"Hey, Luka…I was thinking we could go to the movies together sometime!"

The words made Luka come to an abrupt halt, nearly tripping over her own toes.

"The…movies?" She sputtered, turning on the ball of her foot. Her eyes widened as she realized that Miku was back to wearing a short-sleeved turquoise shirt that showed off the shocking amount of bruises and cuts displayed jutting in her soft skin.

"Whoa," Luka began, hesitated, and blinked. "Miku, why are you wearing that?"

"What, you don't like it? It's comfortable."

People in the hallways were pointing.

"Miku, maybe, um…here, I have a long-sleeved shirt in my locker, do you want that?"

"Why would I need it?"

"Because of your…"

"My what, Luka?" Miku's mouth was drawn up in a tight smile.

God, she's backed me into a corner. Why? Luka gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to transport anywhere but here, anywhere-just as she had when Miku had revealed her black eyes in Mrs. Neru's class.

"Miku…" Luka stepped backwards, opened her eyes, wavered, and returned her steps until she was close enough to Miku to whisper audibly.

"Miku, please. You know that people…people are…" Luka swallowed dryly. "Mean. Please."

"I'm not afraid of a few bullies, silly," Miku stuck her tongue out and winked, smiling. "I'm me. No matter what."

No matter what. Miku. Miku was herself-right. And if this was her display of bravery, then so be it. Let it happen.

Luka sucked in a deep breath and released it away from Miku's face, realizing that she hadn't brushed her teeth that day.

"Don't worry," Miku seemed to suddenly have mind-reading powers. "I didn't brush my teeth this morning, either."

She seemed to say this sentence louder than any other, practically shouting it to the strangers in the halls as if she was screaming through a megaphone.

Luka couldn't help but laugh. Miku really was quite brave.

I like that.

"So, Luka," Miku twirled a loose strand of her turquoise hair around her finger and grinned. People were still pointing, but with the dispersing amount of students as they went to their first period classes, less were noticing Miku. "Wanna go to the movies after school today?"

"Sure," Luka felt like she was forgetting something. She glanced at the crowd and spotted a blond boy trailing along beside a girl. His hair looked a bit like-

Damn it!

"Oh! Sorry," Luka stuttered. The bell was ringing. She and Miku began to quickly stride to their first period class of Geometry, which they shared-just like the rest of their classes. "I have to meet someone after school today, but come and knock on my door around four tomorrow, okay?"

Miku didn't seem dejected at all, only brighter.

"Awesome! I can't wait!" They filed in through the open wooden door. "This is going to be so much fun."

After they took their seats and made it through the rest of the day, Luka hurried across the winding sidewalks to her destination, mentally swearing and yelling at herself all the way.

As she burst through the doors to the building, she nearly shouted her friend's name before realizing that you were supposed to be quiet in libraries. An aide that looked suspiciously like the girl from her school who took swigs of her flask glared up at her from behind the counter.

"Rin," she whispered repeatedly as she cautiously turned around the aisles of books with cracked spines. "Rin!"

She finally spotted the girl, lying back in a puffy red armchair with assorted stains coating it.

"Luka…" Rin muttered without turning around. "Where have you been?"

"I'm so sorry, Rin." Luka stammered quickly. "What with the science project, and Miku, and-"

Rin stood, watery eyes glinting in the spotty, dimming light above them. She stomped her little foot.

Crap, please don't have a tantrum.

"I wish you would see me more! Len is like…sick! And I have no one to play with. You haven't visited me at all! And I thought we were buddies…friends 'till the end!"

Luka's tongue gathered up in her mouth like a rope. What was she supposed to say to that? Nobody was near them, but Luka was positive that anyone in the library could hear them and would be shushing them any moment now.

"I'm sorry, Rin! I said I was sorry. Miku is…" Rin hung her head as Luka spoke, sending a sharp pang shooting through Luka's chest. "Miku is having a hard time, and I have to help her."

"Why can't you help me instead?" Rin stomped her feet again and was waving her arms about frantically, approaching Luka slowly. "My family has hard times, too! She's not the only one!"

Rin was sobbing into Luka's abdomen in a flash, just as Miku had the other night. Luka couldn't do anything but stroke the back of Rin's head and shush her. She felt like a big sister to her before, but now…maybe she was a mother.

"I'm sorry, Luka," Rin's muffled cries sounded from beneath Luka's arms.

"You don't have to be sorry for anything," Luka was choking up, and her eyes were doing something stupid.

Don't be dumb, she's just emotional right now. She'll get over it. One side of Luka's head snapped.

Says you, grumbled the other.

"It's just that…I think…you shouldn't get so close to Miku…she's just your partner for now. Then you can go your separate ways and never have to deal with each other ever again after the science project." Rin pulled her head away from Luka but kept her arms around her, sniffling. Luka craned her neck to look down at her reddening, wet face.

"But, Rin, you don't understand." Luka closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "Miku is…I mean…I-"

A hand cupped over Luka's shoulder, and she turned so fast Rin's arms flew away from her.

"I'm sorry, but if you don't quiet down we'll have to ask you to leave," the aide sneered, her brown hair swinging as she bobbed her head triumphantly.

Luka nodded, turned and squeezed Rin's small hand. The tiny blonde girl smiled meekly up at her and dropped her hand from Luka's grip.

"I'll go, don't worry," Luka muttered as the aide gave her another look.

What if Rin was right? What if she really shouldn't be Miku's friend? Maybe Rin was right about everything.

I still don't want to leave her, Luka's mind reeled, and she gritted her teeth as she pushed open the glass doors and fled the library.

It was only as she trudged home when Luka realized how heavy her backpack was. She shrugged it into a comfortable enough position and sighed deeply. Her meeting with Rin had left her sad and broken. At least she would get to have a bit of fun tomorrow when she went to the movies with Miku. But maybe she shouldn't be friends with Miku…

It dawned suddenly on Luka like a ton of bricks how quickly she and Miku had become good friends. Maybe it was just Luka's maternal instinct, but she had cared for Miku immediately. From when she spilled bleach on herself to when Luka found the bruises…she felt like they should stick together.

She felt like she should protect her.

Running a hand through her pink hair, Luka adjusted her red backpack once more and sighed.

What a day.