Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Azumanga Daioh.
Dedication: Yep, I dedicate this chapter to NumaNumaNumbnut! I do have a specific reason for doing so, but I won't say why until the Authors Notes at the end of the chapter. For now I'll say "Inspirational" and if you have been reading NumaNuma's work, you might catch the reference but it's pretty obscure.
Warnings: This chapter needs some extra warnings. Cigarettes and alcohol (but not by our six girls), Shoujo-ai, language, some angst, et cetera. Let me know if you think I am pushing it past T rating into M. This is my first big fanfic and I really don't know where to draw the line some days. I'll gladly take advice!
Reviews! Thanks for all the reviews. I think everyone here is having problems replying to messages, not just me. Perhaps ff dot net has lost its email system or something. So I'll post some brief replies here because I know some long replies I sent didn't go anywhere. sweatdrop You can skip straight down to the chapter beginning if you like.
TheTrueWolfBrother: I'm not sure how to answer your question about Ayumu, but hopefully this chapter will move things along. Is Kagura a horndog? That is a really good question and I am glad you asked. I have one basic thought on this. Out of all six girls in the story, Kagura is the only one who started this story actually knowing her feelings. She is in love with Yomi and knows it for sure. She has been hiding it for a while and finally confessed in chapter two. Yomi didn't know how to take it but is now falling for Kagura too. It feels good to be loved. Tomo on the other hand is realizing deep feelings she has had for Yomi all along but never voiced. Seeing Yomi with someone else has awakened this. She isn't taking Ayumu seriously.
Also, as far as "Horndog" goes, this is a shoujo-ai story, so I can't really write a romance without someone expressing their interest in someone else. Any Azumanga romance is going to mean some OOC behavior of course.
Any appearance by Jack in this or any other chapter is just for a laugh. The hapless male OC who gets killed the instant he got mentioned.
Jooles: Yes, in the Jack vs Osaka smackdown, Jack would certainly go down the drain!
LaTragicomedia: I'm glad you liked the perfume reference. And the zombie movie bit shouldn't be too long. All of the "this and that" shoujo-ai that was happening last chapter is nothing compared to this one. Maybe I should bump to an M rating soon...
AnimeCrazy195: There will be some development in this chapter and the next. This is the first time I have ever tried writing a multi-chapter story, and I actually had a beginning, middle and end in mind when I started. This chapter ends with a scene that I had originally envisioned as the midway point of the story. Of course, I seem to add in a lot extra as I go, with crazy stuff like Jack or Osaka's strange ideas seeping in somehow...
NumaNumaNumbnut: GLOMP! Miss you always. Hope this chapter doesn't kill you with all the YomiKagura goings on. Hopefully Tomo can make up for it.
RandomlyRandomness: I believe you are right about pockets. There has to be a pocket somewhere. I think its part of the skirt. Basically I was just hedging my bet on that one, since some people don't like inconsistencies. Maybe I jumped too soon?
And yes, I do think ff dot net is like a family, at least here in the Azumanga Daioh section. We like to give cameos and little nods to other fanfics when we can. I only do it when it slides in naturally, like the perfume name. Oh, maybe that makes us an incestuous family? Urk.
Last, Ohyama is a bigger perv than the girls thought. But his time is coming, oh yes. Tomo won't forget this. The school bell will ring-a-ding-ding for the wildcat's personal class she's gonna teach in chapter nine.
LonelyArtist: Hi! Thanks for the review! So far I only have one vote to bring Kaorin back and none against. So perhaps I'll let the idea percolate in my brain a bit longer. It might do well as a spin-off story, or a separate piece after I finish this story.
zky-zephyr: I am glad you are enjoying it. As long as people are having fun with it, I'll keep it going.
SephirothBeatrix: Hiya Kagura! Getting tired of Jack? Ok, me too. I think after this chapter, I'll go for less Jack. And I figured Tomo would be suspicious of any parent's motives, considering in this storyline her own family is kinda messed up, as you will see this chapter.
Topaz Fox: I agree, the Azumanga girls in the anime seem very real to me, that is what makes them possible to write about, and so fun to read about in other peoples fanfics. It can get a little personal when we get into romantic and family problems, and chapter eight takes a sudden sharp turn.
Spontaneous Combusken: It's always good to hear from you. Osaka's family was tons of fun to write. In fact, anything Osaka related has been a blast so far. Yomi and Kagura have been a bit harder, but Osaka just seems to write her own lines. Hahaha.
Anyhow, enough of that. I hope the messaging system around here wakes up and in the meanwhile, on with the story!
Chapter Eight - Love Is Everywhere!
All six girls had become the best of friends in the first year of high school. Yes, they each had their own little quirks but that only seemed to strengthen the bond between them. Their friendship transcended their differences and made them stronger. They had been through some wonderfully fun times and some fairly difficult times as well. Still, they had all stuck together through thick and thin, remaining by each others side always.
Which was why it seemed especially tragic that they should find themselves trapped in the high school basement by an blender wielding zombie madman.
The tall one said, "I think we should toss Half-pint out the door and make a run for it while Jack is eating."
The shortest girl screamed in dismay as the horrifying sound of the blender could be heard reverberating up and down the halls.
"No way, no way!" said the short haired girl. "She'd be gone in a snap. Let's toss Chunky out there. At least we'd have a little extra time while he chokes on all her fat."
The glasses-wearing brainy girl interrupted this debate with some common sense. "Shup up you idiots. There is a way for us all to escape. In case you haven't noticed, Jack has to keep stopping to plug in his blender. If we wait for the sound to stop, then he probably has it unplugged and is looking for a closer outlet."
