School Girls' Stories

Chapter 28 – Goodbye to You

“Shai?” Yuki asked, sitting on Fuji’s desk as the girls did every morning. Shai, however, had her mind out the window. She was watching the sky float by while Fuji began writing notes in her notebook about last night’s assignment and all of the questions she had about it. While Fuji’s life seemed to be going back to normal, even with Amatsu and her realizing their love for each other, Yuki’s and Shai’s seemed to be falling into different directions.

Yuki was gazing at Fuji with a different light. What was it about the studious star of the trio that made her so appealing, and why did she have to be so appealing to Kago? Why were those newspaper articles under his bed?

“I’m fine,” Shai sighed. “I’m sorry, I just can’t concentrate today.”

That was how the morning went. Shai looked out the window, Fuji asked questions that had the teacher getting a bit flustered, and Yuki wondered what to do about Kago. The three of them were leading very different lives, and Yuki was very afraid they were growing apart.

At lunch Shai excused herself, saying she was not feeling well, and going to the roof for some fresh air. She was not much in the mood to be bothered, so Fuji and Yuki sat alone together.

Yuki wanted to use this opportunity to pry into Fuji’s mind a bit. “Fuji, I think Kago is still in love with you,” she admitted to her best friend.

“Hmm, oh, why do you think that?” Fuji asked distractedly. Yuki watched Fuji’s leg go up and down rapidly, like she was shaking it the way she would if she had to pee and was holding it. She looked to Yuki, but her eyes were fluttering about.

“Are you suddenly nervous about something?” she asked.

Fuji shook her head. “No,” she said, then seemed to change her mind. “Something Shai did this morning kind of has me worried.”

“What?” Yuki asked quietly, sighing because she could not talk to Fuji.

“She hugged me when I went to her house before we got to yours, and just said how much she appreciates me and is sorry what is happening is happening,” Fuji explained.

“That seems like something Shai would do,” Yuki said. “She is overemotional lately, especially now that Mr. Tennison has become engaged to your mom.”

Fuji stood up too quickly. She looked out the door and back to Yuki. “That is what has me worried,” she said. She reached down and grabbed Yuki’s wrist and began dragging her out of the classroom, abandoning their lunch. “Call this gut instinct, but I’m really worried about Shai.”

The girls went up the stairs to the roof in a huff. Fuji was racing up those stairs like a track star, even in the school shoes. Yuki was having a hard time not tripping behind her. They raced up the stairs and came to the door of the roof, throwing it open. Fuji’s horrors were confirmed. Shai was on the opposite side of the railing, her hands behind her and barely holding her on the thin ledge. Her black hair was caught in an upsweep of the wind and both girls worried that the wind would be what takes her down first.

Fuji and Yuki began to run across the roof to their friend, but Shai’s voice carried over the wind. “Don’t come any closer!” she shouted. “I can’t do this!”

What did a person say to someone so close to the edge? She not only had thought about jumping, she was ready to execute it. Jumping off of a building was one sure fire way to die. This was a bit over four stories up, and nothing but pavement below. Shai would never survive if she decided to let go of that railing.

“Shai, he’s not worth it!” was all Yuki could think to scream out to her friend. Even Fuji, who always had something smart to say, seemed to be more shocked that her gut feeling was right.

“You don’t understand!” Shai screamed. “Neither of you can understand what I am going through right now!”

“Then tell us!” Fuji shouted back. “Tell us what is going on and we will do what we can to make it better!” Fuji took a few daring steps forward, but Shai turned her face to Fuji’s, her eyes filled to the brim with tears. She shook her head and glared. Fuji had never seen the girl glare before and it brought Fuji to her knees. “Shai, don’t let him break you!”

Yuki already had tears streaming down her face. She had not given up hope; she just regretted that she had not been able to keep her friend from this point.

“Lies,” Shai mumbled to herself, watching the crowd around the building begin to grow. People were screaming for teachers, not hearing the conversation of the teenagers on the roof, but aware that this girl was on the edge for a reason. “It’s all lies!” she screamed. “No one understands! How can you understand?”

The door behind the girls opened to none other than Mr. Tennison. The girls barred his way from getting any closer, but he was afraid to step forward. He looked towards the girl he had taken advantage of for months, stretching her and using her, and saw the person underneath. He saw the fragile, caring person she truly was and regretted everything in one moment.

“Shai!” he called out to her.

This caused a shudder to run up Shai’s spine. “I hate you!” she cried. Not feeling this was enough she screamed from the top of her lungs, “I hate you!” something loud enough to carry to the people on the ground. The fire department had been called and they were hurrying to try to get their nets out of the truck, to save her if she went down. Shai knew her time to jump was running short.

She turned towards Mr. Tennsion, her eyes no longer glaring, just full of tears. “You’ve ruined me!” she shouted at him. “You’ve made me yours, but you are marrying someone else. I’m pregnant with your child! I have no escape any longer.”

The three behind her all fell silent at this breaking news. What did you say to a girl who felt broken and used, and now knew she was pregnant? Would Fuji and Yuki not want to do the same thing? How was Mr. Tennison going to handle this?

His silence was enough of an answer for Shai. Shai turned towards the edge of the building, released the railing, and simply stepped off.