(friendship fluff chapters before hell breaks loose.đ„Č enjoy while you can and laugh!)
Chapter 8..
A pair of headlights slices the dark. An engine roars closer, brakes hissing as a sleek car angles to the curb. Windows slide down; rock music leaks out, bass low and lazy.
Tokami (from the car):
"Hey! Girl!"
Shion blinks through the rain, Toru jumping out leaning into the glow, cross earrings, curled glued to his forehead, black band tee dark with water. Eyes blown wideâterrified, but kind.
She springs to her feet, arms rubbing over her shoulders in fast butterfly motions.
Toru (voice trembling, scared):
"Hey... why are you out here alone like this?"
Shion scans the street behind him, eyes frantic, chest tight.
Shion (looking around, frantic):
"I think.. someone is following me.. you just saved me."
Toru's head snaps back towards the dark; he flicks on his phone flashlight, beam slicing rain. The alley, the hedge, the mailboxâempty now.
Just the sound of water.
Inside the car, Tokami in the passenger seat squints through the mirror; Maki at the wheel chews his lip, eyes red and sleepy. The car smells like smoke and cheap cologne, the car hotboxed with smoke and the smell of marijuana.
She seems them and her panic quickly erases, remembering this night like it was yesterday. A smile comes across her face as she sees this as an opportunity to enjoy this night all over again but differently, In a way.. she misses her old stoner friend group.
Toru (dismissive, then impatient, scanning):
"I don't see anyone, come on get in the car with us we will take you home safely, yeah? We aren't bad people I promise. And I think you are safe cause I don't see anyone."
Shion (shaking her head hard):
"Don't take me home.. I want to spend time with you guys-"
She slips up and covers her mouth.
Toru (impatient, kind of confused, serious):
"Then come on! You'll get sick."
He pulls; she lets him. That single contact jolts her heart; she yanks her gaze away, forcing herself to breathe.
They sprint through the rain and tumble into the backseat. The door slams; the storm turns into a muffled drum outside.
Shion inhalesâthick smoke and warm A/C. It makes her dizzy as if she has low tolerance, but not scared this time. She exhales and giggles without meaning to.
Maki swivels a little, eyes low, grin lazy.
Maki (grinning, teasing):
"Careful. Don't breathe in too much. It's marijuana."
Last time, Hana panicked. This time, Shion leans in, inhales playfully, throws a tiny pose like she's doing a selfie. Maki actually scoffs then laughs for real. Tokami lifts his brows as if he was impressive.
Maki (shrugs, pressing on the gas):
"You will feel it in..."
Tokami shifts his body to the backseat while sitting in the front looking at Shion, as Toru chuckles then lands his eyes on Shion also as they both start to count.
Toru and Tokami:
"1...2...3!"
Shion eyes suddenly feel heavy, everything around her feeling like she's suddenly inside a movie, everything suddenly looks woozy and funny making her laugh immediately.
The boys laugh in unison, besides Toru.
Only Toru is quiet. He reaches to the rear backseat window, grabs his jacket, and drapes it over Shion's shoulders with a soft, automatic care he pretends isn't there. Maki faces forward and taps the gas heavier.
Tokami (joking, teasing, turning around in his seat):
"Do you need us to roll the windows down, princess?"
Maki (serious, muffled, cigarette in mouth):
"And what's your destination?"
Shion (eyes low, slurred, giggling):
"With you guys.."
Maki (sighs, shaking his head):
"You're lucky we aren't creeps. Can't let your guard down with strangers so easily like this. What if we kidnapped you?"
Shion opens her mouth to clap backâ then jerks forward, eyes huge, finger pointing towards the windshield.
Shion and Maki at the same time (pointing all of a sudden, screaming):
"HEY WHATS THAT IN THE ROAD!"
Maki yelps, swerves; tires hiss; the car lurches.
Both Tokami and Toru (angry, scared, adrenaline):
"ITS JUST A STOP SIGN!"
Silence fills the car, everyone shaking with fear and breathing loudly. Thenâcracks. A giggle escapes Maki. Tokami chokes. Toru exhales, then breaks, head falling back as a laugh erupts out of him.
