(19) When you lose your way

"Are you alright? Does your arm hurt?"

They had been on the road for about ten minutes and it was already the fifth time that Haruka was looking worriedly at her. Michiru shook her head, smiling. Then she turned up the radio a little bit, because she wanted to listened to that particular song. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the music.

It did not snow right now and the streets were clear. Haruka suggested to drive to a secret location she did not want to give away since they had no school anymore. Not until after the holidays. Dr. Tomoe gave the blonde an attest, as well, so that their teacher could not torture them, or better, Haruka, with unannounced tests. Michiru wanted to protest at first that it would look strange if their principal saw them in the arcade, but Haruka told her that they would drive somewhere else. Michiru saw her best friend's sparkling eyes and decided to give in and let Haruka surprise her.

"Will you give me at least a hint to where you are kidnapping me?" Michiru did not open her eyes, but she could feel Haruka's wicked grin.

"Hai. It has something to do with Christmas."

"Great hint." The sea beauty giggled amused. "There's hardly a week left till the holidays, I guess everything is connected to Christmas somehow at a time like this."

"Okay." Haruka stopped at a red light and softened the radio after Michiru's song had ended. "A better hint… a better hint…" Michiru felt the car turning around several corners, but still she did not open her eyes. She knew that Haruka could race the car with frightening speed if she wanted to, but she had never been involved in an accident. Michiru felt safe when her best friend was driving.

"Well… it has something to do with your bouncing silver stuff."

"A tree?" Now Michiru's eyes snapped open and she looked surprised at the blonde. "We're buying a Christmas tree?"

"Did you think I would buy it without you?" Haruka looked at her with studied horror. "Now I'm hurt!"

"You decided for pine and since I've been in hospital the past two days…"

"That's out! We'll buy it together so it fits to both our concepts. Then you'll throw all those balls at it and I'll hope that they won't come jumping back."

It's our first Christmas together.

It's going to be great.

Michiru grinned and leaned back again in her seat, ignoring the pain increasing in her arm when she made a wrong move. She already took her medicine and decided that she would not let her injury control her life, especially not their Christmas tree shopping.

"That's fantastic, Ruka."

"Hai… it is…" Haruka turned around another corner and her face fell as an empty road greeted them. Suddenly all the other cars were gone, just as all the other shops along the street. Only some gardens and detached houses welcomed them. "If only I'd be able to find that stupid address!"

Haruka was a great car driver, however, her sense of orientation was not the best, especially when she was driving in an unknown area - like this one.

"Where did you originally wanted to go?" asked Michiru who knew that her friend had got lost. Again.

"There." A pamphlet was gently pushed into her healthy hand as Haruka turned the car around. The sea beauty took it and studied it as she had studied many maps before, as it was normally her task. Haruka was driving the car and she was reading the map to lead them to their goal fast and safely. Only that Haruka had wanted to surprise her today and took a wrong turn - or even the wrong district. Michiru was glad that Haruka always found back to the boarding school after her car cruises. Otherwise the situation would have become very embarrassing: To explain their teachers that Haruka would be late for school, because she only wanted to buy rice at the next supermarket and ended up in Osaka instead.

"I guess…" Michiru tried to read the street sign and looked again at the advertisement. It had a small map on it to show them the way to "Christmas-Tree-Paradise". It was a strange name, indeed, but as long as they had nice pine trees Michiru did not mind. "Turn left at the next opportunity and then…"

"… and then straight ahead, right?"

"That's only because you can see the big trees blinking green in the twilight."

"Didn't know that it's so huge."

"Huge is good, that means more choice." Michiru put the pamphlet away and searched for her gloves. Since she could not use her arm properly it took her some time to slip them on. Haruka had already been helping her with her boots and her cloak, but she did not want to feel all too helpless.

"Thanks for leading the way. Guess I'd be lost sometimes if I didn't have you." Haruka shrugged her shoulders and steered towards the parking space. Now there were again many cars on the road and many people walked on the pavement. Some of them, mostly men, were carrying small, big and even very unwieldy looking trees. Indeed, this place was crowded, as were almost all shopping places in Tokyo so shortly before Christmas, but Michiru was sure that they would not meet their principal or any teacher. Now, they would go into this "Christmas-Tree-Paradise" and drive the salesman crazy before they could decide for a nice pine, probably the same pine they would look at right at the beginning of their two hour discussion. Michiru would enjoy every single minute.

"I'm pleased to be your trustworthy navigation system. Only feed me with two candied apples per day and you'll be happy with me for many years."

"I'll keep that in mind, my little system." Haruka laughed and opened the door. Cold air was getting immediately into the car's interior and Michiru shivered. Her best friend held open the door for her and helped her with her scarf and her jacket's buttons, always caring not to touch the sea beauty's injured arm.

"Shall we go and find the most perfect pine tree?" She offered Michiru her right hand to lead her over the icy underground. Michiru took it with her healthy one and nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course!"

I'd be lost, too, if I didn't have you, Ruka.