Chapter Three:

Sadie slowly came to under the soft afternoon light that streamed through the window to her right. She was lying alone in one of the infirmary beds with nothing but the sound of distant shouts from the students below and the chirping of small birds to accompany her. She sighed peacefully, allowing herself to take a moment of respite. She hadn't felt so content in such a long –

"Sae-chan! You're awake!" Momoi was standing at the door to the nurse's office, smiling broadly as she bounded over.

Sadie returned her grin. "Sure am. What time is it?"

"It's still early afternoon. You've only been out for a half hour."

"Dammit," she sighed. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to go back there…"

Momoi blinked at her in surprise. "Uh, hold up, Sae-chan. Kameko-sensei won't allow you back in gym class like this."

"Huh? She won't?"

"No, moron! Are you kidding?" Her friend rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I'd be surprised if she lets you come back at all this term. You know her track record was completely clean before you? No accidents at all in her five years of teaching."

"Oh…" Sadie gnawed her lip guiltily. "Well, I suppose it could have been a lot worse. That girl didn't know what to do with herself once her leg started cramping."

Another roll of the eyes. "I'm sure the instinct to just lie there and float would've kicked in sooner or later, Sae-chan. Anyway, I thought you were supposed to be a good swimmer? What was with that fainting spell?"

Sadie frowned, wanting to know the same thing. "You know, I'm not sure…" When she glanced up, Momoi was staring down at her with a strange look. "What?"

"You don't know?"

"No," she replied slowly. "Why, what's the matter?"

Momoi scuffed her foot at something on the floor. "Have you eaten anything today?"

"Yes, I had…" Sadie suddenly trailed off, realising that she hadn't actually had anything to eat today. Again. "Uh, now that I think about it – no."

"Do you have any lunch left?" Momo asked, still not looking at her.

"I don't think so. Is there a reason you're not looking at me, Momoi-chan?"

She straightened, looking Sadie in the eye as she said, "You've lost weight, Sae-chan. A lot of weight. I don't think you're eating enough."

Immediately her guard went up; in her mind she frantically sifted through her memories, wondering how and when Momoi had picked up on her strange behaviour. Had she been paying more attention to her than normal during lunch? Or was it the drastic change to her diet Momoi had picked up on? When had she let her guard down?

When she realised Momoi was still waiting for a response, she swallowed and said slowly, "Momoi, um… I think you're worrying a little too much, okay? I'm totally fine. See?" She held out her arms, turning them this way and that – like that solved anything. "I'm just changing my diet a little. It's nothing to get worked up over."

For the first time in all the time they had known each other, Momoi's brow darkened with anger at her friend. "I'm not an idiot, Sae-chan! I can see what's happening, ya know!"

Sadie flinched and swallowed uneasily. "What do you mean? Why are you mad?"

"Why am I mad?" she repeated, running a frustrated hand through her light brown hair. "Because, Sae-chan, you don't care what I think at all, do you?"

She blinked in surprise. "Huh? Where did you get a ridiculous thought like that?"

"From you, of course! You're the one doing stupid stuff like starving yourself!"

Now it was Sadie's turn to be frustrated. "Okay, hold on a second. First of all, I'm not starving myself. And secondly, what does that have to do with me not caring about you?"

"Ugh, seriously!" Momoi huffed, rolling her eyes. "You're gonna make me say it."

"Say what?"

"Something that shouldn't even have to be said in the first place." She huffed again, shuffling her feet. "Sae-chan, I don't make friends with stupid people. I kick stupid people. What you're doing is stupid. Starving yourself is stupid. And you're smart, Sae-chan!"

Sadie frowned, trying to keep up with the complicated way her best friend's mind worked. "So what you're saying is, you don't want to be friends with me anymore?"

"What? No! Idiot," Momoi grumbled, racking her over the head with her knuckles. "I'm saying that I made friends with you in the first place because you were smart and nice. You were different from the other girls, who only care about boys and makeup and stupid stuff like that. I thought you knew that already…"

"I-I think I do," Sadie replied softly.

Momoi scoffed. "Hmm, maybe I gave you more credit than I should have."

Sadie studied her friend, and then let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, maybe you did."

They smiled together, and then Momoi was all-seriousness again. "Sae-chan, will you promise me that you'll stop being an idiot and starving yourself? I don't want you to end up like this again, okay?"

Sadie smiled in response, patting the mattress next to her. When her friend sat, she said, "Fine, I'll start eating a little more often. But I like my diet, and I want to keep eating healthily. Does that sound okay?"

