Sometimes Minori felt like the whole world was against her.

"You hate me! You want me to be upset! You want me to suffer!" shouted Minori. With each word she slammed her bedroom door. Dad hated her. Dad wanted her to be unhappy. He was always going on and on and on about how he only wanted the best for her but really he just wanted the best for himself. He was only here, he had only dragged her to this country, for his stupid business stuff. Now he was going to have her rot here because he wanted to make more money or whatever even though they already had a ton of it!

Dad could be so selfish sometimes.

"You're so selfish! You don't care about me! You don't care if I live or die!" shouted Minori. She slammed her door a few more times just so dad got the message and then she locked it. God. Dad was such a pain in the ass sometimes. She had asked him, nicely, if they would be moving back home anytime soon. Back to Japan where she actually knew what other people were talking about and she had some actual friends. Well not actual friends, all of her friends had shown themselves to be backstabbing bitches, but she at least had people to hang out with. There was literally NO ONE here. Not a single person she could even so much as say 'hi' to!

Even Shige had moved back to Japan!

Which was the worst of it! Shige was he friend and she just up and left one day because of her dad's work. God. Dads were the worst. They said that they cared about you but really they just did whatever they wanted. They said that they only wanted to make you happy but then they just went and dragged you across the ocean like it was nothing! God…she wished that mom was still around. Mom would have talked some sense into dad…but then mom had to go and die…God. Both of her parents were selfish…and all of her friends were selfish….and now she was all alone…

She hated being alone!

Dad was trying to talk to her through the door. She didn't listen. He was saying some crap about how they had to move because of her behavior or whatever. There was nothing wrong with how she acted. She had done her best but when people backstabbed you then they had to pay. Dad didn't get it. Everyone was always kissing his ass because of who he was. Well she didn't have that luxury. She only knew kids and kids were different than adults. They weren't all 'Oh Asgiri-san you're the best person ever to live please give me some of your money' or whatever it was that people said to dad when she wasn't around. No, nobody gave her even the most basic form of respect….

And what was even worse was that they had all turned their backs on her!

Even Shige! Well…ok, maybe not Shige. Yeah…her dad just dragged her off without even telling her. So maybe she got it. Minori didn't know. All she knew was that she didn't want to talk to her dad. She had tried reasoning with him, she had tried begging him, and now she had tried being extra reasonable but still nothing. He didn't listen. Nobody listened. Shige was the only one who listened…well that was just because she didn't know how to do much else.

Socially impaired Shige….her best friend…and that was so, incredibly, sad.

"Dad! Go away!" shouted Minori. She hit the door so hard one of her press on nails popped off….great.

"Minori, stop this. You're worrying me." Said Dad. Minori rolled her eyes. Oh no, she was worrying him. Whatever would she do? Her dad was so worried about her….sure he was. He was just SO worried…he just wanted her to knock it off. Well then that was fine. She would knock it off when he brought her back home to Japan where she belonged.

"Why can't you just leave me alone, dad!?" shouted Minori. Dad was still there….and it was so sad that he thought that she was just going to let him in just like that. No. She would rot in this room since that was what dad wanted. He wanted to talk to….that was fine. He could talk to her once he took her back home to Japan where she belonged!

"Minori, please, let me in." said Dad. He knocked at the door. She wasn't going to let him in. Who did he think he was? What, he thought that just because he was her dad and this was his house that he could just let himself in whenever he wanted to? Uh….no!

"Shut up Dad!" shouted Minori. She wished that Shige had been there just so she could have seen the look on her face. She had said, before, that she never talked to her dad like that. Her dad loved her, she said, and her dad never stopped her from doing anything. She could drink and smoke and hang out with adults and hot guys and wear whatever makeup she wanted and dress however she wanted…even though she dressed like a blind first grader had picked out her clothes….and it just wasn't fair! Why did she get to be so lucky!

And why did Minori have to be so unlucky!

It just wasn't fair! Shige of all people was cool and she got to do whatever she wanted and it just…wasn't fair! Shige got to be back in Japan and she was probably drinking or smoking with her adult friends while Minori was being held prisoner here in her house…and not even her house! He had four houses and they were all in Japan! Where she lived! Not here!

