Stormy Summer

A Happy Day

Everything was huge.

The confusion of earlier was pushed back to the back of my mind and instead replaced by buzzing excitement that made my bones rattle with nerves and anticipation.

We were in the middle of a huge theme park on the outskirts of Tokyo. Surrounding us were several rides and a mass of people. Screams and laughs filled the air, building up the tension as we decided on our first ride.

"How about the free-fall tower, then," Rose asked, jokingly. I shivered at the idea, my stomach was left in nervous flips as I looked up at the ride Rose was pointing at, "Good idea," I laughed nervously, "I didn't want to go to school anyway, so dying here might come in handy," Rose snorted and went off in the direction of a map to see where to go first.

"Why don't you want to go to school?" she glanced at me over her shoulder, "Because of Bokuto?" she tried hard to hide her smile at that, though her eyes still looked concerned.

"What about Bokuto?" asked Anna, confused, "Did something happen?" she looked between Rose and me before turning her eyes to Charlie, hoping that she'd know something.

"I don't know what happened," she just shrugged, "Bokuto and Sally were already acting weird when we got back to them," Rose nodded as Anna and Charlie looked to her for confirmation.

Then, their eyes turned simultaneously turned to me, a silent question glittering in their eyes. I cleared my throat and looked at the map, pretending to gather my thoughts, "Let's go here first," I pointed to a ride on the map and looked back at the others. I'm not telling them what I think might've happened. Maybe it didn't even happen at all.

I need to talk to Bokuto. Somehow.

Though, I don't know how I'll face him yet.

Rose looked at the ride I pointed at and nodded, "Let's go there, then," she smiled lightly, "it's your birthday, after all," Rose took another look at the map and started off in a random direction, Anna immediately following after. Charlie and I took another look at the map, confused, "Rose! That's the wrong way!" Charlie hurried after her, whisper-yelling.

Slightly red in the face, Rose came back to take a look at the map to point out where she was going to go, to which Charlie pointed out that she wouldn't have made it there from how she was actually going.

It took a bit of walking around, but we finally made it to our first ride.

That's how we spent nearly all day. Looking at maps, enjoying rides, buying our photos, in which I always had the same, strained expression. Most of the rides were extremely high up, which I had trouble dealing with as I'd get more and more nauseous just at the thought of the distance between me and the ground.

I was somewhat proud of me as I thought I'd close my eyes in fear of the height more times than I actually did. Most of it was simply because of the wind.

By the time we went to get something to eat, it was already late afternoon. A slight shiver went down my spine as we sat down outside. The wind had picked up a little, "You cold?" I looked toward Rose, who wasn't looking at me but rather at Anna, who was shaking like a leaf.

Anna looked up from her meal to glare at Rose, "No," she stated before resuming to eat her fries. Rose nodded, "Of course not," before she too, went back to her fries.

I smiled to myself but hid it behind my hand as I ate. I've missed this. Going out. Just the four of us.

"Tadaima!"

"We're back!"

Rose and I called out at the same time only to be startled with loud cheers and I was nearly run over by a tall figure that proceeded to scoop me up in a hug that pushed all the air out of my lungs, "Happy birthday, Nacchan!" Kuro sang as he twirled me around before setting me down from his bear hug.

I was perplexed as I followed Kuro and Bokuto, who I only now realized stood behind Kuro, toward the dining room, unconsciously avoiding eye-contact with Bokuto.

In the dining room were Akaashi, his parents, and Kenma, already sitting at the decorated table. The table was somehow bigger than I recalled and a few chairs were added to accommodate the extra set of people who were to sit down at it.

In the middle of the table sat a huge plate with a cake on top. As I went to inspect it closer I realized that there was 'Happy Birthday' written in sloppy handwriting, "Kuroo-kun brought this cake for you!" Akaashi's mother said happily, "You didn't tell us that today was your birthday, Sally-chan!" she sounded almost accusing toward the end as Kuro pushed me to sit down next to Bokuto, who already sat down, before claiming the chair on the other side of me for himself, "I made it myself," Kuro gushed proudly as he grinned at me.

I nodded, still trying to process what was happening as I looked up to meet Rose's eyes, who sat across from me between Anna and Charlie, and she tilted her head at me before nodding slightly. Somehow that managed to pull me out of my stupor and I cleared my throat gently.

"Um... Thank you, I didn't think to mention it earlier as we were planning for the trip..." I trailed off, "but you didn't need to go out of your way to do this," I said before quickly adding, "though I am grateful that you did, anyway," I smiled at everyone at the table, pausing slightly as my gaze met Bokuto's before looking away as Kuro nudged me, "Let's eat then!" he grinned.