"So you gonna hit this joint or what?" Phoenix asked Shizuma as she sat at the foot of the older woman's bed.
"Yes, give me a minute," Shizuma said as she glanced at herself in the mirror. "I never dress this… relaxed."
"You look good bro," Phoenix said as she lit up her joint and inhaled deeply.
Shizuma stared at her reflection hard. She was wearing a tight white t-shirt and a pair of tight black skinny jeans. She rubbed her converse shoes together in annoyance. She never understood why but she always felt uncomfortable in normal clothing; it probably had something to do with her parents.
"Hell, I'd fuck you right now," Phoenix said with a laugh as she exhaled a cloud a smoke. "Here," She said as she passed the joint to Shizuma.
Shizuma sat sown next to her best friend and eagerly inhaled. Her nerves had been getting at her all night and she needed something to help calm her down. As she exhaled she passed the joint back to Phoenix and laughed at her own thoughts.
"What?" Phoenix asked confused.
"I don't think Nagisa knows I do this," Shizuma said with another laugh, "It would surprise the hell out of her."
"I don't think you know she does it either," Phoenix said under her breath with a smile as she inhaled once more.
"What else do you know that I don't?" Shizuma asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"Things I'm not supposed to tell you," Phoenix said, her smile growing.
"Come on, tell me," Shizuma said eagerly, grabbing the joint from Phoenix's hand.
"Now now, there are things you both tell me in confidence that I'm not supposed to tell either of you and you know it," Phoenix said as she teased her friend.
"You're an asshole," Shizuma said before she inhaled some more, her nerves slowly calming.
"Geeze, language young lady," Phoenix said as she got up. "Let's go pick up your girlfriend."
"Where is she anyway?" Shizuma asked as she finished the joint and put it out.
"She had that play thing tonight," Phoenix said as she headed toward the stairs.
"What?" Shizuma said, anger starting to fill her.
"Oopps," Phoenix said as she froze mid step, not daring to turn and look at her friend's expression.
"Why wouldn't she tell me she had a play?" Shizuma asked, anger ringing in her voice.
"She didn't want to tell you about it until tomorrow," Phoenix said, still refusing to turn around.
"Why?"
"Because… if it didn't go well she didn't want you to see it at all."
"And?"
"And Charlie's there…" Phoenix gulped in fear.
"Who's Charlie?" Shizuma began to feel herself become enraged.
"Some girl that's in one of her classes…"
"And?"
"She has a crush on Nagisa real bad," Phoenix said before running off, trying to beat Shizuma to the ampatheater.
Shizuma couldn't believe it. Another girl? Nagisa was interested in another girl? It enraged the woman to no end. She could feel the adrenaline rushing through her body. She bolted; down the two flights of stairs and out the door. Why she ran instead of taking her car, she didn't know. She was too concerned, too upset to think.
"Why wouldn't she tell me?" Shizuma thought as she ran faster. "Why wouldn't she tell me some girl liked her? Maybe… maybe she isn't just some girl. How long have they been talking to each other? How long have they been interested? What if Nagisa… what if she loves her?"
And at that thought Shizuma ran faster than she ever had before. Her breathing was rigid and hard. Her body kept telling her to stop, screaming it needed a break, but Shizuma didn't care. Her heart yelled faster and her body yielded to its command.
By the time Shizuma reached the ampatheater she was covered in sweat. She stopped for a second to catch her breath and tried to calm herself down; it was no use. She walked through the giant wooden double doors into a hallway. With no one in sight, she headed straight through the metal doors a few feet away from her. As she entered the theater she stopped dead in her tracks; she was mesmerized by Nagisa on stage.
" As sweet as balm, as soft as air, as gentle,-
O Antony!-Nay, I will take thee too."
Nagisa said her line, throwing herself onto the prop bed. "She's so beautiful," Shizuma thought as she watched in amazement.
"What should I stay!"
Nagisa screamed as she killed herself and the room went dark. Applause filled the theater as the velvet red curtains closed. "She's amazing," Shizuma thought. "I think I just fell in love all over again."
Suddenly sadness filled Shizuma's heart. "Or am I too late?" Shizuma thought. "It seems she's found another."
The curtains reopened and the actors came on stage to take their bows. A woman with long black hair and a stunning body pulled herself up onto the stage and ran to Nagisa. She threw herself at Shizuma's love and kissed her on the cheek. Without waiting to see more, Shizuma rand through the double doors, a single tear rolling down her face.
"She's so young," Shizuma thought as she ran, "I should have known. I was the first, not the last." Her eyes were betraying her and pouring tears as she ran as fast as she could in an unknown direction. "She'll never really be mine."