Be prepared for some major reading. We're going to take a trip into someone's brain... Just a small note: ~0~ delimits flashbacks, and ~~~ delimits scenes. OK? OK. Carry on...

Six

Step One: Use the argument at the dojo as an excuse to "show him". And while you're at it, ignore him.

"From the start, I knew it wasn't going to be easy. Implementing Step One when he was sitting right behind me was NOT something I wanted to do forever. Especially since his friends were my friends. Most especially since he had never been one to give up."

Step Two: Keep ignoring him until he gets frustrated and ignores you back.

"It was safe to expect that he was going to try different tactics to get me to talk to him; although, I couldn't imagine why he wanted that. We ALWAYS end up fighting whenever one of us spoke a word ---any word--- to each other, anyways. Did he prefer that? I know I didn't.

"So, he goes back to being super nice, right? Well, that made things even harder. I would just hate myself every time I ignored him when he simply did not deserve it. But it had to be done.

"What he did next... Well, let me just say, I seriously wondered if he was possessed by Takashi. It took all my willpower not to Glare at him. Doing that would just ruin everything.

"After a few weeks, he finally pretended as if I didn't exist. He finally gave up, I guess..."

Thunder rumbled in the distance as the rain poured outside. The wind blew constantly, mercilessly whipping leaves at the closed window. As for Midori, she sat inside her room, staring at the brush in her hands. She took a deep breath, her eyes drifting to the framed picture nearby. It was one of her with her parents, taken when she was 11. That was just three years ago, but Midori felt ages had passed since then.

Three years ago she was smiling.

Three years ago her mom was glowing.

Three years ago her dad had his arm around her mom.

Three years ago her dad was there.

And when he wasn't, Rei was there.

Now, her world was falling apart.

She was falling apart.

"But that was your plan, wasn't it? Everything went as you had wanted it. You wanted him to disappear from your life,and now he has."

Midori bit her lip as a very familiar feeling tugged at her heart. Regret. Ever since the dance in sixth grade, she had made one decision after another. And she regretted more than half of them. And now, she was buried in wrong decisions, she just knew there was no way she can break to the surface again. Even as she kept telling herself that her plan was for the best, she just wanted to take it all back.

"Oh, so NOW you regret your perfect three-step plan, huh? You have to be the most fickle-minded girl I know. Well, OK, maybe Yuko was, too... But at least she was like that over something as shallow as her crushes. At least Yuko made up her mind and stuck to it when it mattered. If I remember correctly, you weren't like this before... Before, you had strong character. You were a girl whose word was as strong as oak. You were praised for being rational for your age. You were...You were NOT what you are now."

Midori put the brush down and put her head in her hands, leaning her elbows on her dresser.

"Yes, Yukibana Midori has gone crazy. She is now having heart-to-heart talks with her reflection."

Her shoulders slumped in defeat, feeling a heavy weight upon them. The tear that escaped her eye went unnoticed, and slid down her cheek silently.

If only things were back to the way they were...

Midori suddenly jumped at the sound of the cordless phone beside her. For a minute, she just stared at it. After a few more rings, she cleared her throat, and picked it up.

"Hello?"

Silence.

"Hello?" she repeated.

"Midori?" came a voice.

Midori didn't have to ask who the caller was. She cleared her throat again before speaking.

"Yeah, Aiko. What's up?" she asked, masking her voice with a smile.

"Are you OK?"

"Huh? Yeah, I am, why wouldn't I be?"

"You just... sound a bit odd..."

Darn. Why does Aiko have to be a telepath?

"Really? I'm fine."

"Oh...Well, in that case, can you come tomorrow?"

Midori stood up and walked over to the window.

"No."

"Eh? You promised you were going to come at least once, remember?"

"I know. I already did."

"Yes, but you promised after you went."

"Why don't you guys just go by yourselves, Ai-chan?"

"You saw him when you went with us, didn't you?" Aiko asked, speaking slowly, as if to a child. "He was depressed."

"I know..." Midori murmured involuntarily.

It seemed so long ago, but she remembered that day clearly....

~0~

"OK, guys, I'm outta here."

