Chapter 4: Cat Fights

"Fuuka, I have something to talk about with you…" Yukari approached Fuuka after our SEES meeting.

"Oh sure, no problem." Fuuka said quietly.

"Hey guys, what are you talking about?" I joined in. "Something interesting? Or if you need something…"

"No, Sakia." Yukari shook her head. "This is a private conversation with Fuuka."

"S-Sorry…" Fuuka nodded, and they went off to Yukari's room.

"Man…" I sighed, and lay down on the dorm couch. "…It's like middle school and high school all over again…" I hugged myself against a pillow, and wiped my eyes. I didn't want to be left alone. Don't leave me out.

"I can't believe you, Mitsuru-senpai!" Yukari jumped up. We had gone for the week to Yakushima, where Mitsuru had a summer home. "You mean to say you hid this from me? Do you take pity on me or something?" Mitsuru looked down sadly.

"Takeba, that's enough." Akihiko scolded sharply, protecting his girlfriend.

"No, it's not! You hid this from me!"

"Yukari, shut up!" I yelled, frustrated with her bratty attitude. Everyone looked at me. No one excepted me to get angry.

"Sakia?"

"No, really, you're being spoiled! Mitsuru-senpai has had so much on her plate, and she didn't even know about your dad being a researcher!" I slashed my hand through the air. "And don't you even THINK about saying that you were left out of the secret. You and Fuuka have your nice little girls' secret night and leave only ME out! Don't be such a hypocrite!"

"Whoa, she's blown her top…" Junpei whispered.

"You don't understand anything!" Yukari ran outside onto the beach.

"Takeba!" Mitsuru and Minato called after her. Everyone else looked at me, not scolding, but apologetic, pitiful. I felt my face get hot from shame. Why couldn't I have just shut up…?

"Arisato… Go after her." Mitsuru asked him. He nodded.

"Sakia, are you going to be OK?" Minato leaned over, held my hand and said kindly.

"…I'm fine." I said to him quietly, not telling the truth. He knew that, though. He put his arm around me.

"Akihiko-senpai, could you make sure Sakia gets her medicine before bed and get her back to her room?"

"Oh, sure."

"How old do you think I am…?" I chuckled sarcastically. "I may have the direction sense of a peanut, but I can at least find my room-"

"But you might forget to take your medicine." He smiled and stroked my head. He then ran out the door after Yukari.

"So… Two of these, huh?" Akihiko shook the bottle of my night meds. They were sleeping pills. Not only did I have a hard time sleeping, I always had bad dreams. That's why I had to take them, especially at stressful times like this.

"Yeah… One on weekdays, two on weekends. "I told him. "Two really knocks me out, and if I wake up early, I'm really groggy. Since we're on vacation, this amount should be OK. Just don't expect me up by 6:00, OK?" I laughed and swallowed the pills with some lukewarm milk.

"Do you want me to read you a bed time story?" He laughed, and I did too.

"No thanks- My dreams'll twist it into something scary and I'll never want to hear it again."

"Ugh… What time is it…?" I wiped my eyes. "Oh…? Already 9, huh? 12 hours of sleep is good for me…" I plopped on the bed and closed my eyes. "No, Sakia… No matter how scared you are, you've gotta go…" I jumped up and got dressed in my summer outfit.

"Oh, Sakia, good morning." Mitsuru greeted me normally. All the girls had already sat down for breakfast, except for me.

"Morning." I said back and sat down at the breakfast table. Yukari was silent to both me and Mitsuru. Great, now I was getting the silent treatment.

"So, um… Us girls are going to go see the wild life while we were here. Oh, the boys are still asleep, so I think it'd be nice for a little girl's outing." Fuuka said cheerfyly. I nodded shyly.

"That sounds good."

Tensions were still high between us all as we went to the rainforest. Fuuka stood in the middle of us all.

"Oh, look at that!" She pointed. "That's a wild lily. Isn't it beautiful?" Silence. Fuuka sighed.

"Hey, Sakia…" Yukari finally broke the white noise. "…I'm sorry about leaving you out. That was mean of me."

"I was really hurt, you know…?" I kicked my foot on the ground at a pebble.

"…Sorry."

"Thanks." I nodded. "Just don't leave me out like that again, OK?"

"Yeah." She smiled.

"Good, you made up!" Fuuka was ecstatic. "Now, Kirijo-senpai and Yukari-chan, make up please!"

"…" The both of them stayed silent. Suddenly, I felt a presence from behind me.

"I've found you!" A girl with a white turtle-neck-like thing on her neck and blonde hair hugged me tight. I was surprised by this girl.

"My name is Aegis." She looked me in the eyes. "I've searched for you."