Sorry it took me so long to update!
Angry Blood Sister: Well...let's just read and find out what happens. ^.^ Thank you so much for all your reviews!
Misura: Thanks for your compliments! And when you look at it, wouldn't it be kind of impossible to hang out with Farfarello and not change at all? lol
Kamazova: Haha, that was a morbid joke, but good none the less. @_@ Anyhow, thanks for all your comments!
Coppelia: Well, you kind of get what you asked for... ^.^ I really appreciated your reviews, thanks a bunch!
myREEN n' RAAYneer: Well, I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just tell you to read and see... lol
Jessica: *covers my head with my arms* Don't hit me! Just...read. *runs away*
Mastermind v.2.0: I can't tell you! It'd ruin the ending!
And now, on with the story.
~~~~~
"We're going to miss you, Bonnie."
That's what Omi had said when she informed them she was quitting her job at the flower shop and taking the summer off, break from everyone and everything that reminded her of Farfarello. He was gone now - even if she didn't feel like he was, she had to accept the inevitable. There was no way to reach him, to call him or see him, and even though she had suspected it all to be a horrible lie at first, the closed-coffin funeral, the absence of a roommate in Ken's apartment, the way no one spoke of him anymore - all those things had forced her to realize it was really over.
She spent all of June in terrible mourning, unable to believe she'd even made it through the school year at all. When she'd gone back in April, it had been a horrible struggle - she couldn't concentrate, couldn't think, couldn't socialize at all. She'd barely made it through the year with her grades falling from an A average to a C average.
When July came, her mother insisted she get out of the house. She was able to find a few things to do, amazingly enough. Sometimes, she was even able to have fun and forget about her past boyfriend.
Ryoko and Sakura took her to the local pool whenever they could manage to drag her outside. However, her self-confidence had also wilted along with her happiness - she was becoming more and more paranoid about everything about her, physical appearance included. Soon, she refused to swim, for fear of how she looked standing next to her slim Japanese friends. It was natural, her mother always told her, that an American/Spanish girl be taller and a little bigger - you're still thin, Bonny. They are just naturally tiny. But she still hated putting on a bathing suit and pretty soon just took to sunbathing, lying there in her shorts and T-shirt, feeling the scalding sun burning her eyelids and giving her definite tan lines.
A few times, she had awoken from her sun-induced sleep to find Hiromi towering over her, smiling. She could never smile back, and the conversations always died quickly as he retreated back to the pool and she sunk into her own world.
In the later part of the month, Ryan came back from college to spend a few weeks at home. He had been staying with different friends and then even his girlfriend's family. Bonnie had not realized how little she now knew of her brother until then - she had never even met his girlfriend or really noticed his absence at home. That's when she came to the conclusion she had to stop being so wrapped up in herself and her own pain and go on living her life.
"I'm sorry your boyfriend died," he told her sincerely as they walked down the street and to the small patch of woods they used to play in as children, just at the edge of town. There was a little creek there, barely alive anymore, and they stopped on the edge of it for a moment before she stepped down into the shallow water, not even deep enough to rise to her toes past her platform sandals.
"Well," she said quietly, sighing, "I do miss him a lot..." Her voice trembled. "But - Farfarello...if he could see me now, I think he would say to me, 'Snap out of it, Bonnie. Yer bein' a brat." Her voice rose in a humorless laugh, almost amusing herself with her impression of his accent. "Don' ye pine away after me. Move along, and don' throw away yer life. Be yer happy self, Bonbon."
Ryan smiled slightly, but it quickly faded when he noticed his sister's shoulder slump unexpectedly and saw just how alone she felt. He splashed down into the water, barely two inches high, and wrapped his long arms around her. "Hey, it'll be ok," he reassured her. "Boys must be swarming around you now that Farfarello is gone."
"Actually," she sighed, leaning her head onto his shoulder, "they don't even look at me at all. Farfarello was the only guy who has ever really shown interest in me."
Ryan pulled away, hands resting heavily on her upper arms, and smiled, shaking her a little. "Spend some time with me and Himiko," he invited, speaking of his girlfriend. "We're driving up to the beach. You should come - she's a lot like you personality wise. You'd love her."
"Well, I don't want to intrude."
"Nonsense," he scoffed, and then, in a teasing voice, "And mom would feel a lot better about me going somewhere with my girlfriend if my little sister was there to chaperone."
