CHAPTER SIX: A Honk Mess

Nico Yazawa was fucking blitzed when she got a call. Fucking. Blitzed. The world was a blurry mess around her. Lights and girls and lights and mirrors and bottles. Was the music always this loud? The girl across the bar was doing the thing. The awkward lesbian eye contact thing, she could tell by the piercing and the stylish cut. Blonde wavy hair. Cute sundress. Downing a long island faster than Nico. ..you're a hot mess, and I'm falling for you… Nico smiled at the girl, her best "I'm shitfaced and you're shitfaced and we're not above making out in the bathroom, are we?" smile. The girl smiled back, winking. Yeahhhh Nico, you got this. Don't think about the internship in the morning.

It was when the girl walked over with a swing in her hips when Nico's pocket started to vibrate. Goddammit. She almost ignored until she remembered the weird urgent texts she'd been getting. Maki's forlorn whining. Kotori's hushed hints of dinner parties gone awry, whatever the fuck that meant. Rin's increasingly weird memes.

She picked up the phone. "Nico Nico fuck you! Who is this. I am in a very busy meeting. Import. Idol. Things. State your business."

A murmur, a slight chuckle. Months since she'd heard Nozomi's stupid laugh but she still remembered it. "Is my little devil turning into a lush?" Nico rolled her eyes. The blonde raised her eyebrows and Nico pointed at the phone.

"Go to hell Nozomi, I am looking at a partner. Business. Partner. You know? What. Do you. Wanttt?" The blonde was swaying her hips with the music. Hot-hot-hot-mess. How did she make a sundress look so damn dirty? Nico stood up, staring into the girl's amber eyes. Shiitttt. The girl was some kinda… something…

"Things are in motion, Niccochi."

Things are in motion, things are in motion, how many times had she heard that from one of her former teammates? Things are in motion and we're buying a house together in the States, Niccochi! Things are in motion and why don't you start carrying, Niccochi! Things are in motion and maybe you should start picking up Russian, Niccochi! Everyone could go to hell and leave her alone to drink with beautiful blonde ladies as far as she was concerned. "I will motion a fist up your ass if you don't tell me what the hell is going on with all these damn shady emails and hidden meanings and stupid bullshit."

"Niccochi, you only Elicchi does that."

"I am going to hang up this phone and return to my meeting"- she grinded up on the other girl- "And block you"- her legs were finding the old rhythms in the beat- "and you will be all on your own in bullshit shady mcShaderson island if you don't start spilling."

Nico could hear the sigh on the other end of the phone. "Okay. There's… been an issue in the States." Two gay Japanese girls in the States. What could go wrong?

"Did Kotori steal the llama farmers' jobs again?"

"No, no, you can't steal a job Nicocchi," Nozomi sounded almost sad. "Umi's been injured. It's serious."

Nico stopped grinding on the blonde's shapely… behind. "What?"

…and I'm like, hot damn let me make you…

"Kotori didn't tell me much else. It sounded like she was in a hospital."

"Fuck." Everything was spinning. She sat down. "Did her ultimate hunter crap backfire or what? Maybe some whacko hit her when they were hunting. Didn't some president shoot someone while hunting? Shit."

"Dick Cheney did not shoot Umi, Nico."

"Still though. I wouldn't go there again." Nico ordered two long islands for her and the blonde, who sat down next to her at the bar. Her thighs were plush and full against the bar stool and Nico was too drunk to look away. "Is Umi gonna be okay?"

"I don't know. But… I think something weird is happening."

"No shit." The girl licked the lip of the glass, her eyes boring into Nico. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Her tongue was like a cat's, small and dainty.

"Keep your ears open, okay? Eli has been weird too."

"Yeah yeah and we're functional adults. Bye byeee Nozotiddies."

"I love you too, Nicocchi."

Her long island was barely touched. This needed to be amended right now. The sweet, sweet alcohol was barely tasted- she was that far gone. "Wanna do shots?" Were the first real words to her companion.

"Yes!" Was the enthusiastic English reply.

"Bartender, give me some rainbow shots."

Water. Ibuprofen. More water. It was six AM and Nico wanted to die. The harsh glare of her cell phone cut through the muggy dawn; three missed calls from Maki, one new voicemail, and several rambling emotional texts. Jesus. As if she wasn't trying to stop thinking about Maki in the first place. She stepped into the shower, ignoring the pleasant aching in some places and the not-so-pleasant aching everywhere else. Ignore the texts, Nico. Take the shower. The watermelon scent did little to distract her and with soap in her eyes she lunged out of the shower and grabbed the phone. Water dripped all over the pink bargain-bin mat as her eyes flickered down the screen.

Nico, did you really like me? I wasn't a very good girlfriend. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have sent this. I just don't know who else to talk to. I don't want to bother Honoka with this. She's got enough on her plate and she doesn't need my self-indulgent bullshit. And I do? Nico thought. I really liked you, Nico. I just don't think it would have worked out. I'm sorry. I was- Oh GOD what did she do to deserve this- dumb and young and I care about you and I hope you're happy with your courses. I hope you're happy. I'm so sorry Nico. College is so hard for me and Honoka. Mostly me. All I do is sleep. I must look like a zombie next to Honoka… Nico frowned at the phone. Since when were Maki and Honoka so close? Maybe it was inevitable, with them being so close. It was odd. Honoka taking classes with Maki. Either way, she didn't want to hear about it. She wiped her eyes on a dry towel, but they still stung.

It'd been a year. Her friends from the internship teased her at times, when she mentioned not especially wanting to see anyone. (Nico told them to go to hell.)

Do you think Honoka likes anyone? I wonder if she's aro sometimes. Some of the girls were asking me. Us being idols and all. Wanted to know if they had a chance. Isn't that silly? I guess I should just be happy they're not bothering me. Oh, for fuck's sake. You always knew these things, what do you think? Nico thought she was going to kick Maki's ass the next time she saw her.

Was Honoka gay? Nico had no fucking idea. The girl was an enigma. She'd never talked about boys. Girls, yes, but that could be attributed to her burning love of girl idol groups. Did Maki even notice the shady-ass behavior of the older girls? Nico was far more interested in what the hell was going on with Kotori and Umi. Who the hell has a llama farm, anyways?

idk ask Honoka she's probably into bread and idols also go to hell you pillow princess Nico texted. She was so annoyed she deleted the text history for Maki. Was Honoka gay, really Maki? Gingers couldn't be together. It was a rule. She knew no one took her salty quips seriously so she didn't think twice about texting Maki it, but sometimes she wished they did.

Maybe she'd text the blonde back after all. Mary something? Only the number and the scribbled name gave any indication of an alias. Yes. Yes, Nico would text the girl back.