If sisters are the root of all evil, does that meant that little brothers are less than evil? Are we by products, or castoffs? Or are we the power that crushes the evil that sisters are.
Maybe we're the root of all evil, and that's why they seem so mean. Just because something happens to be good for you, that doesn't mean that you have to like it. Sisters, then, are more like broccoli. You deal with it because you have to, and only realize thirty years later how glad you were that you suffered through.
___________
Daisuke walked slowly up the sidewalk to school, dreading each passing moment. Jun had dropped him off, but felt unable to face the people at school again. He sighed, wishing that he felt a little less able, but he didn't want his friends to know exactly how deep he was hurting. Then they'd worry, and he'd have to deal with their concern like he'd dealt with Ken's the night before.
He wasn't strong enough to handle their guilt and his own pain at the same time. Before, he would have wallowed in the attention they bestowed on him when he was down, but he doubted that he had the stomach to deal with it.
With a sigh, he pushed through the doors, ignoring the awkward silence of the group by the door. They were students he didn't know that well. His chin tilted up, and he walked by proudly as the thought that he didn't know anyone that well flashed through his head. Sora came out of her homeroom, heading for her locker for a forgotten item. She spotted him quickly, and scanned the hallways for his sister.
"She didn't come." They paused in the middle of the hall. Her eyes flickered with something akin to pain, and she nodded. "She said she'd try tomorrow, but I doubt that she's back before Monday."
"I should have told her." Their was guilt and remorse in her voice and eyes. "I should have warned her, or something. She didn't deserve to find out this way. Nobody should have to." Her brown eyes flickered over him, and she smiled gently at him. "How are you holding up?"
He shrugged, knowing that he couldn't fool her as easy as he could fool the others since she'd been there for him yesterday. "Been better days, been worse days."
"I bet that you'd rather be fighting evil Digimon right now than having to go to class."
"I'd rather be doing a lot of things than having to face them all for another day." He sighed again, his shoulders drooping in defeat. When his brown eyes met hers, they were bleak. "When you find her, tell her I was flirting with some guy from biology."
Her eyes watered as she nodded at him. "I'll do that." She didn't ask why, but he knew that she already knew the answer. If he bounced back quickly, then that would be one less thing that she'd have to worry about. "Here's my pager number if you need me to come get you."
She handed him a card, and he nodded as he put it in his back pocket. "Thank you." They traded small smiles as they went their separate ways, he in the direction of his homeroom, and she heading towards the entrance.
"Miss Takenouchi, where are you going?" Daisuke stopped and turned as he heard the principal's voice. Sora stood ramrod straight as she tried to come up with a good reason to leave. If she couldn't leave, then Jun would be alone.
Without a second thought, he grabbed the nearest male to him, grabbed him by gripping his shirt in his fists, and kissed him soundly. Someone dropped their books, and Daisuke heard the principal mutter something about the outrage of it all as he stalked toward them. Sora snuck out of the door as the principal tore him away from his poor victim.
Green eyes stared up at him in shock, and he swallowed hard when he realized exactly who he had grabbed. "Mr. Hida and Mr. Motomiya, get in my office." Iori's eye were wide as he backed away, then turned to walk stiffly in the direction that the man was pointing his finger.
He could feel the flush climbing his face as he passed a bunch of people. His eyes met those of his friends, and he looked down, ashamed of what he had done. If he'd had to drag himself down, the least he could have done was keep the group out of it.
___________
Friends, good friends, are hard to come by. There are always the false ones lurking around every corner, and they're the ones that leave you hanging in the breeze with your underwear slipping past your knees.
Good friends, however, stand by you every step of the way, holding your hand as you hold onto the shredded buckle of your belt, trying to keep from mooning all the creeps behind you that wouldn't stick by you.
___________
With tears pouring down her face, Jun slipped farther down against the concrete wall, until she was sitting on the ledge on the edge of the bridge. Below her, barely three feet from where her back met the wall, the water flowed quickly, reminding her of a running faucet as it bubbled against the river bank. Behind her, beyond the bridge, the dam churned up water, making a light spray.
The Tamachi dam was one of her favorite places to visit. The bridge was a walkway from the entrance to the dam and the parking lot, where she could see her car if she turned her head. Daisuke had found out about the ledges a couple of months back, and had told her about sitting there, looking out over the lake that the dam formed, feeling free and unrestrained.