A week later, Bonnie threw her bags into Ryan's car and drove up with him and Himiko to the beach. She did get along with the older girl, and she did enjoy being with her brother again, but once again, she was stuck with a couple. Watching the two walk along the beach and hold hands was almost more than she could bear, but seeing them that night, out by the bonfire, playfully pushing and shoving one another before hugging and laughing... She hated being around carefree couples.
When she came back, it was early August. Ryan stayed another two weeks and then left. She finally was pushed over the edge with desperation and found herself driving to the flower shop. Not to her surprise, it was bustling with activity, tons of girls clambering for the attention of Aya and Ken. They were so swamped, they didn't even notice her walking in. And, to further her bad luck, she tried to push through the crowd to get to them, but it was an impossible task and, feeling frustrated and horribly disappointed, she retreated back out to the sidewalk and sat on the curb, burying her face in her hands and trying not to break down into tears of frustration. She had only caught glimpses of Aya's red hair and Ken's smiling face through the masses, but they had not even seen her in the sea of girls.
They probably had never considered her a real friend even, she thought bitterly, and they most likely never thought of her. Or Farfarello for that matter. And then, she really did begin to cry.
Nagi found her like that, gently speaking her name to get her attention, and then sat down beside her. "I haven't seen you in months!" he said, eyes wide and wary, unsure of how to speak to a girl who still had tears coursing down her cheeks. "How have you been?"
She sniffled. "I'm ok. I just wanted to get in to say hi to everyone and Ken and Aya didn't even notice me! I just wanted to see them, but I couldn't get through..."
He patted her gently on the shoulder. "Hey, it's not anything personal. There are too many fan girls distracting them. Have you heard that Ken is engaged to be married? Him and Mikazuki. And Aya and Aya-chan are going to Europe for vacation in only a few days. I'm sure there is so much on their minds they can barely see straight. If you had been able to get closer..."
She wiped at her face with the back of her hands, frowning. "What about Brad and Schuldig and Yohji and Omi?" she inquired, a little shaky still.
"All good. About the same. Omi and I were just thinking about calling you and asking you if you wanted to go out for ice cream - like old times."
Bonnie let there be a long pause between them before quietly asking, "Nagi...do you ever think about Farfarello?"
The young man looked startled. "All the time."
"Ok." She nodded and stood up. "I should get going."
"Wait - don't you want to at least go back and see Schuldig or Crawford? They both have days off. It'd - it'd be nice to catch up, wouldn't it?" His wide, stormy eyes begged for her to accept. "There - there are things in Farfarello and Ken's room we have no idea what to do with. They belonged to him. Maybe you can keep them..."
But she shook her head slowly, smiling a little. "Maybe some other time, Nagi. I just don't feel up to it now." And before he could protest, she climbed back into the family car and drove away.
~~~~~
Summer was over. It was both relieving and nerve-wracking. Her last year in high school, and she didn't know if she could make it. And what of college? Well, that would be better - she'd be in a new environment with new people and more freedom and less reminders of Farfarello.
She stood before her full length mirror and straightened her school blazer, frowning at herself. It was going to be a tough year; she could tell by just looking at the glum face staring back at her.
With a heavy sigh, she turned to her desk and surveyed the pictures in the frames on the wall above it. One of her and Megan, one of Ken and Aya at the flower shop, a few of Omi and Nagi - some were with people at school but she didn't care much for those - and then there were a couple of Schuldig and Yohji, mainly because they loved being photographed and seemed to like to pose as if they had once dreamt of being great models.
She didn't have one of Crawford.
The ones of Farfarello had been taken down and then put back up countless times over the summer, but she had finally decided they were to stay. Now, she gazed longingly at them, finding the strangest things about them endearing. She suddenly found herself fondly remembering how he always grimaced, bared his teeth in a frightening smile, and then went completely straight faced before a picture was taken. How he would flex his fingers and clench his hands into fists and then tighten his body completely when he saw a camera at all.
She frowned sadly, then slipped on a silver bracelet with bells on it - the one that he said always let him know she was coming - and wished he was still alive to hear it.
It was then that the alarm clock blared, letting her know she couldn't stall any longer. She'd set it earlier so she would not be lost in daydreams and be late for the first day of her fourth year of high school, for she found herself becoming increasingly tardy to every event and therefore frustrating those around her.
