The person you used to be {EiMiko highschool au}

#2 | I still miss it

‼️TW: bullying, mental health issues‼️

Yae hated being in detention, it was so boring and every minute seemed to be a year. And the pointless busywork they gave students was all based of the assumption that if you were in detention you were stupid. Yae could be smart when she wanted to. She just didn't want to bother with unnecessary classwork. She even got pretty good grades. Not comparable to those of Ei's but no one could catch up to Ei, she got perfect grades on every test. Yae could never understand how someone could be that talented at everything. Was there anything that Ei didn't know?

Finally after an agonising hour finally she and all the others were dismissed to leave. No doubt she will be back after 'disrespecting' another teacher when all she wanted to do was point out the work was unneeded and frankly stupid. Or she'd piss of a certain student president a little too much with one of her comments. Yae thought it was terribly unfair that Ei could do anything she wanted with no consequences, any change she wanted to see in the school happen regardless if it was for the success of others or just to see herself succeed.

As she traveled through the halls she glanced into the library to find Ei inside, alone. She could hardly figure out what Ei was doing in the library alone an hour after school, she wasn't even doing anything just sitting. It almost reminded her of an npc in a game, sitting around, waiting patiently for a purpose to exist. Yae remembered that expression, she'd always ask Ei if she was ok and hug her whenever she slipped into that state and Ei would just start crying in Yae's arms, but that wasn't Yae's place anymore. It wasn't Yae's place to fix any of Ei's issues anymore. But she couldn't help herself but try.

Yae walked into the library and sat down at the table Ei was sitting at.
"Hello Ei," Miko greeted Ei.
The way Ei slid back into her character honestly impressed Miko, "ah Yae I'd love to hear whatever nonsense insults you have for me today and then give you a detention but I'd have to be leaving now!" She gave one of her annoying signature graceful smiles before she picked her bag up, leaving Yae to realise that she'd never get that friendship back. Maybe if she'd never been so judgemental about the way Ei had chosen to present herself she could've regained the friendship she'd missed since they'd stopped going to the same school when high-school started.
It just hurt to know that Ei had tossed those memories aside like they'd never mattered to her in the first place. It made her angry, it made her feel like Ei had never cared for Yae. She knew that wasn't true, when they were younger Ei would've gone to hell and back for Yae but it felt like it was true.

"Please stop!" Yae cried out, a group kids surrounding her. She didn't know what she'd ever done to make then hate her so much. She considered fighting back useless. She just laid there, curled up and in pain as they all kicked at her while yelling mean words.
"I'm sorry!" She exclaimed through sobs, her voice shaking.
"Aw, she's sorry is she?" The group leader mocked the shaking girl
In that moment Yae truely thought she would die, she thought she would die curled up in a ball crying and begging. All because some kids didn't like her. Until she heard another voice.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" She could hear the anger in the voice as it approached.
"Stay out of this!" The leader ordered but to no avail.
A couple moments later Miko found it was safe and that the only person standing in front of her was a purple haired girl.
"Are you badly injured?" The girl questioned Yae
and that was really as far as Yae remembered when it came to meeting Ei for the first time.

Suddenly the voice of a library assistant snapped her out of her thought, "excuse me, the library is closing in 5 minutes could you please leave?"
To which Yae nodded and began walking out of the library and out of the school. She paused to appreciate the flowers on the trees, Sakura blooms.
Ei always used to say that they matched Yae.
Damnit get it together Yae, there's a reason you aren't friends anymore, her inner voice scolded. It wouldn't stop Yae from wanting that friendship back, even though she'd tried to replace it or forget it. She'd never forget braiding Ei's hair or listening to music with Ei while eating McDonald's at 12 am. It's the type of friendship that's almost like a confession of love could slip out at any moment and it wouldn't shock anyone.

"Miko are you done braiding my hair?" Ei whined, "I want to lay down"
Yae laughed "Someone has never been taught patience," she paused before continuing, "but yes I am done."
"Yae, I am taught patience every-time you braid my hair," Ei joked in response.
Ei laid down on Yae's bed and yawned. Yae looked over at her, she looked like she hadn't had good sleep in days, maybe even weeks.
"Ei, are you ok?" Yae laid down next to her and asked in a concerned tone.
Ei didn't respond and just hugged Yae. The pink haired girl waited as Ei fell asleep, if Ei didn't want to talk about what was upsetting her she didn't have to. She wrapped her arms around Ei and fell asleep as well.

It has turned out Ei hadn't been able to sleep and if she was able to it wasn't good quality. Yae felt happy that Ei knew she'd be safe as long Miko was there. Yae had made it a point to always make sure Ei could feel safe around her. But then again she clearly didn't feel safe in Yae's company anymore.
Whatever, I don't need Ei anymore. That was of course a lie, she always felt ever so slightly like she was missing something vital. And of course that was Ei.