She wasn't enjoying the view, and she didn't feel any of the peace and contentment that he had felt. Her whole body was quivering in reaction to the turmoil that rampaged through her. She lost track of time as she sat there, pouring her emotions out through throat-burning sobs.
It took her quite a while to finally realize that she wasn't alone any more, that she was curled against a warm body, and that some one was holding her tight and stroking her hair. Soft words slowly started breaking through to her spinning mind, trying to reach her, trying to soothe her. She snuggled closer, letting the tears continue to fall as her sobs quieted, and her body relaxed.
Sora held the crying girl against her, resting her chin on top of the soft redhair as silent tears slipped down her own cheeks. "It's okay, love. It's okay."
She rubbed her back, looking out over the water, watching as the shadowy outline of Odaiba fell across the lake. It was a beautiful sight, even with the sun overhead. she wondered what it would look like with the sunset, sitting on a blanket by the side of the lake.
"We'll get you through this, Jun. You'll heal, and move on, and years from now, you'll come back to this very spot, and think of all the happy times you've had. You'll smile as you remember how sad you were, thankful that you're over that time in your life. Everyone has to have a first heart break."
She sighed, rubbing her head in the silky strands of red.
"And a second, and a third." She tilted her head, and let it rest against the top of Jun's. "But life goes on, and eventually, you'll find someone who will feel the same way you do, who will love you for an eternity. You'll be happy, and get married, and have a dozen children."
Her voice caught for a moment, and she closed her eyes. Two slim arms wound their way around her back, holding her close as the redhead relaxed completely, slipping into a light, exhausted sleep.
"Or, fate willing, you'll realize that I'm here, that I love you, and we'll spend the rest of our lives holding each other." She smiled wistfully, a final tear making its way down her cheek. "We could be so happy. I wouldn't ever make you cry, or leave you."
__________
When a sister is mad, you will know. She glares, and hollers, and swats at the back of the head. When a sister is happy, you will know it. She grins, and laughs, and swats at the back of the head. When a sister is sad, you will know it. She grins, and laughs, and walks away without so much as touching you once.
It hurts worse when she's sad, because there is no clear way to alleviate what she's feeling. It makes me feel helpless, and useless, and sad myself.
__________
Daisuke slumped in the chair, his head dropping down as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes. In a chair barely three feet away sat Iori, his face pale, his eyes staring vacantly at the desk. The principal shut the door with a loud bang, and both boys winced at the sound.
The principal was an older man named Mr. Hurashi, and he wasn't one to act kindly toward rule-breakers. Kissing on school grounds was against the rules. With a hard look at both boys, the balding, heavy-set man sat down in his seat, leaving them to stew in the silence.
He looked from the redhead to the brunette, and back again, his eyes flashing guardedly between them. He finally settled his gaze on Daisuke, and waited for him to acknowledge him.
When brown eyes met his, he raised an eyebrow. "Would you like to explain exactly what happened, Mr. Motomiya?"
With a sigh, he nodded. "It was my fault, Mr. Hurashi. I grabbed the nearest person and kissed him. Iori had nothing to do with it, except by being in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"Really?" He seemed to accept that, nodding his head as he laced his fingers and settled his elbows on the table. "And why, exactly, would you just grab somebody?"
"Because some punk was messing with me because I'm gay." He spoke the lie easily, not indicating by tone or gesture that it was a lie. Iori looked up at him and frowned.
The principal nodded, leaning back in his chair and settling his hands in his lap. "That's unfortunate, then. I didn't hear this other kid, but I did see you forcing unwanted attention on another student. That's a suspension, and both parents should be notified."
Daisuke hung his head, imagining his mother getting wind of this. They'd lock him in his room and never let him out again. "Mr. Hurashi, Daisuke is trying to cover for me. We've been dating for a couple of days, and the other guy was teasing him about kissing me."
Brown eyes swiveled quickly to the brunette. Iori was staring straight into the principal's eyes, his gaze unwavering. His fingers were curled into the arms of the chair, the knuckles white.
"Is that true?" Hurashi turned to Daisuke, and waited until he nodded, hanging his head guiltily.