"Ohhh," the girls all nodded at this brilliant plan.
Tomo said, "No you idiots, he is just looking for a different way into the room! Watch the air vents or something! Check for another way in! Oh, god they are so stupid."
Osaka grinned at the movie screen. "This one is even better than the original movie Jack Attack. Hard to believe the zombies ate everyone else in the school and now it's down to just these six survivors."
Tomo looked over, "Don't forget, there are still those two teachers who barricaded themselves inside the cupboard in the faculty lounge. I think one of them has got that crowbar."
Sakaki's fingernails had long ago penetrated the fabric and stuffing of the armrests and she was now peeling away splinters of the wood with every shriek from the big screen.
"So who is gonna be the first to go?" Osaka said as the suspenseful music continued to build. "Time to place your bets."
"The one with the big boobs," Tomo declared. "It's always the one with big boobs who dies first. Oops, sorry Sakaki. I guess that could be bad news for you, huh?"
The air vent in the ceiling fell to the ground with a crash as a blood spattered blender lowered down into the room. Buzzing with maniacal menace, it swung in a circle dangling by it's power cord. All six girls screamed and scattered to far corners of the room.
"Oh man, no way! How did he get the cord to stretch that far?" Tomo yelled.
"Oh, I know," Osaka said, "The prinicpal hanged himself in his office when he was all upset about his secretary mistress cheating on him with the zombie math teacher. Remember? He hung himself with an extension power cord."
"Ah! And Jack went back for it and has extended the range of his weapon! Of course!"
Sakaki whimpered, "This is possibly the most horrible, stupid movie I have ever seen in my life. Please let's go now. Look, I'll pay you back for all our tickets."
Tomo grinned, "You can't go now, here comes the best part! Oh look!" she yelled as the whirling blender caught one of the girls by her long hair and began dragging her slowly inside. "I told ya! Chick with the biggest boobs gets it first! Serves you right, you big breasted bimbo!" she yelled while standing on her seat.
Yomi didn't notice when the movie had ended. Kagura had to push on her shoulders to separate themselves for a moment to get her attention. "They will be turning the lights on any minute." Yomi's heart was pounding like crazy as she pulled her hands out from under Kagura's shirt and moved back into her own seat.
Kagura leaned in for one more kiss before picking up her jacket. Other patrons were already starting to get out of their seats and move toward the exits as the credits rolled. Slowly the lights in the auditorium were brought up slightly. "Great movie, huh?" she asked with a grin.
"Yeah, excellent. The best ever. What was it about anyhow?" Yomi asked.
"I have no frickin' idea," Kagura laughed.
The two smiling girls got up from their seats and turned toward the center isle to leave the theater, only to stop cold in their tracks. Across the isle of departing patrons, they could see two other people getting on their jackets from their chairs in the back row.
Yukari and Miss Kurosawa.
Nyamo was rubbing her lips with the back of her sleeve and Yukari was straightening her skirt as she stood up, complaining about how noisy some teenagers in the front of the theater had been. "Yeah, you spiky haired punk, I am talking about you," she pointed at a young man walking out the door with a group of his friends. They exchanged rude hand gestures as he left, and Yukari looked up in time to see Kagura and Yomi standing petrified across the isle.
"Oh crap," Yukari said, dropping her middle finger and swinging her hand behind herself to slap at Nyamo's sleeve.
The PE teacher grumbled, "What? What did I do now?" as she looked up at Yukari. Then she spotted the two girls and her face went bright red just as the lights came up a little more.
Yukari bolted across the row, nearly knocking over an old lady as she jumped in front of Kagura. "What are you doing here? Were you spying on us? You were spying on us, weren't you?! How dare you! Well, it's not what you think. What did you see anyhow? If you think you can get away with this, you are sadly sadly mistaken young ladies. If you even breathe a word-"
Kagura flailed both of her hands in front of her while accidentally stepping back onto Yomi's foot. "No! No, we were just here to see the movie. We didn't even know you were here, honest."
"Yeah? Is that so? Well then," she put her hands on her hips. "Us too. Great movie, huh? Yep, best ever, I'd have to say."
Miss Kurosawa crossed the isle during a moment of less traffic and came up behind Miss Tanizaki. "Hi girls. Did you enjoy the film? I didn't know anyone from school had come to this show. How nice to see you."
"Yeah, you too. Excellent movie," Yomi said. "I was just saying to Kagura that I thought this was an excellent movie," she stammered.
The lights in the theater now came up to full brightness as the credits had ended. The last few people were filing out the doors while Yukari stood blocking the row out for the two girls. Nyamo pulled on her sleeve, "Maybe we should get going now? We had a couple places we wanted to be?"
"Huh? What's that? Ok. Well girls, you have a good evening and I'll see you both in class on Monday morning," Yukari said, giving one last glare at them both as she turned to leave.
They all left the auditorium together in silence and stepped into the lobby. Kagura suddenly said, "Coach? You've got some gum or something stuck on your pants."
Miss Kurosawa looked down to see a pink glob of gum stuck on her slacks just below the right knee. "Oh crud, I must have got that when I..." she began turning red again. Yomi grabbed Kagura's hand and dragged her out the door of the theater and into the mall at a dead run.
Tomo had figured out a great trick to play on Sakaki. She told Osaka, "Obviously this scares her, so lets help her out." Sakaki nodded desperately. "Here Osaka. Just hold her hand tight like this. See? Now she won't be so scared when the- Ooo, ick, just like that," she said as blood splattered all over the screen in front of them. Tomo had a firm grip on Sakaki's right hand so Osaka took her left.
