Chapter 12 – Contemplation

Lianna leaned against the wall beside her classroom door. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." She whispered.

"Why did he smile? Why? And then he had to go and make a joke out of it!" She thought furiously. "To think that I was actually starting to develop some kind of respect for him! Ugh!"

Slowly, she slid to the ground and sat, hugging her legs to her chest.

"I thought..." She said quietly. "Tennis... was something precious to him."

Her eyes widened at the words that just came out of her mouth. Her hand covered her mouth as all her fury dissolved.

"Something... precious... was that it?" She whispered.

Her kohai's voice rang through her mind.

"You can't be happy if a string just broke on your instrument. No one could... You're going to re-string it, right? It is something precious to you, right?"

"Fuji... smiled... and laughed..." She thought, "Just like I did... That certainly doesn't make me any better than him."

She flushed and buried her head in the pastel green of her skirt.

"How embarrassing!" Lianna whispered to herself. "How could I have gotten mad at him when I did the exact same thing he did?! I'm such a hypocrite! No- why did I get mad in the first place? His problems are none of my business! So what if he can't play tennis anymore! I don't care!"

The small scene in the infirmary kept playing over and over in her head. The more she thought about it, the more embarrassing it got. Lianna felt heat rise to her cheeks, making her feel even hotter than when she had her fever.

"Kami-sama... I'm burning up, again! But I was feeling fine just minutes ago." She thought.

"What is wrong with me today?" She mumbled into the pleats of her skirt.

"Amane-san?"

A clear voice rang though the empty hallways. Lianna's flinched and raised her head to see who was calling for her. From behind disheveled strands of dark hair, her eyes rested on Fuji. The tennis tensai was at the end of the hallway, and had just turned the corner. Lianna took a quick breath in surprise and shot up off of the ground. She slid the classroom door open and entered, almost slamming it shut behind her. She was met by the stares of her classmates, which had been preoccupied with seat work only moments before.

"Amane-san, are you feeling better?" The teacher asked, smiling warmly from her desk. "Asuka-sensei called to excuse you from class. I didn't think you'd be back so soon."

"I'm feeling much better... Sorry for interrupting the class..." She said quietly, giving a quick bow in apology.

As she straightened up, the door slid open behind her. Fuji entered, smiling as usual.

"Oh, Fuji-san. You're back too?"

"Yes, sensei."

"How's the arm?"

"It doesn't bother me. I'm feeling much better. I apologize for interrupting the class."

Lianna's eyes widened at the similarity of what they had both said and quickly walked to the back of the classroom, taking a seat in the empty desk beside Miyuki.

"Did I miss much?" She whispered, avoiding eye contact with anyone but her best friend.

"Not much, Ann-chan. We did mostly review" Miyuki handed Lianna her notebook. "You can copy off the notes I took down for today's class and then see Sensei after class for the worksheets."

Lianna looked down at the dark brown bag by her best friend's feet.

"I'm sorry about my bag," She said. "It must have been a pain for you to carry around all that time."

Miyuki giggled quietly and used her foot to slide it closer to Lianna. "You do the same thing for me nearly everyday before school. This one time doesn't matter much to me, Ann-chan! Just don't make a habit of it, kay?"

"Miyuki... Thanks."

She smiled. "No problem!"

Lianna bent over and undid the fastenings on her schoolbag, taking a notebook and a pen from inside. Opening up to a fresh page, she glanced across the room at Fuji, who had been forced to take the last empty seat. As if sensing the petite brown eyed girl, he turned in her direction, smiling happily.

Lianna quickly directed her attention back down towards her desk and read through Miyuki's elaborate cursive. Copying all the information onto her blank notebook paper, she was fully aware of Fuji's stare on her back.

Class passed by painfully slowly.

When the final bell rang, Lianna shot up from her seat and walked straight to the teacher's desk.

"I apologize for missing the lesson."

"It's all fine, Amane-san. Asuka-sensei told me about your fever. She said it would be best if you got some rest. I hope you take that into consideration this evening. I wouldn't want you missing my class again because of something more serious."

"Thank you."

The older woman smiled as she pulled two sheets from a folder, handing them to Lianna. "This is the work you missed today. I'd appreciate it if you could get the notes from another classmate."

"Would you happen to have extra copies of those for me as well, Sensei?" Came an oh-too familiar voice.

From out of the corner of her eye, Lianna spied Fuji at her side, with his usual smile glued in place. Few students were left in the class now. Miyuki was waiting patiently by the door.

"Oh, yes." The teacher reached back into the red folder.

"Thank you, Sensei." Lianna bowed quickly and turned, rushing over to her red-headed friend at the exit. She knew she was being rude to Fuji, but talking to him after rushing out of the office so suddenly would be awkward. It would have to wait for another time.

"Let's go, Miyuki! I'm starving!" She said, smiling brightly.

"Alright.. Ann-chan..." Miyuki said, with a worried expression.

By the time the two girls exited the school, about half of the student population had left for home already. Miyuki sped up and stopped directly in front of her shorter companion.

"Ann-chan."

Lianna stopped and looked her best friend directly in the eyes, still smiling. "What is it, Miyuki?"

"Are you alright?"

"Not really." She laughed. "I'm starving because I... remembered I forgot to back a lunch. I feel slightly ill, but alot better..."

"Is that it..?"

"And there's something about Fuji that's just bugging me."

Miyuki laughed. "Really? What?"

Lianna glanced to the side. "I don't know Miyuki. It's just something.."

The conversation ended there, with a giant glomp, courtesy of Miyuki.

"You'll feel better soon." She said, letting go slightly. "You'll get over it."

"Oh yeah?" Lianna asked, smirking. "And how exactly do you know this?"

"You always do."

Lianna chucked. "Thanks Miyuki. But head on home, I have some business to take care of first. Say hi to Makoto-kun and Haru-chan for me, okay?"

Miyuki giggled, pearls of laughter escaping from beneath the hands she held up to her mouth. "Yeah."

She ran past the gates of Seishun Gakuen and waved an arm in the air rapidly. "See you tomorrow, Ann-channnnnn!!"

Lianna returned her farewells with a smile and a small wave of her right hand before heading to the tennis courts. Alone, she let out a heavy sigh.

"Just remembered... I still need to return Fuji's jacket."

Again, I'm SUPER sorry I'm extremely late T_T
Please forgive this unworthy fanfiction-ist & Thanks for reading (:

- Isabella