Akiko walked behind Loly in silence, huffing and puffing her sobs, afraid Loly might yell at her again. Right now, every little scolding she received impacted largely. She wanted to believe she hated Aizen, but she missed him. She missed his touch, she missed his kisses, and she missed holding him. As Loly guided her upstairs to her room, (which Akiko guessed) Akiko looked around inside to find that the room, was covered with a pinkish-lavender wallpaper, photo frames hung on the walls, there were so many that Akiko couldn't count. There were pictures of Loly and Menoly, the blonde girl Loly hung out with all the time.

There were a few pictures of Loly and her family, and if it were some other time, Akiko would've smiled.

Akiko sniffled and Loly ushered her, (quite rudely, though not the intention) to sit down. Akiko obeyed.

"Spill, what's bothering you?" Loly snapped. Akiko was still looking around, when Loly groaned. "Hey! I didn't bring you inside so you can gaze all over my room, okay? It's freezing out, and you were-""Thank you." Those words shocked Loly.

"What?"

"Thank you, you…you're very kind." Akiko said, wiping the tears off her face. Loly just stared at the girl. This was the same girl Loly and Menoly harassed for a minor reason months ago. And now she was called her kind? Was she mental?

Loly laughed, bitterly and added, "I made you cry princess, did you forget so soon?" Akiko winced as she remembered. But they were suspended weren't they?

"…I forgive you…It was nothing." It was nothing. Compared to what she was going through at the moment.

Loly stared at Akiko's face, searching for any hints of sarcasm, but found none. Akiko meant what she was saying.

Loly looked away and her gaze fell on one of the pictures where Loly and Menoly hooked arms and stood, smiling at the camera. Akiko followed the girl's gaze and spoke, "Menoly, is your best friend right?" Loly winced. "Not anymore."

"What? Why?" The two girls always were together. "After our suspension, well, she stopped talking to me. Menoly is…kinder than I am." Akiko felt her stomach churn.

They stopped being friends…because they were suspended…when they attacked her…

Akiko felt terrible, even if there wasn't anything she could do.

She didn't even want to imagine a life where Nel and she stopped talking, it would be the death of her. Loly caught on to Akiko's gaze and frowned hard. "Listen, I don't need your sympathy, got it? I don't need anyone's sympathy!" She exclaimed. "I'm sorry, it's just…" The tears kept coming back.

Her thoughts shifted to Aizen.

Again.

Akiko bit her lip, trying her hardest to hold back tears. Loly could tell what she was doing, and cocked her eyebrow at the girl. She wondered why a person as secluded as Akiko would be crying her heart out in the streets, on a cold winter morning.

Loly wouldn't admit it, but she felt sad for the girl.

"Don't hold back. Cry it out."

Akiko looked up at the black haired girl. Loly's face was stoic, her red eyes staring at Akiko's face. "Cry it out. Think of everything that's bothering you, and cry. And then talk. It's useless if you cry and talk at the same time, it's bloody annoying." Loly spat.

Akiko couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"It helps you idiot. Are you gonna cry on your own, or should I make you?" Loly warned and Akiko sniffed.

The waterworks began.

Akiko was quiet when she cried. She didn't yell, or emit a lot of noise, much to Loly's surprise. She sniffed and wiped her nose and eyes, her face red, with tears smeared on them. Loly watched and waited. She silently turned to see a picture of her and Menoly and sighed.

She missed Menoly.

They were like sisters and now…they were strangers.

Akiko stopped after ten minutes and turned to Loly. "You should…call Menoly." Loly turned to Akiko and glared. "Stay out of it." She warned. Akiko shook her head. "You're sad on the inside, and you don't take your own advice. If you cry it out, then maybe you'll feel better too…" Akiko said, her voice low.

"I don't need help when I'm fine." Loly snapped back.

"You miss Menoly. I can t-tell. If Nel and I stopped talking, I know I'd miss her and I know she would too. Loly, call her. She would want to talk to you. She would want nothing more than that." Akiko said, forcing a smile.

Akiko went on and on about friendship and valuing lives, pretty sure that Loly would stop her in between. But she didn't.

