Homura told her brother she would be home before dinner. The idea of going home later than she's supposed to is pretty horrifying.

"You know you can break rules sometimes, Homura-chan? And we even have a phone! You could call him."

Breaking a rule sounds terrible and Homura intends to never do it.

"He will already be preparing food for three people. Next time."

"Alright! Next time, then."

Homura thanks Madoka's father for his hospitality, formulaic and polite, and then she leaves.

Madoka waves at her until she's out of sight.

The next day Homura does, in fact, stay over for dinner. (Brother was way too enthusiastic about this when she asked for permission. What Does He Know.)

Everyone in the Karigane household is super happy about this! Madoka's mom asks Homura a lot of slightly personal questions; Madoka keeps interrupting her mother's questions with chatter.

Homura reluctantly appreciates this. She can't tell if Madoka is doing it on purpose; chattering is, after all, her default state. Dinner tires her out a lot, but despite that it feels surprisingly comfortable. (Except for the moments where Madoka smiles directly at her, those moments are not comfortable at all.)

She thanks Madoka's parents for the meal and thanks Madoka for the productive study session. 

"No problem at all, Homura-chan! We should do these every day!"

"Mn." She doesn't mind as much as she should. She should really mind a lot; she has no idea how to have friends and Madoka is certainly terrifying enough as a not-friend.

But maybe she's overthinking it. Madoka clearly isn't her friend; they just happen to study well together. Madoka is bubbly and friendly and beautiful at everyone she interacts with, even complete strangers. Definitely does not indicate that any sort of Relationship might actually transpire. There is nothing to worry about.

Madoka is, fortunately for Homura's sanity, oblivious to her internal narration!

She seems really distracted at school the next day, though. Shaken, possibly, and not chattery at all.

This is a relief. Now finally Homura can have a day of peace.

She doesn't feel very peaceful. She feels kind of concerned. Homura doesn't say anything about it, of course, but she watches Madoka closely and wonders what might be the matter.

After school she waits on the sidewalk in the direction of Madoka's house, looking very indifferent as she waits for Madoka to invite her over.

"...Uh, Homura-chan - I. Can't. Today," she says, having also very insistently blown off her two usual friends' concerns (which she's spent the entire day doing).

She's an idiot.

Homura turns and walks away very quickly without another word.

She droops and walks off, sadly.

Homura walks home.

She is angry at Madoka. Less so for not inviting her over and more so for making Homura want her to. Madoka decided on a friendship with Homura in seconds, it only makes sense for her to move on to a more exciting challenge just as quickly.

Not that they had a friendship. It has been less than a week, Homura isn't stupid enough to think that that makes a friendship. Homura shouldn't be that stupid.

Having any feelings about this at all is irrational and terrible and she is disappointed in herself.

When she gets home, she heads directly for her room.

"Homura?" her brother calls from the kitchen. "Is that you? I thought you wouldn't be home until later."

"Here," she affirms, and then shuts herself in her room.

She buries herself in homework as thoroughly as she possibly can. This is all she was going to do at Madoka's house anyway, and she works better when it's quiet.

The next day, she goes back to staring at her desk and ignoring Madoka's existence to the best of her ability. This is clearly the most rational strategy for being around Madoka. 

Madoka seems even more subdued. Tries to get Homura's attention, though.

Sometimes she succeeds, but Homura doesn't say anything to her. 

(She's still concerned, despite her best efforts. Something is clearly wrong - but just as clearly, Madoka doesn't want to tell her about it. Madoka does not want or need Homura to care. Homura tries very hard not to care.)

When school ends, she walks away as quickly as she possibly can.

She isn't sulking at all. She hasn't been rejected today, so there's nothing to sulk about. 

Except that she tried having a friend for the very first time and it didn't work. She probably did it wrong, somehow. She doesn't know how, which means that if she ever tries to have a friend again she will make the same mistake.

The world around her's kind of hazy. Odd. Like she's wearing dirty glasses.

...that's very strange. She dislikes this.

Is she having a cardiac event? No, there's no pain. No dizziness, the way there normally is when her vision goes hazy. M...aybe the air quality is just very poor today?

Homura rubs her eyes and keeps walking.

It gets dark. There's no people around, and there's an odd music in the air. Laughter, maybe?

This is very alarming. She must be hallucinating.

Can she still see the nearest buildings? She should go inside one and ask someone to call Brother, or at least tell anyone that she is hallucinating.