Hurriedly, she slipped on her shoes, grabbed her bag, and raced down the stairs, feeling like a clumsy, graceless horse as she galloped around the corner and into the kitchen, grabbing an apple from the pantry as she passed by. "Mama!" she called, only to turn and find her mother sitting at the table, drinking coffee. "Mama," she said again, biting into the red apple and finding it delightfully crisp, much to her relief. She hated soft apples. "Can you drive me to school now?"
"Sorry, Bonnie, but I'm afraid your father has the car."
"But we're within walking distance of the church!"
Her mother shrugged.
"Should I take the bus then?" She checked her watch. "Ah! I already missed it! Mama, I can't walk to school! I'll be so late!"
"Calm down, chica," her mother teased, smiling at her from the rim of her coffee cup. "It'll be alright. Go look out front."
Bonnie curiously ran to the front door, taking another bite of her apple as she went, and poked her head outside, wondering what she could possibly see that could fix her problem.
What did meet her eyes made her gasp and fumble so that the apple dropped from her numb fingers and her bag slid limply off her shoulder and hit the ground by her feet. She could scarcely believe what she saw.
"Did you forget?" A tall Japanese boy, straddling a big, shiny, black motorcycle, a helmet on his head and another tucked under his arm. He laughed at her shocked expression and waved for her to hurry. "Bonnie, we'll be late."
"Hiromi? I - I didn't even think you remembered!" She had assumed long ago that Hiromi had forgotten his promise to drive her to school on the motorcycle they had won with their singing act in the talent competition. After all, she'd pretty much ignored him for two years, pining after Farfarello and having no time to talk to other boys. Plus, she'd heard rumors that he'd taken up with Ryoko, although she didn't think they were true - Hiromi was too nice for the class flirt.
"How could I forget?" he chuckled, taking time to greet her mother as the Spanish woman emerged to stand on the front porch. And then, turning back to Bonnie, he smiled and extended his hand, smiling brightly. "Want me to take your bag? It'll fit into the compartment on the back."
She handed it over and watched him cram her possessions into the tiny space, struggling to fit all her stuff in along with his. At first the situation looked doubtful, but with some pushing and rearranging, everything was able to fit.
"Alright," he told her, handing her the helmet, "are we ready?"
She nodded, gave him a doubtful look at realizing she was going to have a hard time with her skirt, and then carefully climbed on behind him, making sure to tuck in the plaid, pleated skirt around her legs to insure the wind would not make it fly up. Then, she pulled the helmet snugly over her head, and realized that, for the first time since Farfarello had died, she felt excited, exhilarated about something. Completely and totally alive. "Ready!" she declared, wrapping her arms securely around his waist and shivering in excitement when he revved the vehicle up.
Hiromi guided them gently out of the driveway, leaning heavily on his left foot to keep it upright, and then eased into the street, tightening his hand on the throttle and speeding off down the road. She kept her arms around him in a loose embrace, silently screaming at the thrill of being driven to school on a motorcycle. Lately, she had felt old and forgotten, like someone who did not belong on earth anymore because she felt she could not connect, but now...now she felt like one of this silly, giddy school girls from the flower shop. It was so fun! She glanced at the girls walking on the sidewalk as they whizzed past, thinking that from where they were standing, she must've looked very cool.
Hiromi slowed down and braked momentarily as they came to the park, gazing out at the stage that some workers were constructing. He turned his head to look back at her, smiling sheepishly, and went to scratch his head but only scraped his fingernails against the helmet, causing her to smile. "Bonnie," he began, hesitantly, "you've turned me down the last three times I've asked, but they're holding a concert here next weekend. Would you...would you like to go with me?"
She felt the insecurity in his voice creeping into her own. "Like...a date?"
"Yes."
"Oh...um, I...yeah, I would. That'd be great, Hiromi." She knew she was blushing.
"Oh...great." He seemed at a loss of words, having most likely expected her to turn him down again. "Well, pick you up at six?"
"Yeah!"
His straight, white teeth flashed at her in a quick smile and then they were off again, the motorcycle roaring in her ears. It only took a few more minutes to get to the school, and he pulled up in front of it, parking it in the grass by the building. As he swung his leg over to get off and retrieve her bag from the back, she asked worriedly, "Will they get mad about it being in the grass?"