But dad had moved her here….and he wouldn't even let her be happy…well fuck him then!

"Minori….please. Open the door and we can talk about-" said dad. Minori kicked the door as hard as she could…and now her foot hurt. Great. Stupid dad making her hurt herself. Stupid dad making her move. Stupid dad making her mad. Stupid dad acting all selfish….stupid friends being a bunch of stupid bitches. God. Minori needed a drink…or a smoke…and stupid Shige not leaving her anything to drink or smoke…and stupid dad for making her upset…and stupid press on nail for popping off…now she would have to fix that…and dad was never going to leave her alone….and even Shige was gone and….and…

And it just wasn't…..

"It's just not fair!" shouted Minori. She didn't want to talk to dad anymore. She didn't want to have to stand there and listen to him talk about how worried he was and how this was the way that it had to be and how she was acting like a child….and she was not a child! She was acting like anyone would have acted if they had been in her place! They were only supposed to be living her for the rest of the school year and then for summer break! Dad had said that he would work it out with her school so she could come back next year! Dad had told her so much stuff and now he just…he thought that he could just…just move her here and…and lie to her….

Well he couldn't.

"Minori….I'll talk to you later when you calm down. Once that happens you'll see that this is really for the best." Said Dad. She could hear him walking away. She took a pillow from her bed and threw it at the door…and another…and another…and then her stupid study books from the door. She threw her books and a pair of shoe's she had on the floor and then her lamp…and the stupid thing was made of metal and didn't shatter…and then her ipad but the case saved it…and then she had been about to throw her phone when she realized what she had been doing.

Dad was making her clean her own room now.

Even though they had PEOPLE for that! To rub salt in her wounds, wounds which he had made, he was making her clean up her own room like she was Cinderella or something! Well she wasn't! She was Asagiri Minori and she did not clean. Mom had said that. Mom had said that she would never have to clean anything ever in her life….and then she died and dad got all weird. Fucking dad. Dads were the worst…well at least her dad wasn't as bad as Shige's dad. Yeah….

Well she felt a little better.

Yeah. As bad as her life was…well Shige's life was worse. Sure she got to drink and smoke but her dad was always making her babysit her little brother and making her cook and clean and also he made her sleep in the same bed with her like she was a kid…so her life sucked. Her life sucked even more than Minori's did…and that was good. Yeah. Someone else had it even worse than she did. She wondered what Shige was up to. Maybe she was chasing her brother around trying to get him to take a bath or something….Minori had really dodged a bullet there he was cute but immature…or maybe she was making a four course dinner for her family with only an hour's notice and a dying campfire…or something.

Yeah, Shige was probably dealing with something even worse than what Minori was going through…and she needed her best friend to support her…or something.

They were best friends. She had made Shige after all. She had been walking around in braids and Frozen cosplay before Minori had met her. Really she should have been grateful that Minori had helped her and taken her under her wing or whatever. It had been a while since they'd last talked….because her friend had decided to be a complete and total bitch out of nowhere….and Shige probably missed her a lot. She was probably all like 'what happened to my best friend what am I going to do now' or whatever and Minori….well it had been long enough. She could forgive Shige for letting her friend be all bitchy and stuff.

Yeah, Shige wanted to talk to her. She was all lonely or whatever.

Minori wasn't lonely. No, Shige was the lonely one. Shige was the lonely one stuck in her house with her bitchy friend or her bratty brother or her clingy dad and she was probably really lonely for someone her own age. Well Minori was a good friend and she could call Shige and make her feel better…and Shige could listen to her talk about all of this, how much of a jerk dad was being, because really that was what friends were for. They listened to each other's problems and were there for each other and stuff.

And Shige owed her so she would always be there….she had to be.

"Come on…pick up already…" muttered Minori as the phone rang. She had no idea what time it was in Japan, she didn't feel like doing any math, but she did know that Shige should have still been up….she knew for a fact that Shige was awake…and it wasn't like she was busy or anything. She was never busy, not in any serious way, and either way friends made time for one another. That was why they were friends. How many hours of her life had she wasted playing dolls with Shige over the many months of their friendship? How many times had she shown Shige how to do her makeup so she looked less pale and sick? How many times had she sat through the Frozen soundtrack because she'd had to be a good host?

