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 12

Megumi was to ask Hitomi. Ami was helped by her chat, by allowing her problems and feelings out, and she was fuelled to tell not her sister, but she went straight to Yuki. This effort was in vain, Yuki couldn't rely on Ami or betray his sister, especially since Ami would have lied given the nature of Ryoko's lies. Ami was hurt and her confidence setback when the door slammed in her face. She hadn't ever thought that of Yuki, he always seemed so nice when he came round to see Rika. Maybe she should tell Rika.

Megumi was having an equal amount of luck. Hitomi just shrugged when she heard of the theft.
'Maybe now she's got what she wants it will die down and I can get better' Hitomi stared continuously at a blaring TV screen.
Megumi shook her head in disbelief.
'Do you care that much?'
'Anymore? No' Hitomi interrupted

'You've lost your best friends' Megumi protested.
'Exactly. Were my best friends.' Hitomi drew the duvet further up around her mouth.
'You can stop this' Megumi spoke quietly. She stood up and made for the door. 'You can stop this' she repeated and with another shake of her head she left Hitomi to stare melancholy and morosely at the television set.

The words had made a little effect on Hitomi. She began to realise her stubbornness. She blinked a couple of times after her sister had left the room and sat up. Sighing deeply she pushed her hair away from her face and reached for the TV remote. She sat in silence as the screen went blank. The first time in ages. She had just lain in her pyjamas with messed up hair in a state of morose tiredness watching the TV. It didn't really matter what she watched, she could watch commercials or the shopping channel for all she cared. She flicked around a lot but ended up just watching TV Tokyo for over 12 hours a day, blankly and expressionless. Now there was a sudden change in her life. She yawned and dragged her duvet with her as she made her way up the stairs to her room. It was time to get changed, and find a little humility.

‘I don't think you will be welcome here'

Rika eyed Hitomi coldly as she stood in the doorway to the house. Hitomi pulled her duffle coat around her shoulders and coughed a couple of times. It was a very cool day, an unusually cool day for April. Almost as if winter had returned the parts and for Hitomi it was not exactly pleasant. She still had the flu and felt cold despite numerous layers of woollens plus her trademark black coat.

'Please' she urged with a hoarse voice. 'I need to see Ami. We have to get ourselves out of this mess'

Rika rolled her eyes. She knew through Yuki and Ryoko what had been happening. 'You chose not to buy my sister a ticket to that concert. That's how all this has come about'

Hitomi sighed dejected as Rika began to close the door. It was made even worse two moments later when Ami's mother pulled into the driveway. Hitomi turned very quickly to Rika
'Ryoko has been lying to you. I never bought her a ticket in the first place, I should know'

Noticeably agitated as Ainoura-san arrived, Rika made a very quick bow to Hitomi of recognition and urged the girl to leave rapidly. Hitomi obeyed immediately, she didn't want more trouble.

Mrs. Ainoura had not noticed Hitomi, thankfully, Rika breathed a sigh of relief as she helped her mother in with shopping bags. She pushed strands of dyed dark blonde hair behind one ear as she heaved the heavy bags from the wooden-floored hallway into the kitchen. As she packed away the shopping she heard a creak on the stairs. Her mother was busy making herself a hot drink. It was a frightfully chilly day for all concerned and a cup of coffee couldn't come quicker for Rika's mother. Grateful for the time it was taking to make the coffee, Rika snatched her long cardigan from the table as she passed and went to investigate the creak.

It was as she had supposed Ami. Still grounded to her room, so when she heard approaching footsteps from the kitchen she turned tail on the stairway and scrambled back up, tripping on her long indigo jeans as she ran. She noticed with a touch of amusement that Ami had fled by the small indigo mark that had been left on the white carpet. Rika smiled then glanced back downstairs for a moment. Her mother would not be too please with that stain. She laughed softly to herself then continued her way up the stairs.

As she pushed open Ami's door she heard the sound of something fall, a human shaped object, and peering round she saw Ami lying on her front on her bed flicking through the pages of the book. Rika shut the door behind herself and watched her sister for a moment.
'Konbanwa onee-san' Ami spoke without looking up.