This was a momentary relief to the tall girl, having both friends so close to her. However, as the next victim was grinded into a pulp in front of her, she couldn't cover her eyes with her hands, since her "friends" had a firm grip on her hands from either side. And she couldn't plug her ears either, both of which she had been doing throughout the movie.
Some time later, finally the movie ended with a cliffhanger "maybe-he's-dead-but-is-he-really-gone" ending so typical of these kind of gore-fest movies. The two girls escorted their shaken friend out of her seat and into the mall.
"Oh yeah, that was awesome! I couldn't believe it took them that long to figure out to cut the power," Tomo said.
"Well, if it was me," Osaka said, "I woulda smacked that dang blender like a piñata when it was hanging from the ceiling. I mean, she had a baseball bat. He can't grind you up if he ain't got no blender."
"Ooo, good point. Sakaki, what would you have done differently?"
The green-faced girl looked at them both, "I would have said No when you asked me to come with you."
Tomo laughed, "Oh come on, come on! It wasn't that bad! Here, let's go get something to eat. Ya wanna hamburger? If you don't feel like eating, we could ask them to stick it in a blender for you."
Sakaki covered her mouth with both hands and made a retching sound.
"Ok, hahaha, maybe not. Let us at least buy you a soda. Ayumu, can we swing that?"
Ayumu opened her purse and inspected the contents of her wallet and coin purse while the other girls paused. "Uh huh. Drinks for all three of us. And then we still have bus fare home and I'm broke."
They guided Sakaki to a table in the main corridor of the mall, just outside a couple restaurants. She was very shaky on her feet, so she was grateful to sit down again. Osaka went inside to get their drinks while Tomo kept their friend company.
"Whoa, are you ok Sakaki? I don't think I have ever seen you this pale before. You're not gonna puke are ya?"
She shook her head uncertainly, "No, but just don't make any more jokes about that movie. In fact, don't talk about it all. Talk about something else."
"Ok. Hey, do you know what is green and red and travels at 200 kilometers an hour?" Tomo asked.
Just then Kagura and Yomi walked out of a restaurant across the corridor. Sakaki and Tomo spotted them about the same time they noticed the two sitting down. They paused in the doorway a moment as if deciding what to do, then came over.
"Hiya," said Kagura.
Tomo stood straight and tall, put her hands on her hips and said "Yo!" Sakaki weakly waved.
"Hi Sakaki," Yomi said. "So what brings you two to the mall today?"
Tomo spoke up quickly, "Oh, Ayumu and I were hanging out here in the mall and Sakaki dragged us in to see some gory movie. Man, this chick is twisted. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff she said in there."
"You're right, I don't believe you," Yomi said. "So Sakaki, what brings you to the mall today?"
"Oh, that's just cold Yomi. You are cold cold cold." Tomo acted like her feeling were hurt, but neither Yomi nor Kagura (or Sakaki for that matter) seemed to pay any attention to it.
"I was just shopping, and I... Oh no! What happened to my bag?" She looked around the area of the table. "I... I think I left it in the theater." She looked decidedly unhappy at the thought of going back there.
"I'll go back and get it for ya, ya big sissy," Tomo declared. "You're turning into as big of an airhead as Osaka." She took off down the corridor of the mall toward the theater, pulling out her ticket stubs from her pocket as she trotted along.
Kagura asked Sakaki, "So did you really go see a movie with her? Or is that more Tomo bullshit?"
Sakaki took a deep breath as she tried to sit up straighter. "Yes, we did go see a movie, but they tricked me into going."
"They?" Kagura asked. "Oh, so is Osaka really here?"
"Yep, I'm really here, live and in person," Osaka said, coming out of the restaurant with a tray. Two large cups of soda and one tea were precariously balanced on the tray and she carried it very slowly and carefully, swaying as if she were balanced on a high wire.
"Here, let me help you with that," Kagura assisted by taking the tray and putting it safely on the table. "Tomo will be right back, she just went-"
"Yeah, I heard."
Tomo ran to the theater. "Excuse me, but my friend left her bag in the movie. See, here is my ticket."
The attendant behind the counter looked at the stub. "Jack Attack II, Back From the Grave"? Sorry, we just started another showing in there." He looked at her closely, "Who left something in there?"
"My friend. I am sure you remember her. Tall good looking gal. Huge rack. Looked great going in, looked nauseous coming out?"
He snapped his fingers, "Oh her! You're her friend? Well, ok, come on in. Keiko, cover for me for a couple minutes," he said to a woman cleaning out the popcorn machine. He opened the door for Tomo. "Let's see what we can find."
They proceeded to the auditorium showing that movie and went in. It was still only a few minutes into the show. The big screen displayed a group of high school kids recalling that one weird transfer student who didn't fit in last year and kept coming on to every girl in the school and ultimately died a horrible death. Quite a few people were in the theater watching and were sitting in little groups.
Tomo lead the guy right to their seats and found Sakaki's blue shopping bag and black purse on the floor under the seats. She picked them up with a smile and the attendant mimed a relieved look. When they got back out into the lobby the guy said, "So, my name is Ryo. Is that girl a friend of yours? I don't recall ever seeing her here before."
"Uhh, yeah. It was the first time we ever talked her in to coming with us. Probably the last after that movie."
"Really? Oh, that's too bad. She didn't like it? Well, I'll tell you what," he reached under the counter at the front desk and pulled out two slips of paper. "These are free passes good at any movie in this theater. You can have one and one for your tall friend. So what's her name anyhow?" he smiled.