Kamui smirked. "Aren't you going to stay and gaze at Matsuyama--- OW!!!"

Midori winced as Kamui squirmed in his seat, apparently holding his foot (which, thanks to Aiko, was throbbing) below the table.

"See you, Mi-chan," Aiko said cheerfully, as if nothing happened.

Midori tried her best to smile, then patted Kamui's back.

"See you around."

Just as she stood up, a cellphone rang from the other booth. Midori glanced towards it as she fixed her bag, and saw Osamu press the answer button on his phone.

"Hello?" he said. "Yes, this is--- What? Yes, he's here... OK..." With a bewildered face, he passed the phone to Tokiya. "I think it's your Mom. She sounds real worried about something."

His face still stoic as usual, Tokiya took the phone. "Yeah? Yeah, Mom, what's----"

Midori blinked when Tokiya's cool demeanor suddenly fell. "Who?...I'm at The Spazio, the cafe near Kobayakawa... Wait, Mom, calm down--- Mom? Hello?"

"What's wrong?" Aoi asked the black-haired boy. Tokiya pressed the end button silently.

"Oei, Yokaze..." Osamu tried when Tokiya handed the phone back to him.

"It's..." Tokiya started as he stood up in a daze. "He had an accident..."

"Who?"

"My brother..." said Tokiya, almost whispering.

"Your brother?" Osamu echoed in concern. "Which one?"

"I don't know," the 16-year-old Yokaze answered, getting his bag. "The line was cut and---"

Tokiya didn't get to finish the sentence when the siren of a rapidly approaching ambulance filled the air. A few seconds later, the ambulance screeched to a stop outside The Spazio. Midori's heart pounded in her rib cage. For some reason she was suddenly terrified. If that was so, she couldn't imagine what Tokiya might be feeling right now.

When the door opened, Midori thought she was going to faint.

Kano, who looked like he had been crying a long time, came running out and into the cafe, only to be intercepted by a very worried Tokiya. He carried his youngest brother back into the ambulance, and then they were gone.

~0~

"Midori? Still there?"

"Yeah..." she answered."That was already months ago. Is he still that depressed?"

"No, he's gotten a LOT better, but he still needs all the friends he has to give him support."

"I don't see how I can give him support."

"Rei just needs you there, Mi---"

"Look, Ai-chan," Midori interrupted, blowing her stubborn bangs from her eyes. "You're right. What he needs right now is his friends. I'm not one of them. Believe me, I'll only make things worse."

"You know, it'd be SO much better for everyone if you fix whatever went wrong between you guys, Midori."

Midori flopped on her bed, and, for the hundredth time, sighed. "Easier said than done, Aiko."

"No one said it was easy. You don't think NOT speaking to him will solve your problems, do you? You're just making it hard on yourself, and to Rei."

"The end justifies the means."

"Don't spout Machiavellian on me. Why can't you just talk to him?"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm scared."

There was an abrupt silence as Midori suddenly bit her lip. Did she just say that out loud?

"Scared? Of what? Of Rei?"

"Yes--- I mean, no. I mean....Sort of, but no." Midori paused, trying to organize her thoughts.

"What has been holding you back, Midori?"

"I'm just scared to find out that I've wasted too much time..." Midori answered without thinking. She stared at the ceiling, waiting for Aiko's response.

"Well," Aiko said after a few moments. "I don't understand you entirely. But I do know one thing: If you don't fix things now, you're going to waste a whole lot more time."

Midori just closed her eyes.

"Midori?"

"Good night, Ai-chan."

Midori turned the phone off without waiting for Aiko's answer. Heaving another sigh, she turned to her side and just listened to the sound of the raindrops on the roof.

The whole experience of finding out about Rei's accident was surreal. Wasn't it less than an hour before that they were sharing the booth? Wasn't it less than an hour before that he had been joking around with Aiko? Wasn't it just that afternoon that Ayanami-sempai said that Rei was going to fly? And then suddenly, they find out that his leg had been broken, and that he had also fractured his neck. His neck!

