The Fox and The Rabbit

Aimi wiped the sweat from her forehead on the back of her arm. Everyone was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. Well, everyone except Hanajima. Kyo and Uo bickered about who won the badminton game.

“Geez, Aimi-chan, you suck at this!” Uo said cheerfully.

“I am not… athletic… at all,” Aimi panted. “I mean, look at the… size of my butt!”

Uo howled with laughter at that. Yuki shook his head at her. “Still, that was fun,” he said.

Everyone soon parted ways to head back home, Aimi walking with Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki for a while. The four talked cheerfully amongst themselves, Yuki making plans to help Aimi with her studies the next afternoon. Once Aimi separated from the group to head down her street, she was giddy with excitement. The day had started off badly but ended so well! She felt like she was on cloud nine. She didn’t understand this feeling. It was so new to her. When she pictured Momiji’s face, her heart fluttered like butterfly wings.

Was this what love felt like?

That couldn’t be. She barely knew the boy. That was just silly. Still, there was something about him that made her insides all weird and frazzled.

Checking her mail before heading in the house, Aimi raced upstairs after a quick salutation to her father. She would forego homework for now so she could write a letter to her mother. She had to write down the events of this day before she forgot the feelings swelling in her chest. She had to put it down on paper while it was still fresh.

Dropping her school books at the door, Aimi rushed to her desk and got down to writing. Though she had a laptop she could use to type, she really only used it for research for school. There was something special about putting her thoughts down in black ink on fresh paper that made it preferable over typing on a keyboard.

After gushing about the lovely boy she’d met today, Aimi ended her letter with the usual, “Write me soon.” message, signed it, and slipped it into an envelope. She would put it in the mail first thing in the morning. Then it was time for homework and the struggle with history. It was a relief to know that Yuki would be helping her out tomorrow.

 

Over the next few weeks, things went well for Aimi. She grew closer to her new friends. Yuki, she developed an especially close kinship with. It was as if they both recognized the darkness swirling inside each other and empathized with it, though they never actually talked about their inner demons. It was like an unspoken understanding between them.

With Tohru, Aimi found the motherly figure that had been missing in her life for so long. The girl was so overly kind and caring for her friends, going out of her way to please them and cheer them up if need be. Aimi had never met anyone like her and hoped they could remain friends for a long time yet.

Things with Momiji progressed slowly. Aimi was afraid of getting too close to the cheerful, energetic boy, physically and emotionally, though she was often tempted to scoop him up and hug him just to see his rabbit form. Though she recognized these emotions as a developing crush, she was still terrified of admitting her feelings. It was becoming clear to her that though they were good friends, he didn’t see her as anything more. A part of her wanted to try harder, to get him to see her as an attractive and desirable female worth dating. A larger part was glad he hadn’t set his sights on her. If he found out her secret, there was always the possibility of losing his friendship altogether.

Ou and Hanajima spoke in whispers about the anniversary of Tohru’s mother’s death approaching. Aimi wasn’t sure what to think of that situation. Should she ask Tohru about it? Would it bring up too many painful memories? Surprisingly, she was invited by the three friends to visit the gravesite with them that day. Madly uncomfortable, Aimi politely declined. She explained haltingly that she felt out of place on such an occasion. She hadn’t known Kyoko-san and felt like she would be intruding on a very personal day for the girls. Tohru tried to explain that it was okay but Aimi shook her head and raced off.

The idea of seeing Tohru vulnerable and sad was too much. Besides, extreme feelings like that tended to release some of Aimi’s gift unintentionally. Something dangerous could happen. Something everyone would know wasn’t normal.

Tohru brought it up to her once more but when Aimi quickly changed the subject, her friend took the hint and didn’t mention it again.

Maybe next year, Aimi thought. Maybe when we are all a bit closer and I don’t still feel so guarded around Uo-chan, Hana-chan and Yuki-kun.

 

Summer was approaching fast. Though Aimi still refused to put her hair up around her friends, even outside of school, none ever questioned her about it and she was glad. She didn’t want any prying questions about her scar anytime soon.

The music club was becoming the highlight of her school day. The school had a beautiful piano in the auditorium and Aimi loved playing and singing as other members played their own instruments. She mentioned it to Momiji one day and he grew quite excited.

“Maybe I will join, too!”

“You play an instrument?” Aimi was thrilled to discover that they shared a love for music.

“The violin,” Momiji beamed proudly. “I’ve been taking private lessons. I’m not sure if I’ll have time for a club but we’ll see.”

Aimi couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. “It would be wonderful to be in a club together, Momiji-kun.” The idea of seeing more of him had her heart doing that butterfly fluttering again.

And then one day, Aimi’s happy existence ground to a halt.