Merle opened her eyes. Where was she? It took her a moment to realize she was sleeping in a bed at Mei's house. She sat up and realized she was completely naked. Grabbing the blanket and covering herself appropriately, her eyes went to the person beside her. Dilandau.
As far as she could tell he wasn't clothed either. Although she couldn't remember much from the night before, Merle knew that it probably wasn't a good sign they were naked in the same bed. She searched for her clothes on the floor and as she suspected, they were all over the room, almost as if thrown there.
Clutching a sheet around her, Merle stumbled to the bathroom and vomited. When she came back into the bedroom, she dressed quickly. Running towards the door of the house, she stumbled a bit over passed out or sleeping people. Before starting her car, she put her head on the steering wheel and cried.
* * *
Hitomi was sitting cross-legged on Van's bed, wearing one of his big shirts. She was braiding her hair absentmindedly when his phone rang. Not wanting him to wake up, she answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hitomi, is that you?!"
"Merle, what's wrong, you sound like you're crying!"
"Hitomi, can I come pick you up, please. We need to talk."
"Of course. I'll get dressed. How long until you're here?"
"A couple minutes. Oh God, Hitomi... What have I done?"
"Calm down Merle, I'll see you in a couple minutes and we'll sort out whatever happened."
Both of them hung up the phone and Hitomi jotted a quick note out for Van, saying Merle called and needed to talk, she'd be back soon or call, don't worry. She dressed quickly and climbed down the ladder outside his window. When Merle's old car pulled up on the side of the road, Hitomi climbed in quickly.
"Okay, spill Merle. What happened?"
"I don't know!"
"What?" Hitomi asked.
"I don't know what happened, that's what's wrong!!"
"Calm down. Pull over Merle; we don't want to get in an accident. How about I drive?"
Merle nodded and pulled over. They switched spots and Merle started crying again. "I woke up this morning at Mei's." Hitomi nodded. "And I was in the same bed as Dilly... " Hitomi clearly didn't grasp how much this was disturbing Merle because she just kept watching the road. "Hitomi! We were naked! Both of us!"
Hitomi's hands jerked a bit on the wheel but other than that she didn't give any sign that this disturbed her. This angered Merle until she finally said, "Stop the car!" Hitomi complied and turned to Merle, he eyes huge and her face pale.
"You and Dilly?"
Merle nodded.
"So... you're together now?"
"Hitomi, you're missing the point! We were both drunk! I don't remember anything and I doubt he does either! I don't want the friendship we have to be messed up. I know he doesn't want me like that and the same goes for me. None of it would have happened if we were sober!"
"Okay, calm down!" Hitomi gripped the arms of her now yelling friend. "Did you guys talk at all?"
"No! I left before he woke up! I don't even know if he realizes he did anything and with me. What am I going to do?"
"Talk to him."
"About what? The fact that we fu -"
"No. About where you stand."
"Hitomi!" Merle wailed. "It was supposed to be special! The first time was supposed be special! And not only that, SOMETHING I COULD REMEMBER!"
"We all want it to be special."
"Was yours?"
Hitomi blushed. "I - uh - you see...." There was an awkward pause.
"Oh, sorry Hitomi! I guess I just presumed you and Van..."
"No! I mean yes! We have! But... it was special. And I just didn't wanna shove that in your face since you're so upset about this."
"I have no idea what to do!"
"Just, I dunno, let it work itself out. You'll have to talk to him eventually."
"I know." Merle leaned over to hug Hitomi.
* * *
"Meeeeeerle!" Millerna screeched when she saw her friend walking towards them in the hall.
"Hey!"
All seven of them were gathered near Dilandau's locker during lunch on Wednesday. As Merle approached, Dilandau felt a twinge of something. Before he could identify it, it was gone and he was left with a feeling of missing something important.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Merle asked through clenched teeth as she grabbed Millerna and Hitomi's arms.
"Er, okay. Be right back!" Hitomi called over her shoulder.
Once they were out of earshot, Merle turned on them, looking frightened. "Help me," she said.
"With what?" Millerna asked.
"I'm late."
