Alrighty, time for another chapter.  But first I'd like to address an issue…Some reviewers have been asking me when our two fave pen pals will meet, which is an acceptable inquiry.  The answer: It won't happen for QUITE some time.  I know I may loose some readers with this statement, but I'd like to be honest.  The frequency of letters will be lessening in future chapters due to the complexity of their lives, but there are still MANY chapters until they actually meet.  I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, and aren't just skipping ahead until they finally come together.  If that's the case, all the coincidences at the end of the story won't make sense.  Their inside jokes will go right over your head!  Fell free to let me know if you all are ok with this format, although I will not be changing my mind.  If I loose readers because of this, so be it.  I'm more interested in writing a good story, then cutting character development to get to the "good stuff".  Thanks Dariel for your date correction, haha, I didn't catch that at all!  Hope you all continue reading!

                                                                                                ***Esca-lover

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            Dear Van,                                                                 May 14, 1992

              How is everything?  I haven't heard back from you yet, so I'm assuming that you're busy.  That's alright.  I guess I just wanted to let you know how my talk with Kari went.

            I told you that she was spending all of her time with Gaddes, her boyfriend, right?  Well, I thought waiting a while might be the best thing.  I mean, they hadn't been going out for very long, so maybe if I let them get to know each other things would go back to normal. To make a long story short, the exact opposite happened.  The two were inseparable!!  I would call Kari on the phone and ask her to hang out.  First, she'd say something like, 'Ya!  Of course, I'd love to hang out with you Hitomi!  It's been a while, hasn't it?' and then three minutes later, right after we had finalized plans, she'd get a beep on her phone and tell me it was her other line.  I would end up on hold for at least 5 minutes.  Guess who!  After an eternity of waiting Kari would click back and ask, 'Oh Hitomi!  Gaddes wants to take me to a movie tonight, and I've wanted to see it for soooo long!  Do you think we could reschedule?  I'd love you forever if we could!' This little ritual happened almost every time I called her.  It was either Gaddes this, or Gaddes that.  Even my other friends at school were saying how attached they were.  Finally I couldn't stand it anymore.  If she thought he was more important then me, so be it, but I had to tell her how upset I was.  So, yesterday at school I saw her in the lunchroom with the ever faithful Gaddes at her side.  I stopped my hurl instinct and went over to her.  'Kari?' I said, 'do you think I could talk to you, alone?' She kinda got this confused look on her face and whined, 'Awww Hitomi, I'm sure whatever you have to say you can say it in front of Gaddes too!  He won't tell, promise.'  I looked at Gaddes, and he nodded his head obediently as he firmly grasped Kari's hand.  What?  I couldn't believe she wouldn't take five minutes out of her time to talk to me alone.  Or maybe, I had been replaced.  I was so hurt, Van.  She wanted Gaddes to be a part of our private talk? Fine.  I just needed to get it out.  So, I sat down calmly and started picking at my sandwich.  'Tomi? Weren't you gonna ask me something?' Kari asked.  It was her tone that set me off.  She sounded irritated, or anxious to get the conversation finished.  I slammed my hands on the table and yelled, 'FINE KARI!  Lets get this over and done with!  All I wanted to say was that I miss you, and I wish you would actually care that you don't spend anytime with me anymore…BUT WAIT! You couldn't care less.  Now that you have a boyfriend you've been nothing but high and mighty.  Whenever I call, I get blown off, and whenever we actually DO hang out, Gaddes is always there with us, following like some lost puppy!  He's a nice guy Kari, he really is.  I can tell that he cares about you, and that's great.  But what about our friendship…?  I just feel like I've lost my best friend…and I…I miss you…' I started to tear up so I ran out of the room. I was so embarrassed.  Why was I crying?  I guess I realized how sad I was about the whole thing.  It wasn't about me wanting to have a boyfriend like I had thought.  I just wanted my best friend back.  I could deal with sharing her, I really could.  But why didn't she care!

