div class=Section1span lang=JA style='font-family:"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language:JA'ちびまおう /spanspan style='font-family:"MS Mincho"'- /spanspan lang=JA style='font-family:"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language:JA'たなかきみこ/spanspan style='font-family:"MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language:JA':span class=SpellEjuichiban/span!u1:p/u1:p/spanspan style='font-family:"MS Mincho"'o:p/o:p/span
span class=SpellEspan class=GramEspan style='font-family:"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language:JA'chibi/span/span/spanspan style='font-family:"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language:JA' span class=SpellEmaou/span – span class=SpellEtanaka/span kimiko/spanspan style='font-family: "MS Mincho";mso-fareast-language:JA':#11
u1:p/u1:p/spanspan style='font-family:"MS Mincho"'o:p/o:p/span
"When the violence
Causes silence
Who are we mistaking
May you see
It's not me,
It's not my
Family
In your head,
In your head,
They're still fighting..." the song repeated for the 27th time in Kimiko's ears. Her eyes were glazed, red, a bit puffy. Her limbs draped across her bed like a limp rag doll. The last three days had totally drained the life out of her.
In her hands was the green-inked letter. She stared at mysterious signature, the black kitten stamp. Thoughts of Tomoyo flashed through her mind. She imagined Tomoyo, pining away too for somebody who was too daft to realize the extent her devotion.
'At least Tomoyo still manages to do it elegantly,' she thought peevishly.
"span style='font-family:"MS Mincho"'o:p/o:p/spanWhat's in your heeeeead,
In your heeeeead,
Zombie, Zombie,
Zo-ombi-e e-e
In your heeeeead,
In your heeeeead,
Zombie, Zombie,
Zo-ombi-e e-e..." Enfin she got annoyed with the song and yanked the earplugs out of her ears with a jerk that left them ringing. She sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. 'I can't just let myself fall apart.' she scolded herself. 'What would Tomoyo-chan think?' Miko grabbed the splintered piece of wood off her dresser. "I have to get myself together, Sukebo! So, wadda we gonna do?" She skater girl looked around her room. Her eyes fell upon the book Naoko had lent her. It was still sitting in the same place she had left it they day she received it, unopened. It was clearly begging to be read.
Miko rolled her eyes. "Give me a break, Sukebo. I just took that book to make her feel better. You should have seen the look she gave me when I told her I don't like reading." She picked up the book anyway, handling it as one would a smelly old banana peel. "I mean, look at this thing, it's as fat as a freakin' dictionary or something! Wadda I look like, Einstein?" She looked at her board cynically as if she were genuinely expecting it to reply. She flipped the pages of the book a few times, and when she got bored of that, hit herself on the head with it. In her fit of dizziness, she recognized some of the writing on the cover.
"Harry Potter. Hey, I saw that movie! Pretty lame. But maybe the book is better..." she said, opening the book. Miko plopped herself into a more comfortable position on her bed with her back against the wall and scanned the page. And suddenly, what she saw froze her and she uttered a sharp gasp...
In the meantime, Naoko was staying up late, writing at her desk. She wore blue nightgown, which matched the blue bow she was wearing in her hair. As usual with the last month or so, she had been having trouble sleeping, to the point that her mother was trying to stuff her with vitamin pills all the time.
Naoko knew her mother was only being over-protective as usual, but she didn't dare explain the real reason for her troubled nights. She carefully cleaned her green-inked fountain pen and placed it down on her desk. The ink on the letter was still fresh and wet, so she blew on it gently to dry it faster. Then she took out a small, black, kitten stamp, pressed it into the inkpad, and stamped the signature firmly onto the bottom of the letter.
Dearest Kimiko,
I noticed that you were acting a bit wary around other students today, hopefully that means you received my first letter. I hope you aren't angry with me for not telling you who I am. I promise when the time is right I will confess my love to you in person.
You seemed to be very withdrawn when you headed off to go home. If there is anything troubling you, ask your friends at school, I will do my best to help you. And if all else fails... why don't you try reading a good book? I've heard it works wonders.
Forever yours,
=^._.^=
Satisfied, she left it at her desk for the moment, walked through her spacious, western-style room, and looked through her window. A bright flash lit up the sky momentarily, followed by a crashing thunderclap. "Still heavy rain." she murmured, watching the streaks of rain roll and trickle down the glass. A shimmering tear ran down one of her cheeks too. "But some day...a rainbow must shine through..." She pulled off her spectacles and wiped the tears away determinedly.
She snuggled into her flannel sheets and down comforter, the warmth and softness comforted her greatly. With a soft sigh, she closed her tired eyes and began to nod off. Outside, the wind howled angrily and whipped the icy rain against her window in sharp taps. The sound of the storm made her feel safe and sheltered in her quiet, warm room.
Her window creaked and groaned and made a racket. Bang, scratch, scratch.
Naoko stirred, turned around and lay on her side.
Thump, thump, thump.