Tomo looked this guy over. "Sakaki," she said, snatching the two free passes from him. "But I came with another friend of mine. So she'll need one too if we bring her back." She held out her hand and waited. After a moment, he pulled out one more. "Thanks Kyo, I really appreciate it."
"No, it's Ryo, not Kyo!" he said as she dashed out the door.
I can't believe she gets hit on even when she isn't here! Wow, what I wouldn't do for a set like that! She even gets free stuff from complete strangers. She did the math in her head as she slowed to a stroll. Three tickets, that's over two thousand yen. Yeah, ok, it probably didn't cost him anything, but still.
"That's it. I am gonna work even harder this year!" she yelled to no one in particular as she crossed the mall toward her group of friends.
Osaka gave her a wave as she approached. "Hi Tomo. I got your drink here. Ya better get it before it loses all of its fizziness," she warned while sipping on her tea.
Tomo plopped Sakaki's bags on the table. "You have an admirer. Some guy who works at the cinema. He gave us each a free ticket, see?" She handed out the free passes to Sakaki and Osaka. "I guess those babys really have some power, eh?"
Sakaki turned slightly red again much to Tomo's amusement. "So I never did hear what you two are shopping for today," Tomo said to Yomi.
"Nothing actually. And in fact," she looked at Kagura who nodded, "although this is not something we want talked about at school, we are on a date."
"What?! A date?!" Tomo poked Yomi in the ribs. "Ooo, I suspected it, but I didn't know you played for the other team."
Kagura said, "What other team? Aren't you here on a date with Osaka?"
Tomo's mocking grin faded as she looked over at Ayumu. "Well, sort of. Uh, I mean yeah but..."
"Yep," Osaka declared, "That proves it. Love is everywhere. Yomi has Kagura. I have my beloved Tomo." Osaka smiled at Sakaki, "Even Chiyo-chan has the love too."
"Huh? What... what do you mean by that?" Sakaki stammered, a slow heat rising to her face, betrayed by a redness to her cheeks.
Yomi turned on Osaka, "Don't be a dimwit. Chiyo is only twelve years old still. She's too young to be in a romance or anything."
Tomo interrupted to defend Osaka, "I don't know about that. Twelve isn't as young as you seem to think. It was only a few years ago for me and I remember having a crush on someone. Romantic, even sexual thoughts and stuff."
"Really? On who?" Ayumu asked with a smiling curiosity.
"Uhh, I'll tell you about it some other time," Tomo murmured, "That's not important to the issue."
"No, the important fact is that you were just a bigger perv as a kid than the rest of us," Yomi said.
"You're at the top of the perv curve!" grinned Kagura.
"Hey, don't start with me Bonkura."
"Bonkura? Look who's talking," Kagura snapped at her. "You were the first and original Bonkura. Everyone else pales compared to your... your... Bonkura-ish-ess-ness."
Tomo shot back, "You don't even know what your talking about now. That's what happens when you pad your bra with your brains. Too bad you can't buy a bra that will push up your IQ as much as they push up your boobs."
"Hey!"
"Or does it already do both? I mean, Kagura when you take off your bra, do you get even stupider ? Well I bet Yomi can answer that question for us." Tomo held out her hand like a microphone at the brunette who slapped it away.
"How would I know about that?" Yomi retorted while Kagura looked upset, "I mean, of course she doesn't get any stupider. Not that I mean she is stupid now! And not that I have ever had a chance to know what happens when she takes off... Arrr! Dammit Tomo! Double chop!" But the wildcat had seen that one coming and jumped back in plenty of time to avoid the head-smashing attack.
"So what is this about Chiyo-chan being in love?" Sakaki asked.
"Y'all think of Chiyo-chan as just some little kid, but there is so much more to her than that. There is love all over that genius head of hers," Osaka insisted.
Yomi added, "Somehow I find that hard to believe."
"I wouldn't have believed it neither if I hadn't heard it myself." Osaka said, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Ya see, it's Chiyo-chan. Her pig-tails are both in love... with each other."
"What?"
"It's like a romantic tragedy of doomed love. Always together, yet eternally apart. The unquenched longing of one for the other. Oh! How they yearn to be united, but it is never to be!" she sniffed.
Tomo looked askance at her supposed girlfriend, "Where did you hear this?"
"The other day... in math class," she replied in a hushed voice.
Yomi laughed, "You were asleep in math class yesterday, I saw you!"
Osaka simply nodded, "That makes even more sense, that their thought-waves can only be sensed by the subconscious mind."
"Unconscious mind is more like it," Kagura said.
Ayumu continued unshaken, "Chiyo-chan's pig-tails were telling each other their dreams of love."
Suddenly she cried out, "They said to each other: Oh! How I have missed your silky embrace! That last time we met in the shower, amidst the confusion of the shampoo and the world of lather! Ah, it was like we danced together for an eternity in an everlasting sea of bubbles.
"But alas, memory of that time is bittersweet, kinda like that herbal balsam shampoo tastes when ya accidentally get some in yer mouth. For it was then that we were so abrubtly parted by the cruel cruel hand of fate. Or was it a hairbrush?
"Our time together is now but a dim and distant memory, washed away like conditioner after that five minute wait."
Osaka paused for a breath, then said, "And that was when Chiyo-chan flew out the window. You don't remember that?"
"Ya'd sure think, wouldn't ya?" Tomo responded.
Sakaki stood up. "I should really get going." She looked at Yomi and Kagura, "You two enjoy the rest of your date. Osaka, thanks for the soda. Tomo... uh... goodbye. I'll see you all in class Monday." She retrieved her bags and downed the last of her drink.
