[ Fanfic - SMILE ]

CHAPTER 2

- Shock! It's not fair -

By Chiki

Yuu Matsuura

           Early morning.

           The sun's rays almost blinded me as I sat up in bed. When I did so, I almost hit my head on the top bunk, which had been Michael's when he had been here. They still hadn't pulled it down.

           It was strange to wake up on a sunny day as if it would be like every other day. The normal routine was to get up, get dressed into my uniform lazily, go downstairs for a cup of coffee and breakfast while I read the newspaper, and then, go to school.

           But today - it wouldn't be like that.

           I decided to skip breakfast. I wanted to go visit Miki.

           It was hard, almost like a dream to think that my only love would be suffering.

           It was even harder when I thought about the fact that she was going to die.

           I couldn't stand it. I wouldn't stand for it. Miki couldn't die. She wouldn't leave me.

           How selfish of me to even think that way. I couldn't help it.

           After all we'd been through, I couldn't help it.

           I jumped into my clothing, buttoning up my collar as quickly as possible before running down the hall to the washroom. I splashed water on my face quickly, trying to rub the sleep away, and brushed my teeth, before zipping back into my room to grab my bag.

           I bounded down the stairs, almost tripping at the end, and then all but flew out the door.

           As I hurried into my shoes, my mother came up behind me.

           "Goodness, Yuu! You sure are noisy today."

           "Sorry." I apologized. She was still dressed in her bathrobe. "What are you still doing here? Aren't you supposed to be leaving soon?" I asked.

           She looked down at herself. "Oh, yes..."

           There was no hope for them. Honestly! How could she forget that she had work?
           I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, as I went to work putting on my other shoe. "I'm off." I told her.

           Dad came out, a cup of coffee in his hand. He too, was still in his night clothing. As I said before, there was no hope for them.

           "Yuu, don't you want breakfast?" He asked.

           I shook my head. "No, I'm fine. I'll be visiting Miki in the hospital before I go to school."

           "You'll regret it later." Mom warned me. "Why don't you at least bring lunch?"

           So I reluctantly grabbed my lunchbox. Surprisingly enough, Miki's lunchbox was there, full and ready to be delivered. It must have been a habit of her father's to make something for her. I figured that hospital food might not taste the greatest, so I picked it up.

           "Take care!" My mother called after me, as I ran out the door. I couldn't wait to see her!



******



Miki Koishikawa

           I opened my eyes groggily. For a moment, I couldn't remember where I was. All I knew was, that the room was incredibly white, and my bed was not stiff and starched like this. There was a strange beeping noise that wouldn't shut up.

           I remembered I was in the hospital. That explained the beeping. Something was monitoring my heart. My hospital gown had bunched up with the blankets, and I wrestled with them for a while, trying to untangle myself.

           I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard someone say, "Good morning."

           It was Yuu. He was sitting on the far side of the room, where the sun's rays had not touched. I hadn't noticed him. I swallowed thickly and gave him a little glare.

           He helped me with my blanket before pulling his chair up next to my bed. "How are you?" He asked gently. He took my hand in his.

           I gave him a small smile. "I'm okay, I guess. I want to go home."

           "I know." He answered. "You'll go home soon."

           I winced as a small pain worked its way into my chest again. I tried to ignore it. "You're going to school?"

           He brushed his fingers over the back of my hand. "I wanted to see you first." He replied. "I brought you something to eat too. It's still hot." His eyes met mine. "Your father made it."

           I smiled. "Thanks a lot, Yuu. You had better get going: or you'll be late for school..."

           He nodded. "I'm glad you woke. Take care." He told me. He leaned over and ruffled my hair a little, before getting up.
           After he left, it was just me and the beeping machine.

           I was glad I got to see him. Being left alone with my thoughts from the previous day would not help me.

           I had to think positively. I would get through this. Up to the very end.

           With a smile.



********



Ginta Suou

           I rushed into class just as the teacher was calling out my name for attendance.

           "I'm here!" I cried.

           The class giggled, as I rushed for my seat.

           "You're late, Suou-kun..." Ryouko-sensei said, with a light smile on her face.

           "I'm sorry." I said, feeling my cheeks heat. "I'll try not to let it happen again."

           She tapped her pencil onto her sheet thoughtfully. "See that you don't."

           I slumped back into my seat.

           I hadn't been able to sleep the night before. It wasn't often that I received news telling me that my best buddy in the whole world was diagnosed with cancer - and was going to die.

           I dreamt of a world without Miki. It truly was a cold place.

           No warm hugs and cheerful laughter. No one to turn to with all of my problems, no one to joke around with, no one to play tennis with...don't get me wrong, I had plenty of other friends who could hug, laugh, talk to, poke fun at, and play with, but those things without Miki just didn't seem right.

           We had known each other for much longer than most others. Except maybe her and Meiko.

           Come to think of it...

           Meiko didn't know of her condition yet.

           She was off with Na-chan in Hiroshima, as a happily married couple. After a long and hard battle both emotionally and mentally, those two could live happily ever after.