Momoi considered her for a moment, and then conceded with a short nod. "But that means that you'll have to make triple of everything – for me, you and Mura-kun."

Sadie narrowed her eyes. "You're not going to give any food to Mura-kun, are you?"

Momoi studied her nails and didn't reply.

That afternoon, Sadie found herself in yet another sticky situation. After they'd arrived home at her house, she had gone to the bathroom for only five minutes when Momoi had taken it upon herself to explain in great detail to her family just what had happened at school earlier. When she emerged, she was delighted to see Link standing with her father in the hallway – it quickly melted to apprehension when she caught sight of Momoi just behind and to the right of them.

Like the evil mastermind behind a plan that had yet to be revealed.

Her father opened his mouth to say something, but Link beat him to it. He was already striding across the room to grip Sadie's arm tightly. "What the hell is this I'm hearing about, Nee-san? You're starving yourself at school? Fainting during gym class? What the hell?"

Behind her brother's arm, her eyes sought her friends' with all the inner fury she could muster. Using just her gaze, she repeated Link's question; 'What the hell?'

"Hey! You listening?" Link shook her arm. "I asked you a question, Sadie!"

Sadie glared up at her brother and wrenched her arm out of his grasp. "It's none of your business, Link."

"The hell it isn't," he retorted, abruptly switching to English. "I go away for two weeks and I come back to find this place going to sh –"

Her father interrupted his rant with a firm slap on the back of his son's head. "Just because you're speaking English doesn't mean you get to say what you like, Lincoln. Stop speaking to your sister that way."

Link rubbed the back of his head and glared at him. "Dammit old man, but you still hit like a truck."

"You bet I do," he replied firmly, and then his brown eyes found hers. "Now Sadie-girl, tell us what happened."

Sadie folded her arms. "Why do you need my account when you seem to have been satisfied with Momoi's explanation?"

Her father's eyes narrowed. "Don't be like that, Sadie. Momoi was just worried about you. I'm glad she said something."

Link frowned at Momoi, who was gazing around innocently at anything but her friend. "Wait, Nee-san, you still hang out with this weirdo?"

At that, Momoi's head snapped around and her flashing eyes bored into Link. "You got a problem with that, Degenerate?"

As his father snorted into his shoulder, Link's chest puffed out like an angry peacock. "Now that I'm back, there're gonna be a few changes around here, alright? And you stepping foot in this house is gonna be one of 'em."

"If by changes you mean it's gonna be worse than when you left, then I'd have to agree with you there." Momoi smirked cheerily at him.

This time Sadie's father burst out laughing, causing Link to scowl at him. "Who's side are you on anyway, old man?"

Still chuckling, he replied, "Son, if you're immature enough to still believe in 'sides' then I'm worried about you leaving the nest so early. Maybe you should stick around for a while." His trademark cheery smile appeared as he winked at Sadie. "God knows it'll give your sister some peace of mind, knowing you're not out there making stupid decisions."

As Sadie sputtered a denial, Momoi yawned and stretched her arms to the ceiling. "Well since it doesn't look like I'll be getting any food today, I think I'll start making my way home."

Link scowled down at her with his hands on his hips. "Oh, that's just so you, ditching the party as soon as there's nothing in it for you anymore."

Momoi frowned like she was trying to recall something. "I think you might have me mixed up with someone else, Harper-kun. Yourself, maybe?"

"That's 'san' to you, loser."

"Oh yeah? What're you gonna do about it?"

Sighing, her father scrubbed his face with a rough hand. "That's enough, you two. Geez, put these two together for five minutes and they're at each other's throats."

Sadie grinned. "They just really missed each other, Dad." When Momoi bared her teeth at her, she returned the grimace with a 'Karma, bitch' stare.

"Whatever, I don't really care. I need to speak with Sadie-girl, and Momoi-chan needs to go home before it gets dark. Link, take her home."

Almost immediately a string of sputtering and denial sprang from her older brother, and Sadie rolled her eyes at his dramatics. Evidently, her father didn't want to hear it either; he held up a hand, and that was all it took to stop the tirade. "Enough, I don't care what you would rather be doing. Be a man and walk the young lady home, alright? Without killing her."

Link grumbled but reluctantly walked to the front door, holding it open for Momoi – who took her time putting her shoes back on. When she was ready, she stood in the open doorway for another full five minutes wishing Sadie and her father a pleasant night, and reminding her friend to triple bake for school tomorrow. Her brother's face was just about purple before they finally left.

