You don’t like your new nickname?” You asked as you skipped backwards, out of his reach, doing a double dab, right then left.

Dabi growled and lunged at you but you were too quick.

“Damn you, libero!!” He yelled as you sprinted down the hallway laughing.

That afternoon at volleyball practice you entered the gym and looked up to see Dabi in the stands, assuming the T pose.

“What the hell are you doing, you weirdo?!” You screamed at him.

“I’m dominating you, what does it look like?” He screamed back.

“You look like a fucking dipstick!” You hollered.

“I’ll have you walking like a fucking dipstick after I’m done with you!” He yelled back, just as loud, making obscene hip thrusting movements.

His sudden sexually charged comment threw you and you couldn’t think of a straight comeback so you just stormed off to the locker room, his laughter following your retreating form.

……………………………………

Tuesday afternoons had gone from the occasional stop by the tea shop on the way home; To grabbing some food and chilling together for a bit before studying.

You hated to admit it but you actually had a lot in common with this asshole. You both liked the same kind of music, both watched anime, had seen the same anime, liked the same kinds of food, both played volleyball and went for the same professional team.

Your relationship was based on mutual teasing, sarcasm and laughter. There was an element of trust there… on some levels; and he was opening up to you more and more but his shameless flirting with other girls was starting to get to you.

Were you falling for him?!

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Chance Ball Chapter 5: Support >>>