Remembrance, an azumanga daioh fanfic

Remembrance

by: Dr. Rex Greylin

Kaorin picked up the picture and giggled.

"Oh my God. Did Osaka take this picture? She really needs to learn how to use the 'red-eye' removal thing. Honestly," she said with a sparkle in her eye. "And I don't know why Tomo was wearing that hat. It's so bad. What was she thinking back then?"

Tomo looked up and her jaw fell.

"What?" Yomi asked.

"This is the place I grew up," Tomo said as she looked at her, "I guess the new landlord fixed that busted porch finally."

"Sure looks like it. Hey, didn't you ever wish you could afford to get more souvenirs on our class trips?"

"Nah," Tomo said, off-handedly. "I never felt like I was all that broke growing up. Hell, it wasn't until I got into college that I realized how poor we were back then."

"You remember sneaking out after 'lights out'?"

"Yeah," Tomo replied, snickering. "I also remember how many times I just about broke my neck climbing down to escape."

Yukari looked up at the building that stood in front of her and slowly realized what it was.

"Oh my God," she said. "I haven't been here in a long time. As long as I've been a teacher, I never went back to my old high school." She giggled under her breath. "I guess maybe I shouldn't have skipped out so much. Remember running around after hours, Nyamo?"

Nyamo turned to her and said, "Yeah. And I remember getting caught a few times as well."

Yukari sighed. "Maybe I should go back in and try to get a real diploma."

"Why bother?" Nyamo asked. "We have a better life now. And besides, I don't think they'd let you back there."

"And why not?"

Nyamo simply smiled.

Every memory of looking out the back door,

I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor.

Its hard to say it, time to say it,

Goodbye, goodbye.

"Hey, Kagura, do you remember that karaoke bar we always used to hang out in?"

"Yeah, I do," Kagura said. "Why do you ask, Ayumu?"

Ayumu smiled in the memory. "No reason. I was just wondering if its still there."

"Probably not," Kagura sighed. "I heard that the building was gutted by a fire a few years ago."

"Oh," Ayumu said dejected. "That really sucks. I remember you could really sing."

Kagura smiled. "Yeah. Maybe I should've been a singer instead of a gym teacher."

The girl walking past made Sakaki do a double-take.

"Kaorin?"

When the girl turned, Sakaki realized she had mistaken her. "Sorry. I thought you were someone else," she said, apologetically. "You just reminded me of an old friend for a second."

She flashed back to college. Kaorin had followed her to the same university and they had ended up as roommates in the dorm. Every time Sakaki came into the room, Kaorin blushed and fumbled some excuse as to why she was gawking at her. One night they were talking and Kaorin blurted out how she felt. How much she admired Sakaki "-san."

The kiss was unplanned. It was almost funny how it happened, the way they both turned their heads the same way for what seemed like half an hour before they finally got it right.

She wondered how Kaorin was doing now. The last she heard, she had gotten married to Kimura-sensei's nephew. Probably has a few kids now. How long has it been? A couple years, close to a decade since they last saw each other?

Every memory of walking out the front door.

I found the photo of the friend I've been looking for.

It's hard to say it, time to say it.

Goodbye, goodbye.

Chiyo thought back to Japan. She missed the good times she had back in high school with the girls, the times they spent at her beach house smashing melons and sunning themselves in the summer. The scandalous talks that Nyamo and Yukari-chan had with them when they got drunk. Memories she wouldn't trade for the world. All those years ago and she couldn't believe she actually missed hanging out with them.

When she left to study overseas, she couldn't believe how much she didn't want to go at first. But she needed to get out. She felt so stifled being ten in a school where everyone else was almost eighteen.

Her phone rang. The number she didn't recognize.

"Chiyo-chan?" the voice on the other end said. "It's Ayumu."

She smiled. "Oh my God, Osaka! How are you?"

"I'm doing pretty good," Osaka replied. "Hey, Tomo and Yomi are trying to get everyone back together for a trip to the beach house this summer just like old times. Can you make it? And I promise no riding in the Yukari-mobile."

Chiyo laughed. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

If I could relive those days,

I know the one thing that would never change...

She went to get her yearbook from the box it was in for the last twenty years. As she went to open it, a picture fell out. Picking it up and looking at it, a smile came over her face. She pulled another photo out of her pocket and compared them. They looked the same, except for in the new picture they were all twenty-five years older. The whole gang at the beach house gathered together, smiling like fools…

A/N:

This is only my second piece of fan fiction I've ever written. I heard "Photograph" and the idea just leaped into my head. Please don't flame me if it's not canon, I haven't seen the whole series at this point.