Shatter- Chapter 2

Setsuna stood up and walked over to Konoka. As she did with all her clients, she gave them a short, customary hug before pulling away quickly.

"How was your day?" Setsuna asked, regaining her composure.

Konoka tilted her head to the side, her long silky hair falling over her shoulder. She casually reached up and brushed it away from her cheek.

"It was good. I just had to make a trip to the mall. Sorry for keeping you." She said.

Setsuna shook her head and glanced at her watch. "I've actually only been here a few minutes; I was running late."

Konoka raised her shopping back, and tilted her head toward the kitchen.

"I'm just gonna go put this stuff away, then we can talk some more."

Setsuna nodded, and returned to her seat on the couch.

"By the way," Konoka called from the kitchen. "I have some interesting news for you!"

Setsuna ran her fingers through her straight black hair, and tucked a few strands behind her ear.

"Well, come on over and tell me!" Setsuna replied, hoping that the cheerfulness in her voice was evident.

A second later, and Konoka reappeared in the living room.

"Come to my room, I'll tell you there!"

Setsuna glanced at Konoka's mother, silently asking permission despite having been there a few times before.

Her mother smiled, and Setsuna allowed herself to be pulled to the basement door.

Once down in the room, Konoka flopped down on her couch and picked up a PlayStation 3 controller.

"I was in the middle of a game." She explained. Setsuna bit her tongue against the obvious.

"So what was the big news?" Setsuna asked, somewhat curious despite herself.

Konoka's eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she focused on her game.

"I...dammit..." She trailed off as she smashed a few buttons on the controller. "My psychiatrist told me about this government organization that helps people find jobs and stuff." She said. "I've got an appointment to go see them tomorrow at two in the afternoon."

Setsuna smiled, pleased. "Well done. I'm happy for you. What kind of job were you looking to get?"

Konoka shrugged a care-free shrug. "I dunno. We will just have to see what comes up." She said.

Setsuna nodded, before letting her eyes slide from the pretty girl to the television. For the first time in the four or five minutes since they had come down here, Setsuna clued in to what she was playing.

"A racing game?" Setsuna asked, surprised. "That's not like you at all, Konoka."

"Yeah, I didn't think I would like it, but Asakura lent it to me, and convinced me to play it. Now I can't put it down."

"Asakura?" Setsuna asked. "Who is that?"

"Someone I met online during one of my games. She's really nice. Turns out she actually doesn't live too far from me. She's come over a few times since the last time you saw me, the week before."

Setsuna wasn't quite sure what to think about this new information. Although she was sure no harm would come of it.

"We should all hang out some time." Konoka suggested.

Setsuna nodded absent-mindedly, as Konoka cursed again.

"Man, I suck as this game. Hey Setsuna," Konoka began, setting down her controller and turning to face her. "Would you mind coming with me to the appointment tomorrow? I'm a little nervous, and it would really help if you were there."

Setsuna bit her lip, thinking. She didn't want to say no, but...she kind of had other plans...

"I dunno, Konoka, I'm not really scheduled to see you tomorrow."

"I know, I just thought..." She trailed off, and looked back at the television, unsure of what to say.

Setsuna sighed softly to herself.

"I'll call you tomorrow and let you know." She said. "But I'm not making any promises."

Konoka looked at her, a smile forming on her face. She leaned close and put her arms around Setsuna's waist.

"Thanks!" She said, squeezing Setsuna tightly. "You know, I'm glad to have a friend like you. I didn't think I would like any of the people they sent, but I like you."

Setsuna said nothing, not knowing what to say. So she smiled a half smile and gently pushed Konoka away until the girl relinquished her grip.

"What do you want to do now?" Setsuna asked, wanting to change the subject.

Konoka hummed for a moment, then picked up another controller and held it out to Setsuna.

"Wanna play with me?"

A thousand objections crossed Setsuna's mind, but when she saw the hopeful look on the brown-haired girl's face, they faded away.

"Sure." She said, accepting the controller. Setsuna snuggled back into the comfortable couch, and crossed her legs. Turning her gaze to the television, she lightly ran her thumbs over the buttons in an attempt to memorize their positions.

Konoka worked her way though the menu options until both of them had to pick a car. Konoka spent a few minutes working her way through each one, and when it came to Setsuna's turn, she merely picked the first one available.

A few seconds later, and they were both racing. Setsuna quickly figured out the controls, and mindlessly raced around the track Konoka had selected while her brain ran laps of its own.

She was thinking about the weekly routine she went through with Konoka. While it involved participating in activities of Konoka's choice, it also detailed asking her a few questions to gauge how well she was doing, and if the service being provided to her was of any use.

"Hey, Konoka..."

"Hmm? Is it question time?" She asked.

Setsuna chuckled. "You bet." She answered. She watched helplessly as Konoka's car cut in front of her own, and she frowned slightly for a moment.

"How have you been since the last time I visited?" Setsuna asked.

Konoka shrugged. "I've been okay. I don't have that much to do, actually. I need a hobby or something."

Setsuna raised an eyebrow, a tilt of her head indicating the shelf full of video games.

"Isn't this your hobby?"

"Yeah, but it isn't that much of one." She replied. "I want to be outside more, and try different things."

Setsuna made a mental note to include that in her write-up for this week. She would have to create an outdoor themed activty list for them to do next week. Today was an exception, a relaxed day.

"How is school coming along?" Setsuna asked.

Another shrug. "My math grade went up. Thanks to you helping me study."

Setsuna nodded. "Well done. How are your other courses doing? How are the kids at school?"

"My marks have been slowly climbing. I'm doing a lot better now. Well, the other kids are still mean sometimes, but what can you do? You think they would be a bit more grown up now that it's grade twelve, but I guess not."

Setsuna hummed softly. It was obvious that Konoka was a little...off...when you spoke to her, but she was surprised that it was something the kids at school picked up on and took advantage of. Insensitive bastards.

Setsuna decided to forego the rest of the questions for today. She could anticipate the answers anyway, she knew. Slight improvement in all areas. Still showing signs of difficulty in some areas.

She was brought back to attention by the screen flashing. She had lost. Konoka had won, by a long stretch.

"Hey, enough of this." Konoka said. "You wanna watch a movie instead?"

Setsuna nodded, and placed her controller on the desk by her side. "Sure, that sounds like a great idea. You pick."

Konoka got up, and shut off the console. Moving over to the large collection of DVD's on the shelf next to her video games, she looked at all the titles for a few moments before selecting one.

"This one is one of my favourites." She said, cracking open the case and slipping the DVD into the player.

"I think you'll like it."

Setsuna softly hummed a non-committal answer, and leaned back comfortably. Konoka reached over to flick off the lights, and when she sat back down, it was just a little bit closer than before.

888

Setsuna yawned as she closed the door behind her. Making sure it was locked, she hurried down to her room in the basement before she woke up her sleeping parents.

"Better plug my phone in so it doesn't die on me tomorrow." She said softly to herself. As she moved over to plug it in, it started to ring.

Surprised, wondering who would be calling at this time of night, Setsuna answered it and raised the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Setsuna? It's Konoka's mother. There's something I'd like to talk to you about. It's about Konoka..."

A/N: Well. Another chapter. Slowly, we get to where we need to go. Reviews are appreciated!