Disclaimer: I do not own POT.
Summary: Through thick and thin, in every victory and in every defeat, they stood by each other. When one falls, the other picks them up. Life was hard. They both could attest to that. However in the midst of all those hardships, they stood by each other. This… is how it all started.
Chapter 1
Sakamoto Chiharu's POV
It was a hot Friday afternoon and I, Chiharu Venus Sakamoto was now currently in a café waiting for my best friends. I stared at myself in the glass mirror and examined my outfit. I was wearing a light blue cotton t-shirt and dark blue skinny jeans matched with a pair of black doll shoes. My hair was in a ponytail, like always. All in all, my outfit was just right for the summer season. I stifled a yawn as I checked my watch for the umpteenth time.
"Venus!" A familiar voice called out, making me look up from my watch. There standing in the doorway were my two best friends, Ericka Trixie Veda and Leah Nicole Salvador, who were 20 minutes late.
"Venus! We're here!" Trixie shouted, waving her arms frantically.
Trixie has short and shiny black hair just reaching her shoulders, dark brown eyes and a short-slim figure. She was wearing a white tank top, a ruffled pink skirt just below the knees and a pair of pink glittered doll shoes. A pair of white heart-shaped earrings decorated her ears and she was carrying a white handbag.
I smiled at them and raised my hand as a greeting. They made their way towards the corner of the café where I was seated. Leah sat on my left while Trixie sat across me. After giving our orders, I decided to ask them.
"So… is there a reason why you're late?" I asked them, resting my chin on my intertwined fingers, elbows on the table.
"That's because Leah was awake till dawn last night. And when I went to her house she was still sleeping." Trixie explained.
The both of us looked at Leah expectantly. She has blackish-brown hair right past her shoulders. Her eyes were charcoal black and with a tall-slim figure she easily captures the attention of many people in the café. She was wearing a brown vest with white linings over a short sleeved white shirt and black pants with matching black converse. Her brown bag was on the table. She was busy texting on her cellphone while smiling and blushing. She must have noticed us going quiet because she looked up from her phone to find us looking at her.
"Uhmm… sorry, were you saying something?" She asked as a waitress placed 3 glasses of water on our table. After uttering a small 'Thank you' to the waitress, I sipped at the glass in front of me.
"It's obvious you're not listening Leah." I said, setting the glass on the table.
"She's right! What's going on that you keep smiling at your cellphone like that?" Trixie exclaimed, grabbing her cellphone.
"Trixie! Don't!" Leah shouted as she tried to grab her phone but Trixie quickly stood up and ran far away from Leah.
I watched as my best friends ran around the café for a good two seconds before pretending that I don't know them and looking out of the window, busying myself with counting the cars passing by.
As I sipped from my glass of water, another waitress came and served our food. I was quick to grab Leah's bag but failed to notice that the zipper was open so all the contents of the bag was now on the floor. I hastily got on my knees and started to pick her things up. The last thing I picked up was a camera. I opened the camera and was greeted by a picture that made me smile. After looking through more of the pictures, I turned off the camera and placed it back in the bag. I stood up just in time to see Leah and Trixie walking towards the table. Both of them were panting for breath when they finally reached the table and literally collapsed on their chairs.
"So… did you get answers to your questions?" I asked Trixie when they both had caught their breaths.
"No… Leah's fast plus she's taller than me so she easily got it." She said, pouting. "I hate this! Why do I have to be so short!?" She wailed.
Leah and I tried to hold our laughter but in the end we laughed, receiving a glare from Trixie before the three of us laughed out loud.
I sighed after our laughter died down. "Let's eat." I said, receiving a nod from both of them.
Our little snack was uneventful. Trixie did most of the talking with Leah and me listening to her crazy antics.
"How about you two? How was your of summer?" Trixie asked.
"Ask Leah. I'm sure for her it was eventful." I said, turning to look at the said girl with a sly smile.
Leah choked on what she was eating. She drank some water before looking at me with wide eyes. Trixie looked at me, then at Leah, then at me again, not catching the hidden meaning of my sentence.
"What are you waiting for Trixie? Ask her." I said innocently.
"Why Leah? How was it?" Trixie asked, still confused with the flow of the conversation.
"U-uhm… i-it was o-okay." Leah said, stuttering while fiddling with her skirt and blushing.
"From what I know you went to a concert last night. What happened there?" I said, grinning at Leah.
"U-uhm…" She started, trying to make an excuse but in the end she just sighed in defeat. "How did you know?" She asked me, bowing her head, seemingly embarrassed that I knew about her secret.
I reached for her left hand. "Leah… you don't have to be embarrassed about it." I said, squeezing her hand before letting go.
"Sorry." She said.
"Since when?" I asked her.
"Last Monday." She looked up, a shy smile on her face.
