Take My Hand

Chapter 11- Reaching Out

A hand reached out to her. Amidst the fear, grief and confusion, through her vision very much blurred by tears, a hand had reached out for her. At first, Mitsue thought that she had imagined it. Her despair was so real. It wouldn't be surprising if she had imagined someone coming for her. Mitsue blinked twice, wiping away her tears. The hand remained, this time clearer than before, its palm outstretched, waiting. Mitsue recognized the scar that ran along the inner sides of the arm. Her heart skipped a beat. She looked up frantically.

'M-Madara.... Madara!' somehow, the fact that one friend had remained touched her so deeply, the waterworks inside her started once more.

'What-Who-I don't understand! Believe me! It wasn't me! How would I ever-'

'I believe you.' Madara's words came as a shock to her. He had said them so easily, like he hadn't really understood the gravity of it all. Mitsue was dumbfounded. She didn't know how to react to the three simple words that meant the world to her. She just sat there, looking at him with surprise in her tear-streaked face, the last of her tears slipping down the corner of her eyes. Madara knelt down beside her, gently catching her tears with his knuckles.

'I believe you, Mitsue.' he repeated, softly this time.

'W-Why? D-Do you know what y-you are saying?'

'Because... Do I even need a reason to believe in the friend I had spent my fun-filled days with?' he replied, not really answering her question.

'B-but the things in the d-diary... they are s-so horrible!'

'Its precisely that, that I know for sure it isn't you. The Mitsue I know for the past two years would never say such things. It is never like her to be this ungrateful and unhappy.' Madara touched her arm lightly.

'T-That was definitely m-my handwri-'

'Someone must have forged it.'

'N-nani..?' Mitsue couldn't believe it. When everything was against her, when all the evidence clearly pointed to her.

'E-Everyone hates me n-now.' she said in between hiccups.

'I don't,' he assured as he helped her up, his strong arms around her shoulders. Mitsue sniffed and forced herself to regain her breathing. After ensuring that she was capable of standing on her own, Madara released his supportive grip, aware of his inappropriate proximity to her. He offered a tissue, and then bent to pick up her books and notes that had been uncaringly trampled on, swiping away whatever dirt he could in the process.

'Here.' he offered her books back. Mitsue had so many things to say but no matter how she tried, she just couldn't find the right words to express herself. Disbelief, curiosity, confusion, sadness, gratefulness, happiness, comfort. She didn't know how to organize her disarrayed thoughts and mixed emotions. In the end, all she could come up with was a stuttered 'A-Arigatou, Madara.' as they walked in silence, certain that her words would never adequately convey her gratitude.