An extremely rude awakening.

She came back into the full color of reality with the sound of her phone ringing. Chanceox. She didn't even have time to realize she was on the floor in front of the sink before she ran up to her phone and answered it. "Hey Chanceox, how it going," she said, only to be met not with Chanceox's voice, but her father's. "Chanceox? Oh yes, that fellow. Not quite, my sweet. Perhaps you would like to guess again?"

He chuckled to himself, unknowing of the overwhelming feelings within his daughter. At the moment, she was trying her hardest not to let them seep through. Her father didn't need to know how much of a mess she was. He couldn't know, and he wasn't going to know. With strengh she didn't think she still had, she responded calmly, "Oh! My apologies, Father. I assumed someone else was calling. Anyways, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Well, my sweet, it appears today is one of those few days with nothing of import. And you know what that means?" She let out a small gasp as her grip on the phone tightened and her palms grew sweaty once again. "I-It means you're going to be h-home today," she exictedly announced. Of course, that exictement was a total facade. In reality, she was clutching her shoulder tightly with her free hand, trembling silently. Why now? Why'd it have to be today, of all days, of any day? Why today? Her grip on her shoulder tightened. She felt her nails digging into her skin, and only then did she realize she had sat down on the infirmary bed.

She could feel his smile beaming through the phone when he exclaimed "Correct, my smart little girl! I know you are busy, but I will be waiting for you, as long as it takes." Kaguya was able to smile just a little, even through the pale tone her face had now adopted. She responded "I'm never too busy for you, Father. I'll be there as soon as I can be. See you soon."

"See you soon, my sweet." And with that, he hung up. And the sound of her father hanging up meant she was clear. She had done it. She had tricked her father into thinking she was fine. And now she could breathe. She tossed the phone onto the table it was on before, releasing the breath she was holding onto. She was gasping for air, like she had almost drowned. Her hand moved to her neck, holding it gently like it needed support to do what it had been doing all her life. Her other hand let go of her shoulder, limply resting on the infirmary bed.

She sat there for a moment, then a minute, trembling, alone, hand rubbing her neck, her heavy breathing being the only sound in the empty room. She hated it. She hated how easily she decieved her poor father. She wasn't taught how to do that. She didn't study it, or research it. And yet, she lied to him. The man who taught her so much, who was there for her when she needed it most. It came so naturally. Normally, she was honest. Some would say to a fault. But she knew that it was the right thing to do.This time, however, she wasn't honest. And as much as it disguted her, she had no intention of telling the truth.

How could she? How could she tell anyone, even her father, what she was thinking, what she was feeling? How could she say it to everyone who looked up to her, to the teachers who used her as a role model constantly, to her father who spent years of his life raising her? How could she tell them that she didn't want to do it anymore? How could she simply leave the student council? How could she simply quit being the valedictorian? How could she simply quit being the Moon Princess?

She fell over to the side, not bothering to catch herself as her head hit the bed. But even though it was soft, she felt a sharp pain on the side of her head. She winced, snapped out of her internal distraught. She sat back up, trying to find what she landed on. She felt the side of her head, and grabbed ahold of the culprit. It was the cresent moon she wore in her hair every day. She properly layed down on her back, slowly this time, and held the cresent up to the ceiling.