Disclaimer : Gakuen Alice does not belong to me.
But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and I feel so rough
No you didn't have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know
Somebody That I Used To Know - Goyte
Fragments
Because that's all she was now. Just mere fragments of her memory.
November 10th, 2010
"I don't think we should be friends anymore."
"What?" Sumire asks as she tears her gaze away from the sunset and looks at her best friend, Wakako, who is sitting beside her on a huge rock. It's a Sunday evening and both the girls are sitting on their favourite rock in the Rock Gardens which overlooks the lake. It's been sort of a tradition for them ; every Sunday evening was spent in the same manner. They both would go to the gardens, sit on their rock and simply talk. Sometimes they'd just lounge about, idly gazing at the twilight sky.
"I don't think we should be friends anymore." Wakako repeats.
"Why?" Sumire asks, flabbergasted.
Wakako shrugs. "It's just that…" she begins but trails off,not completing her sentence.
"Just that what?" Sumire questions, bringing her chin to her knee.
Wakako sighs, "You've changed."
Sumire widens her eyes, "I've changed?"
Wakako nods, "Yes,you have. Quite a lot if I must say."
"How so?"
"You're always talking to them," the last word comes out like a hiss.
"Them?"
"The people in your class!" Wakako exclaims, exasperated. "You don't even sit with us at lunch anymore!"
Sumire frowns. "What does lunch have to do with anything?"
Wakako lets out an agitated sigh. She doesn't meet Sumire's eyes instead they are focused on the ducks swimming in front of them in the lake. "You don't even pick up my calls anymore," she whispers.
Sumire blinks. "It's okay if you make new friends but when I do it's a crime?" she then rubs her eyes, "I did say that I'm sorry about the phone calls, haven't I? I've just been so busy."
"Busy with your new friends I bet." Wakako mutters with a bitter edge to her voice.
"Wakako!" Sumire admonishes.
"I don't think we should be friends anymore." Wakako announces once again. This time Sumire merely nods her head. She's had enough of this. If Wakako doesn't want to be her friend, so be it. Like she cares.
"Okay."
Because she doesn't care.
~(*)~
November 17th, 2010
"Sumire did you hear that?"
Sumire clenches her jaw. She is currently walking to her Physics class with Mikan. She isn't in a great mood ; she has forgotten to do her Math homework and she hasn't gotten a good grade on her Science test. To make it worse, she has to walk by that stupid class on her way to the Physics lab. She grips her books tighter as she hears their voice echoing down the hall.
"Ooo there she comes! That bloody bitch. To think she was ever our friend."
Sumire doesn't even glance in their direction. They're not worth it, she keeps telling herself. She nods her head slowly, "Yeah. I did hear that." She tells Mikan.
"Do you want me to tell them to stop?" Mikan asks, her voice showing signs of concern. The way they are talking makes it seem as if Sumire isn't even present.
Sumire shakes her head. "Ignore them. They're just a bunch of idiots."
As they both walk by, she sees them giggling at her way. They're whispering into each other's ears now. All Sumire wants to do is to smack them across their face. But of course, she doesn't do that. She ignores them.
"She said what?"
Unintentionally she looks in their direction. She sees them both laughing over a piece of paper. How she wishes she could just tear that bloody paper into a gazillion pieces.
"Did you see that? Egoistic bastard just glanced our way."
Sumire clenches her fists. She is not going to let them get to her.
"Are you sure?" Mikan asks once again this time biting her lips nervously.
Sumire nods her head. "Positive."
Because they aren't worth it.
~(*)~
November 23rd,2010
"I came to return your movie."
Sumire widens her eyes as she sees Wakako at her doorstep. She then narrows them. "Which one?"
"The Hangover and The Proposal."
Sumire looks at those two movies wearily. They bring back unwanted memories.
"Wakako!" comes a voice from behind them, "How nice to see you dear!"
"Hello Mrs. Shouda." Wakako greets with a smile plastered on her face. Sumire knows that it's not a genuine one. She's seen that smile before; it's strained and her voice is far too chirpy. Sumire rolls her eyes. Wakako has always been the one to sugar coat her words when conversing with adults.
"How are you dear?" Mrs. Shouda asks.
"Never been better." Wakako replies, flashing another bright smile.
Sumire rolls her eyes yet again. That doesn't go unnoticed by Wakako.
"Why are you standing outside?" Mrs. Shouda asks with a frown on her face," Come in!"
"Actually Mrs. Shouda I'm on my way back home-"
"Nonsense!" Mrs. Shouda exclaims as she ushers Wakako inside. "I can't let my daughter's best friend go without tasting my chocolate cake!"
Sumire winces as she hears the word 'best friend.'
"Honestly Mrs. Shouda. I have to go," Wakako tries once again, "I only came to return some movies."
Mrs. Shouda shakes her head, "Not until you taste my cake." She then turns to Sumire, "How about you take Wakako to your room while I bring the cake?"
Sumire merely nods. There's nothing she can say against her mother. Her mother wouldn't listen. She's far too stubborn.
The minute they both enter Sumire's room, Sumire says, "Egoistic bastard, is it?"
Wakako cringes visibly. "Look-"
But Sumire doesn't let her explain, "And I'm the one who told everyone about your sister, right?"
Wakako blanches. "Sumi-"
"So why did you do it?"
Wakako opens her mouth and then closes it.
"Cat got your tongue, huh?"
Wakako shakes her head, "That wasn't me, it was Luna."
Sumire snorts in disbelief. "So you're saying that you haven't gone around telling people that I took an egoistic trip down the lane?"