"I know that I shouldn't have reacted so rashly, sir. I didn't mean any disrespect by it." He waited, his head bowed, until he heard the chair swivel around.
"Then that's different. You both have a lunch detention for breaking the rules, and you are forbidden, as all students are, of kissing in this building. You may both go. I'll send word to your next hour teachers as to when you will serve your detention."
"Thank you, sir." Iori stood up, bowed, and walked out of the room. Daisuke copied him, moving with less grace and more speed so that he could catch up to the smaller teen. He opened his mouth to apologize, but the words wouldn't come out of his mouth.
Finally, deciding that he couldn't very well talk to his back, he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Wait, please." Iori turned to face him, a neutral mask in place, his eyes guarded. "I'm sorry." He stopped, not knowing how to continue.
The brunette treated him to a gentle, understanding smile. "You had to get Sora out of here. That's fine."
"Thank you." He felt his eyes watering, and closed them to regain control of himself. When he opened them again, Iori was frowning at him in worry.
"Are you okay?" The green eyes that searched his face were gentle, offering to help. Daisuke swallowed, and shook his head.
"I've had better days." His voice was slightly breathless, and he had to clear his throat before he could trust himself to speak. "Thank you." He tried to smile, but it wobbled, and he hurried away before he burst out in tears. The hallway was clear of students, and he managed to make it into the empty bathroom without being caught.
Like a repeat of the day before, he collapsed in the stall, but on the seat this time. Without doors, there was no way that he could hide from anyone that entered, and so his only hope was that no one came in. First hour teachers rarely let their students go anyway, so he had a ninety-five percent chance of peace.
He leaned forward, elbows on his legs, his head in his hands, and let the tears flow. It wasn't a loud cry, and it wasn't the same as before.
This crying was the outcome of the realization that he had pushed all of his friends away. He had swore at them, and told them that he didn't care, and had made a fairly large muddle of it all. His best friend had tried to apologize, and he'd ignored him. His friends tried to talk him through it, had made a consistent effort to keep him as a part of the group, and he pushed them away.
The door opened, and he moved his hands to cover his ears. If someone wanted to ridicule him, they could do it all they wanted, as long as he didn't have to hear it. The world could crash around him, and he'd be okay as long as he didn't have to listen to it.
_________
The greatest value of a sister is her ability to be there when you want her the least, but need her the most. If she was only around when you thought you wanted her, then you'd be in a hell of a mess. Since she refuses to disappear off the face of the planet, she's there whether you want her or not.
Of course, the biggest problem with sisters is that they are constantly underfoot, getting in the way, and cursing you for being born in their way. They don't seem to appreciate it when you're there when they need you most, and they certainly aren't happy when you're around and they want you gone.
__________
With a start, Jun sat up, waking up and pulling away automatically from the young woman holding her. Sora smiled, letting go with a sweet smile. "Hello." Her voice was soft, merely a whisper over the lake.
The redhead licked her lips, then ventured a small smile of her own. "Hi."
Sora turned back to face the lake, raising her right leg to rest her arm on it. "This is a beautiful spot. Is this the place that Daisuke talks about?"
A nod affirmed that, yes, it was the place. The redhead looked self-conscious, her eyes puffy, her cheeks marked by the trail of tears. "How is he?"
"He's good. He was kissing Iori when I left."
"Really?" There was an unselfish happiness in her voice, and hope in her eyes. "That's good. Then he's already over that worthless brainiac."
With a sad smile, Sora shook her head. "No. He was making a distraction so that I could get past Hurashi. The old man caught me trying to sneak out. No one breaks the rules right in front of him, and gets away with it."
Jun laughed slightly, and then licked her bottom lip again. "Does that mean that he doesn't like Iori?"
"I honestly don't know. He didn't seem to mind being kissed, and I think Daisuke kind of dragged it out more than needed, so maybe there is something there."
"That would nice. He's the little brunette with green eyes, right?" Jun had turned her gaze out to the lack, refusing to look at the girl beside her.
"Yes. He's a sweet kid, and Dai could definitely do a lot worse. He'd treat him good." Sora resisted the urge to smooth Jun's hair back. The wind had picked up slightly, sending cool air at them.