Yomi said, "Yeah, I think it's time we head on as well. See you all later."
Kagura waved at the table of friends, "Bye".
Osaka sipped her tea. "They sure are a good lookin' pair, dontcha think?"
Tomo grumbled, "Yomi and Kagura?"
"No, I was talking about Sakaki. So nice. But since you brought it up, yeah, I think Yomi and Kagura look good together too. That was a pretty blouse Yomi was wearin'. Ya know, with the sexy little roses down the front like that. I never seen her wear it before."
"Yeah, she doesn't wear it often," Tomo said, finishing her soda.
"You've seen her wear it?"
"I bought it for her on her birthday two months ago," Tomo answered, crushing her paper cup and tossing into the trash. "Let's go. I'm getting sick of this place."
Ayumu followed Tomo out to the bus stop and the two girls shared a fairly quiet ride back to the Kasuga house. Tomo sat looking out the window at the sky as the bus drove. Ayumu leaned up against Tomo, resting her head on her shoulder.
Tomo couldn't stop thinking about running into Yomi today. She had looked so nice in that blouse. She knew she would, that was why she had saved up for three months to have the money to get it. It was the most expensive present she had ever given anybody.
She also remembered what Yomi had said when she was teasing Kagura. She said she had never seen Kagura without a top, basically. So that means that whatever their dating is about, it isn't physical. Not much, not yet anyway.
When they approached the appropriate stop, Tomo pressed the button to ring the driver. The bus obediently slowed down and pulled toward the curb. Ayumu stood up and stretched, then almost lost her balance when the bus completely stopped. She headed for the exit on the left and Tomo rose to follow her. However, she noticed Osaka had left her purse sitting on the seat, so she grabbed that and jumped off the bus behind her.
"Hey, did you lose something?"
Osaka started checking her pockets until Tomo waved the purse in front of her. Ayumu sheepishly smiled, "Oops. I'm always forgettin' stuff. Thanks. Hey, maybe you should be the one to carry a purse. But does that mean I have to dress like a boy and cut my hair real short now? Oh crud. I kinda like wearin' dresses and pretty hats. Of course, you already cut your hair shorter this year, so maybe you should be the boy. No, that's no good." she gripped her head in both hands, "I don't know what to do. You're better with purses, but I like dresses. You have shorter hair but better breasts. Now I am all confused."
"Nobody has to dress like a boy. Just cool it, ok?" Tomo said.
Osaka sighed in relief. "Oh good. I thought we had a true crisis brewin."
The two walked down the quiet neighborhood sidewalk toward Osaka's home. As they opened the door and stepped in, Osaka yelled at the top of her lungs "I'M HOME!" and kicked off her shoes. Her parents called back that they were in the kitchen, so they changed into the waiting slippers and walked into the dining room to look in through the door.
"Hi girls," Mr. Kasuga said. "Did you have a good time?"
"Oh, yeah!" Osaka said. "We ran into a friend of ours there too and invited her to come see the movie. Then we ran into some other friends afterwards. It was a fun time."
"Wonderful!" he said while stirring a pot of something that smelled delicious. "Tomo, I wasn't sure if you would be joining us for dinner, but you are certainly welcome. Of course Ayumu, we also weren't sure when you two would be home."
"You wanna stay for dinner?" Osaka asked Tomo eagerly.
Tomo thought about it for a moment, but then said, "No, I should probably get home. I never went home after school on Friday and I haven't called them yet, so they are probably getting a little pissed, uh, I mean mad at me by now. I should get going I think."
Mrs Kasuga spoke up, "You didn't call them? Well, I don't mean to interfere, but you know you can use our phone any time you come over. If you need me to speak to your parents, I will be happy to let them know you are visiting a friend's home."
"No, it's cool. Thanks though." She looked down at herself, still wearing the pants and tee shirt she had borrowed from Osaka. "Hey, Ayumu? Do you think my school uniform is dry?"
Mrs. Kasuga said, "Yes, I took it off the line earlier and it is in Ayumu's room."
"I'll go get it for you!" Osaka said as she took off toward her room.
After a moment, Tomo spoke up. "Um, Mr. Kasuga? Here, you can have this back." She held out the 2000 yen bill he had given her earlier.
He looked at the folded money, then handed the stirring spoon to his wife. "Akane, could you take over this for a minute?" He took the money from her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Tomo, thank you for watching out for Ayumu like that. I know it must seem odd, but sometimes a safety net is a good thing." He led her into the living room while they talked. At the television, he lifted the edge of the video player and slid the money underneath.
"This will be emergency money for you and Ayumu. I'm not hiding it here to keep her from knowing about it, but she does have two brothers you know," he laughed. "If you two go out together like this again, Akane and I would feel better knowing you had this in your pocket, if it's not an imposition on you. Is that all right, Miss Takino?"
Suddenly Tomo felt very bad for the suspicions she had been having earlier in the day. "I'm sorry. I mean, yes, thats fine."
"I hope things are going ok for you two," he said. "My wife and I certainly don't want to pry by any means, but you can imagine we have talked about this and we have our concerns. You two have chosen a difficult road. You seem like a very reliable young lady, and that of course makes us very happy. If there is anything we can do, let us know."
"Do about what?" Ayumu asked as she came in carrying Tomo's uniform.
"Oh, anything," Mr Kasuga said. "I was just telling Tomo that your mom and I like her. Also, I'm putting some emergency money aside for you up here in case you need it. We'll talk about that a little later. Maybe during dinner."
