#BREAKING NEWS Hana remembers why she’s never bothered with fashion in the past

[hana-bobo-finch]

fun fact, the M in incompetent stands for Me

[pinkhairedlily]

Chapter 7 - Student Council President Sakura

SCPS AO3 | PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Sakura went to her shift a little bit giddier than usual for a variety of reasons despite the busy holiday season; it was nearing Christmas after all. The first one – having finally tied with Sasuke in their recent exams, and the second – the approval of her personal project. There was also a third reason, but she was unresolved of what to feel.

Kakashi met with her alone after their monthly council meeting. It was the usual talk, the heavy administrative concerns they do not bother other council members with, reminders about problematic behaviors among the student body or personal problems that faculty or students were plagued with that needed intervention. He said an apology just as she reached the door.

“Sakura?” Kakashi asked, turning in his chair.

She looked back at him with a neutral expression. While she knew she wasn’t overtly passive aggressive in her actions, he might have noticed a change in her cheerful disposition towards him. Her clumped fingers anxiously fidgeted with the rubber band on her wrist, his rubber band that she didn’t use anymore to tie her hair. “Yes, sensei?”

“Were you offended with what I said during the school trip?” he asked, but his expression already seemed to know the answer.

Her eyes downcast, she turned the knob of the door, knowing that she was free to leave without replying, but as the door stayed ajar, she decided to come clean. “Yes.”

“I thought as much. I’m aware that I belittled you like a child. Your money is yours to spend however you want. Please know that I only have good intentions with what I’ve done,” her sensei told her. “But isn’t it also unfair for you to shoulder that much problem? I’m a paid employee and before that, I am your adviser. I have a responsibility just as much as you do. Next time you are presented with that, learn to ask for help.”

Sakura didn’t see the expression he had on his face. She was too flustered to compose a comeback and she can only settle for a meek nod before shooting out of the room like her tail was on fire.

“Girlie!” Her coworker’s voice brought her back to reality – a reality of a long queue of customers waiting for their to-go coffees, mini-cakes, and boxes of pastries to share with loved ones in this cold night while she’ll be likely stuck in shift well past beyond midnight, tolerating the café uniform, the itch of her black weave on her scalp, and the heavy makeup she wore for tonight. She flashed an apologetic (yet charming) smile to the other person, and they gave her a thumbs up.

The queue has thinned out by eleven, to be replaced soon by stragglers hoping to catch a last dose of caffeine pump. She stretched her neck and stifled a yawn, forgetting to say Welcome to a customer that walked through their doors.

“Your sweetest drink please and a half dozen of hazelnut cookies,” the customer said. “Thanks, Sakura.”

She almost broke her already strained neck when she raised it up quickly to meet the owner of the voice. No gel blonde hair Naruto with black circles under his eyes. Rookie MVP looked shit as hell.

She barely formed an excuse in her head when he waved his hand in front of her. “You can drop the act with me. I already knew the week you got discharged from the hospital. I just passed by after dinner with the team when I saw a girl manning the cashier with the same band-aid on her nose which I gave you a day before.” Naruto grinned at her in the off chance that it would reassure her.

“Will this be to-go?” Sakura asked as she busied herself with Naruto’s order, unsettled with her carelessness. At the back of her mind, she was yet to answer herself why she was adamant to use a disguise while working.

“For here. Apartment’s kinda bare during these times.”

As what she expected, Naruto was still seated when they were about to close, and ironically, he chose the corner table with no windows, contrary to what his other friend would have chosen. Like those usual nights with Sasuke, she slid in front of him, her disguise gone.

“Let’s go see the amusement park tomorrow?” It was as if she saw sadness being lifted from his shoulders the way they transitioned from slouching to an alert stance.

She found then that Naruto was always that person that found happiness at the simplest things.

--------------------------------

“A horror house!” Naruto pointed at the very moment they stepped inside the park. He somehow absorbed his captain’s fashion persona, undercut prominent with his baseball cap, loose plain black shirt, and gray cargo pants.

“All right. Treat me if we reach the other end with you clinging to my arm,” Sakura teased. She was dressed in a mauve smocked crop top with high rise flared jeans and platform white sneakers that allowed her to reach Naruto’s shoulders. She wondered if her getup was too much what with the number of heads that turned her way as she littered in the entrance earlier.

Sasuke begged off through their group chat, saying he was unavailable. He was yet to explain that group hug last time, but he was evasive every time Naruto brought it up while she simply cannot find the right timing.

She guessed she was still taken aback by how warm his hold felt like. If she was right, whatever defenses he had around them were toppled down by himself that day. But what triggered it – she’d probably never know.

Naruto placed a fist on his chest. “This is one bet I’ll never lose.”

And he lost – spectacularly. His baseball cap was long gone thanks to a zombie who panicked when he almost punched it. He was also hyperventilating and sweating out of his wits, his throat may have gone hoarse by now with all his screaming inside.

Sakura cannot get rid of the long string of laughter that bubbled. “Come on, let’s cool off for a while.”

To help calm Naruto down, they had to line up with all the other kids in the merry-go-round, then off to paddle a swan boat on a manmade lake. She went all out in the shooting range and won Naruto a frog plushie while he blitzed through the basketball hoops, sneering at the kids beside him who were waiting for their turns.

