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Rideback: Fire and Water
Chapter 4
Moving Out
So worried about Shouko was Rin that she didn't spend much time at the club when they got back from the race. She headed straight for their dorm room hoping to find Shouko safe and sound.
When she got near their dormitory she saw a cab waiting outside. "That couldn't be her cab. She would've gotten here at least an hour ago if she came straight here." she thought.
Entering their room Rin found Shouko safe and sound alright but she was crying and packing up all her clothes in a suitcase. "Shouko, what's wrong? Why are you packing? Where are you going? I don't understand." she said.
"I'm so so... sorry Rin. I just can't s... stay here. I have to g... go away for a while." said Shouko struggling to speak through the tears.
"But why? What did I do?" What ever it is I'm sorry." said Rin starting to cry herself.
"It's not you." said Shouko closing the suitcase and heading for the door. "I'm sorry Rin. Just read the note I left." she added before bolting out the door.
Rin looked around the room and saw a sheet of white paper on the table and rushed over to pick it up desperate for some clue as to what's going on. The hand written ink was smudged in several place from where tears landed on the paper as Shouko was writing it.
Just as Rin started to read it she hard a car door shut outside. She ran to the window in time to see the cab carrying Shouko drive off.
"She left me. Why did she leave me?" she thought turning her attention back to the note which read...
Rin, I am so so s**ry. I didn't mean for this to h**pen but I'm just going thro**h something right now that I just have to work through **self. I know we've been frie**s forever and we never kept any s**rets from each other so I know this must look like I don't trust you a**more but I swear that's not it. In fact I need you to t**st me right now. I thought I could get through this with out cha**ing anything and stay being your best friend but it's just to hard. I just need some time away from you. I tried to put in for a new room as**gnment but they said the whole dorm is full so one of my friends from class who lives off ca**us said I could stay with her for a while. I'm sure I'll get through this even**ally and when I do maybe we can be friends ag**n if you'll let me but for now I just need to go away. Oh god p**ase don't hate me Rin. I couldn't take that. I'm so sorry. Goo**ye for now.
"This doesn't make any sense. Why would she need to be away from me. What did I do?" said Rin.
Needless to say Rin did not sleep well that nigh. She couldn't stop thinking about Shouko and wondering what she might be going through.
~RB~
The following morning (Sunday morning) without much sleep Rin went down to the rideback club just to get out of the all too empty dorm room. She arrived to find Tamayo cracking the proverbial whip on Haruki to get him to make some adjustments to her RB-Zs suspension.
"And it better be done by noon!" Tamayo yelled and then turned to see a disheveled Rin standing in the doorway. "Oh my god did you sleep in those close? And what's with that face? You look like you lost your best frie... Oh crap, Did something happen? How's Shouko?"
"She... she... she moved out. She left me. Why did she leave me?" said Rin starting to cry again.
"Oh my god.. Come here. Let's go talk in the back." said Tamayo leading Rin into the back office.
Tamayo made sure to close the door so Haruki wouldn't hear and then basically yelled at Rin. "Are you really that dense?"
Being yelled at all of the sudden gave the weeping rideback girl a start and made her already flowing tears torrential.
"Alright stop. I'm sorry I yelled but you've gotta face the fact that she's in love with you Rin." said Tamayo.
"But she... she... can't be." said the sobbing Rin.
"Oh no? Why not? Because you're both women?"
"Well, yeah." said Rin wiping tears from her eyes.
Tamayo threw her hands in the air and said "I give up. You're on your own. You figure it out." and stormed out of the office.
Rin stayed behind pondering what was said. "Could Shouko really be in love with me?"
Rin then started thumbing through the filing cabinet of memories in her head.
The first file she comes across is Tamayo's voice. "I see the way she looks at you."
The second file is her own voice. "Apologizing for hugging me? What's that about? And what's with all the blushing lately? Are you coming down with something?"
The third file is Shouko's voice. "What do you think you're doing. Get your hands off her!"
The last file is again Shouko's voice. "I'm so sorry Rin. I just can't do this."
