Routine

CHAPTER 6

It took only a few moments for Tiana's mother to drive away and leave her behind, without so much as a second thought.

A week of solitude had gone by that consisted of waiting in her house that held so many memories between its walls, before Tiana realized Caren wasn't coming back.

It took another three days for Tiana to move into the Misaki household, Runo's parent being all too happy to take the young girl under their wing.

3 months, that's how long it took for Tiana to stop crying herself to sleep. Those months were filled with sorrow and blame. Blame she turned towards herself.

After 4 months, Tiana had finally accepted what had happened, forcing down the lump in her throat and placing a smile on her face, determined to move on.

She was going to be happy...

These were Tiana's thoughts, 6 months later, as she stared out of Dan's bedroom window, not paying any mind to the conversation between Runo and the two girls on the computer screen, Alice and Julie. Or to Dan, who lazily laid on his bed, holding a comic book above his head as he read it.

"Yeah, they certainly are taking their time," Tiana heard Runo say, snapping out of her daydreams.

The group was contemplating over what the enormous build that had been constructed over the past six months, was for. There had been many suggestions between the group but none had stuck out more than Tiana's suggestion of it being a morgue, which had earned her strange looks from her friends, which she had just shrugged off.

"But after 6 months of coffee breaks, we still don't know what it is!" Runo continued. "What in the world could take so long to build? A government office?"

"If you ask me," Alice started. "I would say a dance studio."

"How about a fitness center and a spa?" Julie suggested.

"Maybe a museum?" Tiana said, walking over to the desk so that she could see the two on the screen.

"I think you're all building something out of nothing," Dan finally spoke up, sitting upright on his bed and closing the comic book.

Tiana turned to face him, leaning back on the desk and crossing her arms over her chest while Runo just glanced over her shoulder at him.

"It's not nothing! A mall or an over-priced coffee shop could have disastrous effects on my parents' restaurant." Runo raised her wrist and activated her BakuPod, starting to type on the small device. "And according to my market research calculations..." She hummed a small tune as she continued to type.

"Market research? Don't make me laugh!" Dan exclaimed, standing up. "You barely have customers, let alone a market!"

Runo's face turned furious as a gasp escaped the other three girls' lips, knowing what was coming.

"Oh, you! AHHHH!" Runo yelled furious.

"Dan, just let this one go," Drago said as he, Tigrerra and Nemr sprung open from their place on the desk.

"This is one battle you won't win," Tigrerra agreed.

"There is no way for this to end in your favor," Nemr added.

"WHY YOU FREELOADING, UNGRATEFUL BRAT!!!" Runo yelled in Dan's face, Dan shrinking underneath her angered face.

"Um, Tiana...Little help," Dan sent a pleading glance to Tiana who still leaned against the desk.

"You were asking for it," she shrugged, a small smirk playing on her lips.

"But-But it was just a joke...Don't freeze me out of the free snackage. I'm your best costumer."