Toru (leaning his head back, breathing in surprise, eyes low):
"Holy.. y'all scared me."
Maki (gasping for air, laughing, slapping the wheel):
"ME AND HER BOTH IS GONE! SAVE US!"
Tokami (slapping Maki shoulder):
"YOU NEED YOUR DRIVING LICENSE GONE!"
Laughter explodes. Toru leans against Shion's shoulders trying to breathe; his laugh keeps dropping lower, richer. Shion's eyes low starts to laugh with too, thumping the headrest like a drum.
Tokami busts out into laughter, everyone laugh contagious. Everyone laughing so much their eyes flew open scared they wouldn't be able to breathe.
Tokami (panting, gasping for air, turning around, slurred ):
"I fucking like you.. you know what? What's your name? you're our friend from now on."
Shion lifts two fingers like horns, smile wide and reckless.
Shion (immediately, slurred a bit, a little adorable):
"I'm..I'm... Shion-... I mean Hana.."
Toru (smiling, low eyes):
"Hello I'm Toru Kanzaki, your classmate."
Takami (lazily, sitting back in his seat, mocking):
"Hello I'm Takami Mori, not your classmate."
Shion giggles.
Maki (casual, sitting back, foot still on the brakes):
"Hello I'm Maki Mori, been out of school for 2 years."
Shion (smiling, happy, slurred):
"Helloo.. I'm Hana Asagiri, 18.. I mean 17 years old."
They're still sitting at the same stop sign.
Maki jolts, throws the car back into motion.
Maki (frantic, whisper-yell):
"Holy shit, you think a cop could've seen us?"
Takami (giggling, eyes low, teasing):
"Hey.. we could go to federal for this good shit."
Toru (exhaling, leaning back casual, side eyeing):
"Stop being paranoid with a girl in the backseat."
The rock music creeps louder as Maki turns it up. City lights smear across wet glass. It's too late for anyone decent to be out; it feels like the night belong to them.
Shion stomach growls loud enough to be heard over the music.
Toru looks over before speaking.
Toru (genuinely concerned, kind):
"Hungry?"
Shion nods slowly.
Toru:
"We were going out to eat originally anyway, I will pay for you."
Shion (excited, nodding):
"Don't tell me where! I love surprises."
Toru laugh bounces off the windows; Maki smirks and turns the music up louder.
Shion gazes out the window. The world sweep by in wet streaksâuntil a dark wave of color unfurls in the fields.
Her breath catches.
Shion (excited, pointing, childlike):
"A ROSE FIELD! HOW COME I DIDN'T NOTICE THIS BEFORE!"
Tokami leans toward his window and smiles despite himself, tapping Maki's arm. Toru unclicks his seatbelt and leans over Shion to roll down the window; rain dashes in, dampening both their faces making Shion squint. He's close enough for her to smell the same cologne she used to memorize.
Toru (shouting through the air, hair whipped by wind):
"You know whats so beautiful about Roses?"
Shion's grin is bright in the dark.
Shion (daydreaming like):
"The color.. the aesthetic.. and the-"
Toru sits back, dimples cutting deep even in low light.
Toru (smiling, dimples showing):
"Roses.. they protect themselves with thorns, even while being the most beautiful flower, fragile beauty.."
Her smile flaresâtoo realâ and then flickers.
"You're not my type."
She turns her face to the rain-cold wind, swallowing hard.
Maki (smiling, suddenly hyped):
"Let's go back to that rose field, yeah?!"
Tokami and Toru whoop; Shion throws her hand up to cheerâbonk. Her forearm clips the roof. She winces, then laughs at herself. Toru is already watching, laughing too, and for a second they just gaze at each for what felt like forever.
Toru thoughts:
(Why do we get along so well?..)
Shion thoughts:
(Was he this handsome when I first met him.. WAIT NO CUT IT OUT!)
Their smiles fade when they realize they're staring. Something unspoken pulls taut.
The car coasts to the shoulder. The field hums, black and red under rain and headlights.