"Oh my god. It certainly would explain a lot. What should I do? What can I do? I've loved her forever but as a friend."
Rin then pulled out her little red cell phone and tried to call Shouko and not getting any answer decided to send a text message instead.
Rin tapped out a lengthy text message that read...
Hi Shouko. I'm starting to understand a little why you had to leave. Tamayo helped me put a few pieces together. I understand that this is something I can't help you with but I think that's what bothers me the most. I wish there was something I could do for you. I hate this helpless feeling of knowing you're hurting and there's nothing I can do about it. Wow, I think this is the longest text message I've ever sent. lol Try and stay in touch if you can. Okay? Please?
Rin hit send and put her phone away and then left the office.
"Hey guys, I didn't get much sleep last night so I think I'm gonna go back and take a little nap."
"Okay, See ya Rin." said Haruki.
"Yeah, See ya. Oh and thanks Tamayo. I guess I needed to hear that."
"Any time." said Tamayo glad to see she'd apparently accepted the fact.
Feeling a little better now that she had a least done something even something as minor as a text message Rin was finally able to get a few hours of sleep.
When Rin woke up again it was noon. "At least it's still Sunday. Thank god I don't have any classes to go to today."
Rin then looked over at the other empty bed. "Man this sucks. I'm starting think maybe I've taken Shouko for granted. I always knew she was important to me but I don't think I ever realized just how important. The thought of going through day to day life with out her... I don't know if I can do this."
Rin pulled out her little red cell phone to see if maybe Shouko replied yet and upon looking at the screen, "no new messages. sigh"
"Maybe a ride on Fuego will do me some good." She thought and after a shower and a fresh change of clothes she headed back down to the rideback club.
~RB~
"Hey Haruki. Hi Tamayo." said Rin arriving at the clubs garage.
"Hey Rin. Didja get some sleep?" said Haruki.
"You certainly look a lot better than you did his morning." said Tamayo.
"Yeah, Well rested at least. I thought maybe a ride on Fuego might do me some good." said Rin.
"That's what I wanted to hear. You mind some company? I could use some time on Agua too." said Tamayo.
"Oh absolutely. The last thing I need is to be alone right now. Thank you." said Rin.
"Alright then. Let's get suited up and go for a ride." said Tamayo.
"You want me to set up the course checkpoints?" asked Haruki.
"Neh, this is just gonna be a pleasure cruise." said Tamayo.
~RB~
"I probably shouldn't bring up Shouko at all. Maybe I can get her mind on something else." Thought Tamayo riding along side Rin down a shady campus road. "Hey Rin, You think you could teach me some of those moves."
"I don't know. I studied ballet for thirteen years learning those moves." said Rin.
"You don't think I can do it." said Tamayo sounding a little offended.
"No it's not that. It's just that it'd probably take longer than you think to get the hang of them." said Rin.
"Oh come on Rin. I taught you everything I know about racing. It's only fair you return the favor." said Tamayo.
"Well, I guess I could try. Is there anything in particular you want to learn first?"
"Yeah, That one you used in the chicane that time we first raced. You remember right before I wiped out trying to avoid a cat in the road? You were going into the chicane way to fast and you did this kind of spinning jump thing. That was incredible. Can you teach me that?"
"Okay that one is called a fouetté jeté..."
"uhh... Whipped jump?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"My major is french."
"Oh cool, that'll help with the names."
"Basically it's a leap where you whip one leg around and use the momentum of that leg to turn you."
"Whip one leg around huh?, Okay let's give that a try." said Tamayo before launching Agua into the and spinning violently before crashing to the earth."
An image of Suzuri flashed in Rin's mind and she started laughing. "Ha ha ha ha!"
"What's so funny." said Tamayo dusting herself off and picking up Agua to get back on.
"I'm sorry. You just reminded me of Suzuri for a moment. I really don't mean to laugh but at the same time I kind of needed too."
"Well I'm glad I could amuse you."
