When I stepped through the door, my fairytale with Linda was officially over. My night with Linda was a lot of fun, and I knew I had to cherish that time we had because reality would come back soon enough. I wanted to make sure my time with her was beyond special, and because of that, I knew that I wouldn’t forget the emotions of this night.

The relief of making it home finally started to settle in, causing my shoulders to drop slightly. That weight I was carrying all day was lifted and it felt… nice.

Tomorrow was December the 22nd, a Tuesday. I only had tomorrow and Wednesday of school before the winter holiday break began. Our school took our break from the 24th through the 3rd of January. They give us a more extended break due to us having classes on most Saturdays. Only a few more days and I would be able to relax and not think about school for a bit.

I began walking up the steps when a certain model walked into the hallway.

“Welcome back.”

Mary-san called out to me as she exited the downstairs living room. It seemed she had just turned off the TV and was heading to bed. Her eyes looked tired, and she had a cup in her hands. It smelled like tea, cinnamon, or some kind of spice drink. She had her hair to the side, exposing her neck on her right side. Needless to say, Mary-san looked like she just come out of a spa and was beyond relaxed.

“I didn’t think you were still up, Mary-san.”

She closed her robe and giggled.

“Yeah, I was watching a movie. I wanted to stay up a bit later to make sure you got home already. It’s honestly a coincidence that it ended right as you got home too.”

I rubbed the back of my head, feeling a tad guilty that Mary-san stayed up late for my sake... It was embarrassing, but it looked like I bothered Mary-san with my own problems. That was the last thing I wanted to do.

“Sorry for making you worry.”

Shamefully, I apologized to her. She waved her hand back and forth, brushing it off as no big deal. After taking a sip of her tea, she set the cup to the side and faced me again.

“Don’t worry about it. Make sure you message your mom and Mari-san that you made it home though. Have a good night, and don't stay up too late."

She bounced her way up the stairs with a wave as if she had successfully done a job well done. I got an odd sense that it wasn't just "her" worry that she stayed up and waited for me. But I couldn't prove that anyone told her to do that, so I shrugged it off and walked into my room. It was 11PM and getting later. So, I undressed and got into my night robe to get ready for bed.

“Oh, my phone.”

I remembered what Mary-san just mentioned and checked it. There were a bunch of new messages that I missed. A few from Mari-san and Hana-chan too. But the one that stuck out was a group chat that I was forced into.

“What the heck is this?”

As I was out with Linda, it seemed like my friends all decided to start chatting about the upcoming holidays. It had around one hundred messages already. Mae-chan, Yuko-chan, So-chan, Hana-chan, and Sora-chan were all in this chat room. The starter of it all was my childhood friend, and it was titled Christmas.

If we had planned to do something for Christmas like Mae-chan and the other girls suggested, we had to prepare it in the few days we had left. I was glad to see that Mae-chan was the one who took the initiative. She was the one who brought it up in Risa-san’s car.

“Tomorrow might be the best day to talk about it.”

I said, thinking out loud while I read through the group chat. Mae-chan suggested a location for the party. It seemed she wanted to use her home or So-chan’s place. There was a gap without an answer, then suddenly, Hana-chan would pop in and ask an unrelated question about a game to So-chan. The shark would be a bit mean and would berate her for not knowing the answer to the game, and Sora-chan would pop in and defend her best friend’s honor. This group chat was a mess, and nobody got anywhere with it… Yuko-chan was the last message, and she was trying to mediate the situation between So-chan and Sora-chan. She sent a picture of a cat yelling “stop” and it was super adorable.

“My friends are… something else.”

They brought a smile to my face, and I replied…

["Yeah, I think we all should get together after school and figure this out soon."]

In an instant, Hana-chan replied.

[“That would be best, Onee-chan.”]

I don’t know what she was doing up at this time, but I shrugged it off. For all I knew, she was up playing her new video games or something. The thought of hiding under her covers, playing the game, and trying not to get caught by her mom or my mom made me smile.

