Finally, school was over. Haruka was walking over to her car when she spotted something aqua haired out of the corner of her eye. Quickly, the blonde looked around, only to see Michiru hurrying over to the bus stop. Haruka jumped into her car and started it, driving up until she was next to Michiru. "Hey!" the blonde called out, causing Michiru to flinch. The aqua haired girl looked around with fear in her eyes until she spotted Haruka and seemed to relax a little. "Need a ride home?" the blonde now offered, grinning from ear to ear. "Well…actually…" Michiru started, but then remembered that it would be good to make new friends. "That would be kind of you." The aqua haired girl said, and Haruka smiled before she leaned over and opened the passengers door for her. Michiru got into the car, right before Noriko and her group came walking out of the school and spotted them. Noriko's eyes bulged out, and she yelped: "Michiru! What are you doing in the car of that…that…dyke?" Harukas eyebrows shot up, and she snarled in anger: "I offered her a ride home. Do you have a problem with that?" "If it's you, yes!" Noriko replied while her group of girls giggled. "You could…turn her into a lesbian, too!" Harukas knuckles turned white when her fists tightened around the steering wheel. "Shut the fuck up!" the blonde hissed. That was when she surprisingly felt a warm hand touch her shoulder. "Just drive away." Michiru whispered. "Please, I don't want you to fight them…" Haruka gave the aqua haired girl a short glance and suddenly stepped on the gas, dashing away from Noriko and her group. "Coward!" Noriko yelled after the car. "I'll send Hiroshi after you!" Harukas car drove around a curve and vanished from the sight of the group.
"Who's Hiroshi?" Michiru asked after a few moments of awkward silence. "Her boyfriend." Haruka explained, her concentration on the road. Michiru was shocked and covered her mouth with one hand. "Do you think he'll beat you up?" Haruka laughed and shook her head. "No. He won't for two reasons. A) I'm taking judo lessons and B) Joe is taking kickboxing lessons. If he attacks me and manages to hurt me (what I don't think), Joe will show up and kick his ass." "Joe is your best friend?" Michiru asked, and Haruka nodded. "Yeah. We know each other since one year, but to me it seems like forever. We are so much alike, almost like twins." "It's good to have such friends." Michiru spoke softly, looking out of the window absent-minded. "Hey, where do you live?" Haruka suddenly asked, tearing her out of her thoughts. "I need to know, otherwise I won't be able to drive you home." "Kagashi Street, 21." Michiru answered, and Haruka frowned. That wasn't the best neighborhood. "You live there with your parents?" the blonde asked, eager to find out more about her new classmate. Suddenly, Michirus expression got repelling again. "No." she replied, a short flash of memory coming up in her mind.
"If you scream, you're dead."
Haruka gave the aqua haired girl an odd look when Michiru suddenly stiffened, her hands tightening around her skirt. "Hey, are you alright…?" the blonde asked, sounding worried. Michiru just nodded, and she was relieved when Haruka reached Kagashi Street. "Thanks for driving me home." She softly said while she opened the door of the car. "No prob. See you tomorrow in school." Haruka smiled, and Michiru nodded. "See you tomorrow. And…be careful about Hiroshi." With that, the aqua haired girl slammed the door close and quickly walked into the building where her apartment was in. Haruka looked after her for a while before she started her car and drove off.
Michiru unlocked the door to her apartment – a cheap, small one which she could afford more or less; she would have to take a part-time job, but that was the smallest problem. Michiru carefully hung her coat over the hook and turned around – only to see her stepfather standing in the corner, grinning, his trousers down. Michiru screamed in fear and dropped her rucksack; she stumbled back, hit her head against the wall and closed her eyes in pain. When she opened them again, her stepfather was gone. Michiru slid down the wall until she sat on the floor, a strangled sob freeing itself from her throat. The aqua haired girl buried her face in her hands and started to cry, her whole body shaking. "Let me forget…" she whispered between racked sobs, "let me just forget what he did to me…please…" Finally, after a seemingly endless time, her tears stopped, and she managed to stand up. Picking up her rucksack, the aqua haired girl went into the small living room and started to do her homework, although her thoughts kept wandering to the things her stepfather did.
"Hold still."
"If you tell anyone, you're dead."
"You like it, don't you? I know you do."
The voice of her stepfather kept repeating itself into Michirus mind, until the aqua haired girl let out a pain filled scream: "Stop it! You're out of my life, so just leave me alone!" That was when a familiar face appeared in front of Michirus inner eye; teal eyes, short blonde hair and an amazing smile. Michiru clutched to the image of Haruka with all her might, and that made the voice of her stepfather finally fade away.