"Nah," he replied lightheartedly. "I already talked to some of the faculty. They said it was fine. Here, let me carry your books."
She grinned and allowed him to sling her book bag over his one shoulder while cradling his own in his arms, walking by his side through the front doors. And...it was funny, because, well, Farfarello was still in the back of her mind, but he was no longer an oppressive memory that brought her sorrow, but a pleasant thought. She had loved him, and he had loved her, but now Farfarello was gone and he wouldn't want her to suffer. So she could think of him and smile, because he was someone who had taught her many things, and who had shown her life was not as sweet and light as she had once imagined. In return, she had let him look past the harsh reality of it all, and they had met somewhere in the middle.
There was also a lot less mental pressure now. She and Farfarello could never have been in complete agreement, she realized, so fate had made the decision for her. In her own heart, she knew she would've stayed with him forever, but now...
Hiromi waved at some of the more popular girls who had been shouting out greetings first and then turned to Bonnie and made a face. Obviously, he thought the same as her when it came to the more popular students, which was ironic, since they were his crowd. "I've wanted to talk to you for a long time, Bonnie," he admitted. "Because you're not like them. You're different."
"Well, if there is one thing I've always been, it is different."
"Yes," he said quietly, and then, "I think this will be the best year of school yet. It's our last, we're together, and..." He glanced over at her, looking a little hesitant at seeing her shocked expression. "And that's what I've wanted for years."
~~~~~
Bradley Crawford looked carefully at his face, trying to determine the man's mood but finding only a blank expression. His companion had hooked one elbow over the window of the passenger seat of Brad's car, and was leaning his chin casually on his arm, blankly watching the boys and girls going into the school. Lazily, slim body bent in a slouch, he sighed. What was going on in his head was impossible to say, maybe even for Schuldig, but then again, Farfarello always was a mystery.
"She looks happy," Crawford commented slowly, eyes trailing after Bonnie as she paused by the door with Hiromi and took her bag from him, laughing and shaking her head when he insisted on carrying it further.
Farfarello was silent, and then, quietly, "What do ye foresee?"
Crawford paused for a moment, and then, "Only that she and Hiromi will fall in love. In the vision, they are going to the same college, but I cannot say what happens beyond that."
Farfarello said nothing, the wind ruffling his short, white hair. He sat up slowly, his back obviously giving him a hard time, and then twisted to the side to crack it. The joints snapping sharply caused Brad to twitch. "Let's go," he said.
"You're having second thoughts." Brad turned the key in the ignition and placed his hands back on the wheel, easing his foot against the gas.
One golden eye glanced over at him, but instead of a devious glare, there was only a vulnerable expression on Farfarello's pale, fine-featured face. "No," he said softly, "I made the right choice. I wanted her ta be happy, and she could never be that wit' me." A pause. "She needs someone who believes what she does, and agrees wit' her God. Hiromi fits that position - not me."
Crawford's lips twitched slightly in a half smile. "I felt almost bad telling her that you had died. I knew it was your wish, and I realized it was for the best if she thought you gone, but...she mourned you for months. All summer she moped about. And I've lost almost all contact with her. She shut herself away for quite a while."
"Hm." Farfarello smirked. "Did ye feel bad about lying to Nagi and Schuldig?"
Brad looked about ready to laugh, but only looked smug, suppressing the chuckle that just about made it out of his throat. "Of course not."
Farfarello turned back to the window, watching the buildings flying by. He tried not to think about how he had given up Bonnie, and how she had lied to him. When he had seen Brad in his hospital room that night, and had heard how awful Bonnie felt about, he realized he'd always bring her more pain than joy, and he did what he thought was right. He gave her up.
"I'm going back to Ireland," he decided suddenly, firmly speaking aloud so that he surprised even himself. "I'm going to make sure Bonnie never knows I'm alive."
Brad Crawford, simply put, was amazed. He'd never seen the Irishman act in such a responsible and selfless way. And now, hearing these words, he could only look over at the young man sitting there with his face raised to the sun and his fingers threaded thoughtfully in his hair and one eye gazing into the distance and say, "Farfarello, you've come a long way."
~~~~~
THE END!!! It's kinda sad... I've been writing this for months and months and now it's done!! Thanks for everything, you guys - I LOVE YOU!!
*GROUP HUG!!!!*
Ok, review and tell me what you thought of the end!!
