Twin Hearts: A Parallel Destiny
Chapter 12: A New Loss, A New Friendship
When Tomo awoke a few minutes later, Rei was gone, but his lunch wasn't, and the arms that were holding her were shaking violently.
Tomo realized that she was on the ground, and was being support by the one sitting behind her. I must've fainted. Tomo thought to herself. Then her eyes wandered and found the mess that was Shiori. And now I remember why, she thought, as she tore her eyes away.
She looked up at the one who was supporting her. They were in a kneeling position, and she was leaning against the side of their legs, her upper torso and head resting in their lap, but being supported by their arms. One glance told her it was Sei. She had known it was him, though, but had decided to look anyway.
She tried to sit up, but she felt a spell of dizziness overtake her. She rushed her hand to her head to steady herself.
"Sei, where's Rei?"
Sei had to swallow before he answered. He was still staring at Shiori. "He . . . He went to . . . to call an am-ambulan-lance."
Tomo raised the hand she had been using to steady her head to Sei's cheek. "Calm down Sei. You're shaking."
Sei closed his eyes and dropped his head. "I've," he sighed. "I've been trying," he opened his eyes and looked at her. "But I just can't stop."
Tomo sat up and then knelt next to him so she could throw her arms around him, embracing him, trying to get him to stop shaking. He held her tightly in return and took him a good while to finally calm down.
By the time he did, the ambulance had just arrived and the paramedics had told them to back away as they checked Shiori's vitals. Tomo and Sei watched at the paramedic shook his head and as they threw a sheet over her and placed her on the stretcher.
After they had closed the door to the ambulance and it was beginning to pull away, a police officer approached the two teenagers who were still kneeling by the scene, their eyes fixed on the patch of bloodied dirt, the place where their friend had once laid.
He cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Miss, Sir, would you two like a ride home?" Tomo looked over in the direction of the voice, and when she spotted him, she looked him in the eyes and nodded her head.
"And his brother will need one too. He was the one that called you guys."
The police officer nodded his head. "Yeah, I know. He's already in the car. Come on, let's go."
Tomo nodded and whispered something to Sei. He stood up, and, grasping Tomo's hand, walked with her to the car.
***
The officer asked Rei where he lived and then for directions to his house. Rei gave them in a monotone voice, but thanked the officer when he dropped them off.
Sei got out of the car, holding Tomo's hand, waiting for her to come out with him, but she stayed seated in the car.
The officer looked back at them. "What's wrong, Miss?"
"I don't live her, and my Mom will kill me if she found out that I spent the night at a boy's house." Tomo looked down at her lap. "I have to go home."
The officer noticed the pleading look the boy was giving the girl, so he got up out of the car, shut the door behind him, and started walking up to the front of the house where Rei was, unlocking the door.
"Excuse me Sir, would you mind if I used your telephone?"
Rei shook his head, and the police officer took off his cap as he entered the house. Rei went in second, followed by Sei and Tomo.
The officer picked up the phone. "Now, what's your number, Miss?"
Tomo told him her number and he quickly dialed it. "Hello?...Well, hello Mrs. Shiru . . . No, no your daughter's fine...What?...Oh, well, there was an incident with one of her friends, and I'm afraid that the young girl didn't survive . . .
Yes, yes, it truly is a shame . . . Hmm?...Oh, well, I'm calling to see if she could stay here, at the Kashino residence, for the night, she's a bit shaken up and it would probably help her to spend some time with her friends. Is that okay with you, Mrs. Shiru?...It is?...," the cop smiled and looked at Tomo. "Okay, good . . . What?...No, no, don't worry, she's fine . . . Yes . . . Okay, thank you. Bye." The cop waited a second and then hung up the phone.
"Okay, you're good," the cop said with a smile. "And I truly am sorry about your friend."
"Yes. Well, thank you."
"Oh, no problem!" He grinned. "Take care!" he said, as he left the house, Rei shutting the door behind him. They waved good bye to him through the window and then they all went and settled on the couch.
Sei sat in the middle and Shiru sat to one side of him, leaning her head against his shoulder. He put his arm around her and brought her closer to him. Rei sat on the other side of Sei with a spaced out look on his face.
Within an hour, exhaustion had taken them and they all ended up in a deep sleep still sitting on the couch together.
