Chapter Text
Natsuki stared out the window, watching the scenery rush past as the car moved ever closer to its destination. She tried not to think about it, but still, the memories of when she used to live with him rushed back into her head. It really pissed her off.
"So, you'll take the upstairs bedroom, which is a bit smaller, but it's still pretty big for a bedroom."
The brown haired girl in the driver's seat looked back at her. "Are you listening, 'Tsuki?"
The pet name made Natsuki cringe inwardly. She hadn't been called that in two years. It reminded her of things she'd rather forget. "Yeah, yeah. I'll get the top bedroom." She said, still staring out the window. Maybe if she ignored her, she'd stop talking.
The girl driving sighed. "Y'know, I'm not exactly jazzed about this either. My mom didn't even tell me we would be taking someone in till, like, yesterday." Natsuki stayed silent. She just wanted this car ride to be over.
"Look, Natsuki, I know we're not exactly on the best of terms, but let's try to make the best of it, okay? Maybe we can even-" Natsuki cut her off. "No. Just no, Monika. You left us all when we needed you the most. You ruined all our lives, and then fucked off. We're not going to be friends again. Ever."
The car was silent. Monika didn't say a word. Natsuki leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. Today was definitely going to suck.
Yuri forced her eyes open, taking in the sunlight streaming from her window. Glancing at her alarm clock, she winced at the time. Groaning, she rolled sluggishly out of bed, grimacing as the dull pounding of a headache pulsed inside her head. She staggered towards her bathroom, trying to suppress the bile that slowly began rising in her throat. In her kitchen, she pushed past empty wine bottles and reached for the painkillers. She quickly downed one with a glass of water and leaned against the kitchen counter, steadying herself. Well, at least it wasn't a school day. That would be a bad time for a hangover. After a quick breakfast, Yuri showered and threw on a black shirt and some sweatpants. She stood in front of her closet, absentmindedly picking at the scars on her arms, before selecting a tan sweater. She'd rather not provoke any more stares than normal.
She walked to her door, and reached for that handle. She paused, took a deep breath, and opened the door, the sunlight doing nothing to help her pounding headache. Walking down the street was always Yuri's least favorite part. The thought of running into anyone on her way to the library made her shiver. Not to mention the old warehouse that loomed ominously in the background. She tried her best not to look at it. Too many painful memories. As she walked briskly down the sidewalk, she noticed a car pull into the driveway of one of the houses that had been for sale. She frowned. The house looked familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on why…. Until a tall, brown haired girl stepped out of the driver's seat.
Yuri began wishing she was still drunk.
Sayori liked the library. It was nice. Quiet. She always seemed to end up there whenever she was feeling down. Which, admittedly, was quite often. She hummed softly as she walked down the aisle labeled "Poetry." That was another thing Sayori liked. Poetry helped her process her emotions, and reading other people's poetry was like a glimpse into their minds. She picked out a small book, and sat down at one of the tables to flip through it. She stopped at a poem that seemed interesting, and tried to focus on reading it. Her mind soon began to wander, however, and when Sayori's mind wandered, it always went back to the same place. Sometimes, the library was a little too quiet. She stood up quickly, deciding to take the book home with her. Maybe a walk would clear her head. She checked out the book, and strode quickly out the library doors.
On her way home, she gazed up at the sky and smiled slightly. It was a beautiful day out. She took her time, taking in the scenery around her. The mountains looked especially pretty today. She looked back down, just in time to slam into someone in a hurry. Sayori fell on her back, letting out a small exclamation of surprise. The person she had hit, a tall, dark-haired girl, quickly picked herself up. "A-ah. S-sorry about that." The girl said nervously. Sayori stood up and offered the girl a bright smile. "No worries! It happens to the best of us , hehe!" She looked a bit closer at the girl, squinting. "Wait, Yuri!?" She exclaimed. "Oh my gosh! I haven't seen you in years!" Yuri looked incredibly uncomfortable. "U-um, sorry, but I think you have the wrong person. I-I need to go."
Sayori frowned. "But-" Yuri pushed past her without another word, practically running away from her. Did she do something wrong? Does Yuri not remember her? Maybe she thinks she's a f- Sayori shook her head. She couldn't waste time on thoughts like those. She looked back at where Yuri had run from. Huh. Hadn't that house been for sale? What's a car doing there? Furthermore, who was that girl outside? Wasn't that Monik- Sayori decided that maybe the library wasn't such a bad place to be today. After all, she liked the Library. It was nice. Quiet. And it didn't remind her of that awful day two years ago.
Monika was not having a good day. First, there was that terribly awkward car ride, where one of her old childhood friends basically confirmed what Monika already knew: that she, Monika Saito, was a piece of shit.
