Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
this is the bear^
-----
Kari always carried around a small stuffed bear. She'd named it Strawberry, because it was a soft pink, and its bow had strawberries on it, and plus it smelled like strawberries.
Strawberry was a girl.
Strawberry was Kari's comfort item. She held Strawberry whenever she cried, she carried her in her bag, she held Strawberry when taking tests.
Strawberry helped her stay calm.
Strawberry was Kari's sun in the darkness. When she didn't have Tk or Tai, she had Strawberry.
No one really knew Kari had Strawberry. She stopped holding Strawberry in class when she started 5th grade.
Only Tai knew, because he was her big brother.
He knew how much that little bear meant to Kari. And so he never told anyone, because he had the suspicion they would make fun of her.
Kari had kept this thing hidden for a long, long time.
And then Kari opened her bag, and Strawberry wasn't there.
She almost had a panic attack,she nearly cried,but she stayed composed.
Then, Matt walked over with his bandmates, no less.
Fumihito held up a soft pink bear with a bow that had strawberries on it.
It was Strawberry.
Kari's bear.
"Who's even is this?" Fumihito laughed. Matt chuckled.
"I mean, it's 5th-senior year," Matt snickered, crossing his arms, Fumihito continued, "Who the hell even OWNS stuffed animals anymore?"
I do. Kari thought to herself.
"Uh, give it,give it here." Kari muttered.
"Is it yours?" Sora raised an eyebrow.
Kari panicked, but stayed silent.
"Oh my god, it is." Davis snickered softly.
Almost all of the seniors made 'awwww'-ing noises. Matt chuckled softly, while Sora smiled and stayed quiet.
Izzy didn't really say anything, he was quiet.
Sayako simply giggled softly along with the seniors.
Hitaru didn't see the fuss. but 'awww'-d along everyone else.
Tai was standing, arms crossed, blank-faced. He seemed to mentally apologize.
Everyone was either laughing, making snide comments, or making noises.
What hurt Kari the most was when she looked at Tk.
He was grinning and laughing, and even made an 'awww' noise a couple of times.
Kari felt like crying.
Her eyes stung, they were pricked with tears.
The few moments felt like hours, years even.
FInally, Fumihito gave her the bear. "here, kid," he said as she took the bear.
She made the mistake of hugging the bear tightly, protectively.
This lead to even more 'awwww'-s and more comments, more laughter. Kari shoved the bear in her bag and crossed her arms, looking down.
Breathe, breathe, breathe.
No crying. No crying.
She was not going to cry over a stuffed bear in front of her only friends.
They thought she was lame enough.
She was not about to give them more reason to see her as a crybaby.
She turned to leave.
"wait, Kari, where are you going?" Cody asked sincerely, "I thought the 5th graders were gonna go to Ken's house?"
"Go ahead," Kari muttered, "I'm tired. I'm not going."
With that she left.
---
Kari laid in her bed at home, her pillow stained from her tears.
Seriously?
She was breaking down in tears?
Over a freaking BEAR?
Of course they hated her for it.
She was 11 and carried around a stuffed bear, and she expected to not be made fun of for it?
She might as well have personally told her friends that she was a childish mistake.
She hated herself for it.
Kari turned over and held the stuffed bear close and inhaled the strawberry scent.
