We Must Say Goodbye
I really appreciate all your reviews! Hopefully this chapter will bide you till I figure out what to do next. Ideas are always welcome...
Chapter 1.
"Hitomi!" Yukari exclaimed, exasperated.
She snapped her head up. "Hmm?"
"Are you even listening to me?"
"Yes I am." An empty smile plastered on her face, "You were just telling me about your new boyfriend that you met... Taka?.. during the millennium celebrations?"
"No I was not." Yukari frowned. "And UNCLE Taka was my relative who died last week, while we were counting down." Looking at Hitomi's unchanging expression, she continued, "You're impossible..."
Yukari glanced to the haphazard rows of manga before her, gesturing. "Look... you're placing them all wrong! What's gotten into you?" She shook her head, sighing, as she saw no response from her friend sitting beside her.
"Okay. You just sit here and man the till, right? I'll shelve the manga."
She stood up, muttering to herself, and started to reorganize the books on the shelf.
"I'm sorry." Hitomi suddenly whimpered, burying her face in her hands. "I'm so useless. I can't even do anything right anymore."
Sensing something amiss, Yukari turned around to regard her long time friend, and was shocked to see tears streaming down her smooth face.
"Hey, don't worry about it. You know I didn't mean to..."
"No," came the muffled reply. "You're right. I'm just so useless. I can't even..."
Concern deeply etched into her features, Yukari placed the volumes of manga onto the counter top and asked gently, "What's wrong?"
"It's just..." she stammered, but halted when the door chime announced the arrival of another customer.
"I'm sorry." She repeated again, weakly. "You're running a business." Hitomi wiped at her face with the back of her hand. "And instead of helping out I'm just getting in your way." Another tear made its way down.
Yukari shook her head gently. "No, you're not. You just sit here and wait for me, alright?"
Hitomi sat in silence as she watched her friend flip the 'closed' sign and politely coax the rest of the customers out of the shop.
"You don't have to..." Hitomi began as the last customer trailed out.
"No. I didn't have to." Yukari interjected, "but I wanted to." She placed her hands over Hitomi's clammy ones, and squeezed them lightly. "Now tell me what's wrong."
"I..." Hitomi sank into her best friend's embrace as waves of emotions overcame her, her lithe frame convulsing in violent spasms.
Yukari's eyes widened slightly in alarm, surprised at the sudden raw torrent of emotions bursting from her friend. Initially unsure of what to say, she patted her back comfortingly. Hitomi was definitely not in the mood to talk now - and what she needed Yukari the friend, not Yukari the psychologist. So she held her in a silent embrace, holding her until the violent contractions subsided.
"Are you feeling better?"
Hitomi retreated a little from her friend and nodded her tear-stained face, her usually neat tresses for once in disarray.
"Do you want to talk about it?" An almost imperceptible shake of the head.
Deciding not to press her for it, Yukari sighed and stood up to make some coffee. Moving towards the little storeroom at the back of the shop in search of the instant coffee mixes, she wondered for the umpteenth time what could have possibly scarred Hitomi so; and caused a perpetually happy- go-lucky girl to be in such a state of distress.
Walking back to the counter, a steaming mug in each hand, she returned to see Hitomi still seated in the same position she had left her, red- rimmed eyes staring blankly ahead. She sighed audibly and set one on the counter top, sipping the other in silence.
"Thank you." Hitomi said, after a while.
"Nahh... it's just some instant mix. Had plenty left over..."
"No." Hitomi replied softly, cutting her off. "For being here."
Yukari just reached over and squeezed her hand.
I really appreciate all your reviews! Hopefully this chapter will bide you till I figure out what to do next. Ideas are always welcome...
Chapter 1.
"Hitomi!" Yukari exclaimed, exasperated.
She snapped her head up. "Hmm?"
"Are you even listening to me?"
"Yes I am." An empty smile plastered on her face, "You were just telling me about your new boyfriend that you met... Taka?.. during the millennium celebrations?"
"No I was not." Yukari frowned. "And UNCLE Taka was my relative who died last week, while we were counting down." Looking at Hitomi's unchanging expression, she continued, "You're impossible..."
Yukari glanced to the haphazard rows of manga before her, gesturing. "Look... you're placing them all wrong! What's gotten into you?" She shook her head, sighing, as she saw no response from her friend sitting beside her.
"Okay. You just sit here and man the till, right? I'll shelve the manga."
She stood up, muttering to herself, and started to reorganize the books on the shelf.
"I'm sorry." Hitomi suddenly whimpered, burying her face in her hands. "I'm so useless. I can't even do anything right anymore."
Sensing something amiss, Yukari turned around to regard her long time friend, and was shocked to see tears streaming down her smooth face.
"Hey, don't worry about it. You know I didn't mean to..."
"No," came the muffled reply. "You're right. I'm just so useless. I can't even..."
Concern deeply etched into her features, Yukari placed the volumes of manga onto the counter top and asked gently, "What's wrong?"
"It's just..." she stammered, but halted when the door chime announced the arrival of another customer.
"I'm sorry." She repeated again, weakly. "You're running a business." Hitomi wiped at her face with the back of her hand. "And instead of helping out I'm just getting in your way." Another tear made its way down.
Yukari shook her head gently. "No, you're not. You just sit here and wait for me, alright?"
Hitomi sat in silence as she watched her friend flip the 'closed' sign and politely coax the rest of the customers out of the shop.
"You don't have to..." Hitomi began as the last customer trailed out.
"No. I didn't have to." Yukari interjected, "but I wanted to." She placed her hands over Hitomi's clammy ones, and squeezed them lightly. "Now tell me what's wrong."
"I..." Hitomi sank into her best friend's embrace as waves of emotions overcame her, her lithe frame convulsing in violent spasms.
Yukari's eyes widened slightly in alarm, surprised at the sudden raw torrent of emotions bursting from her friend. Initially unsure of what to say, she patted her back comfortingly. Hitomi was definitely not in the mood to talk now - and what she needed Yukari the friend, not Yukari the psychologist. So she held her in a silent embrace, holding her until the violent contractions subsided.
"Are you feeling better?"
Hitomi retreated a little from her friend and nodded her tear-stained face, her usually neat tresses for once in disarray.
"Do you want to talk about it?" An almost imperceptible shake of the head.
Deciding not to press her for it, Yukari sighed and stood up to make some coffee. Moving towards the little storeroom at the back of the shop in search of the instant coffee mixes, she wondered for the umpteenth time what could have possibly scarred Hitomi so; and caused a perpetually happy- go-lucky girl to be in such a state of distress.
Walking back to the counter, a steaming mug in each hand, she returned to see Hitomi still seated in the same position she had left her, red- rimmed eyes staring blankly ahead. She sighed audibly and set one on the counter top, sipping the other in silence.
"Thank you." Hitomi said, after a while.
"Nahh... it's just some instant mix. Had plenty left over..."
"No." Hitomi replied softly, cutting her off. "For being here."
Yukari just reached over and squeezed her hand.