"Oh something else you might find helpful is you can control the amount of spin in the air by extending or contracting the arms. Kind of like the way a figure skater spins faster when they pull their arms in. So if you're spinning to fast you can slow it down by extending the arms."
"Now you tell me. Okay, Let me try that again." Tamayo launched herself in the air a second time and again over spun and came crashing down. "Damn it!"
"What happened? Why didn't you extend Agua's arms?"
"It all happened too fast. By the time I knew I was spinning too fast it was already too late. And you do all of this with out thinking?"
"I've been dancing for thirteen years so it's as natural as walking for me."
"Crap I guess this really is gonna take a long time to get the hang of. I should probably wait until I've put on some heavy padding before trying that again." said Tamayo.
"Hey uhmm, Not to sound like I'm pushing or anything but have you gone down to that Rideback store to give that guy your autograph yet?" said Rin.
"No not yet. Hey you wanna go do that now?"
"Now?" Rin asked.
"Yeah sure. Let's got these Type Ls off the campus grounds for a change. We'll be fine as long as we stay off the highways."
"Yeah okay. Sure." and with that they headed for he main gate.
~RB~
When Rin and Tamayo entered the store there was a different man behind the counter this time. Presumably just hired help. He was sitting back reading one of the magazines that had Tamayo on the cover. He lowered the magazine enough to allow his eyes to examine the two female bodies clad in tight fitting riding suits that just entered the store. Wow, great legs. and check out the rack on the blond. he thought to himself. When finally his eyes reached the faces his eyes widened and he closed the magazine to look at the cover and compare. Holy crap! It's her. It's really her! "uhh..huh..huh... Can I help you ladies?" said the now over excited sales clerk.
"Is the manager in?" asked Rin.
"Yes mam. He's in the back. I'll go get him right away." he said running for the back room tripping over the magazine rack on the way.
Not 10 seconds after the sales clerk disappeared through the door in the back of the store did the manager come running out, helmet in hand. "Oh my god. You did it. You brought her down. Oh my god thank you so much Miss Ogata-sama."
"Our deal still stands right? forty percent off all future purchase for both of us right?" said Rin.
"Oh yes mam. Absolutely. It'll be my pleasure." said the manager.
"I understand you want me to sign something?" said Tamayo.
"Oh yes. Here right here on the side please." he said holding out the helmet trying desperately to hold it steady but shaking like a leaf.
Tamayo looked at the shaking helmet and then at her empty hands. "Did you want me to sign it in blood?"
"Oh right." said the manager who then turned his attention to his clerk. "Don't just stand there you dolt. Make yourself useful and get me a sharpie."
"Yes boss." said the sales clerk who quickly retrieved a sharpie and handed it directly to Tamayo denying his boss the honor.
"Thank you." said Tamayo who then proceeded to sign the helmet where indicated.
"Oh my god thank you so much." said the manager marveling at his new pride and joy. "Please feel free to look around and remember forty percent off. My clerk will be happy to ring you up when you're ready."
"Thanks but we really can't buy anything today. We came on our ridebacks so we don't have any trunk space or anything. Maybe next time." said Tamayo.
"Oh yeah, okay. Sure. Well, thanks again for the autograph Miss Kataoka-sama and please come again. And you too miss Ogata-sama." said the overjoyed manager.
"Okay bye." said Rin as they left the store.
"Wow, that was even more annoying than I thought it would be. I hope that guy isn't going to be slobbering all over me every time I go in there. I'm not sure forty percent is worth it." said Tamayo.
"It wasn't that bad. I thought he was nice." said Rin.
"Easy for you to say. This kind of attention is all new to you."
"Not really. I've had my fair share of fans over the years of ballet dancing. You should have seen Suzuri the first time I met her in the campus cafeteria. Talk about slobbering."
"Speaking of the campus we should probably start back. It's getting late." said Tamayo.
"Yeah, an Tamayo, Thanks for today. It was fun and I really needed some company. You're a good friend." said Rin.
"Don't go getting all mushy on me. You know I hate that." said Tamayo.