Free Talk- As a respite from the really long chapters, this one is (I hope) refreshingly short. It's the pre-cruise chapter. Once the gang gets on the boat, the plot will really start to move forward, so I hope people will stick around. Thank you to everyone who has read this far, and especially those who have commented. Please continue to tell me what you think, not because I want tons of reviews, but because I really want to know how I can improve. I am constantly worried about the story getting boring or there being plot holes I may have missed. I always want to keep honing my skills and growing as a fanfic writer.

Koutarou Star
By Angelsaurus

Chapter 6: Why Can't We Be Friends?

"How about here?" Julie pointed at the storefront in case her English wasn't clear enough.

Jessica wrinkled her nose and curled down her lower lip, as if the vintage clothing store was emanating some foul odor (which it most certainly wasn't).

With a sigh, Julie pushed open the door and went inside anyways. She had kept a smile on while accompanying Jessica into seven different upscale clothiers, and even gave her the thumbs up when she tried on all those eighty-dollar tank tops and two-hundred-dollar jeans that would only be considered hip for a matter of weeks. This was the only vintage store they had encountered and she wasn't going to let a snooty grimace keep her from enjoying it.

The store wasn't big, but the inside was filled with treasure, like a mother's jewelry box is to a little girl. It reminded her of Red Threads, which was comforting. She could definitely use a dose of familiarity considering the surreal summer vacation she was having.

It started normally (and boringly) enough, with Julie working full time and missing her best friend while he was being a rock singer halfway around the globe. Okay, maybe being friends with the members of an up-and-coming rock band wasn't exactly normal, but since it was happening so far away, it wasn't really playing a part in her daily life. He might as well have been on a family vacation in Okinawa.

That was before she'd arrived in Hawaii.

Now she was in the thick of it. She already knew that Daddy Long Legs, and especially Koutarou, were absolutely amazing, the kind of band that made you realize that music really was a form of magic. But now she'd gotten a glimpse of just how many other people knew it too and loved them. There were screaming fangirls and wild parties, the works.

Yet the celebrity aspect wasn't even the most shocking development of the summer. That honor belonged to the young woman who had finally, grudgingly, entered the store.

Looking at the girl objectively (which was more than a little difficult for Julie's biased eyes), it couldn't be denied that Jessica Coburn was very physically attractive. Slick black hair and almond-shaped eyes the color of oil slicks hinted at Asian ancestry not too far back on her family tree. Her hips were smaller than Julie's, but her chest noticeably bigger, and her limbs were long and thin and willowy. In short, she possessed all the bodily charms that drive men crazy.

Jessica's personality, on the other hand, was a bit harder to get a read on. This was mostly due to the fact that her Japanese was dreadful beyond what one would expect from a beginner just starting to learn a new language. The way she mangled sentences almost sounded like she was trying to speak atrociously.

Of course, if Julie had studied English more before coming to America it could have alleviated the situation tremendously. She was trying her hardest to improve through immersion.

Even without being fluent in each other's language, though, Julie was getting the distinct impression that Jessica did not think much of her. And she clearly didn't think much of vintage clothing, with her skinny arms folded haughtily over her chest as she rolled her eyes at the racks and shelves of pre-owned merchandise.

I'm doing this for Koutarou, Julie reminded herself. If I want to stay friends with him, I will have to get along with his… girlfriend. Even in her thoughts, she choked on that word. The biggest impediment to her being friends with Jessica wasn't the language barrier or the major clash in fashion senses. It was the fact that Jessica was Koutarou's girlfriend.

Why, Julie lamented, had she not realized her own budding feelings for him until she saw him wrapped around another girl? Until after he had moved on and no longer wanted her?

Try as she might to convince herself that she was only interested in him now because he was off the market, it couldn't extinguish the excruciating ache she felt in the center of her chest any time Koutarou and Jessica kissed. And that was pretty much all they did whenever the two of them were together.

