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[BITTERSWEET CATASTROPHE]

chapter one

the quartet of (im)maturity

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It's a Friday night and I'm so close to bailing.

As I kick off my heels and rush barefooted down the hallway, I'm half-tempted to individually dial up the other girls to cancel. However, I know that me pursuing and pleading with my friends against going out tonight will become nothing but fruitless. Even if I try to compromise with them, I know that they won't take any of my excuses - especially when everybody has made an effort to pencil in this date into their schedules over a week ago.

'A blood promise' was what Mimi described it as when she watchfully, and unblinkingly, ensured that I had carved it into my diary. She takes no prisoners whenever it relates to our lady's code. If I back out now, Mimi will have my head.

I strip down and disappear under the streaming shower. After record-timing I'm out and drying myself in my bedroom. I shrug on the first articles of clothing I can find. Tight black jeans, a loose cotton shirt and a long woollen grey cardigan. This will be fine. You can never go wrong when sticking to the basics.

Not like I really care right now...

My phone rings and I immediately wince when I recognise the melody of the latest Beyonce song. The ringtone had been self-customised, a couple of days ago, by the caller herself.

I ignore the phone buzzing as I continue to dry my hair. At times like these, I'm happy to have short hair. When my hair is what I personally commend as dry enough, I snatch my purse from my bed and click on a golden watch around my wrist. It's when I'm slipping into my pair of beige calf-length boots, I hear honking.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I hiss, even though I'm know that my impatient friend cannot hear me.

Locking up my apartment, I scamper down the stairwell.

That's the thing when you're older; time is precious. Tardiness apparently is not tolerated because we're crankier and less tolerant (that's what my mother used to say whenever she lectured me the art of punctuality, much to my father's distaste). If it had been us ladies meeting five years ago, I know that we would be aiming to meet up a few hours shy off midnight – and the funny thing is that we would have not cared the slightest.

Today's time and age is a different story. Although I've worked over-time and still had arrived home rightfully well before the agreed time, Mimi is still irritated that I'm not waiting outside, despite her arriving five minutes earlier. And yes, you've heard it right - earlier.

Yet, Mimi is still gleefully honking the vehicle in a psychopathic manner like I hadn't heard her the first time. Mimi may have upped her game on the punctuality spectrum, but she's still my crazy best friend who happens to be currently causing a riot outside. (I'm making her take all the blame when my neighbours file in a complaint tomorrow).

Once I'm out of the apartment complex, I freeze when I see a crimson convertible parked in the drop off area. I had expected a silver sedan, not Mimi's partner's vehicle.

"Like my new ride?" Mimi gestures at the car she's comfortably sitting in. "I borrowed Ayaka. Thought we could sacrifice her for tonight because it's your special day."

"Borrow is defined as the owner giving you permission to lend a possession," I smirk as I slide into the shotgun seat. "Something tells me that Taichi would never permit anybody to touch Ayaka if he wasn't on a business trip."

"He's in London," Mimi replies. "He won't know. And, if he did, I'm sure that he wouldn't mind."

"Oh, he'll mind," I mutter as Mimi reverses the car and drives onto the road, merging with oncoming traffic. "If Taichi personifies his car as a woman, I'd be very cautious if I were you."

"I'm his woman."

"No." I disagree. "You forget that you're lady number two. Ayaka is his first love."

In response, Mimi gives a low whistle. "Nice one. Even I can't deny that. By the rate I'm going, I might have to settle for the title of being his alluring, jealous mistress."

Five minutes ago I was real close to locking myself inside for the night and hibernating, but from my minimal interaction with Mimi I've somehow managed to vanquish a working day's worth of fatigue into oblivion. Mimi's good like that. She always says the right things to make me feel better. I mean, it has to be a given considering the both of us have tolerated each other for nearly two decades without biting each other's heads off.

"An alluring, jealous mistress, huh? That does have a nice ring to it." I admit, laughing. "And it's only fitting when what you've got on is eye-catching enough to slay the male species."