“Hana-chan…”

I fell onto my sheets and thought more about the Christmas holiday. To take someone out on a date and have a magical time is what it was all about. However, my heart wasn’t ready for that yet. But one day, someone will be on my right as we walk down the street and enjoy each other’s company. I… believed in that.

“Hm…”

With her on my mind, I exited the group chat and went to her name. The title of the message was…

[I heard you went out to the meet with your friend last night…]

It was a message from Mari-san. When I opened it, the entire message came in.

[I heard you went out to the Yu University to meet your friend. Mary-san messaged your mother and me, so we'd know. I'm sure you got home safely and just wanted to know that I was checking up on you. Sorry for being a little overprotective.]

She sounded so formal in the email that it honestly made me giggle. Mom got the same text from Mary-san, but Mari-san seemed to be the only one that replied. Happily, I sent her one back.

[I’m still alive, Mari-san. I had to help a friend who lived over there.]

I looked at my past calls, and there wasn't anything from mom. The days without hearing her voice were starting to strain on me. However, Mari-san still tried her best to be a part of my life. The difference made me happy about Mari-san but sick to my stomach about mom. Mom genuinely didn't want me to speak with her…

[Is it too late to talk?]

Mari-san’s following message came in. Unconsciously I began to shake my head even though she couldn’t see me. Instead of replying, I pushed the call button on her name. Before the first ring, Mari-san answered the phone.

“Hey.”

“Hi.”

 

 

We both answered in unison. The line went silent as we both waited for each other to continue. After a long-drawn-out pause, my lips began to curl, and I broke the silence with a stupid giggle. Mari-san started laughing soon after. We both finally settled down, and she took the lead by asking the first question.

“Do you mind me asking which friend?”

Mari-san asked.

“It was Taylor Linda-san. You know… the friend we helped get on the STARS stage. The nurse, silly.”

Mari-san laughed halfheartedly.

“What happened with her and Conway Sophia-san, Madoka-san?”

I leaned back on the bed.

“It… didn’t work out for her and Sophia, Mari-san.”

She sighed on the other end of the phone. It sounded as though Mari-san might have been pacing around the room, too, because a moment later, I heard what I assumed to be her sitting back down.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Taylor Linda-san seemed so nice, it’s a shame that it didn’t work out with them.”

I rolled in bed as I recalled the broken-hearted Linda. Mari-san was correct, she was one of the sweetest people I knew. It’s a tragedy that her love didn’t work.

"Yeah, me too. So-chan, Linda's little sister, couldn't feel the same for her. But… because we put them on stage, they aren't being harassed by their parents anymore, Mari-san."

I popped up.

“We worked hard together… and because we did… they can move forward.”

“That was all your idea, Madoka-san.”

I shook my head.

“No… that was our idea. I wouldn’t have thought of it without you.”

Mari-san went quiet suddenly as I realized what I just said to her. I could feel an akward awareness settle in. I… could only imagine the face Mari-san was making at this time. She sighed deeply on the other end of the phone and giggled, causing my chest to warm up.

“Heh… I guess we make a good team.”

“Yeah… I guess we do, Mari-san.”

It made me want to see her expression than just hear her voice. It was then it clicked to me that I could actually do that.

“Hey Mari-san, do you mind if we face time chat?"

Hearing her voice after a few days was great… but I wanted to see Mari-san. It felt like it’s been a lot longer than it really has since I chatted with her face to face. My feet kicked up and down as I waited for her answer.

"Eh… yeah, sure. I haven't dolled myself up yet."

She teased.

“I guess we’re both going to look like who did it and why?”

I chided back.

After a bit of fumbling, Mari-san's bright eyes came to view. That black hair was a complete mess, and she looked a bit tired. It was more likely she was up doing work when I responded to her message.

 

 

“Hm, I can’t remember that last time that I saw you without your glasses, Madoka-san.”

I felt my face unconsciously as if my glasses were actually there. I have contacts too, but they irritate my eyes, and I don't wear them much. Mari-san bringing this up caused me to become a little self-conscious as I brushed my hair with my finger.

“Yeah. It has been a while, hasn’t it?”

There was no denying it. I felt self-conscious that I wasn’t… dolled up, I guess.

