Minako flushed the toilet quickly, hearing someone's footsteps approaching her bedroom washroom. She grabbed a bunch of toliet paper, and wiped her mouth, and grabbed a mint from the package she had conveniently left on her bathroom sink.

"Minako-chan?" a familiar voice called.

"Coming!" the blonde girl replied, hoping and praying that her breath didn't smell like that awful stomach acid odor; and that that painful burning feeling in her throat would go away.

"Where are you?" the voice called again, the footsteps around her bedroom.

"Hai, right here!" she replied, opening the door to the bathroom. Oh, Makoto, Minako thought to herself. You always show up at the worst times.

Makoto spun around, facing her friend, smiling. She recognized that radiant smile of Minako's, and it was what she came her looking for. "I thought you were feeling a bit down lately, so I figured I might as well treat you."

Minako raised an eyebrow, as she had a questioning look on her face. "Mind explaining, Mako-chan?"

She giggled, extending her arm to her best friend, revealing a basket full of Minako's favourite cookies.

Her face turned a disgusting green, as she quietly took it polietly. Oh good God no, she thought with a familiar gagging feeling coming up her throat.

Makoto looked at her friend with disappointment. "I thought.. you liked them.."

Minako turned to her friend, and embraced her with a hug. "I do. Arigatou."

Makoto smiled a weak smile, but still knew that something was very wrong. She couldn't exactly place it, but there had been something off with Minako's attitude lately. And she had been losing weight at a rapid pace. As Makoto hugged back, she cringed, feeling her friend's ribs through her clothes. "Minako.." she started, as she let go of the confused girl. "When's your audition again?"

She beamed, as she declared, "Two days from now!"

Makoto nodded, as she politely inquired about the dress.

"The one we saw at the mall the other day?" Minako asked, positive that it was the one she was talking about. "I got it just the other day! It's gorgeous, Mako-chan; it seems to accentuate everything about me! I'll be a winner for sure!" And with that, she winked at her friend, and pulled out the dress.

Makoto painted a smile on her face, making sure that her friend doesn't detect any suspicions. She asked the hold it herself, and Minako agreed without hesitation. Makoto slyly felt the dress, making a quick glance at the size. She gasped, and dropped the dress to the floor.

"Mako-chan?"

Makoto quickly shook that thought from her head and smiled. "I have to go, Mina-chan." A size zero?! She grabbed her bookbag, and quickly ran out of the room, yelling behind her, "Enjoy the cookies!"

Still just a bit dazed and confused, Minako sat on the bed, next to the basket of cookies. She smiled at the generosity of her friend, but frowned at all that fat content involved. She remembered a time when she first baked this type of cookies with Makoto. She didn't even take a glance at how much calories were in each cookie, but now she wished she had.

The scent of the ravashing cookies filled her room, as Minako debated on whether or not to devour it like old times. The smell was torturing her like a cat with a ball of yarn. Giving a look at her mirror, she turned away in disgust. With a face full of regret and sadness, she tossed the basket of cookies in the garbage.

- - - -

Makoto walked home by herself, clutching the second present she had wished to give Minako, close to her heart. It had started to rain; but only lightly; and Makoto welcomed the storm that she predicted to come. The sky had turned a menacing black, and dark clouds circled overhead. This was the least of Makoto's worries, however. Makoto slowly looked at her second surprise that she had intened to give her best friend. It was a picture album of the two. Oh, Minako-chan, she thought to herself. Ever since the day we met, I knew that we would be great friends. I didn't know, however, that we would be the best of friends. She smiled weakly, flipping through the pages. Each page had a picture of the two, with a cute little caption underneath. Makoto sat on a nearby bench, and didn't even think about being soaked. After looking at all the newly drenched pictures, she closed the album softly, holding her head in her hands; her elbows on her knees. And a drop fell on the album. But it wasn't one of the sky's tears. Minako..