if you keep me next to you


When she came back to the apartment that evening, Amu chucked her shoes at the wall.

"Hello?!" Yaya shouted from her bedroom.

Rima's voice floated out from the living room, where she was currently lying on the couch with her phone in hand. "Calm down, Yaya! It's just Amu," she said, before turning to Amu. "Bad day?"

Amu sighed. "Yeah…"

"Did you see him again?" Yaya said, emerging from her bedroom now. From the looks of it, she was probably studying for finals, if the bright yellow pencil that was sticking out from behind her ear was any indication.

"Unfortunately," said Amu.

"Bastard," Rima said. She said the word as if it was an automatic response to the aforementioned bastard after weeks of listening to her best friend vent about him, and, truthfully, it was.

Yaya nodded solemnly as she headed to the couch to perch on its arm. "Total trash."

"You talked?" asked Rima.

"No, thankfully, but…" Amu sighed again. "I don't know. I just saw him and I freaked out. Like, should I even said hi to him? I know it's been like months and—"

"Amu," said Rima. "We talked about this."

"I know, but—"

"Amu!"

"You need to get your mind out of this funk," Yaya remarked. Then her eyes lit up. "Oh! I know what we should do! We should have a girls' night out!"

"Girls' night out?" Amu said.

"Uh… when is this happening?" asked Rima. She sat up and turned her head to face the younger girl.

"Right now!" said Yaya.

"Shouldn't you be studying for your finals?" said Rima.

"I can stop for tonight! I don't have my exams until next week! And besides! This an emergency!" Yaya replied. She hopped off of the couch and ran back towards her room. "Amu-chi! You go and get yourself out of that boring outfit and into something fun! Hell, go sexy! Rima-chan, do something with your hair. I'm going to get the word out!"

"Who are you calling?" Rima said. "And what's wrong with my hair?!"

"Nothing! It just needs to be fun and sexy!"

Rima rolled her eyes. "You already said that… And again, who are you even calling?"

"Oh, just Yua-chan, Utau-chan, Rikka-chan, Mai-chan—"

"Don't call your entire contact list!" Rima shouted. She jumped from the couch and started to storm down the hall.

Yaya's laugh bounced off the walls. "Well, whatever! We're still going out!"

The next thirty minutes seemed to have passed by in a blur.

Amu was staring at her reflection in her mirror. Somehow, like magic, she had transformed into a kinda presentable girl. Gone were the jeans and hoodie from this afternoon, and instead Amu had found herself in a black top and red mini skirt that looked it could blend in with the nightclub scene of Tokyo. Her hair had left its bun from before and was now neatened up enough to be tossed carelessly over her shoulder. She hadn't put on makeup yet, apart from touching up her foundation and concealer, but the eyeshadow brush was already in her hand, waiting for its turn in the transformation sequence.

Amu thought she looked fake as hell.

This was about the same time that Rima happened to pass by the bathroom, already dressed in her best night out gear, and she paused when she saw Amu standing there like a statue. "Everything alright there?

Amu snapped out of her delirium, and she shook her head furiously, half at Rima and half at herself. "It's nothing."

Rima frowned. "You're lying."

Amu sighed. Her best friend knew her all too well. "I don't know about this."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I mean, I just went through the worst break-up, and I think I look like crap—or at least not like myself—and, oh my goodness, what if I run into him again and—"

Rima held up her hand. "I think you're over-thinking this."

"Am I?"

Rima raised an eyebrow at her, and Amu sighed.

"I guess I am," said Amu. "I just… I don't know. I feel like I'm dragging everyone into this. I mean, you don't want to do this, right?"

"Actually," Rima replied, "I don't mind."

"What? Since when?"

"About ten seconds before Yaya shoved you into your room. I mean, you heard what Yaya said. You've been in this funk for weeks now, and Yaya's only trying to help."

Amu pressed her lips together. "Now I feel bad."

"Amu," Rima said. "Don't feel like you're getting forced into this. I mean, you can honestly just tell Yaya that you don't want to go out."

"But isn't she—"

"I don't mind!" Yaya shouted, bouncing into the bathroom and throwing her arms around Amu. "What matters the most is your happiness, Amu!"
"Are you sure?" Amu asked. "Didn't you call the other girls?"

"They'll understand! And if you want, we can just hang out on the couch, watch some movies, and eat our feelings out!"

"No pressure," Rima added.

"Right!" said Yaya. "It's all up to you, Amu-chan!"

Amu thought about it, the pros and cons, best case scenarios and worst case scenarios. And then she shook her head, as if to snap herself out of the thought spiral she was in.

"You know what?" Amu said. "Let's do it."

At this, Yaya squealed in delight and hugged Amu even tighter, and, amidst this commotion, Amu thought tonight would be just fine.


A/N:

Hey, remember when I randomly posted a super short oneshot earlier this year? Where I said I had another fic from like years back that I wanted to brush some dust off and tweak to maybe post online? Yeah, this is the fic. What is time anyways?

And, to repeat what I already wrote in my Author's Notes on AO3 (do people read Shugo Chara fics on AO3?): Fic inspired by the song 22 by Taylor Swift! And the identity of Amu's ex is 1000% irrelevant to the purpose of the fic because female! Friendships! Who needs boys when you have girlfriends, am I right or am I right?

Ok bye lol. As always, thanks for reading.