Even Now

Even Now - Chapter 1 "Friends"

Chapter 1 -Orihime-

"Friends"

It was the first week of summer. The sky today was so blue with only a few clouds hanging on it. I never really hated summer, it was just because this year's summer was different. This summer everything felt wrong. Actually nothing had changed this summer, not much—but still some things changed.

I took a deep breath, lately I often had felt like it was too hard to breath, and that wasn't because of my health condition. It wasn't physical. Besides, I just felt this way when I was with my best friends.

It was after classes, when me and my friends sat down on the grass, in a park, behind the faculty building. We had been there for almost two hours talking about our plans for this year's summer vacation. Every year we would always spent our summer vacations together. It had been our annual activity since we were in grade six.

I rested my back on the tree trunk,the one that protect us from the cruel summer sun. As usual in summer, it was almost six but the sun didn't tire yet, it still tried to kill us with its heat.

I watched my two friends debating with passion about our destination for this years vacation. Both of them were already so excited to go somewhere for vacation. I just smiled bitterly; honestly I didn't really want to go. I couldn't tell them of course, I did not want to ruin everything they'd been planning.

"I've told you…. We're go to the beach!" said the raven haired girl. She had a small body, smaller than me, but somehow she could speak louder than any ordinary girl. Not to mention that she was strong—the second strongest girl in the university. She was really pretty, it's just she could be really violent sometime. "Summer means beach!"

The tall guy who sat in front of her crossed his arms. He shook his head violently, "Nope. Last year we went to the beach. This year we'll go to the mountain. I wanna go to the mountain!" the red haired man was usually not the type who would debate her, but this time he looked so determined.

"Renji… You suck!"

"W-What?" he protested, "Oi, Rukia, that's not the way for a lady speak, wait 'til your brother hear that!"

"I don't care," Rukia said hardheadedly, "We're still going to the beach!"

"No way.. this year we're going to the mountain!" Renji did not want to lose this fight, "We'll go to onsen!"

Both of my friends continued their debating. No one seemed ready to give up. I just looked at them and smiled. I liked moments like this, where I didn't have to talk and I could focus my mind on one thing.

"Orihime-chan… What do you think?" asked Renji suddenly catching me off guard, "Which one? The mountain or the beach?"

I looked at them both, they were looking at me with a big pleading eyes. They were too cute, I chuckled. Actually they looked so good together, but I knew better.

Honestly I didn't really care about this year's summer vacation. If I could, I would choose to spend my vacation locked up in my room. But I didn't say it, I just smiled, "I don't mind wherever we'll go is fine…"

Both of them let out a heavy sigh.

"I knew it, we shouldn't have asked Orihime-chan…" Renji huff-ed and threw his back onto the grass, using his own hands as the pillow. He yawned and closed his eyes, "I really want to go to onsen this year!"

Rukia rolled her eyes, "We had fun last year didn't we? We could go again this year! That's why we should go to the beach!"

"That's the problem," Renji opened his eyes and frowned, "We were there last year, this year we have to go to another place!"