The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, a lot like they were when Mai first met Naru.
"Mairu!" It was Makoto, "Wait up!"
Mai paused to let the older girl catch up, "Wanna ditch?"
"Makoto, we just skipped last week. The school will notice if we're all always gone on the same day…" Mai was hesitant, she wasn't outright defying her senior, but still, she didn't know how the other would react. It all depended on her mood.
She sighed, "I guess, can I borrow your homework at least. I did none of mine."
"Ok."
Mai handed the bundle of papers to her, they were getting close to the school now when a black car drove by at a pace that could only mean they were looking for someone.
"Is that Kenta?" Mai asked, Kenta was constantly tailing Makoto. He was the epitome of overly-jealous boyfriends and constantly tailed Makoto around.
"The car's too fancy for him, you know that."
She had a point; this was the kind of car that a celebrity would drive.
Mai briefly had the fantasy that it was Naru in the car, coming back to… to what? Mai didn't know exactly what she wanted with the boy or even where they stood. She assumed they were on bad terms; he had thrown her confession back in her face and left her. The car stopped in front of the school and the driver got out.
"He's hot, look Mairu." Makoto discreetly gestured towards the guy, "A tough guy like him oughta like yanki girls right?"
Mai's heart pounded, the man was Lin. She was sure of it and if Lin was here Naru wasn't far behind. He was probably in the car, about to get out. What if he recognized her? That would not be good. Mai could picture his condescending look; he wouldn't understand why Mai had joined Makoto and the Red Tails.
Sure enough, Naru stepped out of the passenger's side door. He glanced around still looking for…her? He shouldn't be able to recognize her; no one should be able to.
His eyes passed over Mai without really looking at her; he was looking for the eccentric brown haired girl, not the yankee with bleached hair.
"You know what, Makoto, let's skip today. I'm not feeling too good." It wasn't a total lie, when Mai had seen Naru her stomach began tying itself in knots and doing flips. She felt like she was going to throw up.
"That's the spirit, Mairu!" Makoto pumped her fist in the air, "Let's go to my apartment, Hikaru and Kasaka can meet us there."
-0-0-0-
"What do you mean you can't give me her home address?" Naru was becoming increasingly aggravated with these school "officials": first they told him that Mai wasn't in school that day, than they had no contact number or guardian address due to the fact she was an emancipated minor, now they wouldn't let him contact her? "I'm her employer; I need to speak with her urgently."
"Miss Taniyama doesn't currently have an employer listed on her paperwork. If she had you listed we could give you her address. We can give you her emergency contact?"
"Who is that?"
"Ah…" The nervous office aid ruffled through the folder, "Houshou Takigawa."