-Chapter 1. Where are we now?

Sakaki took a sip of fher tea. It was still very hot, and she was careful not to drink too much at a time. Serene, calm, and graceful. Typical Sakaki her old friends would have thought. Old friends.

Sakaki frowned and looked at her computer clock. 11:09, well past her bedtime. She had to get up early to go to work, but it wasn't much of a problem for Sakaki. Her stuffed animal shop was a joy to work in. It was one of the things she had always wanted while growing up after all. Sure, she had wanted and even gone to college to be a veterinarian, but there were some things that that profession did that was quite unsavory. She hated seeing so many things in pain all the time. Just the schooling itself had been murder for her. She decided that cute animals were better off remaining just that, cute fuzzy and playful. Not pained, scared, and dying.

Turned out she also had an eye for business.

11:12. Sakaki was rather restless, and a little bit disappointed. She had received an Email from Chiyo-san. She would not be coming over this summer. She said that she was very busy, and that Chad Andrews had asked her out to his summer house in "Florida". Sakaki knew how much she was falling for this American, and hoped the best for her. But she was also one of Sakaki's last-best friends; it was hard knowing that soon she might face the possibility of never really seeing her again.

Sakaki sighed and as she finished her tea. Dr. Mihama was growing distant. Just like Koyomi Mizhuara had, and Kagura and tomo and… and… She got up from her computer and turned off the lights. She had a business to run, and a life to live. Things change after high school, do they not? She was sure that her old friends weren't silly and sentimental like her.

Silly old Sakaki, the "lone wolf", losing sleep over being just that. Alone. Feeling very, very alone.

OOooOOooOOooOOooOO

Morning came and greeted Ayumu Kasuga. She got up out of bed full of pep and energy, knowing full well that if she didn't do her morning rituals she would most likely fall asleep and have to rely on her second alarm clock to wake her up again.

She had a system. And in her mind, it was brilliant.

First alarm was for a good day, fwhere everything goes correctly and without problems. Second alarm was for days that have things that go awry and you have to fix them. Third alarm was when you're going to have a terrible day, and you need to try your best to stop everything from being a disaster. Fourth alarm was for when you had to call in sick.

Ayumu was not going to have a bad day today though, no way! Today was going to be great she thought as she put on her cloths and refreshed herself. Today was the last day before summer break! She could do anything she wanted, like go play laser tag or learn how to ski. Or maybe go drinking and see a movie.

ayumu nodded her head. She smiled to herself and recalled how fat one point she might have wanted to go to mars, or find buried treasure. She had been a… unique child growing up. But the years had settled her mind into reality. It was boring at first but she had friends there.

Friends, friends like Chiyo-chan the child prodigy, or Tomo and Yomi. Or Sakaki-san. ayumu remembered well her travels to Chiyo-chan's summer home. They had been some of the most fun she had ever had. She hadn't seen Chiyo for almost three years now though. They weren't on bad terms persé, but it had been pretty awkward for her. Chiyo had changed a lot, and old "Osaka" wasn't exactly the same either.

"You either grow together or grow apart. But nothing ever stays the same." Mused ayumu as she was putting on her shoes. Her students loved Kasuga-Sensai. She was the best Literature teacher in Azu high. Much better than the old creepy Kimura. ayumu walked out the door and was already thinking about what she would do with her new (old) friends (teachers). Knowing Yukari, something entertaining to say the least.

OOooOOooOOooOOooOO

"Hi-find-everything-all-right?" Beep. Beep. Beep. "Thank-you-have-a-good-day." "Hi find everything alright?"

Kagura had been a great athlete. She had been one of the best in her high school, had made it into that high school because of her athletic abilities. Had made it into college partially because of them as well. Kagura had great potential.

Kagura had a fake smile plastered on her face as she worked her cashier job. She wasn't rude or spiteful the customers. It certainly wasn't their fault that she had broken her leg during a run and missed out on her athletic events before she had dropped out. It wasn't their fault that she had dropped out of college. It wasn't their fault that she had fallen in love with the wrong man at the wrong time. It wasn't even any of their faults that she was beaten, the divorce was painful, her child miscarried, and father had passed away and…

"Hi-find-everything-all-right?"

