I stood there, dazed. "Sooo... Nagi actually likes me? I'm hearing you correctly?"
Kukai started flipping out and looked like he was having a seizure. "He can't find out I told! I'll be dead!"
"Chill out. What's the worst he can do to you?" I asked.
"Horrible things, Rima." Kukai replied grimly. "Terrible, frightening things."
Something told me I wouldn't mind that. Kukai's a blabbermouth.
"Well, Rima, what are you going to do with this information?" Utau asked.
"Use it to my advantage, of course." I said as if it wasn't obvious.
To be honest, I wasn't sure that was right. Was I actually feeling...bad... about using the violet-haired playboy?
Some part of me felt like he deserved it since he uses girls all the time. Not for sex, but just about everything else.
But another part of me thought If he actually likes me, wouldn't using him be incredibly mean? Wouldn't he be really hurt?
And yet another part of me wondered why I gave a damn.
"That's my girl." Utau replied.
"Hey, Utau." Kukai said.
"What?" Utau responded.
"You said something about a bet. What bet?" Kukai asked.
"As if I'd tell you, loose-jaws." She replied.
"Whatever, loose-legs." Kukai muttered in retaliation.
"Oh my god…did you just call me a slut?" Utau hissed.
"Well, I don't know. What you did with me last year was sluttish." He whispered.
"Bring that up ever again and you'll be beaten into next decade." She growled in fury.
"Will you two SHUT UP? You're almost as bad as Fujisaki-kun and I." I intervened, pissed that they were being so childish.
All of a sudden a tall, slim, ever-smirking catboy with midnight-blue hair entered the room.
"Smallfry." Ikuto said, acknowledging me.
"Pussy." I replied, returning the acknowledgement.
"I heard you're trying to seduce one of the group members." He said.
"How'd you find out?" I asked, and then I looked at Utau who had guilty written all over her face.
"A little songbird told me." Ikuto said.
I glared at Utau. "Really, Utau? Really?"
"Sorry." She replied, laughing nervously.
"Remember, chibi: seduction is our job." Ikuto told me, referring to the group.
"Yeah, I heard about how you popped Amu's cherry and dumped her. I didn't realize you were such an ass." I scolded, venom in my words.
"If you go through with this, you're just as bad as us. You'd be the heartless playgirl ruining Nagihiko's virtue." He replied.
"Puh-lease. I'll bet he's done everything except actual sex. Don't act like he's innocent." I retaliated.
"You obviously don't know him well at all. He's barely even kissed a girl before." Ikuto said.
"Wait." Kukai interrupted. "Is that what the bet is about?"
"SHUT UP, KUKAI!" I yelled. "YES, THAT'S WHAT THE FUCKING BET IS ABOUT!"
In the chaos of the room, I could barely hear myself think and was surprised when I heard my cell phone ring.
I recognized the number and I felt like I had been kicked in the gut.
I flipped my cell phone open. "Hello, Mama."
"Rima, what the hell is wrong with you? I was watching TV when an interview with some dancer came up and I saw you. Why are you rooming with a boy?" My mother screamed.
"Mama, you're mistaken." I said, trying to think of a lie that would prevent her from coming up and taking me home. "I'm not rooming with a boy…that person you saw was a girl."
I mouthed What? to myself, wondering what my diseased brain was doing to me.
"Then what's with the male voice?" She asked, not believing me in the least.
"Uh… hormone imbalance. She's really sensitive about it." I said, wondering what the hell I was saying.
"I don't believe you but I'm not arguing right now. Friday night is open house for the parents, so I'll get to see this roommate for myself." Mama told me; hanging up.
Shit. I'm so dead.
"Your mom called you? Why?" Utau asked.
"Remember how I told you Nagi was being interviewed?" I replied.
"It's weird how you're using his nickname when you supposedly don't like him…" She pointed out though it was irrelevant.
"It matters so much." I hissed sarcastically. "Back to the subject: I was caught on camera during the interview and I'm trying to convince my mom that I'm not rooming with a boy."
"So you're pretending that he's a girl?" She asked.
"Apparently." I whispered, realizing it's ridiculous.
"I can't believe that he already told you-" Ikuto began to say, but Utau cut him off.
