New story, I'm not completely happy with the first chapters. Please review!!!!
I have the entire story in my head and can't type quickly enough. I'm afraid that the quality suffers.
It's set after the anime.
One inspiration was the song "Heavy Cross" gy the Gossip...
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Strawberry Panic or the song "Heavy Cross"!!!!!
Shizuma was woken from a deep sleep by the beeping of her telephone. Without bothering to open her eyes, she reached for it.
"Hello?" she mumbled sleepily, her head half-buried in her pillow.
"Shizuma? Are you sick?"
"Amane!" Shizuma raised her head to speak more intelligibly. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
"Yes. It is 9 o'clock on a Saturday morning. I've already trained with Starbright, cleaned the stable and fed the horses. Then, I took a shower, had breakfast and called you."
Shizuma was speechless for a moment. "Amane, sometimes you scare me." she finally stated.
But she didn't mind Amane waking her at this hour. After the Etoile election, Amane had come to her for advice, first only about Etoile duties, later also about her relationship with Hikari. A friendship had developed over the months and they frequently talked on the phone after Shizuma graduated and moved to Tokyo to begin college.
Amane laughed. "Well, then you scare quite easily. Never thought you would…" she mused.
"I. Don't. Scare. Easily." Shizuma pointedly spaced out the words.
"I was just teasing…Well, how's university life?"
"Oh, it's great. I have really interesting classes and I've met lots of wonderful people. How are you doing? And Hikari? And…Nagisa?"
"Oh, I'm fine. Hikari and I have finally adjusted to being Etoile. I have no idea how you managed to do it on your own. And our relationship is going along quite well. I've never been so happy in my life. And Nagisa…well, she and Tamao seem very, very happy. I'm sorry."
"Oh, don't be. I always wanted Nagisa to be happy. And I have no idea how we would have managed to stay together after graduation. Anyway, I still had to get over Kaori…I don't think Nagisa could have helped me with that. She really wanted someone to take care of her."
"But you did take care of her." Amane pointed out.
"I know, but it's not something I want to do all my life. I want someone I can be myself around."
"I can understand that. You know, Hikari is…" Amane launched into a long story about her and Hikari. Shizuma smiled to herself as she listened. She got up, slipped on a short silk robe and went into the kitchen to make coffee.
Amane finished her story.
"So, you two are deliriously happy. I think it's wonderful." Shizuma said warmly.
"Thanks. A lot of it is thanks to you and your advice." Amane was silent for a moment. "Say, have you already gotten your mail?"
"Amane, you know I just got out of bed. Let me check if the doorman has brought it yet."
Shizuma walked into her hallway and saw a small stack of envelopes lying beside her door.
"Yes, my mail is here. Why do you want to know?"
"Is there a square, cream colored envelope?"
"Hold on…yeah…What is it?"
"Just open it."
With a feeling of trepidation, Shizuma quickly tore open the envelope and pulled out a card. She opened it. Her eyes fell on a picture of Miyuki in a wedding dress, standing next to a young man in a tuxedo. All the color drained from Shizuma's face and she almost dropped the phone.
"Good lord, she went through with it." she whispered. "And I wasn't even invited." Shizuma looked into the envelope again and found a piece of paper, covered in Miyuki's writing.
Dearest Shizuma,
as you can see, I have gotten married. I'm sorry that I didn't invite you to the wedding. Neither my husband nor I were able to invite friends. It was solely for our families and business associates of our fathers. On one hand, I would have loved to have you there, but maybe it's better this way. I know how you feel about arranged marriages. I wouldn't have wanted you to see me like this.
With all my love,
Miyuki
Shizuma felt the tears running over her face.
"Shizuma? Are you still there?" Amane's voice came from the receiver.
"Yes, I am…Oh, I can't believe this…She wrote me a note." With a choked voice, Shizuma read the note to her friend.
"I got an announcement as well, and she also wrote that she couldn't invite friends." Amane sighed.
"I…I can't believe it…she never wanted this…" Shizuma sobbed.
"Shizuma, if you have any appointments today, cancel them. Come over to Astrea Hill. I'll meet you in the village café, then we can talk. Okay?"
Shizuma quickly pulled herself together and wiped her eyes.
"Okay. I'll be there in about three hours. Bring Hikari if you like."
"I'll ask her. Drive carefully, okay?"
"I will. See you!"