They capped off the afternoon with a ride on the ferris wheel. They sat opposite each other, and Sakura suddenly felt queasy. She remembered she was apparently acrophobic, and so she focused instead on Naruto who was still in awe of the scenery. The park had a busy crowd today – it was the holiday season after all and families, friends, and lovers were up and about. She just hoped Naruto didn’t catch on yet.

“So why are you stuck with me instead of your family, Sakura?”

Ah he caught on. “They’re busy,” she simply replied. “Besides I’ll see them later in the evening.”

Naruto smiled at her, a smile that knew she was hiding more but he chose not to prod further. Sakura silently conveyed her thanks.

“I don’t know how to thank you. I was really in a slump when we lost, but this day made me recharge my drive and gave me a newfound resolve. You, Pres, is the first to hear it!”

Sakura can only grin, urging him to go on.

“I will bring our school team to the nationals and we will win.”

Sakura clapped her hands and gave him a thumbs up. “Of course, you will. I know you’ll do it.”

“I just wish I told Captain Haru before he left town for vacation.” Naruto slid lower in his seat. “Apparently, he and Hinata broke up. You’re friends with both of them, right?”

Sakura shook her head, shock at the news. She had an inkling from her previous conversation with Haru, but she didn’t expect it would come this early. “I am, but I haven’t really heard from both parties lately.”

“Well, Hinata’s father offered an athletic scholarship to Cap, but he turned it down, saying he was undeserving, and it might just be because of Hinata’s prodding.”

If she recalled correctly, Hiashi Hyuuga was the chair of the Sports Council that spanned all districts of their state. She could see why Haru was angry and disappointed enough to break it off with Hinata. “But they were so good together. Did he ever tell you how they first met?”

Naruto rubbed his hands together and leaned forward. “Do tell please!”

“There was a student exchange of some sort and Hinata ended up in our class for a month. Of course, she was the takane no hana and this immediately gathered a bandwagon group of shallow admirers. Haru, oh Haru, he found pretty people depth-less, but he was the class representative that time – “

“And you were?”

“Of course, a student council president. But wait pay attention Naruto!”

“Okay I am paying attention! But you really are an overachiever!”

“Yeah and what about it!” Sakura almost chuckled in exasperation. “So anyway, he had to escort Hinata back and forth at the school gates because of the unreasonable crowd. He would ask her random things, but most especially on archery since he was so bad at it. And they found a common ground and the topics expanded beyond the arrow and bow. The guy had the nerve to cover it up from me at first, saying they’re fake dating and it was just an arrangement to keep creeps at bay.” She sighed, suddenly saddened by the breakup. “I thought it would last forever.”

“But Hinata never introduced him to her family, did she?” Naruto asked. “Because Cap also told me that when Hiashi called him up for the offer, he didn’t know he was the boyfriend, he was simply a person her friend referred.”

Oh Haru. You must have known what family you were entering when you loved her.

“Hey? Time to get down,” the operator said. Their turn was already finished.

As they walked to the gates, Naruto asked her. “Love is too scary. You’ll never know if you’ll end up hurt or happy despite everything. Besides, can you even say it’ll be worth fighting for?”

Sakura’s fingers immediately went to the rubber band on her wrist, “It’s always a mix of everything, all the good and the bad, and somehow it’s all convoluted into one hodgepodge of memories that will be a part of you forever. It’s your decision what you want to do with it, and in between all of those, you’ll know. Like one big realization in your head that lights up like fireworks and splayed in big capital letters.”

Her eyes met Naruto’s gaze and his eyes slightly widened at her response.

“I talk vague, don’t I?”

“Not at all,” he replied.

--------------------------------

January couldn’t come fast enough, and Itachi was out of the country just as quickly as he entered his apartment unannounced on Christmas Eve. A holiday break, he said, but if he wasn’t annoyingly checking up on him in the evenings, he was otherwise holed up in his hotel. The truth was, he had a conference and a simultaneous workshop with the state hospital. Sasuke was just a side trip, an obligation that his brother didn’t want to take care of.

He could have told him about Naruto and Sakura and how he now knew all the technicalities of baseball because of the former and that he can consider calling them as friends, but their brotherly bond was too frayed to bridge all of those thoughts.

It was a week before the start of the spring term, and he found himself re-reading Naruto’s texts over and over again.

Grumpy.

So how was your date?

AHHHHH SO IT WAS A DATE. I NOW FEEL SO SHY.

Idiot.

SHE LOOKED SO BEAUTIFUL IN HER GETUP.

Yeah as if you two didn’t already spam the group chat with your pictures.

HEY AT LEAST WE EDITED YOU IN.

Why are you typing in all caps? Your phone broken?

GRUMPPPPPPYYYYY. Grumpy, I have something to tell you. I think I like Sakura – not the ‘like’ like others have for her. It just came to me, like fireworks in big capital letters. I LIKE HER.

Sasuke wasn’t able to reply. He didn’t know what to reply or what to feel, really. These recent nights, his mind only brought him to the first moment he saw her in the café, and there was an unfamiliar pang he couldn’t name.

