Chapter 8: Truth Revealed. A Super Nice Invitation.
Dorm room: I find a little blue gem with purple bits, and as I twiddle it around, it's snatched from my hand. "Oi, don't touch my stuff without asking!" Jessica says angrily. "Hnh?" I gasp outta shock, and add "I was just looking...", she inturrupts me "Well, don't! ", and puts the gem in a box on her shelf. She justs slips into her bed, and I sigh, unsure of what to do or say, and head to bed myself.
4 days pass, and after all the time of her avoiding and ignoring me, I can't take it anymore. At lunchtime on the 5th day, I find her in the courtyard, and head up to her, asking "Ok, Jessica, what is going on with you? You've never ever acted like this, you barely look at me anymore. Please tell what is going on?". She looks down, her expression darkening, and she clenches her fists, "you really want to know?". I nod, hand on my chest, and she shoots a scary, furious look to me "You have everything! I have nothing special! You have a Prism Voice, a boyfriend, not me! And now you're blinkin' Pripara Princess!", I takes a couple steps back in utter shock, she continues "If you're so special, you shouldn't have to hang around with a normal girl!". She runs off, leaving me struck with pain in my chest, tears fall " ..?". I collapse on my knees. "Huh? Katie!" I hear 6 voices: Sophie, Mireille, Shion, Fuwari, Dorothy & Leona. Leona asks worriedly "Katie, what.. What happened to you?". The Twins and Fuwari help me up, and Mireille asks "What happened here?". I just sniff and say "Mireille, Dorothy, could you tell the cooking teacher I don't feel well, please? I ...wanna go back to my dorm". I walk off, leaving them puzzled. Back in my dorm, I collapse on my bed, crying constantly for ages. After a few hours, my Pripass rings, and Falulu appears on-screen with a pained expression, I clear my throat and hurridly wipe my eyes "Hey Falulu". She softly replies "Katty, have you and Abi had a disagreement? I sensed a friend disturbance". I shake my head, even though she hit the nail on the head, "N..no, she's just not had a lotta sleep lately, and she gets grouchy...", but Falulu looks doubtful, and sighs "Ok, I'll let it go, but you know you can always talk to me if something's wrong, right?". I nod with a smile, "Ok, thanks Falulu, I gonna scoot off now, 'k?". She nods 'ok', "Talk soon, ok?". "Yup, see ya", we end the call. The next moment, -Knock Knock-, "Uh huh?" I ask as someone opens the door. I look round to see Fuwari and Lala coming in, looking concerned. "Katie, are you ok?" Fuwari smiles kindly, and Lala comes over, them both sitting with me on my bed, and she says "Katie, Mireille told me briefly what she saw at lunch, what actually happened?". I sigh, tell them, with them listening carefully "Je..Jessica said that I.. had everything, 'cause I have a Prism Voice, and have been placed as the new Pripara Princess... I still don't get why she would act like that...!". Tears threaten to appear, and Lala gives me a tight hug, "Katie-san, I'm sure everything will be fine. Ka...Kashikoma". I take a deep breath "Th..thanks for trying to cheer me up guys, c..could you two leave me alone for now?". They understand, and get up, going back to the door, Fuwari turns around, saying one last thing, "Katie, you know we're all here for you, and Jessica too. She must have had a reason".
Later, around 8pm, there's another knock, and when I open it, I'm astonished to see Hibiki's blinkin' butler stood there, holding a tray with an envelope on it. "Huh?", I question, tilting my head, and take it, as he bows slightly, walking off silently. I close the door, walk to my desk as I open it, pulling out a gold-boarder card as I sit down, it has written, in gorgeous handwriting: 'My Princess, I witnessed what happened earliar today, and I grew worried about you. To lift your sadness, how would you like to accompany me on a horse-back picnic tomorrow morning? If you accept, I'll be waiting at the Paprika Academy back gate at precisely 11:00am. Please do not be late. Hibiki'. I re-read it over again, and as myself, "Huh? Since when does Paprika Academy have a back gate?", "Wait, is..is she trying to cheer me up? Oh my Pri... Well, I'll need help to figure out how sort out my friendship mess, and I'll have to let things die down a bit first. Ok, I might as well go if she's offering, it might be fun". I sigh, and hop into bed, headphones in. The next day, at 8:00am, I recieve and email on my computer that my lessons today have been cancelled, and I look at the letter again, smiling red-faced "Hibiki...". I shake my head, and change into a long-sleeve blue top, blue jeggings, and put on my white sequined boot-trainers. And I use some time to relax, and I browse through my Priticket bag, looking at all the Friend Tickets. Lala's, Mireille's, Sophie's, Shion's, Dorothy's, Leona's, Falulu's, Fuwari's, and... Jessica's Friend Tickets are in there, along with a few fans ones. I waste a lot of time, that it turns out I relax for about 2 hours, and 44 minutes! "Oh nuts! I gotta move it!". I grab my Pripass, just as I get a text from Fuwari: 'I figured out what's going on for you today, little tip, ask about her past, ok? Trust me, you'll understand her much better'. "Huh? What's Fuwari talking about?", I shrug it off, and put it in my pocket, running out the door. On the way, I obviously try and avoid seeing people I know, and I somehow make it to what looks like the back gate, and I only know because there is a tall white horse, with purple and white reins and saddle, and Hibiki is stood in front of it, back-facing toward me. As if she senses me, she turns, and gives a small smile, "I knew you'd come, Katie". I giggle nervously, "Yeah, heh, well, thanks for inviting me, and.. Well, believing I'd come". She instantly mounts the horse, and holds a hand down for me: I walk over, and slowly put my hand in hers, she pulls me up, and I instantly grip onto her "Whoa!"she repositions my hands around her waist, "Don't let go, alright?". I nod vigorously "Nope, I definitely won't let go". She flicks the reins: "Maxi! Ride!", and the horse charges forward, out of the gate. I stare at the unfarmiliar scenery as we ride past it, "Wowsers!". Hibiki smiles, looking back at me, "Hehem,", I glance up at her, and she adds "You've never been to this part of Parajuku, have you?". "Uh uh", I shake my head, "nope". She slows Maxi to a trot, replying: "I always ride Maxi around here, it's a part that's known only by me". I smile a bit "It's totally awesome! I love that you'd show me this!", I blush after saying it, and she chuckles, "It's my pleasure, my princess". Soon, she turns Maxi to the right, into a field, and she dis-mounts, helping me down, and asks me to cover my eyes. Curious, I do, and after about a minute of clinking sounds, and me being really tempted to look, she gently pulls my hands from my eyes, I stare in surprise at a white blanket on the grass under the shade of a tree, with plates, both clear, and some full of pretty food, 2 glasses, shiny cutlery, and lastly a posh kinda basket at the side. I almost cover my mouth, but manage not to, "Ai yai yai! Wow.", I stare at Hibiki in pure shock, and she just smiles, taking my hand and leading me to sit on the blanket. I have to ask "Uh, H..Hibiki, why exactly did you bring me out here?". She actually looks genuinely puzzled herself, closing her eyes quickly, she says "I'm not entirely sure myself. But what I witnessed yesterday, with you and your friend, I... didn't want to leave you saddened". I tilt my head, as she pours a (normal) drink into the glasses, handing me one, I happily take it, and we end up chatting for a little while, until: 'clomp-clomp-clomp-clomp', Maxi walks over and randomly snorts, nuzzling my face. Hibiki chuckles "He likes you". I giggle "tsch, heha. Aww", and I stroke his fuzzy muzzle.