I'm so sorry I missed three weeks!

I had lost a little bit of motivation and had a terrible case of writer's block for the past two weeks. Also, it took a while to post this chapter because I wanted it to be a little bit longer (around 3,000 to 4,000 words) and that's a lot of hard work but I did it!

Newer chapters might take a little longer cause of that too, but never this much, (I think) sorry!

-Riri

"Here we are!"

We were standing in a parking lot in front of a wide, brick building. Colors shine from the walls in weird shapes. In front, a tall, white, sign that says 'Rosefield Roller Rink'. It looks like it was made for children, no, I'm certain that is was made for children seeing that they were all over the place.

We are high schoolers, almost adults, by the way.

"...Sayori. What the fuck!?" Natsuki shouts.

"Natsuki! Kids are here," Yuri whispers sternly.

Natsuki flushes slightly, waiting for the children to past before continuing. "That doesn't explain why are we here! Sayori, we all are seventeen. We are all too old for this!"

"Nonsense! Other sixteen and seventeen-year-olds ago here," Sayori says, pressing her index fingers together nervously.

"Those people are probably weebs."

"Oh? Like you?"

Natsuki became silent as a blush tints her whole face. Sayori catches this and apologizes almost immediately.

"Do you... seriously... want me... to punch you?" Natsuki asks with gritted teeth. Sayori shrinks.

"I said I'm sorry!"

The two girls pout over their own thoughts while Yuri stares at the ground, not knowing what to do. I decided to cut the conversation. "Anyways, why here?"

"Oh, because I thought roller skating will be fun! And, it will be hard to think about other things because you have to focus all your attention on not trying to fall on your face!"

"Please don't just say that so nonchalantly..."

"But... what if I don't want to fall on my face?" Yuri asks, suddenly shy.

"I have to agree with Yuri for this one. I haven't been taught how to roller skate anyways."

"Come on... guys!"

I watched the conflict between the two girls and Sayori. The latter was slowly losing the argument, her words getting slowed and twisted, a light blush on her face. I sighed. Natsuki's and Yuri's minds will be difficult to change, but I can't leave Sayori hanging like that.

I place a hand on Sayori's shoulder, squeezing it slightly.

"That's enough.''

"Moni?"

"Monika don't you dare!"

Yuri doesn't say anything. She watches in silence, her eyes begging to not intervene. I guess she really doesn't want to fall.

"It's not that bad! I felt like Sayori had a really great plan about this and, somehow, her logic fits." The other two huff while continue. "We won't let any of you fall either. We will always be prepared to catch you, right Sayori?"

Sayori nods eagerly while the two give each other a glance.

"Fine. Fine. We will go to this stupid rink if you guys will just shut up!"

"Yay Nats! I knew you'll come through!" Sayori wraps Natsuki in an embrace while the latter throws a line of muffled curses, embarrassed. Yuri scolds her from cursing in public, forgetting her shy attitude completely.

I felt adults and children stare at us. I could feel their judgemental stares and whispers pounce on my confidence without mercy. My smile tightens and I felt my hands shake. Putting them behind my back, I tried to focus on the laughing trio in front of me but only managed a pained smile. I'm getting stares from children. Children. How worthless am I just to get scared by a 6-year-old? I'm weak. My mind. My body. My face. My words. My fake laughter. My fake smile. My fake confidence-!

"Should we get going?" I asked nervously. Sayori realized that we were still in the parking lot and released Natsuki.

"Oh yeah, let's go!" She flies in the roller rink center, clearly excited. A few crashes were heard soon after and Natsuki had to come in to help her. Yuri took a few moments getting the confidence to go in herself. I looked back, seeing a kid staring right back at me. He teases me, sticking his tongue out once his parents were away. I cringed.

Is this what an all-time low feels like?

Still, it's not like I'm here by myself. I came here to have fun with my friends, that's all.

"Oy! Monika come on!"

"Coming!"

I let out an energized calling as I stepped towards the building, my smile still lopsided and my hands still slightly trembling.

But I let out my slight worries, I already got teased.

My smile becomes real once more.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Yuri asked yet again.

"Yeah, I'm fine! I just crashed into some boxes that's all."

We were all in the roller skating rink, sitting at one of the tables. The staff had been nice enough to get Sayori an ice pack for her head after she crashed into their main office. I was sure Sayori was fine seeing how she was reacting to all this and Natsuki was annoyed of the situation at this point (she was very worried earlier no matter how much she'd denied it), but Yuri needed a lot of confirmation.

"You crashed into boxes full of skates, Sayori. Seriously are you okay?"

Sayori thinks about this for a moment, her eyes dropping into a rare pondering mode before shooting up again. "I'll be fine, Yuri! Sure it hurts but after a few moments I'm sure I will be fine again."

"Just, take it easy for a few, okay?"

Sayori's eyes relaxed as she smiled. "Okay."

I smiled at their conversation before watching Natsuki who was nervously glancing at the rink, uneasy. I knew she never skated before unlike the rest of us, her father never cared to. The rink is pretty crowded with children too, not to mention the show-offs who skate too fast with complicated tricks, only to show off that they had experience. Hitting the ground was not nice but unfortunately was pretty likely.