"For...?"
"No, you don't get it. I'm late."
"Oh fuck." Hitomi clasped a hand to her mouth.
Millerna ran her fingers through her hair. "Okay, it was only last Friday, right? It's probably just your body sorting something out. Just a false alarm."
"And if it's not? It's not like I wouldn't know who the dad is! How would I tell him?"
"You could always get an abortion," Hitomi suggested hesitantly.
"That's horrible!" Millerna cried.
"But it would be my only choice." Merle's voice was firm. "How could this happen?!" She massaged her temples. "I can't go to class. I won't be able to concentrate. I'm gonna head to a pharmacy or something, see if I can pick up one of those little pregnancy testers."
"Want us to come?"
"No. I'll go alone."
"You sure?" Millerna asked.
"Yeah. I'll have to go sooner or later."
Both Hitomi and Millerna hugged Merle before she left. They walked back to the others, Hitomi squeezing Millerna's hand anxiously.
"What's up?" Dilandau questioned. "Where's Merle going?"
"Shut it Dilandau," Millerna snapped, confusing him.
"What happened?" Dryden enquired.
Hitomi just shook her head, looking at Millerna.
* * *
After climbing out Van's window, Hitomi started to walk. She was going to her dad's house to spend the night. Ever since moving out of her mom's, she'd spent most of her time at Van's or at other friends'. Her dad had called saying he never saw her and she should come spend some time with him and Mamoru. Not giving him a definite time, she said she'd be over later that day.
As she walked past her mom's house, the door opened and for the first time since being pushed down the stairs, Hitomi was facing her mother alone. Her mother took a step out the door, clearly going out for something. When she saw Hitomi she stopped.
"Hi mom," Hitomi said quietly.
"Hitomi," her mother whispered. "How are you?"
With a shrug, she replied, "I'm alright. Just heading to dad's."
She could almost see her mother's shoulders droop. "I see. I guess you wouldn't have time to come in for some coffee or anything, would you?"
"Um... Well, I told dad I would be there before five, so I guess I could have a cup of coffee; I have time."
Hitomi's mother smiled and for a moment she could have passed for a slightly older version of Hitomi. If Van or anyone else had been there, their objections to Hitomi going into her mother's house probably would have changed her mind. But she was there by herself so she went into her old house. There was a purse and some clothes sitting near the door.
"Oh, those are some of your things you left here," her mother said lightly.
"Oh, thanks."
There was a pause as Hitomi's mother put on some coffee. "I've been going to counselling you know."
"That's good mom."
"My lawyer said maybe in a year or so, it would be suitable for me to ask to share custody with your father."
"Mmm…"
"Would you like that?"
"It'd be nice mom."
"I miss you guys."
"I miss you too."
"Then come back and stay with me!"
"You know I can't."
"Why not?"
Sighing, Hitomi said, "Because I don't know if I can trust you."
"I've changed Hitomi!"
"How do I know that?"
"...."
"I can't know for sure."
"Yet you trust your father?"
"Yeah, he's never done anything to me or Mamoru."
"I know. But that doesn't mean he was good to me Hitomi."
"What do you mean?
"Why do you think we divorced?"
"Because you weren't getting along."
"That's how it started. Then he started to get angry with me and he -"
"Stop. I don't want to hear this!"
"You need to know Hitomi. He's just as bad as I am." Her mother set two cups of coffee on the table.
"No he isn't. He has never laid a finger on either of us. That makes him a whole lot better than you!"
"Hitomi please come back!"
But Hitomi had already started to the door. Quickly she slipped on her shoes and left her old house. She could hear her mother's yells as she walked down the street. She was heading to her fathers. But now her mom had raised a question in her mind:
Was she really any safer there?
(A/N: *singing* And the man in the back said everyone attack, and it turned into a ballroom blitz! And the girl in the corner said boy I - ... Oh, hey guys! Didn't see ya there! Just jammin' to my music! It's great fun! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, there should be some more fairly soon. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO END THE STORY! Any ideas? If you have some, send 'em in on Review! And if you don't, send a Review in anyways!)