Then, suddenly he was in front of her in the café itself, ordering an iced americano and bruschetta with tomato and basil. Her eyes lit up in recognition; today she wore her black hair in low pigtails and a light dab of tint on her cheeks and lips.

She sat across him when it was her break time, cheery and still in disguise, the winter cold making the blush even more prominent. “I’m gonna bounce some ideas to you.”

Sasuke kept mum, relishing the sacred combination of tomato and basil in his mouth, but let his stare level with hers.

“The school board approved my personal project. I proposed to set up a mental health committee since our infirmary – get this – and guidance office don’t actually have a psychiatrist. The school will be asking a medical professional to come in for monthly guidance counseling and will be an official partner for outpatient concerns.” With her face on her palm, she leaned forward, seemingly surveying Sasuke’s minute expressions.

“That’s tricky,” he remarked. “How will you encourage them though?”

“I think just the mere availability and accessibility of it is enough to encourage students.”

“Hmm.” He took a sip of his coffee.

“Aren’t you gonna ask me why I did it?”

Sasuke knew that he already broke his resolve to remain uninvolved in the remaining years of his life here in this town. He knew that sometime ago, the walls he built up since the accident broke down in the constant presence of her and the blonde idiot. But in spite of, he knew that there was another layer of wall that withstood the recent onslaught. Unfortunately, something has started to leak from its crevices. Something that made him understand the overwhelming emotions that raged behind such walls.

He missed having her all to himself, like a little secret, a safe abode he could always retreat to – her with her black hair and makeup, her with her bouts of vulnerabilities laid out in front of him in rare moments, her with her emerald eyes and tufts of rose hair that peak from the weave, her in this table in front of him and the world outside divided by a glass window.

If he could name it, it was a feeling of loss, a loss he stole and a loss he never had the privilege of feeling in the first place.

“Because you’re a good person and you always think of others,” Sasuke started, still holding her gaze. “And I think you want it because you might need it more.”

Sakura was the first to break off. She soon excused herself and resumed her shift. By the time Sasuke finished his coffee and bread, it was almost closing time. His words may have struck a chord so he decided not to wait for her. Maybe he’ll talk it through with her next time, if she allowed him to. He was almost out of the doors when the new pair of customers passed by.

A glint of silver hair.

“Oh, hello there Sakura.”

And a brunette on his arm.

Sasuke never saw color drain as quickly as the blush did from Sakura’s face.

AO3 LINK | NEXT CHAPTER | CHAPTER 8

[pug-bitch]

That’s not why I’m going (4)

Knight in shining denim  

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Drake Walker x Amara Suarez

Rating: some foul language, some suggestive, otherwise pretty PG

Word count: 2,985

Notes: This piece is set the morning after the previous chapter, and recounts events around the day of the Derby. Thanks everyone for reading and encouraging me.

*****

‘Rise and shine, little blossom!’

Amara winces as Maxwell enters the room. Could it already be dawn? Did she really drink whiskey sours with Olivia last night?

‘Come on Amara, you have to get ready for the Derby!’

Maxwell cheerfully paces across the room and opens the curtains, letting the light in. Amara finally emerges. She was usually a very early riser, but the jet lag was still bothering her.

‘Thanks, Maxwell. I don’t think I would have heard my alarm, so I appreciate this. Do you want to wait until I’m showered and we’ll get some coffee?’

‘Sounds good, hun. I’ll go get some coffee and breakfast and we can have it on the balcony.’

Amara waves goodbye and lets herself in the bathroom. In the mirror, she notices that she looks tired. Oh well, she thinks. Nothing a little makeup can’t fix. Before hopping in the shower, she glances at her phone. More missed calls from Michael. A couple of texts from Mia. She’d need to give news soon, but not yet. She feels herself getting slowly mended over here, away from it all. Maybe she shouldn’t reopen the wounds so soon? Her shrink constantly said that she shouldn’t aim to forget, but rather, learn to deal with it. What was so bad about forgetting, for a hot second? Maybe that’s why she came, after all. To put some distance between herself and NYC, between herself and everyone she knew, everyone who knew. Here in Cordonia, she could have a clean slate, even if it wasn’t a permanent fix. She could be her new self, well, her old self, the person she was 2 years ago, before she was turned into this gloomy mess. She had remained stuck in a rut for so long, had let herself stay that way, so wasn’t she allowed to do something for herself? The competition part was a little overkill, especially when she had no intention of winning it, but the rest of it strangely felt like she was treating herself to something decadent, something she could savor. New friendships, new surroundings, and most importantly, no one here knew anything about her old life.

Alright, she thinks, enough mirror pep talk. Let’s get showered.

*****

Maxwell told her to spot the pink tents, but where the hell were they? Her feet were starting to hurt, and she was beginning to rethink her choice of a hat. Now was not the time to question her fashion decisions, especially when she was visibly headed towards the stables instead of her destination.

‘Lost, Suarez?’

Her heart skipped a beat. Of course, she thought. Her knight in shining….denim shirt. How many of these shirts did he own?

