Connect

33: Quite the Distraction

I left the house early the next morning and got to Neru's locker about half an hour before school started. All the girls were there. Well, except for Miku.

"Gumi!" Teto called out to me and I nodded.

"Gumi, you're late," Neru said.

"Well, you never told me when to show up. You just said to be here early."

"Well, anyways..." Neru showed her phone to me. Her calendar was open.

"What am I looking for?" I asked.

"Miku's birthday!" Luka hissed. She startled me. "How could you forget?"

"Well, I..." I scratched my head. "I don't know...you know I'm no good with birthdays."

"Aww! We're here for you, Gumi!" Teto grabbed my arm and grinned. I patted her head.

"Anyways, we need to plan something," Neru said. "It's less than a month away."

"It's on a Monday, too," Luka said.

"I have tuition on Mondays," I said. "What if we planned something over the weekend? Like, before her birthday?"

"Hey, ladies," Len showed up, seemingly out of nowhere, leaning against a locker. Luka screamed, but I don't really know why.

"What are you doing here?" Neru asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Len grinned.

"No, what she means is, if you're here, then...Miku must be here."

"Oh? Yeah, I dropped her off at her class," Len said. He looked at me. "What's going on here?"

"D-Did you hear what we were talking about?" This was Teto.

Len furrowed his brow. "Something about planning something?"

"I think we should tell him," I said. "It'd be easier to coordinate that way, don't you think?"

"Hmm..." Neru thought about it, examining her fingernails as she did.

"Does it have to do with Miku's big d..."

"Shush!" Luka snapped. Len shushed.

"Yeah," I said. Teto nodded, still holding onto my arm. I think she loved it or something.

"Well..." Len ran his fingers through his hair. "What are you guys thinking of doing?"

"It's on a Monday," Neru said.

"I can't do Mondays," I said. "Not until six or something, at least."

"Intensive tutoring, eh?" Len looked up at the ceiling.

"And besides, you probably want to go out with her on her actual birthday," I said.

"But I want you to be there," Len was almost whining.

"But...it'd be a date!" I said.

"Miku would want you there, too."

Neru cleared her throat, very loudly. "Anyways...we're thinking about the weekend," Neru said.

"Ooh, can we all go out?" Teto's eyes sparkled. "Huh, Neru? Like, to a fancy restaurant! We could blindfold her and...and..."

"What, we'd take the bus?" Luka wrinkled her nose.

"No...well, Gumi's mom could drive us!" Teto said. "My mom's horrible with directions..."

"I don't know if my mom can," I said.

"Hey, you guys should hire Gakupo," Len snickered. "You know, to be your chauffeur."

"Hmm," Neru glanced at her phone. "We can figure out the details later, I guess. There's not much time till class starts."