Angry Blood Sister: Well...let's just read and find out what happens. ^.^ Thank you so much for all your reviews!
Misura: Thanks for your compliments! And when you look at it, wouldn't it be kind of impossible to hang out with Farfarello and not change at all? lol
Kamazova: Haha, that was a morbid joke, but good none the less. @_@ Anyhow, thanks for all your comments!
Coppelia: Well, you kind of get what you asked for... ^.^ I really appreciated your reviews, thanks a bunch!
myREEN n' RAAYneer: Well, I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just tell you to read and see... lol
Jessica: *covers my head with my arms* Don't hit me! Just...read. *runs away*
Mastermind v.2.0: I can't tell you! It'd ruin the ending!
And now, on with the story.
~~~~~
"We're going to miss you, Bonnie."
That's what Omi had said when she informed them she was quitting her job at the flower shop and taking the summer off, break from everyone and everything that reminded her of Farfarello. He was gone now - even if she didn't feel like he was, she had to accept the inevitable. There was no way to reach him, to call him or see him, and even though she had suspected it all to be a horrible lie at first, the closed-coffin funeral, the absence of a roommate in Ken's apartment, the way no one spoke of him anymore - all those things had forced her to realize it was really over.
She spent all of June in terrible mourning, unable to believe she'd even made it through the school year at all. When she'd gone back in April, it had been a horrible struggle - she couldn't concentrate, couldn't think, couldn't socialize at all. She'd barely made it through the year with her grades falling from an A average to a C average.
When July came, her mother insisted she get out of the house. She was able to find a few things to do, amazingly enough. Sometimes, she was even able to have fun and forget about her past boyfriend.
Ryoko and Sakura took her to the local pool whenever they could manage to drag her outside. However, her self-confidence had also wilted along with her happiness - she was becoming more and more paranoid about everything about her, physical appearance included. Soon, she refused to swim, for fear of how she looked standing next to her slim Japanese friends. It was natural, her mother always told her, that an American/Spanish girl be taller and a little bigger - you're still thin, Bonny. They are just naturally tiny. But she still hated putting on a bathing suit and pretty soon just took to sunbathing, lying there in her shorts and T-shirt, feeling the scalding sun burning her eyelids and giving her definite tan lines.
A few times, she had awoken from her sun-induced sleep to find Hiromi towering over her, smiling. She could never smile back, and the conversations always died quickly as he retreated back to the pool and she sunk into her own world.
In the later part of the month, Ryan came back from college to spend a few weeks at home. He had been staying with different friends and then even his girlfriend's family. Bonnie had not realized how little she now knew of her brother until then - she had never even met his girlfriend or really noticed his absence at home. That's when she came to the conclusion she had to stop being so wrapped up in herself and her own pain and go on living her life.
"I'm sorry your boyfriend died," he told her sincerely as they walked down the street and to the small patch of woods they used to play in as children, just at the edge of town. There was a little creek there, barely alive anymore, and they stopped on the edge of it for a moment before she stepped down into the shallow water, not even deep enough to rise to her toes past her platform sandals.
"Well," she said quietly, sighing, "I do miss him a lot..." Her voice trembled. "But - Farfarello...if he could see me now, I think he would say to me, 'Snap out of it, Bonnie. Yer bein' a brat." Her voice rose in a humorless laugh, almost amusing herself with her impression of his accent. "Don' ye pine away after me. Move along, and don' throw away yer life. Be yer happy self, Bonbon."
Ryan smiled slightly, but it quickly faded when he noticed his sister's shoulder slump unexpectedly and saw just how alone she felt. He splashed down into the water, barely two inches high, and wrapped his long arms around her. "Hey, it'll be ok," he reassured her. "Boys must be swarming around you now that Farfarello is gone."
"Actually," she sighed, leaning her head onto his shoulder, "they don't even look at me at all. Farfarello was the only guy who has ever really shown interest in me."
Ryan pulled away, hands resting heavily on her upper arms, and smiled, shaking her a little. "Spend some time with me and Himiko," he invited, speaking of his girlfriend. "We're driving up to the beach. You should come - she's a lot like you personality wise. You'd love her."
"Well, I don't want to intrude."
"Nonsense," he scoffed, and then, in a teasing voice, "And mom would feel a lot better about me going somewhere with my girlfriend if my little sister was there to chaperone."