Shige had better not have been ignoring her.

"Pick up the….oh. Hey Shige. What's up? What took you so long?" Said Minori. There. Right before it went to voicemail….what? Did Shige not think that their friendship meant enough to her to pick up on the first couple of rings? Seriously? What, was Minori just an afterthought to her or something?

"Hi Minori. Sorry, I was doing laundry. My brother left a bunch of half eaten poptarts in his pockets and then I hadn't realized when I put his pants in the wash and now the washer is full of-" said Shige. Minori rolled over to that she was on her back and kicked the wall while Shige went on and on about her problems. That was all she had to worry about? Well…well that was still worse than anything that Minori had to worry about. At least she didn't have any brothers or sisters to deal with and at least dad didn't make her do her own laundry…so at least some stuff was working out for her….

Not very much, though.

"….and I don't know when he's coming home but I'm going to make dinner for him anyway so then that way he doesn't feel-" said Shige

"Yeah, I get it, your brother is being a brat again. Anyway you will not believe what happened to me today. Ok, so get this. I asked my dad to take me back home. He'd always going on and on and on about how he only wants to make me happy but then I told him how to make me happy and he was all like 'Minori, you know that's out of the question' even though it's, like, really not. We didn't get kicked out of the country or anything, dad just made us leave, and now we're here and he told me that it was just for the rest of the school year and then summer break and it's August! Summer break has BEEN over but he's being such an asshole. I don't know what I'm going to do." Said Minori. There was some silence from Shige. She had better now have been zoning out or anything like that. She had better have been listening. Minori always listened to her problems and this was a friendship and that meant that listening went BOTH ways!

"Um…that sounds very sad. Maybe you could tell your dad again but without yelling at him-" said Shige

"Oh my God I was not yelling at him! Well not at first, anyway, but then he wasn't listening so I had to make him listen. God. Why do you assume that I would just start out yelling?" asked Minori. What, did Shige think that she was a bitch, too? Did she secretly think that Minori was just some bitch who went around being a bitch and acted al bitchy and-no, this was Shige. She was too nice. She was just being socially impaired as usual.

"I just….well you yell a lot. That's all. You just yell a lot and I thought that you had yelled at your dad and that was why he said that he wouldn't take you back to Japan…because dad's don't like being yelled at. I yelled at my dad on accident the other day and I think that he's avoiding me…well maybe. I don't know. I wish that I hadn't yelled at him." said Shige. She yelled at her dad? What in the hell kind of crazy, upside down, world was this? She was the one who was always going on about love and friendship and all of that other crap.

"What were you yelling at your dad for?" asked Minori. Well that was a side of Shige that she had never thought she would have seen…that she had never imagined would have existed….but it did exist. Huh. Well you thought that you knew a person….

"He…he tried to come into my room without knocking." Said Shige. Oh. Well that was whatever.

"That's fine, he was asking for it. You could have been naked in there for all he knew. My dad used to do that to me. He used to do this thing where he knocked while he was opening the door and I used to have to yell at him until my voice hurt. He got the message eventually." Said Minori. She wasn't going to tell Shige how dad had gotten that message. Shige didn't need to know how dad had figured out that opening the door like that was a bad idea…and also Minori hadn't been doing anything because stuff like that was gross and that was what guys were for anyway. So there.

"I…don't want to yell at my dad though. I love him a lot and also he's taking me to this island of cats on Sunday…and also he said that I could go to the summer comics market with my friend on a…well I thought that it was a date but then my friend Minegishi said that I was overthinking it because he's twenty and I'm eleven but I really wanted it to be a date and-" said Shige. Minori had stopped listening after the word date. Shige…she had just said that her dad said that she could go on a date…and that was just…it wasn't fair! Minori wasn't allowed to date until high school…and even then he had to bring all of her guards with her….and now Shige….

