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 9

Misaki, robbed of all her genkiness arrived home very uncharacteristically sombre. She didn't think Ryoko was that mean. She herself couldn't wish ill onto anyone but as Ryoko's hand had contacted with her face, apart from the shock all she could think of was the stupidity of the growing arguement and how she wished Ami had sorted it all out in the initial playground confrontation. Actually, she reconsidered, she blamed herself. If she hadn't been running, or had at least looked...

Misaki unlocked her front door from inside came the scent of hot noodles with a soy sauce and the sound of the television. For a moment she fekt comforted, the security of her house. Misaki's mother poked her head round the door from the kitchen.
'Okaerinasai Misaki'
'Konbanwa okaa-san' she replied chirpily with a wave.
'What's that?' she pointed at the kitchen
'To eat?' her mother asked. She smiled at her daughter 'Kimi wa harahetta ne?'
'Hai' Misaki nodded
'I see. Yakisoba noodles' Yochino-san smiled. Misaki's eyes widened in repsonse.
'Arigatou gozaimasu okaasan'
The meal was soon served up and Misaki gazed at the plate with a gleeful expression on her face.
'ITADAKIMASU' she announced and then tucked in.
'You are hungry tonight Misaki' her father commented.
'Hai otou-san' Misaki nodded between mouthfuls.
'Good day with Rei-chan?' he asked
Misaki's face fell slightly but she tried her best to smile a quick 'yes' to her father. After that she remained strangely silent and finished her meal rapidly.
'Gochiosamadeshita' she thanked her mother then excused herself from the table and after a little deliberation chose to immerse herself in a video in her room.

Slightly across town, Hitomi had just finished her own meal when the phone rung. With a glum face as she answered, Hitomi trudged up to her room for privacy.
'I suppose you heard' the other voice said.
'What are you doing to Misaki. It's so cruel. Why on earth would I get you a ticket for L'Arc~en~Ciel over Ami!' Hitomi responded angrily. At the other end of the phone Ryoko smiled.
'I haven't exactly been having the best time either Hitomi-chan. My face still aches. Rei is strong.'
'You are lying' Hitomi replied
'No i am not' Ryoko retorted. 'Do you even know Rei'
Hitomi sighed. 'My sister does. She says she is quite feisty but it's still not fair!'
'Why don't you just get me a ticket' Ryoko asked.
Hitomi ignored her. 'You're not at home are you?'
'No i'm not.' Ryoko replied 'I don't want to be'
'Afraid of seeing Yuki?' Hitomi bit back.
'Actually yes. I'm afraid of what he may do if he sees my face. It IS still quite red'
'Ryoko are you actually being serious' Hitomi asked quietly.
Ryoko interrupted her 'I'll admit, the thing about the tickets is crap, I'm trying to get something out of my pain. She hit me because Misaki was trying to stand up over our arguement at school'
Hitomi was shocked into silence. Ryoko was manipulative yes but could there be some truth. Could there? Misaki was loyal, Rei was well... No it couldn't be.
'Yochino isn't like that!' Hitomi suddenly yelled.
'She is' Ryoko replied simply and hung up.

Megumi had once again inadvertantly listened in. On the way to her room she heard Hitomi yell and was filled immediately with a deep sense of frustration in addition to the shock. Even their mother downstairs took fright at the emotion her daughter was displaying. After a moments hesitation, Megumi knocked once and pushed the door open. Hitomi sat inert and crosslegged upon her bed watching out of the window.
'Doushita' Megumi asked quietly.
'Go away' her sister ordered
'It was Ryoko wasn't it. About Misaki-chan'
'I said go away!'
'This is what has been bothering you. Maybe i can help, please tell me onee-chan. It's good to tell, then it won't be so secretive'
'Shut up'
'You're really upset. It's about your tickets isn't it'
'Megumi, shut up and go away!'
Hitomi's voice had been getting progressively sterner and now began to rise in volume.
'You're wondering whether Ryoko is right too' Megumi continued unfazed.
'Megumi!' Hitomi yelled.
Megumi lifted her eyes to meet with Hitomi's. Her sister was yelling, Megumi therefore knew to stop but she regarded Hitomi coolly.
'Fine then. But if you are going to be so secretive and cagey then i have no real reason to believe you in this. Not that i want involvement really but if you don't tell i can hardly support you and i'm rather affected by your defensiveness.'
'Get out and stop showing off your intelligence' Hitomi really snapped.
Megumi was hurt. She instantly bolted from Hitomi's room and back down the stairs. This was so unlike Hitomi, Megumi couldn't help thinking as she forced back tears, and something inside of her really wanted to know the truth between Hitomi, Ryoko and Misaki.