***
The next morning, a stray ray on sunlight that had snuck through a crack in the blinds woke Tomo up. She was the first to wake, and confused at first.
She was sitting on a couch in a house she'd never been in before with Sei's arm around her shoulders, then the memories of the night before engulfed her mind like a massive flood. Her kiss, Shiori's kiss, the roof, the Ferris wheel, the blood, the cop car . . . The barrage of memories helped her figure out where she was now, but also reminded her of how she got there.
She looked over at Sei and Rei. Rei had fallen asleep leaning against his brother and she had fallen asleep leaning against Sei. Well, Sei must've not minded much, or given in because from what she saw, he was asleep to. She grinned, and nuzzled her head into his shoulder.
No sooner had she done this, the phone rang. Startled, Rei found himself by the phone before he was even fully awake.
"Hello . . . Yes, this is Rei . . . Oh, hi . . . When?...Oh, okay . . . Yeah, I'm fine . . . No, really, I'm okay . . . Yeah . . . K...Thanks . . . Bye."
"Who was that?" Sei had woken now as well.
"It was Shiori's mom," said Rei as he hung up the receiver. "The wake's tomorrow at three, and the funeral is going to be a couple days later at four. Both are going to be closed-casket."
Rei walked over and resumed his seat net to Sei.
"Now what?" he asked.
Tomo looked from Rei to Sei, to the phone, and then back to them again and smiled.
Her smile turned to a grin when she noticed that Sei was smiling back at her. Then she couldn't help it, she started laughing. Maybe all the tension was getting to her, or maybe she just subconsciously wanted to change the mood.
Then Rei began to smile as well, "Hey, what's so funny?" And with that, Sei joined in on her laughter.
"Come on, guys," he said, still smiling. "Do I have something stuck in my teeth, on my shirt, or do I truly look that funny?" Now he was laughing as well, and Sei and Tomo were laughing harder.
She could tell that from this point on they were going to be good friends. Even though it was kind-of morbid that it had came around by these means.
A new friendship had dawned between them and anyone could see that it was starting out strong, and much better, than their last one.
***
THE END
Chapter 12: A New Loss, A New Friendship
When Tomo awoke a few minutes later, Rei was gone, but his lunch wasn't, and the arms that were holding her were shaking violently.
Tomo realized that she was on the ground, and was being support by the one sitting behind her. I must've fainted. Tomo thought to herself. Then her eyes wandered and found the mess that was Shiori. And now I remember why, she thought, as she tore her eyes away.
She looked up at the one who was supporting her. They were in a kneeling position, and she was leaning against the side of their legs, her upper torso and head resting in their lap, but being supported by their arms. One glance told her it was Sei. She had known it was him, though, but had decided to look anyway.
She tried to sit up, but she felt a spell of dizziness overtake her. She rushed her hand to her head to steady herself.
"Sei, where's Rei?"
Sei had to swallow before he answered. He was still staring at Shiori. "He . . . He went to . . . to call an am-ambulan-lance."
Tomo raised the hand she had been using to steady her head to Sei's cheek. "Calm down Sei. You're shaking."
Sei closed his eyes and dropped his head. "I've," he sighed. "I've been trying," he opened his eyes and looked at her. "But I just can't stop."
Tomo sat up and then knelt next to him so she could throw her arms around him, embracing him, trying to get him to stop shaking. He held her tightly in return and took him a good while to finally calm down.
By the time he did, the ambulance had just arrived and the paramedics had told them to back away as they checked Shiori's vitals. Tomo and Sei watched at the paramedic shook his head and as they threw a sheet over her and placed her on the stretcher.
After they had closed the door to the ambulance and it was beginning to pull away, a police officer approached the two teenagers who were still kneeling by the scene, their eyes fixed on the patch of bloodied dirt, the place where their friend had once laid.
He cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Miss, Sir, would you two like a ride home?" Tomo looked over in the direction of the voice, and when she spotted him, she looked him in the eyes and nodded her head.
"And his brother will need one too. He was the one that called you guys."
The police officer nodded his head. "Yeah, I know. He's already in the car. Come on, let's go."
Tomo nodded and whispered something to Sei. He stood up, and, grasping Tomo's hand, walked with her to the car.