'Konbanwa Ami-chan' Rika replied. 'You didn't fool me earlier'.
Ami shut her book and sat up. She studied Rika's face intently. 'Was that Hitomi earlier?' she asked animatedly.
Rika tipped her head to once side. Ami was...happy...happy to hear Hitomi cared perhaps. It was something Rika rarely saw her sister and she couldn't lie. 'Yes it was. Mother came home and so she couldn't stay.'
Then Rika leant over and held Ami's hands 'She said Ryoko is lying'
Ami nodded an affirmative to this, a sad expression suddenly came over her face.
'I see.' Rika sat back
'I wouldn't get involved onee-san' Ami interrupted her sister. 'But I just needed to see Hitomi.'
Rika nodded. 'That's ok.'
'Ryoko has been tormenting us. I know you are going to ask me why I didn't tell you. I don't know. Probably because I didn't think it would go this far or I thought I could sort it out myself. Anyway, It has gone far and now Yochino Misaki who wouldn't dream of hurting anyone has been suspended for a theft she did not do. Actually it is claimed she thieved something which was rightfully hers anyway.' Ami explained suddenly. Rika initially felt shock, then fury. Ryoko had lied to her, come to her for comfort and she had been lying and trying to turn everyone she knew against the trio of Ami, Hitomi and Misaki. She couldn't understand why they had been the target of the malice. Ami knew why, she couldn't understand why it had gone to such an extreme. 'Misaki needs friends right now. Hitomi and I need to see her to apologise.'

Ami stood up and Rika responded warmly to her
'Ok I’ll cover for you. But I am going to tell our mother the truth, and Yuki'
'No.' Ami interrupted. She could tell Rika was confused so she quickly explained.
'That girl put us through hell. We are somewhat to blame as it went so far but we got wound in like everyone. Now if it's ok I want to get my revenge by humiliating Ryoko. I don't want Yuki to know just yet. But you can tell mother, just to clear me from being grounded'
'Ok' Rika nodded.

Yochino Misaki curled into as tight a ball as she could muster while attempting to hug an entire plushie collection at once. The TV flicked mindlessly in the darkened room, a TV a million miles away from the dark and sombre world that Misaki now inhabited. She wore a huge jumper, which covered her entire body, her knees were hugged in tight to her chest and her hair was messy and unwashed.

'Amazing' she muttered to herself in barely more than a whisper 'What can happen to a person'. Her thought train was dark, she searched for answers to her predicament. Why her of all people, she never was nasty, she only ever was nice and happy and genki. Her brain noted a rhythm, a steady rhythm somewhere in the background. Her head began to move to this rhythm, knocking itself slowly and solemnly upon the wall. Then the rhythm became broken, less in sync. Her brain became confused and her eyes opened to see the glass of her window tremouring every now and again accompanied by a hitting sound. Then in an instant she realised what it was. Stones. Misaki rushed to her feet and flung open her first floor window.

The stones came from behind a hedge a couple of metres away.
'Ano....?' she asked. One brunette head and one dyed blonde head with the roots showing appeared slowly from being the foliage.
'Ne Misaki-chan' Hitomi whispered 'Can we see you'
'I suppose' Misaki answered.

The two girls quickly ducked out from behind their hedge covering. Each was wearing black thankfully, so their rapid dart from hedge to window went un-noticed.
'Sneaking out?' Misaki grinned. It really livened her spirits to see Hitomi and Ami back together again. She couldn't be depressed forever and everything was going to be all right.

‘Yes’ Hitomi smiled in response. Then she gave Misaki a hug. A proper hug. 'I am so incredibly sorry Misaki-chan' she said beginning to cry.
'No' Misaki replied fighting back tears herself ‘It’s all right! It’s all right!’ she hugged her friend back, then suddenly grabbed hold of Ami and pulled her into the hug. Ami made a little strangled noise but soon shut up, this was important to Misaki.

