Hiding

Ch 3

When Serena's crying becomes soft sobbs, Haruka finally releases her grip. Serena doesn't move away, but looks up at Haruka. "Why haven't you looked for me when you came back?" She asks the impossible question.

Haruka closes her eyes for a second, then into Serena's tear-filled eyes. "I did. But you werent there anymore. Your whole family moved away." She said, feeling terrible.

Serena smiles. "Well, I never stopped looking for you." She whispered, then hickuped a bit from crying. "I never forgot about you."

Haruka chuckled, making Serena smile a bit. "Yeah, you only forgot my real name." She said, and Serena giggled herself.

"Just the second half."

It took Haruka a minute to realize that Serena was getting taller. Not in the sense that she was really growing, more like she was getting onto her toes. Haruka's eyes whidened as Serena's slowwly closed. Right before Serena reached Haruka's face, Haruka looked away. Serena's eyes were still open enough to see that. She dropped back onto her heels. "What's wrong?" She asks, watching her old friend.

Haruka's face was burning as she replied. "I-... I don't know." She said with a slight stammer, like when she was little. She glanced back at Serena, who was as red as Haruka felt.

"Well, why did you look away?" She asks, taking a small step back.

Haruka looks her in the eye. "What were you doing?" She asks.

"I was going to kiss you, dummy. I can do that, can't I?" She says, shocking Haruka.

"W- what? Why are you able to do that?"

Serena looks down at her feet between them. "Well, we are still engaged, right?" She murmers, and her grip tightens on Haruka's loose black shirt.

"YOU'RE ENGAGED?!" The exclamation sounded from Serena's doorway. In it, stood Marissa.

~~~~~~~~~~

 5 miutes later, Haruka gets flung against the closest wall  of Serena's room. Marissa stands where Haruka used to, and Serena is screaming at her back. "Marissa, STOP! You don't know the whole story!"

Marissa then turns on her old friend. "Well then, Serena, enlighten me: What is the story of your engagement to this freak bug?!" She screams and Haruka glances over Marissa's shoulder at Serena, also wanting to hear the story.

Serena's eyes change from concerned to hostile. "Why do you care, Marissa? We havent talked in almost a year, and now your worried about my old relationships? Those didn't bother you before!"

"Because they weren't about him!" Marissa screams and points at Haruka. "If I had known-" Marissa begins, but cuts herself off.

Serena takes an angry step towards her, and Marissa drops her eyes. "If you had known, then what? You wouldn't have been with me?"

Haruka's eyes widen in shock. Been with her? What could Serena mean? Haruka leans back in slight shock,waiting for an explanation, but she doesn't have to wait long.

Then Serena went off,backing Marissa into a wall. "If you had known that I had a relationship with Haruka, you wouldn't have been with me at all, would you? I would have just been another one of your many girlfriends, right? Or maybe I wouldn't even make it onto that list. I would still be that one girl that you kissed that one time. That would be it, wouldn't it?"

Haruka, finally having enough room to stand, gets up and makes her way over to Serena and gently puts her hand on her shoulder. Serena jumps at first, then settles in under Haruka's arm.

Marissa steps toward the pair. "Get your grubby disgusting hands off her, you sniffling worm!" She growls, and tackles Hauka, but takes Serena down with her. As soon as Serena squeals in pain, both Haruka and Marissa sit up with a jolt and break apart. They both eye Serena over, searching for any awkwardly bent limbs or blood. Nothing.

Serena sees the pair eyeing her, and she smiles. "Nice to know I can break you apart. I just landed funny, that's all." Marissa and Haruka sigh and glance at eachother, then back at Serena. "I'm guessing you two want to know the stories, right?"

And without a word, the three stand, Haruka and Marissa helping Serena over to the couch. As soon as they are all settled, Serena sighs and turns to Marissa and Haruka, both sitting on her left side, Haruka being closer. "I guess I should tell Marissa about our past first, huh, Hara?"