Forget about a long year, this is a long day...
I was freaking out after school. There were a lot of reasons, I'm sure, for me to be freaking out, but this one was easily killing me.
My phone was gone.
"When'd you last have it with you?" Oliver and I happened to also have our last class, English, together, and he was being all nice and sweet and helping me search for my phone. The class was empty, save for the two of us. I was down on all fours, searching the floor.
"You know that's the worst possible question you could ask, right?" I couldn't help but sound bitter; I needed my phone and there was no way my mother would buy me another one.
"Sorry, I just thought it'd help jog your memory," Oliver answered. Normally, I'd tease him, call him cute or sweet or something, but I wasn't in the mood, at all.
Suddenly, I heard a whistle. "Nice butt," someone said. I squeaked and scrambled to my feet, pressing my hands flatly against the bum of my pants.
"Hey, it's Kaito's friend!" Oliver said. I scowled at Yuma and turned away, not wanting him to see the shade of my cheeks.
"Why'd you have to say that?" I snapped, looking back at the pink haired teen. He shrugged.
"You don't want me to compliment you?"
"That wasn't a compliment."
"Yes it was."
I rolled my eyes, not wanting to continue.
"What're you looking for?" He asked.
"Gumi's phone," Oliver said. I nodded. Yuma reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. It looked exactly like mine. It was mine.
"This?" He smiled. I ran up to him and he held it high in the air, out of my reach.
"Y-Yeah, that's it," I said. "Can I have it? Where'd you find it, anyway?"
"You left it lying on your desk earlier today," he said. I reached towards it but he spun around. "I'm glad I found it, you know. I had been meaning to look at your photos..."
"Yuma, give me my phone..." I said, turning to look at Oliver. "Tell him to give it back!"
"Okay!" Oliver nodded and looked at the boy. "Give Gumi her phone back, please."
"Just a sec," Yuma said, walking out of the classroom. I grabbed my backpack and followed him down the hall.
"It's password protected," I said as I pulled my bag on, hurrying after him. "There's no way you got in."
He laughed at me. "The password? You mean 'ilovecarrots'? I figured that out a while ago. I just need to text myself some of these shots from your sleepover."
"Stop!" I grabbed his arms and pulled. His back hit the wall and he held the phone over his head, grinning as he worked his fingers against the keyboard madly.
"Let's see...I'll send three at a time..."
I groaned loudly, frustrated. "Stop it!"
"Ha, you're so flustered!" He broke out into laughter and I gaped at him, open-mouthed. He held the phone in front of me and I took it. "I was just kidding around. Didn't even unlock it, you know..." He snickered, bringing a hand to his face. "I was bluffing about the password, but I guess that's it, mm? That's when I realized that this was getting serious."
"J-Jerk," I mumbled, unlocking my phone and going through it. He put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall.
"Sorry," he half-laughed. "But really, I just found it on your desk. You ran out of class and Kaito even tried calling your name."
"Huh?" I looked up at Yuma. "Kaito..."
"Your cheeks are red."
I bit my lip and pocketed my phone before glaring at him. "Shut up!"
"You still like him!" Yuma laughed.
I turned and started to walk away. "So what..." I mumbled to myself.
"What's that?" He followed me, bending down so that our eyes could meet.
"Nothing," I said. "Just leave me alone, okay?"
"Aw, but leaving you alone means that I'll be alone!"
"Go hang out with Kaito or something."
"He left early, to pick up his girl," Yuma clicked his tongue and scampered forwards, so that he was walking backwards but in front of me.
"Okay, fine, whatever," I rolled my eyes. "Go somewhere else."
"Are you jealous, Megpoid?" He stared at me, examining my expression. I stopped in my tracks and covered my face with my hands.
"Stop it, okay?" I snapped. "Let me sort myself out. I don't need you sticking your nose in."
"Mm...okay," he nodded and walked away, towards the stairwell. "See ya, pumpkin."
"H-Hey!"