After a few days, Aiko finally succeeded in dragging Midori to go with them to the hospital. When Midori got there, she wished she didn't go at all. Rei had a cast around his neck and around his leg, and he looked thin and pale. And depressed. She saw him try to smile at them, but his eyes had no light. She didn't know how she did it, but she was able to stay in the room for more than an hour as the rest of the Group chatted with him. Occassionally, one of the Group would turn to her for confirmation about a comment, and she would just smile and nod. She didn't even dare to open her mouth, fearing her voice would fail her.

She had acted so mechanically, she didn't even know how she got home that day. But the moment she closed the door of her room, she collapsed onto it and cried long and hard.

And now, five months have passed. The Interschool was obviously over (which is one of the main reasons why Rei had been depressed), and school was out. During the past months, the Group (except Midori) had taken turns to help Rei study. Mainly it was to keep his mind on different things, but also so that he won't have to repeat the freshman year.

According to Aiko, Kano and Tokiya have both gotten over blaming themselves for what happened. Kano for making Rei climb the tree at all, and Tokiya for indirectly making Rei walk out of The Spazio. It had taken a gazillion "It's not your fault" speeches from Rei, but he finally convinced his two brothers not to blame themselves.

"You have to be the most fickle-minded girl I know."

Midori curled into a tight ball. More than anything, she just wanted to call Aiko and go with them. More than anything, she just wanted to see that Rei was indeed recovering.

But, at the same time, she did NOT want to see him. The last time was bad enough. His blue eyes had looked so lifeless.

At first she didn't understand why she cried that day. What she did know was that the moment she saw him in his hospital bed, she felt all her blood drain from her face, her chest tighten, and her eyes sting. All she wanted to do was hug him.

At first she didn't understand. But now she knew.

Although their friendship lasted for barely three months in sixth grade, Rei had managed to make her care for him. Whether or not there had been a bet, she still did. She never could erase Rei from her life, no matter how hard she tried.

The problem was, Midori realized, she was this close to erasing herself from his.

Step Three: Sit back and watch as he moves on with his life without you.

~~~

"Midori, explain this to me again," Aiko said, following Midori out of the house. "How is it that you never told me about this trip?"

"Because there never WAS a trip until last night," Midori said, dumping her huge bag into the trunk of their car.

"Last night? But we were talking on the phone last night. Why didn't you---"

"No, that was the other night, Aiko."

"Oh...Right. But what about summer training camp?"

"What about summer training camp? It's not like you guys can't run without me."

"Yes, but if you're going to be next year's manager..."

"I am NOT going to be next year's manager, OK, Ai-chan?"

"Ayanami-sempai seems to think otherwise."

"Well, she's going to have to choose somebody else. Or they can choose to make me the manager even if I don't go."

When Aiko shook her head, Midori sighed. "Look...Aside from the fact that Mom wants to go far away for a while, and she's my mom, meaning she's my priority... I really really really need to go on this trip, OK? I need to piece my brain back together."

Aiko smirked. "Well, if you put it that way, I absolutely agree with you."

"So...you'll explain for me, right?"

After a moment, Aiko nodded. "Fine. I'll cover for you."

"Thanks, Ai-chan. You're too awesome."

"So..." the grey-eyed girl started again. "Ask the question you've been dying to ask ever since you saw me today."

"What?"

Aiko grinned. "Just, ask."

Midori blinked, then looked away, biting her lip.

"Aww, come on, Mi-chan, ask away!"

"OK, fine," Midori finally relented, fiddling with her fingers. "How's he doing?"

"Geez, Midori. 'He' has a name, you know. And it's actually a nice one."

Midori rolled her eyes. "OK, fine... How's Rei doing?"

Aiko smirked, then returned to the matter at hand. "As usual, he's pretending to be really OK... I mean, he HAS gotten better, but, we think he still...Well, you know..."

Midori nodded. "Running had always been his passion... "

"If only he fell off after the Interschool, it would've been a whole lot easier on him." Aiko paused, looking at Midori meaningfully. "A visit from someone I know can also help big time."

Midori shook her head and closed the trunk. "We've been over this, Ai-chan. Don't make me repeat myself. It's bad for my health."

"Sure, whatever you say."

"But he'll be OK, right?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely. He can walk across the room now!" Aiko said cheerfully. "Still a bit slower than normal, but he's getting there."

"That's good... So can he go back to training by the time school starts?"

"Rei hasn't planned out everything yet," Aiko added with a laugh. "He says, and I quote, he'll 'take it one step at a time'. Pun fully intended."

Midori just laughed. Well, that was a sign that he wasn't as depressed as before.

"Ready, hon?" asked Yukibana Atsuko as she locked their front door.

"Yeah, mom, just a sec..."

"Oh, sorry for the short notice, by the way, Aiko-chan..."

"It's quite all right, Yukibana-san. Enjoy your trip!"

Atsuko nodded, then went in the driver's seat.

"Well, this is it, huh?" Midori said. "See you in three weeks?"

"Yeah. If you need someone to talk to, call me, OK? Don't handle your problems alone."

The girls hugged each other, then Midori went to her side of the car. She opened the door, then paused.

"Nee, Ai-chan..." she said slowly.

"Yeah?"

Midori hesitated again, but then she smiled.

"Can you do me a favor?"