A few meters away, Jessica's long, whip-like black ponytail swished. She was flicking through a rack of dresses from past decades, pausing on each just long enough to make a different face of disgust.

How could the girl not find one thing to like in this store? Julie had already struck gold several times: A rare Geronimo Jackson tee for Akaba and a metal lunch box featuring an old television show called Get Smart that she knew would make Koutarou grin. She even uncovered a gorgeous pair of oversized tortoiseshell sunglasses for herself, the perfect cruise accessory.

Red leather pumps tapped out an impatient beat on the tile floor, Jessica's way of saying 'hurry up' that needed no translation.

Sighing very softly, Julie went to the counter to pay. With the exception of these purchases, the day of shopping had not yielded spectacular results. If anything, the outing had only made Jessica frostier to her, now that it was clear that she didn't share the same enthusiasm for chasing the newest and most disposable fashion trends. And she hadn't really learned anything new about the girl. All she had was the little bit of info Koutarou had provided during their ominous viewing of Titanic the day before.

Jessica was twenty-one years old, which explained how she was able to procure all that liquor for the party, and her birthday was, in Koutarou's words, "June-ish." He was also quite happy to share the fact that his girlfriend's bra size was 34D and that she was a great kisser, details Julie could have lived without. But other than that, he didn't have much to say, and soon he was too distracted by the shocking turn of events that the Titanic was actually sinking. Apparently, he had never made it past the halfway point of the film before. Or paid close attention in history class for that matter.

This was just a slow start though, and Julie was determined not to give up. Beginning tomorrow they would all be on a cruise ship together for a whole week, and she was going to make friends with Jessica even if it killed her.

When the mismatched duo arrived back at the hotel, after a tensely silent cab ride, they went straight up to the ninth floor and caught Koutarou at the end of the hallway as he was unlocking the suite door. He turned at the sound of footsteps (still no talking between the girls) and beamed.

Julie couldn't help but smile back at him, a rock star, but still the Koutarou she'd known for years. Then her grin wilted when Jessica launched herself into his arms and she realized, with a twinge of embarrassment, that she wasn't the one that adorable smile was aimed at.

The making out commenced immediately and Julie's eyes raced to the floor for sanctuary. It didn't help much as she could still hear the revoltingly wet slurping and smacking noises. Would clamming her hands over her ears make it too obvious that she hated being a witness to this? Would they even notice? And of course they were blocking the entrance to her room as well.

Near her feet were the five full shopping bags that Jessica had shed before pouncing on Koutarou. How could she afford so many expensive clothes? Wasn't she a college student? There were so many things she wanted to ask the girl if she only knew how to say them.

"Hey, Julie." Koutarou managed to free his mouth long enough to speak. "You mind carrying Jess's stuff in? Her hands are a bit full here."

She opened her mouth to say, in more polite phrasing, that Jess could pry her nasty hands away from him for the ten seconds it would take to carry her own damn bags, but Koutarou cut her off before she even made a sound, mumbling, "Thanks," as he and Jessica backed into the suite.

Wearing a frown that she knew nobody would notice, Julie snatched up the shopping bags roughly and trudged in behind them. As she dumped them unceremoniously into an empty chair, she glimpsed Jess pulling a credit card from her tacky little purse and handing it to Koutarou, who tucked it into his wallet.

So that's where her money came from.

Angry flames licked under Julie's ribs and she breathed deeply for the small relieve it provided. It doesn't concern me. This is between him and her. They have some sort of agreement. Her attempts at self-soothing had mixed results. She wouldn't say anything, of course, but she still itched to know if Koutarou had any idea how much of his money Jessica was spending. Today alone she must have bought over two thousand dollars worth of clothes.

As the kissing and groping resumed without a single word exchanged, Julie gritted her teeth and got out the door as quickly as possible. She could give Koutarou his gift sometime on the boat.

It was meant as hyperbole when she first thought it, but right now she felt like befriending Jessica really just might be what killed her.

To be continued…