Mending Fences

It had not been Kumiko's day.Sighing, the bespectacled junior strode in frustration down the north corridor of Yusue High, carrying her textbooks in her arms. The bottom of her school bag had torn as she packed up in third period, and it had been unsalvageable. The cafeteria had been out of her favorite snacks at lunch, she'd gotten a three in a history test she'd studied for all week, and she hadn't been able to turn in her math homework because Wisp had coughed up hairballs on it while she slept. Damned cat.Mercifully, the school day was over, and nothing else could go wrong.At least, so she thought, until she saw the redheaded cheerleader leaning against her locker waiting for her.Great. Now I gotta deal with this diva, too? I suppose it was only a matter of time before she came crawling back, now that she's not with Eiji anymore.Rolling her eyes, Kumiko motioned to her locker with her elbows, her hands piled high with books. "You mind?"Ranko reached out, taking the stack from her while her classmate manipulated the combination lock and popped open the steel door of her locker."Thanks." She took her belongings back, barely making eye contact."Hey, Kumi? Can we talk?" Ranko sighed. They'd barely spoken in weeks, despite sharing three classes, and she desperately missed her friend.Scoffing, Kumiko adjusted her glasses. "What's the matter, Ranko? Finally run out of popular people to hang out with? How's the baby, by the way?" She slammed her locker shut, leaving all of her belongings in it.Ranko winced, nodding sadly. "Yeah. I deserved that." She turned, leaning her back against the bank of lockers dejectedly. "Kumi, I wish I could explain everything that happened. It's a lot. But I promise, none of it was what it looked like. I've been miserable."Kumiko groaned. "Oh, getting engaged to the hottest guy in school? Poor baby. How would anyone ever survive?!"Looking around to make sure no one was close enough to hear, Ranko leaned closer to Kumiko and spoke quietly. "That was never real. I'd never have married him. Not in a million, million years.""You sure looked pretty convincing to me," Kumiko groaned, "and everybody else, too."Ranko nodded. "I had… something I needed from him. I stayed with him to try to get it, and I never did.""Oh." Kumiko threaded her lock through the tabs in the steel door of her locker, snapping it closed. "So, you were just pretending to fuck my dream guy right in front of me? Well, that's so much better. Thank you for sharing that heartfelt admission, Ranko.""I know, I'm a jerk. I used him long after I knew we weren't going to work out." As in, from the very first second. But at least it was mutual.Ranko let her head fall back against the locker behind her with a hollow thunk. "Kumi… I know this isn't what you wanna hear, but you should really give up on Eiji." I wish I could tell you why."Yeah, I know." Kumiko glowered and started to walk away, groaning as Ranko followed. "I know I'll never be cool enough to get with him. Thanks for reminding me, princess."Shaking her head, Ranko sighed quietly. He's gay. Two words. That's all I'd have to say, and this would all be over. But I gave my word. I won't out him, no matter what it costs me. More than anybody, I know the value of somebody keeping your secrets. Maybe I should just tell her I'm gay? But then, she'll still waste her high school life fawning over him."It's… it's not you, Kumi. You're awesome. Any guy would be damn lucky to have you. It's him. He's… not good for you.""Yeah, Ranko, the whole school heard the horrible way you insulted him when you two broke up. I'll take my chances, thanks."Stepping in front of Kumiko and placing her hand on her friend's shoulder, Ranko continued. "No, really. He treated me like shit, Kumi. He barely spoke to me, and when he did, he let his friends talk to me like I was a piece of meat. You had no idea how gross I felt just being around him and his friends. I had to practically climb up that freaking tree of a boy to even get him to make eye contact. He wanted to have a girl, but he didn't want to be with one, ya know? Not really. Eiji's all about Eiji. I know every girl in school wants to date him, but take it from the only girl you know who actually did: he's not good enough for you, girl."Kumiko nodded slowly. "If that's true, I'm sorry. But, why didn't you just leave him if it sucked so much?""Like I said, I needed something from him. But, besides that, you don't get it. I tried getting away from him. He couldn't stand me being out of his sight. Just about every day at lunch, I tried to come over to sit with you, and he stopped me, just so I could sit there and be bored while his friends stared at my chest and made perverted comments." I hate that I'm skewering the guy like this, but, I'm not saying anything that isn't true. He did make me feel that way, and it beats the hell out of outing him, I guess."You know, he never even heard me sing? Not once." Of course, the fact I banned him from the Phoenix probably didn't help his case there, but that information isn't especially helpful right now.Recoiling her head skeptically, Kumiko blinked. "Like, how? You don't so much as walk through the hall without singing. Like, ever. It's who you are."Ranko nodded with a sincere smile. "My friend would know that, because you cared enough to pay attention. He didn't. That's the point, Kumi. I didn't feel like singing around him. What does that tell you?"Kumiko looked down. "It was… really that bad for you?"Bobbing her head emphatically, Ranko put her hands back on her friend's shoulders. "Whatever you're imagining, it was worse than that. You don't even know how many times I wished I'd never met Eiji Kanda, And besides all that, I've missed you every day. Kumi, I'm so sorry. I never wanted this to come between us, and I should have realized how much it would hurt you to see me with him. I never, never wanted to hurt you. You're my first, and my best, friend in the whole school, and it's killing me not getting to hang out with you.""Yeah?! Well, you know what I just realized?" There was a superior, almost arrogant tone in her voice."Hard to say?" Ranko cringed. Please don't say we can't be friends anymore."I suddenly have an overwhelming need for a chocolate milkshake." Kumi grinned. "And you're buying. C'mon, girl, let's get out of here." She reached forward, pulling Ranko into a tight hug. "I missed you, too, Ranko."