The following week at school was an equal amount of hell. Despite little being said about the actual tickets, Ryoko had ensured that the incident at the arcade spread rapidly and all three girls were attacked to varying degrees. Ami was attacked for her arguement the previous Friday, Hitomi for being mean to one of her 'closest friends' and Misaki for Rei's supposed 'attack'.

'After all you've done to Ryoko' Yuri yelled one lunchtime 'Don't you think she deserves some gratitude and the two of you (this two being Ami and Misaki) should lay off trying to get that ticket'
Hitomi spent her week despairing and growing quite ill with the stress. She wished she had never even announced her purchase, then again all three girls had their own individual regrets. Throughout the week they were isolated and shouted at, especially Misaki. Hitomi had actually believed Ryoko and began to ignore Misaki. She ignored Ami too and bit back fiercely if either approached her. Misaki couldn't understand, her popularity fell and she began to notice her things going missing. Nor did it help that Ami, her rock of sullen support spent the first four days truant then on Friday landed herself in detention.
'This is no good enough Ainoura Ami' Aikawa-sensei reprimanded the moody blonde when she finally turned up on Friday morning. Ami scowled in response
'So what have you done with your time eh?' her teacher continued to talk.
'Shopping in Shibuya? Or maybe even the Ginza district. Or just the harbour and the Rainbow bridge.?'
Ami did not answer. She cast her eyes down to the floor.
'Well?' the teacher waited 'I actually want to know so i can decide your punishment'
'What does it matter. I'm going to get suspended anyway' Ami frowned
Aikawa-sensei sighed and rolled her eyes. She picked up the phone and carefully began to press in some numbers.
'I'm putting you on detention every evening, 4pm till the time i leave for the duration of next week. As for now i'm sending you home for rest of the day. Truancy on Monday WILL result in suspension. Oh moshi moshi'
Aikawa turned her attention to the phone, to Rika, and proceeded to tell Rika about the truancy as Ami felt herself sliding into more and more moody despair.

Rika was shocked and tried to get her sister to open up again on the drive home but to no avail. It made Rika incredibly angry inside, something she was often not and she tried to piece together the last week or so in her mind. It was this Ryoko business for sure. It had to be. Ami meanwhile was grounded by her furious parents. They were humiliated by the event and kept Ami well within her room for the night.
'It's that damn Sawanoguchi Hitomi and her influence. We knew she was bad. We hear she smokes, at her age! It's illegal and we do not want you to be friends with law-breakers. Oh and you're not going to see your Laraki (*Laruku* Ami corrected) band either!'
The door slammed shut in Ami's face and she had to use all her strength to suppress her tears. She stared melancholy at the distant Tokyo, all neon lights as day became night. Ami grabbed her mobile phone and quickly pressed a speed-dial number.
'Moshi moshi'
'Hitomi-chan!'
The line went dead. Ami tried again
'Moshi moshi'
'Hitomi-chan. Onegai-shimasu listen to...'
Again the line went dead. One last try
'Nanika Ami'
Ami sighed in relief. Hitomi was severely pissed off but at least she was talking. Ami opened her mouth to speak but Hitomi, suddenly deciding to be lively, beat her to it.
'What have you been doing all week. Playing truant? Look what you've done to yourself and everyone blames it on me'
Hitomi's voice was harsh, uncaring and above all sounded as if she really hated Ami.
'It's been a hard week for us all. I don't like it anymore than you do' Ami tried to explain.
'What about Misaki?' Hitomi bit back
'What about her. I don't care anything about her. She and that stupid Tange Rei got us into this mess' Ami returned viciously.
'I know. If that hadn't have happened this wouldn't be so bad. It's been blown all out of proportion.' Hitomi agreed, she still sounded scathing though.
'Well at least we agree on something' Ami replied
'Hmmm... Well this is as much your fault. If you only want to call to bitch about Misaki you'd be better off bitching to someone else. I don't care Ami. Goodbye'

Ami stared in shock at her phone as Hitomi hung up. They had really argued, they had never argued before. There was a knock at her door.
'Yes?'
Ami's mother walked in and stared down at her daughter stony-faced.
'Who were you talking to?'
Ami shrugged in response.
'Sawanoguchi Hitomi' her mother nodded angrily. 'Well i'll take that and you're grounded to your room now for the next week.' Ainoura-san confiscated Ami's phone and slammed the door shut.

Ainoura Ami felt her eyes slowly mist over with water, then the solemn hot/cold sensation as tears dripped achingly down pale cheeks. She was shocked. Shocked and scared that her life had changed almost out of recognition in just one week.