"That's good. He wouldn't have to worry about having his heart broken." There was a yearning in her voice that Sora caught and felt deep within herself.
"Just because Iori's sweet, he may not be gay. No amount of kindness or loyalty could change it if he weren't." Sora pointed out, her voice normal. She smiled to herself, knowing how true her words were.
They let several minutes pass with silence, then Jun glanced back, and blushed when she realized that Sora was staring at her. She looked away quickly. "You seem pretty calm through this whole thing. I always kind of figured that you'd be as upset by Matt dating someone else as I was, but you seem okay with all of this."
"They're both my friends. And I did find out a while ago how things were between them. That's the reason that Matt and I broke up in the first place, so that they could be together."
Jun nodded, her palms flat on the concrete ledge as she slipped closer to the edge, and hung her legs over the side. She leaned forward slightly, then sat back, folding her hands in her lap.
"I wish they would have come forward sooner." Sora scooted up beside her, careful not to touch her hand. "I tried to get them to tell you. I should have just done it myself, but I hated pushing them."
"Why would it matter so much? I would have eventually found out, as I did." Jun grimaced. "At least I was able to hold onto my illusions a little longer."
"And it hurts that much more because it kept building. A deep crush is almost worse than actually being in love, because you define yourself by them. The longer it continues, the harder it is to form an identity separate from the."
The redhead looked at her in amazement, her eyes wide. "That's it, exactly. I don't know how to act, or who I am, or how I feel now that I can't identify with him. He defined who I was with his words, with his voice."
"You have to realize that the words and the feelings are still there. There are millions of people who feel what you feel, and have felt what you've felt. He's just managed to vocalize them in a way that sends the message."
Brown eyes filled with tears, and she looked away again, smiling thoughtfully. "Thank you. How did you know?"
Sora shrugged, and tucked a strand of Jun's hair behind her ear. "I've been there, remember? I even dated him. It's so easy to feel what he feels, because he rarely let's his emotions flow as unchecked as he does when he sings. He's always cool and untouchable, except when he's at the mic, or holding his guitar. The words and emotions flow from him, and it's wonderful."
Jun nodded. "That's exactly right." She smiled across the lake, her eyes thoughtful.
"Come on. I'll follow you home." Sora stood up, and waited for Jun to do the same, before crawling over the wall. She paused on top when the redhead began laughing. "What?"
"You really shouldn't be doing that in a skirt." She pointed to the way that it was riding up the brunette's legs.
"Thank you." Sora managed to make it over the wall, and rolled her eyes as the jean-clad redhead scrambled over, her climb easier without the encumbersome school uniform. "I come all the way out here to help, and you laugh at me."
Jun took her arm, and hugged it. "Thank you. Without you, these last two days would have been unbearable." She let the brunette go, missing the look of disappointment in her eyes. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been around."
As much as she'd like to take all the credit, Sora shook her head in denial. "You have Daisuke. He wouldn't have let you suffer alone."
"True, but he would have simply suffered with me. He wouldn't have known what to say, or how to put it so that I understood exactly how I was feeling, since I didn't know myself."
"Then you are welcome. I'm here if you need me." She said it simply, keeping her heart out of it. Jun needed time, not a pushy lesbian trying to get her to realize what she was wasting on the opposite sex. They reached the cars, and Jun opened her door, then looked across the hood at Sora, who was unlocking her door.
"Do you want to come for dinner tonight?" She smiled. "Daisuke normally cooks, because he can follow directions a little better than I can. Not that much better, but still."
The brunette smiled. "Sure. Sounds like an interesting experience. It can't be any worse than some of the things I've eaten."
"Good. We eat at about six, but you can just stay there, if you want."
"I would, but I have to go home before school gets out so that I can talk to my mother. I normally have to work after school, and she's still kind of mad that I skipped out yesterday."
Jun gasped. "I didn't mean to get you into trouble."
"You didn't, so don't worry." Sora smiled. "I'll follow you home, and be back before six."
"Okay." They smiled at each other before getting in. Sora closed her eyes, her hand pausing with the key in the ignition. She savored the warm feeling that seemed to spread from her chest, out. Jun honked her horn as she pulled away. Sora started the car, and backed out carefully, then followed Jun's car down the road, a smile spread across her face.