Shige must have been just…well she was socially

"Wait….Shige….did you just say that you were going on a date? With a guy?" asked Minori. Shige couldn't. Shige wouldn't. She knew…they had made a pact. They would get friends with benefits before they got boyfriends and Minori got a friend with benefits and a boyfriend first because she was older and all of this had been her idea and guys didn't like Shige anyway since she was pretty much an ironing board.

This just….well if it was true and not like….something that she was just….being socially impaired about….then….then it just wasn't fair!

"Um…well I thought that it was a date. I mean Hatori asked….well he asked my dad if I could go with him to this comics market thing…well they sell other stuff…and I thought that it was a date but then my friend Minegishi said that I was just overthinking things…so I guess he wants to go as just friends." Said Shige

"Minegishi…that's your non binary friend…right? The one that said that I was nuts?" asked Minori. Shige's other best friend…and a total bitch. They were a bitch and…and no way wee they going to tell Shige if she was and was not going on a date. Minori was her best friend and she would be the one to tell Shige if she was and was not going on a date. Yeah. What did they know? They let their fuck buddy catch feelings which was, from what Minori had read, the last thing that you wanted to happen. So really Minori knew best and she should have been the one to tell Shige about this stuff.

"Yes…but they were just in a bad mood. I'm sure that they don't really think that you need professional help." Said Shige. Minori rolled her eyes. She was the sort of friend who made excuses for everyone. She should have just owned up to how bitchy her friend had been, said sorry, and then asked what she could have done to make up for it…but all of that could come later. Shige had a guy who was trying to ask her out…an older guy. A WAY older guy…and how did she get all the luck!? Even if…well if he was taking her to some nerd thing then he was probably her nerdy friend with the glasses and the bad skin…fine. Shige could have him. He was a good practice guy.

And Minori already had a practice guy…well she'd had a practice guy back in Japan….but it was whatever.

"It's whatever. They don't know what they're talking about…anyway are you going to go? Out on the date with your friend I mean?" asked Minori

"Um…he hasn't asked me yet but when he does I'm going to say yes…but also it's not a date. He's just taking me there because we're friends, that's all." said Shige

"Uh-huh, and which of your other friends are going?" asked Minori

"Just me and him." said Shige

"God, Shige, what would you do without me? He's totally going to ask you out. I mean, think about it. It's going to be just you and him and he even asked for your dad's permission like a gentleman or whatever. He's totally into you and you should go out with him." said Minori. God, Shige would have been so lost without her. She was going to be all alone all day with an older guy…and even if he was a nerd a guy was a guy. Some guys were for boyfriends, some guys were for practice, and it was about time that Shige found a practice guy. Good. Now she could actually understand what Minori was talking about some of the time.

This was good…so long as this guy didn't end up being her boyfriend.

Because that would not have been fair at all. Minori wasn't even allowed to have a boyfriend but Shige got to have one…and not only that but a guy who was twenty already. That was old enough to drink and smoke and….and that was way better than a guy in middle school! Or even high school! No, Minori…well she'd be pretty pissed at Shige if she ended up being this guy's girlfriend…

But Shige wouldn't get a boyfriend first. She was a good friend and she never would have done anything like that.

"But…Minegishi said-" said Shige like that was just something to….say.

"Shige, who are you going to believe. Me or them?" asked Minori. There was another one of Shige's super long pauses…and what did she have to think about. Of course she was going to trust her actual best friend!

"Um….well they're a lot older than we are…and they've been in relationships before…and also they're really smart…" said Shige. Minori was not going to shout…even though she wanted to. Shige was not being a bitch on purpose, she was just supernaturally bad at just about everything. That was all.

"Yeah, and they let their friend with benefits catch feelings. I would never let something like that happen. Also they're single, too, which is like….it's ok for people our age to be single but for someone their age to not even have a boyfriend…or girlfriend I guess….well that just sucks." Said Minori

"But…they said that they didn't want a relationship." Said Shige. Minori rolled her eyes. One of her eyelashes ended up getting stuck. She blinked it away. How could Shige be so naïve? People who claimed to not want boyfriends or girlfriends or whatever were just people who either didn't know how to be in relationships or didn't have anyone who wanted to be with them…and since the had rejected the guy that they were sleeping with then they must have just been bad at relationships…or they were stupid or needed professional help…like that had said that Minori needed. They were an idiot to turn down a guy like that….or they were the one who needed professional help…not her. She was fine.

