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"I hate you Takato Matsuki!"
For some reason, that single memory seemed to recover and reveal itself to me as I fell against my bed after that odd course of action that had happened. It seemed to echo in my mind as I stared up at the ceiling.
I remembered that cry of hatred all too well. I hadn't understood what had gone on as I heard it, but I learned soon afterwards what caused it - Crystal had felt her heart split in two.
"Crystal isn't going to be too happy about this..." I whispered to myself.
Suddenly, I heard my door open and close with a slight creak. Footsteps rumbled against the wooden floor of my bedroom and I felt my bed shake slightly. Someone's presence was next to me against the bed, sitting down near my legs, but I couldn't tell who it was.
"What were you thinking?" a voice asked me.
"Wha?"
"You heard me. What the hell were you thinking, gogglehead?"
"The problem is," I responded, as I propped myself up onto the bed so I made eye contact, "is that I wasn't thinking."
"You weren't thinking. What a lovely excuse."
"Look, I know it sounds bad, Rika."
"So then what? Do you just end up falling for every girl you see and that's around you?" She had a nasty tone to her voice as she looked at me ice-cold with those pale violet colored eyes of hers. I could see just from her stare why they called her the ice queen.
"No! It's just..."
"Then I don't see your point."
I sighed. "This is all too hard to explain to you."
"Try me."
"I love Crystal... I just don't understand why I kissed Jeri."
"Is that all?"
"It's the easiest way I can explain it right now."
"It's a dumb explanation."
I fell silent. I lacked a remark for that one.
Rika sighed. "Lemme tell you something about Crystal."
"What?"
"She doesn't take too well to things that break her heart." She shifted uneasily on the bed.
"Yeah, I can kinda tell."
"No... I mean... remember when she ran away back when she was an exchange student here?"
"Yeah... a little too well."
"She was worse when her parents were splitting up. She used to live over here, with her parents. Her mom decided to move to California... She disappeared for two weeks, and the police had to track her down."
"So I'm guessing--"
Rika interrupted me, although she answered my question. "My point is that this is probably going to get her just as bad."
"What do I do about it then?"
I heard a long sigh. "I think the best thing you can do is tell her."
"That doesn't make any sense, though!" I was sitting right up by then, practically yelling at her. "If this is gonna hurt her so much then why would I tell her?"
"Shhhh! The others are gonna hear you!" She hissed loudly. "You don't exactly have a soundproof room you know!"
I lowered my voice to match her volume. "Why would I tell her?" I asked again.
"Because she's gonna have to find out from somewhere. And if she doesn't hear it from you she's going to think you're a cheating bastard."
I fell silent again, but quickly spoke up again in my own defense. "Isn't there some way she doesn't have to find out?"
"Do you want her to think you're a liar?"
I bit my lip. "So there's no way around this."
"Nope."
"... Can I tell her after the second round?"
"What?" Rika looked at me in a peculiar way.
"The second round is the partner dance. If I were to tell her before that... that would mean that she might get disqualified."
"Takato!" She was practically yelling in my ear, "WHY are you thinking about the freakin' DANCE COMPETITION right now!"
"Lower your voice!" I hissed at her. "I'm worrying about it because I don't want her to hate me if she does end up dancing with me anyway... And also, I know she's been working hard. This dance competition means a lot to her."
"Well... You're right about that one." Her voice dropped a few octaves quickly. "This is her first competition since she stopped taking the lessons her parents gave her."
I blinked suprisingly. "Crystal hasn't been in a competition for that long?"
"Yup. She's hoping that she might be able to bring the trophy back for her parents, and show them that she can still dance."
"What, they don't believe in her?"
"Not really. They've always been kinda doubtful that she's going to quit again... And that her skills aren't as good as they used to be."
"Well, that's a good enough reason for me to want to help her."
"Takato.. you realise that she might disappear again after the second round, right?"
"...I guess I gotta be willing to take that chance."
A smirk lay on Rika's face as she got up, and she walked towards the door, her back facing me.
"Well... just don't forget about it. Tell her right after the second round."
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I lack enthusiasm today. Uhm... please review.