Kagura had had a tough time after high school to be sure. No tougher than other people she knew, but still. How the mighty had fallen she thought bitterly to herself. No longer an athlete she had let herself go a bit. She was slightly overweight, nothing too bad but she felt a little embarrassed to be seen in a bathing suit. She was no longer popular, but that was normal when students join the "real life" club. She probably lost any friends she still had whe-

"Hi-find-everything-all-right?"

When she had first met Izanagi Saito-san it had been like a dream come true. She had found love at long last and not a single thing her so called "friends" said about him mattered in the slightest. Well, turns out they were right Kagura Saito thought to herself. It ended up mattering a lot.

"Thank-you-have-a-good-day."

Of course, like the little bonkura she was, she couldn't just politely disagree with her friends. She had said some things that she knew she could never withdraw. She had used every bit of venom she had ever stored against the world and emptied her reserves on those that had mattered most to her. In retrospect she had to ask why? Why had she-

"Hi-find-everything-all-right?"

Well it didn't matter anymore. So many years had gone by without a single word to her old friends, she had changed Emails without telling and had of course changed residences. And she didn't remember or know where any of them were either. Tokyo was a big little village. And Japan was perhaps the largest country for its size in the whole-

"Hi-find-everything-all-right?"

Kagura sighed to herself, in her mind where it wouldn't interfere with her working mask, inside where no one would ask their clueless questions that were best left un-answered, inside her mind she sighed heavily. She wished something, well… ANYTHING really, to happen to her. To get her out of this slump. She wished she could see her old friends again, she wished she could go back five years ago to stop herself from even dating that creep. She wished she could go once more to Chiyo-chan's summer home, to race for her class in school events, to -

"Hi-find-everything-all-right?"

"Oh, I found everything just fine Kagura. Fancy seeing you here, I couldn't believe it was you until I got up here hehe."

Some sort of cosmic co-incidence to reconnect with her past, with her old self when she was a somebody, and… What?!

"Tomo?!"

OOooOOooOOooOOooOO

Tomo Takino, the wonder girl! Tomo Takino, voted most likely to be awesome by everyone anywhere every time! Tomo Takino, the one who could never fail! Best friend of Yomi, she could get under her skin faster than a speeding bullet. Energetic and full of joy there was nothing that Tomo couldn't do!

Except graduate from College. Or stay away from the wrong crowd. Or apparently even stay within proximity of the one she loved.

Tomo couldn't talk to Kagura long, but she was happy to see that she was almost as happy to see me as I was to see her. She had a phone and Email information in her hand, and her lunch and supper in her bag. Well, to be honest it would probably be breakfast too, but she didn't feel like drinking the entire bottle in one day.

Still, it was a happy day. She hadn't seen Kagura since she exiled herself from the group and went off with that Saito guy. She hadn't been the last to exile herself of course. Tomo did likewise soon after but hey. Them's the breaks.

Tomo was wearing a pair of jeans that looked like they were the sole survivors of Hiroshima and a shirt that even worn backwards would be in obvious need of a washing. Which went well with her, as she herself looked like she could probably use some soap and water as well.

The only thing going through Tomo's mind though was finding Kagura. She remembered being really mad at her about something. Probably called her a name or something. Everything was kind of… blurry back then. It was drunk out a lot in college.

She remembered that Sakaki was going to be a vet, hadn't seen her for a long time she was always kind of a lone wolf. Chiyo didn't bother to write to her that often, since Tomo never checked her Email and just used Yomi's. Osaka was going to become a teacher somewhere, but never really talked to them much after awhile. There was that weird girl who had that creepy crush with Sakaki but Tomo couldn't remember her name… And her friend… But those guys weren't really part of her group anyways.

Then there was Yomi.

Tomo became suddenly very sullen. Yomi. Yomi was not a good subject with her. She did not like to even think about it anymore. It was hard enough when it first happened, but now it was unbearable. She… She wasn't really worth thinking about now was she?

Tomo Takino made her way to her little flat. She had three room mates who would allow her to stay with them for- well, not exactly for free. One of them was passed out on the broken sofa when she got home. She hated him. He was a pig. He was abusive. He was a criminal. He was Ito.