Tomo gave a polite bow to Mr Kasuga. "Thank you very much. Please say goodbye to your wife for me." She took the uniform from Osaka and changed back into her shoes in the doorway. As her dad returned to the kitchen, Osaka opened the door for Tomo.
"Thanks for coming over. Maybe next time we can go to your house or somethin." she smiled.
"Ugh. I don't think you'd like that so much. Nah, here is better. See ya Monday," Tomo waved at her.
Osaka said, "Tomo! Wait!"
Tomo stopped, "Huh? Whazzup?"
Ayumu looked at the toe of her shoe as she dragged it across the doorway, "Ain't ya gonna kiss me goodbye?"
The wildcat scratched her head and then turned back to the door. She gave Ayumu a short kiss on the lips and said, "Well, see you Monday at school, ok?"
Ayumu said, "Ok, see ya." She stood in the doorway watching Tomo head down the sidewalk. She stood there until eventually Tomo turned a corner about three blocks away and couldn't be seen any more. Finally, Ayumu turned back inside and slid the door shut.
Tomo's mother yelled, "Where have you been? Your father is so angry with you!"
"My father? No, last time I saw him he was in a jar about this big," Tomo said holding up her fingers to measure, "and he didn't seem particularily upset or anything. In fact, he seemed kinda peaceful. Or powdery, take your pick."
The sound of the smack Tomo got across her face could be heard out on the front porch where her step brother Kensuke was. He dropped his half smoked cigarette into the empty pop can he kept out here for the purpose of an ashtray and came into the living room.
He saw Tomo on the floor, pushing herself up with one arm to stand up again. The other hand she had cupped over her cheek. "Hello ladies, what's with the fireworks?" He lightly grabbed Tomo's elbow and helped her to her feet, then stood between them as he looked back and forth.
"How dare you speak of your father that way! You are the most ungrateful little bitch that I-"
Kensuke held up his hands, "Ok, this is giving me a toothache. Tomo, say you're sorry and then we'll get some ice for your cheek, all right?"
Tomo held up her middle finger for his close inspection and said, "Mind your own business for once. And I can say whatever I want about my own father." she peered around him to see her mother, "He is MY father. I didn't say anything about your husband."
Kensuke made a quick motion and grabbed Tomo's extended finger in a tight grip. Then he pulled her with it as he walked out of the room. "Hey mom, I am gonna have Tomo here help me out with something in the kitchen. If you need anything you know where to find us."
Tomo was cursing and swearing at Kensuke, beating him on the back and shoulders with her free hand while she was relentlessly towed into the next room. When he arrived at the refrigerator, he abruptly let go of her finger which sent her tumbling backwards. "Could you grab that towel off the counter for me?" he asked.
She grabbed the towel and threw it at his head. It hit and then fluttered to ground, though he tried and failed to catch it on his foot before it hit the floor. He picked it up and opened the freezer, scooping out a handful of ice.
Tomo's mother wasn't quite done however, and she appeared in the doorway. "There is just no excuse for you being out all hours of the night and not calling." Tomo turned to glare at her.
Kensuke put the small pile of ice into the handtowel and said, "Well, I didn't come home until late last night either and I am pretty sure none of you wants to know what I was doing. And Meiko didn't get home until after 4 am, and when she did she was stone drunk and couldn't find her underpants. So all things considered, I think Tomo is doing better than the average around here."
He hooked two fingers onto the back of Tomo's trousers and pulled her back a step. Peering down he said, "Yep, she's still wearing her underpants so we're all good here."
She spun back to face him and swung her fist at his head, but he had already ducked and stepped back. Tomo's mom muttered something incomprehensable as she shuffled back into the living room.
Kensuke put the ice bundle on the counter and stepped away from it. He gestured toward it with one hand. "There you go. Put that on your face now, it'll make a difference. Trust me, I know. Personally, I need a smoke. I'll be out on the front porch if you want to talk about it."
"Why would I want to talk to you about anything?"
"No frickin idea. Maybe you just want to have somebody who is on your side."
It was a couple hours later when Tomo decided to talk to Kensuke. Her step-sister Meiko had come home and was changing clothes in their bedroom, reeking of booze and cigarettes and accusing Tomo of stealing or hiding various items of clothes. When Meiko lit a cigarette in their bedroom even though it was technically off limits, Tomo opened the window and then left the room. She knew complaining about it wouldn't bring any better luck than any other time.
She walked to the front porch but of course Kensuke was long gone. So she went upstairs to find if he was still home. She knocked on his door lightly. "Come in," she heard.
Tomo slid the door open slowly. "Oh, its you. Well, don't just stand there, come on in." She looked around his room. Kensuke lived in the tiny attic of the house that had been converted into a bedroom. His room was especially crowded, not just from the low sloping ceiling but also because of they way he lived. It always looked like he was just moving in or moving out. He had boxes of stuff lined up against the walls. Also he had too many clothes, she decided. She didn't come up here that often and hadn't seen his room in over a year.
Well, actually that was a lie. A couple times when she had come home from school and no one else was home yet, she had gone up and snooped around. She had found his cigarettes which didn't interest her. She had found a shoebox full of photos, many had pictures of his mother who had passed away several years ago. She also had found a few magazines. Tomo used to wonder if Kensuke was gay. Well, after seeing those she didn't need to wonder any more.
"What's up, porcupine?" he asked her.
"Wildcat. I hate that old porcupine nickname. Wild. Cat. Wildcat. And nothing's up, I just was passing by."
"Ah, climbing a flight of stairs that goes nowhere but here, you were passing by. That's ok. I don't get many visitors. Welcome aboard, Lady Wildcat."