She buried her face into her pillow. "It's probably a tree branch hitting the window…" she muttered sleepily.
The pounding and scratching and creaking got louder.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
Naoko's eyes snapped open. "Wait a second! I don't have any trees outside my house!" she grabbed her glasses off her dresser and fumbled to put them on. "What if it's… a GHOST!"
The window suddenly blew open, flooding the room with cold night air and rain. Her room lit up in an enormous flash of light, followed by a deafening thunderclap. She peeked gleefully out from under the covers, hoping to get a glimpse of a phantom, monster, or at least an alien. After waiting a few seconds, Naoko finally threw off her wonderful warm covers and got in exasperation.
"Stupid window. Must have been unloc-" she started. Her eyes widened and she almost tripped in her rush to the window. She gripped the sill tightly with both hands and stared downward.
"Nice weather we're having, innit?" said a familiar Osaka-accented voice. "I'm sorry to bother you so late, but... may I please come in? I'm afraid of letting go of this thing…it's really slippery…" Miko grinned up at Naoko as she clung tightly to the drainpipe going up the side of the house. She had climbed up two floors.
Naoko's voice finally came back to her. "I-I...Of course!! Here, give me your hand..." she stuttered, pulling the drenched, shivering Miko into her room. Naoko quickly closed and locked the window, then turned back to the wet, soggy girl standing before her and dripping all over the oriental rug. "Kimiko-chan... what on earth...!? Oh my, you're soaked to the bone... Come on, I'll find you something dry to wear first..."
Miko allowed herself to be lead to the closet, and then quietly snuck through a hall to a large tiled bathroom, where she was handed a dry pair of cotton pajamas and a large fuzzy towel. "Change here and come back to my room when you're done. You can leave your wet clothes to dry on that rack for now." ordered Naoko with a slight blush. "Please be careful not to wake my parents." she added, shutting the door quietly.
Miko blinked at the closed door for a few seconds, then shrugged her shoulders and complied. Before she left the bathroom, however, she couldn't resist opening some of the many colored and oddly shaped bottles she found on the ceramic counter. Strong as her curiosity for these absurd chemicals was, however, she felt herself much more strongly pulled back to Naoko's room. She opened the door quietly, and found Naoko kneeling on her bed, pretending to read. Naoko looked up when the other girl came in, and for the second time that night, a blush painted her cheeks.
"So, how do I look?" asked Miko, twirling around in her purple pajama, causing Naoko to giggle. "You look so kawaii! You know, I've never seen you wear anything but your school uniform."
Miko smirked. "Yeah, I know I look really funny when I wear girl's clothes, don't I?" She sat down on the edge of the bed and gave Naoko a quizzical look. "Aren't you going to ask me why I climbed up the drainpipe in the middle of a monsoon and started banging on your window?" Naoko closed her book and set it aside with a shaky sigh. "I was just about to get to that," she replied. "All right. Why on earth did you climb up the drainpipe in the middle of a monsoon and start banging on my window?"
Miko pulled a slightly damp book out from behind her back. "I wrapped it up in my jacket when I was climbing up your window so it wouldn't get wet, but I think it did anyway. I'm sorry." Naoko held her breath and stared at the book. "Harry Potter... the one I lent you a few days ago." Miko nodded, and opened the book to the first page. "I started to read it tonight, and I noticed something really interesting..."
Kimiko's finger pointed to a small stamp on the white paper. It was a black kitten face. Underneath, it said Naoko's full name and address.
Naoko's eyes brimmed with happy tears behind her twinkling glasses. "So you did read it. I was wondering if you would find the clue... I hoped you would come, but I never thought it would be so soon. I thought you were a ghost, but this is even better!" she laughed, tears streaming down her face. Miko brought a hand up to the other girl's wet cheek and wiped the tears away slowly.
"I'm sorry, Naoko... I wasn't thinking straight. Not only tonight, but ever since I met Tomoyo-chan. I have to be honest with you, I was spending so much time worshipping her, I didn't even notice you... She was already in love with someone else, and I knew it. I was lying to myself, Naoko. You deserve somebody better than that. Will you please forgive me?" she asked sofly, putting her hand behind Naoko's head and entwining her fingers in her hair, pulling her closer into an embrace. Naoko let herself melt into Miko's arms and leaned her head on her shoulder. "Of course I will." she whispered.
She pulled her head up slowly and looked at Miko with a wry smile. "Did you say Tomoyo-chan?" Miko smiled nervously. "Is that so weird that I should like her?" Naoko shook her head with a laugh. "No, it's not that. It's just a bit...odd. Now wait, let me finish..." she said quickly at the look on Miko's face. "There's something you don't know about Tomoyo and I. In fact, I don't think anybody knows except us two," she smiled and watched as Miko's curiosity grew.
"So, come on, what's the big secret then?" prodded the impatient Miko. "Don't tell me you both used to be 'together', or I'm leaving right now." Naoko's eyes widened. "H-how did you know?" she gasped. "Did Tomoyo tell you?" Miko fell off the bed with a crash.
