Mob really, really, really hoped that this plane ride went better than the last one.

"Ok, so the new rules are….um….well the same as the old ones. No fighting, no being mean, no giving Hatori anything to drink…well he's gone now…um…no hiding in the bathroom and…and no eating each other…well that's Hatori again and he meant-anyway! Um….please be nice or nobody gets to see Cats and I'll turn the plane around and whoever was bad has to stay home while the rest of us go and see Cats." Said Mob. She looked out at everyone. They looked back at her…well everyone but Sho. He was off in the corner he usually shared with Fukuda…but Fukuda was gone so it was just Sho. She almost wished that Fukuda had been there. He may have been a jerk, and he may have taught Sho some terrible things, but he also always made Sho feel better.

And Sho really needed someone to make him feel better.

Mob…she was at a loss. One day he had come home, jumped into his bed, and started crying. Nothing could make him stop. Not new artist's pencils, not a new sketchbook, not a box of poptarts, not the cat, and not even putting his hamsters in his bed with him. He just cried and cried…and then Mob cried….and then Mukai cried…and then Tsuchiya asked what was wrong…and then Sho shouted…and then the cat and the hamsters ran away….and Mukai chased them around the house.

Everyone was present and accounted for now.

"Um….what if you just want to go home and you don't mind missing Cats? I mean…we have cats at home now…." Said Serizawa. He held his umbrella between both of his hands. He needed her, she could tell. She needed to go over there and tell him that everything was going to be ok…but also…also she needed to be there for Sho. He was sitting with his knees up to his chin and he was curled up in the window…he needed her too and…and she had to be there for her brother…even though she had no idea what to do to help him.

All Serizawa needed was his hand held…Sho needed….well she had no idea what he needed.

She had never had her heart broken before….and never by a friend. Shimazaki had broken Sho's heart and…and Minegishi had thought that it was a good thing, that was what they had said, but Mob didn't see how it could be anything even close to a good thing. Love was the best feeling that you could have for someone. When you loved someone you wanted to share yourself with them. Your whole life and your heart and…well other stuff that adults did….well you did a lot of sharing with the person you loved. It took a lot to want to share that much of yourself with them. She knew, she had been in love with Hatori for years, and she was in love with Teru now…

And she knew that what Sho was going through was at least ten times worse than what she had gone through when Hatori said that he didn't like her and she had to leave Teru behind.

"Nobody gets left behind, Serizawa, and besides you liked the last play we went to and you'll like Cats…and don't worry, I'll be there for you the whole time so if you get scared or something then you can just hold my hand. Ok?" asked Mob

"Ok….but….um….if we're going back then…um…." Said Serizawa

"She's not turning this plane around unless you do something heinous. Are you planning on doing anything heinous?" asked Minegishi. They were all curled up against the window too, like Sho was, but they were tired and not sad. That was normal for them. They had been really tired lately. Mob wasn't sure why. Dad sometimes had work for them to do, Minegishi wouldn't tell her what it was, but it always left them tired. Mob hadn't had anything for her friends to do besides have fun….so why was Minegishi so tired? Or maybe they were just air sick again. They didn't like being away from plant life…and also they hated flying…so maybe they weren't tired at all…and also maybe they were drunk. Just a little bit. There were tiny wine bottles in their lap…though Shimazaki might have been responsible for that.

"That's a great idea. Come on, Serizawa, let's do something completely heinous. Let's do something so terrible that Mob'll never take either of us on a plane ride again. What do you say?" asked Shimazaki. Serizawa shrank back in his seat like he was scared of Shimazaki or something. Mob didn't get what there was to be scared of. It wasn't like he could get up, he was busy holding Minegishi, and if he got up then he would have had to let go of them…and he wasn't going to do that.

He loved them.

Mob wasn't mad about what happened with Sho. She knew that even if she had told dad that she was going to take Sho and run away with him if he ever said anything mean to Sho about liking boys or told him that he wasn't allowed to like another boy…but…well just because it was ok now, and Sho liked Shimazaki, that didn't mean that Shimazaki felt the same way. Also Shimazaki was a lot older than Sho too. She knew that he had said, before, that he would like her in three or four years back when she'd been ten…and she was twelve now…he hadn't meant that….right? She….well she didn't want to ask in case he did. He had said that her breasts were nice…well this wasn't about her. This was about Sho. This was about him and how he'd had his heart shattered into a million pieces and then stepped on.

There was no other way…there was no other possible outcome.

