Azumanga Daioh Fan Fiction ❯ Tomo's Wish ❯ Act 11 A Tear can Tell Part 2 ( Chapter 11 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

I do not own Azumanga Daioh. It is owned by Kiyohiko Azuma.

Tomo had returned home from school. Her mom had received a call from Yukari. She wasn't pleased with how Tomo acted. She gave her a 24-hour cooling period. That is...Takino was going to be in her bedroom for the better part of the evening. She also took away her phone, laptop, and MP3 player in the interim. While she understood why she did it, she couldn't exactly condone it either. Tomo went straight to her bedroom quietly. She didn't exactly want to be bothered with anybody. Her brother heard what happened through Chiyo, and he was concerned.

"Mom...do you think that maybe we're being a bit tough with her?" he asked.

"I know...but you can't flip a desk at school..." she said softly.

"Though she really does have friends who care for her," he returned.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Some kids were taking trash against Tomo...and Chiyo stepped up," he answered.

"Wow...that little kid has some guts," she said surprised.

"She also had Kagura's backing too."

"That is something I came to expect," she then returned.

"Mom, I can't help shake the feeling that things will be coming to a head soon," he said.

"What do you mean?" she then asked.

"I think I know why Tomo is taking things this hard...she absolutely is in love with Yomi."

"We have established..."

"Hear me out," he said, "think about it...those dreams...her emotional outbursts...and those strong feelings...what do they mean?"

"You're right," she answered quickly, "I never thought of it like that before."

"I do understand why you want her to cool down," he said.

"Would you talk to her?" she asked.

"Sure," he said, "she's finding that love ain't exactly what it's cracked up to be."

He went to Tomo's bedroom quietly. He softly knocked on the door, and let himself in. He saw her do her homework. Chiyo had her notes photocopied so she could get everything down. She didn't copy down the answers. He sat on her bed and was quiet. She noticed him. He figured, she saved him the heartache...he was going to save her sanity, and her friendship. He also had some advice for him since he met a more down-to-earth girl.

"Tomo," he said, "I heard what happened."

"Oh..are you here to.." she started.

"I can't judge...I did things that would make the hairs on your neck stand," he returned.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked.

"Are you truly in love with her?" he asked.

"I don't...I mean..." She stumbled.

"I'm an outsider, but I think you are," he returned bluntly.

"What can I do about it?"

"You need to be honest with Koyomi," he said seriously. "If you can't do that...then what makes you think any relationship will work."

"I just don't want to force it now..." she started.

"Then you better not take too much time," he said, "if lose out on Koyomi...you will regret it."

Tomo knew he was right. She couldn't take much more time in messing around. She decided she was going to talk to Yomi when the cherry blossoms start to come in. That was considered a very quiet time in the grand scheme of things. She knew her was right...she couldn't take too much more time. She was wondering if exactly if then if she was waiting too long. She wanted to go for a walk...but couldn't. She finished her homework, and went on her bed. She was too lazy to even bother putting on any pajamas. She was in just her bra and boxers. Tomo felt emotional again. She again cried into her pillow. This was the second time today. Only this time...she had some sort of privacy. It didn't get any better. In school, she felt lifeless. Even her readings of assignments were flat. Teachers grew very concerned. Kimura even sent her to the nurse's station. There...she took her temperature.

"Your temperature is normal," the nurse said, "it's at 37° Celsius."

"I'm sorry for taking your time," Tomo said flatly.

"I believe you should have just stayed home today," she said. "You're too much of an emotional wreck."

"How did you know?" she asked.

"You're not the only kid to flip a desk," she returned honestly. "I did that when I came here 20 years ago."

"You were a student here?" she asked.

"Yes," she said, "I was about your age when I moved here."

She was very shocked. She knew the nurse was strict, and no-nonsense. Still, she was right. Today probably would have been a day to stay home. She was returned to class...it was the end, and Tomo Missed a lot of information. Sakaki had kept notes, and decided she was going to let Tomo copy them. There was no way she was going to let her flunk. This day too went quite terrible. In the evening...Tomo had been crying again. It was becoming too much. She needed something for validation...anything. She ran into Chiyo who was on her way home from the store. She knew exactly what Tomo was going through.

"Tomo...were you crying?" Chiyo asked.

"I was," she answered.

"I already know..." she said.

"How did you figure it out?" Tomo asked.

"I figured it out when everybody didn't want to tell me," she returned.

"Wow...that sucks," she said flatly.

"I don't know why you're having trouble of this at all," she said honestly...with a bit of anger to her voice.

"Wait a minute," Tomo said, as she picked up the tone, "tell me exactly what the trouble is!"

"You can't face Yomi in private, and she can't do the same for you!" Chiyo snapped.

"I...never thought of that..." she relented.

"You know...if you're in love with her...I can't stop that," Chiyo said honestly.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Takino added.

"It's nobody's business...after all, shouldn't it be you be entitled to your happiness?" She returned.

"You're right..." Tomo said,

"Tomo...are you really in love with her?" Chiyo asked.

"I am," she answered.

"Then don't you think she should know that?"

"She deserves to know it," she said. "Even if she doesn't want to...my soul will be cleared."

Chiyo nodded. It took this long for Tomo to see the light. When she returned home, she was a lot calmer. Her head was also a lot clearer as well. She went to her bedroom, and went into he closet. She found a dress she rarely wore. She tried it on, and it still fit. It was a purple dress, with spaghetti-thin straps. She looked in the mirror, and she started to feel a lot better about herself. She then decided she really was going to take action. She was going to use the next few days to plan out her attack. She also got the two rings from her dresser and knew that they'd have to come into play. In a nutshell...Takino wasn't about to lose Yomi as a friend, or a lover. Her only obstacle...would Yomi accept her. That was a bridge she was going to cross when she got to it.