A/N. BAH. Plot, I hate you. You suck! You keep changing!! ARAGH!

-balls up plot and throws it in trash can-

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NOOOO!! Wait, I didn't mean it! I'm so sorry! COME BAAACK!!

-sob- Mama's not gonna throw you away any more, ok, Plot? You'll behave… won't you? For me?

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WHADDYA MEAN, 'NO?!!!! '

-We now return you to the regularly scheduled really crappy story. We apologize for the delay… But Saro is going through some kind of phase right now and wants to quit all stories and do nothing but earn points on Neopets and eat chocolate from Peru-

It's true! Peru chocolate is quite tasty!

I'd like to ONCE again thank Jestry- for being nothing short of that little voice that keeps characters in character. Which can be really kinda hard, because I'm a sentimental moron who makes Joshua really human and meet my own ideals to much. Deep down, he's a jerk and I need to remember that. That being said… here we go.

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Chapter Seven

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Drifting Away

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Page after page of white dresses flipped under Rhyme's nose, each being glanced at with only minor, almost halfhearted interest. The young woman was seated on a bench by the beach on a cooler than usual evening, riffling through a just-purchased bridal magazine. She had yet to decide on an actual date, but that was ok. It didn't hurt to look.

What did hurt was her Joshua's distance. She had not spoken more than five words to him since their morning conversation on the beach about a week ago. He hadn't been avoiding her, as far as she could tell- he had just "been a little on the busy side. "

Rhyme felt his absence strongly- he was in many ways, one of her closest friends, and it hurt her. Even though deep down, she knew it was her fault. She was the one hurting him.

"I'm... s-so sorry, Joshua...I never wanted to.... " Tears began to roll down her cheeks, and she suddenly wrapped her arms around her legs and sobbed into her knees.
She felt like she was sacrificing one man's heart for another, then chided herself for thinking that. Joshua was not the kind of person to let someone else become to close to him as to give them the power to hurt him so deeply. Tim was frail- he could very quickly slip back into his destructive habits. It was like she was drowning while trying to keep someone else's head above water.

Oohhhhh, she winced. My head hurts so... bad! Nnngh!

There was a brief touch on her shoulder, and her pain lessened. Raising still tear-blurred eyes, she caught sight of a familiar, slight figure walking away from her. Joshua!

Before she even knew what she was doing, Rhyme jumped up and wrapped her arms around her friend's thin torso, resting her cheek against his back. "Please don't go, Joshua. I'm... I'm sorry! " She didn't care if he pushed her away. She didn't care that he wasn't hers to hold. She just wanted to hold onto him until he did.

All she cared was that, for just a moment, she was holding him.

"Rhyme... "

His hand gently closed around one of hers. "Don't apologize. It's just... you. It's who you are. It's… ok. "

"Joshua...! "

He half-turned to face her. "I'm a selfish person, Rhyme. You're a selfless one. I just want you to- " She felt him stiffen suddenly- Then he was pulling away from her, breaking out of her feeble embrace.

"I'm sorry. I haven't been feeling very well these last few days, and I thought I was doing better. I... should go. "

"Joshua...! "
But he was already gone, thin small body fading into the twilight, leaving a trail of footprints in the sand and nothing else.

Mind still drowning in a flood of thoughts and emotions, Rhyme sat back down on the bench and probably would have sat there for quite some time had not a car horn sounded a few yards away.

"Hey! You, girl, on the bench! "

It was a red-haired girl, waving at her from inside a sleek green car. "It's getting late. Can I give you a ride? "

"Um... " Rhyme bit her lip, picking up her magazine and purse. "I... don't.... I mean... "

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not here to abduct you. I just don't feel comfortable letting another girl walk home alone. It's a dangerous town at night. " She waved again, gesturing for Rhyme to come over.

"Oh... ok. " Hesitantly, Rhyme approached the car and sat down beside the girl. The driver smiled, brown eyes sparkling. "So, where you do live? "

"Um... just a few block from here. In the South Shore Apartment building. "

Turning on, the car, the mysterious driver gave Rhyme a curious look. "Is your name, by any chance... Raimu? "

The blonde gasped. "Yes. How did you- You're the girl from the bar from about two weeks ago! "

"You'd be surprised how often I get that. " She chuckled, then made a sheepish face as she spotted the ring on Rhyme's hand. "I am, assuming you're Tim's girlfriend. I'm sorry for... um... you know... "

The car was silent for a little while again. Then the red-haired girl spoke again. "He's really a catch, you know. I offered to take him back to my apartment, but he just kind if... woke up and started freaking out about how he had a girlfriend and how he was a horrible person for drinking. I hadn't seen him around, so I wondered if he'd finally sobered up. "

She smiled. "It looks like it was you. I'm glad. "

Rhyme smiled back. "By the way, what's your name? "

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Where are my manners? "

The woman ran her fingers through her hair, laughing quietly. "My name's Masaki. "

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Me: I know, the chapter's crap. I wrote it feeling emotional. I'm sorry again.
Jestry: Oh come on, its not that bad. At least now Plot is here. (:
Me: Yeah, but I just flagrantly abused it.
Jestry: YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE EMO. NO MORE. Have some confidence in yourself (: It's not crap.
Me:… but I wanna be emo…