I'm late! Gah!

- review section removed after story ended for better view -

I wanted to update it earlier but fanfiction net kinda acted weird? I couldn't access it at all, so SORRY for the delay! The feedback for the last chapter was amazing, I'm glad you enjoyed it even though I was kinda worried about the pace. This one here is pretty short and again more of a time-plot-pusher without the blue haired prick in it, sorry about that, haha.

Thanks for all the follows, favorites and reviews. I hope you'll continue to enjoy this story!

Karen, I'm a little hopeful here...I think I can finish this story on time. Muhahaha.

DAY FIFTY THREE

"How should I know that?"

"I don't know. Just tell me what you think."

She could hear the heavy sigh which came from the other line of the phone.

"I think you're stupid."

Mia sat up on her bed, grimacing at the insult she had just received by her dear friend. It was all nice and fine that Nanami was a very honest person but in moments like these...she really wished she'd at least try to stuff her opinion in some cotton and pillows.

"Nanami..."

The black haired girl moved around on the other line, some clothes were rustling which she had already folded and put back into her suitcase. Tomorrow she'd return from her trip and then the two of them could spend the rest of the summer break together, like they had planned. Maybe Mia should've waited until then to console her friend about her...it wasn't really a problem. Confusion? Trouble? Unidentified event which had occurred which she couldn't put in any folder in her mind yet and wouldn't let her sleep?

That was a pretty long description...

"Did you two talk afterwards?"

"Well, no...we took the train, talked about the movie and as my stop came first I went off and he stayed on it."

"I still can't believe you haven't been killed yet..."

"Nanami."

"Just saying." Her friend repeated in a forced sing-sang tune. "But in the end, what does it matter to you?"

The orange haired girl sighed heavily, falling back onto her bed again. The soft cushions beneath her body were comfortable and soothing against her skin, unlike her brain which was still hurting from all the thoughts and questions, it tried to answer. Mia was overchallenged here, she liked it simple. Why couldn't stuff be simple?

"What do you mean?" She drawled slowly, her dark eyes watching the ceiling above her head absent-minded.

"It's obvious." Nanami scoffed. "Did you want it to be a date?"

Mia became quiet, her expression relaxing until every single emotion left her face. In every scenario, she had in mind, she never wondered about that. It all had been just half-hearted argumentations. Confused hands which pointed at the other side of her brain to escape the mess and chaos - but she never really thought about it like that.

"I don't know." The girl breathed in the end, furrowing her brow. Her face suddenly twisted in discomfort as she rolled onto her side. "It's all just so stupid."

"Tell me. I don't want to find your corpse somewhere in the street in the future."

"Not funny."

"Someone of us has to keep that in mind."

"Still not funny."

The orange-head became quiet once more for a moment, Nanami didn't reply which left them both in a comfortable silence. After a few seconds though, Mia couldn't help but sigh quietly, her eyes dropping in defeat.

"Alright, fine. It was funny."

Her friend chuckled over the line, definitely smiling which she rarely did. "I know. I'm hilarious."

Mia started to laugh as well, the worry from before disappearing in thin air as they found other things to talk about. About the photographs, their families, Nanami's cousins. And the movie she had seen. Anything else to keep her mind occupied and distracted from what had bothered her before. Only Nanami broke the flow of topics as she remembered something.

"Oh, yeah. I read something about a street basketball competition. It's not far, at the Green Heaven Park in...a week, I think?" The black haired girl became quiet as she mused over her own words. "Yeah, I think it was a week. Want to go and take a look?"

"Street basketball?" Puzzled Mia turned around, back onto her back so that she could stretch her legs out. "Since when are you so interested in basketball?"

"I'm not, but you are. I need to see what all the fuss is about, right? Never been to a real match before either just the practice once."

"Street basketball competition, eh?"

Mia had never heard about that before. But it sounded interesting, the sport was intense and to finally see someone else play than the own high school team was probably interesting as well. Both girls had searched for ideas on how they should spend their time until the break ends. That sounded like something good.

"Sure, sounds good."

"Great. Ah...I need to go now, we're going to eat dinner at the neighbor's."

"Alright. See you tomorrow then."

Nanami returned the goodbye, promising that she'd call her right away when they were home before both of them hung up. The girl took a deep breath as she set the telephone aside. Her body was once more twisting and turning until she lay on her stomach, hugging a pillow close to her chest. She couldn't wait for Nanami to come back.

Her boredom could only be distracted as long as it could. To play video games all alone wasn't fun. She didn't have that many books anymore she could sacrifice and the ones she wanted weren't released yet to her dismay.

Mia sighed and closed her eyes. There always came a time where the break became too long, where you actually missed the daily events at school. Your classmates, the break...if only just the routine. And the orange-head was certain she had finally arrived at that time...although it probably would change immediately the second she saw Nanami.

Did you want it to be a date?

Frowning to herself she crushed the pillow in her arms, staring at television's screen which was black. The question made it sound so simple. As if it was merely a 'yes' or 'no' situation. But Mia honestly didn't know it. She never ever thought about it, dates were something you read about in a manga. With all those silly, whiny girls and the boys who fought over her nevertheless.

But nothing fit the day she had met Aomine.

There was no clichéd being too late. There was no unbelievable staring or being mesmerized. It was her table neighbor...she had been scared of that guy not long ago. She would've never believed that the two of them would be able to live next to each other. A co-existence sounded already impossible. But now they were friends, kind of. They got along. She had fun when they hung out.

Sometimes, it was awkward for her because she was uncertain what they could talk about. All she knew was that he liked basketball. And those ridiculous magazines. Even the basketball topic was dangerous; he often looked like he hated it while he still knew everything about it. And next to that it was complete unknown land.

Even his friends were weird.

Groaning Mia buried her face in the pillow. Couldn't someone ask her something which was easier? Of course, she got nervous when he was so close, he was a guy - she wasn't used to have someone her age and of the other gender that close. But what did it mean to go on a date anyway?

She didn't know, Mia decided.

And why should she break her head over it?

"It was fun..." The girl mumbled into the pillow, slowly raising her head. "...that counts, right?"