A week later, Bonnie threw her bags into Ryan's car and drove up with him and Himiko to the beach. She did get along with the older girl, and she did enjoy being with her brother again, but once again, she was stuck with a couple. Watching the two walk along the beach and hold hands was almost more than she could bear, but seeing them that night, out by the bonfire, playfully pushing and shoving one another before hugging and laughing... She hated being around carefree couples.
When she came back, it was early August. Ryan stayed another two weeks and then left. She finally was pushed over the edge with desperation and found herself driving to the flower shop. Not to her surprise, it was bustling with activity, tons of girls clambering for the attention of Aya and Ken. They were so swamped, they didn't even notice her walking in. And, to further her bad luck, she tried to push through the crowd to get to them, but it was an impossible task and, feeling frustrated and horribly disappointed, she retreated back out to the sidewalk and sat on the curb, burying her face in her hands and trying not to break down into tears of frustration. She had only caught glimpses of Aya's red hair and Ken's smiling face through the masses, but they had not even seen her in the sea of girls.
They probably had never considered her a real friend even, she thought bitterly, and they most likely never thought of her. Or Farfarello for that matter. And then, she really did begin to cry.
Nagi found her like that, gently speaking her name to get her attention, and then sat down beside her. "I haven't seen you in months!" he said, eyes wide and wary, unsure of how to speak to a girl who still had tears coursing down her cheeks. "How have you been?"
She sniffled. "I'm ok. I just wanted to get in to say hi to everyone and Ken and Aya didn't even notice me! I just wanted to see them, but I couldn't get through..."
He patted her gently on the shoulder. "Hey, it's not anything personal. There are too many fan girls distracting them. Have you heard that Ken is engaged to be married? Him and Mikazuki. And Aya and Aya-chan are going to Europe for vacation in only a few days. I'm sure there is so much on their minds they can barely see straight. If you had been able to get closer..."
She wiped at her face with the back of her hands, frowning. "What about Brad and Schuldig and Yohji and Omi?" she inquired, a little shaky still.
"All good. About the same. Omi and I were just thinking about calling you and asking you if you wanted to go out for ice cream - like old times."
Bonnie let there be a long pause between them before quietly asking, "Nagi...do you ever think about Farfarello?"
The young man looked startled. "All the time."
"Ok." She nodded and stood up. "I should get going."
"Wait - don't you want to at least go back and see Schuldig or Crawford? They both have days off. It'd - it'd be nice to catch up, wouldn't it?" His wide, stormy eyes begged for her to accept. "There - there are things in Farfarello and Ken's room we have no idea what to do with. They belonged to him. Maybe you can keep them..."
But she shook her head slowly, smiling a little. "Maybe some other time, Nagi. I just don't feel up to it now." And before he could protest, she climbed back into the family car and drove away.
~~~~~
Summer was over. It was both relieving and nerve-wracking. Her last year in high school, and she didn't know if she could make it. And what of college? Well, that would be better - she'd be in a new environment with new people and more freedom and less reminders of Farfarello.
She stood before her full length mirror and straightened her school blazer, frowning at herself. It was going to be a tough year; she could tell by just looking at the glum face staring back at her.
With a heavy sigh, she turned to her desk and surveyed the pictures in the frames on the wall above it. One of her and Megan, one of Ken and Aya at the flower shop, a few of Omi and Nagi - some were with people at school but she didn't care much for those - and then there were a couple of Schuldig and Yohji, mainly because they loved being photographed and seemed to like to pose as if they had once dreamt of being great models.
She didn't have one of Crawford.
The ones of Farfarello had been taken down and then put back up countless times over the summer, but she had finally decided they were to stay. Now, she gazed longingly at them, finding the strangest things about them endearing. She suddenly found herself fondly remembering how he always grimaced, bared his teeth in a frightening smile, and then went completely straight faced before a picture was taken. How he would flex his fingers and clench his hands into fists and then tighten his body completely when he saw a camera at all.
She frowned sadly, then slipped on a silver bracelet with bells on it - the one that he said always let him know she was coming - and wished he was still alive to hear it.
It was then that the alarm clock blared, letting her know she couldn't stall any longer. She'd set it earlier so she would not be lost in daydreams and be late for the first day of her fourth year of high school, for she found herself becoming increasingly tardy to every event and therefore frustrating those around her.