He was her new best friend.

Tomo shook her head and made her way towards her shared bedroom.

OOooOOooOOooOOooOO

"I don't much care for your excuses. I don't much care for your attitude. I gave you an assignment and I expected results. You had plenty of time Yoshida-san."

Yoshida looked up from his shoes and swallowed. His throat had tightened up while his boss had scolded him. Truth was that he had had plenty of time. But it was also true that he had to go to his sisters funeral. That took up an entire day, he only had two days to do his assignment! But she didn't care. He knew his boss was one of the coldest people in Japan. "Mizuhara-san, I'll finish it today, I'll work late. I can re-schedule my-"

Mizuhara-san cut him short. "Good. I want that report done and on my desk before I go home tonight." she stopped for a second and took off her glasses. "And so sorry about your sister. Dismissed Yoshida-san."

Koyomi Mizuhara was not the sort of person to get on the bad side of. She was cold and ruthless, always pushing efficiency and was, at least to the people on her floor, one of the scariest people they knew. She had only recently graduated from college, but she was already in middle management position. She had made it far in a short time, but had made no friends in doing so.

She took a drink of her coffee. It was getting cold but she didn't care. She drank it black and strong hot or cold it didn't matter. She was not in a good mood today. Little piss ants like Yoshida were the least of her problems. She had her own reports to fill, productions to meet, regulations to enforce and a plethora of other little tasks that mounted up to try to overwhelm her each day. Fourteen hour shifts were common for her these days. She had a career, not a job.

As she typed her report she looked at the time on her clock. She had missed her lunch already but that was fine. She wasn't hungry. She gave herself a half smile remembering how much trouble she had maintaining diets when she was younger. Now she was finding it hard to actually eat anything, let a lone too much. But then, a lot of things had changed.

She continued typing her report for another hour, checking her clock every five minutes or so. She had a meeting to go to later and she couldn't miss that. Even if the meeting wasn't really for her department it was mandatory that she go to it. Company policy was law in her mind.

Backing away from her report physically but continuing to think about it she made her way to the meeting room. She passed cubicles, noting as she walked past people seemed to be working much faster than their daily quota's would show them normally working. Mizuhara knew that she was feared, even hated amongst her employees but it didn't matter. Life was hard and they had to deal with it. If they thought she was some sort of terrible ogre than that was their problem. As long as they did their jobs she didn't care.

Mizuhara didn't care about a lot of things it seemed. As she listened in on the meeting detailing changes that had nothing to do with her department her mind wandered to way back when in college. She remembered going to a school with Kagura and Tomo. She remembered how close she had gotten to them. She remembered when she had confided in Kagura her true feelings for her best friend, and how later she had turned her words against her when she tried to warn her about Izanagi. She remembered trying to tell Tomo herself, and finding instead of returned feelings nothing but cold disgust.

She didn't think her friends would feel that way about her. Kagura had seemed just fine with it, until of course she let her true feelings show. And Tomo. Tomo should have at least tried to let her down gently or realize how difficult or- But no. Tomo Takino wasn't that sort of person. She wasn't gay and wanted nothing to do with another woman. She had called it sick even. And asked if that's what their friendship was, just a love obsession like Kaori and Sakaki?

Mizuhara had moved out of the flat shortly after. Got her own dorm and continued with college. She now knew exactly how Kaori had felt when the previous year she was let down by Sakaki. They started emailing each other more frequently.

She also talked some with Sakaki for a while and Chiyo as well; but Chiyo had never liked her all that well; they were friends but were never that close. She supposed that since she never needed Chiyo's help with schoolwork that she missed a lot of time with her or something. They just never clicked much after high school. And Sakaki was never one for conversations.

After wards she didn't keep in much contact with much of anybody. Kagura and Tomo both dropped out, Osaka was in a different school, and Kaori and Chihiro were definitely their own group. One that Mizuhara felt uncomfortable joining. Still sometimes she wondered if she should re-establish contact with her old companion, or at least see how she was doing. She knew that Chihiro was… well, she should see how Kaorin was doing.