‘Hey Walker! Yeah, I can’t seem to find the pink tents…’

‘Pink? No, you’re supposed to be in the white tents. That’s where the other ladies are.’

‘Oh! Maxwell told me pink. Or maybe I misunderstood, I—‘

She interrupts herself, and studies Drake’s movements. He’s gently petting a horse, calming it down. She finds herself moved by the sight, then shakes it off. ‘This horse is beautiful,’ she says.

‘Oh, Marabelle’s Dream? She’s awesome. Stupid name though, if you ask me. She’s having a little freakout. She always gets nervous whenever she’s alone, so I thought I’d come and keep her company for a while.’ He smiles sweetly, catches himself, and immediately course corrects back to his usual smirk. ‘Want me to show you the way?’

‘You’re not coming?’

‘Nah. I’m meeting Liam in his tent, Derby tradition. We usually have a few drinks while watching the horses.’

‘Oh, that’s sweet! How long has this tradition been alive?’

‘Forever. I mean, not the drinking, because believe it or not, I didn’t drink when I was a kid. But the derby-watching, forever.’

‘So you and Liam have been friends all your life?’

‘Mhmm. As long as we both can remember. My dad was part of the Royal Guard.’ He stops talking abruptly, eyes on the horse.

Amara gets the hint. No more questions.

‘I better get going…can you point me to the right direction?’

‘Sure. That way, and then make a right after this post. You gonna be alright?’

‘Yeah.’ She smiles at him, staring intently. ‘Will I see you later?’

‘Maybe. Later, Suarez.’

She walked away, a sour taste in her mind. Was he blowing her off? It upset her more than it should have, but she could have sworn that he was trying to get rid of her.

She found her way easily, and spotted the ladies right away.

‘Amara! You made it! Wow, look at your hat, you look stunning!’

The sight of Hana made her smile, and she stopped regretting her hat decision. After all, when at court, you gotta pull a Princess Beatrice at weddings and break out your best hats. Plus, Maxwell had insisted. The man had crazy taste, and had been buying her outfit after outfit. Another reason to feel bad about not giving a shit about the competition.

‘What took you so long, Suarez?’ Olivia asked, without taking her eyes off of the horses. ‘Did you get lost?’

‘Um yeah, I did, actually.’

‘Ohlala,’ Kiara whispers, ‘très embarrassant!’

‘Il y a pire comme situation embarrassante, non ?’ replied Amara, her voice as sharp as a knife.

Kiara’s jaw drops and it takes her a couple of seconds to ask ‘Tu…parles français?’

‘Oui. Tu vois, le système éducatif américain n’est pas si terrible.’

Olivia lets out a loud snort, while Kiara’s jaw is still hitting the floor. She just couldn’t believe that this American waitress could speak more than one language. Joke was on her, because Amara spoke three.

Amara smirked, happy with herself for shutting Kiara up. Olivia finally moved from her original position to turn around and help herself to some more champagne. On her way to the bottle, she grabs Amara’s shoulder and whispers: ‘Good for you, Suarez. I’ve been wanting to help her shut it, but I would have used a more drastic method. But y’know, this ain’t bad either.’

She pours two champagne flutes, one for her, one for Amara. ‘Now let’s get you drunk. At least, drunk enough to forget about the horror you’re wearing on your head.’

*****

‘I swear she’s been elusive, Drake. I’m not being paranoid.’

Liam had been talking his ears off for the past half hour, and Drake didn’t know how much more patience he had in store. He had always listened to him, he was his best friend after all, but this time he had a slight conflict of interest.

‘I’m sure she’s just adjusting, Liam. She’s new here, she just got lost on the way to the tent, she’s obviously out of her element.’

He felt bad about badmouthing her like that, but that’s the first excuse he thought about. Truth was, she was adapting well, and she even seemed to be doing great with the other ladies. She and Hana were inseparable and Drake could swear he had just seen Olivia pour her champagne. Not that he was staring.

‘Drake, if I asked you a question, would you answer me honestly?’

‘Course. What is it?’

‘Do you think Amara would be ok with me choosing her? You know, would she be ok with the responsibility it would entail?’

‘Um, you just met her. You’re already thinking of choosing her?’

‘We’re talking hypothetically. But yes. Yes, I am. I swear, meeting her has made me exponentially happier, and every time I see her, even from afar, my heart skips a beat. I wish I could spend some more time with her, quality time, just to be sure, you know…’

‘I’m sure you could arrange that,’ Drake replies reluctantly. It hurt just saying this, but he knew where Liam was going with this, unfortunately.

‘Yes. But the other ladies can’t know about it just yet, so I’d have to be discreet. That’s where you come in.’

‘Me? What do you need me to do?’ Drake dreads what’s coming.

‘Will you drop a note for her in her bedroom? I would like for her to meet me in the gardens tonight. You know, just to talk.’

Before Drake can answer, Liam slips a handwritten note in his hand. Drake looks at it, hesitates one second, and puts it in his pocket. Something in him tears. ‘You got it, bud.’

‘Oh, thank you!’ Liam’s face lights up. ‘I owe you big time. I honestly think she can be it for me, Drake. I know it’s crazy, I met her a week ago, but that night in New York changed my life. I just know it’s never going to be the same.’