Hurriedly, she slipped on her shoes, grabbed her bag, and raced down the stairs, feeling like a clumsy, graceless horse as she galloped around the corner and into the kitchen, grabbing an apple from the pantry as she passed by. "Mama!" she called, only to turn and find her mother sitting at the table, drinking coffee. "Mama," she said again, biting into the red apple and finding it delightfully crisp, much to her relief. She hated soft apples. "Can you drive me to school now?"
"Sorry, Bonnie, but I'm afraid your father has the car."
"But we're within walking distance of the church!"
Her mother shrugged.
"Should I take the bus then?" She checked her watch. "Ah! I already missed it! Mama, I can't walk to school! I'll be so late!"
"Calm down, chica," her mother teased, smiling at her from the rim of her coffee cup. "It'll be alright. Go look out front."
Bonnie curiously ran to the front door, taking another bite of her apple as she went, and poked her head outside, wondering what she could possibly see that could fix her problem.
What did meet her eyes made her gasp and fumble so that the apple dropped from her numb fingers and her bag slid limply off her shoulder and hit the ground by her feet. She could scarcely believe what she saw.
"Did you forget?" A tall Japanese boy, straddling a big, shiny, black motorcycle, a helmet on his head and another tucked under his arm. He laughed at her shocked expression and waved for her to hurry. "Bonnie, we'll be late."
"Hiromi? I - I didn't even think you remembered!" She had assumed long ago that Hiromi had forgotten his promise to drive her to school on the motorcycle they had won with their singing act in the talent competition. After all, she'd pretty much ignored him for two years, pining after Farfarello and having no time to talk to other boys. Plus, she'd heard rumors that he'd taken up with Ryoko, although she didn't think they were true - Hiromi was too nice for the class flirt.
"How could I forget?" he chuckled, taking time to greet her mother as the Spanish woman emerged to stand on the front porch. And then, turning back to Bonnie, he smiled and extended his hand, smiling brightly. "Want me to take your bag? It'll fit into the compartment on the back."
She handed it over and watched him cram her possessions into the tiny space, struggling to fit all her stuff in along with his. At first the situation looked doubtful, but with some pushing and rearranging, everything was able to fit.
"Alright," he told her, handing her the helmet, "are we ready?"
She nodded, gave him a doubtful look at realizing she was going to have a hard time with her skirt, and then carefully climbed on behind him, making sure to tuck in the plaid, pleated skirt around her legs to insure the wind would not make it fly up. Then, she pulled the helmet snugly over her head, and realized that, for the first time since Farfarello had died, she felt excited, exhilarated about something. Completely and totally alive. "Ready!" she declared, wrapping her arms securely around his waist and shivering in excitement when he revved the vehicle up.
Hiromi guided them gently out of the driveway, leaning heavily on his left foot to keep it upright, and then eased into the street, tightening his hand on the throttle and speeding off down the road. She kept her arms around him in a loose embrace, silently screaming at the thrill of being driven to school on a motorcycle. Lately, she had felt old and forgotten, like someone who did not belong on earth anymore because she felt she could not connect, but now...now she felt like one of this silly, giddy school girls from the flower shop. It was so fun! She glanced at the girls walking on the sidewalk as they whizzed past, thinking that from where they were standing, she must've looked very cool.
Hiromi slowed down and braked momentarily as they came to the park, gazing out at the stage that some workers were constructing. He turned his head to look back at her, smiling sheepishly, and went to scratch his head but only scraped his fingernails against the helmet, causing her to smile. "Bonnie," he began, hesitantly, "you've turned me down the last three times I've asked, but they're holding a concert here next weekend. Would you...would you like to go with me?"
She felt the insecurity in his voice creeping into her own. "Like...a date?"
"Yes."
"Oh...um, I...yeah, I would. That'd be great, Hiromi." She knew she was blushing.
"Oh...great." He seemed at a loss of words, having most likely expected her to turn him down again. "Well, pick you up at six?"
"Yeah!"
His straight, white teeth flashed at her in a quick smile and then they were off again, the motorcycle roaring in her ears. It only took a few more minutes to get to the school, and he pulled up in front of it, parking it in the grass by the building. As he swung his leg over to get off and retrieve her bag from the back, she asked worriedly, "Will they get mad about it being in the grass?"