"Scared, huh?"

Natsuki looks up startled as her face unwillingly flushes. "Wha- No, I'm not."

"Hey, I know what it's like. There's a lot of people and almost no space to even move. It's terrifying."

Natsuki huffs but the blush seems to be toning down. "But you actually know how to skate well, lucky"...

"You should be happier about that. If we all didn't know how to skate we'll all be screwed."

"Heh, I guess."

I stared at the rink trying to erase the slight unease I now have until Natsuki called out to me again. "Hey, Monika?"

"Yea?"

"How did you know all of that, ya know, that."

I stared at her confused before a small smile appears on my face. "Even it's it's earlier, we all had first times."

A spark of appreciation shows in her eyes as she smiles warmly for a split second before she reverts back to a smirk.

"Monika, you dirty-"

"I didn't mean it that way!"

"I didn't know you wanted to fuck Sayori that bad?"

Sayori perks from her and Yuri's conversation at the sound of her name. I try to tune down the volume of my blush in my hands while Natsuki laughs heartily.

"Goddamn, it Natsuki."

"It isn't my fault that you're so easy!"

"Easy?!"

Natsuki laughs some more while I sat up, flustered and confused. Natsuki was about to speak up again before an over-energetic voice rings from the large intercom!

"Listen all riders, experienced skate is now over! Everyone can ride on the rink now but please don't forget to be careful!"

The voice from the intercom died down just like that, leaving the music to continue to play in the background.

"Should we get out skates now?" I asked. The rest of the group nodded as we got up from our table to go to the small lockers by the wall to get our skates. Yuri and Sayori seemed to continue their conversation and I was happily watching them before someone tugged on my shirt.

"T-Thanks for that," Natsuki whispered, her face flushed as she looked to the side in embarrassment but the smile was still there. "I mean that, dummy."

She runs up to the other two without waiting for a reply and joins the other two, acting like nothing happened. I smiled as happiness swelled up inside me. God, I just love Natsuki's smile.

As I joined the others I found out they were talking about the festival. As they talked I remember the fall festival was coming up and we wanted to do something spectacular since our presentation last year didn't get us any members (screw the people who find poetry speakings boring, I was almost emotional by the end of it) and we wanted to try again with something more... grand.

The problem is, we don't know what to do.

"What about an poetry speaking event?" Sayori askes, piping from my side.

"Sayori, we did one last year," Yuri says clearly.

"Yea, but it wasn't fancy enough. We need to be more 'out there'!" The only complication is that we don't know what exactly is 'out there'.

"Sayori no-Why don't you guys just accept my idea? Surely a game or something like that can attract people," Natsuki retorts.

"But a 'game or something' won't say that we're into literature much. They would leave as soon as they joined."

"Yeah, we're a literature club and we're proud!"

Natsuki goes back to thinking while Yuri and Sayori go into a light argument about the festival arrangements. What do we exactly do for the festival? I'm their club leader and still didn't give it much thought yet. How could we get back up again after that failed poetry club speaking?

What we need is something unpredictable. Something that nobody will expect from some seventeen and eighteen-year-olds. Something, by the time the festival's over, will make them beg to join. Something...

Something... clicked.

I smile at the new thought, already processing and going through a routine before I even said it! But when I did, I couldn't hide the excitement in my voice.

"Guys, what about a documentary?"

The three girls stopped walking, considering this. Sayori looks to me, her face full of confusion. I decide to continue.

"Yeah, to show the fun in the literature club! Last year, we had only shown our literature skills which kinda made people uneasy, but with this documentary, we can show them our friendship!"

"Wouldn't we be copying the photography club then?" Yuri asked.

I stopped to think about it and realized the photography club did something similar last year, but it had actually had been a full out, hour and twenty minute, movie. I remember it being really professional and well-made.

"Well, as long if they don't do it again this year, which seems unlikely, then we'll be okay. We are not as experienced as them anyway, this is just to show an example of a day with our club."

Natsuki was about to talk before Sayori interrupted her, announcing we were at the lockers already.

"You guys ready?" Sayori says, standing up in her roller skates already.

"Ready!"

"I guess..."

"Sure."

Sayori cheers and skates towards the ring. I try to skate after her but wobbled and had to lean on a locker. Sayori came over and asked if I was okay. I just said I was fine and practiced to skate on the carpet, trying to regain the basics of skating again. I haven't been skating for a long time.

Meanwhile, in the corner of my eye, Natsuki was leaning on Yuri, trying to find her balance. Yuri had a bright red flush on her face, trying to help Natsuki off her chest.

At least I have some basics of skating.

After practicing skating on the carpet I found that I was ready for the ring. Sayori was waiting eagerly on the side, watching the people on the ring skate gracefully. I went to join her.

"I'm excited! It's our first outing as a literature club," She says, a smile on her face.

"Yeah, it's the first time we actually went out together without one or two of us being out," I respond, a wistful sigh on my lips.

"Do you know why I planned this?"