Drake offers a fake smile and says ‘That’s great. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna get another drink.’

He passes the bar but keeps walking. No more decades-old tradition for today. He needs a walk, away from all of this. Away from the painful reality of his best friend falling for the same woman he is falling for.

But first, he has to drop off the note.

*****

Drake slowly lets himself in Amara’s room, his heart heavy with guilt and hurt, and something resembling humiliation. Why did Liam ask him to do this? Maybe just because he couldn’t ask a staff member who would potentially gossip about this, but still, this seemed overkill. He knew that it wasn’t malicious on Liam’s part, of course not, how could he have known that Drake was beginning to feel something for Amara? But it still had the aspect of a power play.

Drake debated where to put the note. The bed was too intimate. He didn’t want to do what would, symbolically, put Liam in her bed already. The desk seemed more appropriate. He took a look inside the note before putting it down. Fuck it, he thought. That’s what Liam gets for hiring me as his personal butler. The note was short, to the point, and, most importantly, was not signed. How cocky.

The note was in place. Drake looks around a bit. The room is a little messy, but not too much. He notices that Amara has brought several books with her. He smiles at the thought. Who travels with books? What about Kindles? He surprises himself by finding it endearing. Suddenly, he gasps. She had been reading Annie Proulx’s Accordion Crimes. That was uncanny. Proulx was his favorite author. He shakes his head, remembering that Liam only reads classic British literature, and refuses to step out of his comfort zone. Stop it, he thought to himself. This isn’t a scoreboard, and you’re not trying to score against Liam; he already won.

He looks around some more, feeling shitty about it, almost as much as when he turned her cell phone around on the plane. All he sees are clothes, a LOT of nail polishes—jeez, how much nail polish does a person need?--, some makeup…

Enough. He has got to get out of here, who knows when she would be back.

Walking out, he suddenly feels nauseous. Sure, he did right by his best friend, but it feels terrible. He wonders whether he had done right by Amara, too.

*****

After a tiring day at the Derby, Amara finally walks into her room, bidding goodbye to Maxwell, until dinner time. She kicks off her shoes, relieved to get out of these high heels. She picks up her Annie Proulx. Maybe she’ll read one more section before dinner. She notices a note right next to it, with her name on it. Her heart jumps in her chest. She grabs it with a trembling hand, and opens it.

‘Meet me at the gardens tonight, after dinner, between the two statues. I can’t wait to see you.’

She smiles wholeheartedly. So, he wasn’t being standoffish. Maybe he had already put the note here, and he thought she was the one blowing him off, even! She felt like a stupid teenager, smiling from ear to ear because the cute boy had asked her to the dance. Boy, it felt good to be an idiot.

*****

She had spent a long time –too long a time—picking an outfit. She had opted for something simple, because all her new outfits didn’t feel right for a sneaky rendezvous with Drake. So, jeans and a green blouse it is. No heels, because she didn’t want to leave tracks in the beautiful gardens. Or get Drake in trouble.

She was giddy as fuck, and laughed at herself for it, but damn it felt good to be excited.

‘You came!’

She turns around, and her smile falls off her face. ‘Liam?’

‘Were you expecting someone else?’ he asks, jokingly.

Shit, she thinks. She’s gonna have to regain her composure FAST. This could get Drake in trouble even more than stilettos in the pristine grass.

‘Of course not!’ she says with a fake smile plastered on her face.

‘I’m so glad you came.’

He approaches her, and wraps her in a tight hug. Too tight. Entitled. Like no-one-has-ever-said-no-to-him tight.

She pushes him away gently enough for him not to notice. ‘So, you summoned me?’

‘Oh please, I didn’t mean to make it sound official. I just wanted a chance to see you alone and get to know you. These occasions are so rare during the social season…You see, I have to give the same courtesy to everyone if I decide to see one person alone.’

‘Wow, so this is like the Bachelor, huh? Where’s my rose?’

Liam laughs heartily. ‘Ha! Where are my manners, I should have brought some flowers. That being said, we’re in the gardens, so you can just…help yourself.’

She smiles faintly. He’s a nice guy and she had enjoyed his company in New York. Being among these guys who didn’t know anything about her had made her feel alive again. She couldn’t deny the impact that Liam had had on her, of course, even if he hadn’t been the one with the most impact.

‘Amara, I want you to know that I’m very happy that you’re here.’ He takes her hand; she doesn’t have the heart to take it away, but it feels like a heavy weight on her own. ‘I hope you’re not having too tough a time to adapt.’

‘I’m fine, Liam. Thank you so much for having me. Everyone is really nice, and I’ve made some great friends.’

‘I’m glad! Maxwell is the best possible sponsor. He’s one of my dearest friends, and I trust him to take care of you. Bertrand too, of course. And, you may be aware that I asked Drake to keep an eye on you, you know, make sure you’re ok.’

She silently nods. Drake. How could she have thought he was the one to ask her to meet him? Of course he wasn’t interested. And he WAS blowing her off. But what about Olivia telling her that he obviously liked her?

Liam politely cleared his throat. She had zoned out for a little too long. ‘Is everything ok?’

