...And we're back! Back into the wacky world of Azumanga Daioh. Be sure to read the AN at the end, explains stuff.
Standard disclaimer rules apply.
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Tomo strolled into her house and almost immediately began to climb the stairs.
"I'm home!" she called. Her step-mother looked from the kitchen door. Her long black hair swept across her back as gravity pulled it down.
"Hello dear!" she said, "How was school?"
"Meh, S-S-D-D" said Tomo. Her step-mother laughed.
"Same as usual then," she said, "Oh! One of your friends called, About a summer house?" she said. Tomo's eyes lit up, "Oh! Bet it was Chiyo, I'll have to ring her back!" she said, looking frantically for the phone. Ms. Takino folded her arms and watched as Tomo ran around the house.
"That's my wildcat" she said, revealing she'd been hiding the phone under her arm. Tomo smiled.
"Thanks," she said. Tomo knew that Ms. Takino was her step-mother, her father had disappeared a few years ago. Tomo was scared that she'd be abandoned, but Ms. Takino had stayed for her and made sure she was brought up right. In her gratitude, Tomo had taken the name 'Takino' as her own. She'd also taken too feel like she had a family again.
Tomo hugged Ms. Takino around the waist, and she felt her step-mothers arms close around her shoulders.
"What's this for?" asked Ms. Takino, raising an eyebrow. Tomo just smiled.
"Dunno, Just…thanks for being here, I suppose…" said Tomo, trailing off. Ms. Takino smiled and put one of her hands on Tomo's head.
"That's ok dear. Now, going to ring your friend?" said Ms. Takino.
"I think I'll have a bath first…" started Tomo, walking up the stairs.
"You can use the phone in the bath you know," said Ms. Takino, almost sarcastically but still with the cheerful tone. "Not as if you'll be doing anything else in there, unless your planning on making it so clean it shines," Ms. Takino said with a wink. Tomo chuckled and knew she'd been defeated.
"Alright, Alright" she said, "You win". Ms. Takino threw the phone and Tomo caught it with one hand.
Tomo walked up to the bathroom, set the water running and when to her room. She got undressed, then wrapped her dark red dressing gown around herself. Tomo picked up her CD-player and a CD she'd made on her computer with her favourite songs on so she wouldn't have to keep changing CDs every five minutes. As Tomo began to walk out, she placed the CD player and phone on the floor and looked in her mirror, then leant closer to look at her eyes. She couldn't see any evidence that she'd been crying, but the tears on her hands had proved it to her. Tomo sniffed and leant back from the mirror. She stared at herself for a few moments.
"Huh, Stupid dream…Stupid sister…" she said, picking up the CD player and phone.
Tomo went back to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She set the CD player and phone down on the little table next to the bath and sat on the edge, gently trailing her hand through the warm water.
"I mean," she said to herself, "If she did care, she'd of come back for me…" Tomo was so caught up in talking to herself, she didn't realise a single tear had run down her cheek.
Tomo had very few memories of her sister, to the point she couldn't even remember what she looked like. Tomo could vaguely remember playing with her, and the day when she seemed to just disappear. Tomo blinked and this time felt tears, she wiped her face with her hand and stared at it, a look of surprise and wonder crossed her face. "Wh…What?" she said, looking at the tear glistened on her finger. Tomo's expression turned into an angry snarl, making a sound like a growl.
Tomo shook her head, blinked again, wiped her eyes, then ran her hand through the water.
"Phuh, I've got by alright," she said to herself as she turned off the tap, "Not as if I need a sister…" she muttered as the dressing gown pooled at her feet. Tomo settled in the water and put her headphones in. The CD player began to play and Tomo sighed happily and rested her head against the tiled wall behind her.
I already have someone like a sister, she thought, Yomi's always there for me, and she always will be. And Kagura…She's… Tomo found it hard to finish that thought.
Tomo lay there listening to her music for nearly half-hour until she remembered about ringing Chiyo.