"Wait! What are you two talking about!?" Trixie shouted. Then she started ranting about how we weren't telling her about what we knew and how we were being secretive that our conversation made her confused and dizzy. Then she started to repeat our conversation.
"Then Venus asked since when then –" She stopped abruptly and looked at Leah with horrified eyes. "Don't tell me you're pregnant!" She whispered loud enough for both of us to hear.
I stared at her dumbfounded after hearing what she said while Leah's face turned crimson red.
"Trixie!" Leah shouted.
"So it's true!?" Trixie whispered, making me mentally face-palm myself.
"Leah… It's better to tell her… there." I suggested, pointing to the restroom. Leah just nodded and half-dragged, half-carried Trixie to the said place.
Trixie really is crazy sometimes but that's what we love about her though I don't really know where she gets those kinds of ideas. I giggled at the thought. It's funny now that I think about how the three of us are best friends when we have different characteristics. I guess were just happy to be with someone who accepts us as who we are. At least for me it's enough.
I smiled when I remembered as to what caused Leah's happiness. A bigger smile made its way to my face as I thought of the many pictures in Leah's camera and the first picture that had caught my attention. The picture? It was a picture of her and a guy with charcoal black, shaggy hair and light brown eyes. I know this guy, Leah has liked this guy for a year now and I was the first to know since she asked me about him. Why me? Easy, he's my neighbor and our fathers were high school best friends. She's also Trixie's classmate and he's the –
"Venus?" A familiar voice called me, snapping me out of my reverie.
Speak of the devil and he shall come. I looked up to see Leah's so called "date" last night, the one and only Michael James Tuazon. I wonder what he's doing here. Better yet… I wonder when he's gonna tell me about his girlfriend. And that's when I decided to play around a bit.
"Michael?" I said, feigning surprise.
"Are you okay Venus?" He said, taking a seat in front of me.
Did I also tell you that he's my best guy-friend? For all those years that we were neighbors we became best friends and since our fathers are best friends, our families would always hang around and goof off.
"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked him.
"Because… you know… about your plan." He seemed a little tense about the subject of the conversation.
"Michael… I'm fine really." He let out a sigh of relief. "I'm just a little worried about Leah... She woke up just this afternoon because she was up till dawn. Do you know anything about it?" I said with all the innocence in me.
"No use hiding it Venus, I know that you already know about my relationship with Leah." He said and from the corner of my eye I saw the restroom door open.
"How long do you think will it last until it spreads out?" He asked.
"Actually… I know it wouldn't last." I said and he raised his eyebrow as if saying why.
"Look Leah, your boyfriend's here!" Trixie shouted just as Michael was to ask something.
"Trixie!" Leah shouted, beat red from what our best friend shouted.
"Why!? Are you telling me that you don't want him as your boyfriend!?" Trixie shouted once again.
"Trixie, it's not that—" I started.
"Then why!?" Trixie interjected my explanation. Then, she started enumerating as to why Leah would not be happy with Michael.
"You're too loud, Trixie." Michael cut her off.
"What does my loudness have to do with this?" She asked.
"Trixie, look around." I said as I rubbed my temples.
Trixie looked around and for the first time noticed just how much attention her shouting gained. She quickly apologized, grabbed her bag and sat down beside me. Leah followed suit and sat beside Michael as a waitress came and took his order.
"So… how did you two end up together again?" Trixie asked the couple. We were well aware that she was trying to change the topic and we just went with the flow. Besides, this was a great way to learn how my two best friends came to be together. We started eating again after all the ruckus. Soon after, Trixie started asking the couple some questions. Michael would mostly answer until a waitress came and served his order. After that we ate in silence.
ooo
"So we all know that my summer was awesome…" Trixie started after we finished our food.
"We also know that Leah and Michael's summer was eventful considering they were all lovey-dovey that time." I supplied as Trixie nodded.
"Venus." Michael threatened as Leah blushed red.
"Hey… just joking." I raised my hands up in defense.
"So the only question now is…" Trixie paused.
"Trixie this isn't a suspense movie so ask it already." Michael and I said at the same time.
"Whoa, you're like twins." Trixie said, clapping her hands. We just shrugged.
"So, the question?" I asked.
Trixie quickly reverted back to her old self. "Ah… how was yours, Venus?" She asked.
I froze and caught Michael's eye. He nodded.
"It was okay… actually that was why I wanted to see you both." I took a deep breath and continued. "I'm leaving for Japan tomorrow and this time I'll stay there for good." I said. A moment of silence followed.
"Why didn't you tell us earlier!? Then we could have prepared a farewell party." Trixie exclaimed, crossing her arms and pouting.
"I thought you were gonna say that you have cancer or something." Leah said relieved.
"What? Leah, that's impossible." Trixie said.