‘Oh sure, I’m just a little tired.’

‘Oh,’ he said, visibly disappointed. ‘I don’t mean to keep you out too late. I just thought…’

Had he thought she would fuck him, right there, outside? Not that she was opposed to outdoors sex in general, but come on. She’d had two conversations with the guy and there was security everywhere.

Plus, if she was gonna have sex anywhere, it certainly wouldn’t be with him.

She felt terrible for thinking this, for several different reasons.

‘No, it’s ok, you’re not keeping me from anything. I’m happy to chat.’

Liam smiles weakly. So he HAD thought there would be more action. ‘So…tell me about your life in New York!’

Oh. That. She would have to find something basic to say, stat.

‘You know most of it already…I’m a bartender-slash-waitress, and I live in Brooklyn with my best friend, Mia.’ She looks at her watch. ‘Whom I’m supposed to FaceTime soon, actually. She’s starting to worry about me.’

Boom. She found an out.

‘Oh my God, of course! Your friends and family must be eager to hear from you! Do you have everything you need, a tablet, the wifi code?’

‘Oh yeah, I brought my iPad, and Maxwell hooked me up with the wifi code right away.’

‘Good, good… well I won’t keep you. Go reassure Mia. It’s important to have a best friend and to cultivate those friendships.’

He had no idea how much these words stung right now. She almost wanted to reply oh yeah, I’d really like to cultivate my bond with YOUR best friend right now. But instead she said: ‘You’re right. Thank you, Liam. You truly made me feel welcome here, and I can’t thank you enough. Maybe next time we’ll have more time to chat!’

He smiles politely. ‘I do hope so. Goodnight, Amara.’

He kisses her hand before turning around and leaving. Amara sighs with relief. Why did she feel such aversion, all of a sudden? Liam was a nice man, but the thought of his hand on hers… it just didn’t feel right. And he seemed so eager to get her alone, it made her uncomfortable.

This didn’t bode well.

*****

Back in her room, she took off her makeup and got in her pyjamas. She sat on her bad, Annie Proulx in one hand and her phone in the other. She weighed her options carefully. Although she would have preferred to read another chapter, she put it down to look at her phone and the permanent missed calls. She looked at the time. 9:55pm. So, just before 4 in New York. She took a deep breath and clicked. Her heart almost stopped when she heard his voice pick up.

It took her a few seconds to gather the courage to speak, and then finally she said: ‘Hi Michael.’

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[doyoulikehomestuck]

Arrow To The Knee

Words: 2,359

Summary: Rin really should think before she speaks. One-shot RinPana and NicoMaki

Collaboration with @flipomatic.

Read it on ff.net, ao3, or under the cut.

In Rin’s opinion, the fashion show went extremely well. The crowd loved their performance, and they even received an additional round of applause afterwards backstage. Rin can’t contain how excited she is to be able to lead the group and to do it while wearing a dress. She heads to the changing room with a large grin plastered to her face.

Most of Rin’s friends are already inside, and Rin can see her own happiness mirrored on their faces. Nico slides in behind her a few moments later, shutting the door so everyone can change.

Rin bites the inside of her lip at the thought of parting with her newest outfit. It’s not every day that she can wear something like this.

Though… Rin’s thoughts shift to the rows of unworn skirts and dresses in her closet at home. Those aren’t as fancy, but they’ll still be good. She can try on all the cute clothes she wants when she gets home, but first she needs to get out of this dress.

A meek, yet comforting voice rings out as if hearing her thoughts, “Rin-chan, let me help.”

A soft hand rests on her shoulder, with another tugging down the zipper clinging to her back. Rin twists her neck so she can grin over her left shoulder. “Thank you Kayo-chin!”

Hanayo smiles softly in response, her eyes focused on her task. Rin’s neck starts to strain from the positioning, so she turns her head to face forward again, allowing herself to linger in the moment. It’s always nice when Hanayo’s this close.

“This suits you Rin.” Hanayo breaks the silence. She pauses for a moment before drawing in a shaky breath, “I-I think you’ll make a cute bride.” Rin’s heart speeds up at the compliment. The idea of her being cute is a new one, so Rin doesn’t expect the praise. Still, the thought of her being a bride… Rin can’t quite imagine it. Hanayo finishes unzipping the dress and steps away wordlessly.

Rin spins on her heels, eager to finally be face to face with her best friend. “Kayo-chin!!” Hanayo has only taken one small step backwards, so Rin closes the space between them with a single stride. She reaches out and quickly grasps Hanayo’s right hand, drawing it up between their bodies. “Thank you! But Rin’s not getting married.” Rin rubs her thumbs along Hanayo’s knuckles thoughtlessly as she continues, “Besides, Kayo-chin would be the cutest bride of all!”

“Oh…” Hanayo glances down at their joined hands; Rin can’t quite make out her expression.

A voice cuts across the room and distracts Rin, breaking her focus on Hanayo. She looks over to find Maki staring at her with slightly narrowed eyes. Hanayo slides her hand free from Rin’s grasp, but it hardly registers since the cat lover’s attention has completely shifted. “Oy Rin, your flowers…” Maki gestures broadly with her hands towards Rin’s right side.

