It was the next morning. While the others were sleeping Rina was already awake. She sat at the dining table drinking a cup of soy milk. It was early in the morning but Rina couldn't sleep anymore. There was something on her mind. It was what Tomomi said last night about liking "cute boys." Rina knew that Tomomi was lying, but she just needed proof...but how?
Rina took a small sip of soy milk. Her mind swimming with thoughts. A bedroom door opened. Rina looked up at the noise. Haruna entered the kitchen. She looked surprised. She wasn't expecting to see Rina sitting at the table.
"What are you doing up?" asked Haruna.
"Can't sleep," said Rina.
"Are you having lucid dreams again?" enquired Haruna.
She went to the fridge. She opened it and took out a small carton of juice. She opened it and took a long deep swig.
"You know that's really uhnhygienic right?" said Rina watching her.
"Only if you backwash," replied Haruna.
She closed the carton and closed the fridge door. Rina wrinkled her nose in disgust as Haruna said those words.
Haruna turned to Rina.
"About your lucid dreams," she began.
Rina looked confused.
"I'm not having lucid dreams," she said. "In fact, I'm not dreaming at all."
"So why are you awake at 6am?" asked Haruna.
"Why are you?" asked Rina.
"I was thirsty I wanted to backwash in the Orange Juice," joked Haruna.
Rina wrinkled her nose in disgust again. Haruna chuckled at this. They were silent for a second.
"It's Mami," said Rina.
"Is she bullying you again?" asked Haruna. "Right. I'll beat the shit out of her."
She makes to get up.
"No," said Rina. "It's not that. I'm just thinking about where she goes at night."
"I've been thinking the same thing for a while," said Haruna.
"And?" prompted Rina.
"And nothing," said Haruna. "I kept thinking about it too much and then I couldn't sleep."
They were silent again. Rina looked at her and blinked heavily.
"Are you mocking me?" she asked.
"No," replied Haruna smiling. "Well only a little bit. Why does it bother you so much?"
"It doesn't," replied Rina. "I'm just interested."
"I would be more interested in Tomomi claiming to like 'cute boys'," said Haruna.
She stood up and turned to leave the room. Rina watched her leaving. Haruna glanced at her before she left.
Rina lay on the sofa. She is sleeping deeply. Her head rested on the cushions made into a small pile and a throw was covering her like a duvet. She stirred and moved her head slightly. It was clear she was dreaming, but what about was unknown. She figited. It would seem that she had lied to Haruna earlier, she was clearly experiencing a lucid dream.
Tomomi entered the kitchen. A towel was wrapped around her and her hair was dripping wet. She had just taken a shower. She watched Rina sleeping on the couch. Rina's eye flickered. She moved her head left and right. She began hyperventilating. Her eyes flew up. She sat up breathing heavily.
"You alright?" asked Tomomi.
Rina nodded quietly. She sat up straight and calmed herself down.
Tomomi is drinking from the Orange Juice carton.
"Do you want some?" she asked offering some to Rina. Rina looked at it. She wrinkled her nose in refusal.
"No," she said. "I don't fancy backwash for breakfast."
She shook her head and made to get up. She left the lounge and went to take a shower.
Tomomi began making some breakfast. Her choice was pancakes. She was making enough for two people; herself and Mami. She whistled while she was cooking. Mami entered the kitchen. She was yawning widely and scratching her head.
"Good morning Mamiatsu," said Tomomi happily.
Mami smiled at her.
"Morning," replied Mami. She sat down at the table.
She yawned widely and watched Tomomi cooking. Tomomi piled some pancakes onto a plate and placed it in front of Mami. She also placed a bottle of honey in front of her. Mami looked at her.
"I wanted to apologise for my behaviour last night," said Tomomi. "It was out of order."
Mami smiled at her. She covered her pancakes in honey and began eating.
"That's okay," said Mami. "I forgive you now."
Tomomi smiled as she watched Mami eating.
Rina had finished her shower. She exited the bathroom. She was wrapped in a towel and was drying her long hair. She watched Mami and Tomomi at the table together. Her eyes fell upon her Sony Vaio in her bedroom. She had an idea, but it was probably a good idea that she got dressed first before she put her plan into motion. She raced into her bedroom. She pulled on some clothes and booted up her computer.
She clicked through the homepage until she found a link labelled "Speed Dating." She opened it and was presented with a page that listed all of the venues and times of speed dating near their house. There was one happening tonight at a bar down the road. Satisfied she printed out the page. She grabbed the paper and went into the kitchen.
Tomomi was sat at the table. She was eating the pancakes that Mami couldn't eat. Rina sat next to her.
"Hey Tomomi," said Rina in a way of greeting.
"What's up Rina?" asked Tomomi.
"Not much," replied. "Say, are you free tonight?"
Tomomi looked at her.
"I think so," she replied. "Why do you ask?"
"Because tonight," replied Rina. "You have a date...well maybe not just one."
She placed the Speed Dating poster in front of her. Tomomi looked at it.
"You like cute boys," said Rina. "Now's your chance to meet some."
Tomomi looked at little frightened at this prospect.
"On my own?" she asked.
