A/N: So, due to some pressure, I decided to cave and pen a sequel to "Never Change," so here's "Overcome." I might change that title later. Whereas my last story was all fleshed-out from the get go, this one is a little more spontaneous, so if the tone feels different, then that's just because it is. I still have a direction for this, however. Think of this as more of the Seinfeldian of the two.

Enjoy.

I'm going to get you, Toshino Kyoko! Ayano yelled as she chased after the blonde girl.

No, you will never catch me, Ayano! I'm too fast for you!

Ayano panted as she ran. She was determined to catch her rival at any cost, but despite her motivation, the blonde's alacrity proved a challenging obstacle. Still, this recent most taunt proved ultimately to disserve the blonde as it only inspired Ayano further.

I'm nearly on you! Better say your prayers!

Ayano was now right on top of her nemesis. The energetic otaku was right within arms reach. With all the force she could muster, the purple-haired girl leapt up and pounced on the chase, the force sending them both rolling down the flowery hill.

The two laughed while doing so while doing so.

Ayano ended up on top of the blue-eyed girl. Inches away from her face, she stared into Kyoko's blue eyes and Kyoko stared back into her own. Both girls blushed at the intimacy. Feeling a little awkward, but still amused, Ayano rolled off of her and lay by her side. The afternoon quickly descended into night, and the two girls stared up at the suddenly starry sky noticing nothing amiss.

I can't believe you managed to catch me, Kyoko said. Well, you kept egging me on! If you didn't want me to catch you, you shouldn't have motivated me.

Kyoko turned towards Ayano and Ayano reflected. Who said I didn't want you to catch me?

Ayano went crimson. Well, if you didn't want me to catch you, then what were you running for?

Kyoko chuckled. Because, she said, I wanted you to catch me!

Ayano's face went a deeper shade of scarlet. I…um…I… Ayano muttered incoherently, lost in thought trying to decipher the meaning. Kyoko only laughed.

There you go doing it again, Kyoko said. Eh? Ayano stopped her mumbling and instead focused on this new development. Confused, Ayano asked, Wha-what do you mean by that? What am I doing again?

Overthinking, replied the blonde. Don't think so much! Do!

Ayano stopped and breathed. She calmed herself down, and reflected a bit on Kyoko's words.

You caught me, Kyoko said, so what do you want to do now?

I want to kiss you!

Ayano blurted out unconsciously, She reddened once again after realizing what she had done. She had apparently just adopted Kyoko's philosophy.

Kyoko reddened too, but kept smiling. She interlocked her fingers with her friend's and stared into her eyes.

Then, go for it.

And Ayano moved towards Kyoko, nervous but determined to finally achieve her dream. But just before contact, she found herself no longer in an expansive field, but rather in a moderately spacious living room. She was draped over a couch awakening form her sleep. She heard whispers coming from the other corner of the room. It was Yui on the phone. In her drowsy state, she couldn't quite make out what she was saying.

"-I mean, she might still be having a rough time, though. Do you really think the timing is wise?
-Well, I guess that does make sense."

Yui turned and saw her new roommate was gradually awakening. "Ah! I got to get ready for school. We'll talk later!"

The phone clicked as Yui hung up. "Hey, you're up. How was your sleep?" asked Yui a little timidly, but Ayano ignored the tone. She was more concerned with whether or not she may have said anything incriminating in her sleep. She dreaded the possibility of her sleep talking betraying her long-kept secret to her crush's best friend.

"Oi, you okay Ayano?" Yui said, after a long period of silence. Ayano woke up. Oh, I'm fine thank you!" Ayano said, satisfied that if she had said anything, Yui might have indicated so by now.

Content, Ayano yawned and cast off her covers. She put her feet on the floor and slowly arose, wincing as the sun's rays accosted her compromised vision.

"Ah, what day is it now?"

"Saturday," said the raven-haired girl. "Finally, right?"

Ayano breathed a sigh of relief. It was finally the weekend - a half-day, a student council meeting, and then the weekend. But it was not only a simple weekend. It was spring break. An entire two weeks was about to be at her disposal. Time to unwind and relax. A vacation would be nothing but beneficial. It had been a tumultous month for Ayano, putting it mildly. She had suffered so much in such a condensed amount of time, she felt she had struggled for years. She had to come to terms with the fact that she is a lesbian and that she was exiled from her home, while continuing to manage her schoolwork effectively.

Her recent dejection by her own family was simply the worst experience she ever suffered in her entire life. Despite awareness of the possibility, it had still come as a complete shock. She couldn't ever have fathomed her own parents stemming to such a low. But she had to accept the reality now for she was at present bumming on Yui's couch.

It was a reality all right, and there was no going back. She remembered it vividly still. She saw the sheer disappointment in her mother and father's eyes as she told them that she liked girls and that she could never change herself, not even for them. And she was sure that they saw the same when they issued her their ultimatum.

"We're sorry, Ayano. But it's either you get straight or leave."

"I … I…" Ayano mumbled in disbelief. She was enraged and dumbstruck. She wanted to lash out, but she held her tongue. "I … I have nothing I want to say to you."

She stared at her own mother, hoping she would intervene in some way. Her faith was unfounded. Empirical evidence would have told her this. Ayano's mother turned away and refused to look at her once their eyes met. Ayano's heart sunk. She realized that her parents and herself have now reached an impossible impasse. The time had come to make a decision, and she made up her mind.

"If you can't support me for who I am, then fine!" She stared directly into her father's eyes, and she said, "I'm leaving!"

"What?" Her parents shouted in unison. "Ayano! Don't be foolish now."

But Ayano couldn't hear them. She had by this point turned away and walked up the stairs. She could hear them shouting upstairs after her, but she was lost in her own grief. She went into her room and she grabbed a couple of bags and her suitcase. Ayano could hardly think or breathe. She couldn't even believe what she was doing or comprehend the extremity that her parents were driving her to. She unconsciously, automatically, and indiscriminately packed up all the belongings she could carry. She loaded up her clothes, and she stocked up her personal items. She grabbed her diary, the source of all this grief, and she left her room. Her suitcase banged as she lugged it down the stairs. She looked up and saw her parents still in the parlor. Her mother was anxiously pacing back-and-forth. Her father was pulling his hairs out.

She opened the door partially before her father called out after her. "Ayano!" he said. "Just go to the camp and get better! It'll only take a couple of months! Think about it! I mean where are you suppose to go?"

Ayano just stared at his face. With her rage and her despair, she couldn't maintain eye contact for more than a second. She turned away and said, "Anywhere is better than here."

She didn't bother to see his reactions. She simply left and departed from her home forever. She closed the door and didn't look back, less she turn to salt. She stood on her stoop for a brief moment and attempted to process these events. She couldn't do so at that time.

She looked up at her friends and from her eyes they knew. Ayano slowly walked towards them. Her suitcase scratched the pavement as she dragged it behind her. Tears were dripping from her eyes now. Chitose hugged her. She didn't say anything. Nothing needed to be said. Nothing could be said. Akari walked towards the pair and extended a box of tissues towards the now weeping exile. Ayano accepted the offering and dabbed her eyes with them. The others looked on with sympathetic gazes. The good fight was fought, but the victory was purely pyrrhic. After Chitose withdrew, Kyoko threw herself on Ayano and embraced her. Under normality, Chitose would die of blood loss at such a gesture, but today she was in no mood for fantasizing.

"Either get straight or leave." Those words from her former father still rang in her head. And they still caused her to weep silently.