"You're perfect for each other already." Utau said.
"Shut the hell up. How?" I growled.
"Wait, so she doesn't know?" Ikuto asked Utau.
"No. And she even guessed his secret in an IM with me earlier, but she doesn't know what she said that was right. Then she comes up with that lie to her mom."
"Oh, for the love of God… How many people know this so-called 'secret'?" I huffed, growing more angry as the list grew.
How many is that now? Let's see- Utau, Kukai, Tadase, Ikuto, and probably Kairi.
By the way Utau's reacting, it should be obvious to me what his secret is.
I don't know what's scarier; that I'm too stupid to know what his secret is, or that I even care.
"Oh just wait till you find out." Kukai butted into the conversation, grinning.
I covered my ears. "I don't want to hear it, Kukai. You know what? I'm leaving. I'm getting frustrated."
I walked through the halls for a second time, trying to find my dorm.
When I finally found it, I opened the door and saw that the cameraman and reporter were gone.
I looked around and saw that Nagihiko was in the kitchen, washing our bowls from earlier.
"Hey." I said.
"Hey." He replied, not looking up.
"So… um…." I struggled to find the words to say. "I'm sorry about earlier. And thank you. The way you stood up for me was nice."
"I'm sorry, too. And don't worry about it." He said, still not looking up.
"Kukai told me something interesting." I said, trying my hardest to make it sound light.
"…Really?" He asked hesitantly, and suddenly he was still.
"Yeah. It's ridiculous actually." I said; beating around the bush. "It's funny, now that I think about it. You're gonna laugh; he said that… you liked me."
"That's right." Nagi replied quietly.
"Really?" I asked, and suddenly I couldn't feel my heartbeat.
"Yeah. What Kukai said is ridiculous." He replied, and he returned to scrubbing the dishes.
"So you don't like me?" I asked, though I wasn't as relieved as I probably should have been. My voice gave away my disappointment.
I was, in a weird way, upset.
What the hell is happening to me?
"Are you disappointed?" He asked.
"Don't flatter yourself." I spat. "I'm just surprised, that's all."
"Now who's flattering themselves? Not every boy you meet will like you, Miss Conceited." He grumbled.
"I'm not conceited, you asshole! I'm surprised because I didn't think Kukai was a liar!" I yelled. "And you know what? I take back my apology. Go fuck yourself." "Come talk to me about conceited when you decide to cut that ridiculously long hair of yours! It's not attractive, you know. It makes you look like a hippie, you spoiled little rich boy!" I added.
I stormed out of there and went to the spare room, which was now officially being used as my room since I wanted to be separated from my male roommates.
I had no idea why I blew up like that over one stupid comment.
Why was I so offended? Why did I blow up like that?
I mean, I've been called much worse things than conceited.
Is it because he said he doesn't like me?
He doesn't like me. Big deal. That can't be it.
Right?
I didn't have a right to be pissed.
Was it because of his jerky attitude that he had all of a sudden?
No. I'm a huge bitch so people acting mean shouldn't make me mad.
All I knew was that any amount of sympathy I may have had about using him for the bet was gone.
Revenge is going to be sweet. Even if he doesn't like me, if I get him drunk enough he won't say no.
Yes. That will kill him. Going against his morals in a drunken one-night stand with somebody he doesn't even like.
Perfect. Perfect. Completely, positively, absolutely perfect.
But when will I have the opportunity to get him drunk?
Aha. I have until Christmas break, right? I'll wait a few months.
Somebody's sure to have a Christmas party before break starts.
A party that, knowing how teenagers are nowadays, will most likely include alcohol.
My plan is fool-proof.
That idiot better beware.
Nagihiko's POV
Great. Now Rima's pissed at me.
I suppose I deserve it though. Y'know, what goes around comes around.
I lied to her about not liking her.
Why? Because I have a feeling she would've been even more pissed if she thought I did like her.
Even though Rima thinks I don't like her now, Kukai's still a dead man walking.
Just wait till I get a hold of him.
Suddenly I heard my cell phone chime.
It was a text from Utau.
That was weird because she hardly ever even talks to me.
The text said:
I know you're performing as Nadeshiko tonight. Amu's going to be super-excited and I want to make something clear: you're going to tell her. -Utau
Was that a threat? Knowing Utau, it probably was.