           But how happily?

           I wondered how Meiko would take the news.

           She wasn't one who showed many emotions around others other than Miki. Those two were foundations for one another.

           The better question was, who was going to tell her?

           I honestly didn't want to be the one. I think maybe someone who was close to her should. But who else was close to her than Miki?

           Besides, I was afraid to mention it again. Perhaps, keeping it quiet would make it less real. At least I thought so.

           But soon, the news would be known, whether I spoke up or not.

           Guess I was a coward.



*********



Yuu Matsuura

           Heh, I don't think I ever remember being as spaced out as I was today.

           My chin rested on my hand, and my elbow rested on the table. I watched as Ryouko-sensei continued to scribble the literature phrases on the board. Just a couple more months, and we'd be out of high school, and yet I wasn't paying attention. Exams to get into Tokyo University were coming up. Miki had decided to go to Toryo University, where she didn't have to go through an exam, but I had wanted to try for Tokyo U.

           I heard they had a good architectural foundation.

           I had come back from New York, because I couldn't stand being away from Miki any longer. I mean, Jinny had her Bill, Doris had Brian, but I had nobody. After Meiko's marriage, I had wanted to go back to finish my education there, but it had been so unbearable to go through it all without Miki at my side.

           I heard the teacher call my name out. I knocked my chair over as I shot to my feet. "Yes Ma'am!"

           "I asked you to answer the question." She told me.

           I frowned. "I'm sorry, but I wasn't paying attention."

           She stared at me for a moment. There were times where I seemed to be spaced out, but never a time where I had openly admitted that I wasn't paying attention. She seemed a bit upset about that.

           "Well, I hope you start. I am not pleased with the thought that I'm speaking to myself."

           I opened my mouth to make a snide reply, but I held my tongue. It wasn't smart to pull the tail of a wildcat. I stared at her evenly with my brown eyes, and then bowed slightly. "Yes, sensei."

           She gave me a small nod. She knew something was wrong - with Ginta coming in late, and now me not paying attention to the lesson - that wasn't something that was done often.

           In her neat hand writing, she wrote on the board "Suou Ginta, and Yuu Maatsura after school today."

           Great, now I had detention too...



Miki Koishikawa

           I awoke again.

           That must have meant I had fallen asleep.

           Stretching languidly, I blinked the sleep out of my eyes. I don't remember ever being so tired. I felt a small pulsation by my chest. It was strange, I couldn't describe it even if I wanted to. Glancing down, I realized that there was something stuck into my chest, right where my heart was. It was pumping something into the skin it poked into.

           Medicine perhaps. After all, I was in the hospital.

           Shaking, I looked away. I hated seeing myself attached to some machine. If only I could wake up and find out that everything was a dream. Guess not...

           I jumped slightly when I heard the door creak open. I half expected to see Yuu, only it wasn't him. It was a doctor.

           She had a smile on her face. Whether it was fake or not, I had no idea. I sat up slowly, not wanting to rip the cords attached to my body, out. The woman had sand brown hair, almost blond. It reminded me of Yuu's at first. She was of middle build, and looked like a cheerful person. If she was a mother, she looked to be a warm one. Suddenly, I wished I could see my mother.

           "Koishikawa-san, how are you feeling?"

           "No pain...I feel fine." I told her.

           "That's good news. So I hope you had a good rest." She told me. She began unhooking me from the machine. "I know you're upset and saddened by the news, but I'll let you know that I won't give up. I will help you as much as I can."

           "Thank you." I said. There was nothing more to say. She had no idea what I was thinking or feeling. I wasn't worried about myself: I was worried for my friends. I wondered who at school already knew. I did not want to be pitied.

           "You're free to go back home." She informed me. "While you haven't begun to deteriorate, I believe that you should lead your life as you used to. However, you'll have to come for daily checkups here. Understand?" She asked.

           Doctor Kusanagi. That was what her nametag said. Deteriorate...what a word. However, I wasn't upset that I could go back home. I wanted my own bed, and Yuu by my side.

           She helped me change back into my original clothing, giving me emergency pills, telling me to take them if I felt any pain in my chest. Then she led me into the waiting room where my parents would be picking me up.

           Despite all the people in the waiting room, I had never felt so alone. But I forced myself to be strong.

           I watched a couple of children playing a game of hide-and-go-seek in the corner. One of the children pulled the hair of another little girl, who began to cry plaintively. The parents of course, began apologizing to each other. I couldn't help but wonder what those kids had been diagnosed with.

           It wasn't fair.

           When my parents came, everything they said kind of flew past me. I just followed them silently to the car. Occasionally, mom would look behind at me just to check if I was okay. I stared out the window dully.

           "She must be tired." She finally decided.

           I wasn't really, but I complied when they told me to rest up in my room. The tears that had threatened to fall at the hospital finally fell when I saw my tennis racket sitting on a chair in the corner.

           I would never again be able to play.

...make a wish