“You look so worried about it. Do you want me to wait until you go get your glasses?”

Mari-san giggled, and her camera shook in response.

I wanted to jump through the screen and give her a good punch on the arm for throwing me off like this. Instead, I opt for the puffing my cheek method to appear outwardly annoyed. This worked apparently as she turned away and cleared her throat.

“That was sweet of you to go over and do that for your friend, Madoka-san.”

“Well… she was my partner, Mari-san.”

“Partner?”

I closed my eyes and confessed.

"You remember that night when we had our fight? It was the day when mom worked late, and Hana-chan was on her field trip?"

I recalled that day like a distant memory. I was trying to speak with Mari-san about Yuko-chan and the like. Still, she wasn't feeling well, and I accused her of not "liking “ me like some elementary school girl.

“Yeah… I remember that day.”

She sighed.

"It was when I couldn't stop thinking about…."

She paused and then confessed back to me.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you moving on and the entire situation and all the lies… and you know the rest, Madoka-san.”

I held my chest.

"Yeah… well, the next day, I couldn't understand all of my feelings, and I spoke with her. It was that day that I told her I had feelings for you… my stepmother."

I curled up in my blankets as those feelings began to assault me again. I didn't intend to bring this up, but my feelings guided me to it.

“Yeah… she told me a bit about your talk.”

Guiltily, Mari-san confessed.

“When we were going to the STARS concert, she told me how much I screwed up. That Taylor-sensei of yours is something else. I’m… I’m glad you found her.”

I smiled.

"Yeah, me too. We talked about what happened, and thankfully, I could get Linda's mind off it."

I fell deeper into my sheets. The room was getting hotter as my excitement started to rise. I held my phone closer to me, and my stomach grew warm.

“That’s good. What did you two do?”

“We ate junk food and danced like idiots.”

I laughed.

“You know… that sounds like something you’d do.”

Her voice trailed off as she chuckled. It felt genuine, as if Mari-san imagined the entire scenario. I’m sure there were times in the past that I couldn’t remember when I did the same thing; eat junk food to make myself feel better. I’m sure that there were days that Mari-san witnessed me doing that too. There… were a lot of days I couldn’t remember with Mari-san.  

"Hey… have you spoken with mom, Mari-san?”

"Briefly. I'll be honest with you… your mom doesn't want to see me despite how much I try to speak with her. I'm… at all lost on what to do."

She groaned.

“I talked with Hana-chan a lot about the days before your accident. Almost every night since you left, we talked."

This took me by surprise. Mari-san didn’t speak with anyone about her feelings. Still, with my absence and having to push forward, she had no choice but to go against her own uncomfortable feelings and talk with Hana-chan.

“When I first met you that day, I came to your place and dropped off your mom. I was exhausted and ended up getting sick. You know the story by now, Madoka-san.”

I sat up on my bed and pushed my body on the wall.

“As I spoke to Hana-chan about it… it made me wonder… when did your mom fall in love with me. I began to question a lot of things in the past."

“Like what?… tell me more.”

My heartbeat went faster, and my breathing started to labor notably. Mom wasn't speaking with Mari-san and me. I… begun to become a bit paranoid. Yes, this entire situation was abnormal and hurtful… but it developed from a past that I still couldn't remember.

“Well, as I was speaking with Hana the other night, she asked a question that’s been bitting at me. She asked… “When did mom fall in love with you?”

She sighed… I watched her scratch her cheek. Seeing those garnet eyes only added to the personal touch of our chat. She rested her chin on her knee and continued.

“I always assumed that Ayumi developed feelings for me after your accident Madoka-san. Once she lost everyone and tried to harm herself… it was only understandable that she'd be attracted to someone there for her."

Her cheek pressed against her knee as she… confessed something that I didn’t even consider.

"But what if… that wasn't the case and she… she harbored feelings for me before your accident?"

I was suddenly struck with the smell of metal burning in my nose. I blinked my eyes for a bit before I came back into reality.

“Madoka-san?”

Mari-san’s voice was in the distance before I came back to reality and saw her sitting up.

“Huh?”

