I looked down at the piece of paper in my hand and scowled, "I can't believe this! How can there not be a school with a good soccer team for girls?" I crumpled the paper and threw it at the wall in anger. I'm a good soccer player, no, a great player, but I can't improve without a talented coach. All of the girl's teams are ramshackle arrangements. "How are girls any less important than boys?" I yelled at no one in particular, "This sucks. " At that moment I heard the door open and watched as my older brother stumbled into the kitchen, obviously he had had a few drinks. He was taking care of me, or rather I was taking care of him, while our parents were on a business trip. "Kouki, did you get drunk?" I asked, helping him to his seat.
He smiled up at me, "Nope. I only had one drink." Did I mention he cannot hold his booze? We look a bit alike; we both have straight black blue hair, mine down to my waist, his spiky and short. We both have big green-amber eyes, and we are both slim, the difference being I look totally feminine and he looks moderately butch.
I sighed, "You shouldn't drink. You always wind up doing something stupid; remember the time you wound up adopting ninety-five cats? How about the time you jumped from the third story into a semi frozen pool?" He giggled, "You don't know what you're talking about. I never did any of that."
"You just can't remember. Because you're drunk," I said just in time to watch his head slide onto the table.
Now that I had a captive listener, I continued my rant.
"Can you believe that there isn't a single girls school or co-ed school even close with a good soccer program for girls?" I asked angrily.
"Yes," he mumbled, shrieking as I poured some of my juice on his head. "I mean, soccer is more of a boys sport, isn't it?"
I flicked some more juice at him.
He winced but went on, his voice only slightly slurred, "No, listen, Yui, it's true. It's not going to happen unless you turn into a boy. I may be slightly tipsy, but I know that that isn't going to happen."
"There has to be another way!" I exclaimed, slamming my palms on the table, and causing Kouki to moan and grab his head. "There just has to be. I love soccer and being a professional soccer player is what I have trained for. I just need help," mumbling, I continued in a softer voice, "Kouki, you always give me good advice, even when you aren't in your right mind, which is often. What should I do? If only I was a boy, everything would be okay. I could go to Seikou high school, stupid all boys school."
"Maybe you should go to Seikou in disguise," Kouki laughed and hiccupped, "you know, as a boy. Man, I must be drunk if I'm saying that."
I looked at him with wide eyes; why hadn't I thought of that? I could go, in disguise, just like he said. It must have shown on my face because suddenly Kouki looked frightened.
"Yui? What are you thinking about?"
I hugged him, "Kouki, you're brilliant. I will go to Seikou as a boy. I will get all their training has to offer. I will become a great soccer player." I clenched my fist to emphasize my point.
"No! I'm drunk, why are you listening to me? You don't listen to drunk people. I'm drunk and I wouldn't even take my own advice," he looked at me closer, "Are you drunk?"
"No, no I am not! I think it's a great idea," I said, already scheming on how to get in.
"It will not work! You look nothing remotely like a dude. This point can be proven by the number of love letters you get from boys at your school. They wouldn't give love letters to a manly looking girl. You're beautiful as a girl and not as a dude."
I shook my head stubbornly, "I can do it, just you watch." I smiled wickedly, "and if you tell mom or dad or even try to stop me I'll tell all your friends at school about the chest you keep under your bed." My brother's secret was that he liked Hello Kitty. What self respecting teenaged boy liked Hello kitty? I walked away from the table, leaving him to wallow in self-misery and pity. I went to bed, my mind filled with hope, and the task in front of me.