Like her bold personality, Mimi's distinct fashion sense naturally causes people to stare at her. Tonight is no different as she's got on this strapless golden top with the bottom of it being tucked inside a black leather skirt. Her make-up is dark and smokey and her lips are painted a similar colour to Ayaka's crimson colour. Despite being off the market, much to many gentlemen's uproars, Mimi never fails to dress to impress.

As we stop at the traffic lights, I frown when I see that she's selected her favourite leopard patterned heels. I've told her off on numerous occasions that it's never safe to drive in them, but she never listens.

"Mimi-"

"Stay still." She leans towards me, ordering, "Don't open your mouth."

I don't get the chance to protest because Mimi is already attacking me, applying her lipstick onto my lips. She motions me to press my lips together and then places her make-up pouch onto my lap. "Honey, you look like you have no eyelashes. Put on some mascara before the lights signal green, will you?"

"But-"

"Don't argue with me!" Mimi snaps. "We all took tonight off for you and I will not allow you to look plain. Put it on now, Sora!"

Rolling my eyes, I comply to her words, taking the mascara out from the pouch. I use my phone's screen as a mirror, making my eyelashes look heavier. While I'm doing this, I drone out Mimi's yapping as she continues to blabber on about how I should have put more effort into dressing up.

Mimi's complaining doesn't stop. She keeps chattering for the whole half hour and up until we're driving into a quieter neighbourhood. As we pull up besides Hikari's house, Mimi's about to beep the horn again. She stops when we see the front door being flung open.

"Aunt Sora!" "Aunt Mimi!" I hear our names being shouted out. "Can we go too?" "Can we?" "Please?"

A frazzled mother cradles a baby in her arms. She slams her right leg onto the doorframe and anchors her bottom on the opposite side of the door to barricade her other two children from running out of the house.

The mother turns her head towards her children and sternly bristles, "Risa and Hiro, I want you stay inside."

"But mother-"

"Now."

I exchange glances with Mimi as we watch our friend, Hikari, discipline her children.

Hikari's a wonder woman. She has three children: baby Keita, who is in her arms, the mischievous oldest son called Hiroto (who is currently attempting to crawl under Hikari's leg) and her, now crying, daughter named Risa. While Hikari is the only one in our sisterhood to have children, she also happens to be the only one with a ring on her finger. It's ironic because despite Hikari being the youngest out of us friends, she was the first one to get married and, to this day, she remains the only one wedded.

"TAKERU!" Hikari yells for her husband.

A split second later, Takeru appears by her side. I laugh harder when I see the blond-headed man, wearing a frilly pink apron, grinning widely as he waves the ladle in his hand to greeting.

"Happy Birthday, Sora!" Takeru, being the charmer he is, winks at us. "Looking beautiful, ladies."

"Thanks!" I salute, just as Mimi screams out, "And we're borrowing Hikari!"

"Mimi," I whisper to her. "You need to stop using the word 'borrowing'."

"But it's true," Mimi remarks.

Hikari places Keita into Takeru's arms then proceeds to hug both Hiroto and Risa before beckoning them again to go inside. "Take care of daddy, will you? He's hopeless without me."

"I'm the one looking after them," Takeru protests, while he tries not to stumble as Risa yanks at the end of his pants.

Hikari strings her arms into an umber coat and slips on her shoes. She leans towards Takeru and plants a kiss on his unsuspecting cheek. "Be quiet and go inside, will you? It's cold."

As Hikari walks towards the car, Takeru calls out after us. "Behave yourselves! Stay safe. Don't do anything I would do."

"We'll be fine," I assure him.

Takeru smirks. "No, I know you will be. I mean Hikari."

After saying our final goodbyes to him, we drive off. Mimi silently passes her make-up pouch to Hikari. From the rear-back mirror, I can see Hikari release her chestnut coloured hair from the ponytail she had up, choosing to braid her hair to the side.

Hikari gives a weak smile. "My brother is going to kill you, Mimi. If he finds out that you're driving Ayaka-

"I know." Mimi huffs. "Sora's already given me an earful."

"I was going to say that I'd be more than happy to be an accomplice," Hikari simpers, yet still manages to look innocent.