Walking back from her meeting and re-entering her office though such sentimental thoughts disappeared from her mind. She was a very busy woman, and had a lot of work today. But…

She quickly wrote an Email so that she could get these distracting thoughts out of her head. Just a quick little message asking how she was doing, and if they could keep in contact.

OOooOOooOOooOOooOO

Kaori got up and had herself a cup of Orange Juice and a bowl of noodles. She had that for breakfast a lot. With groggy eyes she watched the sun set, it was always a beautiful sight.

She didn't have classes for quite some time, so she could take her "mornings" (as she liked to call them) slow. Take time to watch the weather and news, take a shower, read some of her book, and check her Email and telephone messages.

It was while doing this that she saw something that caught her off guard. A letter from Yomi? Although the message wasn't very long, it was pretty amiable. Especially considering the fact it had been months, maybe even over a year since she had last sent one. They had sort of went their own ways after college, and Kaori always suspected that Yomi didn't feel like she fit in with her and Chihiro.

Join the club snorted Kaori. She had tried for years to be one of her group's close friends. And maybe she would have if it wasn't for Sakaki.

Sakaki, for years that girl had preoccupied Kaori's mind with a stranglehold that was both irresistible and terrible. She had loved her. But when the person you love doesn't return that love what does that leave you with? In Kaori's case it was bitterness. And more than a little depression.

She remembered the day well. It was after graduation, Sakaki was going with her friends to some amusement park when Kaori decided it was now or never. After the freakish display of affection that Kimura-sensei had given her, she wasn't really in her right of mind. But she decided that since she would no longer be able to see her in class, that it was a good time to go to her and, well, do something. Anything!

She ended up coming clean with Sakaki. Told her everything. Told her how long she had been admiring her, told her that not a night goes by that she doesn't think of her. That she was the girl of her dreams and that she was overjoyed just to touch her. She just wanted to be noticed by her and-

Kaori grimaced. Three long years of secrets came pouring out of her mouth that day. Three long, terrible years worth of desire, of longing came crashing out of her mouth like water from a burst damn. It was also the day that Sakaki gave her answer to Kaori.

"Kaorin, I... I'm not gay."

And just like that, a division between them had formed. One that could never be crossed. Kaori had said too much, had assumed too much. She then asked Kaori to please leave her alone. And later Kaori found out just how disturbed she had made Sakaki. She had learned from Yomi years later that Sakaki had likened her to Kimura-sensai. She was grossed out by even the thought that Kaori had watched her change in gym, or what was going through her mind when she wanted photos taken.

And a whole lot of other stuff. Sakaki never wanted to see her again and she knew it. Between Sakaki and some of her other friends "politely" asking her to leave her alone, Kaori knew that she was officially banned from that group. She already was really, but now it was official.

Of course, that time wasn't all bad. It had been then that Cfhihiro had first made her intentions clear to Kaori as well. After that night they were much more than friends. She and Chihiro spent a lot more time together after that if it were possible. Although they went for different career paths, they spent a lot of their free time together. She had fallen in love with Chihiro just as Chihiro had her.

Kaori cried softy to herself as she finished getting ready for school. It really wasn't fair. Everything was going just the way she wanted it to, she was with her best friend, she was becoming something she always wanted to be, an astronomer, she had her own flat and a-a-and…

Why did Chihiro have to die?


Well, that's my first chapter. Not as good as I was hoping it would be but then again we are our own worst critic. Speaking of which, please, please when you write your review, don't be gentle. I thrive on constructive feedback, it's one of the main reasons for posting this story to this site. I just discovered it a few days ago and decided to give it a shot since I enjoy writing so much.

Any story inconsistancies, grammer/spelling/word usage mistakes, and general feedback apreciated.

Chapter 2 will be up shortly, it wll hopefully move the plot line in a good direction, not to mention speed.

STORY EDIT 1.1

It has come to my attention that becoming an astronomer is not quite as easy as I thought and would require a doctorate. Which would meen about 10 years of schooling I figure. Which would meen that Kaori would not be going to "work," but rather to "school." Nothing else has been changed as of 1.1. Slight commenentary note: This could be a fun change any how when Chiyo is introduced.