by Lady Aishiteru
Disclaimer: WAZUUUUUUP!
REAL Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. Or Budweiser...
Lady A: Hey all! I've been dying to type this up. The idea's been floating around in my brain ever since I had a temporary bout of insomnia(inability to sleep) myself one night. I hope you all like it.
It's three in the morning, but I can hardly tell. The digits of my alarm clock have begun to merge into a big, ugly red blob, like some creepy night time youma.
Luna doesn't have the same problem. She is curled up fast asleep at my feet, snoring softly. Even through all my tossing and turning, she stays asleep. My cushion is getting a terrific workout.
I get out of bed, put on a robe and look at the stars. Even all bundled up as I am, my body feels cold, and in my heart is a dull, throbbing ache, like something is missing somehow. And for the life of me I can't figure out what that something is. I keep gazing at the stars, wondering if the answer to why I can't sleep lies within them.
I look at the stars until night turns into day, and the stars hide themselves behind the blue sky until the next twilight. I turn off my alarm; it looks like I'll be early to school today, anyways. I've been early for a week, and I'll bet Ms. Haruna thinks I'm up to something. At 5:30, I take a shower, not really caring that school didn't begin until 8:30.
~*~ Mamori's P.O.V. ~*~
At 7 am, my alarm clock went off, but there wasn't any need for it. I hadn't been asleep anyways, having fallen victim to some strange form of insomnia.
Groaning, I splashed cold water on my face. This mysterious ailment had gone on for a week now. As an aspiring med student, I couldn't think of any medical reason for it. I only drank coffee in the morning, and I don't eat any food that would make me sick. There haven't been any late night youma attacks of late; the Negaverse must be taking some time off. I almost regreted that it had; at least then I'd have an excuse for my sleepless nights.
I began my daily jog to the Arcade, watching Tokyo wake up and get ready for a new day. Somewhere along the way, I felt like something was missing. It wasn't until I reached the Arcade forty-five minutes later that I realized what it was.
"Ohayo, Motoki-kun,: I said.
"Ohayo, Mamoru. Man, you look beat," he said.
I harumped. "Nice to see you too."
"Your usual?"
"Yeah," I said, and soon he returned with my customary cup of java.
"Have you seen Usagi?" I asked.
"Not lately," said Motoki, raising an eyebrow. "Why, you miss her or something?"
"I don't know...it's really weird. She hasn't barreled into me for a week."
Motoki nodded, a knowing look in his eyes. "Come to think of it, she has been getting here earlier after school. Maybe she hasn't been getting detention."
'That would explain why I haven't seen her in the afternoon either,' I thought. "Yeah, Odango's decided to straighten up and fly right," I said, laughing.
"Could be," said Motoki. "Maybe she's trying harder. Actually, come to think of it, she looks as tired as you."
"Definetly weird," I mumbled into my coffee. As I sipped of the life-giving bean, I wondered, what could possibly be keeping her up at night?
~*~ Usagi's P.O.V. ~*~
"Ohayo, sensei," I said as I walked into homeroom, a full fifteen minutes early.
"T..tsukino!" stuttered Ms. Ling.
"Is something the matter?" I asked.
"Hn.....not only are you really early, you're actually showing concern for a teacher. That's it, you're going to the nurse's office," she said, pointing out of the door.
"But I'm telling you, I feel fine!"
"Ai, now she's trying to stay IN homeroom!" she moaned. "Besides, you look exhausted. Next thing I know, you'll tell me you've been up studying. Off you go now."
Seeing no choice, I went to see the nurse.
"Tsukino-san! What brings you here?" asked Ms. Nguyen, the nurse.
"Ling-sensei sent me here because I'm early, AGAIN!"
"Hn....come to think of it, you don't seem quite well. You look absolutely drained. I'm sending you home, Usagi."
"But I'm telling you, I'm fine!"
She shook her head. "Trying to stay IN school...you MUST be sick! Go home, Usagi."
"Hai," I said. I gathered my supplies and walked out, wondering what to do with the rest of my day.
I decided to make the most of the situation. I walked happily to the first place that came to mind.
~*~ Mamoru's P.O.V.~*~
I was absently stirring the coffee with my stir stick, not caring that it was cold. I had been sent home from school by the nurse, who attributed my insomnia to overstudying. I tried going home and back to bed, but even in my exhausted state, I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned in bed until 3 in the afternoon, then I gave up. Instead, I returned to the Arcade for more coffee.
I was shocked I saw none other than Usagi, eating a sundae, grinning from ear to ear.
"What are you so happy about Odango?"
She laughed. "I got sent home from school. I've been shopping all day, then I came here. The nurse thinks I'm sick, but I'm not, so I'n not going home."
"You might as well, it's 3:00."
She stuck her tongue out at me. "You're not my father, baka."
"Thank God. I don't think I could put up with such a noisy daughter. I'd go deaf within a week."
"Oooh! You are such a JERK, Mamoru!" she yelled, throwing her spoon at me, which I easily dodged.
"And you're just noticing this? How long have you been this observant?" I asked, putting my head on my hand in an attempt to look pensive.
"That's IT! It's too nice a day to spend in HERE with YOU," she said. With that, she took some yen and angrily slammed it on the counter. And with that, the beam of sunshine known as Tsukino Usagi jolted out the door, bells ringing in her wake. I watched through the big windows as her friends met up with her and attempted to calm her down as they walked down the street. I sighed and began to build a castle out of sugar packets.
~*~ Usagi's P.O.V. ~*~
"Hey, calm down, Usagi," said Ami, patting me on the back in an effort to sooth my frazzled nerves.
"You can't let him get to you like that," advised Makoto. "That means he's won."
"I can't help it!" I whined. "He makes me so mad!"
"Have you been sleeping well lately?" Rei asked abruptly. Leave it to Rei to be brutally blunt.
I considered lying, but then I remembered that I'm horrible at it. I cannot make a poker face; I always burst out laughing. "No, not really."
"Have you been staying up reading mangas again?" asked Minako.
"NO! For your information, I go to bed at nine on the dot!"
"Sorry," said Minako sheepishly. "So how long has this been going on?"
"A week now. For some reason, I can't sleep, no matter how much I want to."
"You really need your sleep, Usagi-chan. This isn't healthy," said Ami in a motherly tone.
"I know!" I moaned. "But what can I do?"
"Let's brainstorm over oatmeal cookies at my apartment and see if we can't come up with something," suggested Makoto.
"I like the way you think, Mako," said Minako, smiling. "Let's roll."
And that's how six days worth of the strangest nights of my life began......