Inspiration: Hide and Seek By: Imogen Heap

Rated M To be safe and infers instances that happened.


Michiru was in the bus with her hands clasped tightly around her suitcase. Her eyes were closed and she was deep in thought and didn't want to be disturbed. She needed to think. Stay with me please. Don't leave me Michi! I can't survive without you. I love you Michi. Michiru opened her eyes and the memories of the last time she saw Haruka disappeared. When was the last time I saw Haruka? Michiru thought. Was it 4 months ago? God was it that long ago. A jolt of pain went through her as the picture of Haruka's horrified face popped back into her head as Michiru screamed at her, I'm leaving Haruka! You don't love me! I hate you! I HATE YOU! Michiru flew down the stairs and slammed the door as she ran as fast as she could through her tears as the heavy rain patted down on her hot face.

Michiru opened her eyes as a woman poked her lightly and told her it was time to get off the bus. Michiru smiled as real of a smile as she could.

She didn't think it was very good because the woman sneered and turned around as she mumbled, "Well I was trying to help…some people."


Michiru grabbed her suitcase and walked off the bus. Her legs were numb as she slowly walked toward her hotel room. She was back in her old neighborhood where her and Haruka used to live. She walked up to the front desk and asked which room number was hers as the very good looking young man. The young man looked blandly up at her. He handed her her key and offered to carry her bag up the stairs.

"No thank you. Thank you for my key though." She quickly walked up the stairs. Usually men would get a huge grin on their face and stare at her with stars in their eyes as they looked at her beauty, but not lately. She was never flirted with anymore and never stared at like she used to be. Michiru knew how she looked. Her usual shiny shoulder length hair neatly combed and always perfect, was now a dark green and was never tidy any more. Her striking sapphire eyes that twinkled with life and wonder were now lifeless and blank. Her attractive tanned skin was now pale and her genuine face that was once smiling and always full of happiness (even if she wasn't) didn't have room left for compassion. Her flawless body that was generally kept in perfect shape, now sat uncomfortably with 15 or so extra pounds of fat. It was obvious that it wasn't meant to be there. Her face was never made-up with her makeup that made her face look even more exquisite. Who did she have to impress? Without Haruka, she was nothing.

The room was tiny and wasn't kept up at all. It smelled strongly of sour milk and looked as if it hadn't been clean in months. She walked over to her bed and placed her heavy suitcase on it. The bed had a sickening vomit stain on the sheet.

Michiru sat down and let a little cry out. This isn't how it used to be.It used to be perfect. What happened?

Michiru got up after sitting in the chair and feeling sorry for herself and started pacing. The only reason that she came back was for Hotaru's middle school graduation. Will I see Haruka again? Will she forgive me for what I said? But... wasn't it her fault? She cheated on me with that floozy! Michiru breathed out. But then again Haruka was always a huge flirt, she was drunk, and she saw me flirting with Mamoru again. But I was just trying to make her jealous. Didn't she see that I loved her! Michiru bit her nails as she paced. How could she do that to me? She told me she loved me. I told her I loved her back. But then again, we never… Michiru stopped dead in her tracks. Is that why she cheated on me? Did she have sex with that other girl because we never…Haruka wanted to. But, I was so nervous. I wanted her and me to know that we would be together forever. What if Haruka would have found someone better? Then our little night of fun would have meant nothing in Haruka's world. Was I just being selfish? Oh Haruka I miss you so much.

Michiru walked over to the mirror and looked at herself. For the first time in 4 months, 1 week, 4 days, 18 hours, and (Michiru looked at the clock) 36 minutes. Look at how pathetic she had become! Counting down the seconds since she had last seen Haruka? She looked at her hair, it was dark and ugly, her skin was pale and her face wasn't made up nicely, she was overweight, and her clothes were totally out of style. She was wearing a flowered turtle neck (even though it was 88 degrees out), her hair was in a raggedy bun, and her pants were a faded black. I can't believe this. Look at this room?! I would never have stayed in a room like this! And look at my clothes! I used to be stylish and beautiful. I'm fat and I never even bother to look at myself anymore. Well enough is enough.