Shimazaki was in love with Minegishi and Minegishi loved him back. They had fallen in love and now they were going to be together forever. The whole thing was just like the ending to a movie only it was real. They were really going to be together forever because they love each other and…and it had to work out for somebody. Not everyone had to worry about the person they loved most in the world running away for no reason…or cheating on them and making a whole other secret person….sometimes people could just be happy. Sure Minegishi also liked Matsuo but they were in an open relationship so that was ok…wait…so then it would have been ok for Shimazaki to like Sho…so then she could get mad at him…

She didn't want to be mad at him.

Sure he had broken Sho's heart…but also…also he didn't like Sho back. When a boy liked you then you kind of had to like him back. Like the story of how her parents met. Dad had liked mom from the moment he saw her, he had said, and then after they finished talking he knew that he loved her. Well dad had said 'cared for her' but that was how dad said that he loved someone when he was feeling uncomfortable. Mom had felt the same way. She said that she had noticed dad from across the train station because of his red hair and after their first conversation she knew that she wanted to date him. When a boy liked you then you liked him back. That was how it worked in movies too and she'd heard that art imitated life…wait…then how did it work for two boys? She needed to start reading Minegishi's secret under the bed manga for the plot and not just the parts where the people kissed.

But later. Now she had to make sure that this plane ride went ok…because she really wanted to see Cats.

"N-no thank you! I-I'd be happy to go and see Cats….I'm very excited…." Said Serizawa. Well that was good to hear. She had been worried that he had been scared and stuff. Well that was good. She could focus on Sho for the whole plane ride then. He needed the company. He needed…she thought back to how Fukuda had made him feel better. She wasn't going to let Sho give her a tattoo…she didn't heal like Fukuda did and she didn't want to have to get stabbed a bunch of times…she could play videogames with him. Fukuda and him did that a lot…and Serizawa could join them too….yeah. That was a good plan. Everyone who needed her was accounted for in that plan.

Well, almost everyone.

"Cats! Over there, mama!" said Mukai as she struggled to get out of her booster seat. Mob didn't understand why Mukai was still strapped in like that. Seatbelt time was over and if Tsuchiya was worried about Mukai getting hurt in a plane crash then she didn't have to worry. Mob had never tried to lift an airplane before but she had seen dad do it and if dad could do it then she could do it too since she was his kid after all…

Though it would have been nice if dad had been around to help her.

Tsuchiya and Mukai were in the seats that dad and Hatori usually sat in. She wondered if dad and Hatori would have liked this. Riding in a plane with Mukai. She had been happy at takeoff, Mob had been worried that she would have been scared but all she did was laugh and talk about how she was on an airplane, and she was happy now. She was trying to go and play with the cat, which had been terrified at takeoff, and….and she knew that dad would have just called her tiresome and told Mob to take care of her…that is if dad had even cared. He had called her a mistake even though she, obviously, wasn't.

Though judging by how scared the cat was and how rough she usually was with it unclipping her from her booster seat might have been a mistake.

"I see the cat, Mukai, I see the cat." Said Tsuchiya. She handed Mukai her notebook and box of crayons. Mukai shoved them back down onto the floor like she had done before. Mob didn't know why she did that, she was just going to ask for them again later, and…and she wished that she knew what to do to make her stop. She wondered if there was anything that she could do. She…well, she maybe needed to work harder at this big sister thing.

A good big sister would have been able to split her focus between her little brother and her little sister.

"Go on cat, go to Mukai…no, don't come to me, you know I can't pick you up…go on, Mukai won't scare you again." said Shibata as he tried to shoo the cat over to Mukai. The cut just jumped onto his lap and hunched down with her ears pressed down to her head and her tail swishing. She looked like Sho felt….but Sho needed her more than the cat did…but the cat needed her too.

A lot of people needed her…but that was ok. She could be there for everyone.

"Oh! Right…um…please don't scare the cats….or the hamsters…and also please be extra nice to Sho since he's going through a hard time right now." Said Mob. She couldn't go over and pet the cat…well he could…but Sho needed her and Serizawa needed her and Mukai needed her…and she needed to be there for people before animals. If mom had been there then she would have been disappointed in Mob…but if mom had been there then Mob would have been disappointed in her so then it would be even.

"Hey!" said Sho. He sat up now…good. He sat up and that meant that he was getting better…even though his aura was still all curled up…but him sitting up was good. That was progress, right? Dad hadn't even been this sad when mom ran away from home….but Sho had bigger feelings than dad did. She just…she didn't know how he felt but she knew that he felt bad…but also….also she didn't even know what she had done. He was going through a tough time, that was all, and she hadn't gone and told everyone why he was so sad.

