Mourning

Harumi cried as she clenched her phone.

“I’m sorry momma. I’m sorry I had to tell you some bad news,” Madoka cried.

“No, I’m glad you told me everything. Rest up for now, I need to do something important.”

Harumi hung up and sent a text message before sobbing.

“Kina, I’m sorry I couldn’t save you, and for dragging you back into the life you wished to escape.”

                                                                        …

Serika sat down next to Emeri on the bed. Emeri had calmed down, however, she was still distraught. Her hands and wrists were now bandaged as she stared at the ground.

“Are you feeling better?” Serika asked.

“How can I feel better? They’re all dead.”

“I can give you a kiss if it makes you feel- “

Emeri attempted to slap Serika, but ended up smacking her in the face with her arm.

“A kiss isn’t going to make this better! Be a bit more considerate would you!” Emeri yelled.

Serika was at a loss on what to do. Emotional support was not something she was good at, nor could she truly relate to the pain Emeri felt. Despite that, she stayed by Emeri’s side.

“Why are you hugging me!? I don’t want to make out!”

“I’m doing this because it’s the only thing I can think of that will help you. It’s what helped me get my head back in the game.”

“I’m not like you.”

“Yeah, I know. You’re not a murderer.”

“Yes I am! I killed him!”

“No, that bitch is the one that did it. You thought you were fighting a monster to save us.”

“But- “

Serika sighed and gently slapped Emeri.

“You really think those dumb jocks would be mad at you? They’d probably be OK with laying down their lives to ensure you live on. Besides, there’s no way to know if that bitch was even telling the truth. I bet she’d have still murdered your mother even if we changed the sail. It’s not your fault, it’s that bitch's!”

“But this whole thing started because I began dating you.”

“Come on, that bitch was here to begin with. If anything, she probably was surveilling your family before we arrived.”

“You don’t know for sure.”

“So?”

“UGH! You’re being just as dumb as they were!”

“Hey, I’m trying my best. I’m the one who usually needs the emotional support.”

“They got Eriza though. The fact that they’re going to brainwash her means that bitch intends for us to fight each other. I can’t bear the thought of having to kill her or watch her kill you all.”

Serika went silent as she tried to come up with a response.

“Dammit, I can’t think of anything to say that would calm her down. Think girl! How did Sensei calm me down when I was a terrified wreck?” Serika thought.

                                                                                   …

Madoka finished chugging through her 2nd gallon of milk and stood up.

“I still can’t believe you can heal up just like that,” Yuni grumbled.

“Well, it can only really heal physical wounds. For mental ones, us Ginkawas are just as vulnerable as anyone else,” Madoka lamented.

“I wish we didn’t leave Eriza alone in Naxos, we should’ve stayed the night, but then again, who knows what that M.M. bitch would have done if we didn’t return.”

“I’m just glad the room wasn’t booby trapped.”

“I wonder how things are going up there. Considering Serika has little to no experience in dealing with emotional trauma, I imagine things are bad. Say, do you think maybe your mother could help Emeri?”

“I doubt it, she sounded pretty sad.”

“Then maybe the two of them could grieve together. It might help both of them.”

“Alright, let’s head on back up. I’ll call momma.”

                                                                           …

Yuni and Madoka entered the room to find Serika and Emeri sitting on the bed.

“Hey Emeri, momma’s on the line and wants to talk with you,” Madoka said as she held the phone up to Emeri’s ear.

“What!?” Emeri growled.

                                                                           …

After a long conversation, Emeri sighed and laid down on the bed.

“You better follow through dammit,” she muttered as she drifted off to sleep.

                                                                         …

As Emeri awoke, Serika held a glass of milk in front of her.

“Sorry about snapping your wrists, but I didn’t want you to hurt your pretty eyes,” Serika said.

Emeri sighed before sipping all the milk.

“No, I was too distraught back then, still am a bit,” she mumbled as Serika went to refill the glass.

“Yeah, you really showed your worst, but despite that, I stuck with you.”

Emeri perked up a bit at the mention of those words as Serika returned and sat down beside her.

“I know you’re the one who said you’d give me love, but I think you’re the one that needs love and support more than me now,” Serika calmly smiled.

Tears rolled down Emeri’s cheeks as she leaned her head on Serika’s shoulder.

“Thank you for sticking with me, Serika-chan.”

“No problem, Emeri,” Serika said as she stroked Emeri’s head.

                                                                             …

A few hours later, Emeri asked everyone for a favor.

“You seriously want to do THAT!?” Yuni said.

“Yes, it’s the least I can do to mourn for them. You all don’t need to do it, heck I’d prefer you don’t do it,” Emeri stated.

“Well, I wish you’d be a little less drastic, but its better than gouging your eyes out at least,” Serika sighed.

Emeri got out of bed and slid into her sneakers. Serika tied her laces before all the girls headed out.

                                                                                   …

Emeri stared at the sunset as her hair blew in the wind. She sat on a bench overlooking the sea as Serika grabbed something out of the shopping bag she was carrying.

“You sure about this? I thought you never wanted to do this ever again?”

“Thanks for your concern, but I feel I need to do this. Don’t worry, my hair grows back very quickly.”

“*Sigh* Baka. I’ll love you no matter how much hair you got. But do you seriously want me to shave you bald?”

“Yes, it’s what they’d do to me every time before a race.”

“I get that, but seriously, do I have to shave off your eyebrows too?”

“YES!”

“*SIGH* Well, if it will help ease your pain. But you better not complain if people give you weird looks.”

Strands of Emeri’s hair were carried off by the wind as Serika shaved her.

“Hahaha! Looks like I’ll be joining you guys in appearance one last time,” Emeri cried.

Madoka let out a small chuckle as Serika covered Emeri’s head and eyebrows in shaving cream.

“Oi! Laugh again and I shave you!” Serika growled.

“But she looks so silly like that.”

“This isn’t supposed to be-“

“Let her laugh. Laughter can wash away the sorrow,” Emeri smiled.

Serika sighed and smiled before finishing up.

“You look really beautiful,” Yuni stated.

“You don’t need to flatter me Yuni-chan. I know I look like a freak.”

“Come on girl, stop putting yourself down. You’ve been through enough, now go back to your normal self,” Serika smiled as she smacked Emeri’s head.

“I can’t go back EXACTLY to how I used to be, but I can go as close as possible. Oh and never smack my head again like that ever again.”

“That’s the girl I fell in love with. Now before we head back, we just gotta do one more thing.”

Serika reached into the bag and pulled out some scissors. She then cut off a small chunk of her hair and let the wind carry it off. She then handed the scissors to Yuni and Madoka who did the same.

“It’s the least we can do to show our support.”

Emeri tearfully smiled as she embraced everyone in a group hug.

“Thank you for sticking by my side.”