"It can happen. Venus was sickly when we were little." Michael reasoned, siding with his girlfriend.
"But that was a long time ago." Trixie defended.
I couldn't help it, I started giggling. Their conversation quickly stopped as they looked at me.
"Sorry… it's just that… I couldn't help it." I said in between giggles.
"Venus!" Trixie jumped at me and hugged me.
"You're back to normal." Leah said, smiling.
"Huh?" I was perplexed.
"Nothing." Leah said as Trixie let go.
"Why are you gonna go there again?" Leah asked.
"Ah… I just remembered that Grandma wanted me to see the place where she grew up." I said.
"But didn't you go there last summer?" Leah asked.
"Yeah, but I want to live there… you know… just to experience things that Grandma did." I said, remembering my grandmother.
You see, my father, Christian Sakamoto, handles a rehabilitation center for retired or injured sport players in Australia, making it hard for him to come visit us. As for my mother, Akumi Sakamoto, she died of brain cancer leaving me alone to live with her mother, Miharu Kobayashi, ever since I was 4 years old.
Miharu Kobayashi, my very sweet and kind grandmother, was the one whom I grew up with. Dad once told me that she promised to raise me just as she raised my mother. She would always cook food for me and help with the things I need. She would even sometimes come inside my room at night to brush my hair before I sleep. She was the perfect grandmother. However, things started to change just months before summer vacation. Grandma became weaker and weaker and when we went to the hospital, it was said that she was diagnosed with leukemia. After hearing this news, Dad immediately came home and he was the one who took care of me at home and of Grandma in the hospital but just a month after she was diagnosed with leukemia, she died. I was so distraught that I would keep myself locked up in my bedroom.
FLASHBACK…
I stayed locked up in my bedroom and I had refused to talk to anyone for the past 2 days. This would be the 3rd day I'm like this. However, I couldn't blame myself right? My grandmother had been my world. She had been beside me since I was 4 years old. I wouldn't be surprised if she was the one who knew me the best. People should understand that Grandma was my inspiration and they should know how hard it is for me to lose her. However, Grandma told me that life must go on and people should move on and since I had been locked up in my room for the past days, the first thing to do was to get out of my room.
"So… can we eat now? Together?" A voice behind me asked as I closed my bedroom door. I turned to see a mess of dark green hair and charcoal black eyes, carrying a tray of food. I'm guessing it was for me since it was almost time for lunch. During the past days I had only refused to talk but I had not refused to eat. Dad would prepare it and would bring it to my room, unlocking it with his extra key and setting it down on my study table. He would find it where he had left it, although it would always be half-eaten for I would always cry in the middle of eating, remembering Grandma's cooking.
I snapped out of my thoughts to see him raise an eyebrow, reminding me that he was waiting for an answer. I smiled, not fake and not meant either, and nodded.
As we went down the stairs and into the dining room a thought struck my head. Had Dad been this distraught as well when he lost Mom?
"Dad what did you do when… you know… Mom died?" I asked after a moment's hesitation.
After a moment of silence he smiled at me. "I continued living, of course. Your Mom wouldn't be happy if I died and left you alone here wouldn't she?" He said.
And with my question asked and answered, I enjoyed the rest of the day only keeping in thought Grandma and how she would like it if I continued to live.
END FLASHBACK…
A few weeks after that incident I had decided to ask Dad if he would let me live in Japan with my cousin and his wife and he said yes. Michael and his family had been the first one to know about it. Michael had even promised to help me pack. Pack…
"Shoot!" I burst out loudly. The three of them looked at me confused.
"Venus, is something wrong?" Leah asked.
"Hehehe… I haven't packed my things yet." I said sheepishly.
"That's okay, we still have time." Michael said. He then asked a waiter for the bill.
"What time is your flight anyway, Venus?" Leah asked.
"10 o'clock tomorrow morning." I answered.
"That means –" Leah started.
"We still have time to buy you a farewell gift!" Trixie exclaimed, cutting her off. Then before anyone could stop her, she gathered her things and dragged Leah out of the café yelling, "We'll see you tomorrow! Don't even think about leaving without us seeing you off!"
I watched the two of them disappear into the crowd of people outside the café before turning to Michael, who was paying the bill.
"Michael… What are you doing here anyway?" I said, remembering my unasked question.
"I was hungry so I looked for a place to eat." He answered.
"Ahh…" I said as we went out the café, heading towards home. The sky had already turned to a bright orange color as we walked.
"Venus… seriously… how did you forget to pack?" He said, trying hard not to laugh.
"I had a lot of things in mind that time." I retorted.
"Like what?" He asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Oh just shut up." I said, punching him lightly on the shoulder.
He gave out a small laugh before walking silently beside me.
Hey Guys! This the improved version of The One Who Stood By Me. I'm correcting a few mistakes. ~Krisia