Even though she knew that everyone already knew.

Everyone knew that he had a crush on Shimazaki…well it was love now. She had seen his Shimazaki sketchbook and she knew that Sho wouldn't have done that if he hadn't loved Shimazaki a lot. Stealing Minegishi's phone and drawing all of their gross pictures of Shimazaki….she could barely look at him now….all of that was a lot. Sho had been more in love with Shimazaki than she had ever loved anyone before….

She got the feeling that Sho would be upset for a while…and she had no idea what to do….

"What? I didn't tell anyone why." Said Mob.

"That doesn't matter!" shouted Sho

"But…we all know what happened. Shimazaki re-" said Serizawa. Sho stood up on his and glared at Serizawa. He opened his umbrella and hid under it. Mob…well Sho should not have been standing on the seat and Serizawa shouldn't have had his umbrella opened inside….and now Mukai was shouting again and trying to stand up….but she could handle his. She had to handle this.

She was the one in charge.

"I'll fucking-" shouted Sho

"Kid!" shouted Tsuchiya

"Fuck-" said Sho

"Sho! Sho….please stop it. Come on, we'll hang out and have fun just like when Fukuda was-just like we were little. Doesn't that sound good?" asked Mob. She looked into his eyes and he looked into hers. Their auras faced each other but did not touch. He was keeping his aura close and every time she reached over to him he pulled away from her…and that made no sense. She wasn't the one who had hurt him. It wasn't her fault that Shimazaki didn't love him back. It wasn't like she could ask him to break up with her best friend to date her little brother. That wouldn't have been fair to anyone…so she wasn't going to even think about doing that….even though it would have made Sho happy…but it would have made Minegishi unhappy…but….who's happiness mattered to her more? Her little brother's or her best friends?

She really didn't know…and she didn't want to think about it either.

Sho sat down and turned his back to her. That was something to think about. Now everyone but Mukai was quiet…the atmosphere was weird now. The whole plane was just…thick? That was a word. It felt like she was in a cup of Jell-O, the good kind that they served in the cafeteria. She didn't want to feel this way….but how she felt didn't matter. She had to be a good big sister right now.

So that was what she did.

"Mob, come and sit down. Alright? He doesn't want to talk about it and I don't want to hear him whine." Said Minegishi. Mob hadn't hardly taken one step towards Sho before Minegishi called her over. She stopped walking and looked over at them. They were still all curled up. They were tired and…and Sho was upset….but they were her best friend. They were her best friend and they were calling to her…but her little brother was turning away…so this was ok.

She wasn't picking Minegishi over Sho…she really wasn't.

"Um….ok." said Mob. She walked over and sat across from Minegishi. That put her right next to Serizawa. He took her hand and held it like it was going to run away. He at least put his umbrella down…though he didn't close it. That was going to make it hard to get up…but she got the feeling that she wasn't going to be getting up any time soon. Sho didn't want her to sit by him…and Serizawa needed her…and also Minegishi needed her…

A lot of people needed her.

"Tell me when we get there, I have a lot to catch up on." Said Shibata as he put his headphones in. The cat stood up, stretched, and then laid back down. Shibata poked the cat with one finger. That was how he petted her. Mob didn't know what happened at Wee World but he was afraid of it happening again so she didn't tell him to just pet Cat like normal. She didn't want to have to worry about Cat being petted right in addition to everything that she had to worry about already.

"M-Miss Suzuki….I'm sorry about your brother. I mean I'm sorry for what I said about your brother. I mean I'm sorry about…about….about…" said Serizawa. He held her hand in his even tighter than he had before. She wondered if she would ever get the feeling back in her hand. She wondered if he would get upset if she pulled her hand from his….

Probably.

"Your life up to this point?" asked Minegishi. Shimazaki rubbed their back…and Mob looked away. That had been mean…and she had to say something….and she would. As soon as she stopped being red. She knew things now…all kinds of things…and she didn't even want to think about those things…and she just…she looked up. They were friends and she couldn't just act like this for the rest of her life. She looked at him and Minegishi.

There, she could do that.

He was rubbing their back and…and he didn't like Sho like that. She used to look at them together and it made her feel like…well like….like good things could happen. Like the world wasn't always people you loved being mean to each other and running away and having secret kids….well the secret kids thing had come later…but she just...felt good knowing that there were people who loved each other and were there for each other…but now…now when she looked at them she thought…thoughts that she should not have been thinking.

Thoughts like it should have been Sho there instead of Minegishi.

