thexlittlexlisa: So here we are again, I like this chapter, it was easy to write and even if they are OCC, I do like this story so far. Well, I need to write a chapter on my story "We Own The Night" (Rimahiko) but I have no idea how I should continue it. Do you have any ideas? If so, write me a PN, that would be so great!
Something About Friendship & Love
Chapter Three
By the time Monday rolled around, Kukai hadn't heard anything from Amu or Utau. His girlfriend had been unreachable all weekend, and by Sunday night, he began to worry that maybe Utau's situation had not been resolved or was much worse than he'd anticipated. He'd spent the better part of the weekend thinking of the blonde and wondering what exactly had happened.
"Hey!" Amu's voice disrupted Kukais' thoughts and the bright disposition on his girlfriend's face was both a relief and a bemusement. "How are you?" she asked before kissing him lightly on the lips and sitting down next to him.
"I'm good. How was your weekend?" Kukai asked diving straight into the question. She shrugged.
"It was good," she admitted before realization dawned on her, "and I've just remembered that I didn't call you all weekend or apologized for the way our date ended. I'm sorry. I was just with Utau all weekend."
"Its fine," Kukai told her, "I understand. Really, I'm okay about it."
"You're not mad?" Amu eyed him, wondering if this was like what Ikuto used to do; pretend he was fine but was really mad underneath. Actually, Ikuto used to just huff and mumble a 'whatever' and sulk all day until she made it up to him.
"Why would I be? You were being there for a friend who needed you. I'd have done the same thing for Rima if the situation was reversed. I get it."
Amu sighed in relief. "You really are the best boyfriend. Most guys don't understand that I just need to be there for Utau because she's my best friend and sometimes she needs me."
"How is Utau anyway?" Kukai asked.
"She had a pretty rough night." Amu admitted, "She didn't want to go back home so we spent the weekend at the mall, on the beach, at the spa… basically doing everything Utau likes."
"Is she okay now?"
"Well, yeah. I mean she'll get over it quickly, but it's always hard for her. Her parents aren't home all that often and when they are - it's not entirely a happy reunion. She does love her parents and misses them when they're gone, but when they come back something always seems to go wrong and she gets upset over something… but eventually she's back to the usual Utau – she's just a little bruised."
"She seemed really upset on Friday night though…"
Amu shook her head and cut him off.
"I know but—"
"Hey friends!" Utau's interruption caused the couple to suddenly break apart from their discussion. "I totally need you guys to help me."
"What's up?" Amu asked, seemingly not concerned with Utau's bright expression. Kukai frowned slightly. She didn't seem to care about what happened on Friday night. In fact, it was almost forgotten.
"Well my parents took away my car – don't ask me why, I think my mom switched medication or something – but anyway, I have no car, which means no means of transport. And I have no suitable walking shoes that match any of my outfits and I really don't want to take the bus like I had to this morning." Aware she was bordering on near-whining, she shot straight to the point. "And so I need someone to help me out, day every morning and after school – and at five thirty every Tuesdays and Fridays?" she gave them both a hopeful grin.
"You know I'd love to help you out in a second, but I live on the other side of town and I'd have to go past the school to get to yours. It'd take at least forty five minutes and I know you can't wake up that early," Amu told her.
"I'll do it," Kukai offered, earning looks from both girls. Utau sighed with relief.
"Oh, Kukai! My shoes and social reputation thank you." Her smile suddenly turned into a frown. "Wait, you're not going to pick me up in that truck of yours, are you?" she cringed.
Instead of being insulted, Kukai chuckled. "No, I'll be taking my mom's station wagon." It did little to appease the girl who seemed even more horrified.
"Utau, smile and say 'thank you'. It is much better than riding the bus with the freshmen," Amu prompted.
"I guess," Utau sighed. "Thanks again, Kukai. I'll see you in the parking lot after school then?"
"It's a date," Kukai agreed before wincing at the terminology. Neither of the girls noticed as Utau disappeared as quickly as she had arrived.
"Well that was awful nice of you," Amu commented.
"She's just a little bruised, right?" Kukai reminded his girlfriend of her earlier words, "Who's to say you're the only one who can look out for her? Although she didn't seem too bruised."
"Yeah, well, um – I know she was really embarrassed about turning up the way she did the other night. Apparently, boys aren't supposed to see her cry."
"Why not?"
"It's not you, it's a just a trust thing. She doesn't trust a lot of people - and when she does – she really lets her guard down. There's the Utau everyone sees in school, and then there's the Utau that doesn't wear a mask or any other metaphorical veils. That's how you really see what's in her heart. And I guess because she guards it so fiercely if anyone ever broke that trust, it'd do more than just bruise her – it'd devastate her," Amu explained sadly.
"I had no idea."
"Nobody does. Do you think anybody would be intimidated by her if they saw her like she was on Friday?"
"No, but doesn't vulnerability make people more human?"
"Utau doesn't see it that way. The most important thing to her is protecting her heart – and if that means putting up a front that that's what she'll do. But I'll tell you that the next guy to get past all of her walls would be a really special one," the pinkette confessed.
"Next?" Kukai asked.
"It's a really long story that I can't tell you. But basically, it's one of the reasons she's so protective of her heart." Kukai simply nodded in reply. "Anyway, I've got to run this comic strip down to THUD. I'll see you in AP English." She gave him another kiss before wandering off.
Kukai sighed as he took in all this new information about Utau.
