Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my characters.
Title: The Choices We Make
Chapter 2: Sakuno's secret
Author's Note: SOOO SORRY IT TOOK ME FOREVER TO GET THIS UP! I hope I have not offended anyone with Narumi and what I have wrote about her so far. I wrote it the way one of my friends was made fun of taking out some very hurtful words. (I will kill anyone who's making fun of people out of prejudice! So I'm warning you!)
As a warning there will be some implied yuri (female and female relationships) so if you are uncomfortable, stop reading!
Scene 1:
Sakuno walked quickly, dragging the older girl behind her. As they got farther from the school she began to slow her pace until they both walked side by side.
"You seem slightly upset with me." Narumi was looking at her innocently. It was the look of a child trying to convince someone that the smears of chocolate on her face were not from the chocolate cake she wasn't supposed to eat.
"I thought you said you changed your ways." Sakuno said looking away. Narumi frowned a little hurt.
"I have but he was being mean to you. No one is allowed to be mean to you." Sakuno let out a frustrated sigh.
"I don't need you to come to my rescue all the time. I can handle myself. I've grown up." Narumi stopped walking. Sakuno turned around to face her. "I don't have time to play little kid games like we used to."
Narumi looked at Sakuno deeply hurt and sad. "I never played those games for fun Sakuno. I played because it was the only time I had to be with you."
Sakuno looked at Narumi, the guilt bubbling in her stomach. Narumi walked forward, closing the distance between them. She knelt down in front of Sakuno.
"I know you're mad at me because I might have hurt your rep but I came all the way to see you and I want to find out what I missed since I left." Sakuno looked at Narumi, who smiled gently.
"Ok."
Narumi stood up and adjusted her guitar. She took Sakuno's hand and led them to a café.
Scene 2:
A few buildings away, the Seigaku tennis team was following the two girls. Although some were not as keen to be stalking Sakuno, the others had forced them to come.
"They went in here!" Eiji said pointing at the door furiously. "Let's go! Hurry!" Pushing everyone in they found a table near by where they could watch. Eiji looked at the table and saw Sakuno getting up to go to the washroom.
"May I take your order?" asked a waitress.
"Can we have two sweet teas?" Narumi said rather than asked. The waitress wrote it down and paused.
"I know it isn't any of my business but are you being followed?" The boys stiffened. The waitress had seen them. They'd never be able to watch Sakuno if they were discovered. There must be a reason Sakuno would hang out with a punk.
"I don't think so but I'll keep my eye out for you." The waitress left the table and Sakuno returned.
"So, did you order?"
"Yup. Now how have you been? I haven't seen you in..." Narumi frowned as she counted in her head.
"Two and a half years." Sakuno replied.
"Wow, really? I thought it was longer."
Their drinks were set on the table and they were left alone again. Eiji frowned angrily. "So she hasn't picked on Sakuno for years and came back to get her!"
"Eiji, she seems to be very nice to Ryuzaki. I think we can rule out her being a bully."
"Besides, Eiji-senpai, why would a bully bring a victim to a café?" Ryoma asked coolly.
Eiji huffed at the other boys and returned to listening to the girls. "So why did you come out here to visit me?" Sakuno asked sipping at the tea.
"You didn't get my message?" the girl asked sipping at the drink. "Everyone misses you and we wanted you to come back for Bret's birthday."
"I've never met him before."
"I know but now you will get to meet him. You'll like him. He kicked...you-know-who out." Sakuno froze in her seat. "Oh hey, sorry. I just..."
"Don't worry about it." Sakuno looked down at her shoes and fidgeted with her fingers. "I'll be ok."
Narumi swirled the drink around. "I guess this new school of yours is better for you than ours."
"It's good. I've made lots of new friends and I'm..."
"Safe?" Narumi interrupted.
Sakuno opened her mouth but the girl waved off her answer, dismissing Sakuno's appology. Sakuno gulped down some of her tea and continued. "Narumi, I miss you a lot but things just..."
"I know...but it's like we never knew each other."
"So what do you think we should do? Try and start again?"
"Not back from where we left it?" Narumi asked. Sakuno flinched slightly. It seems she was caught in her mistake. Sakuno looked away trying to find something to concentrate on.
The sound of Namuri's voice surprised her. "That sounds good. I just broke it off with someone anyway. Plus I have to relearn how to make you smile."
Sakuno looked up in surprise. Narumi wasn't looking at her right now. She was sipping her tea and looking out the window. She looked back and smiled. "Is that ok with you?"
Sakuno almost jumped out of her seat with joy. A pure smile spread itself on her face. "Yes."
"So tell what's been happening since you changed schools?"