A bluesy-American country song began to play on the CD player, it was sung in English, but Tomo had listened to it enough to be able to sing along, which she did. As the song got near to it's end she picked up the phone and began dialling Chiyo's number in time with the song beat, nodding her head and still singing as she did so.
"Write me a letter, sing me a song,
Tell me all about it, what I did wrong"
Tomo pulled one of her headphones out, making sure it didn't fall into the water. Tomo carried on singing as she did so. The phone began to ring.
"Meanwhile I will be doing fine,
Then load my box on the 309,
On the 309, on the 309
Goin' to get out of here on the 309"
The song finished, and Tomo's singing, just as the phone in Chiyo's was answered.
"Hello?" it was Chiyo's father.
"Oh…Hello, Is Chiyo there?" asked Tomo, polity as she could. Tomo brought one of her legs up to her chest and began tapping her knee with her fingers.
"Hello?" came Chiyo's voice.
"Heya Chiyo!" said Tomo loudly. Tomo giggled as she heard Chiyo yelp on the other end.
"Hello T…Tomo" said Chiyo. Tomo grinned.
"So Chiyo, I hear your hittin' your summer house again this year…" she said.
"Yes, I though we could all go to-"
"Are you bragging?!" shouted Tomo, still grinning, "Your bragging aren't you! Oh! Classic, You think your going to enjoy a nice summer all by yourself, But I'm not gonna let you dammit! Take me with you!" said Tomo, sitting up,
"C'mon! Take me with you!" said Tomo, trying to keep herself from laughing.
"Well that's why I called Tomo…" said Chiyo. Tomo grinned and sat back.
"Oh, Then that's fine!" she said, hanging up. Tomo chuckled to herself as she lay back down in her bath. She put the headphone back in and crossed her hands behind her head. Tomo closed her eyes and smiled.
"Oh yeah, Still got it…"
---
That night, everyone, minus Tomo, and gathered at Chiyo's house. Her parents had gone out, and didn't have a problem with her friends coming over to keep Chiyo company.
As usual, Sakaki had arrived about an hour early, She sat in Chiyo's room with Mr. Tadakichi with the usual smile she wore when with him. It wasn't long before everyone else arrived.
"Heated table…" drawled Osaka as she immediately drifted towards it.
"Hey Chiyo-Chan," said Yomi as the rest of them walked into the room, Kaorin made a bee-line straight for Sakaki, and the others gathered around the table.
They all settled down, and Yomi asked the question they all wanted the answer to,
"So, What did you call us all over for Chiyo-chan?"
"Hey, Where's Tomo?" said Kagura, looking around.
"Well…That's the reason I called everyone over, It's about what Osaka said in class," said Chiyo.
"What ah said?" asked Osaka, looking up.
"Oh C'mon! You really don't believe that?" said Yomi.
"It's only because of what miss Sakaki told me!" said Chiyo, waving her arms rapidly in front of her.
"What did Miss Sakaki say?" asked Kaorin.
"Wh…Wh…" said Chiyo as everyone looked at her.
"When I went to wake Tomo up, she was crying and saying something about her sister…" said Sakaki, as she walked over and sat with the group.
"Y…You think Osaka was right?" said Yomi, "She can't be, Tomo's never mentioned anything about a sister to me…" she said.
"We know, that's what got me worried," said Chiyo. Kagura folded her arms and lent on the table.
"It's a bit of a long shot…" said Kaorin.
There was a knock at the door, and Chiyo went to answer it.
"Do really think they could be…like, long lost sisters?" asked Kagura. It wasn't clear who Kagura had asked, but the girls realised she was asking everyone.
"I don't know. They probably aren't, but it's better to be safe than sorry" said Sakaki in the usual monotone. Kaorin looked towards her smiling.
"I think your right Miss Sakaki!" she said, "It is better to be safe that sorry!"
Kagura chuckled.
"How should we confirm it?" said Yomi, "We can't just go and ask them…" she said.
"Why not?" said Osaka.
"It's Yukari and Tomo…" said Kagura, "I'd rather avoid that fallout" she said.
Chiyo returned to her room with the newcomer, everyone nearly fell over as she walked into the room.