But even before today, things hadn't been great. Her mom decided to adopt another kid without even asking her about it, for one. It was just her luck that the one person she decided to adopt was Natsuki. It's not like it was on purpose, Monika was sure of that. Her mom only wanted to adopt because Monika wasn't good enough. She didn't even bother to travel down here with them. But maybe this was actually a good thing. The whole reason Monika agreed to move back here was because she wanted to make amends. To all of them. Sayori, Natsuki and Yuri. She owed them that much, at least. Sighing, Monika stood up from her desk and walked down to the kitchen to make them both some lunch. She was surprised to see Natsuki already down there. She seemed to be cooking something, but Monika knew better than to ask. She was already glaring at her, no need to make things worse. Monika just gave a small smile and hurried back to her room. It's not like she was hungry anyways. Okay, maybe she was starving because she stupidly skipped breakfast. She'd just have to get something later. Not that she really deserved anything good.
At least she had today to get ready for school tomorrow. Senior year. Hooray. She sighed. She was being unfair. School used to be one of her favorite things about living here, but that changed after…. She stood up straight. Sayori. The thought of the coral-haired girl sent shivers down her spine. She needed to find out if Sayori was still here, if she was still- No. There'll be time for that tomorrow. If she wants to do this, she'll need to take it slow and patient. It's just unfortunate that she couldn't do that with Natsuki. She closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose. She could feel a headache coming on. She really needed to get a grip. Her stomach rumbled, but she ignored it. By now, she knew it would stop after a while.
Yuri felt ill. Well, more than she already did. First, she saw that Monika was back in town, and then she ran into Sayori. She froze. Monika was back. She started to hyperventilate. Monika, the person who- She didn't want to finish that train of thought. And Sayori, the last person Yuri wanted to run into after seeing Monika, just had to be there. Of course. Because the universe didn't make it hard enough for Yuri. Sayori didn't deserve someone like Yuri back in her life. Not after she abandoned her when everything went to shit two years ago. Not after she listened to Monika. Yuri leaned against her bedroom wall, sliding to the floor. She looked over to her dresser. Wordlessly, she got up, opened the top drawer, and retrieved a knife from inside.
Sayori was back in the library. She had finished her book, but she definitely wasn't ready to go home. So, she sat and watched the hours tick by. Her eyes grew heavy, and she began drifting off into a restless sleep.
She stands atop an old, abandoned warehouse.
The sun sets gently behind the mountains.
Looking down, she takes a step forward,
And falls.
Someone above screams her name….
"Sayori!"
Sayori awoke with a start. "Eh? What's happening?!" Above her, a dark-haired boy glares down at her, an annoyed expression on his face. "I thought I'd find you here, but I didn't expect you to be sleeping. How lazy can you get?" Sayori smiled. "Sorry MC! I didn't get much sleep last night!" He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I bet. You were up late playing games, weren't you?"
Sayori stood up, gathering her things "Hey! Games are fun!" They start walking out of the Library, MC walking in front of Sayori.
"Well, it was stupid of you to stay up so late. Even on a weekend."
Sayori looked up sheepishly at MC. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry."
MC smiled "It's alright, Sayori. That's why I'm here. To make sure you don't make any dumb decisions."
MC was Sayori's only friend. They had met in the hospital, and since then, they became very close. Even when all of Sayori's old friends left her alone, MC stayed with her. She was truly happy to have him, even if he did hurt her feelings sometimes.
"Hey, MC?" She asked nervously.
MC looked down at her quizzically. "What's up?"
"Do you think you could drive me home?" Sayori asked, bracing herself for MC's retort.
MC rolled his eyes. "Really? You can't even walk yourself back home?"
His response stung, but Sayori was determined. She did not want to see Monika again. "Pleaseeee?"
MC sighed. "Fine."
Sayori inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "Yay! Thank you!"
Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all.
Natsuki didn't care that this was technically Monika's kitchen. She wanted to bake, and she didn't give a flying fuck about Monika. This was technically her kitchen too. If Monika got angry, then good. Serves her right, honestly. Natsuki hoped Monika would get angry. Baking was something that Natsuki always liked to do. It calmed her down, and made her feel more like a girl. It made her feel cu- It made her feel good, okay? She was about halfway through when she heard Monika walk down the stairs. Natsuki made a point of glaring at her. Monika looked at her with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and her stomach growled. She quickly turned around and walked back upstairs. Not that Natsuki gave a shit. She could starve for all she cared. She looked down at the cupcake batter.
A dimly lit room, deep rasping breaths.
A hand over her mouth, a voice at her ear.
"You're quite cute like this, aren't you?"
Natsuki almost threw up. She didn't feel like baking anymore.
Monika ruins fucking everything.