Rin glances down, and sure enough, she’s still hanging onto the flower microphone she was given for the performance. “Woah!!” Rin practically drops the mic from shock. “I forgot I had these!” Rin spins abruptly on her heels, shifting her back to her previous position. “Kayo-chin, can you please zip me back up?”

Hanayo doesn’t respond, but after a moment Rin can feel gentle hands sliding the zipper back into place. The room remains strangely silent as she completes her task. Rin only know she’s done because the grasp on her back is suddenly released. She takes the opportunity to dash out of the room, making sure to shout a quick thank you over her shoulder as she goes.

After numerous bows and apologies to the event staff, Rin finally returns to the changing room. Most of her friends are still lingering inside, but the most important one is missing. Rin peeks inside one of the changing stalls curiously, “Where’s Kayo-chin?”

Rin turns to look at Eli, but the older student refuses to make eye contact. She shifts to Maki, who shakes her head and lets out a long sigh, “She went on ahead.”

“Oh, okay! That’s fine!” Rin chirps, deciding to not let it bother her. Hanayo probably has homework or plans. They can always catch up later.

Maki interrupts her thoughts by crossing the room, a slight frown tugging at her lips. Her eyes shift to the ground when she speaks, “Let me unzip that for you.”

Rin complies, and after a few minutes she finishes changing back into her normal clothes. Nozomi and Eli have already left, but Maki is still standing nearby.

“Ahem,” Maki clears her throat. “Wanna get drinks? At the café.”

“Sure!” Rin agrees in a heartbeat; she’s definitely been craving those café cookies lately. The two of them head towards the exit, but Rin finds her path blocked by the group’s smallest member.

Maki rolls her eyes and groans in annoyance. “What do you want?”

The question has the third year grinning from ear to ear, “Did Nico just hear that there will be drinks at a café?” Nico leans forward off of her heels in an attempt to be eye to eye with Maki.

“Not for you.” Maki attempts to push past the smaller member, but Nico shifts into her path.

“Come onnnn, you need a little more Nico-nii in your life.” Nico winks and raises her free hand to form her usual pose. “It’ll be fun!”

Rin doesn’t really mind either way, so she waits while Maki stews over the idea. The redhead lets out a defeated sigh. “Fine…”

Rin’s favorite part of the café is their vast selection of cookies. They have sugar, chocolate chip, macadamia nut, and a whole bunch of others that Rin hasn’t even tried yet. Maki seems to be in a weird mood, so Rin goes for the more serious sugar cookie. She can go back for more fun ones later. She also gets a regular coffee with 1 cream and 4 sugars. Coffee can never have too much sugar.

She joins Maki and Rin at a round table, eyeing Maki’s chocolate chip cookie and questioning her own choice.

Maki doesn’t notice, taking a few moments to stare into her drink. She clears her throat, “So Rin, you’re probably wondering why I called you here?” She speaks stiffly, as if unsure of her words.

It seems obvious to Rin. “For drinks!” She hoists her drink in a pseudo toast.

Maki grimaces slightly, “Well yes… but there’s more to it than that.”

Rin doesn’t let her first failure stem her excitement. “Cookies?”

“No Rin.”

From her corner of the table, Nico chimes in, “Wow you’re bad at this.” She gestures towards Maki with her half eaten cookie.

“Shut-up.” Maki snipes back before returning her attention to Rin. “Anyway, what happened today?” She asks a strange question, one that should be obvious.

Then again, Rin’s been wrong twice already. Maybe she should think more carefully about her responses. “Uhhhh… We had a concert?” Rin doesn’t think this is a very fun quiz.

“And?” Maki taps the table impatiently, causing Nico to snicker behind her coffee.

Rin’s not quite sure what they want her to say “Anddd…? I wore a dress? And… now we’re having drinks? And cookies?” That’s gotta be enough right?

Maki sighs deeply, “What about between the performance and the drinks?”

Did anything happen between the performance and the drinks? A few seconds pass and it comes to her. “Oh! I forgot to return my flowers!”

Nico pipes in, “Warmer.”

Maki ignores Nico’s comment, “Do you remember speaking with Hanayo?” She pushes for some detail, but Rin’s still not sure what she’s implying.

“Kayo-chin? Yeah, I speak to her all the time.” She did leave without Rin today… that was kind of weird.

Maki doesn’t give her time to think, immediately pressing further, “You spoke with her after the concert right?”

“Yup!” Rin nods.

“And what did you talk about?” Maki’s expression is pained at this point, Nico on the other hand is giggling silently.

Rin is also tired of this conversation, “Uhhhh, I don’t remember? Something about dresses I think? Why? Are you guys interested in weddings?”

The giggling abruptly stops as Nico spits out her drink. Next to her, Maki turns a shade similar to her hair color and splutters, “T-That’s not what we’re here to discuss.” She coughs heavily and uses the moment to take a sip of her coffee.

Nico raps her knuckles against the table gently to draw their attention, “Lemme try.”

Maki scoffs, “Be my guest.” Maki sits back in her seat and crosses her arms.