"Coach!?" shouted Kagura, standing up.
"Miss Kurosawa?" said Kaorin.
"H…Hi…What are you all doing here?" said Nyamo as she sat next to Kagura.
"Why are you here?" asked Kagura.
"Well, I was going out with Yukari, but then Chiyo rang me and said she needed to talk to me, So I managed to convince Yukari to go out tomorrow night,"
Everyone turned to look at Chiyo, who blushed a little.
"W…Well…I thought…with miss Kurosawa knowing Miss Yukari for a long time, she'd know something about what's going on…" she said.
"What would I know?" asked Nyamo.
"Well…Osaka's got this crazy idea that Yukari and Tomo are sisters," said Yomi, Nyamo twitched,
"I guess Chiyo asked you around to see if you knew what the real deal was"
"I…I, er…Yukari and Tomo?" started Nyamo.
"Have you noticed it to Miss Kurosawa?" asked Osaka.
"Well, I've seen some similarities between them, But not enough to think that they're sisters…" she said, trailing off.
"See, Told you Osaka" said Yomi.
"Aww shoot, Ah was so sure," said the spacey girl. Nyamo started to fidget.
"Actually…said Nyamo, the girls turned to look at her, "Well…I don't know if I should tell you…" she said. The girls looked between each other, "Is it too bad?" asked Chiyo. Nyamo smiled slightly at Chiyo's concerned expression,
"This is probably just coincidence," she said, "But Yukari did have a sister. About thirteen years ago, Yukari came to live at my house because her parents had decided which one they wanted to live with them. Her father had…" Nyamo stopped as tears began to form in her eyes, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
"That bad huh?" said Kagura. Nyamo sighed.
"Yeah…Anyway, Yukari was so upset by it, she blamed her sister and convinced herself she never had one. Basically, she re-wrote four years of her life, all of it without a sister".
The girls just stood or sat wide eyed.
"Thirteen years ago…Tomo would be four years old…" said Yomi, "She might not even remember, if what we're all thinking is true…" she said.
"I really don't think its true," said Nyamo, "Yukari isn't that focused or determined, the moment she first saw Tomo would of made her remember something,"
"Tomo would have had photos of her as well, she must of" said Chiyo, "Unless every photo of Yukari and her sister, or Tomo and her sister, has been thrown away" she finished. Nyamo sighed again,
"Yeah…" she said, "Everyone of them…"
"I've read of people's brains actually blocking out traumatic events from their lives," said Sakaki, brushing some hair behind her ear, "Maybe that happened"
"It could of," said Chiyo.
"To both of them?" asked Kaorin.
"Any traumatic events in Tomo's life you know of Yomi?" said Kagura.
"None that she or her mother has told me about" said Yomi, pushing her glasses up her nose.
"Still, I don't think Tomo and Yukari are related, Its too much of a long shot" said Sakaki,
"The only real thing that would raise eyebrows, is that both their family names start with 'T'" she said. The girls nodded, while Kaorin just watched with admiration.
"Chiyo…How good are you on your computer, with a picture editing program?" asked Yomi.
"You mean like Photoshop?" said Chiyo.
"Oh…I…er…didn't think you'd know what it was…" said Yomi.
"Are you serious? Everyone knows what Photoshop is!" said Kagura. Yomi's face fell.
"Really? Even Osaka?"
"Is that place where ya buy photo's?" said Osaka. Yomi felt her sprits lighten.
"You don't know what it is…?" said Yomi.
"Haha, Yeah ah know. I was jus' kiddin' ya" said Osaka.
"Ugh, Fine. So, are you good on Photoshop?" Yomi asked Chiyo.
"Well, I'm not the best…"
"Ah'm good at it!" said Osaka, one of her hands shooting up into the air. Everyone looked at each other.
"R…Really?" said Nyamo.
"Sure, jus' depends on what you want me ta do," said Osaka.
"Er…Basically, I was thinking that we could use it to swap the hairstyles of Yukari and Tomo around, to see if they look the same," said Yomi.