I replied back to Utau.
I can't. She'd have a heart attack. -Nagihiko
She texted back.
You were best friends with her for a year, and then you just leave without a warning to travel Europe. Then you came back early as your normal self and didn't even have the courtesy to let her know.
You just completely ditched her and she's been waiting to see Nadeshiko for a long time. -Utau
I replied back to her. I wrote her letters. I didn't lose contact with her. But… this secret just can't be told. -Nagihiko
Utau replied to me. Rima's just about got your secret figured out. You better bet that she hates you so much she'll tell Amu the second she finds out. -Utau
Damn it. That was right.
If Rima finds out my secret, she'll tell Amu right away.
I'm going to have to tell Rima my secret before she figures it out herself. At least that way I'll be able to explain myself before she jumps to the conclusion that I'm a pervert and tells Amu that.
But will she even listen to me? She hates me with such a passion that I highly doubted she would.
If I tell her my secret, will she go ahead and tell Amu anyway?
If I got her to promise not to tell, if she'd even agree to that, would she keep the promise?
If anything, she'd use this against me. Black mail.
Of all the people in the world that I had to tell the secret to, fate decided it had to be Rima Mashiro: the angel-faced devil.
I had to tell her… just, not tonight. Especially not when she's this pissed.
I was so spaced out that I almost forgot Tadase was with me.
"It's almost time for your gig. You better get changed." He said.
I grabbed my schoolbag, which had my kimono tucked tight at the bottom, and headed into the bathroom.
In an instant I changed out of my clothes and into the kimono. I tied my hair up in a ribbon and allowed my girl-self to take over.
"Temari." I whispered, calling her out of her egg.
"It's been a while, Nadeshiko." She said, smiling. Temari liked to call me by my girl name, and I didn't mind.
Now was the most difficult part: I had to leave the dorm and pray that Rima didn't decide to come out of her room before I was out.
I cracked open the door and saw nobody but Tadase. This was my cue to run.
I made it out of the dorm, and I was confident that things would be ok.
I had almost made it down the hall and out of the Sophomore dorms when I was tackled by what seemed like a flash of pink.
I was on the ground and when I looked up I saw Amu. It wasn't a tackle; it was a glomp.
"NADESHIKO!" She squealed. "OH MY GOD! It's been way too long!"
"Amu-chan." I said in my faux-feminine Nadeshiko voice, smiling weakly. "It's so nice to see you."
"Why didn't you tell me you were in Japan?" Amu asked.
"I just didn't have time." I answered, lying. "I'm so busy with rehearsals, especially so close to a show."
To be honest, I was trying to avoid her. The older I get, the harder it is to pass as a girl.
How many teenage girls do you know that are flat-chested and over six feet?
I suppose that after all this time, I should probably just tell her the truth.
Part of me wanted to tell the truth.
But another part of me shut that part up with rationalization.
If I told Amu the truth, there'd be two friendships at stake; the friendship I had with her as Nadeshiko, and the friendship that's being formed with her as myself.
I refuse to lose a friend twice. If that makes sense.
"How long are you staying?" Amu asked.
"Just for tonight." I answered, only half lying that time. Nadeshiko would be leaving, but my normal self would not.
She pouted. "Are you sure you can't stay till morning?"
"…Why?" I asked, blushing when I realized she was still on top of me.
"It's been five years. I would really like to catch up; you know, have a sleepover." She said.
"Isn't it a school night?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, yeah…" Amu admitted. "But it's not like anything important's going on tomorrow."
I sighed. "Where would it be?"
"I'll have to make sure my roommates are OK with it, but you could stay in my dorm." She replied.
"Fine." I said.
"It'll be fun!" She exclaimed optimistically. "Maybe I'll invite Yaya, too. And you can meet my friends Rima and Utau."
"Sounds great, Amu-chan." I said, defeated. "Now, um, do you mind getting off of me?"
Amu got off from on top of me and allowed me to stand up. "So do you have a show tonight?"
Brushing the dust off of my kimono, I replied, "Yes. There's a stage set up on the courtyard and my performance is right before the fireworks start."
"Perfect." She said. "Yaya, Rima, and Utau will be there. Maybe after your performance we can all watch the fireworks together."
