Authors note:  Okay, the fic I wrote mostly venting about how much I hate cliques… Thus, the name.  I was also thinking about a few other things that show up in here.  Apologies to anyone who is offended by my work.  I took many liberties with the storyline.  It definitely doesn't follow the series.  I just felt like using my favorite characters to do my venting for me.  Please Read and Review.  I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer:  I do NOT own Sailor Moon or any of the characters in it. 

"No, but seriously, did you see her hair?"  Tiffany laughed.

"She looks like some kind of smurf!"  Ashley joined in the mocking.

"I heard she was really popular at her old school," commented Lauren.

"Where was it you said she transferred from?" Ashley asked.

"Oh, some special artsy school in Tokyo," Lauren answered airily, "I forgot what it was called.

"I think I know the one you mean.  It's right outside the city.  That place is really fancy.  Only really talented people can get into it.  She probably bribed her way in, the rich snob," Tiffany made a face.  "Who the hell does she think she is anyway?"

"You're just jealous because Brad noticed her instead of you!"  Ashley teased.

"I can get any man that I—Oh, hi Michiru!  Nice to see you.  Gotta go!"  Tiffany walked away.  "Bitch" she muttered under her breath."

"Is Tiffany okay?"  Michiru asked concernedly.

"Oh yea!" her two companions laughed together.  "Look Michiru, we'll see you later.  We have to get to cheerleading practice.  You know, tryouts for the upcoming season are next week.  You should think about joining."

The aqua-haired girl nodded.  "Sounds awesome!  Later!"  She walked away.

*****

Michiru came to school in her usual good mood.  She finally felt accepted here.  It had been almost a month since she had started her new school, and she was loving every minute of it.  Her marks were good, she had been able to join the concert band even though she came in the middle of the semester, she had made the cheerleading squad, and she was one of the most popular girls in school.  But still…

She spotted her friends walking down the hall.  "Hey Tiffany, Ashley, Lauren!  Wait up!"  She rushed to catch up with them.  "How're you doing?"

"Oh, we're fine," Tiffany answered her.  "Hey, did you see the new transfer student that came in today?  He's hot!"

"Tiffany's thinking of asking him to the winter dance," Lauren informed her.

"That's nice," Michiru returned, "What's his name?"

"Um, Tenoh, I think, but I'm not sure.  But I'll find out soon enough, right?"  Tiffany grinned.

The four girls laughed together, when the bell rang.  "Oh, I'd better get to class," Michiru excused herself from the group as they walked down the opposite hallway. 

She made it to the locker room just in time.  Everyone had already left, except for a tall, short-haired girl, still tying her shoes.  Michiru had never seen the girl before and decided to introduce herself.  "Hi.  I'm –"

"Kaioh Michiru," the other girl finished for her.

"How did you-?"

"Tenoh Haruka," the taller girl answered in a husky voice.

Tenoh??  That can't be right.  "Um, if you don't mind me asking…  Do you have a brother by any chance that goes to school here?"  And how do you know my name? She thought, but thought it would be rude to ask a second time.  After all, Michiru knew she very well could have known the girl in her—past.

"No.  Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason.  We'd better get outside.  We're running the track today."  It must just be some silly coincidence.  They left together.  Michiru spent the day showing Haruka around the school, and was having a good time with her new friend.  That is, until lunchtime when her friends found her. 

"Michiru," snarled Tiffany, "Aren't you going to introduce us to your new friend?!"

"Why of course," Michiru returned, spotting an unwarranted hint of jealousy in her eye.  "This is Tenoh Haruka.  I have been showing her around school all day today."  Tiffany looked thoroughly humiliated.  Michiru excused herself to get a drink, leaving Haruka alone with the group.

"I knew that girl was a fucking bitch from the day she transferred here!  The only reason she's popular is because we let her be!  That little whore can't get away with embarrassing me like that," she hissed to her two friends. They lowered their voices even more and whispered amongst themselves, but Haruka had heard the first part.  Weren't these Michiru's friends

After lunch there was one more class to go to.  History.  Haruka hated nothing more, but when she arrived there, she spotted Michiru in the classroom and felt a little better.  She went over to join her new friend.  "How long have you known those girls I met at lunch?" she inquired.

"Oh, them?  They're my best friends.  They're so nice, aren't they?  I've known them since I moved here about a month ago.  How do you like them?"

