Well…I have no reviews, but I think I will continue with this story. I would've continued sooner, but I needed to think of a song to go with this chapter, and I think I did. I hope that those that have read this story will review…
Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket in anyway, nor do I own the song that is included in this chapter.
CHAPTER 2: IT'S NOT TOO LATE
A week passed and Kara had gotten used to having friends at school.
She smiled more than she really ever had.
She sang all of the time, but not very many sad songs.
Until the Monday after Kara had first come to school.
It's not too late…
As Kara walked onto the school grounds, you could tell that there was something wrong.
Her short black hair covered her eyes as her head hung down, her steel grey eyes staring at the ground.
Kara sung a different song every morning, so the students had become used to hearing her voice, happy and cheerful, every morning.
Tohru, instantly seeing Kara the second she walked onto the grounds, bounded over to talk to her friend before she sang to the awaiting students.
"Good morning, Kara-chan!"
Tohru gave her and enthusiastic smile, but Kara didn't look up at her.
"G-Good morning…Tohru-san…"
Kara's breath was uneven, she gasped at random times, her small frame shook every time she exhaled.
Tohru frowned slightly and went to ask if something was wrong with her friend, but was cut of by Kara.
"I-I have to s-start my s-song…E-excuse me, Tohru-san."
Kara trotted over to the bench that she always sung at and a crowd instantly appeared in front of Kara as she sat down and pulled her guitar out and placed it gingerly on her lap.
Tohru, Uotani, Hanajima, Yuki, Kyo, Momiji and Hatsuharu were some of the students that joined the crowd.
Kara had met Momiji and Haru after school on her first day, Tohru had introduced them.
As Kara gave her guitar a quick strum to make sure it was in tune, she spoke to the crowd.
"This s-song will be s-sadder than they have been lately…"
Kara warned her audience as she began to play the beginning cord of the song.
Kara's friends instantly noticed that the melody carried a sad and aching tune hidden in the soft way that it was played.
The group of friends cast weary looks at each other as Kara began to sing, they knew Kara's song depicted her feelings.
"This world will never be
What I expected
And if I don't belong
Who would've guessed it?"
The crowd grew; they wanted to hear the aching tune that the small girl was playing.
"I will not leave alone
Everything that I own
To make you feel like
It's not too late
It's never too late."
A few tear drops fell onto Kara's guitar from her covered eyes.
Tohru noticed this and tried to get through the crowd to her friend, but the groups of students were standing so close together that Tohru couldn't get through.
"Even if I say
It'll be alright
Still I hear you say
You want to end your life
Now and again we try
To just stay alive
Maybe we'll turn it around
'Cause it's not too late
It's never too late."
Kara's eyes remained down, a few more tears dripped onto the guitar and onto her hands, which kept strumming the guitar.
Tohru felt herself tear up as she saw and heard her friend's sadness and tried harder to break through the wall of students.
"No one will ever see
This side reflected
And if there's something wrong
Who would've guessed it?"
Tohru turned to look at the other students, half of them were glassy eyed and the other half was looking at the ground, thinking.
"And I have left alone
Everything that I own
To make you feel like
It's not too late
It's never too late."
Tears tapped onto Kara's guitar with every couple strumming of the strings.
Tohru turned to look at Yuki and Kyo, who were both looking down at the ground.
"Even is I say
It'll be alright
Still I hear you say
You want to end your life
Now and again we try
To just stay alive
Maybe we'll turn it around
'Cause it's not too late
It's never too late."
Kara's shoulders shook as she continued to play, but her voice never faltered.
"The world we knew
Won't come back
The time we lost
Can't get back
The life we had
Won't bleed us again…"
Kara let out one sob as she played another cord on her guitar and a tear fell down Tohru's cheek.
"This world will never be
What I expected
And if I don't belong."
Another sob escaped before Kara's singing continued.
"Even if I say
It'll be alright
Still I hear you say
You want to end your life
Now and again we try
To just stay alive
Maybe we'll turn it around
'Cause it's not too late
It's never too late…
It's not too late…
It's never too late…"
As the last note strummed away, the crowd broke into applause and Kara slumped over her guitar, shoulder heaving.
The crowd quickly dispersed and Kara's friends huddled around her.
"What's wrong, Kara-chan"
Momiji, still looking glossy eyed, sat at Kara's feet.
"He's gone…"
More tear drops fell onto Kara's lap and her guitar slid off of her lap and onto the ground.
The cry of protest that the guitar made soon droned out and more questions were raised.
"Who died, Shojintan-san"
Yuki sat next to Kara, a hand on her shoulder.
"My father…"
A small gasp left the group and the air hung thick with sadness.
"How…?"
Tohru, sitting on the other side of Kara, didn't want to finish her question.
"He hung himself in the basement…"
More tears and sobs came from Kara and she put her hands over her face to catch her tears.
"It's all my fault…"
"It can't be your fault, it was his choice."
Uo stood behind the bench, as glossy eyed as Momiji.
"It is…He got a letter from his work saying that we had to move…and I yelled at him…"
"Why would you yell at him?"
Kyo, who had no business talking about someone else's anger issues, sat on the arm of the bench.
"I didn't want to leave…I liked it here…"
Kara pulled a piece of paper from her backpack.
"A letter…A suicide note…"
Everyone gathered around so that they could read the letter as Kara unfolded it.
"I'll read it…"
Kara said, noticing everyone trying to look at the piece of paper.
"My dearest Kara"
The letter began.
"I regret what I have done, but I thought it was best. Work has been pressuring me with these moves and I now realize the toll that it has taken upon you when you told me that you didn't want to be torn from your new friends. I know I could have taken a different path in solving this problem…But the move date was too soon, my dear, and this seemed like the quickest solution…I'm sorry…Maybe you can stay with your friends.
I'll give your love to your mother.
Your loving father
Kara held the paper tightly in her hands, her knuckles were white.
Silence gripped the group until Uotani banged her fist against the bench, tears running down her face.
"If he knew that there were other ways, why did he do that?"
Tohru took the note from Kara and looked it over.
"Is your mother dead too?"
Kara let out a soft whimper
"Yes…"
The school bell rang and the group helped Kara up and walked to class.
Even if I say it'll be alright
The final school bell rang and the group of eight met on the bench that they had talked on that morning to discuss where Kara would stay.
Tohru dragged Kara, who had stopped crying by now and was protesting letting her stay with anyone, to the bench.
"You don't have to, I'll be fine."
Kara said, being forcibly sat down into the bench by Uotani.
"You're going to stay with one of us, weather you like it or not! I already let Tohru sleep in a tent; I will not have another friend out on her own!"
Kara nodded in agreement, she was kind of afraid that if she continued to argue, Uo would continue yelling.
Uo nodded in satisfaction and the group started to talk and argue while Kara just sat silently in the middle of it all.
That will be all for now, I am planning on making the next chapter funny, I hope that'll work out…Please please please review!