CHAPTER FIVE: Himeko (Day 2, Part 2)

We ran as fast as we could towards the building, shoving people out of the way if necessary. My heart was in chaos, it suddenly beats hard, fast, and then slow. My mind was set on beating the crap out of the bastard who scared the living hell out of one of my best friends. To me, it didn't matter if I looked like a person who reached a mental breakdown as long as I save Switch.

Bossun stopped in front of the elevator.

"What the hell are you doing? Stop standing there and wasting time! We'll take the stairs."

"Yes, ma'am!", he squeaked behind me.

We reached the third floor and I kicked our door open. It was pitch-black inside.

"Stay here,"said Bossun.

"No, I can't let you go in there alone!"

"It's okay.", He replied, stepping in the darkness. Seconds later, he screamed.

"Bossun! I'm going in!" I dove into the dark room, and then I got hit by something hard.

My eyes fluttered open slowly. My head still ache and I smelt blood. I was lying on the floor, and my head was on somebody's lap.

"Who got hurt?", I asked, my voice sounding slurry and my vision blurry.

"You did.", replied Bossun above me. I blushed. I was on his lap.

"I think she lost a lot of blood. Look, she's blushing.", he said to Switch.

"Blushing is a good sign. It means she still has blood left. She just has a little concussion.", Switch replied.

"Ah, Bossun, you're okay? What about Switch?", I asked.

"I'm okay. He's fine, too. It was just a prank that ended painful for you."

"Well, not really. I got hit and then I got knocked out instantly."

"Actually, you just hit the wall. You never told me you bleed heavily and that you're a klutz…"

"Hey, the room was seriously dark and you never asked!"

The door opened and closed.

"Who's there?"

"Bossman! Is Ma'am alright?" Bossun looked up and nodded. "Ma'am! I'm sorry, I just wanted to surprise you. I thought acting could get you here faster. He thought that scaring you is easy, so I agreed. I'm so sorry!"

"Aww… Momoka. It's okay… Switch, come here." I can see he obeyed because I can make out his silhouette. I raised my hand, ruffled his hair, and then I hit him. I cried. "Don't scare me like that ever again! Idiot!"

"Ouch…", Switch complained.

Bossun laughed. "Stop crying now, little girl."

"Who're you calling little girl, you dumbass?" It was Bossun's time to cry. Three… Two… One…

"WAAAHH!"

Everyone except Bossun laughed. Momoka patted my shoulder and gestured toward me to come with her. I followed, leaving the room with the two goofballs. I closed the door behind me and when I faced the corridor, I found Momoka bowing down.

"Momoka, stand up, please! You can ask me any favor you like, just not in that position…"

She stood up with her face as red as the colour of a fresh pink rose. "Ma'am…"

"Yes?"

"I like…"

"Hmm?"

"I, um, like, er…"

"Ye~s?"

"I like Switch-san… I need you please to help me tell him what I really feel for him and I want to know what he truly feels for me. I have to do it this day because, next week, I'll be going abroad for my concerts in other countries… I'll be gone for half a year."

"Wait, six months? I'll miss you…"

"Me also, Ma'am!" She sobbed. I wiped her tears and I shushed her, telling her to stop crying.

'She likes Switch… Hmm… Oh yeah! That last school trip he was searching every nook-and-cranny to find that chewpi collectible for Momoka. I guess I'll give them a chance. But if he hurts her, I'll get really angry.'

"Of course, Momoka." I giggled. I hugged her. "What do you see in that idiot anyway?"

"I don't know… maybe he's smart, and funny, and very supportive. Like when he goes to my concerts and other events, he's the only one I see in the audience and no one else. I…love him!", she whispered.

I smiled. It's great she found love. Me also, but my love is stupidly dense. I broke the hug and held her shoulders.

"Wait, we have to set up the events first, okay? Lemme just call Bossun. When I call him, you go in right away and distract Switch so that he wouldn't go out and figure out what we're planning, okay?"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

I opened the door. I noticed Bossun and Switch arguing about Code-A, the robot show that has robots named after puppies.

"Bossun, can I talk to you for a sec?", I said, while gesturing.

"Okay," he said and walked to the door. Momoka slipped through the space that was left since he was blocking the half of the entrance.

"Close the door.", I ordered and he obeyed. "We have a request from Momoka."

"Great! I'll call Switch."

"Wait! He is the request. She wants to tell him what she feels and she also wants to know what he feels for her. She'll be leaving next week and we won't be able to see her for another six months."