Haruka sighed.  She hated to have to do this, but she unfolded everything she had heard to Michiru.  Surprisingly, Michiru took it rather well.  Actually, she laughed at it.  "Michiru, I'm serious."

"Oh, they must have been talking about somebody else.  They love to gossip, but they'd never do anything to hurt me.  What are you doing this weekend?  I figured since you're new around here we could hang out together."

"Okay," Haruka readily agreed.  And so they spent the whole weekend together, parting at night only to go home to sleep. 

Sunday night they were out really late.  "Won't your parents be angry with you if you're not home soon?" Haruka asked her companion. 

"Not hardly," her eyes began to mist over.

"What do you mean?  Is there something wrong?" Haruka asked concernedly.

"Well," Michiru started, but then thought better of it.  What would Haruka think of her if she knew about her past?  She had never told anyone at school before, but she started shaking and finally broke down and let everything she didn't want to say come spilling out of her mouth.  She explained to Haruka how her parents had been murdered, and how she had become violent and attempted suicide.  She told her that after all that she couldn't remember anything about her life before.  She told her about how she had been forced to transfer to a new school, and how she had been living by herself for so long.

It began raining out, and it poured heavily down on them.  Michiru finally fainted from weariness and Haruka carried her back to her place.  In the morning, Michiru was raised up with a start.  Where the hell was she? 

"Are you up?" came a familiar voice.

"Haruka?" she asked confused.  Haruka opened the bedroom door and walked in. 

"I made you some breakfast—"

"Thank you," Michiru told her, embracing the taller girl tightly.  Perhaps a little too tightly she realized, for she had just caused the two of them to topple over, and she was now lying on top of Haruka.  Embarrassed, she quickly got up.

"It's just frozen waffles," Haruka joked with her.  "There's no need to thank me."

"You know that's not why."

"Today's Monday, we'd better get to school," Haruka finally broke the tense silence that had fallen between them.  They walked the whole way with barely a word spoken between the two. 

The day passed by very slowly, and nothing out of the ordinary happened.  Michiru thought she was getting paranoid.  There weren't more people whispering behind her back, were there?  Wait a minute, yes they were!  At lunch, Michiru approached her usual table where the rest of her clique sat, laughing and gossiping as usual, but they suddenly stopped when they saw her approaching.

"Hi Michiru," the chimed in unison. 

"Is something strange going on?  Why is everyone been acting so weird around me today?"  She laughed nervously

"We know about you," Lauren said dryly. 

"Huh?"

"Sorry Michiru, but as Captain of the Cheerleading squad, I've gotta tell you that you're out.  We had a meeting about you and it's agreed that we just don't feel comfortable having someone—well someone like you around." 

"What are you talking about?"

"We accessed your files in the school computer.  Geeks do come in handy for something!" Tiffany laughed, "And we found some very interesting stuff in there.  Been seeing a psychiatrist, huh?  Oh yea, and we know you've been hanging out with that Haruka girl.  You'd do best to get your priorities straight and realize who your real friends are."

"What the hell are you talking about?  And what right to you have to spy on me?"

"Ooh…the little bitch is mad at us!  Let's go," Tiffany ordered

Michiru watched as they walked out of sight.  Had this conversation really just happened?  They knew about her past, but what was most hard to believe was that they could be so mean.  Was it really that hard to believe though?  She knew they were petty and shallow.  She also knew that everything they said was all over school.  She couldn't bare to stay at school another minute and she ran home crying.  Filled with desperation, when she got home she ran to her room and locked the door.  She found what she was looking for.  She rolled up her sleeves and positioned the blade right above her arm.  She had managed so long without any of this, but now…  She was startled by a pounding at the door.

"Come in!" she called shakily, and replacing the knife in her drawer composed herself slightly and went out into the hall.  "Haruka!" she exclaimed when she saw the girl standing in front of her.  Then more seriously added, "Why are you here?  You don't want to be seen with me."

"Yes I do," Haruka said, approaching her. 

Michiru fell into her outstretched arms and returned the warm embrace.  Looking up into Haruka's face she asked again, "Why are you here?"

"I knew you were more than just some ditzy cheerleader.  You're something special.  That's why I came her.  To be with you," she beamed at her friend, then bent her head and kissed the girl full in the lips.  Startled, Michiru hesitated, but then returned it.  When they finally separated, Haruka whispered, "Now you can forget all about those cliques and airheads."