~~~

Rei scratched his head. School was frustrating enough, but having to study when everyone else was having fun was even worse. With a determined huff, he narrowed his eyes and concentrated on his work.

"Oei," came a voice from the doorway. "Don't kill yourself over that, you hear? You've got all summer to finish your schoolwork."

Rei smirked. "Thanks, Toriyama, but I'd rather finish everything as soon as possible so I can lie around and watch TV without worry."

"Yeah, right, as if you'd do that," Kamui replied, then tossed him a sealed envelope. "Here."

Rei caught the envelope and stared at the somewhat familiar handwriting in green ink. "Who's it from?"

Kamui just shrugged. "Found it on my doorstep. My envelope said 'Kamui' on it, but when I opened it, out came that one with your name."

"Hmm...."

"Well, that's all I came for," Kamui said, glancing at his watch. "I'm meeting Sara in a few minutes. Want me to get you anything on the way back?"

"Nah, I'm good. If I do want anything, I can always get Tokiya to buy something for me," Rei said with a mischeivous grin.

Kamui laughed. "Make the most out of that, but don't push your luck, buddy. We don't know what'll happen when you're back on your feet."

"Oooh, I'm really scared," Rei said with a mock shiver.

"See ya, buddy," Kamui finally said with a wave.

When Kamui had left, Rei flipped the envelope over in his hands. With a shrug, he tore it open and took out the small piece of green paper inside. Green paper and green pen ink. Rei swallowed, staring at the folded paper in his hands. There was only one person he knew who absolutely loved green. But he didn't dare hope. Taking a deep breath, he unfolded the piece of paper, and read. He blinked and read it again. And again and again. After a few moments, he put it away and continued his work with a smile.

"Hi. Don't drown yourself in your studies. I don't want to see you wearing glasses when I come back, got it? Besides, that's your older brother's job, not yours. Your job is to hurry up and get your butt out of bed so you can run again. Get well soon, all right? I'm getting tired of both Ayanami and Seta saying that Kobayakawa might not win next year in Interschool with both him and you gone.

From the Author:
Wahahaha! Midori the fickle-minded finally comes to her senses! Does this mean it's the end of the Rei-Midori cold war?

Sorry for the delay, I couldn't go online (again) for some reason.

Thanks so much for my new reviewers: Algaira, Alpacien, Cursed Lone Wolf, SilverDragon, and...the other two who didn't write their names...(>. and LOL) Hehe. Writing Ribbon is a good decision, after all, isn't it? ^_____^ I'm so glad you guys like it!

Alpacien: Which friend were you asking about? Ehe...

To those who asked me not to hurt Rei: Yeah, sorry, but... he DID get hurt. But at least he's gotten better, right? I was supposed to write the whole visitng issue as another chapter, but it sucked. It got too angsty. I think Rei had had just about enough of getting upset and depressed, don't you think? Too much of this and he can lose his sense of humor (which. of course, we don't want).

To those who asked me not to kill Rei: Hmmm... *evil grin* Killing the main guy... THAT's an interesting idea... Hehehe. Don't worry, I still haven't decided if I will give him any more life-threatening experiences. O~hohoho! I can be so evil^^

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