As long as someone reads and comments on my stories (any of them) I'm gonna keep posting my overly romantic crap. But at least this one's developing a plot.
“What did you do to your arm?” Rika lightly touched the bandage on Aibon’s upper arm, watching her flinch.
“Ow, I really wish you guys would stop touching that, it hurts!” Aibon pouted, shielding her wound from any more harm.
“Sorry, but what happened?” Rika stuffed her hands into her pockets to resist touching the off-white bandage again.
“I burned myself. With a curling iron.” There was something strange about the way Aibon answered, almost as if it was scripted, but she’d never lied before, so Rika didn’t know what that looked like.
“Okay.” Rika responded uncertainly, watching as Aibon immediately scampered off to go play on the other side of the room.
“She lied.” Maki was suddenly just behind Rika, making her jump. “Aibon won’t tell anyone how she really got that burn, not even me.”
“She’ll tell Nono.” Rika nodded at the two sitting close together on the sofa.
“I bet she wouldn’t come right out and say that somebody hurt her. It’ll take a guilt trip for that to happen.” Maki crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall, eyes glued on her kouhai.
“Aibon’s surprisingly remorseless. I think sometimes she just doesn’t get it, that the things she says can hurt people.” Maki nodded in agreement.
For a moment, the two just stood silently, a sort of understanding passing between them, then Maki pushed off the wall and patted Rika’s shoulder in a friendly manner, “I got something to do, see you later.” Rika nodded after her, and then was alone.
She didn’t like being alone, especially these days, there was always so much going on that when she had time to think, all that came out were negative thoughts. She wondered for a moment if that’s what depression was like.
A warm arm slipping around her waist snapped her out of her trance, “Hey pretty thing, what are you doing?” It was a well kept secret that Nacchi was a huge flirt.
Feeling a blush rise into her face, Rika smiled at her senpai, “Nothing, just thinking.”
“Thinking about what?” Nacchi inquired, leaning closer. Rika found herself unable to speak.
“You making moves on my girl, Nacchi?” Kei sidled up to them, arms crossed in a threatening manner.
“You bet I am!” Nacchi smiled cheerfully pulling Rika a little closer, “What’cha gonna do about it, auntie?”
Kei made a shocked expression, and then feigned a left hook to Nacchi’s ribs. Abe immediately countered with a slow-mo jab to Kei’s face and the battle was on. Quickly forgotten, Rika stepped around the two, slinking over to the opposite corner, in front of the couch that the twins were sitting on. Glancing at the two, they appeared to be in a deep discussion of some sort, though looks could be deceiving with those two.
Looking around at the chaos in the dressing room, Rika’s depressing thoughts began to come back. She wondered what any of these people knew about her, if they even cared at all. Rika shook her head, trying to rid herself of those destructive paths. Of course they cared about her, well, Nono, Aibon, Kei, and Hitomi did anyway, but that was enough.
Suddenly very tired, Rika sat down heavily in a folding chair, not even noticing the loud metallic sound that suddenly made her center of attention. She sighed and massaged her temples painfully, wondering how long that migraine had been coming. She was surprised when two pairs of small arms encircled her and looked up at Aibon and Nono in questioning.
“You looked like you really needed a hug.” Nono shrugged cutely. Rika smiled happily for the first time that day.
---More on Negative!Rika after the Ten O'clock News!
Topic: Innocence (Fourth Gen Love) (Read 41931 times)