Taichi's stories about Hikari being the quiet evil one resurfaces in my mind. I shake my head, muttering, "Takeru was right about you needing to behave yourself, Hikari."

At the hospital, Miyako's already waiting in front of the gates when we get there. Her lilac dyed hair contrasts with the navy scrubs she's attired in. I gather she hasn't changed out of her uniform because she's preoccupied with what appears to be an important phone-call.

As soon as she spots us, she literally jumps over the door and into the backseat. Miyako gives me a back hug, buckling her seatbelt besides Hikari, and continues the conversation she's having.

"I'm not going anywhere dangerous." Miyako lets out a long sigh.

Mimi raises an eyebrow at me and I bite my bottom lip from bursting out into laughter.

"No, Jyou. Don't you dare look up that statistic. I promise you that I will not be in that percentage of women who is dumb enough to get their drink spiked! I'm not that stupid. Go back to work."

...

"I am not mad."

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"Do I have to? You say it first then I will."

...

Miyako giggles. "I love you too."

We're all chortling now.

"You hang up the phone."

…

"I don't want to hang up first."

Mimi snorts.

"No, you hang up."

Miyako keeps protesting until I hear yelping and some shuffling going on behind me. "No! Hikari! Why'd you hang up?"

"You were getting annoying!" Hikari admits exactly what I'm thinking too.

Mimi exclaims, "Oh, young love!"

I couldn't agree any more with Mimi.

For years it had been obvious that Miyako's colleague, Jyou, had crushed on her. Unfortunately, our nurse friend, would always turn a blind eye to his feelings. Miyako liked being single, and went on my dates just for fun, never wanting to be in a serious relationship. She even stated that she never wanted to be with anybody in the medical field because she didn't want to be reminded of work when she wasn't at the hospital.

However, when Jyou had finally grown some balls and asked her out, Miyako couldn't upright turn him down. Because they were friends, Miyako had decided to give him a chance and ever since then she has never once thought about breaking up with him. In fact, Miyako's been head-over-heels over Jyou like a deranged, hormonal teenager. Let's just say she's lucky to have scored a doctor.

"Can you put the roof on, Mimi?" Miyako asks. "I need to get changed."

"Do you really need to change here?" Hikari questions as the roof folds out over our heads. "Just because you see naked people all the time doesn't mean-argh! I know we're close and all that, but I do not want to see your boobs!"

Miyako scolds her, "So don't stare at me then!"

Screech!

I frown at Mimi who gives me a sheepish smile. The lights have turn red and she had been close to running the light. Because my eyes are on her, the guy inside the car on the opposite lane thinks I am gazing at him. He beeps his horn and I turn away from him.

Mimi notices him too, but instead of ignoring him she bats her eyelashes at the car of boys.

"They're young, Mimi." I warn her.

"So?" Mimi says. "It's funny. Take it as a compliment. They think you look hot, Sora...which means that you don't look like you're thirty."

"You don't need to remind me," I grimace at the thought.

Mimi sends me a cheeky look. I gulp. She's up to no good. Before I can put an end to her demonic scheming, Taichi's music is switched on. An old hip hop song thumps out of the speakers. Though, it doesn't end there. Mimi's cranking up the music to full blast that I can feel the bass causing the whole car to vibrate from the beat.

"STOP IT!" Miyako squeals.

I swivel behind me to see that Mimi's made sure to roll down the backseat windows too. The boys in the other car are getting a good look at Miyako's semi-nude figure and are hollering at us. Hikari is using her hands to block them from seeing inside the car while Miyako is cursing excessively as she hurriedly jerks down her top.

As soon as the lights turn green, Mimi steps aggressively onto the accelerator as she farewells our newly acquainted friends (who are still are dazed from seeing Miyako).

"MIMI!"

Tears well up in my eyes, but I can't stop myself. I hold onto my sides, ribs aching from the laughter that is violently racking through my body.

No matter how old the four of us get; I don't think we'll ever change.

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(a/n) 15.05.16

Oh hell, it's another Sorato. I needed a break from Starless Sky. I needed crack. This is what happened. And yeah, I'll edit this another time when I'm in a sane mood.