"Nah," he replied lightheartedly. "I already talked to some of the faculty. They said it was fine. Here, let me carry your books."
She grinned and allowed him to sling her book bag over his one shoulder while cradling his own in his arms, walking by his side through the front doors. And...it was funny, because, well, Farfarello was still in the back of her mind, but he was no longer an oppressive memory that brought her sorrow, but a pleasant thought. She had loved him, and he had loved her, but now Farfarello was gone and he wouldn't want her to suffer. So she could think of him and smile, because he was someone who had taught her many things, and who had shown her life was not as sweet and light as she had once imagined. In return, she had let him look past the harsh reality of it all, and they had met somewhere in the middle.
There was also a lot less mental pressure now. She and Farfarello could never have been in complete agreement, she realized, so fate had made the decision for her. In her own heart, she knew she would've stayed with him forever, but now...
Hiromi waved at some of the more popular girls who had been shouting out greetings first and then turned to Bonnie and made a face. Obviously, he thought the same as her when it came to the more popular students, which was ironic, since they were his crowd. "I've wanted to talk to you for a long time, Bonnie," he admitted. "Because you're not like them. You're different."
"Well, if there is one thing I've always been, it is different."
"Yes," he said quietly, and then, "I think this will be the best year of school yet. It's our last, we're together, and..." He glanced over at her, looking a little hesitant at seeing her shocked expression. "And that's what I've wanted for years."
~~~~~
Bradley Crawford looked carefully at his face, trying to determine the man's mood but finding only a blank expression. His companion had hooked one elbow over the window of the passenger seat of Brad's car, and was leaning his chin casually on his arm, blankly watching the boys and girls going into the school. Lazily, slim body bent in a slouch, he sighed. What was going on in his head was impossible to say, maybe even for Schuldig, but then again, Farfarello always was a mystery.
"She looks happy," Crawford commented slowly, eyes trailing after Bonnie as she paused by the door with Hiromi and took her bag from him, laughing and shaking her head when he insisted on carrying it further.
Farfarello was silent, and then, quietly, "What do ye foresee?"
Crawford paused for a moment, and then, "Only that she and Hiromi will fall in love. In the vision, they are going to the same college, but I cannot say what happens beyond that."
Farfarello said nothing, the wind ruffling his short, white hair. He sat up slowly, his back obviously giving him a hard time, and then twisted to the side to crack it. The joints snapping sharply caused Brad to twitch. "Let's go," he said.
"You're having second thoughts." Brad turned the key in the ignition and placed his hands back on the wheel, easing his foot against the gas.
One golden eye glanced over at him, but instead of a devious glare, there was only a vulnerable expression on Farfarello's pale, fine-featured face. "No," he said softly, "I made the right choice. I wanted her ta be happy, and she could never be that wit' me." A pause. "She needs someone who believes what she does, and agrees wit' her God. Hiromi fits that position - not me."
Crawford's lips twitched slightly in a half smile. "I felt almost bad telling her that you had died. I knew it was your wish, and I realized it was for the best if she thought you gone, but...she mourned you for months. All summer she moped about. And I've lost almost all contact with her. She shut herself away for quite a while."
"Hm." Farfarello smirked. "Did ye feel bad about lying to Nagi and Schuldig?"
Brad looked about ready to laugh, but only looked smug, suppressing the chuckle that just about made it out of his throat. "Of course not."
Farfarello turned back to the window, watching the buildings flying by. He tried not to think about how he had given up Bonnie, and how she had lied to him. When he had seen Brad in his hospital room that night, and had heard how awful Bonnie felt about, he realized he'd always bring her more pain than joy, and he did what he thought was right. He gave her up.
"I'm going back to Ireland," he decided suddenly, firmly speaking aloud so that he surprised even himself. "I'm going to make sure Bonnie never knows I'm alive."
Brad Crawford, simply put, was amazed. He'd never seen the Irishman act in such a responsible and selfless way. And now, hearing these words, he could only look over at the young man sitting there with his face raised to the sun and his fingers threaded thoughtfully in his hair and one eye gazing into the distance and say, "Farfarello, you've come a long way."
~~~~~
THE END!!! It's kinda sad... I've been writing this for months and months and now it's done!! Thanks for everything, you guys - I LOVE YOU!!
*GROUP HUG!!!!*
Ok, review and tell me what you thought of the end!!