"Well then that's all the more reason to listen to me. Shige, look, you suck at this. You suck at anything that involves other people but that's ok because you have me. " said Minori

"Yeah…I guess I do." Said Shige. What? Did she doubt her? Did she think that her other friend knew better? Well then he needed to think something else. Minori knew what she was talking about and Shige should have been happy that she was taking time out of her life to help her. She could have been convincing dad to take her back to Japan right now…or at least to let her leave the house without a full security detail….or even to let her go to a school here that had guys…he had been looking into all girls schools…or something! She could have been dealing with dad but instead she was helping Shige…and Shige 'guessed so'? Really?

"No, you know you do. Anyway this guy is probably into you and you should go out with him. I mean he's not much to look at, your other friend is a lot hotter, but he's good for practice…and you need all the practice that you can get." Said Minori. Really, she did. She didn't know what anything was…not that Minori had ever done…anything…but at least she would know what that stuff was now since this guy was a lot older and stuff.

"But….I don't know. Minegishi has a point when they say that he's a lot older than me…and also I don't know if people…if stuff like that….can be practiced…like that." Said Shige. God, she was such a kid sometimes. Of course you could practice. How did she think that people figured all of this out?

"God, you sound like a kid. So what if he's older? If it doesn't bother you then what does it matter? Guys our age suck. They still act like a bunch of kids. They, like, build forts and have sticky fingers and pick their noses and shit. Older guys are way better." Said Minori. She was talking about middle school guys. They were so cool. They knew how to treat you and their fingers were never sticky and they didn't freak out and run away when you tried to kiss them. Adult guys should have been even better about that even if they did more than kiss you and try to feel you up….and it was so unfair that Shige was going to do all of that first…but Minori…well she hadn't met the right person for all of that yet, that was all, she wasn't afraid or anything. Shige could get that all out of the way first and then she could tell her what happened so then she'd know what to expect when all of that happened.

There. That was a good plan.

"Um…if you think so…" said Shige. Minori rolled her eyes so hard she thought that they'd end up popping out. Of course she thought so. What? Did she think that she didn't know what she was talking about? Well if Shige thought that then she was wrong, so wrong, the most wrong.

"I know so. Anyway you should go out with this guy and then tell me about it. I mean that sounds like a pretty boring date but who knows, maybe you'll get kissed or something. Then you and me can have something to talk about." Said Minori. She didn't much want Shige to get kissed, because then she might get kissed a million more times and then she'd end up beating Minori, but sometimes you had to wish people the best even when you didn't really mean it. Sometimes you had to be a good friend to people like that.

"Um…ok. I-I'll do that….um….I have to go now and…and make dinner…and I need to focus on that so…um….I'll talk to you later." Said Shige. Minori almost asked her what in the hell she thought she was doing hanging up when they were in the middle of a very important call…but this was Shige and she had to play Cinderella and take care of her family. Yeah, that was the princess she should have been dressing as all the time since she pretty much WAS Cinderella.

"Fine, later…but you had better call me after your date and tell me EXACTLY what happened. Don't skip on any details. I want to be the first to know everything." Said Minori. Well this…that had gone well. She felt better and she had helped Shige out, too. Now she would know what it was like to kiss a guy and maybe she would be less squeamish and babyish about everything. Yeah…this was a good thing. Even if she might end up with a boyfriend and…

And what did Minori was a boyfriend for?

The guys here sucked. Well she hadn't met many of them, dad had her under guard, but she didn't like what she saw. There were guys back in Japan that she had liked….not that she would ever be going back…but she didn't want to think about that now. She wanted to think about….about how much she had helped Shige. Yeah, Shige's life sucked way worse than hers did and she had helped her friend and that was a good thing. She had been a very good friend.

Good friends listened to their friend's problems and offered solutions. That was why she was a good friend, Shige's good friend, Shige's very best friend. Her and no one else.