Nico leans forward and makes eye contact with Rin. “When you spoke with Hanayo, she complimented you on your dress right?”

Oh yeah, that did happen. “She did! Kayo-chin is so nice like that.”

“Right, and when you responded you…” Nico motions with one hand for Rin to finish the sentence.

This one is easy, “Complimented her back of course!”

“And?” Nico leans forward even further.

And? There isn’t anything else. “And nothing?”

Nico groans, “Not ‘and nothing’. Urghh. I’m tapping back out. Go Maki.” Nico reaches out to tap Maki on the shoulder but the taller teen leans out of her reach.

“I can’t…” Maki protests and raises her cookie as a form of defense.

Nico points with her index finger and retorts, “You’re the one who called this meeting.”

“Yeah but…” Maki frowns at the table. “Maybe we should call Eli.”

Nico practically jumps out of her seat at the suggestion, her voice pitching upward. “What? No! We can’t do that!” Nico sighs, “I’ll never hear the end of it from Nozomi.”

Maki crosses her arms with a huff. “Well… unless you can fix this they’re our only option.”

“I’ll try one more time.” Nico hones her gaze in on Rin. “Look Rin, when Hanayo left she was crying. What did you say to make her cry?”

Rin had mostly tuned out the bickering, but the sudden mentioning of Hanayo recaptures her attention. “Did you just say Kayo-chin was crying?” Rin leaps out of her seat. How could she not have noticed this earlier? “I have to go!”

Cookies be damned. Hanayo is more important. Rin takes off with one wave over her shoulder.

“Wait!” Maki calls after her, but Rin doesn’t stop. She knows exactly where she needs to go.

As Rin’s footsteps fade away, Nico quips, “Well that went well.”

“This is your fault.”

Rin arrives at Hanayo’s house in record time. She rings the doorbell hastily and hopes that Hanayo is actually home.

After about thirty seconds, Hanayo’s mom opens the door. “Rin-chan!” She sounds surprised but that fades away into relief. “I’m glad you’re here. Hanayo is upstairs.”

“Thank you!” Rin slides her shoes off in the entrance and dashes up the familiar steps. She skids to a halt in front of Hanayo’s door.

Without hesitation, Rin knocks on the door. “Kayo-chin!! I heard you were crying. Are you okay?”

It only takes a couple seconds this time before the door pops open. Hanayo has one finger raised to her lips and whispers, “Shhh, my mom will worry.”

“Oh sorry! Sorry again that was too loud hahah.” Rin steps into the room and bows apologetically. Rin closes the door behind her. “Anyway Kayo-chin, are you okay?”

Hanayo looks away from Rin, holding her hands together in front of her body. Rin wishes she could make eye contact, but Hanayo keeps shifting away when she tries, “I’m ok, thank you.” Hanayo pauses and takes a deep breath. “You should g-go home.”

“But I just got here.” Hanayo isn’t making any sense. She said she’s okay, but clearly something is wrong.

“Please.” Hanayo’s plea comes out just above a whisper.

Rin frowns and steps towards Hanayo. “I can’t leave you like this.”

“It’s fine though…” If anything, Hanayo is getting quieter.

Rin places her hands on top of Hanayo’s, drawing herself towards her childhood friend. “Really Kayo-chin, I love you so much!” Rin squeezes Hanayo’s hands to emphasize her point. “I would do anything to keep you from feeling sad.”

Hanayo still won’t look at her. From this distance, Rin can see that her eyes are red from crying. Her eyes flicker to their joined hands as she mutters under her breath, “But you won’t marry me.”

For one second, no one speaks. As another second ticks by, Hanayo yanks her hands free free and crosses the room towards her bed. She stands with her back turned to Rin.

“What was that?” Rin speaks her thoughts out loud, and immediately feels the urge to rush to Hanayo’s side. She might not want that though. Hanayo sniffles and Rin’s small amount of willpower crumbles.

She only makes it a few steps before Hanayo speaks, “Nothing! It was nothing.”

“It didn’t sound like nothing,” Rin isn’t sure how to feel, but she wonders what’s running through Hanayo’s mind. She takes the last few steps across the room and places one hand gingerly onto her shoulder. “Did you say you wanted to marry me?”

Hanayo tenses under her palm.  “I…I just... Earlier today you said you didn’t want to get married, and that’s fine!” Rin finds her hand slipping from Hanayo’s shoulder as she turns to meet her face to face. Her eyes are redder than before. “But if I got married and you didn’t, we’d have to be apart.” One tear trails from her left eye.

Rin returns her hand to Hanayo’s shoulder, shaking her head vigorously. Thinking back to earlier that day, Rin finally understands what Maki was trying to get at. “That’s ridiculous, we’ll never be apart!” Rin shakes her head again for emphasis, and gently places her other hand on Hanayo's cheek to draw her gaze.  “I don’t need to get married, because I have you!”

Hanayo leans into Rin’s hand. “Rin-chan,” she sniffles.

Rin continues on with her previous thought, “So don’t ever worry, okay? Cuz we’ll always be together.” She nods in confirmation. “Nya, but can we wait a few years until we get married?”

Hanayo laughs as if a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. “Yes”

I hope you enjoyed this!