***
The officer asked Rei where he lived and then for directions to his house. Rei gave them in a monotone voice, but thanked the officer when he dropped them off.
Sei got out of the car, holding Tomo's hand, waiting for her to come out with him, but she stayed seated in the car.
The officer looked back at them. "What's wrong, Miss?"
"I don't live her, and my Mom will kill me if she found out that I spent the night at a boy's house." Tomo looked down at her lap. "I have to go home."
The officer noticed the pleading look the boy was giving the girl, so he got up out of the car, shut the door behind him, and started walking up to the front of the house where Rei was, unlocking the door.
"Excuse me Sir, would you mind if I used your telephone?"
Rei shook his head, and the police officer took off his cap as he entered the house. Rei went in second, followed by Sei and Tomo.
The officer picked up the phone. "Now, what's your number, Miss?"
Tomo told him her number and he quickly dialed it. "Hello?...Well, hello Mrs. Shiru . . . No, no your daughter's fine...What?...Oh, well, there was an incident with one of her friends, and I'm afraid that the young girl didn't survive . . .
Yes, yes, it truly is a shame . . . Hmm?...Oh, well, I'm calling to see if she could stay here, at the Kashino residence, for the night, she's a bit shaken up and it would probably help her to spend some time with her friends. Is that okay with you, Mrs. Shiru?...It is?...," the cop smiled and looked at Tomo. "Okay, good . . . What?...No, no, don't worry, she's fine . . . Yes . . . Okay, thank you. Bye." The cop waited a second and then hung up the phone.
"Okay, you're good," the cop said with a smile. "And I truly am sorry about your friend."
"Yes. Well, thank you."
"Oh, no problem!" He grinned. "Take care!" he said, as he left the house, Rei shutting the door behind him. They waved good bye to him through the window and then they all went and settled on the couch.
Sei sat in the middle and Shiru sat to one side of him, leaning her head against his shoulder. He put his arm around her and brought her closer to him. Rei sat on the other side of Sei with a spaced out look on his face.
Within an hour, exhaustion had taken them and they all ended up in a deep sleep still sitting on the couch together.
***
The next morning, a stray ray on sunlight that had snuck through a crack in the blinds woke Tomo up. She was the first to wake, and confused at first.
She was sitting on a couch in a house she'd never been in before with Sei's arm around her shoulders, then the memories of the night before engulfed her mind like a massive flood. Her kiss, Shiori's kiss, the roof, the Ferris wheel, the blood, the cop car . . . The barrage of memories helped her figure out where she was now, but also reminded her of how she got there.
She looked over at Sei and Rei. Rei had fallen asleep leaning against his brother and she had fallen asleep leaning against Sei. Well, Sei must've not minded much, or given in because from what she saw, he was asleep to. She grinned, and nuzzled her head into his shoulder.
No sooner had she done this, the phone rang. Startled, Rei found himself by the phone before he was even fully awake.
"Hello . . . Yes, this is Rei . . . Oh, hi . . . When?...Oh, okay . . . Yeah, I'm fine . . . No, really, I'm okay . . . Yeah . . . K...Thanks . . . Bye."
"Who was that?" Sei had woken now as well.
"It was Shiori's mom," said Rei as he hung up the receiver. "The wake's tomorrow at three, and the funeral is going to be a couple days later at four. Both are going to be closed-casket."
Rei walked over and resumed his seat net to Sei.
"Now what?" he asked.
Tomo looked from Rei to Sei, to the phone, and then back to them again and smiled.
Her smile turned to a grin when she noticed that Sei was smiling back at her. Then she couldn't help it, she started laughing. Maybe all the tension was getting to her, or maybe she just subconsciously wanted to change the mood.
Then Rei began to smile as well, "Hey, what's so funny?" And with that, Sei joined in on her laughter.
"Come on, guys," he said, still smiling. "Do I have something stuck in my teeth, on my shirt, or do I truly look that funny?" Now he was laughing as well, and Sei and Tomo were laughing harder.
She could tell that from this point on they were going to be good friends. Even though it was kind-of morbid that it had came around by these means.
A new friendship had dawned between them and anyone could see that it was starting out strong, and much better, than their last one.
***
THE END