Her father sighed again. "Those two are both grenades just waiting to blow. One goes off, so does the other…"

"Tell me about it," she muttered in agreement.

"Now, tell me what happened today."

It wasn't long afterwards that she realised what had started out as a simple explanation to reassure him that everything was fine was going to turn into a long discussion about her health. Again.

And sure enough, two hours later, their conversation finally drew to an exhausting close. No homework or baking had been done – no washing or chores. Looks like I'm going to be in for another late night.

Suddenly her father looked around with a small frown on his face. "What is it?" she asked.

"Link's not back yet. Momoi doesn't live far – he should have been back an hour ago…"

Sadie frowned as well. "Do you want to call his cell?"

"Yeah, maybe –"

The front door flew wide, and in strode Link with an angry glower decorating his features. His hair was windblown and dirt smeared the bottom of his expensive jeans. He took off his mud-caked shoes and threw them outside – a long way outside. When he sat down, he folded his arms and stared fixedly at the TV.

Sadie glanced at her father and shrugged helplessly.

Clearing his throat, her father began slowly, "Did something –"

"No. And I don't want to talk about it." His curt reply left nothing but silence in its wake.

Even more reluctantly he asked, "Is Momoi-chan alright?"

Link snorted dryly. "Oh yeah, she's just fine. Peachy. Clean as a bell."

"That's good I suppose?" Sadie offered.

"Good!" he burst out, shooting up from the chair. "Good, you say! Yeah, it's just great! That spoiled little brat gets to sleep real well knowing she put me through the wringer. Sweet dreams, Momoi-chan!"

He stormed off then, muttering something about going for a shower. Sadie looked to her father for answers, but he only sighed again, scrubbing the back of his head. "Like I said. Grenades."

True to her word, the next day she came to school with triple the amount of lunch that she herself would normally eat. In spite of the strange looks she received from her peers, she tried to focus on nothing except her school work all morning. So when lunch finally arrived, it was a blessing.

Like clockwork, Momoi came bounding in, snagging the nearest chair and straddling it, receiving weird looks from the girls as she did. Sadie tried to ignore the uneasy feeling in her gut as she spotted Hikari trying to appear surreptitious while glancing at them and whispering to her two friends in the corner. Then they giggled and left the room – Sadie had to swallow back her rising concern.

"Sae-chan, what's for lunch today?" Momoi demanded immediately.

"Uh… rice cakes and spring rolls…" Momoi chirped happily, but Sadie was too distracted by the whispers spreading like fire. "Hey, Momoi-chan, should you be sitting like that?"

"Huh?" Momoi glanced down at herself, then back up. "Yeah, why?"

Hesitantly Sadie asked, "Shouldn't you sit in it properly?"

"Huh?" she said again, this time squinting at Sadie like she was a strange insect. "What's wrong with how I sit?"

"Uh… Nothing, it's just –"

Thankfully Himuro chose that moment to make his appearance. As he sat, he took one look at Momoi and frowned disapprovingly. "Momoi, sit properly. You're disturbing your classmates."

Momoi scoffed and shrugged. "They're not my classmates."

"Well they're your best friend's classmates, and you're going to make people think bad things about the both of you if you keep it up."

Momoi glanced at Sadie questioningly, but when she received no comment, began to slowly rearrange her seat. "I don't care what people think," she muttered grudgingly.

"Well, you should," Himuro admonished, but gently this time. "It makes your life in high school much more pleasant."

Before Momoi could retort, Sadie quickly asked him, "Hey Himuro-san, where's Mura-kun?"

Himuro rolled his eyes. "Atsushi got held up in the hall. He'll be here in a minute."

But five minutes later, Sadie was beginning to worry that with the rate Momoi was scoffing down her portion of food, there mightn't be any food left by the time Murasakibara finally showed up. Making up her mind, she stood.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna go see what's holding up Mura-kun, okay?" Momoi mumbled what sounded like an affirmative through a mouth full of food; Himuro just nodded absently and went back to his notes.

Outside, students filled the halls, chatting and giggling. It took Sadie a few minutes before she finally found him. Smiling, she began to stroll towards him when she realised he was talking to someone. She slowed her pace, wondering when it would be a good time to interrupt. Maybe it was a fellow basketball player?

"Hey, Mura-kun! Are you listening?" Sadie froze at the feminine voice, recognising it.

