Chapter Thirteen: My Good Friend:

“So where exactly are we going?” I asked Kiku in the car. She smiled as she gave me a little shrug.

“Just a drive,” she said.

“But to where?” I asked.

“Does it have to be any place?”

I shook my head. “Guess not.”

Kiku only laughed. “Just sit back and stay a while.”

“Okay, I’ll take your word on that one.” We drove around the city. I couldn’t help but to smile at the scenery around me.

“Look familiar?” Kiku asked me. I nodded in a dreamy way.

“Do you remember when we were younger?”

“Yeah. Those were the days.”

“We were wild then.”

“Oh yes!”

“What happened to us now?”

“We grew up?”

“Perhaps. Hey, you want to stop somewhere and pick up a dream?”

“Sure.” We pulled up to a gas station convenient store. Kiku gassed up her car while I bought the drinks. Apple-mango for her and Berry blast for me. I even bought a little snack for myself.

“How have you been?” the clerk asked.

“Good,” I said with a smile.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” he said.

“It’s okay,” I said. “Akio would want me to move on.”

“This is true,” the clerk said. I paid the clerk and he gave me my recite.

“Have a nice day,” he said.

“You too,” I replied with a nod. I walked out of the store to find Kiku waiting for me outside.

“Ready to go?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said. We rushed back to her car and drove off. The city disappeared behind us.

“Where are we going now?” I asked.

“To the beach,” she said.

“But I didn’t pack a swimsuit!”

“We’re not going swimming, silly. We’re just going to enjoy the view and talk.”

I didn’t even respond there. I knew what she was talking about. I slumped down in my seat. We just couldn’t avoid that for one day, could we?, I thought. I glanced out the window. Too late to turn back now. I’m already in the car on the way to the beach. Might as well walk into it with a brave smile on my face.

We pulled up to into the beach parking lot and got out of the car. The walk to the beach was silent at first. I counted down to the questions in my head. Kiku didn’t say a word as we walked closer to the sand. I still kept counting down.

“Tell me something,” she said up when we were halfway there. I looked over at her.

“Hm?” I asked. She had a serious look on her face. I knew this was coming. I only waited in silence. My friend already knew what she was going to say; I saw it in her eyes.

“How are you?” Kiku asked.

“Good,” I said with a nod.

“No, you’re not.”

I made a curious face at her. “How do you mean?”

“Well, you seem to be hiding something that you are afraid to talk about with anybody.”

I tried to play it off with a nervous laugh. “It’s nothing like that.”

“Are you sure?”

I closed my mouth and shifted my eyes away from her. “Uh, well…” What could I say? I couldn’t tell her the truth. I couldn’t tell her that a vampire killed my boyfriend out of jealousy and threatened that if I told anyone what he was that he would kill me. She wouldn’t believe me and Kaoru would kill her and me for talking. I just looked down at my feet. To my surprise, Kiku gently took my hands. I jerked my head up at her. She gave me a kind little smile.

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “I will be there for you. We will all be there for you.” I pressed my lips together silently. For some reason, that sent a wave of relief through me and washed away my fears and guilt about Kaoru and Akio. It wasn’t much, but I found myself smiling for real again today.

“Thank you, my dear friend,” I said in a low voice. “You don’t know how much that means to me.” Kiku smiled and smacked me on the back.

“Ow,” I murmured as I winced in pain.

“Now come on,” she said. “The ocean may be waiting for us, but the day isn’t!” Kiku grabbed me by the hand and ran with me all the way down to the past.

“Slow down, you’re hurting me!” I cried. Kiku didn’t listen, instead she laughed aloud.

“Lovely view, isn’t it?” she asked once she calmed down.

“Yeah, it sure is,” I replied, lost in my own simple joy.