Tomodachi o Eien

A fic by MizunoTenshi/ Ami, a story of gig tickets and a friendship which starts to go very wrong.
Setting in Tokyo, Japan, some random usage of Japanese.

Disclaimer:I do not own L'Arc~en~Ciel, they just happen to be one of my favourite bands. Otherwise all characters in the fiction are my own work and property.

Characters

Yochino Misaki
Ainoura Ami
Sawanoguchi Hitomi
Sakamoto Ryoko
Sawanoguchi Megumi
Sakamoto Yuki
Ainoura Rika
Tange Rei

Chapter 11

Megumi reached over the sofa to Hitomi and plucked the thermometer from her mouth. Her forehead creased as she frowned at the reading.
'Am I still ill?' Hitomi murmured never once taking her eyes from the TV.
'Unfortunately yes' Megumi smiled.
'Thanks for being here Megumi'
Megumi stood up with her eyes on her onee-chan lying miserably on the couch. She smiled sadly. Poor Hitomi had been so stressed and gotten herself so ill. Not only that but she had broken up with her two best friends over the Ryoko issue, an issue Megumi was still largely in the dark about. As she stood in her thoughts, the doorbell rang.
'I'll get it' Megumi offered cheerfully. She stooped to pick a couple of books from the floor in a limp effort at tidying up.
'Thanks' came Hitomi's monotone reply.

Megumi opened the front door to see Ami standing in her black cardigan shivering terribly. Megumi waved a reponse and to Ami's confusion, she stepped outside and promptly closed the door behind her.
'Cold Ami-chan?'
Ami nodded with chattering teeth.
'Hang on' Megumi replied. She quickly opened the door once more, grabbed a couple of coats and her shoes and then rejoined Ami outside.
'Ano Megumi-chan' she tried to peer inside the house.
'I know you came to see Hitomi' Megumi nodded 'But I don't mean any offence Ami when I say she doesn't want to see you.'
'How is that not offensive?' Ami asked icily. Megumi shrugged in response. She didn't know Ami well and she found her a little too cold whereas she was sprightly and laid back.
'What did you want?' Megumi smiled.
'Are you the messenger?' Ami asked. She still acted with hostility. Megumi nodded.
Ami sighed, she didn't feel like making any more enemies. 'Can i talk to you please Megumi. You may listen after all'.
'If you explain to me what this is all about Ami' Megumi replied.

Ami nodded. it was worth it. She was lonely, Misaki was not allowed out and didn't want to go out. She stayed in her room crying. She had told her parents everything and even though they had believed her the school hadn't and kept on the suspension. Misaki was isolated, she even considered moving schools to get away from Ryoko but her parents maintained that she should not let the bully win and it angered them that their voice was unheard. Ami herself was still in detention, still forbidden from seeing Hitomi and she had not told her parents. Hitomi was equally secretive although now she had an illness from her stress. In her despair Ami had to talk to someone, and Megumi was the only one who seemed vaguely interested in her anymore.

The two girls wandered in silence through the streets to the park. Once there they found a bench besides the pond, a leafy encircle with a small shrine at one end. It was so peaceful and thankfully empty. Megumi sat herself on the bench and Ami followed soon after.
'So...' Megumi asked. Ami gazed around her surroundings. Tranquil calm. Such a change... She moved her eyes to Megumi
'Yes. Well it all began about two weeks ago'
'When onee-chan got those concert tickets?' Megumi asked.
Ami nodded. 'Yes but there was something before that. That morning was a lovely morning. The blossoms were out, the sky was blue and Misaki was in good spirits. I met her for the walk to school that morning, and she was a little, well happy. She decided that since we were a little late that she would run to school, and no problem in that except she was running downhill and unfortunately Ryoko appeared at the bottom of the hill just as Misaki did and well...smack'. Ami hit her hands together and sighed.
'Misaki knocked over Ryoko?' Megumi asked
'Yes. It was an accident. And Misaki immediately apologised and picked up all of Ryoko's books. We thought that was the end of it until Hitomi came in and announced she had bought those tickets for the three of us. The day was going really good, we thought nothing of that collision. Seems Ryoko couldn't forget because then at lunchtime she demanded compensation.' Ami sighed even more deeply and rested her head in her hands.

'Go on...' Megumi urged, she was listening closely.
'Well' Ami continued 'Misaki had given her Pocky to Hitomi as a thank you for the ticket. Nothing wrong with that'
Megumi shook her head
'But Ryoko wanted the sweets as a compensation. I remember Misaki at the time joking if Ryoko wanted sushi instead' Ami laughed and rubbed her head.
Her expression then became deadly serious. 'Then she actually demanded we gave her a ticket to say sorry for knocking her over. Of course we said no, and Hitomi defied her by walking away from the argument. That's when it started'
'I see...Hitomi was feeling a bit down that night and she wouldn't tell me, but later on Misaki came round and took her into the city and it all seemed ok' Megumi queried her. Ami looked round in surprise
'Did they? Anyway. I later received a phonecall from Sakamoto-san which basically went along the lines of, and I quote, "it's not over yet Ainoura"'.
This was accompanied by the biggest sigh yet from Ami. 'I saw Hitomi later on and told her but she was convinced like Misaki that it would all blow over. Then we get Ryoko's manipulation starting. She told my sister that Hitomi and I were having friendship problems and were out for a "chat". Meanwhile she uses that to spool this story to my sister, her brother and half of school that I was the one without a ticket and Misaki had decided to try and get hers off her for me if you see where I am going?'
Megumi nodded very slowly trying to take it all in. 'I think I get you. You mean she told everyone'
'Yep' Ami nodded. 'Then she also invented this story that your sister believes that Tange Rei hit Ryoko on the behalf of Misaki. I don't know what really happened in that arcade because it seemed to spiral from there.' Megumi suddenly lifted her hand to her mouth and gasped. 'Oh my I am sorry! I told you that Rei could be feisty and that's why Hitomi believed Ryoko and oh my god it's all my fault.' she placed her face in her hands.
Ami watched her surprised and then quickly put her arms round Megumi.
'No Megumi' she comforted her 'It's not your fault. It's Ryoko's. It would have happened at school anyway because Ryoko is so cruel'.
Megumi nodded and lifted her head up. 'And that was the weekend before last' she asked
Ami nodded an affirmative
'Then it all began at school, fuelled by Ryoko's lapdog aka Yurika. She is mean, everyone is slightly afraid of those two together. ' Ami spoke bitterly ' I didn't help myself playing truant but I couldn't stand so many people on my back. It just made Hitomi more stressed, not that she wasn't already as she allowed herself to believe Ryoko's web of lies. Poor Misaki got it real bad though and now she has been falsely accused of stealing. I can only imagine Misaki forgot to sign her ticket, Ryoko stole it from her, signed her name and planted it back in Misaki's locker. That's the only logical way out'

Megumi nodded. 'Thank you Ami. I'm glad i know now. We need to put people straight, not least to simply clear Misaki's name. We have no proof though'
'Hitomi can stop this as she bought the tickets. She doesn't realise it but she holds so much power to take Ryoko down a level or two.' Ami said
'Then we should tell her!' Megumi stood up
Ami remained seated and smiled slightly. 'Good luck. She won't listen to me and even if she does listen to you she may well just do nothing.' 'I think my sister is not as lazy as you think Ami-chan' Megumi reprimanded a little put out. Ami stood up smiling brightly for the first time in a long time
'Ok let's try'