            I ran to the only place I knew I'd have privacy: the girls bathroom.  I went into a stall and sat on the toilet seat, trying to stop my tears.  All of a sudden, I heard a knock on the door.  It was Kari. 'Hitomi?  Are you in there?  Please come out…I'm really sorry…'  It was so strange, Van.  She started crying!  Why?  What was she sad about?  I was kinda shocked, so I opened the door and found her wiping her face and looking really upset.  'TOMI!' she cried and hugged me.  'I'm soooo sorry, Tomi.  I didn't know that I was ignoring you, I didn't mean to, honest.  I was just so excited about having a real boyfriend, that I lost all focus.  I hope you can forgive me.  I've missed you too…Gaddes is fun, but he burps in public! How gross is that!'  Suddenly we both burst into giggles.  'I forgive you, Kari…. on one condition.  You have to buy me ice cream on the way home!' I laughed as I hugged her back.  After that, I felt so much better!  Gaddes even apologized to me for taking up too much of our "best friend time".  He really is a nice guy.  I'm so glad things worked out! 

            Wow, that was a long one for a single story.  Sorry about that Van!  How are things with your friends?  Dilly? Chid?  I hope you are all getting along.  How's your dad?  Did the surgery go well?  Oh!  I forgot to tell you about where we are moving to.  It looks like Chicago, but we are going to wait until the baby is born to start looking.  Mom doesn't want to travel a whole lot until the baby is at least a few months old. Write back soon.

                                                                                                Your Friend,

                                                                                                            Hitomi

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            Dear Hitomi,                                                                        May 30, 1992

            Sorry it took me so long to write back, I've had a huge project that I've been working on, and the family has wanted to spend more time together ever since dad's collapse.  He's doing a lot better!  The surgery went well, and he was able to come home too.  He hasn't been working, so money has been a little tight, but I'm just glad he's all right.  Folken is working more hours now at the Burger King, and I'm looking to see if I can pick up an extra route. 

            Ok, I don't mean to sound rude, but why do girls always have to be so dramatic?  I'm just confused why it takes so long for girls to resolve things.  Dilly and I haven't been getting along either because I've been hanging out with Chid.  So, I asked him after school one day if he was ok with me having other friends.  He said 'ya,' I said, 'cool,' and that was the end of it.  In fact the three of us went out to the beach a few days ago and played sand volleyball against some other kids.  We kicked butt, it was awesome.  Anyways, I'm glad you and Kari worked things out.  I wouldn't want some guy to get in the way of your friendship.  Gaddes is kinda whipped, huh.

            Are you glad you're moving to Chicago and not New York City?  I've heard it's kinda rough there, but I'm sure you can handle yourself.  If you're waiting for the baby to be born though, you still have some time.  I've never lived anywhere but here.  I think it'd be exciting to go someplace new.  Then again, I love California, and I think I'd really miss the ocean if I moved east.  Have you ever been there?  The ocean, I mean.  You really should see it if you haven't.  My mom used to take us to the beach when we were little, right before sunset so we could watch the stars come out.  The game was whoever saw the first star wins, haha.  Now that I look back on it, I loved those times.  Father would come too, before he had his own business.  He would tell us that the stars were magical, and that if you wished on one, your dream would really come true.  'Don't be impatient if you don't get your wish right away,' he would say.  'All good dreams take time.' Ya, I know, it sounds like a rip off of Pinocchio, but I still believed it.  

            So, have I ever felt like I needed a girlfriend, huh?  Honestly I can say no, I haven't.  They seem kinda stressful, haha.  But I guess I've never met a girl I was interested in like that.  Don't get me wrong! I like girls…I'm just really picky, that's all.  That Naria girl has been talking to me still.  You know, the one who wrote the note at the beginning of the year?  She's alright I guess.  Every once in a while she'll bring me some cookies or something, but I wouldn't call her my girlfriend.  I think she just has a crush on me.  Chid on the other hand is always surrounded by girls.  I don't know how he can stand it!  Not that girls can't be fun, but they are always drooling all over him in the halls, it's kinda annoying.  He had a girlfriend for a while, but she started stalking him so he dumped her.  Good move on his part, I think.  When she started looking into his house through the windows at night just so she could peek in on him, it was a little scary. 

            Anyways, I better go.  It's late, and I have to get up early for work.  Have a good day and hope to hear back from you.

                                                                                                Your Friend,

                                                                                                            Van

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Alright! Another chapter down!  Phew!  These keep getting longer, haha.  PLEASE REVIEW!  And to all my fave authors out there, update soon!!!  Have a great day all, God Bless!