"Sounds like a plan." I said with fake enthusiasm.
To be honest, I was dreading it.
It wasn't that I hadn't missed Yaya and Amu; they were my best friends. But Utau and Rima… they might be a problem.
Utau knew my secret, and she was this close to telling. She was threatening me to tell Amu. .
And then there was Rima. Rima hates my Nagihiko-self so much that it wouldn't surprise me if she hated Nadeshiko, too. Or worse…
According to Utau, she almost has my secret figured out.
What if she recognizes me?
"You seem nervous." Amu noted. "What's wrong?"
"Uh… just nervous about meeting new people." I lied.
I really need to stop all this lying before it becomes a habit.
"I think you'll like Utau and Rima." She replied.
"What are they like?" I asked, hoping to stall for time.
"Utau's a popstar so I think you'll both be able to relate to being busy. You'll get along great with her." She replied.
"What about Rima?" I asked, once again stalling for time.
"Well, Rima's kinda hard to predict…" She said.
"How so?" I asked.
I was genuinely curious now; something about the way Amu said that was strange.
"Rima's gone through a lot. She was kidnapped when she was young and her parents are divorced…" Amu explained. "When she meets someone, she either can't stand them or she acts like they're her new best friend. She comes off as serious, but she's really just hiding how much she loves gags and comedy. She's convinced that those things are foolish and she's ashamed."
"Kidnapped?" I asked. "Why?"
"Rima's really, really beautiful. That's why. You have no idea what kind of sick people are out there." She replied grimly.
At that moment, I couldn't help but feel so terrible for Rima. It must be hard on her, to be so beautiful that she was abducted.
"That's awful." I whispered.
"Between you and I, that's the reason Rima's parents are divorced." Amu said. "Don't tell her I told you, though. She already blames herself."
"But how is that her fault?" I asked.
"It isn't her fault, she just thinks it is. It's the kidnappers' fault." She clarified. "After it happened, Rima's parents did nothing but fight over who's fault it was. They started fighting over everything."
"She told you all this?" I asked.
Amu nodded. "Rima trusts me. Trusting someone is a big deal for her, so I don't take it lightly."
Somehow it didn't surprise me that she trusted Amu so much.
Though, maybe Rima should trust her a little less considering that she just told me all of this.
"It sounds like she has it rough." I whispered.
"Yeah, she does." She replied. "But… I think she has too much pride to feel sorry for herself."
"And she has a great friend like you." I said.
Amu smiled and stared off into space, as if thinking about something. "Rima-chan used to hate me, you know."
For some reason, I didn't doubt that. Not that Amu-chan's a bad person, but because Mashiro-san is so tsundere.
What surprised me most was that she smiled when saying that her best friend used to hate her.
"Really?" I queried. "So, how did you become friends with her?"
"Back in sixth grade, a few weeks after she transferred, we were sitting in class." She began. "Apparently someone brought a gag manga. A few boys were trying to imitate a move called bala-balance.
Well, it turns out Rima's a bit-uh, enthusiastic?- about comedy. Apparently the boys weren't doing it right, and Rima ended up character-changing right in the middle of class. She became… possessed. She hopped up on top of her desk and ended up doing bala-balance. Everyone laughed at her. All her fanboys acted like they were mourning the death of their Queen, and the girls had even more reason to hate her and make fun of her. That moment was the first time I ever saw her cry. I felt so bad for her, even though she had been treating me horribly. She ran off and her fanboys started mumbling things like 'That's not our lovely Rima-sama!' And you know what? I turned right around and said 'That is her.' I found her outside the school crying as she sat against a wall. We talked for a while, and she told me how much she loved comedy. It's not that surprising now, but back then it was crazy talk. She was always so serious. I found out a lot about her. She told me about how her parents told her that comedy was stupid, and how she doesn't have any friends because all the girls hate her. I invited her to hang with Yaya and I, and we all became best friends; formed our own little clique. It was kinda at the perfect time, too. This was before we met Utau… and Yaya and I were missing you a whole lot, and we always have since you left, but Rima helped us cheer up."
I couldn't help but smile, listening to Amu's story. Leave it to Amu to stand up for someone one the outside, even someone who was mean.