"WHAT!" she cried, jumping up and leaping onto the bed again. "I was just KIDDIN'!"
"Shhhh!!" hushed Naoko, covering Miko's mouth. "My parents will hear!" She glanced sideways and held her breath, listening.
After a few moments of silence, she let out a long, relived sigh and released Miko. "Yes, it's true... so I can understand perfectly why you would fall for her. She really does seem perfect, doesn't she?" said Naoko, with a trace of sorrow. "It was the first time for both of us... But first loves usually don't become fairy tales, do they?" Miko nodded. "True that. What happened between you two anyway?"
Naoko shrugged her slight shoulders. "We broke up right after she met Sakura-chan. We both agreed that we had been growing apart recently, and that it would be best to go our own ways. She was always very polite about it, but I could tell she wasn't really too interested in ghosts or the supernatural, like I was. She was a bit too down-to-earth, if you know what I mean. But she can be amazingly creative at times. Often she asked me to model for her, she would make the most beautiful costumes you've ever seen! They were so original, they came in every shape, color and style... and there were so many! She never ran out of ideas for them. Tomoyo didn't even know why she was making them, but somehow the inspiration came to her. She said it was 'almost like magic.' I wonder what she does with all of them now..." pondered Naoko, holding her chin.
Miko took the other girl's hand into hers. "Naoko, thank you so much for lending me that book. I've only read the title page, and already I'm feeling so much better." she said with a wide grin. Naoko laughed. "I can lend you plenty more, but only if you promise to use the door instead of the window next time. It's very romantic of you, but one of these days the storm drain will just peel off our wall while you're hanging onto it."
"Naoko, I want to lend you something too." said Miko seriously, looking deeply into Naoko's eyes. The other girl gazed back. "What would that be?" Miko placed one hand on the small of the other girl's back and caressed her neck with the other. She leaned forward, closed her eyes, and gave Naoko a passionate kiss.
Miko pulled away slowly, her arms still wrapped around Naoko, whose glasses were totally fogged. Kimiko smiled and gently lifted them away to see Naoko's bright red face. "Tomato-face." she muttered with a laugh, causing Naoko's blush to darken even more.
Naoko pulled her hair behind her ears subconsciously. "I don't know whether I like 'Nerd-Girl' better. If you call me names, I'll call you something really embarrassing too." She smiled to herself and turned away from the other girl, pretending to sulk angrily. Kimiko apologized profusely, but Naoko shook her head and wouldn't look at her. "What will you call me?" asked Kimiko at last. "I'm said I'm sorry! Call me anything you want!" At last Naoko turned around with an uncharacteristic smirk and rubbed her hands together mischievously. "Well, alright… How about…Pootie Pie!"
"Pootie Pie!?"
Naoko laughed at the other girl's incredulous expression. "Or Sugar Booger Woogums!"
"Sugar Boo- what??" exclaimed Kimiko in frustration.
"Aaww, you don't like that name, Cuddly Wuddly Hunny Bunny??"
Kimiko squashed a pillow onto her head and collapsed. "Anything but that!" Naoko slowly sat up and lay down on her stomach next to the other girl. She pulled the pillow away gently and tried not to laugh at Kimiko's scrunched up, comical face. "Naoko... I give up. At least don't call me any of those in public, ok?"
Naoko nodded and stroked Kimiko's hair with her slender fingers. "It will be our little secret." she said with a gentle smile, as their lips met again. The kiss lasted longer than their first, and when at last they broke apart both girls were breathless.
Miko's head spun and she felt as light as a bubble. There was nobody in the whole universe except her and her love. "You're a good kisser..." murmured Kimiko.
"Tomoyo is a good teacher," the other girl teased, nuzzling Kimiko's neck. "Besides, you don't really think I only read ghost stories all the time, do you?"
Kimiko groaned. "You're scaring me. I'm supposed to be the wild erratic one here; you're supposed to be the innocent, untainted one."
"I'm sorry, I forgot for a moment," said Naoko. "I'll try to act chaste again now." She scooted back to the top of her bed and pulled the blankets up, covering herself. She waited for Kimiko to do the same, but when she saw the other girl's uneasiness, she patted the pillow next to her in invitation. "Come on, I won't bite." she said, smiling sweetly. Kimiko's normally reckless and eager mood had vanished at this frightening situation, she was looking from Naoko to the window as if she intended to leap out of the room and back into the storm.
"I know," exclaimed Naoko, "...Why don't we read something before we sleep? Can you bring the Harry Potter book here?" Kimiko hesitantly fetched the still slightly soggy book and got under the covers. Naoko snuggled her and held the book. "Will you do voices for all the different people? When I was a kid my dad would read to me like that, it was so cute!" Kimiko nodded, smiled nervously, and cleared her throat. "Chapter One..."
THE END