We're actually pretty early to school today.
I ask Tomoe, "You haven't been working on your fic lately have you?"
"Meh, all those rich guys and models at those parties could inspire new depths of shallowness for my characters. The billionaire and his supermodel wife die in a helicopter crash while the MC becomes famous for being a weird shallow stalker."
I laugh. "So any happy endings?"
"Actually there is. The MC's bestie is with someone she really likes. And the billionaire says right before he crashes hey at least people will actually care about our deaths. Then after that the MC's bestie is holding hands with her date walking down the beach."
"Hey that is pretty funny." I take my tablet out of my bag. "The billionaire romance genre is just asking to get parodied."
I sip my water. "Say Tomoe any idea what the new project's going to be?"
looks so happy I wonder if it's a funny meme or if he has a date?
"Okay class you're gonna love this!" He rolls his eyes half smiling and playfully says, "Moca you can wakeup now."
He calls on Hina to walk to the front of the class.
She walks to the front of the class and he asks her, "How old are you again Hina?"
"Sixteen."
"So how old's the Earth again?"
"Hmm, 4.5 billion years. Why?"
"Oh you have no idea how excited I am to get to that. Well how would you feel if there were people in their 40's and older who thought it was only 6,000?"
Hina looks confused, "Hmm, stupidity is not boppin. I saw a documentary where Logan Paul of all people made fun of flat earthers."
says, "Exactly Hina!"
He strokes his chin, "Hmm, wait didn't he post that tasteless for reasons we all know video in the forest?"
He blinks a couple of times, "Well anyway there are companies that spend millions convincing people of crazy nonsense. Well our project is climate change! I want everyone to get into groups and find 3 arguments saying climate change isn't real and you have to disprove them. Your generation is inheriting a world that you didn't even do anything to mess up."
Hina's gonna carry her group so hard I can tell. At least we have an easy assignment so I can get back to helping Tomoe.
Wait, Tomoe I'm not that way!
I ask Tomoe, "Umm, Tomoe? Don't you want to be with me and Moca?"
Is she...grouping up with those conventional popular girls?
"Ssssss, yeah, sorry Ran. I just feel like we should branch out, you know, get to know other people."
I do not like this, at all.
I stare Tomoe's group right in their eyes, scrunching my mouth. Tomoe's facing them so she can't see me. I scratch my collar very slowly and gently, letting my jacket sleeve fall so they can see my friendship bracelet, the same as Tomoe's.
"Hi Ran! I drew your friend and I was like woosh! Then I was like hmm, something's missing then I added a second shading layer and Tomoe came out so boppin!"
Everyone just loves Tomoe now don't they? Tomoe was actually shook by how nice the salespeople were at Bloomingdale's. I mean they're usually nice but from what she told me they were way way nicer. It was like that time a salesperson in another store told us when we were standing together bye have a nice day in an irritated tone like she was trying to rush us out, but welcoming instead of not. Funny how when you're dressed super comfy and don't even bother with makeup you get treated worse.
Moca moans, "Hmm, why do we need to do metric?"
"Moca, this is Japan, we've always done metric, even outside of science."
She laughs. "Hue hue hue just teasing."
I then tell her, "Okay, Hina may be a genius but that doesn't mean she should carry us. Besides I'm actually interested in doing this project."
Hina's eyes brighten as she opens her pretty tablet case. "We all play guitar that's so cool! So which arguments against climate change denial should we disprove?"
I search disproving climate change denial and then climate change denial motivation.
Hina reads from her tablet, "I'm not a climate scientist, but..." Hina laughs and says, "No kidding! Hmm, notice how all the deniers get big oil money?"
I tell my group, "I guess destroying our future is worth investing a few hundred million dollars lying to the public to avoid responsibility."
I read our questions, "Hmm, difference between climate and weather, what problems will it cause, should the world wait for the United States to act? Why not? And more questions."
We read more and I tell Hina, "I don't think we should wait for America to take charge because they have politicians who get money from denying it. We just can't wait for them to take action. What do you think?"
"I agree so much! Although it is pretty sad they care more about profits than our oceans forests and air quality."
I hear Tomoe talking to her group taking a break from talking about the project and how her and her mom and aunt had so much fun shopping together.
I ask Moca, "Moca, hold my hair please."
Oh Hina's waving her arms getting my attention it's just really hard not listening to Tomoe. "Hello! Ran! Moca! Please talk to me we're doing so well so far."
"Sorry Hina." I breathe deep. "Okay, so we've decided to disprove the medieval warm period." I gently tap Moca on the shoulder, "Moca...Moca...Moca!"
She blinks and laughs. "Hue hue hue, Moca fooled you."
"Okay Moca, I want to get this done perfectly."
"You always do."
I respond, "Like, ya!"