"Zoning out again?" Rima tutted as she sat down opposite Kukai with her lunch tray. "You really are in a pensive mood lately."
"I was just thinking," he explained.
"And here I was thinking you were doing a puppet show!" Rima exclaimed dryly as she poked at her lunch, "So, spill. What's on your mind, bud?"
"Just some stuff Amu told me."
"About?"
"Something happened on Friday night."
"With you and Amu? Is this going to be something you should only be talking about to guys on a locker room because I don't want to hear about your love life because it's just ew!" Rima told him.
"Utau was there."
"Double ew!" Rima made a face.
Kukai rolled his eyes. "No, it was nothing like that. Utau showed up and was just really upset about something."
"Why? Did she miss a sale?" Rima teased but when Kukai didn't laugh and gave her a glare, she realized he wasn't in the mood. "Okay, so we're not joking around. What happened?" she asked but Kukai tried a different approach.
"Do you think Utau hides stuff? Like she has two different personas? One for school and the other just for her?"
"Of course. Everyone does. Nobody ever shows their true selves to anybody who they think might hurt them. It's a self-defense thing." Rima said matter-of-factly as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Even Utau?" Kukai asked, wondering if he was the only one not to perceive this. "She's always seemed real to me. I thought she never cared what people thought of her."
"It depends on how you mean real. Sure she says what's on her mind, but that doesn't automatically mean she's not pretending. So she's tactless – it's blunt and sometimes a little scathing but I'm sure it's not always meant to hurt – and if it does, I guess it's because she's trying to protect something."
"You sure seem to have a handle on this." Kukai frowned at his friend's insightfulness.
"Well Utau's really no different from Ikuto. There's the Ikuto everyone sees; the one that's aloof, mysterious and almost unbearable. And there's the Ikuto he lets me see. The sweet, caring Ikuto. I wouldn't be surprised if Utau was the same. I guess the more popular you are; the more pretending you do." When Kukai looked surprised, she sighed, "Don't tell me you actually thought Utau is just like she is in school when she's alone. Even you can't be that dense."
Kukai chuckled nervously. "No, I was just surprised at how easily she can hide things like that."
Rima offered an encouraging smile before pulling out a notebook. "Anyway, your girlfriend's best friend aside – did you get any of these algebra questions?"
At 3.25pm, Kukai was still waiting for Utau in the parking lot. The place was virtually empty, save for a handful of cars scattered around the area. He sighed in disappointment. Maybe she had taken the bus or found a ride from someone else. He wondered if he should call her before realizing that he didn't have her cell number.
"Hey soccer-boy. You waited all this time for me?" Utau asked as she approached him and his mom's station wagon.
"I did make a promise to you and your shoes. Why did you take so long?" he questioned.
"Long? It's only been fifteen minutes."
"Twenty five, actually." Kukai replied, "But you're here now so hop in." She obliged and slid into the passenger seat while Kukai sat in the drivers' seat. "So what were you doing?" he asked.
"Just this and that. I ran into Kairi who wanted to tell me about what happened to Tadase Hotori – do you know him? He's, like, in our chemistry class. Lab partners with Saaya Yamabuki?"
"I think so."
"Well apparently he's now dating Lulu Yamamoto who just broke up with Fuyuki Kirishma after like eight months of dating, which is like the longest Fuyuki Kirishma has ever dated anybody because he's kind of a jerk. I have no idea how Lulu coped with it for so long especially because I've always thought she was a sweet girl. Anyway, so yesterday Tadase Hotori was walking home when a bunch of Fuyuki Kirishma's friends went over and beat him up. I mean, how low was that?"
"It's pretty harsh." Kukai agreed.
"That's why love triangles are dirty words. People always get hurt," Utau huffed. "And since Lulu is such a nice girl and Tadase Hotori is too – since he always lets me copy his chemistry notes because I don't get half of whatever Miss Morrison is blabbing on about; Kairi and I decided we're going to go visit him and take him flowers or some stuff bear or something to show that we're on his side," she explained. "Hey we should get all the cheerleaders and players to sign a card for him!"
"Is Tadase Hotori on the team?"
"No, but Lulu is a reserve cheerleader," she explained. "It'd be a nice thing to do."
"Yeah, it would. That's a good idea," he agreed again as Utau turned on the stereo. She frowned as some Taking Back Sunday began blasting out of the CD player.
"This is why you and Amu are together – you have the same sucky music. Do you not have anything… happy?"
"Uh, not really," he admitted with a small laugh.
She sighed and sat back in her seat. "Thanks for doing this, by the way," she said sincerely. "You totally saved my life."
"It's not a problem," he replied. "But I want something in return."
Utau looked at him questioningly. "What's that?"
"You don't pretend with me. I want to be someone you can talk to, okay? You don't have to act," he explained.
Utau blushed and looked at her fingernails. "Wow, I thought you were going to just ask me to treat you to dinner or take you to the spa or something."
"Sorry. I was just worried about you on Friday and I don't want you to think that Amu is the only person you can talk to about it. You might just find that I understand more than you think." He glanced at her. "Do we have a deal?"
She seemed to think about it before giving him a small nod. "Okay. We have a deal."
thexlittlexlisa: Okay, like I said, OCC, but I really did enjoy writing this chapter, especially the part in which Utau tells Kukai why she's late, I hope I could show you the gossip girl side of her :3
REVIEW and show it your friends!