"Huh?" There didn't seem to be a shred of interest in his tone.

Giggles ensued, and Sadie hid herself in the doorway to another classroom – earning herself strange looks from the inhabitants. Hikari repeated her question. "I said you should come and eat lunch with us. We were just about to meet up with some of your teammates. You'd like that, right?"

His answer was instant and firm. "No."

Again with the silence. Then – "Why not?"

"I'm already eating lunch with Sae-chin."

"Sae-chin?" The voice was confused. "You mean Sadie-san?"

"Sae-chin." A crumpling noise suggested that he's just opened a packet of chips.

"Are… Are you friends with Sadie-san?"

Sadie leaned around the jam so she could make out the outline of his shoulders shrugging. "She makes good food, I guess."

As more giggles started up, Sadie felt her insides turning to mush – and not the good kind. The kind of mush that was cold and made up of every hope you didn't even know you'd harboured up until this point.

"She makes good food?" Hikari repeated incredulously, following up with more giggling. "That's the only reason?"

Again with the shrugging. "She's nice. Himuro likes her."

"Well why don't you invite Himuro along too? You can come hang out with all of us and have some fun," she offered.

When he spoke next, he sounded impatient. "Don't wanna. I'm hungry, can I go now?"

"Hold on, Mura-kun!"

Murasakibara halted and grumbled, "What?"

"I want to know… You said that Himuro likes Sadie-san… But what do you like about her?"

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"Well… She's kind of fat, isn't she? I mean, besides her cooking, do you like Sadie-san at all?"

Sadie waited with baited breath for his answer, suddenly wondering if she actually wanted to stay and hear this –

"I don't like her. I don't like anyone. You're all annoying." When there was no reply to his comment, he said impatiently, "Can I go now?"

"Y-yeah –"

"Sae-chan! There you are!" Momoi's voice snapped her out of some sort of trance, and she turned to see both her and Himuro approaching from the classroom. "You disappeared on me again, I'm seriously gonna kill you this time – Sae-chan, why are you crying?!"

Sadie frowned. "Huh?"

Momoi rushed over and grabbed her face in a firm hold. "You're crying! What's going on?" She turned to the nearest person, who happened to be a male from the classroom they were standing outside of. "Was it you? Did you make Sae-chan cry? I'll kill you, bastard!"

Thankfully Himuro grabbed her before she could lunge at the poor boy, who was backpedalling quickly. "Momoi, calm down."

"Calm down?! Look at her, she's crying!"

Sadie frantically wiped at her eyes, shame flushing her cheeks. "Momoi-chan I'm fine, okay?"

Himuro peered at her questioningly. "Sadie-san, what happened?"

"Who did it?" Momoi demanded instead.

"I-It's nothing, really. Just give me a moment."

"I'll give you more than that – I'll give you their head on a platter – I'll serve their guts medium-rare – I'll carve out their eyes and butter toast with them –"

"Momoi, enough!" Himuro exclaimed exasperatedly. "Just give it a rest!"

"The hell I will!"

Sadie glanced around self-consciously as their shouting drew the attention of those around them. A pair of purple eyes met hers, and she seemed to shrink up inside.

Almost immediately Murasakibara started for them; when Himuro caught sight of him, he frowned. "There you are, Atsushi. What have you been?"

"I got held up by some annoying girls," he grumbled in reply. "Can we go eat now?"

"No, we can't!" Momoi growled, pointing a finger in Sadie's direction. "Someone made Sae-chan cry, and I'm gonna find out who – huh? Sae-chan?" There was only air where Sadie had been five seconds ago. "Where did she go?"

Himuro was gazing at something behind them. "I don't know; she just took off. Maybe to clean herself up?"

Murasakibara groaned impatiently. "What'd she have to leave for? I'm hungry!"

Momoi slowly turned to face him, all her inner frustration on display. "Sae-chan is upset, and all you can think about is food? Don't you have an off-switch?"

"Shut up, little girl. I'll eat you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Stop it, you two!" Himuro turned to his friend. "Atsushi, did you see what made Sadie-san upset?"

Murasakibara shrugged and dug his hand into another chip packet. "She just stood there staring while I was talking with those girls before. I think she was trying to hide from someone…"

"Girls?" Momoi repeated. "Which girls?"

He pointed, and she followed his gaze to see Hikari and her friends disappearing around the corner with put-out looks on their faces. "Those girls?" When he just nodded, she narrowed her eyes dangerously. "And what were you talking about exactly?"