Chapter eight: Miyuki's secret

As the seniors' graduation ball drew closer Shizuma couldn't help but notice that Miyuki had changed in her attitude. She seemed more … secretive to say the least. She figured her friend was just stressing over the graduation ball. Over lunch one day she confront her friend. "Something is bothering you, Miyuki, what is wrong?" she turned to face her friend. Miyuki sighed and set down her teacup.

"We can not discuss this here, Shizuma"

"But we can discuss it … right?"

"Of course" Miyuki rested her hand over Shizuma's reassuringly "meet me out in the courtyard after breakfast"

"Alright" Shizuma watched Miyuki walk briskly out of the dining hall. Shizuma smiled and shook her head. From Miyuki's tone it didn't sound like anything serious. Well not deadly serious at least. She finished off her breakfast and went along to the courtyard. The mild air was welcoming on Shizuma's cheeks as she walked over to Miyuki who was perched on a bench beneath the blossom tree. She seated herself next to her friend and waited patiently for when Miyuki was ready to tell her what was wrong.

"A few weeks ago remember I was off school for a half a day to go to the hospital in Shanghai?"

"Yes" Shizuma nodded slowly.

"Well I got the test results last month"

"Did they find out what was wrong?"

"Yes"

"Can they prescribe you any mediation from your stomach pains?"

"No" Miyuki choked slightly on a sob "they cannot give me any medication"

"Why not?" when Shizuma got no response her heart skipped a beat "Miyuki what's wrong?" she leant forward staring at Miyuki's features "tell me please I beg of you tell me you are not dying"

Miyuki's head jerked up and she barked out a small laugh "no, no of course not" she waved Shizuma's stunned expression aside "but it is serious"

"How serious?" Miyuki took a deep breath "Miyuki?"

"I … I'm pregnant"

Shizuma sat in stunned silence holding Miyuki's hand "b-but … how?"

"I guess it's time for me to tell you"

"Tell me what?"

"What happened last half term, three weeks ago, I went to visit my mother as you know" Shizuma nodded "and she introduced me to my fiancé" Miyuki shook her head biting her lip "then he raped me"

Shizuma's hand flew to her mouth "No, Miyuki"

"Yes" Miyuki choked again "the marriage was off then and there. Then I accepted the marriage proposal from Renji"

"Renji is a nice bloke" Shizuma smiled remembering Miyuki's long-term boyfriend of four years that she had kept secret from her mother.

"I think so too"

A sudden troubling thought came to Shizuma's mind. She turned to Miyuki. "So then … who's the father?"

"That's just it … I don't know" Miyuki sighed.

"What will Renji say?"

"He says he'll still marry me and love me even if this child isn't his, because we can still have more of our own" Miyuki smiled gently "I got the letter this morning"

"That's great"

"I think so too"

"I'm so happy for you"

"Theirs is one more thing I need to ask of you, Shizuma, before we graduate"

"Yes of course … anything"

"Okay, will you be godmother to my baby?"

Shizuma's eyes lit up as she threw her arms around Miyuki "of course I will"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

LATER THAT DAY

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nagisa straightened up her bed sheets and sat at her desk to start her homework, however she seemed unable to concentrate. She leant back in her chair as she tapped her pen on her open book. Her eyes wondered over to the calendar over her bed. Her eyes scanned over the red crosses marking down the days to when Shizuma and Miyuki and the rest of the seventh years graduated. She sneezed violently again and felt shivers wrack through her body. She raised the back of her hand to her temples and winced. She was burning up again. What was wrong with her? She groaned as she felt vomit rise up in her throat. She darted into the bathroom and threw-up the contents of her stomach. She shuddered. That's' when Shizuma walked into her dorm. "Nagisa?"

"I'll be out in a minute" Nagisa called as she wiped her mouth.

Shizuma replied with a quick 'okay' before she went around Nagisa's half of the small dorm. Her eyes wondered to the small hand-drawn calendar over Nagisa's bed. She sighed herself. One week. That's all the time she had left with Nagisa. She turned when she heard the bathroom door creak open. "Hello darling"

"Hey" Nagisa sat down beside Shizuma on her bed.

"I have some news"

"Good or bad?"

"Miyuki's pregnant!!!"

"H-how?" Shizuma recounted the story Miyuki had told her earlier. Nagisa nodded. "So you're the baby's godmother, that's so sweet"

"I thought so too" they sat in silence for a few minutes "Nagisa, are you worried?"

"About … what?"

"I graduate in a week, and I know I'm worried…but are you?"

"Honey, why are you worried?"

"Because Suzumi-chan will no doubt try to get into your knickers, I know she will, have you not seen the way she acts around you?"

"Of course I have" Nagisa sighed and nuzzled into Shizuma's lap. Shizuma stroked Nagisa's hair. "I don't want you to go, I won't be able to survive without you"

"I feel the same … but we're engaged to be married my love … and my father has allowed me the ownership of our town house by the coast"

Nagisa looked up "you … you mean…?"

"Yes, my love, we are to be married, and we have a house to move into!"

"That's wonderful!!!" Nagisa threw her arms around Shizuma's, smothering her in kisses as they fell off the bed. "So when can we start moving-in?"

"Well, I'll move in when I graduate, and you can visit me on weekends"

Nagisa didn't look too happy "just weekends?"

"Until something more solid can be arranged"

"Alright then" Nagisa collapsed sideways hitting her head on the bedside table.

"NAGISA!!!" Shizuma darted forwards but it was too late. Nagisa was out cold.