I Called You Friend
Chapter 6
Written by Michael Mark Maquilan

Menkyu went to bed that night thinking of Valerie, and how cold he had been to her a while ago. He scolded himself for how he should've treated Valerie instead of being "so cool"; he chided himself for not showing enough concern to her in the park infirmary; and he felt guilty for the unaccommodating gestures he showed that day. Menkyu thought of where else he and Valerie could've gone together, and many other things he wanted to show her.

But there was nothing he could do but think. Valerie. he thought, what have I done?

The next thing Menkyu knew, he was lying on a vast, flowery meadow, wearing his favorite shirt, vest, and pants instead of pajamas.

Huh? Where am I..? he thought. This has to be a dream. Looking around, he could see green grass, fluttering leaves, and flowers which danced and swayed in many more colors and varieties than the colors of the rainbow. The sky overhead were an amalgam of gray, orange and yellow, but Menkyu could not identify it with sunrise or sunset.

Menkyu began to feel empty-as if there was a hole in his chest. He felt disoriented-as if time did not exist, or maybe time wasn't moving. Within this lonely plane, he immediately entertained the compulsion to pick a few yellow carnations. He stared at them and sniffed at them and asked himself why he's here, standing in the middle of nowhere, gazing at flowers.

Menkyu spotted a tree on top of a flowery hill. He was drawn towards the new object, wading past the flowers and the grass.

Within the shade of the tree he made out a shadow, who wore a pair of long pants, a short-sleeved blouse, and a headband which glistened like a coin in a deep well. Valerie.

Valerie turned towards Menkyu. "Hey, Menkyu, I've been expecting you." she greeted.

Menkyu eyed the carnations in his hand, then Valerie. He sighed, and began to speak, but Valerie continued, "I-I guess this is it, Menkyu. It's about time for me to go. There is something that I must do. It may be dangerous, but I must do it alone. I... I'm saying goodbye to you now, because I realized that I may not return."

Menkyu thought the carnations in his hand were wilting.

"I thank you, the snake-er what's his name again?-, and Lord Racchi, and Poch, and you, for welcoming me as a friend. But you know, Menkyu, I really appreciate the way you showed me around, and hey, what else?" Valerie crossed her arms. "You pushed me into the waters and gave me a few more clothes to dry, and you were cold to me a while ago, but I-I don't mind. I always thought that... oh, I think I've said too much. Goodbye, Menkyu... I hope to see you again. I hope..."

Valerie smiled before she turned away and disappeared into the shadow behind the tree.

A whistling breeze blew past Menkyu as he tried to grasp what Valerie had said.

Menkyu closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was back in his house, his room, his bed, his blanket; and the sun was radiating shafts of morning light through open windows.

Menkyu lifted his blanket off him and sat on the bedside. He sighed. Of course this is really the way it goes: friendships come and go. It's always been like this...

Sure, Menkyu had "friends" in grade school, but none of them ever bothered with him after he moved to his new school. In Junior High, he met a few boys and some cute girls of his kind, but they all forgot about him when he dropped out in third year when his folks died and he can't pay tuition. And when Menkyu struggled to get a job, he couldn't because of his er, inability to concentrate on arduous tasks. So what could he do? His opportunity came when Queen Aura announced the race to determine who will become part of the Twelve Warriors. Menkyu trained hard for that day, and poured all his heart into the race, in an attempt to get a job. He got the "job", and the benefits (including the monthly stipend of crystal) associated with it. Even then, he still had no friends, no one, even among the other eleven race winners. Menkyu played practical jokes and learned to act cool to mask his sorrow. Now he feels reminded of this sorrow...

Valerie... another friendship which came and went...

In this universe, in any universe, it must be difficult to make friends, let alone keep them...

"Why me..?" Menkyu clutched his head. "Why?"

A gust of wind ruffled Menkyu's hair.

"Valerie?" Menkyu turned to the window beside his bed.

He stood up and walked towards the window. He looked outside. He saw the rustling leaves, the vast meadows, the forest and the mountain range in the distance, but Valerie wasn't there.

"Valerie..."

* * *

Once Menkyu got dressed, he climbed down the ladder from his tree house to the ground. He slowly got off, making sure the one of his shoes touched the soil before doing so.

Poch was waiting for him. "I see you did not jump from your house today." he said, crossing his arms. "Something must be bothering you."

"Nothing." Menkyu said, shaking his head.

"You hair is well-combed today. What's the matter, really?"

"I said nothing!" Menkyu said, clenching both his fists.

"Well then, I still have work to do. Do as you wish today." Poch said.

As Poch was about to walk towards his smithy, Menkyu stopped him with a hand on the shoulder. "Wait up, bro. I hate to admit it, but I do have a problem."