Natsuki took extra care covering her bruise as she walked down the halls again. They were mostly empty, as most students had already gone home, but she would rather not take any chances.
She reached the exit without anyone looking at her strangely, and left the school grounds. The bus stop wasn't too far away, and soon Natsuki had arrived.
Six minutes, but at least it wasn't raining this time.
And at least she was alone. Or so she thought.

"Hai Natsuki~!"
Feeling a pair of arms wrapping themselves around her in what she could only describe as the most suffocating embrace of her life, Natsuki growled.
"Leave me alone, Sayori."
"Why? You looked so lonely! I thought I'd come and cheer you up a bit!" Sayori's smile was as radiant as ever as she finally released Natsuki, allowing the shorter girl to turn around.
"I told you back in the clubroom, I want to be alone right now." Natsuki couldn't muster the same fierceness she had used when all three other girls were there.
"Huh? But why would you want to be alone?"
Wasn't it obvious? Natsuki was a breath away from pulling her hair out of the way and pointing at the big bruise plastered over her face, but something made her stop. Sayori wasn't even looking at it, and it was already visible anyway.
Sayori wasn't even looking at it.
Sayori hadn't noticed it.
Sayori wasn't seeing it.

Natsuki sighed. There was little point trying to explain herself, and she quietly admitted to herself that the extra company might be nice.
"What do you want?" She asked.
Sayori skipped over to the bench at the stop and sat down, patting the seat next to her.
Natsuki took it, keeping a small distance between them both, of course.
"You always look so tense when you go home. You're a lot happier in the club, right?"
Natsuki could feel the other girl's eyes burning through her, but when she looked over all she saw was the friendly gaze of a caring classmate.
"I... I don't like it much at home..." Natsuki stumbled over her own words, trying not to mention how her dad beat the shit out of her the other day or any other past incidents.
"Why don't you just not go home then?"
Was Sayori really such an airhead? Where would she go? She didn't have anywhere else to-
"You could stay at my place, if you like."
This caught Natsuki by surprise. She stared deeply into Sayori's eyes, searching for any hint of deception. She was genuinely offering her a place to stay.
The bus pulled up.
Get on the bus and go home, or take a later bus with Sayori?
A house of fear and pain, or that of her friend, who really cared?
Her dad, or Sayori?
Why did this seem like such a hard choice?
The bus driver grunted and the door closed as the bus slowly came back to life, rumbling along to its next stop.
Looked like her decision was made for her.

Sayori seemed happy that Natsuki had chosen to go back with her, but Natsuki was worried.
She would have to call her dad and let him know where she was. But tell her dad she was staying at a friend's for an unknown amount of time? She'd be sure to get a beating when she arrived home again. But if she didn't call him? Same problem. At least that way, he wouldn't know where she was.
Natsuki liked that thought. She wouldn't call her dad.
The girls got onto the next bus travelling in the other direction, and sat in silence the whole way there. The thought of being free and safe, at least for a while, was enough to bring a small smile to Natsuki's face.
It wouldn't last forever, but it was the small things, right? For the first time in a long time, Natsuki actually felt happy.
Sayori saw her smiling and smiled back.

She might not know why Natsuki couldn't just go home, but it was nice to spend time with somebody again, ever since her neighbour had stopped visiting.