A drabble for the LJ community IYfic Contest. The theme was "Goodbye."

Title: Carry the Choice
Rating: K
Genre: general/drama
Pairing: n/a
Word Count: 323
Summary: "It's not your fault, Kagome-chan. After all, you missed so much school with your illnesses."

Eri worried at her lower lip, her attention focused on the sheet of white paper hung on the announcement board--or, more specifically, the lack of a certain name on it. Ayumi brushed past her, reaching an arm around Kagome's shoulders and squeezing her in a gentle hug. "It's not your fault, Kagome-chan," Yuka said in a comforting voice. "After all, you missed so much school with your illnesses and...operations." Her eyes flicked involuntarily down to the long, jagged scar on her friend's leg, still pink and healing.

The press of bodies around them surged forward relentlessly and the girls were displaced, pushed to the edge of the crowd like flotsam upon the waves.

Yuka was already searching through her belongings for a tissue to offer Kagome. Eri, without the pass list to hold her attention, focused on her nails instead. "It's not fair," Ayumi sighed. "We've been in the same class together since elementary school."

"Don't worry." Kagome sounded remarkably calm. As one, her friends looked at her face. She didn't look about to cry. She was actually smiling, and not a wan, brave-in-the-face-of-adversity sort of smile.

"Kagome-chan?" Ayumi looked far more miserable than Kagome.

Kagome shook her head in reply. "Don't worry," she repeated. "We'll always be friends, no matter what happens."

"But–"

"Besides," she continued, "I'll work hard over vacation and catch up on my studies."

Eri looked uncertain. "Do you really think you can?"

Kagome paused, looking just a bit wistful, and finally nodded. "I'm not ready to say goodbye to this part of my life. It's time for me to be here now." Ignoring the confused looks her three friends exchanged, she went on. "Anyway, after the year I've just had, this will be a piece of cake." Kagome's smile returned, and if her friends noticed the tears beginning to show in her eyes, they were kind enough not to mention them.