AN: too tired to properly proof this. sorry.

Chapter 4

Tomo and Sakuno waved from the doorway as Momo and Ryoma made their way down the walkway towards the street. When the two boys had rounded the corner the two girls retreated back into the comfort of the house.

"That was fun!" Sakuno smiled as she bounded back up the stairs to Tomo's room.

Once there Tomo put in a different CD as Sakuno settled herself comfortably on her best friend's bed.

Tomo flopped down onto her lush bed, and turned, propping her head up with her arm. The listened to the music in companionable silence as Sakuno flipped through a celebrity magazine and Tomo flipped through an older issue of the same magazine.

"I really wish you were there with me in the end though," Sakuno said finally. "I wanted to wear a dress kind of like this for our dinner."

Sakuno held up the magazine and pointed to a female idol who was wearing a short, slim, tan dress with spaghetti straps.

"Then I could have worn it with that brown belt you have! Oh and that white sweater."

Sakuno mumbled that last part and Tomo merely turned back to her own reading material.

"Say, Tomo-chan! Do you really think my dress is ok? It's got a bit of a deep neckline but I'll wear a cami--"

"Sakuno!" Tomo set he magazine down and sat up on her legs. "What's really on your mind?"

They had spent the past few hours chatting and hanging out with two of their closest male friends, and had nearly no time to discuss what Tomo knew was really on Sakuno's mind: her and Yuuta's anniversary.

Sakuno's face flushed just a little.

"I'm just a bit nervous."

"Nervous?" Tomo asked, wanting further clarification. She couldn't help her friend if she didn't want to spill all.

"Yea," Sakuno swung her legs around so they touched the floor and looked down at her lap. "Yuuta-kun and I have been together for a while. I been waiting a long time hoping to find someone special… well--"

Tomo's eyes widened. Did Sakuno mean--

"Oh my god! Sakuno-chan!" Tomo bounced a little as she spoke. "Do you mean you wanna… you mean you plan to go all the way with Yuuta?"

Sakuno didn't say anything, but judging by the blush that assaulted the shy girl's cheeks, Tomo's guess was correct. Tomo's head spun with the new information. Sweet Sakuno would no longer be so innocent if she actually did go through with it all.

"I didn't know you… I mean you always seemed to hate it when me and Takeshi--"

Sakuno shot Tomo an apologetic look. "No, it's not like that, Tomo-chan. Ah, it's not the fact hat you do it as the fact that you do it so stupidly."

It was Tomo's turn to blush. She couldn't argue there. She hadn't taken the necessary precautions.

"Well," Tomo said, turning the attention back to her friend. "So did you talk to Yuuta-kun about this yet?"

Sakuno shook her head and that information didn't seem so surprising to Tomo either. She noticed that Yuuta, although a year older, would tense up whenever sex was mentioned, even in passing. He must be shy too, Tomo reasoned. Oh boy, that was sure to be one night to remember for better or for worse. Still, Tomo felt confident that Yuuta wouldn't deny Sakuno what she wanted.

"What should I do?" Sakuno asked.

Tomo didn't know what advice to give that wouldn't scare Sakuno to death. She couldn't recommend a love hotel because the very thought would send Sakuno into a blushing fit for days--

Sakuno spoke, "What about a love hotel? Do you know a good one?"

Tomo blinked. Ok, so maybe Sakuno did put a lot of thought into this.

"Don't look at me like that Tomo-chan," Sakuno pouted.

That's when Tomo realized she was looking at her best friend as if she sprouted two heads and a goatee. Tomo murmured an apology and then said,

"Are you sure you're comfortable with that?"

Sakuno shook her head. "It doesn't matter. The dorm walls at Yuuta's school are to thin, not to mention it's a pain getting past the Sister at the lobby and that his room mate lets us alone a bit. And then my home is also off limits, what with grandma there--"

"Good point," Tomo sighed. "Ok, so love hotel it is."

"Don't you have a card or something you can give us so we can get in?" Sakuno asked.

Tomo blushed, "I'm sure you can get in. Takeshi usually handles that sort of thing."

Sakuno nodded with understanding and then said, "Do you think I should tell him at dinner?"

"People don't normally plan these things," Tomo said, but then added a disclaimer. "I don't think."

She wasn't quite sure since her only experience was with Momo. She couldn't say if their relationship was standard or not.

"Maybe we should just go to my house, we'll be quiet and the walls aren't that thin. That way I won't have to tell him," Sakuno mused.

She fingered her single long braid, having long ago ditched her pigtailed look, and sighed. She looked so serious and Tomo couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

"I think you're putting so much thought into it. I'm sure you and Yuuta will be fine, besides I saw that dress you bought. If that doesn't work then nothing will."

Sakuno blushed but had a slight look of annoyance. "It's that darn Ryoma's fault. He convinced me to get it. I'm having regrets! You really should have come with me!"

"Nope! It's too late for that now!" Tomo teased. "Besides, Ryoma really picked something that flattered you. Who knew he'd have such good taste in dresses!"

"Ok, if you say so," Sakuno pushed her braid over her shoulder and smiled. "But you still gotta help with my hair and nails."

"Of course. No braid for you this weekend!" Tomo exclaimed.

Tomo stood up to rummage through her tackle box of hair accessories. There was no harm in brainstorming.

She really hoped that everything worked out as Sakuno imagined that weekend. Tomo wanted to be of help any way possible, especially after the whole dress thing and not showing up to help pick it. Tomo would definitely help Sakuno with anything that may come up.

"Aa, uhm… Tomo," Sakuno began again.

"Yes?" Tomo replied, keeping her eyes on her current task. She visibly brightened as she pulled out a sparkling butterfly barrette.

"Uhm… can you give me some tips… to… y;know. So it can be---good."

Tomo dropped the barrette and turned to her friend, mouth agape. Sakuno was if possible, the reddest creature Tomo had ever laid eyes upon. But Tomo's original expression of shock quickly was replaced with a devious look.

"Fufufu, Sakuno-chan! I never knew you had it in you!"

And with that Sakuno hid her crimson face with a pillow.

-to be continued--

AN: hopefully they're in character. i'm too sleepy to talk about this anymore. please read and review!