Before school starts

12

I was running with Aruka following me, we only had a few minutes before fireworks. I would turn my head and looked at her every once and a while and everytime i did, she'd be trying to catch her breath.

"Are you ok?" I stopped running,  she falls down to the ground tiredly, "are you...seriously... going.. to... ask me that..?" She says tiredly, i laughed, handing her a handkerchief, "what i need right now is water you idiot!" She says.

I opened gave her an opened bottle of water,  I sat on the ground next to her. "Drink up." She takes it and drinks everything, i laughed.

Colorful fireworks started to light up the sky, it was great. I looked at Aruka who was also looking at the fireworks. I smiled at myself.

She looks like a kid who sees fireworks for the first time.

I looked back at the scene before me, it was colorful. Having different sizes and shapes. It goes Pwah! Glowing in it's most colorful form, although it disappears after like 2 seconds though being replaced by other fireworks. Soon enough, it ended

"We couldn't go to a nice place, all that running was for nothing!" I said, laughing at myself.

"It wasn't for nothing.." Aruka says.

"You think?"

"Uh-huh.." she's back to being her shy, cool, calm and collected self.

"I couldn't take you to a higher place though."

"T-that's fine."

A silence filled the air, i looked at Aruka who looked like she wanted to say somehting, but couldn't find the words for it.

"Should we go hom--"

"I!"

Aruka stood up, "hm?"

She sat back down still looking angry, "I want to stay here!" She says.

"It's getting late."

"I don't care."

"We need to find Sanae and Aru."

"I dont care."

"Gm's gonna get lonely."

She looked a bit tense, "I...i don't care.."

I raised my eyebrow, lies.

"Can i ask something then?"

She calmed down a bit, "go ahead."

"Why were you angry?"

This sentence somehow managed to tick her off even more, "I. Am. Not. Angry."

"You sure about that?"

"I said im not angry!"

"You can just tell me y'know." I said, "A friend is someone you can talk about anything to--"

"That's just it! You want to be my friend but then you'll just leave me behind! Can't you even stay here for the whole summer?! What kind of 'friend' just leaves me behind, huh?!" Aruka shouts louder than ever, woah, she shouts a lot when she's angry.

I laughed, she looked at me, "why are you even laughing..?" She says, i wiped a tear off the corner of my eye, "sorry, sorry.. it's just that.." i started laughing again.

"Stop laughing you pathetic idiot."

I finally gained my breath and stopped laughing, "Do you want me to stay?" I asked.

She nods, "along with Sanae and Aru."

"Im sorry, but i can't do anything about that."

She looked down on her feet, i patted her head.

"When my mom wants something, she gets it. It can't be helped." I said, she nods, "i see.."

"Cheer up."

"Yeah.."

I smiled at her, "we'll surely visit next summer."

"Really?"

I nodded, "And when we do, we'll stay for the whole summer."

She turns to me, looking a bit happy.

"Until then, be patient ok?"

She nods, "We're friends now right?"

I smiled back at her, "friends."

We went home the next day.

________

The train ride going home was ok, but could be better. I sat beside Sanae with Aru on the other side of the table. Mom and dad was on the seat after ours.

"Im sleepy.." Sanae says, forcing herself not to blink.

"Why don't you sleep then?" I asked her, she turns to me, "my neck will hurt after this ride." She says.

Aru sighs and hands her his neck pillow, "Here, use this."

"K then." She says, "oh, and yea, by the way." Sanae hands him his earphones, "tha-- i mean, Im gratefu-- i mean, uh, yea.. for letting me borrow this and all." She says, trying her best not to say 'thank you'

I raised my eyebrow, "Is it just me or are you both acting weird towards each other?" I said, Sanae doesnt say anything and Aru acts like he didn't hear anyhting.

I sighed.

I swear Sanae was smilling while sleeping.