"Er, that's about correct."
"You are so unbelievable."
"Me? You're the one who started ignoring me in the hallways!" Wakako retorts as she flops down onto a sofa.
Sumire widens her eyes, "Ignore you? When?"
"That day when you were talking with Anna."
Sumire lets out a sigh, "I talk to Anna every single day."
"Exactly!" Wakako cries, "You don't talk to me anymore!"
"Not everything Wakako,"Sumire bites out, "Is about you."
Wakako stays silent.
"You know what the problem with you is?"Sumire asks, her voice has taken on a new turn. "You always think you're right. You're so self-centred it disgusts me. It's always about you. How you want to become the Queen of our grade how you want to rule the school." She glances at Wakako, "And now I know that you're going to twist this whole story up. You're going to tell people how much I criticized you and how I called you so many foul names. You can do that. I really don't care anymore."
Wakako still remains silent.
"I can't believe I was even friends with you!" Sumire scoffs,"What was I even thinking? "
Silence.
"And now you're quiet," Sumire observes, "What happened? Finally realized how superficial you are?"
Wakako blinks, "Listen I kn-"
"No." Sumire whispers, "Save it. I don't want to hear it."
"But-"
"Get out."
"What?"
"You heard me," Sumire says this time venom present in her voice , "Get out."
Wakako gets up from the couch without a word. Sumire walks her to the door. The walk to the door is an awkward one. Both of them are absolutely seething inside.
"Have a nice life," Sumire says blandly as Wakako steps out.
"Excuse me?"
"Have a nice life," Sumire repeats as she pushes her hair out of her eyes, "And leave me out of it." And with that, she slams the door shut.
Because she's self-centred.
~(*)~
April 13th, 2011
"I can't believe you're not invited!"
Sumire laughs, "Well it's not surprising, is it? I mean Wakako's hosting the party."
Anna frowns, "But it's such a low blow! Even Yuu is invited!"
Sumire shrugs. "Whatever. I wouldn't want to go to a party hosted by her anyways," she says, her voice indifferent.
"You guys can go without me," Sumire continues as she examines her nails, she notices that her nail polish need another coat, it's fading.
"Are you sure?" Anna asks, "I mean, we don't have to go."
"Oh please," Sumire proclaims, "You guys go. I'll just hang out with Koko or something that day."
"Are yo-"
"Yes Anna!" Sumire puts her hands up in the air exasperatedly ," Go!"
Anna sighs and then nods her head. "Okay then. If you say so. I'll see you later then. Bye Sumi!"
"Bye An!"
Anna smiles at Sumire and she sweeps up her bag from where it was sprawled on the ground and then straps it on her shoulder.
"Call me okay?"
"Yes. I will."
"And don't worry, we won't have that much fun there plus we'll make sure that they don't say shit about you."
Sumire grins. She loves Anna. She really does.
Because she's made better friends.
~(*)~
June 16th, 2011
"Apparently Wakako and Luna got totally wasted at last night's party."
Sumire laughs, "What did they do?"
"Oh nothing out of character for them. Stripped, barfed, stripped, barfed, gave lap dances and the usual. Luna sat down in her own barf once."
Sumire doubles in laughter, "Did they give one to you, Koko?" she asks raising an eyebrow.
Koko looks disgusted, "As if! I'd never let those sluts touch me."
"Really?" she questions tilting her head to one side.
"Definitely." He says as he absently taps the desk in front of him, "they were talking about you though."
Sumire narrows her eyes, "Really?"
Koko nods, "Were saying how you're such a ditcher and how you use people."
Sumire scowls,"Anything else?"
"Nothing worth knowing." He reassures her, "Besides, Wakako's one to talk. She only hangs out with the popular crowd because she wants the spotlight."
She grunts, "Even though they hate me so much, they sure as hell do talk about me a lot."
He grins, "Well that's only because they're jealous."
"Of what?"
"Of your brains," Koko says as if it was quite obvious, "both of them are flunking all their classes."
Sumire snorts, "Figures. I hope they die."
Koko merely grins at that and then changes the subject. "Hey do you want to grab a burger?" he asks her as he gets up from the chair, "I'm hungry."
"Yeah sure. I'm hungry too."
Because she hates them.
~(*)~
September 22nd, 2011
"Oh my god, Sumire! You will not believe what happened!"
Sumire looks up from the plate of pasta she's eating, "What happened?"
"Wakako Usami is dead!"
"WHAAT?" Sumire nearly drops the glass of water that she's holding in her hand.
"Yeah! Oh god. That's so sad! I can't believe she died! Even though I didn't like her, she didn't deserve to die!" Mikan spurts as she takes a seat in front of Sumire.
"You're kidding." Sumire states simply because Wakako Usami and dead? That doesn't make any sense.
"That's why most of her friends are absent today," Mikan stares at the table, "She was drunk and she was driving."
"Oh," is all the Sumire can say as she gazes at her pasta.
"I know right! Poor girl! Her parents are organizing her funeral." Mikan looks at her watch, "Oh drat. I have Chemistry next and I haven't done my homework. I'll see you later, Sums."
Sumire looks at Mikan's retrieving figure.
Wakako Usami is dead.
Sumire shudders. This is just too surreal. This can't be happening. How can someone like her just die?As she sits there at the table, looking glumly at her pasta she feels something moist slid down her cheek.
A tear.
Because they both were best friends.
~(*)~
The End
True friends are very hard to find. So if you ever meet one, keep them close and never let go. Because if you do, they might just go away...forever.
Carolle Royale