You Will Always be Our Little Girl

☆ nine ☆

Mabel's POV

-a week later-

I sit in my normal spot, row four, farthest left. I was the first one. Usually Arisu would hang out here with her friends for a while before class started. This was new.

After about a minute or so, Arisu walks in alone. I try to focus on ANYTHING else.

"Hey, you." She stand in between row one and two of seats, "me..?"

"You're the girl that Mason was friends with, right?" I look down again, "uhm...Uenagi?"

"There's only one Mason in this school-"

"O-Oh! Uhm...yeah." She sits in the closest seat she was to, "I don't think either of you remember.."

"What?" I paused my music, "I went to middle school with both of you. I used to have this small child crush on him for a long time, but then rumors started to spread that you guys were together, so I convinced myself to stop."

"I have a question, Sawamura." I wasn't used of my last name at all. I feel like my dad...great.

"What did you say to Mason?"

"W-What do you mean?" She shrugs, "it might just be me, but you guys used to be best friends, but now you two can't even look at each other." She chuckles, "Mason said you guys just stopped being friends, but Emiko says otherwise."

"What do you mean?" Arisu sighs, "Emiko tells him things that never seem right in the moment of things. Recently, they've become close friends and she practically knows everything about him. He's a shy thing, but he's more popular than you may think. Anyway, he doesn't like to talk unless Emiko is there. So I want to know what you said? Because what I know, is you said something." People were starting to come in, "uhm...it's nothing.." she raises an eyebrow, "you know, Mabel. You're genuinely a good person- but what did you do?"

"I...I said that nobody cared about him...and that the reason he doesn't have friends is because he's a loser and what not..."

"Wow, you actually told me."

"I-It feels nice to talk about it..." she shrugs as a group of her friends walk in, "you're a cool lady, Mabel. I'm sure whatever Mason is mad about, he'll give it up sooner or later."

"He isn't mad..." I sigh, "he's just...understanding that if we talk, it's going to be awkward...and maybe our friendship will never rebuild up again.." I feel my eyes well up, but she laughs.

Yep. SHE LAUGHS!

"S-Sorry! I just find that hard to believe." She laughs more, "you're really funny, Mae." My eyes widen at the nickname in surprise, "look, Mabel- woo!" She laughs more, "I-it isnt that funny..." I say shyly. We were starting to get everyone's attention, "sorry! But in all seriousness-" she sits up straight and acts like she wasn't laughing maniacally for the last two minutes, "who cares if it's awkward? Of course it's going to be awkward. And don't worry about the second part-" she tries not to laugh, "I'm sure that's impossible."

"Right..." I smile lightly, "thanks."

"Eh...no problem. That was a good laugh." She wipes her face, "now, I'm going to my spot. Smell you later."

- - -

"Psst-" I look up from my paper and look at her door to see Emiko and Mason, "is there something you want?" The theater director asks, "Sorry, Sir. We have an itsy bitsy problem with someone's camera in photography class and we need Arisu to help fix it." Mason stands by Emiko awkwardly, "what's the issue?" Arisu asks from the back, "no shouting, people are still finishing their tests." The professor says, "can we please take her for a moment, sir?" Mason asks and I just look down back at my half finished paper.

"Fine. Arisu, are you done with your test?" She nods, "yes, sir."

They leave the classroom, whispering to each other and I caught one final glance at Mason. He had a small smile on his face as the two girls talked.

"Back to your tests, students." I put my headphone back in my ear and go back to the test.

Mason's POV

I grab my stuff from my locker and shut it, "Masieee!" Emiko shouts, jumping on my back, receiving a few stares, "I told you not to call me that." I nudge her shoulder as we walked out of school, "yeah, well, I like it and nobody else calls you that." She shrugs and I shake my head, chuckling, "ooo!" I look over at her, crouching and picking something up, "look Mason!" She picks up what she's looking at, holding up a caterpillar, "Em, you do realize you just took it away from it's supper, right?"

"Oh no! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She pleads, putting it back, "eat up, little guy." I chuckle at her kindness to an animal, "I hope that leaf is fulfilling."

"You're such an idiot." I glance over at her, she was messing with her shirt button, "you know, Em, you only act like an idiot in front of me and you've only known me for a week"

"Eh, I trust you, Mason. You're-"

"Daiki! Let go of me! I-I'm going home!" I hear the familiar voice and my instinct was just to find her and get her home, "just a second.." I tell Emiko as I follow the cries.

"You really are useless, Mabel, you've been avoiding our group all day."

"I-I'm not having a good day, stop i-"

"Hey, it's the douche again!" Emiko shouts, which gets Daiki's attention. I grab Mabel's wrist quickly. She looks at me, scared out of her mind, "Mason-"

"We're taking you home today."

"You can't just-" Daiki starts before Emiko laughs, "you act like you own the poor girl. She can go home if she wants to." He grabs onto Mabel's wrist quickly. Mabel moves closer to me as she cries, trying to push him off, "let go of her, Daiki." I say calmly, but he just laughs, "seriously? You're not going to use the 'I'm grounded' excuse again, are you, babe?"

"I'm actually grounded, Daiki, stop!"

"Uh, I'm getting tired of this." Emiko kicks the back of Daiki's leg with her heel, buckling his knee, "run!" Emiko says as we run onto a busy street. I let go of Mabel's wrist and try to catch my breath.

"Why do guys have to be such douche's nowadays? You okay?" Emiko stretches as she asks Mabel, who just replies with a nod, "let's just get going.." I sigh as I walk quicker ahead, "yes, sir, sir, ma'am!" Emiko laughs as she skips to my speed.

"I don't need you to protect me" my ass.

- - - end of chapter - - -

ooooooo

song: roadtrip - dream

word count: 1140

finished: March 19, 2021 at 11:30 am.

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-oliver (it/its)