In a small town lies Kaijo High School, but our story no longer takes place there. In the city of Tokuko, five hours from Kaijo, 4 old friends, who were a part of their high school culture club, alongside some new faces, embark on the next stages of their lives, and this is their story...
April 2027. Tokuko Elementary
Yazzy: How do I look?
Lizzy looks around the classroom
Yazzy: What are you doing?
Lizzy: I'm looking for someone who cares
Yazzy: Ouch
Lizzy: You're supposed to be here helping me get my room ready, not having me rate your fits
Katie: Where do want this box Lizzy?
Lizzy: Oh just put it over in the corner please
Yazzy: I am helping....I just need advice
Lizzy: Why is it so important?
Yazzy: I am proper freaking out here
Lizzy: Jeez calm down
Katie: You look great Yazzy
Yazzy: Thanks Katie. I'm going to go grab another box from the car
Katie: Okie
Yazzy leaves the classroom
Katie: Really?
Lizzy: What'd I do?
Katie: She has a date after this
Lizzy: Ok
Katie: Wow, you said that with no emotional feeling whatsoever, I'm impressed
Lizzy: I don't go on dates
Katie: Which is why you don't get it
Lizzy: No I get it, I just don't see the need for panic
Katie: It's the first date since.....you know
Lizzy: Oh yeah the guy that she dated last year and then she cried in the middle of sex
Katie: Where is your understanding?
Lizzy: 2 things. Number one, I am immune to all things romantic, flirtatious and fluffy - except cats. Number two,
Lizzy laughs
Katie: Really?
Lizzy: Sorry....where was I?.......Oh it doesn't matter, the point is I just don't get the hype over dates. Besides, we're supposed to be sorting my stuff out today, you guys offered remember?
Katie: It was offer to help or be forced to help
Lizzy: I see no difference
Katie: Look....she's struggled to date since Kieran unalived
Lizzy: This is not TikTok, you do not need to filter your irl words
Katie: I just happen to prefer that word....it's been tough for her to put herself back out there. She tried to move on but had a string of bad dates, she started dating someone and then they have sex for the first time, during which she realised she wasn't ready to move on and broke down, causing him to leave in embarrassment thinking he'd hurt her. Now she's met someone she really, really likes and she wants to make this work. She deserves this, she deserves the happiness and it's about time she put the past behind her. So we just need to support her and show a little compassion because god knows she's shown us enough compassion over the years
Lizzy: .....Yeah, I guess you're right
Katie: I am
Yazzy then comes back in with another box
Yazzy: Where do you want this one?
Lizzy: Can you just put it on top of the one Katie brought in a bit ago?
Yazzy: Sure
Yazzy walks over to the corner
Lizzy: Yazzy
Yazzy: Yeah?
Lizzy: You look great, I'm sure he'll agree
Yazzy smiles
Yazzy: Thank you
A few days later. Tokuko Elementary
Michi: Straight into the gym please, no classes today
CC: No you know that we're not in class today, it's the opening ceremony, straight to the gym, thank you
Alex: Well, here we are again
CC: Always comes around so quick
Michi: Ah, no more sleeping in, it's been a good few weeks
CC: There she is! Our new Assistant Principal!
Lizzy walks over, looking stressed already
Lizzy: I swear to god, these kids do not listen
Alex: You've been teaching for a while now, you know that
Lizzy: How hard is it to understand 'Go to the gym', honestly is it just me?
Michi: Why do you think we're standing guard here?
Lizzy: This is where Kieran came in handy, he could just effortlessly get them all to where they needed to be
CC: Still don't know how he used to do it
Michi: Speaking of Kieran.....
Lizzy: Please don't
Michi: The ceremony
Lizzy: It's all good
Michi: Are we all set for tomorrow then?
Lizzy: Yeah, but can we talk about it later, I need to get these kids in, the quicker they're in, the quicker we can get this ceremony over with and they can all go home
July 2024. Kaijo High
Lizzy: Full house?