Toru (shouting over the wind, playful introduction):
"I'm Toru Kanzaki, I'm your classmate!"
Shion (grinning back, matching his tone):
"I'm Hana Asagiri I'm your classmate!"
Toru laughs as they repeat their introduction, they hold each other eyes a heartbeat longer than polite, then turns away with a lingering smile.
Toru (leaning over towards Shion, low deep whisper):
"Then who's Shion that you mentioned earlier?"
His voice sent shivers to her body, she freezes before immediately blushing because of how close he was, his deep voice almost raspy making her ear nerves feel tingly.
Shion (awkwardly laughing, whisper back):
"A girl.. I was once friends with.."
She couldn't believe she came up with such a good lie, and just incase she is changing the past then that means that gives her a pathway in the present outside of this time loop.
Shion (grinning, proud of herself):
"Remember that. I have a friend named Shion.."
Toru nods, confused but agreeing before going back in his position.
Tokami (leaning back, deadpan sigh):
"Why are we looking at roses like it's about to preform for us? Let's go eat."
Maki (hitting Tokami on the shoulder):
"We can just eat mom's leftover, you know she hates when we waste food."
Toru (closing his eyes, inhaling like a dreamer):
"I can smell my mom's cooking already."
Tokami (pouting):
"Both of you are clearly hungry, let's just go eat."
Shion's hand is already on the door handle.
Shion (nodding, decisive):
"Just let me go pick a flower really quick, then let's go eat."
Toru (mocking-teasing, amused):
"Look at her giving us orders already."
Maki (impatient, but grinning):
"Hurry! bring all of us one actually."
Tokami (muttering, arms crossing):
"She's not our girlfriend to pick us roses, let's just go eat already!"
Toru (snapping at Tokami, no patience):
"Shut up!"
Shion slips out into the rain and runsâshoes skimming mud, laughter popping out of her chest. She dives into the roses, falls on them like a kid crushing snow, giggling as petals stick to her cheeks.
Tokami (disgusted, rolling window up):
"She's not getting back in this car, she's dirty now."
Maki laughs.
Toru (excited, boyish):
"Looks fun let's go join her!"
He leaps into the field and lands beside her; a red spray of petals bursts up around them, glittering in the headlight beams. They look at each other, ridiculous, soaked, alive.
Toru (excited, having fun):
"You should give me a rose everyday!"
Shion props herself on her elbows, hair plastered to her neck, eyes dancing.
Shion (happy, excited):
"I will give you flowers everyday from now on!"
Toru laughs before propping himself on his elbows too too, hair plastered wet on his face, his chain shining in the dark.
Toru (casual, smiling, blushing):
"We might be a little sick after this.. huh..."
He scratches his head before shouting out to the car.
Toru (shouting):
"COME ON!"
Shion waves both arms toward the car, summoning the cowards.
Maki sticks half his torso out the window, rain instantly peppering his face.
Maki (shouting):
"I DONT WANT TO GET WET!"
Shion (shouting back, happy):
"WHO CARES! YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE!"
Toru (cupping hands to mouth, grinning):
"COME ON COWARDS!"
Tokami and Maki lock eyes. A beat. Tokami shrugs first. Maki sighs like he's signing a contract he doesn't want toâthen both doors bang open.
Shion squealing in excitement when she sees they decided to join.
They sprint in the field, yelping as the wet hits, then diveâtwo mor bodies crashing into red. Laughter erupts. All four of them trash and roll and toss handfuls of petals like confetti.
Headlights halo the rain into a thousand falling stars.
For a suspended second, the world forgets to be cruel.
Shion rolls onto her back, staring up. Rain drums her lashes. Somewhere inside the noise, the old words still whisperâ You're not my type. But they're softer here, drowned out by the boys' stupid jokes and the beating of her own heart.
She turns her face; Toru is already looking. He looks away first.
Later that night.. they finally settle into a driveway..
Waiting for more good memories to happen or tragic.. but she was finally happy again.. will that come to an end?
She wondered.
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End of chapter 8