CHAPTER 8: HONK EXIT ORION

Maki was floating.

Green curtains filtered the sunlight into the room, casting a forested glow. Maki laid in bed, holding a pillow in her arms, trying not to make pretend- she wondered if it was okay, that it was Honoka's problems that opened up her normally cheery exterior. It was Friday, which meant she'd be seeing Honoka in biology today. Time to get up. She couldn't stop thinking of Honoka's final embrace, as she got dressed. (Black shorts, black shirt, a smudge of grey eyeliner.) The hands that clung to her hips, staring into her eyes. As if Maki would disappear if she let go. Honoka's lips moving soundlessly. Maki didn't know what to do, what to say. All she could do was hold Honoka, squeeze her hand and tell her it was going to be alright.

The radio was blaring from her roommate's bedroom. "…reports indicate the meteor that hit the town of Harusame last night was not expected to arrive to earth until at least 2020… scientists are attributing it to an unknown cosmic event until more details can be known…" Maki yawned, making her way into the bathroom to freshen up. She'd have to look at some of her old star books. "…but it's time for the weather, we'll be having rain late into the evening…"

"Nishikino, did you see the meteor last night?" her roommate called. A blue-haired girl. Sono. Spent a ridiculous amount of time alone in her room as well. "Everyone's talking about it."

Maki felt a warmth rise in her face. "Yes. My friend pointed it out."

Sono brushed her hair back into a ponytail. "I think the school is going to take a look at it today. You better hurry or you'll miss it."

"Thanks."

Honoka was headed out of the science building into the sunlight when Maki found her. Maki blushed earnestly as Honoka came towards her waving. "Aren't you going to the study session?" (After all, Maki had worn the extra short shorts today.) On closer inspection, Honoka looked beat, as if she hadn't slept at all last night. Energy drink in hand. Bags under her eyes, messy hair under a baseball cap, an oversized tee shirt that read, "HONK" with a silhouette of a duck over orange leggings. (Where did Honoka shop?) "Are you okay?"

Honoka was sheepish. "My meteorologist professor is going to go check out the crash site, so I'm going to skip today! You'll take notes for me, won't you Maki?"

"I-I suppose. I didn't even know you were in meteorology."

"Thank you so much Maki, I'll make it up to you later!" Honoka kissed her cheek. "See you!" With a hurried gait the older girl sped off campus. Maki could hardly think as she walked to class, the slightest wetness lingering on her skin.

It was the first time in months Maki sat alone. She was early, too early. On loner autopilot, she flicked through the messages that had been accumulating the past few days.

Nico: GIRL DO YOU EVEN CHECK YOUR PHONE

Nico: YO I THINK THIS IS SERIOUS CALL ME BACK

-Nico has called seeing an exceptionally cute cat serious, Maki thought-

Nico: MAKI ARE U DEAD

Nico: Kotori says Umi is stable

-What?-

Hanayo: There's a rice festival in Tokyo this September, do you and Honoka want to come? Rin and I would look to see you!

Nico: I AM FREAKING THE FUCK OUT HERE

Rin: HEY IT'S 4:20 EYYYYYY

Nico: She's going into surgery

Kotori: Umi is in the hospital, we're not sure what happened yet. I thought you should know. Don't tell Honoka, please? I think it might really upset her. I hope you are doing okay!

Maki's stomach dropped. What happened to Umi? Was she okay? Did someone shoot her in the states? Why on earth would someone shoot Umi? And why couldn't she tell Honoka?

Kotori: Do you have time to talk right now?

Rin: check out this sweet meme I made

Nozomi: We should talk about one of my tarot readings. My cards have been wild lately, Maki. You always were a trouble-maker. Text me back or fortune will run from you!

Nico: HEY UMI IS IN THE HOSPITAL NO ONE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED

Umi was only what, 19? 20? Was she sick? Maki texted Kotori and Nico back, sending her thoughts. They were all so young. Maki supposed it was inevitable, that bad things would happen to people. Years from now, she might be treating one of her friends at a hospital. That didn't make it hurt any less, that one of her friends had something bad happen to them that she could do nothing about. In a strange country.