Tomo softened a bit and gave him a smile. Unfortunately there was nowhere to sit down. There was only futon on which he slept, which is where he was at the moment, or the choice of three piles of clothes to sit on. Clean, semi-clean, and dirty. None of them appealed to her as a place to sit, so she stayed by the door.
Kensuke said, "Now you are making me nervous. Would you rather we go out on the porch and talk?"
Tomo said, "No thanks. Your dad is in the living room and I don't want to go through there right now. Here is good. I'll sit here," and she plopped down onto a bare spot of floor, of which there was very little.
"Too late," he said. "Now I want a smoke. Slide the door open a little and turn on that fan by your knee." He pushed open the window and climbed out onto the tile roof. He leaned in and pulled out another empty soda can from a container for recycling and put it on the windowsill next to him. He reached over and got his cigarettes and lighter. The fan began to blow a steady breeze at the window so it would presumably carry most of the smoke away from the house, rather than letting it be inside.
"Meiko is a nasty drunk," he said. "She must be an awful roommate. I heard her come home a little while ago. Is she giving you a bad time again?"
"No. Yes. Nothing different than usual."
"Ah, I thought maybe that is why you wanted to come up here."
Tomo aimed the fan at the window a little better. "No, mostly I wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to be the crazy lady when I got home. I also wanted to let you know... I appreciate what you did. Thanks."
"No problem. That is what gay step-brothers are for, isn't it?"
Tomo smiled at his attitude and nodded. "I guess so."
They sat in silence for a couple minutes and Kensuke turned on his little radio under the window. Music flowed out, sounding funny in the tiny attic.
Finally he put his cigarette out in the can and fastened it to the windowsill so it wouldn't blow away. Then he climbed back in and sat on the futon. "Since you are so unusally quiet today, I'll tell you what is on my mind, ok?" When Tomo nodded, he continued. "I think you have it hardest here. Really, I have thought about it and you do. My dad, well, he freaked out when he found out I was gay of course. That was long ago. He pretty much has given up on me, in his opinion.
"Meiko is a wild drunken slut. She can get pretty mean when she's drunk and doesn't remember it the same when she is sober. She scares the hell out of both of them some days. Your mom seems to keep her distance from both Meiko and me and just let dad deal with us. But you, she still seems to think she should be able to control. And she gets dad to back her up on it when she comes down on you. So you get two angry parents at the same time." He noticed her cold look, so he changed his wording. "One angry parent and an angry step-parent. You know what I mean."
"That's not what bothers me. You make it sound like my mom is the one who is the cause of everything. Your dad is an asshole too."
"Ok, sorry again. You are right. He is. I know first hand. He has been my dad a lot longer than he has been your step-father. He can be pretty harsh and always has been to me. At least until he finally seems to have decided I'm not worthy of it, or something. Now some days he won't even speak to me if I am standing right in front of him. Which is worse? Is it wrong to miss getting hit? But it comes back to you. He does still pay attention to you, for whatever reason. I'm not blaming your mom. Not entirely. Because he's still an ass whether she is here or not."
"Yeah," Tomo sighed, feeling more depressed by the minute.
"But you have to realize something. Because you know this, you can do something about it. You already know what buttons to push to piss them off. I heard you doing it today. But you can also know what buttons to push to NOT piss them off too. Call them if you are staying over night somewhere. I am surprised Yomi's mom didn't call, she usually does."
"I wasn't at Yomi's," Tomo said.
"Ah. I see. A new friend?" The silence hung for a moment.
"I came up here to ask you something," Tomo said while tugging on the sleeve of a shirt in the "kinda clean" pile. "Have you ever... Have you ever been in love?"
"Ohhhh, now I get it. Love. To answer you honestly, no. I have never been in love. I hope someday to find true love. Until then there is sex. However, I think it's better to find love first, then let everything else flow naturally from there. But it didn't happen that way for me. Of course, being gay makes it harder probably, in its own way.
"You have it easy. You are a very pretty, lively girl. You probably have all kinds of boyfriends at that school," he grinned.
But Tomo didn't smile back at him. Instead she picked at the button on the sleeve of the shirt she had found. "What if... What if you found someone? What if there was someone you really cared about but you had never been able to say anything… because you..." she stopped.
"Because you were afraid?" Kensuke laughed. "Trust me on this one thing if nothing else. I understand that . I am the King of Being Afraid. And probably for good reason. You tell a baseball player at school that you think he is cute, well a girl can do that, but me? I'd get killed.
"Still, boy or girl, rejection is hard. Even if you tell that baseball player you think he is cute, if he says he has someone else or isn't interested, that's hard. But it's a risk you sometimes have to take. Because your other option is to be afraid forever."
"But what if it's too late? What if they already found someone else? What then?" Tomo asked.
"Oooo, you do have the tough moral dilemmas for me tonight. Is it better to stay quiet and let them find happiness, or should they know your true feelings so they can make their own decisions? Let me ask you a couple questions. Is that ok?" When he received a nod, he continued, "This guy you think you might love, is he a high school student too?"
Tomo opened her mouth but nothing came out. Finally she managed, "A third year. Yes."
Her step brother climbed back out through the window to lay on the roof. The lighter flicked in the moonlight. "See, here is my opinion. You are not going after some married man who has a set life with vows and children and all that. You are both still just kids, pardon my saying so, but you are. So whatever relationship he has now is a high school romance. These are nice, but they don't always end up lasting forever. How many married couples in Japan do you think were high school sweethearts? It's romantic, but it isn't realistic."
Tomo frowned, "You are losing your audience. What's your point?"