Kieran: Royal Flush
Lizzy looks at Kieran
Kieran: I thought we were naming poker moves
Lizzy: Why would I be naming poker moves?
Kieran: Why do you do anything?
Kieran suddenly feels his chair disappear from beneath him as his ass slams into the floor, with his head catching the table as he drops
Lizzy: Deserved
Yazzy: Ouch
Lizzy: I was asking if we had a full house. If everyone was here. It was supposed to save time
Michi: Didn't really work did it?
Lizzy: It would have done if some twerp-
Lizzy kicks Kieran
Lizzy: Hadn't stuck his stupid nose into my business
CC: Well to answer your question, we are still missing a couple
Lizzy: Who's not here?
Michi: Grandma Hunter
Lizzy: Boring. And?
Tori: Delia
Lizzy: Who?
CC: You're not serious right?
Lizzy: Who is this Delia? Name sounds like they're straight out of a reebok commercial
Katie: Lizzy....
Lizzy: Oh wait, you mean the Delia that's supposed to come to these meetings as well but only shows up when she feels like it
CC: Ah I see where we're going with this
Lizzy: I don't acknowledge those that do not do my bidding
Delia: Well you can acknowledge me today
Delia is stood at the door, with Hunter just behind her
Delia: For your information, we were late out of class
Lizzy: Grandma's legs just not like they used to be huh?
Hunter: They can still throw shapes thank you
Lizzy: You throw any shapes at me and you are going straight out that window. Don't believe me, you know who to ask
Kieran: (from under the table) It's true
Lizzy: Look can we just get this started please, we're short on time as it is
Alex: Please
Lizzy looks at Alex
Lizzy: I expect that attitude from him (points at Kieran) and occasionally him (points at Hunter) but not you Alex, don't disappoint me
Alex: Sorry
Lizzy: Anyway......
The next day
Kieran is walking down the fourth floor corridor on the way to his first lesson of the day. The sun is lost behind the thick clouds dominating the sky, with a strong wind building as each minute passes. The sports festival is due to be held in a few days but the weather is threatening the usual sunny conditions that grace festival days. Preparations were now mostly complete for the festival with one final meeting to be held tonight which Lizzy described as 'mandatory with absence punishable by death'. Kieran wasn't planning to skip out on it anyway, but he wasn't taking any chances now, although he did laugh at the idea of not showing and the anger it would cause Lizzy.
Lizzy: Don't think like that
Kieran: I wasn't-
Kieran turns around to reply but there is no one behind him save for the few students further back also making their way to lessons. They give him a weird glance in response to his sudden actions
Kieran: (thinks to himself) I can't catch a break
Kieran continues onwards to his class. History, his favourite subject. To him, there is something so fascinating about history, the way the past unfolded, the decisions that were made and their outcomes, the thoughts that when studying historical events, that they had been a part of someone's present, someone's experience, someone's life. It was the only subject he was any good at, only averaging his way through the others or in some cases, failing miserably. He reached the classroom door
Yazzy: Took you long enough
Kieran: What do you mean? I'm on time, I-
Once again, there was no one to be seen. He threw open the classroom door, expecting to see Yazzy on the other side but there were only a few students sat at their desks in the middle of the classroom, who glanced over at Kieran as he loudly opened the door.
Female Student: Someone's eager
Male Student: Wish I had that energy in the morning
Kieran meekly walks over to his desk by the window, slumps into his seat and lays his head on his desk
Kieran: What is happening to me?
April 2027. Tokuko. Lizzy, Katie & Yazzy's House
Lizzy: Man I'm beat
Katie: I told you that Natsu body pillow was a bad idea
Lizzy: What? Don't be disgusting, I am a lady
Katie: I'll believe that when I see it
Lizzy: Wow....I'm being called out by my best friend....in my own house as well
Katie: The other day you tried to stage an intervention for me over Love Live!