Hina then says, "Okay, so while the medieval period was warmer in Europe it was also cooler in the tropical pacific. They had less volcanic activity meaning less soot to block the sun, and ocean circulation brought warmer seawater to the north Atlantic. But we don't see those conditions today and the temperature went up as more coal and oil was used."
We agree to work on how they say the climate changed before, and write greenhouse gasses and ocean carbon were in balance and life had millions of years to adapt to new changes while now we're burning so much carbon so fast.
Before the bell rings passes out permission slips and says, "I'm also sending them to your parent's Dropbox. We'll be working with classes in Vietnam, India, and England through our class screens and tablets for cultural exchange so we can all work on these projects together. Your groups will team with groups of 3 from their classes assuming they can make it so you might have like two from India and three from England and Vietnam or whatever in your groups. Since climate change effects the world it makes sense to work together on it and other things in the future too."
is actually pretty cool sometimes.
After going home and changing into our casual clothes I walk with Moca, "How can Tomoe do that to us?"
"I'm scared of losing our Tomoe too. Oh, there she is."
Tomoe's wearing a pale pink long sleeved V neck with a cropped denim vest and asymmetrical A-line blue denim skirt and black Vans classics. Her hair is in perfect beach waves. I bet she has a shoot.
We rush over to walk with her. "Hi! Wanna hang out at the coffee shop with us? Tsugu's working."
Tsugu nods yes.
Himari looks up to Tomoe with puppy dog eyes. "Please! It's just not the same without you."
"Sorry everyone, I have another shoot."
Am I really losing my bestie? What did I do to deserve this?
Tomoe says, "This is the part where you say way to go Tomoe! Or congratulations Tomoe!"
Himari enthusiastically yells, "Way to go! Congratulations!"
Himari sighs then says, "Here comes my fanclub."
The taller boy with a fade and dyed almost white blonde hair and white shortsleeved band crewneck says to Tomoe, "Hey want me to help with your bags?"
Himari tells his friends, "Ugh these bags are so heavy! Anyone want to help me?"
"Oof, sorry, our hands are full."
We should definitely walk with Tomoe to the agency.
After we walk with our friend we go to Tsugu's coffee shop.
We sit down and Himari tells me, "Sure those guys are annoying but did you see Tomoe steal my fanclub, just like that?"
"Oh, I don't know how she's changed but she's changed! First she didn't,"
Moca interrupts, "Aren't we gonna order a tea or coffee? Moca's hungry."
Oh, sure. We stand in line and get our coffees.
Well won't you look at that those models are back.
Ayano says, "Ugh, can you believe Eve wanted to catch a katana for a photoshoot? Like it was a beach theme, hello."
Hayami sips her hibiscus and green with ice and responds, "Well she is into bushido and those period dramas."
Emiko then says, "Hey speaking of which do you guys remember the time Ayano..." Ayano shakes her head putting her finger over her mouth." Emiko giggles a little, "Sorry. You know how Eve wears white pants a..." Ayano's eyes narrow at her in that I know what you are going to say and seriously do not want you to kind of way.
Tsugu walks by and Ayano says, "Hey over here barista!"
I walk over to them, "Hey, she has a name you know."
"Oh, hey aren't you Tomoe's friend?"
"Yeah why?"
"Ugh, do us a favor and stay away from her. She doesn't need to hang out with a social outcast like you. You look like you should go on a fast food diet."
Off, that stung hard.
I tell her, "That's funny coming from a literal model!" but was starting to cry the entire time. Sure I notice I'm an outcast literally all the time but when someone, especially such an insider says it, I have a problem.
I sit down with my friends, shaking. My eyes heat up and I cry, the warm tears flow into my sleeves.
I feel a hand gently rub my back. "Aww, I'm sure Tomoe still likes you. I know you're worried about her but she'll get that check and pay off the drums and lights and everything will be all better!" I hear Himari tell me.
Tsugu walks over and gives me a free iced rising sun matcha since she knows I like it. "It's on me. Sorry Ran don't let those girls get to you."
I take a sip of my tea with all those bad sugar calories where they can see me to prove I don't have an eating disorder. If they think I do then their industry wins. I can do enough burpees and frog jumps and some jump rope to burn the calories off later.
That was so thoughtful of Tsugu, "Thanks Tsugu." We hug each other.
"It's okay Ran." She whispers
I text Tomoe so I have a sign she's still my bestie, "How is everything? Wanna dye my streak?"
"Hey you"
Yay she didn't leave me on open.
"Sorry I can't"
Really Tomoe can't we schedule it? I mean you can't be that busy, can you?
"K I'll ask Moca then"
"K have fun you guys"
So no hey wait we can arrange something, no please I insist wait for me, it was k have fun you guys. Sigh, maybe we really are drifting. No, we've been besties from the start, I'm not going to lose her to that fake superficial industry I just can't.
I tell Moca, "I'm sorry, but our band might be doomed!"
Moca tells me, "We can always get a new drummer, but Moca already misses Tomoe too."