Ami drew away first 'So what are we going to do?' she wondered taking a seat upon Misaki's bed. She flopped herself backwards landing among the pile of plushies that littered the duvet cover. Misaki reached over to her dressing table and picked up an open packet of strawberry pocky, she offered one to each of her friends. Ami now complete with her sweet decided to munch on the biscuit slowly in deep thought. She felt a sharp dull pain in her lower leg and lifting her eyes she saw Hitomi smiling down at her. 'Wake up' she said 'We'll think of that tomorrow'

Ami frowned as she strained her neck. 'Ok, but please don't hit me in the future to get my attention Hitomi. It hurt!'
'I didn't hit you! It was a tap!' Hitomi protested laughing 'You were away in another world Ami-chan'
'A Plushie World' Misaki grinned brightly and burst into a fit of giggles. Hitomi smiled warmly at this, their Misaki was back. 'Now' she said with a mischievous glint in her eye 'We might as well make this sneaking out worth it. I feel like a nice big ice cream sundae'

Ami rolled her eyes 'Hitomi-chan you can be very odd sometimes'
'Let's go to Shibuya' Hitomi decided interrupting Ami. Now to this Ami could only smile back. She immediately sat up disturbing the pile of plushies, which quickly rolled into the space where she had lain.
'Now THAT makes it worth it' she said.

Hitomi stood nervously in the Principal's office. She cast her eyes around the four blank walls, at the blinds through which watery rays of sunlight filtered, and at the curious bland collection of watercolours that dotted and broke up the even blander magnolia paint. She eyed a pot plant in the corner and began to scrutinise its dark green leaves. It was well tended for, the only starkness of colour in the entire room, yet even that stood in a bland terracotta pot. She moved her head to examine the rest, a grey filing cabinet, one simple teaching certificate, the immaculately arranged but dull brown desk. The chairs, again a dull shade of brown. Black would have been better, a certain sophistication was associated with black but to no avail. It was brown. Brown, grey or cream. Asides from the plant, which, Hitomi noted with a smile, was quite possibly the only living thing in there. It was all so uniform, no expression at all. How could a place so dull strike so much worry she had to wonder.

Her eyes now fell on the man in front of her; he busily read some records, or some documents or something as she waited. After a very painfully long pause he glanced up at her.
'Now Sawanoguchi, you say you are being tormented by...what was her name...'

Hitomi rolled her eyes as he shuffled through even more paper. Administration... she promised herself she would never ever get herself such a dull job. She wouldn't mind being a.... his voice interrupted her thoughts.
'Ah yes a Sakamoto Ryoko. Class 5-C.'
'Yes sir' Hitomi bowed
'Now that is funny' he continued. 'Because she came here only two days ago to lodge a complaint against a girl called Yochino Misaki. That girl has since been suspended from this school on a charge of theft. I am not going to have my pupils stealing things.' the Principal was beginning to lecture. All Hitomi could do was bow and mutter 'yes sir' at random intervals.
'But now you say that Ryoko is the tormenter. What has she been doing?'
'Well sir. It is quite long to explain'
'I'd like to hear it'
'Ok'.

Hitomi began to tell the story of her last couple of weeks. Her subsequent illness, Ami-chan's truancy. The Principal nodded slowly, all these events he had dealt with, they were all linked. He had put Ainoura Ami in detention for truancy, suspended Yochino Misaki for her theft, he noted Hitomi's absences from the registers.

'Well' he sighed deeply. 'It is her word against yours and I am sorry but since you have no proof and you and your three friends have been a little, let's say, Conspicuous recently, I am afraid I believe Sakamoto Ryoko'.
Hitomi wished that there were a wall in front of her right now to bang her head against. To curse Ryoko with all her despairing might. No one would believe her, she thought she had enough power but were the lies that strong? They needed proof.
'Dismissed' he suddenly ordered her. She shook herself from her thoughts and hurriedly bowed. 'Yes sir. Thank you sir'

Even less luck was being had in the classroom. Ami could not convince anyone, they simply believed she was trying to turn them against Ryoko. Unluckily Yurika overheard and was very quick to act accusing Ami of lying to free herself of guilt that it was her pushiness that made Misaki steal. No one listened, no one cared. They may have been friends again as a trio but they were still the accused, but now they were all accused together and branded outcasts.