"To forget... that?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"You told us, remember?"

"I couldn't stand the sad looks on everyone's faces, Moni! Even with my own grief, my heart ached to make you guys happy. I think that's what my family, our families, would have wanted."

I ruffled her hair, a bright smile on my face. "Don't forget about yourself."

"I know! I know! Ehehe, Moni, you're going to mess up my hair!"

Natsuki and Yuri came a little later. Natsuki gripping on Yuri's hand for dear life, while Yuri was flushed at mere contact.

"I-I think Natsuki got the hang of it," Yuri stuttered.

"Yeah, this skating thing isn't that hard," Natsuki proudly said before losing her balance again and crashing into Yuri's side. Yuri lets out a squeak in response.

"It takes time to get it completely right but your learning," I say, trying to sound hopeful but all of us know that Natsuki's doing really bad right now.

At least she's doing her best.

Natsuki lets out a muffled poorly energetic yay, just lightening the mood for all of us.

"Oh, I have an idea," Sayori says. She links our arms so that we were in one line, Sayori being the first and Yuri being the last. "You can't fall now!"

"Heh, thanks."

I could tell that she's nervous telling by the hesitation in her voice. I wished that I could reassure her.

As soon as we skated to the rink, I felt myself wobble, catching myself in time, earning myself a shout to not let us fall. I began to steady myself normally and so do the others.

"Okay, everyone! Let's go slow for now," I said.

Everyone stayed by the wall to hold on to while we were skating. Even being slow we had lots of fun, laughing in the process.

Then we figured we skated enough to move away from the wall.

Natsuki wasn't really on board with it but the rest of us were skating for fifteen minutes and was bored with the slow safety wall. So, we retreated from the wall against Natsuki's will and more into the general area of the rink.

It was fun for a moment. Going faster brought the excitement back to skating. Well until one of the professional skaters went in front of us, making us stumble. Everyone except Yuri regains their balance making all of us slightly off balance.

"Yuri, regain your balance," Natsuki demands.

"I-I can't! You guys need to slow down," Yuri retorts.

"We won't make it," I yelled. The wall is too far away and if Yuri doesn't regain her balance was going to fall before we get halfway.

"Eh?! So what do we do?"

"Can we slow down here?"

Sayori turns, a helpful glint in her eyes. "No, well probably get ran over."

Natsuki panics. "Ran over?!"

"Don't worry, it doesn't hurt that much anyway-"

'Wall!"

Sayori turns to see an incoming wall. We supposed to turn a long time ago.

"Right!"

She turns wildly, making us yelp. Natsuki lost her balance from the turn, leaving only me and Sayori yet.

"Sayori, what are you doing!"

"At least we didn't hit the wall!"

"Were further from the wall now!"

Natsuki was correct, seeing that we were on the experienced side of the rink. The beginner side was out of reach. Sayori goes faster, making us yelp yet again.

"We need to go faster if we are going to get back," she chimed.

"She's right. Hang on!" Using most of my strength I tried to match Sayori's pace and we quickly zoomed through the rink.

"Sayori! Monika! You're going too fast!"

"Go slower dummies!"

I tried to stop in my tracks but that only that only tightened my grip on Sayori, disconnecting it. Sayori falls on the floor

"Sayori!"

"Oof!"

With Sayori gone, all three of us went extremely off balance and crashed into a wall. The fall wasn't that bad, only a minor headache was caused by it.

But still...

I started laughing.

A sweet, cheerful, sound escape my lips as much lips encrusted into a smile. Every chuckle relieving me of everything.

I opened my eyes to see the girls laughing with me. Smiling, happy, and free.

It worked. She did it.

And the thing is that she'd probably did it without realizing it yet.

"That was extricating," Yuri says.

Natsuki pointed to me and Sayori, a playful pout on her face. "You guys were going fast as fuck. I couldn't hold on that long."

"I couldn't either. Why do you think I let her go," I laughed.

"I wasn't that fast you meany!"

"Don't call me meany when you almost dislocated my arm."

"Hey, is anyone going to mention that guard has been looking creepily at us since we crashed."

"Natsuki, he's going to warn us if we don't get up," Yuri warns making Natsuki snort.

"Why is he staring at us though. It gives me stalkerish vibes."

"It's his job."

We laughed as we got up, skated to the entrance of the rink and relaxed.

"Round two?"

"Round two?! Natsuki you were panicking the whole time!"

Natsuki's face turned bright red yet again. "I was scared you two were going to fuck up!"

Sayori laughs at Natsuki's retort.

"I could go for another skate," I finally said with a grin.

"Hmm, me too," Yuri thoughtfully replies.

"So, it's a go then?" Natsuki says.

"Yep!" Sayori exclaims already in front of us.

"Then let's go!"

As I was skating I thought about this week. I believe, even now, that grief is a terrible thing. It can hold you and keep you in its claws. It can deprive you of all that you need most. It can make the world dry and gray.

My friends experienced it. I experienced it. Even now, we know everything won't go 100% back to normal.

But with her. With me. With all of us. We know it's going to get better.