Lizzy: I was concerned
Katie: I was confused
Lizzy: Where is Yazzy?
Katie: Date
Lizzy: Again?
Katie: It's the same guy
Lizzy: Ohhhh
Katie: I'm hoping that they finally make it official
Lizzy: They've been dating for a while now right?
Katie: About three months. They met just before Christmas but didn't go on their first date until the start of this year
Lizzy: I hope it works out for her, she needs a break
Katie: Why do you think I'm holding out so much? All of us have moved on from Kieran, we've all made so much progress and we're all so happy. Delia's got her amazing new job and a girlfriend that's she infatuated with. Tori's got her interview for Head of Psych at work today, CC's married, Michi's engaged, Alex just bought her own house. You and me, well we're doing good, we have this amazing place and life isn't getting to us anymore. We're all living in 2027, but Yazzy has been stuck in 2024, stuck on that day at the hospital when they told us he was dead, she's not been able to get past it, but she's finally beginning to, she's catching up to the rest of us.
Lizzy: She'll get there
Katie: That's why she needs to hurry up and come home, the suspense is killing me
Lizzy: It's a good thing though right? If she's still out then she's having a good time
Katie: I guess
The front door clicks and Yazzy walks in
Lizzy: There she is
Yazzy: Here I am?
Katie: We were just talking about you
Yazzy: Good things I hope?
Lizzy: Obviously not
Katie: Ignore her, we were talking about your date. How did it go?
Yazzy: It was amazing, he took me to this beautiful little restaurant that overlooks the river, it was so quiet and peaceful
Katie: Sounds so romantic
Yazzy: It was
Yazzy looks down
Lizzy: If it was so good, then why do you look so sad
Yazzy: He asked me to be his girlfriend
Katie: That's great! Finally!
Yazzy: I said no
Katie: What!? WHY?!
Yazzy: I can't do it
Lizzy: Yes you can
Yazzy: I don't deserve happiness, not after...
Katie: Yazzy...
Lizzy: Don't think like that
Yazzy: It's my fault he died, I pushed him away, I ghosted to him, I practically pushed him into the arms of Kaylin and all of the events that unfolded. I'm the reason he died, I don't deserve to be able to live a long happy life
Lizzy slaps Yazzy
Lizzy: Stop it!
Katie: Lizzy!
Lizzy: No one here is at fault for his death, none of us, there are only two people responsible, one of them is dead - for the second time, and the other is spending her life in prison. You DO NOT blame yourself, not now, not ever, you understand? You deserve happiness, you deserve to feel love again, and I swear to god if you do not pick up your phone, call that guy and tell him you made a mistake, I will.
Katie: She's right
Yazzy: It's just so difficult
Lizzy: Grief isn't easy, but you have to learn when to let go, for your own benefit
Yazzy: I want to, I really do
Tears are flowing down Yazzy's face
Katie: You're the only one still stuck in the past Yazzy, the only one who continues to hold on to the pain, when you shouldn't be, you should be free of this, you don't deserve to be dealing with this all on your own. It's time to let go, it's time to move forward
Yazzy: I'm scared
Katie: We're all scared. It would be crazy if you weren't terrified
Yazzy: What if everything goes wrong again?
Lizzy: You have us, and we'll always be there no matter what.
Katie: Always
Yazzy: Ok...I'll tell him that I do want to be his girlfriend
Lizzy: I've already sent him a text from your phone
Yazzy: What? When?
Lizzy: Back when you said 'I can't do it'
Katie: I'm impressed
Yazzy: So, enough about me for today, let's talk about you guys
Katie: I uh went to work and then I came home to a new Aqours delivery so it was a good day for me
Lizzy: I also went to work and then wrote my speech for Kieran's service
Yazzy: Took you long enough
Lizzy: It was hard to write, I had to be nice about him
Katie: No wonder it took you so long
TO BE CONTINUED