I always felt guilty for leaving Amu and Yaya, but now I know that things turned out alright. Rima took the place I held in their lives, and I'm alright with that. A lonely girl made friends, and my two best friends were able to cheer up after I left. That makes me feel a lot better about the decision I'd made to travel Europe.
I always intended to come back, but I just couldn't. I was lost for a while after I traveled Europe, to the point where Temari had returned to her egg, and Rhythm hadn't hatched.
It was then that I decided to live as a boy and find myself. If I'd returned and had to live as Nadeshiko for a few more years, I would have suffocated.
Now I can bear pretending to be Nadeshiko because I know who I am. I can separate the two halves from the whole; but it's only because I didn't return.
Yes, it was hard. I missed Yaya and Amu, because they truly were my best friends. In fact, I even used to have a little crush on Amu. But… I had to think of what was best for me.
Selfish, sure. But why shouldn't I be selfish every once in a while?
Time must've passed fast in that conversation because before I knew it I heard footsteps.
It didn't take but a second to know who it was.
"Who the hell is this person that looks like Fujisaki-kun in drag?" The nasally, soft high-pitched voice growled.
W-wait, did she say in drag?
I turned around and, in an even more feminine voice than before, I said, "Hi. My name's Nadeshiko Fujisaki."
Rima looked at me warily and said with a somewhat skeptical look on her face, "My name is Rima Mashiro."
"I've heard a lot about you." I said, forcing a smile on my face. Inside, I was panicking.
"Good things, I hope." She said.
"Of course." I replied.
"Guys, we have to hurry!" Another familiar voice yelled. The overexcited, childish voice mixed with the sound of footsteps could only belong to one person.
"Yaya-chan." I said, smiling.
All of a sudden the pigtailed girl squealed like a maniac. "NADE-CHAN!"
She hugged me and said, "It's been way too long. I missed you!"
"I missed you too, Yaya." I said lightly. "It's nice to see you again."
"You were away so long!" She whined.
"Sorry. Apparently the people in Europe really like me." I said.
…What, am I not allowed to stroke my ego every once in a while? Even if it's a lie?
When I looked around, I could see that Rima was glaring at me.
Oh no.
"Is something wrong?" I asked, trying to sound as kind as possible.
"Let's just say, your brother and I don't get along." She replied, muttering angrily. "And you have such a similar face."
"Oh, really? Why don't you get along?" I asked.
Yeah, I know I shouldn't have asked. It's just- I couldn't resist finding out why she hates me so much.
Aside from the obvious I-called-her-conceited reason.
"He's a playboy, and I can't stand playboys." Rima hissed.
That's what Rima says, but she hated me before she even knew I was a playboy.
"That's not true. You started hating him before you knew he was a playboy." Yaya butted in. "You had googly eyes when you saw Nagi, but you looked all mad after he started talking to Amu-chi."
Googly eyes? No way.
I looked at Rima and I could see that she was blushing and she wouldn't make eye-contact with anyone. She looked embarrassed and even a little mad.
"Details, details." She whispered.
Rima's POV
Way to embarrass me, Yaya. I thought.
For some reason, the four of us were assembled in a hallway; Yaya, Amu, Nadeshiko and I.
This Nadeshiko girl… for some reason, she makes me wary.
Something's not right about her. Something's off.
I looked at her and I could tell that she was just as tall as her brother. About six feet or more.
She also had long, violet hair which was tied into a ponytail by a ribbon.
There was something about her voice, too. It was clearly feminine, no doubt about that, but it was a forced sound.
Her face, her eyes, and her smile- they were too similar to her jerk of a twin.
Something else caught my attention, too.
If Nagihiko and Nadeshiko were twins, they were clearly passing as identical twins rather than fraternal.
But identical twins can't be different genders, can they?
I'll have to search it up later.
Despite my caution, Nadeshiko didn't seem like that bad of a person. Or, at least, she didn't do anything to make me mad yet.
"Hey, Nadeshiko." I said.
She looked at me with a sort of surprised look on her face. "Yes?"
"Sorry if I came off as rude. It's a pleasure to meet you." I said.
Yuck. Politeness is definitely an acquired taste.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Mashiro-san." She replied, smiling.