"Hey! Good idea Yomi!" said Kagura, giving her a more than hearty pat on the back, "That'll be way better than trying to picture it in our heads!"
"Yeah…" said Yomi, putting her glasses back on, "Think you can do it Osaka?" she said.
"Ok…" said Osaka, adopting the 'Gendo' pose, "Ah'm gonna need two things…"
"Whats that Miss Osaka?" asked Chiyo.
"Ah'm gonna be needin' pictures of Miss Yukari and Tomo, in the same pose…from the front would be best…" said Osaka, trailing off into an evil sounding giggle. Everyone else just looked between each other.
"Oh, An' a computer…Can't get far without that…" she said. Everyone groaned.
"Ok…Well…Let's see what we have…" said Nyamo, "Chiyo? Do you have any photo's from the summer trips?" she asked turning to look at the smaller girl.
"I think I do, I'll have a look," said Chiyo,
"Ohh…This is gonna be like an investigation!" said Osaka, "We're like those detectives you see in a crime drama…". Oddly everyone grinned a little, maybe this would be a little fun.
"Alright, Everyone else…Er…Help Osaka if need be…" said Nyamo, putting her hands together. Sakaki walked after Chiyo,
"I'll help Chiyo with the photos," she said. Kaorin followed her.
"I'll help too!" she said as she disappeared after Chiyo and Sakaki.
---
Yukari lay on her bed and crossed her arms behind her head. She stared up at the ceiling as her sound-system played music she wasn't really paying attention to.
Yukari was bored. A feeling she was used to, and one she hated. She didn't blame Chiyo for making Nyamo go over her house, but what was so special about Nyamo that Chiyo could talk to her and not Yukari about? Yukari huffed and shuffled so she'd be more comfortable.
Yukari began thinking about what she would need for the four day trip to Chiyo's summer house.
"Why'd she decide to make it four days?" wondered Yukari out loud.
"Lessee…" she said, "Swimsuit, Shark, car, clothes, shades, Check" she said, counting them off on her fingers, "What do I need…sun tan lotion, I can pick up food and something to drink there…" she said, crossing her arms behind her head and closing her eyes with a smug smile.
"Oh yeah, almost ready to go…" she said. Yukari soon drifted asleep as a slow acoustic song played from the sound-system.
Yukari found herself in the park, blossoms where falling from the trees and Yukari began to stroll humming to herself, and spun on the spot as she walked. Everything seemed vaguely familiar to her, as if she'd done it before. Ahead of her, a little girl ran, stopping every so often to turn and wave at Yukari. Yukari just smiled and waved back. She continued walking along and humming cheerfully to herself until she felt something tug at her left hand. Yukari looked down and saw the little girl, who looked very familiar, holding her hand. The girl smiled brightly and giggled.
"Onee-chan! C'mon Yukari-chan!"
Yukari's eyes snapped open and she jerked forward, giving a yelp of surprise as she did so.
"Wh…What the hell?" she said, holding her head with one of her hands, "Tomo?"
Yukari shook her head and lay back down. "Ugh, Tomo for a sister…? Man, that's one thing I'm glad isn't true…Having any sister would be bad enough,"
Yukari rubbed her eyes and lay back down, She soon drifted back to sleep, a big grin on her face as she though about going out the next night, especially since Nyamo would be paying.
Of course, Nyamo didn't know that yet…
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Okay, Points to address:
1. Tomo's Step-mother. This is for story purposes...Obviously. Hope what i've said makes sense
2. Chiyo's table. I know this didn't show up until Mayaa did, but Osaka's reactions to it where too good to leave out
3. The Music. The song Tomo sings during her bath is, Johnny Cash - Like the 309, This is because that was the song I was listening to as I wrote that perticular bit. The song Yukari is listening to is Adema - Nutshell, Same reason as the Johnny Cash song.
Please leave a review! The only way I know if what i'm writing makes sense! Coming next - Kagura has to keep Tomo occupied in "Operation: Distracted Wildcat" Cue the chaos and awkward romantic moments!