The Seigaku tennis team was shocked at the conversation they were hearing. The girls had spoken so vaguely that the boys were completely lost. "How weird; I didn't know Ryuzaki-san went to a different school."
"Two years ago would have been in elementary school so she must've gone somewhere else."
"But still! I wonder what happened."
They stopped when they heard the pushing of chairs and the jingling of change. The two girls had gotten up and Narumi had laid down the money despite Sakuno's protests. Narumi collected her guitar and the latté she ordered. They left and the boys soon followed.
The girls boarded the bus and were engaged in conversation. Namuri teased and joked, making Sakuno laugh. They chatted all the way downtown where they got off and walked to a large school.
A large group of kids were still at school, although school had been let out more than a half hour ago. They were mostly hanging out and talking. A group of cheerleaders were prancing around in short skirt and shirts. One girl was laughing as some boys said something to her and stuffed some money in her hand.
"What is Sakuno doing in a place like this?"
"I don't know but it isn't safe here. We should go get her out of her and escort her home." Oishi said looking around distastefully.
The boys followed Sakuno and Namuri, receiving many stares but were otherwise ignored. They were a safe enough distance away that they didn't seem to be following anyone.
As they went around behind the school they saw an outdoor stage. A lot of kids were hanging around here. They seemed to be preparing for a show: examining equipment and testing music. Sakuno and Namuri went on stage and greeted the people there.
"Hey guys, how's it going?"
They looked up and rushed to the pair of girls. To say they were jumping for joy would be an understatement. They were screaming in delight and hugging Sakuno. She smiled and returned their gestures.
"Sakuno we missed you so much. Life just hasn't been the same. We could so use your help right now. No one can command attention like you. You want to take a whirl for old time's sake?"
Sakuno smiled. "Sure, why not?"
The group dispersed leaving a few people on stage with their instruments. Namuri set up her guitar and started playing a cord. The music seemed to flow from there as the rest of the band launched into the song. They nodded reassuringly to Sakuno who sang quietly so she could barely be heard.
Namuri approached her and helped her sing it to reassure her. As the song faded the band groaned in disappointment. "What did they do to you? They ruined you!" one of them complained and hugged Sakuno, sobbing.
"I just haven't been practicing." Sakuno said prying herself out of the musician's embrace.
The group whined and complained but Namuri shut them up, telling them to back off. They all muttered something and left. Namuri packed up her guitar and took Sakuno to a small park. The boys hid in the bushes by the swings and listened carefully.
"Things seem so different. You were right: It's like I never knew you guys."
"Now it seems like you forgot who you were too." Namuri said, seating Sakuno on a swing. She put down her guitar and pushed the swing gently. "Why did you stop practicing? You were really good."
"It just brought back bad memories of that...thing that happened...and after a point I just didn't practice."
Namuri pushed the swing back and forth. The two remained silent for a while. "Who were those people that were being mean to you at your school?"
Eiji would've cried out at the injustice remark of HIM being mean, had Oishi not restrained him.
"They're the stars of the boy's tennis team."
"I don't like them too much."
"You would if you got to know them."
"Not likely but if you like them I guess they can't be bad."
Sakuno stopped the swing and stood up. "Namuri-san, I hate this! I've been nervous all day so I can't put this off anymore. I need to tell you it's over!" Namuri sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Sakuno huffed to regain the girl's attention. "I'm serious! I'm not the same person anymore and I can't have you coming around and shedding light on my secret."
"I'm not going to tell anybody. I haven't even told anyone at my school. I wouldn't do that to you, Sakuno-chan. I kicked you-know-who's butt and made sure he left you alone after I found out. But nothing changed between us!"
"I changed. I can't mix my new life up with my old one. It just doesn't work." Sakuno was crying. Namuri knelt down in front of her for the second time that day. She hugged Sakuno gently and kissed her cheek comfortingly.
"I know you don't want anyone to know and I'll leave you alone if you want me to but I will always care about you. I won't stand for anyone hurting you because I love you."
The Seigaku boys were petrified with the vague explanation. Their imaginations conjured horrific tales to fill in the vagueness of the conversation.
"We better get out of here before they find us." All the boys crept out not looking back as what they thought they knew about Sakuno crumbled before them.
-To be continued-
Author's note: What did you think? I know I made Sakuno a little bit lesbian but fear not: SHE WILL BE STRAIGHT BY THE END OF THIS! Sorry to anyone who enjoys reading yuri but I'm just terrible at writing it. Please note that there will, from this point on be some implied yuri but it is all pretty much background info. (BTW: Sakuno and Namuri have a relationship I'll embellish later!)
Hope you enjoyed and please R&R! I REALLY appreciated the reviews I got because I have a pathetic record of reviews. (In all honesty, my highest was ten before I gave up.)