She wanted her best friend to be happy…and she wanted her brother to be happy. She just…didn't know how everyone could be happy in this situation. She almost wished that dad had been there, and that he had been ok with Sho liking boys, and that he hadn't already beaten Shimazaki up for thinking that he liked her, well…if all of that had been true about dad then she would have asked him what to do. He was really smart…sometimes. Not when it came to being married and not cheating on mom but he could be very smart sometimes. He would have been all 'Shigeko, explain' or maybe he would have been back to 'Daughter, explain' and then she would have explained and then….well Fukuda knew more about these things…and he knew Sho…but also he was gone and dad was gone and Mob was the one in charge and…and she just…she had to focus on making this plane ride go well…then she would worry about fixing everything else.

"I-I'm sorry…" said Serizawa

"You don't have to be, Serizawa, I'm happy that you exist. You're one of the nicest people that I've ever met in my entire life and I'm happy to be your friend. Minegishi is just in a bad mood, that's all, I'm sure that they're just as happy to be your friend as I am." Said Mob

"What's happening?" asked Shibata as he took off his headphones. The cat jumped off of his lap and ran over to Sho…or rather to the plastic box with Sho's hamsters in them. Cats ate hamsters….she should have thought of that before getting a cat and hamsters together….Sho pushed her away with his powers….maybe the cat should have gone back in the cat carrier….but then that would have been cruel….and…and she would think about this later. Right now she had Serizawa to worry about….and Sho…and Minegishi….

"I-I'm ok. Just a little…I'm fine. Minegishi said-" said Serizawa

"Toshi's in a bad mood, you know how they get when they fly." Said Shimazaki with a wave of his hand. Mob looked down at her shoes. Him moving like that…well she didn't know what his arm looked like right now since he had his coat on…but Sho had done a really good drawing of his arms…and the rest of him too….and Sho really knew how to draw people…she kept on looking down at her shoes. They were blue…and Mukai had drawn on them with a blue marker…so they were extra blue…

A marker hit her in the head. Mukai threw it. Maybe she was trying to tell Mob to stop being so weird.

"Well….I know you and I know what you're like…so you just…you leave him alone too or I swear to God-" said Shibata

"You shouldn't swear. Sho's vocabulary is colorful enough as it is." Said Minegishi. Their voice was all gravelly and they hadn't even opened their eyes. Shimazaki reached over and started to run his hand through their hair. It was long now…he liked that…so maybe that was why he liked them better than Sho….no. She needed to stop thinking about this. She needed….she needed to worry about something else….something that she knew how to fix.

Like people following the plane rules. She knew how to fix that.

"Minegishi is right, Shibata, please don't swear. And Minegishi….Minegishi….please don't be mean. That's a rule…ok? Please don't be mean. I just…really need this plane ride to go well….better than normal." Said Mob. She didn't know what to do to fix things…but at least Minegishi still listened to her…well they had fallen asleep. Shimazaki took off his coat and put it over them like a blanket….

That should have been Sho.

That should have been Minegishi.

There was nothing that she could do about this….that she could see. Maybe Sho would just…forget? Like how she had forgotten about how hurt she had been when Hatori rejected her. Well she still remembered what happened but the pain was gone…mostly. It was sort of like she'd hurt herself and instead of letting Fukuda fix her up she just healed on her own and got a scab…or maybe a scar. Like the one on her leg from when she had tried shaving or the ones shaped like croissants from when Sho had dug his nails into her arm that one really bad time. Maybe this whole thing would just…turn into a scar…but on Sho's heart…and maybe she could help by distracting him. The pain from when Hatori had rejected her had only gone away when she had stopped thinking about it. First it had been a few hours…and then a day…and then a few days…and then a few weeks…and then she hardly thought about it at all. She had only stopped thinking about it when she had been distracted….so maybe she just had to keep Sho's mind off of everything.

Yeah…she could do that.

They'd have fun. They'd do fun stuff and…and maybe this should have been a permanent move…but no, she had promised Minori that she would hang out when Minori's latest punishment was over…and it was nice to have a place to go back too…and also they had no more reason to permanently move now that dad was gone…so…so this was…ok. She was doing the right thing. She had to have been….she had nobody to tell her that she was doing the right thing…but she had to tell herself. Ok, Shigeko, you're doing the right thing…even if Sho is upset…and Minegishi is sleeping all the time….and you can't look at Shimazaki without thinking about what you saw….and Serizawa's trying to break your hand…and Mukai is shouting…well Shibata was doing ok. He was knitting and listening to something on his phone…so at least someone was ok….so maybe…just maybe….

Maybe this plane ride would go ok….that was all that she could hope for at this point. Just….just ok.