Stamina
She should have known it would happen. Everybody but her had known. She simply hadn't listened to them.
Standing there outside in the cold, wrapping her scarf tighter around her neck, Usagi cursed every living being to hell. Adjusting her hat to better cover her ears, she stood in silent fascination as she watched her breath cloud the air.
The unmistakable crunching of boots on the thick layer of packed down snow filled her with hope as she turned around, only to be shot down as the person approaching her wasn't the person she was expecting.
Sighing, Usagi fiddled on her phone with numb fingers, sliding the keyboard up and down. The screen remained dark, no messages or alerts popping up, as they should. No ring or beep. Just silence and a blank screen.
Usagi slowly gathered her nerves and thumbed the keypad. Her own smiling face stared up at her with happily crinkled blue eyes, her arms looped around the neck of a slightly taller girl with long, beautiful raven hair and a typical smirk plastered across her face. She wanted to smash it.
It'd seemed cute before, the way she thought she could get to her so easily with just a look. But now, seeing as it had worked and she had gotten her, she felt used.
Slowly, with a scowl, she placed her phone back into the pocket of her thick winter fleece and slipped her hand back into her glove, barely noting the warmth.
Then, deciding that everybody had been right, she walked away.
The next day at school she saw them, laughing together and once again, she saw her smirk. This time though it was directed at the pretty brunette she had her arm casually slung around.
That was enough, she decided. She'd had enough of waiting for her to come back to her, only to watch her find someone else, only to use her again when she got bored. She was done.
Her worn boots crunched on the ice as she climbed the few steps onto her deck, right into the warm scent of vanilla and strawberries, seeking comfort in the safety of her sister.
Minako's voice seeped into her mind, gentle and caring.
"You're so much stronger than this."
Usagi supposed she was right. If only she could show it. She eased out of her sister's embrace, murmuring a soft excuse of being cold. Making her way to her room, she let her shoulders sag and collapsed onto the bed.
Her phone buzzed.
Ignore it. Just ignore it.
Rei: Hey! I didn't see you today, where were you?
Usagi: Sorry, I wasn't feeling too well.
Rei: Was it because of last night? I'm really sorry about that, Mako asked me to help her with her new recipe and I forgot we had plans. Forgive me? ;)
Usagi: …yeah I guess.
Rei: You're the best friend in the world! Come over?
Friend?
Usagi: I don't know, I'm pretty tired.
Rei: :( please! We can watch a movie ;)))
Usagi: …okay. Be there in 20.
Rei: Yay!
With tears dripping onto the pillow, Usagi powered down her phone, wearily preparing to subject herself for another night of torture.
And the cycle begins again.