Cupids Arrow

Cupids Arrow: Chapter 5

-Wednesday Afternoon-

"Are you okay, Fuyuumi-san?"

Shoko, rather than getting used to the question, was beginning to get sick of it.

Nakamura, a classmate of hers, looked at her with concern, and Shoko flushed, straightening up from her position leaning over the sink. She hadn't heard anyone come in. She'd been too focused on trying to stay calm and gear herself up for what was to come.

"I d-don't feel well . . . but I'll be f-fine."

"Oh," the girl looked curiously at her. "You looked really pale for a second . . . well, at least school is over, so you can go home now, right?"

Shoko's stomach was acting like a water bed with children jumping on it.

"N-no, I . . . I was going to go and practice before I left."

"I see . . . if you're sure you're up for that. Well, I hope you feel better soon. I should go," Nakamura ran a hand through her hair and examined her reflection before giving a little wave. "'Bye, Fuyuumi-san," and she was gone.

Shoko glanced at her watch. She still had fifteen minutes before she was supposed to meet Len to go looking for Kahoko's present, and all she really wanted to do was slither down the drain like a stream of soapy water.

She supposed it was a good thing he'd had something to attend to right after school. If they'd left immediately, they might draw curious looks. They would, after all, be quite an odd pair.

She clasped her hands together and inhaled deeply. It would be wise not to forget that.

'13 minutes.'

She swallowed, and combed her fingers through her hair in case there were any hidden tangles. They went through easily, and she studied her reflection in the mirror.

There were some shadows beneath her eyes, but other than that, she looked like she always did. A little nervous, but normal.

She felt anything but. If meeting Kahoko had sent her into a state of near-panic, the idea of meeting Len had her about to collapse onto the floor and start hyperventilating.

'Slow, deep breaths, Shoko. It's just an outing. Be quiet, be polite, and most importantly, find a gift as soon as possible and get out.'

It was a solid plan, but she didn't have much confidence in her ability to carry it out.

'10 minutes.'

She adjusted her hairclips, feeling more than a little paranoid. Something would go horribly wrong. It always did where he was concerned.

She backed away from the mirror and picked up her clarinet case. She might as well get there a few minutes ahead of time.

Shoko squared her shoulders, opened the door, and left the bathroom.

The hall was still crowded, but not as much, and students were making progress towards leaving. Still, it was an entirely different place from the restroom, which had seemed so still and quiet, like a room separate from the flow of time. She glanced back at it wistfully, the knots in her stomach tying together once more, and began a slow walk to the school gates.

By the time she arrived, she felt faint. A glance at her watch told her she still had five minutes. Five minutes in which to imagine all of the things that could and probably would go wrong.

And then all too soon, he was walking towards her, all smooth grace and that cold, distant face. The courtyard was clear but for a few people in transit, and any others who remained were inside the building doing who knew what.