He stopped and turned to look at me, smiling. "I said, see ya," he was leaning against a banister, taking a step down the stairs. "Have a good evening, alright?"
Slowly, I nodded. He waved and walked away. I sighed and walked over to a window, looking down at the schoolyard, where I spotted Miku and Len sitting on a bench, talking.
They're waiting for me...
"Hey, Gumi!" Oliver ran up to me, huffing. That's when I realized that I had just about forgotten him back in the classroom.
"Oliver...I'm sorry about that," I shook my head. "I was chasing after him, and I left you."
"It's fine," Oliver grinned at me and then looked out the window. "Hey, is that Miku and Len? They look so cute..."
"They do," I nodded. We headed towards a stairwell, opposite the one Yuma had gone down. As we walked down the steps, Oliver leaned close to whisper something.
"Hey, Gumi?"
"Yeah?"
He paused and looked around, even though the place was empty. "Personally...I think you and Kaito make a cute couple," he whispered. "Just saying."
My cheeks were reddening, no doubt. "T-Thanks, I guess," I mumbled.
I don't want to be that girl. Kaito's already in a relationship and I still haven't moved on. It's so hard...but I can't stay in love with him like this.
"Earth to Gumi," this was followed by a leek smacking the back of my head, derailing my train of thoughts. "You're so out of it..."
"Well, that doesn't mean you can start smacking me like that," I rubbed the back of my head and made a face at Miku. We were out in the schoolyard and Oliver had left with Gakupo. I hadn't seen Yuma anywhere, not with Gakupo, either, but it wasn't really my concern where he was or anything.
"How was your day?" The girl clung to my arm and Len threw an arm around her neck, yanking her towards him. "Ow!"
I giggled as she scowled at him. He pecked her forehead. "It was fine," I said. "I wish we had classes together."
"That'd be nice, for sure," Miku nodded. "But you've got History with Len, right? And Kaito and Neru...and that other boy, Kaito's friend."
"Still, it's not the same," I took a quick look around, just to make sure that Neru, of all people, wasn't in sight. I wouldn't want her to feel that I don't care about her; I did, of course, but best friends are really something else.
"Anyways, you were waiting," I glanced at the girl. She nodded, as did Len. "Why's that?"
"Well, your tutoring starts next week, right?" Len said, ruffling Miku's hair. I nodded.
"We won't get to walk home with you as much anymore," Miku said, grabbing my arm again and pulling me out of the schoolyard. "So we wanted to hang out with you today."
"It's only three days a week, you know," I said, letting her pull me along. "What do you guys have in mind?"
"Well, we're not sure if it's going to be a bake-off at Len's place or running around the sprinklers in his garden. Either way, we're heading to this guy's house," she patted Len's arm.
"Then we can decide by the time we get there," I said.
The three of us walked down the streets, past the bus stop, where I half-expected to see Kaito. It was pretty late, though, so it was unlikely that he'd be there.
And he isn't. Why do I care, anyways?
It didn't take too long to reach Len's neighbourhood, and we were almost at his place when I noticed a person pacing back and forth in front of the house's gates.
"Kaito?" Len was the first to say his name. Kaito looked up at us before running over.
"L-Len, I..." He didn't sound like himself. Something seemed off, but I wasn't sure what. Miku and I exchanged glances.
"Is Rin inside?" Len asked. "Are you okay, dude? You don't look too good..."
"She..." Kaito paused and glanced at me, then at Miku, before focusing on Len again. His eyes were swirling with emotions that I found myself trying to identify. He wasn't an easy person to read.
"S-She's not there. She's gone, Len..."
This chapter is actually an intermediate between events that will be happening, so I switched a few things around, within the chapter, I mean. I'm sorry it took so long, and after all that waiting I cranked out such a short chapter. I promise I'll try to work faster from here on out. Also, I want to apologize for the odd writing style and structure (I think it's just me; there isn't actually anything wrong with it but I feel that there is.). And thank you for being patient, and for all your support!