~3~

    A Young girl sits upon the bench outside, away from everyone else. She sits in sadness. In a new school. In tears. She felt that she didn't fit in, and that people were laughing at her. "W-why were they so mean? I didn't do anything and they still made fun of me for my glasses! I want to go home!".

    Another girl walked by and noticing the other crying and looked over at her. She walked up to her and stood there. The girl didn't respond. Her eyes were too choked with tears to see her. "Hey. Mind if I sit here?".

    The girl stopped crying and her head shot up. "W-who are y-you?", she asked in a choked voice. The other girl just stood there and smiled.

    "Mine name is Tara! What's yours?", she replied.
    "Sa-Sakura...", she answered, wiping her tears on her sleeve.
    "Well, hello Sasakura!", she beamed.
    Sakura burst into tears again. "No, no! I was just kidding! I heard you!".
    Sakura started to calm down again.
    "Konnichi wa, Sakura-san!", Tara said brightly.
    "Konnichi wa... Tara-san", Sakura replied.
    "Again, may I sit here?", Tara asked.
    "Oh... sure..."


    "So they made fun of you because of your glasses?"
    "Yeah"
    "Ugh. I hate people like that!"
    "Tara-san..."
    "Everyone made fun of me when I came here, too! Just because my hair is so short! Then I yelled at them and punched one of 'em in the face! Now they're all scared of me! Heh heh."
    "But, I couldn't yell or punch someone. I'd be too afraid!"
    "If you want I'll take of 'em for ya!"
    "No, that's okay! I don't want anyone to get hurt!"
    "Okay. Hey, I think it's time for lunch, want to sit with me?"
    "S-Sure!"
    Tara stood up and started towards the building, when she heard Sakura's voice call again. "Tara-san?"
    "Yeah?", She looked over and turned around. Sakura started to tear up again, and suddenly she just threw her arms around her. Tara's eyes bugged. 'What the...?', she thought to herself. Sakura started crying on her shoulder.
    "Th-thank You!", she sobbed. Tara hesitated. Then reached her arms around Sakura.
    "You're Welcome", she answered.

    Sakura woke bolt upright. She started breathing heavily and was sweating. She stared down at the blankets, trying to catch her breath. She realized what she had to do.

The Next Morning -
    The phone started ringing. Tara walked back into her room to answer it. "Moshi-Moshi?"
    "Hello, Tara?"
    Tara's eyes bugged. "What is it?"
    "I'm sorry for just leaving you like that yesterday. I'd forgotten how good a friend you've been to me. It's just that, with what happened the other night, I just felt a little uncomfortable at the time"
    "Because you saw me naked?"
    "Well, that and-"
    "'Cause, I've seen you naked, like, thirty times!"
    "Yeah, but that was-"
    "When we were taking a bath. Yes, but, changing clothes is the same thing!"
    "I guess you're right, but, those blondes said-!"
    "Forget the blondes! They're all obnoxious little snots who love only themselves!"
    "Oh. Okay. Thank You, I feel better now!"
    "Good"
    "And about leaving you-"
    "Hey, don't worry about it! I'm over that now!"
    "Really? Well, okay. Bye"
    "Bye!" *beep* She set the phone back down on the table.
    "I wonder why she's so scared of seeing me naked? We're both girls, it's nothing we haven't seen before!", Tara thought to herself.
    "I wonder why Tara is so protective of us seeing each other naked? Is there some reason for that?", she wondered.