Maki had trouble focusing on the lesson that day. Proteins and genes and the inner workings of biological chemistry were familiar to her, but they couldn't hold her attention. Memories of Umi. They hadn't spoken much since Umi graduated, partially because she was in the United States. Was she doing okay as a big name hunter now? Would she still be able to hunt? Images of Honoka, the words Honoka said to her last night; replayed over and over in loops. Maybe Kotori was right not to tell Honoka right now. Everything seemed so off, so wrong. She stared out the window, watching the clouds gather over the town. The foliage was dark and green, as if the leaves would burst from all the humidity in the air.

It was almost midnight when Maki got the call. Honoka's number. She'd done nothing but lay in bed for hours, listening to the rain. Tried some sake at her roommate's insistence, put her right out on her back. Maki tried not to think about the online homework assignment she'd missed. The dance of proteins in her head, the way the molecules chained together to form the building blocks of life.

"Excuse me, Nishikino?" A familiar voice that was not Honoka's. It was low, gravelly. Her lab partner?

"Roxanne?"

"It's Row- you know what, I don't care. Yes. Your friend has fallen ill. Please fetch her. We're in the woods outside of town. There should be signs to the site."

"I'll be on the next train."

It was a fever, Maki thought. The flushed cheeks, the odd iridescent look in Honoka's eyes. Honoka sat under a white-trunked keyaki tree, wide leafy branches that provided shelter from the rain. A few tents had been pitched around the massive depression. People in ponchos, surveying and chipping and holding up instruments. The meteor was a rock the size of a small house. A strange color, even in the dark.

Maki knelt down next to her in the damp grass. "Hey, Honks, let's get you home, okay?" Honoka barely stirred, but she opened her eyes a little.

"M-make sure you get my backpack, all of my notes are in there…"

"What on earth have you been doing?"

A shaky smile. "I wanna be a cool scientist like you, M-Maki…"

"Don't kill yourself over it!" People were looking over. Maki didn't realize she had raised her voice. "Roxanne's" eyebrows were raised and Maki gave the girl her best bitch face. "There's no excuse to go out traipsing in the rain without even a poncho. I know you can get carried away, but people care about you, alright? One person's in the hospital and-" Fuck. She covered her mouth with her hand. "You need to take care of yourself, Honoka. You remember the last time this happened, don't you?"

"Who's in the hospital?" Was the drowsy reply. Fuck fuck fuck.

A spur of the moment lie would have to do. "Nico's little sister."

"Oh, that's too bad…" Honoka closed her eyes. A palm to her forehead, she was burning up. They needed to go home before it got any worse. Umbrella in hand and Honoka in the other, they made their way to the bus stop.

Thunder grumbled in the distance. Honoka went down in her bed like a brick thrown into a pond, after some ibuprofen and a very hasty change of clothes with Maki's refusal to so much as look her way. Fumbles in the dark. Maki sat in her computer chair for a while, too overwhelmed to process anything.

A tiny voice from the bed. "M-Maki…"

Maki swiveled over. "Honoka? Are you alright? Do you need anything?"

"Maki, I…" Honoka started coughing. "I don't know where to start."

Cool fingers on a hot forehead. "Don't worry, Honoka, it's okay."

Another crack of thunder shook the house. "…I'm… I'm glad I went here. I'm glad I met you again. I used to get so flustered when you weren't looking. You're so beautiful, it was hard not to. The music. The push-ups. Those damn… damn push-ups. You were… so cool… Kotori used to tease me and…" Her voice cracked. She sounded so defeated. "Umi would get so scandalized… they'd still tease me about it sometimes before…"

"Before what, Honoka?"

The rain picked up, if it was possible, pounding on the windows. A metallic sound beat the rooftop. Incessant in the mindless rhythm of the sky. "Sometimes… things happen…" Something outside was howling, the branches scraped against the house, thunder striking a second after the flash- "can't tell… you wouldn't believe me anyways…."

"I believed in Santa Claus."

That got a weak laugh. "If anyone was going to figure it out… it'd be you."

"I'm going to get you some more water, Honoka."

It was around two when the fever broke. Maki was surprised, but was grateful. Honoka became her usual sleepy self, and Maki had no qualms now at shoving the girl into one side of the bed. Crush or not, she wasn't going to tolerate a bedhog. They could deal with the feelings in the morning.