"Rima." I said. "Just call me Rima."
Her voice became confused and her expression matched. "Well, OK."
Nadeshiko seems so normal, so why am I so weirded out?
Besides being so statuesque, she's just like any other girl.
Nothing odd about her. Nothing.
As I was thinking about all this, it occurred to me: Why am I trying to find something wrong with her?
It's not like… Amu will become best friends with her again, right?
"Rima-tan, what's the matter?" Yaya asked.
I could only reply with an involuntary "Huh?"
"You went into outer space." She said.
"Oh. Sorry, Yaya." I replied. "I was just… thinking."
"About what?" Amu queried.
"Nothing." I answered.
"But you just said-" Amu pressed on, but I stopped her.
"Nothing." I repeated, this time using the word like an expletive.
She sighed. "Whatever. Don't tell me. It's almost time for Nadeshiko to perform, anyways."
Oh, yeah. I almost forgot that was why Nadeshiko was here.
And apparently so did she.
"SHOOT!" Nadeshiko yelled.
All of a sudden, she took off running. A dancer like her almost forgetting her gig? How unprofessional.
"Did she seriously forget about her performance?" I asked.
"It's my fault." Amu replied. "She was on her way to the stage, but I stopped her."
"Still unprofessional." I mumbled.
"Be nice." Amu said sharply. "You know, when I told her you were my best friend she didn't get jealous of you."
Those words struck me like an arrow.
"I'm not jealous." I protested.
"Rima-" She said a little softer.
"I don't want you to leave me alone." I whispered.
That was my greatest fear. That Amu would stop being my best friend.
If she stopped, then Yaya and Utau would stop being my friends, too.
I'd be alone.
I know from years of experience that loneliness is the most horrific feeling in the world. I never want that to happen to me again.
"What do you mean 'leave you alone'?" She asked.
"I mean that you're going to become Nadeshiko's best friend and forget all about me." I sniffed as my eyes started to water.
"Why are you so scared of that? It won't happen." She queried.
"Amu-chi wouldn't do that to you." Yaya added.
"Because I'll never be able to make another friend. If you left, Yaya and Utau would leave, too." I replied to Amu.
"I was best friends with Nadeshiko five years ago, and I still care a lot about her… but now you're my best friend. Along with Utau and Yaya."
How did this turn of events come to be?
It's a waste of time to be sad. Why waste precious time dwelling on such a painful emotion?
I'll just have to trust that Amu won't ignore me. I'll have to trust that I've been a good enough friend to her.
I begrudgingly trudged through the hallway, Amu and Yaya following behind me. After a series of turns in what seemed like a maze, we made it outside.
The courtyard.
The courtyard was located in the back of the school, and was an intricate arrangement of tiles and bricks paired with greenery.
In the night sky it looked like palace-grounds. Beautiful. Stunning. Incomparable.
The beauty of this quaint, gothic-style courtyard was soon overtaken by another beautiful thing.
The darkness was overcome by lights from the stage that had, before, been unnoticeable. All of a sudden, all eyes were on the beautiful dancer who graced the stage with her presence.
It was Nadeshiko, and she took me by surprise. I'd never noticed just how beautiful she was.
If I wasn't jealous of her and Amu's friendship anymore, I was certainly jealous of her looks.
The music began and it seemed to caress my ears. Nadeshiko began to dance, and she was like air. Each fluid movement made her seem like a leaf moving in a breeze. Every graceful step was in perfect harmony with the rhythm. She wasn't dancing to the music; she was dancing with the music. I looked up and saw her smile, and I could tell that this is what she loved. What she was born to do. Nadeshiko to her stage is like a painter to his canvas.
I looked at her in awe, and felt completely guilty. How could I have been spiteful about her, if even for a minute?
In what seemed like seconds, the song was over; ending her performance.
Everybody in the audience cheered and Nadeshiko effortlessly glided off the stage.
She made her way towards Amu, Yaya, and I, asking, "What did you think?"
"That was awesome, Nade-chan!" Yaya exclaimed.
"Thanks." Nadeshiko replied, smiling.
"I forgot how great you were." Amu added.
"You were amazing." I said flatly, stating it as a fact.
"Thank you, Rima-chan." She replied cautiously.