She grabbed her suitcase and ran down the stairs. "Sir, I'm checking out. This place is disgusting!" She walked out of the front door as she chucked the key back at the surprised man behind the desk. She laughed as she walked down the street and took out her hair for the sun to shine down on it. She walked over to a little telephone book and found a number to a hotel she once remembered Setsuna telling her about. Setsuna's boyfriend took Setsuna to a gorgeous hotel with a pool and a hot tub and with people waiting on them hand and foot. She dialed the number and made a reservation. The man told her that she could come down anytime she wanted to check in. But for now, it was time to spend some of that money she stored away and promised herself never to use. She promised that she wouldn't use any money that she didn't need after Haruka left her. But why not? I'm a new woman now! Michiru glanced at her watch. At 5:43 on this day, I am a new woman! I need new clothes and I need something nice for a change. I haven't had something nice since Haruka. It's time to get over myself and make up with her. She probably has a new girlfriend but maybe we can still be friends. Besides, Hotaru's graduation isn't for one week. I needed to come here early to get settled.

Was Michiru really being honest with herself? Did she come here to start fresh again? Or did she come just to "settle in?" She pondered this as she walked to the ATM and got $2000 out for herself. She put the $300 aside for her one week of spending the night in the hotel. Then she skipped happily over to a big blue garbage can and dumped her clothes into it. Yes Michiru, you will start fresh again. And who knows, maybe, just maybe, Haruka hasn't got a new girlfriend yet.


Michiru glanced at her watch. It was already 11:45. Wow had she had a big day. She bought a brand new wardrobe which included a sexy new swimsuit (which she promised to wear when she lost all of extra weight), she got her hair cut and looking just as gorgeous as it used to, she got her nails done; feet and toes;, she bought new makeup, a new purse and wallet, new adorable sunglasses, a new cell phone, a new brush, new perfume, and her favorite thing, a brand new violin that she couldn't wait to try out at the hotel. Everything besides her violin she carried in two massive suitcases that mostly carried the several pairs of clothing she bought. She checked her wallet which now only carried $400 left.

She walked down the street as a new woman and felt absolutely wonderful about herself. She walked up to the hotel door and an older man whose nametag read "Benjamin". He opened the door for her and said "Have a nice night madam." She smiled back a real smile. It feels good to smile again. She walked over to the woman at the front desk and checked into her room as a boy about 16 or 17 politely took her new suitcases and her violin case up the stairs. She smiled at him and his face turned bright pink and he quickly turned away to carry her bags. She smiled to herself and opened the door to her room on the 6th floor. It was lovely inside. The room was all white and there was a soothing smell all around the room. The boy put her bags down gently and she smiled again at him giving him a $20 tip. He quickly stumbled out of the room and closed the door behind him.

She first unpacked her suitcases into the drawers and then changed into a one piece swimsuit and took the elevator up to the pool on the 18th floor. She gazed at the pool dreamily. It looks just like the one that Haruka and I used to have. She dove into the gigantic pool and swam as fast as she could. It felt good to swim fast again. When she got back up to her room it was 2:12. Okay, enough fun for one day. She took a shower and changed into a cami and pajama shorts. She climbed into the amazingly relaxing bed and fell immediately to sleep.

Things continued in this way for 3 days. Michiru would wake up, go running, come "home" and take a shower, eat breakfast, play her violin, go swimming, come back to her room, take another shower, eat lunch, paint with her new easel and oil paints, eat dinner, go for another swim or run, take another shower, and go to bed.

On the forth day she went to the store and bought an old nemesis, a scale. She took the scale "home" and took the scale out of the box. Okay, I weighed 128 pounds and I wanted to loose 15, how much do I weigh now? Michiru reluctantly got onto the scale and checked her weight. She squealed with delight as it read 112 pounds. She weighed even less then she planned. She glanced down at her abs. She felt great about herself. She walked over to the phone and called for room service. "Hi, I'll have a steak and French fries please!" She smiled and said "and I'll have a huge ice-cream Sunday!" She smiled as she walked over to her door and picked up the daily newspaper as something caught her eye. The title of the newspaper read "Haruka Tenoh Wins It All." Michiru set the newspaper aside as she heard a knock on her door and opened it up for the food to be brought in. She ate happily and read. Motorcyclist Haruka Tenoh, young woman of 23, is considered the "Best Racer In the Country." As the race began, Tenoh took her time and stayed at a steady 6th place, but as the race was coming to an end, she was neck and neck with the ex-Best Racer in the Country Yamada. She beat him at the final turn taking the gold medal home. We interviewed her fiancé… Michiru stopped breathing. Fiancé? Haruka has a… But, she…she told me she loved me. This can't be happening. Oh God no!

Michiru got up and ran out the door as fast as she could. This can't be happening oh God no please God no! She kept running as tears poured down her face. She ran until she couldn't run anymore and her body collapsed. The memories started pouring back in. She went back to the day when her and Haruka started their separate paths… paths that the other wouldn't follow down.