"My point is this. Whatever his relationship now might be, it probably isn't permanent. They aren't married, they aren't engaged. This is your youth, the time of life to discover love. I say confess your love. If he is actually in love with this other girl, then you'll get rejected and that will be hard. But he may decide that he loves you instead, or maybe he has all along. Or maybe their relationship isn't as serious as you think. They might be just flirting. You don't gain anything if you don't try. Otherwise you just end up getting older and living in your parent's attic. You can have that corner over there behind the Spanish matador shirts that I was all excited about last year."
"Confess... your love," Tomo said.
Tomo ran barefoot down the street. She hadn't bothered to even stop to put on her shoes. It was pretty late at night but she didn't care. The sound of her feet slapping the pavement with every step made a quick smack-smack-smack-smack sound in the darkness, reverberating off the houses around her as she flew by.
She knew Yomi would probably still be up. Sitting and listening to one of those stupid radio shows she liked so much.
There was no car in the drive at the Mizuhara house, so perhaps that meant they were all gone. Maybe just her parents had gone out for the evening and Yomi was still home.
She ran across the lawn, the grass feeling springy and slightly moist under her feet. Reaching the window, she smiled to herself. Confess your love! Yomi has to know!
As her hand reached for the edge of the window, she saw motion inside the darkened room. The lights were out but the moonlight streamed down through the glass to reveal Yomi inside. But Yomi wasn't alone. Kagura was there with her. And they were kissing.
They were more than kissing. Kagura's shirt was open and Yomi's arms were around her, her hands on her back. Kagura's hand was on Yomi's thigh, caressing her leg across the top of her stockings and sliding upward toward her skirt. Her other hand was on Yomi's cheek, gently touching her face and pulling her into a deeper and deeper kiss.
Tomo stepped back in shock. This… this isn't right. This isn't how it's supposed to go. Yomi should be home alone doing her homework. Tomo would climb in and bounce on the bed to distract her. Eventually Yomi would ask why she came over and that is when Tomo could tell her the truth. It would be a lot of work to convince her that she wasn't joking but Yomi would get it. She would understand. Then everything could be all right again. This knot in her stomach would finally go away and Yomi would be there for her like always, only now Tomo would be there for Yomi too.
Yomi's hands slid upward to Kagura's shoulders, and Kagura's shirt began falling down her arms. Tomo stepped back from the window. She didn't want to see this. She took several steps backwards away from the window but she could still see the outline of the two moving inside.
Run. Run away. Get out of here. I can't be here now. Everything has gone wrong. But her feet wouldn't move. It felt like nails pierced her feet, holding her in this spot. A cold paralysis spread up her legs rooting her in place. Get away!
Something lightly hit the window from inside but was gone in an instant. Tomo tried again to move but couldn't. The thing that she had seen had only been there for a brief moment, but she knew what it was.
A cream colored blouse with delicate red roses embroidered down the front.
Her legs collapsed underneath her and she fell to her knees. Pitching forward onto the lawn, she managed to catch herself by landing her palms on the grass.
All alone under the cold moonlight, Tomo Takino cried harder than she had since the day her father died.
Closing A/N:
Dedication: So why is this particular chapter dedicated to NumaNumaNumbnut? When Numa posted the first chapter of AzuDai: Couple Poems and Love Letters; it struck me as a very interesting concept. Of course, I love the shoujo-ai in stories, and I think love notes and love confessions are the most fun and romantic things in anime, even when they turn out as a rejection. I think it's that whole "Oh My God, what's gonna happen?" feeling the viewer gets, or reader in the case of fanfics.
In Azumanga Daioh, as we often discuss, there are so many possible pairings. Some good, some bad, some funny, some just plain wrong (Kimura/Anyone?). And Numa's story got me to thinking of what would be the absolute weirdest possible love letter in all of AzuDaioh. That got me to Osaka of course. And that got me to thinking of her obsession with Chiyo's pigtails and what if she thought they were passing love notes to each other? Thus, this nutty Osaka-ism was born. Thanks Numa, for jump starting my brain down another weird path!
Always together, yet eternally apart : Once I had the idea of the pigtails in love, this phrase popped into my head. Yes, it is a paraphrase of a line from an old and very well known 80's movie. A cookie for the first person to name that movie ! It makes me laugh just to think I made a connection between Chiyo-chan's pigtails and that movie. Hahaha. Secondary disclaimer: I own no rights to that movie either.
Ryo: I don't plan to have the movie house guy back as a recurring character, as my story has NO OC ROMANCES. However in the anime, we all knew Sakaki was hot but we rarely saw anyone other than Kaorin acknowledge that (except for Tomo and Osaka admiring the size of her bust).
Tomo's dad in a jar? Remember, her natural father is dead in this story and she now has a step-father. She is talking about the funeral urn that holds her true father's cremated remains. One beta reader asked me if I meant Tomo was a test tube baby or something. No, this is about a jar of ashes.
Kensuke: Yeah, Tomo's step brother turns out to be a nicer guy than she wants to admit. However, he is not a potential romance for any of the AzuGirls. He's gay. Really and truly. Now, Ohyama or Kimura might be in for some trouble if they come over to Tomo's house but not the girls.
Next chapter coming soon! - Chapter Nine will be 100 percent Jack-free and with no added preservatives or artificial flavors! Four out of five dentists might recommend Chapter Nine to help fight tooth decay!
Tomo's in the dumps. Osaka makes a surprising announcement. Ohyama gets a new hairdo. Yukari couldn't care less about any of it.
And that's all true except for maybe the part about the dentists. Probably.