"I see. How does she feel about him?"

"She told me she loves him. I have a feeling he does, too."

"That's what I wanted to hear."

We sat down in the corridors arguing over what plan we should use. There were some plans that were not easy to deliver and some were very easy but also easy to see through.

We entered the room. Momoka's voice was being recorded so Switch shushed us. We tiptoed to the futons and whispered to each other because we might get shushed again.

"Who'll get the bottle?", I asked.

"You will.", he said, poking me on the shoulder.

"Someone has to explain to Momoka."

"I will, now get the bottle."

I stuck my tongue out. "Nuh-uh. You'll get the bottle."

"Oh, yeah? How about a game of rock-paper-scissors?"

"So that you'llbe the one who will get the bottle? I'm game!"

"Rock-paper-scissors!" He lost then made that embarrased face.

I laughed. "If you didn't want to lose, you should not have picked a game that you suck in."

He nodded and walked out of the room.

Switch stared at me. "What's with him?"

"Oh, he just lost in rock-paper-scissors."

"Well, he does suck in that game."

"I told him that earlier. Ah, Switch, can you wait for a sec? I need to talk to Momoka. Girl stuff. Wouldn't want to be part of it." I said, pulling Momoka outside and explained the plan fast. Bossun appeared with a bottle and he pulled us back in.

"I want to play Spin the Bottle!" shouted Bossun.

"Hey, I never played this before! Come on, Switch!", said Momoka, pulling him to the circle.

Ahem. This is the run-down of the plan: If either of Bossun and me got the chance to Spin the Bottle and it landed on Switch, if he chose 'truth'- we would ask him what he feels about Momoka; and if he chose 'dare'- we would tell him to ask Momoka out on a date. I know it sucks but we flipped a coin awhile ago and Bossun won.

Everyone formed a circle around the bottle. The seating arrangement was, Momoka, Bossun, Switch, and then me.

"I'll start the game!" volunteered Bossun. He turned it and everybody's eyes were pinned on it. It landed on…me. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to push Switch to his front!"

I stood up and walked to his back. I saw that he hid his laptop behind Bossun so that it wouldn't need to be repaired again. I shoved him towards Momoka.

Switch landed on top of Momoka, with both hands as support from falling on her. Switch's glasses fell off and they ended up staring at each other. Momoka blushed. He pushed himself back and in a half-sit, he offered his hand to Momoka. Momoka gladly accepted the offer; he pulled her up, and sat back in his original position. Momoka sat more comfortably, looking disappointed. She passed back his glasses, avoiding eye-contact. Switch wore it and simply said thanks.

Switch grabbed the bottle and spun it. The bottle pointed to Momoka.

"Truth or Dare?"

'It's weird but, something's off…'

"Truth….?" She answered, and she seemed tense.

"What are you planning that you aren't telling me?" Switch asked annoyedly. He glared at Bossun and me.

'Busted!'

"We…uh…um—"

"I needed to know how you felt about me…Switch-san.", answered Momoka instead.

He looked gulity. "Momoka, I don't… have any special feelings for you. I'm sorry."

"Is there someone else?"

"Yes."

"Okay, then…Thank you, Ma'am, Bossman. I need to go back and pack now. It's getting late. Sorry you had to see all that." She smiled and stormed out the room. Echoes of her sobs were heard in the corridors.

"I need to take a break." Then he walked out, too.

Bossun and I were speechless for we saw both of our closest friends break each others' hearts. I stood up and walked to the door.

"Don't." said Bossun, barely inaudible.

"Why?"

"They're already old enough to handle these kinds of things." He said, and laid down on his futon. He laughed bitterly. "I say that but I can't even figure out what I'm feeling."

"You got it rough, too, huh." I said, laying down beside him.

"Oh, right! You have that guy you like, too. I gotta say, he's damn dense!"

'Yeah, he is.'

"Want to drink cola?"

"Cola sounds nice."

I grabbed two colas from the cooler that Switch brought with him then sat on my futon, beside Bossun. He took his cola, opened it, and reached it out to me. I did the same thing.

"For our sucky, sucky lives." He said, smiling his goofy smile.

"Cheers." I replied and we drank it together.

Bossun fell, unconcious. I panicked and leaped beside him. 'What happened?'

I looked at the cola, which was spilled on the floor and his futon. 'Could it be? No… An experiment?'

I blacked out.