Cautiously?
Great. I've already scared away a potential friend.
"Don't worry. I don't bite." I said lightly, smiling.
From the crowd, I could suddenly see a group of familiar faces.
Utau walked next to Kukai in our direction. Behind them were Tadase, Ikuto, and Kairi.
No Nagihiko in sight.
I suppose that isn't a big deal considering that he said he wasn't coming…
But what kind of a brother is he to miss his twin sister's performance? Nonetheless, his twin sister that's apparently been in Europe for the past five years.
"Sorry I missed the performance." Utau said to Nadeshiko as she grew nearer.
"No need to apologize." Nadeshiko replied.
"Sorry, dude-ette." Kukai said, adding the ette quickly. Uh, doesn't he know that girls can be called dude nowadays?
"Fujisaki-san, accept my apology. I consider you as my sister, since I consider Nagihiko as my brother." Tadase said.
Wow. I thought. That was out of character for Tadase. (A/N: It's sorta in character, but OOC for this story and its confusing -_-)
"Gomen." Kairi said mechanically.
"And I really don't care." Ikuto said in rude contrast.
"You don't care? You know, I hear that happens to cats after they're neutered." Nadeshiko said to Ikuto with fake compassion.
But how did Nadeshiko know about Ikuto having a cat character?
My best guess was that maybe Nagihiko told her in a letter or in a phone call of some sort.
"What'd you say to me-" Ikuto began to yell.
Suddenly an explosion rang through the air, interrupting what would have been a fight.
Everyone stared at the sky, knowing that the fireworks were beginning.
We all took our seats on the brick-tile ground and nobody dared to take their eyes off the night sky.
I sat next to Utau as Amu and Yaya sat next to Nadeshiko.
The playboy grouped seemed to just form a circle amongst themselves.
This was my first time seeing fireworks. The colors seemed to explode in the sky, and make a lot of noise.
But that was it.
When I was younger, I always hoped that one day my parents would take me to see fireworks. I had all sorts of expectations, and I thought that it would be magical. I'm not a little kid anymore; I'm a teenager now. That silly dream of seeing them with my parents disappeared, but I still hoped that the day I saw fireworks would still be magical. I thought that maybe it was some sort of pixie dust that would fix my problems, or set my heart alight with its wonder. I should've known I'd be disappointed.
If anything, it was glorified gunpowder.
(A/N: Z0MG! MAGICAL TIME SKIP :D)
An hour or two passed and the pyrotechnics ended.
"Rima, Yaya, Utau." Amu said. "Nadeshiko's sleeping over in my dorm tonight. Wanna stay over, too?"
A slumber party, huh? I wasn't much of the slumber party type.
I agreed, though, knowing that I was so exhausted I'd fall asleep quickly.
Besides, maybe I'd learn a little more about Nadeshiko. Not to mention Amu's roommates.
Sigh.
This is how teenage girls make friends, right? They go to slumber parties.
They braid hair, give facials, have pillow fights, and talk about boys.
How juvenile…
But, who am I to turn down an opportunity for new friends?
OMG! I AM SO FREAKING LATE WITH THIS UPDATE D:
My computer has been such a failure and that's the cause of the delay.
I needed a new charger, and it took me forever to get it. Then after I finally got it, my internet went down and I needed a new router -_-
So, now I have a new charger and router and I hope I don't have any more problems.
If I do, I'm going to shoot myself in the foot -_-"
Anyways, thanks SO much for the reviews. I really appreciate them :]
Haha someone asked me not to make this a lemon. Don't worry, I am NOT making it a lemon.
I, personally, am a virgin so I have no idea where I'd even begin to write like that.
If it happens, I'll write it Stephenie Meyer style, just implying the sex and skipping to the next day.
Of course, that's assuming Rima is even going to win the bet. That's not a guarantee, now is it? ;)
This chapter's really messy and suckish because I didn't exactly know how I was going to write this.
I hope you guys don't mind that this chapter's kinda rough and it's a lot less funny than the other chapters.
Trust me, there'll be more humor.
Also, I have a question:
Amu's roommates are Lulu DeMorcerf and Yua Sakurai….
Do you think I should write them ridiculously out-of-character, or keep them in character?
Anyways, please review.