"Well, of course not," said Rina. "We'll go with you."
"I'm not going speed dating," said Haruna as she entered the kitchen. "You never know who you might meet."
"That's the fun of it," said Rina. "You might meet someone nice."
"Or you might meet a creepy old guy," said Haruna.
"Come on," persuaded Rina. "We can't let little Tomomi go by herself."
"We'll be like your posse," said Mami. "We'll protect you if anything bad happens to you."
They all look at Tomomi.
"Okay, sure," she said. "Sounds like fun."
The room was full of small two person tables. A bar was at the back at the room. Staff were milling around the room preparing the room for the upcoming events. A small candle was placed in the middle of each table. The setting was casual but romantic. A DJ was in the corner of the room. He was doing a soundcheck with his selection of music.
The large Jaguar XFR rolled to a stop in the car park. Haruna turned off the engine and the girls exited the car. The car park is empty.
"Are we the only ones?" asked Haruna.
"It's still early," replied Rina. She glanced at the time on her cellphone. It was 7.30pm. They were half an hour early.
It was 8pm. The bar was full of prospective dates. There was a small table at the entrance. Participants were required to enter their name and wear a sticky name tag. The girls were first in line. The host stood behind the table.
"Welcome," he said. "Tonight I guarantee you will go home with 10 dates. Sign your name and we can begin."
The girls filed forwards. They wrote their names on the sticky name tags and entered the room. They each chose a table randomly.
The night held some interesting surprises...for all of them. Haruna and Rina were being swarmed with boys. But Tomomi and Mami were boyless. They sat at their tables waiting to be approached by boys. However, after an hour of no shows they had given up. Currently, they were sat at the bar drinking to drown their sorrows. Tomomi had chosen some Asahi cold but Mami; who had taken the rejection worse then Tomomi; was drinking Vodka and Red Bull. She looked over to Haruna and Rina. She watched them intently. Boys swarmed them. As soon as one left, another appeared. Mami watched them with jealousy.
Rina came to them. She was a little flustered. She ordered two bottles of beer. One for herself and one for Haruna.
"I thought you said you liked cute boys," said Rina looking at Tomomi.
Tomomi shrugged.
"I tried," said Tomomi. "But cute boys don't like me."
"Boys can tell if a girl is a lesbian you know," said Rina bluntly.
"I'm NOT a lesbian," insisted Tomomi.
Haruna called Rina over to her. Rina smiled.
"Yes," she said. "You keep telling yourself that."
She paid the bartender and went back to Haruna again. Mami sighed. She got up and disappeared to the bathroom.
Tomomi sat quite alone at the bar. She took a swig from her Asahi. She emptied the bottle.
"Another please," she said. The barman nodded in understanding.
"I'll pay for that for you," said a male voice.
Tomomi looked around to see an old, creepy businessman pulling out a stack of notes. He placed them on the bar.
"No need," said Tomomi. "I got it."
"Oh no," said the businessman. "This is on me."
He winked at her. Tomomi smiled nervously at him in thanks.
He sat next to her. He took a long drink out of his beer and watched her intently.
"I've been watching you all night," he said. "You're very beautiful."
"Erm...thanks," squeaked Tomomi. There was a hint of fear in her voice.
He began touching her hair softly.
"I think we should leave this place," he said. "Find somewhere more...private? You know?"
Tomomi looked positively terrified at this idea.
"N-n-no," stammered Tomomi. "Actually, I'm-I'm fine here."
The man put his arm around her. Tomomi recoiled.
"I can take you somewhere special," he said. "Somewhere you've never been before."
He placed his hand on Tomomi's bare thigh. He run his hands on her bare skin caressing her leg softly. She shuddered in discomfort.
"Please go away," said Tomomi nervously.
"I will," he said. "If you come with me."
He tried to kiss her neck, but she moved.
"Eww," said squealed. "Please go away."
Mami emerged from the bathroom. She looked over at Tomomi. She spotted the old man trying to have his way with Tomomi. A ripple of anger ran through Mami. Seeing this man trying his luck Tomomi made her mad. Very mad. She stormed over to them. The man was close to Tomomi. She could smell his beer soaked breath on her skin.
Mami grabbed the neck of the mans suit.
"Come on you," she said. The man fell off the stool, causing it to fall over. "I'll get rid of him for you."
She dragged him along the floor.
"Mamiatsu!" cried Tomomi happily.
"Get your hands off my Tomomi!" ordered Mami.
Rina spotted the events from a large crowd of boys. She poked Haruna and gestured towards Mami dragging the man kicking and screaming out of the bar.
"What the..?" began Haruna.
She and Rina fought their way out of the crowd and raced towards Mami.
Mami dragged the man out of the bar. She grabbed the hem of his trousers and the neck of his suit and threw him out onto the street.
"Hear this!" yelled Mami at him. "You keep your hands off MY Tomomi!"
Rina and Haruna burst through the double doors to see Mami standing over the businessman. Tomomi barged in between them to watch the action unfolding.
"Aww, Mamiatsu," she cried lovingly. "My hero!"
Haruna and Rina looked at her, looks of confusion cover their faces.