Akiko could feel herself getting better, her heartache lessening.

Her tears dried up, and her voice became much clearer than before.

It was Loly's turn to shiver.

It was Loly's turn to shed tears.

"Please Loly, don't let ego get in the way, she needs you as much as you need her. Please…call her." And that was what Loly did.

Akiko sat back on the bed as Loly dialed her friend's number. "Menoly?" And the conversation grew. Akiko stared at the black haired girl's face as Loly smiled and laughed. Akiko smiled to herself.

She was feeling so much better now.

And she knew just the reason why.

The best comfort one could get when they're down and blue, is to be able to comfort another.

It makes you feel strong.

Shows you how strong you really are.

Even then, Akiko thought of Aizen, but she didn't feel like crying.

'Who would've thought, Loly was trying to cheer me up?' Akiko thought to herself as her gaze landed on the black haired girl. 'When she needed cheering up herself.' Akiko smiled wider, and looked down. 'Thank you, Loly.'

Loly sighed and sat back down. She still had the smile on her face. She stared at her phone, thinking just how right Akiko was about calling Menoly. She turned to see the brunette and coughed. Akiko's attention turned to her.

"You tell me what's wrong now. Or I'll make you." She warned. But it didn't sound like a warning anymore.

"I…" Akiko thought about telling her for a moment. Loly helped her, when she needed it, but Aizen could lose his job if anyone got to know about this. Did she hate Aizen that much, to actually be able to sack him? As Akiko thought about it, she realized.

It wasn't worth it.

But Loly was waiting for a story. So Akiko spoke, "I…liked this guy-""A guy? Seriously, guy troubles? Gah, you girls are so predictable!" If only Loly knew.

"Go on." She ushered and Akiko continued. "I liked this guy, and well, he…no, no, actually he's the one who started to show interest in me at first, and then I sorta…well, another girl kissed him in front of me, and I kinda knew I liked him back, and then-"Laughter.

Loly was laughing.

"Seriously no offence Akiko, but your explanation skills suck." Akiko agreed and sighed.

"Make it sweet and short." Loly said, her voice low and calm.

"A guy told me he liked me, and well, I liked him too, but it was too soon. But when I wanted to tell him I liked him, another girl kissed him in front of me. But she kissed him, so we…we got into a relationship. He told me he needed me and that he loved me, and I thought that I did too. But I didn't know anything about his past, and when I bumped into a few of his schoolmates, they told me he was doing all this to get into my pants. And that he had already used another girl before, and she got pregnant and attempted suicide and everything. And I saw the two of them holding hands and I didn't know what to do. I stopped answering his calls, and the next I saw him was today…and he sent me a text asking me to talk to him. I…don't know what to do. I know if I see him I'll run back into his arms, because I…" Akiko struggled with words, but Loly knew what she was going to say.

"You love this bloke." Loly stated.

Akiko nodded helplessly.

"He's clearly used you, idiot. You gotta get over him. In the real world, guys don't come like Romeo's and girls don't always come like Juliet's. You gotta survive and learn to live without them. They'll come to you, if they need you. Take a stand, and be the strong independent woman. Not the clingy, needy, desperate loser. Its girls like them who get raped, murdered or both." Loly said.

Akiko was wide eyed and jaw dropped at what Loly said.

She was right.

Akiko pounced on the girl and hugged her. "Thank you." Loly struggled in her hold and yelled, "Get off me you idiot!" And suddenly stared at the girl head, and smirked lightly. 'You're not bad, Maeda.' She thought.

And when Akiko was ready to walk home, she swore she heard Loly mutter a soft, 'thanks' to her.

Akiko smiled and checked her phone. She knew what she was going to say to him. She quickly typed her reply but stared at her phone before she clicked send. She quickly erased what she typed and walked in silence, a soft smile visible on her lips.

A/N: Ah, I'm sorry for the wait. Again. Hectic month, by the time March is over, I can finally free myself from the clutches of school. Review please people! Keeps me alive :)
Tell me what you think of this chapter! I personally, am proud. :D