The Disconsolate Maiden

Chapter Four

"Oh?" Naomi Hashimoto smirked, looking up from her magazine about idols as soon as Homura walked into the room. "You're early to music class for once. What's up with that? Isn't your mother sick?"

Homura didn't say anything and just nodded her head, still relieved to have escaped the six boys who were apparently sextuplets- or just freakishly similar brothers who acted nothing alike.

Sitting down beside Naomi at the table, Homura put her school bag on top of it and began to open it up.

"Did you bring the sheet music?" Naomi snorted.

Homura's face grew a lighter shade of white when she heard those words.

"I'm s-so sorry..." Homura whispered, looking down at her lap, fidgeting nervously.

"Yeah, I didn't expect you to bring it. You never do," Naomi sighed, picking her magazine back up. "You know...this idol Hazukiro Mashimoto is really pretty. I want to be like her one day."

"Y-You like Mashimoto?" Homura asked, her tone of voice changing completely. Whenever someone mentioned a person she loved, or anything she loved, she would grow extremely passionate at that very moment. "I love Mashimoto's music!"

"Some of her songs are dark," Naomi said, rubbing her finger over the idol's shiny face in the magazine. "I guess she's relatable though."

"My favorite song by her is-" Homura began, but quickly stopped talking when the music room door was jerked open, then abruptly slammed shut a few seconds after.

"I am so livid!" Totoko screamed, sitting down at the table next to Naomi and Homura. "Nobody understands what I have to deal with everyday!"

And at that, the brown headed girl burst into tears, her two pigtails flopping over onto the table.

"I can't do this anymore! Nobody treats me right!" Totoko wailed, sniffing loudly.

"Totoko?" Naomi said, quickly pushing away from the table to comfort her friend. "What happened? Are you going to be alright?"

Naomi rested her hand on Totoko's head and began to pet it gently.

Immediately, Homura couldn't help but feel slightly left out. She hadn't known Naomi or Totoko for very long. But she did know that the two were very close friends.

"Osomatsu was talking to another girl on the way to school this morning!" Totoko screamed. "I feel so rejected and alone! Why does nobody care about me?!"

"There, there..." Naomi soothed. "No girl is ever going to be able to catch Osomatsu's attention like you do. You'll be okay. I don't think there's anyone else prettier than you in this school. Keep that in mind."

Totoko looked up, grinning from ear to ear, quickly wiping her tears away with her fists.

"Do you mean that?!" Totoko exclaimed, her voice just as happy as could be.

Naomi shook her head, then coughed very quietly under her breath, "But nobody is as pretty as me,".

"Speaking of which..." Naomi dragged out a chair and sat down next to Totoko. "who was the girl he was talking to?"

"She had brown hair in a braid off to the side, and she had our school uniforms!" Totoko hissed saltily. "Actually, she looked a lot like Homura."

Homura felt like someone had punched her in the stomach. She hadn't wanted to speak to those terrifying boys in the first place, and now Totoko was going to be furious with her.

"Weeeeeeeell," Naomi said, turning around, smirking as she faced Homura. "Did you run into someone named Osomatsu?"

"I-I..." Homura stammered. "I was l-listening to the seagulls screech...a-and when I started to back up, I-I ran into him. I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to! I didn't know you liked him! I don't want to bother people anyways!"

Homura bowed her head to both Naomi and Totoko, her hands trembling as a few tears welled up in her eyes. She feared what would come next.

"I don't want to get yelled at..." Homura thought, breathing slowly out of her mouth to slow her racing heart. "But at least I was honest...at least I can't be called a liar..."

Totoko glared at Homura, but didn't say a word.

Snorting, she turned her back on Homura and began whispering and giggling about things to Naomi.

Only a few minutes later did a few other kids begin to pile in, along with the music teacher.

"Homura," the teacher said, tapping the girl on top of her head with a ruler. "you're going to be at the piano today. I hope you've practiced this week."

Nervously rising from her chair, Homura staggered towards the piano, feeling more and more sick.

Pulling out the hard piano bench, the girl's vision began to blur, the other kids' voices beginning to sound farther and farther away.

Sitting down, Homura breathed in and out of her mouth slowly, trying to regain her senses.

Then, the teacher began to count the beats in the song, waiting for Homura to start.

Then, like it was all in slow motion, Homura toppled over, her head slamming onto the piano keys as she passed out, hitting the floor next.