"Are you okay? You stopped speaking there for a bit. I was worried."

"Oh… I just was thinking about the things I can't remember. Ah… hey, did mom ever tell you what happened after our accident in the car?"

Mari-san shook her head.

“She told me that you both had a fight, and because of her carelessness, she was hit after running a red light. And afterward, you were traumatized and shut yourself away."

I bit my lip.

"Yeah… she said that I was complaining and that she was stressed from work…."

I sighed.

"But I still don't really know the entire conversation in the car. I can’t remember, you know?"

Mari-san took a deep breath.

"I don't know when Ayumi began developing feelings for me… just like I didn't start to put the pieces together recently about your feelings for me. I have to pull those answers out of your mom."

She nodded.

"I was thinking that the Christmas holiday is coming up, and that might be the best time for us to take a few days off and talk without everyone else around."

Mari-san said.

“That’s a good idea.”

I thought about what Takade-san mentioned. That I should probably give both of them a gift. With the money I’ve been saving up, this might be the perfect chance for me to offer them something that would force them alone. I closed my eyes and thought about it briefly.

“I’ll think of something.”

Mari-san sighed deeply.

"Until all the lies and everything I weaved are gone, our family can’t start to heal. So don’t worry about it, Madoka-san; things will change soon."

She looked away from the screen a tad ashamed. It took a bit before she looked back at her phone and faced me.

"Well, it's late, and a girl your age shouldn't be staying up this late."

“Oh, hush. I’m a big girl.”

“Big girls don’t call themselves big girls.”

I wanted to punch her, but I didn't want to damage my phone. So, I opt for sticking my tongue out. She did the same and for a brief moment, we were in a childish tongue war.

“Nnnnnggg….”

“Nnnnnnnnnng!”

We looked like complete idiots. Mari-san broke first as she burst into laughter. I found myself watching her… with my lips curled in a bright smile.

“Well, good night, Madoka-san. And… I hope everything works out with your friend.”

I hopped up, remembering something important.

“Oh yeah, Mari-san, would it be okay if Hana-chan and I hung out after school tomorrow?”

She titled her head.

“Oh, do you two have plans?”

"Yeah, we wanted to do some shopping for our Christmas idea. We will meet up at the shopping district and find out what we all want to do."

Tenderly, Mari-san smiled.

“Yeah, she’s been missing her Onee-chan. I’ll give her permission to go home with you.”

I thought about Hana-chan. The idea of being able to see her made my heart burst with excitement. I could see the fireworks firing in my eyes at the thought of holding her and swinging her around. Mari-san seemed to pick up on my excitement and laughed as she lay on her couch.

“Thank you, Mari-san.”

“No worries. I hope you both have fun.”

Her voice trailed off a bit. How I’d wished there was a day where all of us could go out and do something, but at the time, it wasn't the best to… I imagined that New Year would be a better point in time to get together and try to understand where we fall as a family. But for the time being, making a great party for So-chan and Linda to exchange gifts would be great. There was the chance that we could even invite Simpson-san and all of our friends for a day that we could rest without worries.

It was then… Okabe-san and Nagumi-chan flashed into my mind. The pain that both of them are going through caught me off guard as my smile faded briefly.

“Yeah…”

Before I hung up, she stopped me.

“Wait… is everything okay Madoka-san?”

I didn’t know what she picked up on…  so I tilted my head.

“Yeah… I think.”

"Hm, it sounded like something else was on your mind though."

I put my finger to my lip, and… it all just came out.

“Okabe-san and her little sister. You know my coworker who helped Linda out when she got dressed at the Red Roses.”

Mari-san closed her eyes.

"Ah, you mean the green-haired girl. What about her?"

I sighed.

“She’s… going through a lot right now. Things with her parents…."

Mari-san closed her eyes.

“Hm, well if you need my help, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Yeah… don’t worry. I’ll see what I can do first and talk to you more about it soon.”

 

"Bye-bye…"

"Yeah… bye-bye.”

We hung up, and the weight in my heart felt as though it lifted just a bit more.

Once again… Mari-san eased my worries. She… was good at doing that…