Author's Note: I'm really sorry I took so long to have it posted. I entrusted a friend of mine to post it while I was on vacation since it was already finished. Apparently they forgot and I didn't realize it up until now.


Chapter 4:
To the Beach! Again!

Nagisa rushed down the hallway, tears streaming from her eyes. She couldn't take the thought that Shizuma was in that room with someone else. Furiously and constantly wiping the tears from her eyes, she was trying to stop them from falling. It was like attempting to dam away an endless river with a twig, impossible. Finally, when her vision became too blurred for her to advance any further, she fell to her knees, a defeated look dawned her face. She leaned against the wall, surrendering to the gentle, misty pearls that were constantly fighting to leave her eyes and splatter to the floor. She cried freely, the only thing left to do was think.

Why? Why would Shizuma do this to me? I can't take this, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND!

She held her head to relieve her throbbing headache. Her mind was now a mix of emotions. Frustration, anxiety, depression, just to name a few. Just then, Nagisa felt an arm wrap around her shoulder and pull her into an embrace.

In a soft, gentle voice, Tamao whispered, "I've already cried on your shoulder, now you can cry on mine." She offered a reassuring smile to her distressed friend.

"Tamao-chan, thank you…" Silently she cried on the shoulder of her best friend, while Tamao stroked her red hair.

When Nagisa was finished crying they returned to their room. Tamao cut out the lights and they proceeded to their respective beds. Tamao dozed off in a few minutes, while Nagisa on the other hand couldn't fall asleep. She sat on the bed in an almost fetal position, constantly watching the clock that was above the door.

Finally, around five in the morning, Nagisa fell asleep. However, this only made way for nightmares. Each one involved Shizuma leaving and never turning back. In the end, she was only granted about an hour of sleep as she woke up whimpering and panting from each nightmare, only to fall back to sleep in the next few minutes. At about 8:30 in the morning, she heard a knock at the door. She peeked her eyes open wearily.

She whined, "Tamao-chan, can you get that?"

After she didn't hear a response, there was a knock again. She got up drowsily, and opened the door. Miyuki was standing in the doorway wearing a blue sundress and shades that rested atop her head.

"Nagisa, you're not ready yet? We woke you up an hour and a half ago, its almost time to leave."

Nagisa shrieked, "You mean that wasn't a dream!"

"You really should hurry up, we can only wait for about thirty minutes more."

She bowed graciously, "Thank you for checking up on me. I probably wouldn't have woken up anytime soon."

Nagisa rushed out the room and bolted towards the bathroom. She decided to take a quick shower in order to avoid wasting too much time. She took off her clothes and stepped into the large shower, pulling the curtain across. As the refreshing, steaming hot water cleansed her skin, she giggled to herself, "I wonder if there'll be a bakery near the beach. I miss cake already." Suddenly, her smile dropped to a frown as she remembered last night's events. Under her breath she whispered, "Shizuma, don't leave me." She shook off the sudden feeling of depression and turned off the shower. She dried off and changed into a cherry red dress.

As she brushed her teeth in the mirror, she heard a knock at the door. She rinsed her mouth and spat into the sink before yelling, "Come in!" The door opened slightly, Nagisa could see Shino's reflection in the mirror.

Surprised, she turned towards him and started stuttering nonsensical words. "Oh sorry, did I do something wrong." Shino asked, with a sign of slight panic his voice.

"Um no, you just surprised me is all." ending with a nervous giggle, thinking of how foolish she must have seemed.

"Is that so? Anyway, Miyuki sent me to warn you, ten more minutes before we leave."

"Only ten! That took longer than I thought!" she yelled, running out the bathroom, barely brushing past Shino.

She ran back to the room she shared with Tamao to get packed. When she got there, she met Tamao already packed up and ready to leave. She started to panic as she threw all of her clothes out the drawer in search of something. Tamao watched the frantic red head toss the contents of the drawer recklessly around the room before finally speaking up.

"Um, Nagisa-chan…"

"Can't talk now, must find it." She didn't take her focus off the drawer for a second.

"What are you looking for?"

Nagisa let out a frustrated groan and fell back to the floor. "I can't find it."

"What?"

"Remember when we bought the new bathing suits and I decided to buy a spare just in case."

"Yes, you couldn't decide between the plain red one you wore yesterday and the red one like mine with the strawberry print skirt, so you bought them both."

"I can't find it, and I didn't wash the one I wore yesterday because I thought I had a spare to rely on."

Tamao put her finger on her chin thoughtfully before wisely pointing out, "Nagisa, are you sure that you took it out the bag yesterday when we were unpacking?"

Embarrassed, Nagisa made a dive under the bed and pulled out one of the bags she brought with her. As soon as she opened it, she noticed her bathing suit, neatly folded in the far corners of the bag.

Meanwhile, Shizuma, Miyuki, and Shino were sitting in the limo, waiting for Nagisa and Tamao, some stayed a little more patient than others. Shizuma hung her foot out the open car door, constantly tapping her foot on the concrete pavement that lined their driveway. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her arms were crossed.

Suddenly Shizuma growled, "What is taking them so long!"

Shino rested his hand on her shoulder and said, "Don't worry, its only been a few minutes and the beach isn't going anywhere."

Shizuma pouted, "That's not the problem here."

"That's not why she's upset at all Shino." Miyuki pointed out, "She's only acting so childish because Nagisa's with Tamao right now."

"It's not that I don't trust Nagisa. It's Tamao that I don't trust, I've seen the way she looks at Nagisa." Shizuma stepped out of the limousine and continued, "I'm going to check on them."

Miyuki grabbed her hand and pulled her back, causing her to harshly land back into the seats. "Geez Miyuki, that really hurt."

"Stay here Shizuma, anyone but you can go." Miyuki ordered.

"What are you trying to say Miyuki-chan? That could hurt my feelings." Shizuma replied a sly smirk on her face.

"I can't trust you to go, heaven knows what kind of trouble you'll cause."

Shino stretched over Shizuma and got out of the limo. As he noticed them staring at him he said, "Its best if I go. Miyuki doesn't trust Shizuma to go and I think that between me and her, Rokujou-san is the only one that can control her. You two have been friends for a long time after all."

Shizuma sighed as Miyuki shook her head approvingly, so Shino set off to check on the two girls.


Author's Note: Not really worth the wait, but next chapter is gonna be when everything starts going nuts. I'm going to reveal the answers to a lot of questions you may be having, especially the most popular one, "Who is Shino?"