Chapter 3
A week went quickly, Usagi's memories would dig up old memories of Mamoru and sometimes even Endymion to torture her with the fact that she wasn't currently with him. She'd gotten a brief phone call the day after the attack on Alice, but it was only to reassure him that she was still alive and that she had handled it beautifully, on her own, without a scratch on her. She didn't mention that the starlights had helped her out, it would have only fed his concern and he was too far away to do anything about it, and besides, more help was always appreciated, right? Even if they did want to kill the human beneath the creation. She also left out the boy who'd called her Odango, though it would have either made him laugh or irritated him, Usagi decided it was best to let him have as smooth sailing as possible in America. Her irrational fears could be put aside once he came home to tell her everything himself or in his next letter if he so decided on one.
How was she to know what he was planning next or what was to come of that decision? Perhaps it would have been all around better if she'd made him stay with her instead of letting him run off to pursue his dream. What-ifs never led anywhere, and if they did, it was nowhere good. So Usagi pushed those types of thoughts out of her head and joined the girls outside of the school so they could go over their schedules together. They were posted just inside under their last names and there was a copy for them to take.
Minako quickly perused Usagi's schedule and squealed when they had drama class together. "I don't even remember signing up for this." Usagi complained as she looked through her list. She shared one class with each of the girls and had many periods without them. Except for Ami, the classes she shared with the others were all fun classes, meaning she could have fun with them in those classes but had to suffer the bad ones without them. It was going to be a long semester if it kept to the way it looked on her schedule. At least their lunch period was all together.
Makoto gasped as she looked again at her name and Minako quickly pushed her way in, to scream loudly. Usagi tried to peak over the crowed gathering at Minako's exclamation to see what the matter was, but her head was pushed down from behind. "Excuse me Odango, you're blocking the board." The dark haired boy from the other day with the dark blue eyes peered over her shoulder, though he was clearly taller than she was. "That's it, thank you." He snatched up three papers from within the crowd and turned to the other two boys, completely ignoring Usagi and the other girls. He handed the papers over and Usagi realized that the other two were at the set the other day and were part of the three lights. Looking at them all now at a close range, Usagi had a sinking suspicion that the third one was none other than the jerk of a boy in front of her.
"Is this yours?" He snatched hers out of her hands and nodded. "Ah good, seems we have some classes together. Quite a few actually." He flashed her a white tooth smile as the rest of the girls seemed to realize that the boys they were arguing over and were excited to join their ranks were already standing there with them.
"They just transferred here." Minako explained to Usagi, as if she didn't already figure that out, with the three just standing there. She then realized she never got her paper back from the boy before they were surrounded by screaming high schoolers. "Isn't that Seiya just fab?" Minako sighed and Makoto nodded her head in agreement.
"He's an arrogant snob."
"Usa-chan, come on, he's Kou Seiya!" Minako objected. "How can you say that about him?"
"He's been nothing but rude to me since I ran into him."
"Well he's a celebrity, he doesn't have time for immature girls. But I'm going to make one of them my boyfriend, wait and see, it's the coolest thing ever if you can claim that."
Usagi lifted a brow, insulted in being called immature and had the perfect place to return the favor. "You sure you can do such a thing? I thought they didn't have time for immature girls?" She wouldn't tell them she'd met the boy a couple of times now unless they insisted to know the whole story, because they'd just assume things until then. Usagi walked away from her friends, this class she didn't have anyone in it. Except that wasn't true as Naru came in behind her and sat down next to her with a small smile in her direction. Naru probably didn't have any other friends in this class as well. Usagi was glad though that she chose to sit and talk with her at least. Their friendship had been indescribable since Usagi had joined the ranks of senshi and she felt bad at times for neglecting this friendship.
Usagi talked with Naru until the teacher started lecturing and then Usagi pulled out a piece of paper to begin her next letter to Mamoru. One a day was getting a little difficult, especially with her leaving parts of it out. So she used Minako as a cover with her desire to date a star who now belonged to their school.
The doors opened a few minutes into the period and Seiya walked in, pushing his hair back and finding an empty spot somewhere behind her. "I don't care if you are a celebrity, you do not get to continue doing this every day. I will be treating you just like any other student, do you understand?" The teacher scolded the newcomer and Usagi was pleased.
"Of course, I wouldn't want you to treat me any other way. That is why we came here, to be treated as equals."
The teacher seemed off-guard by such an admission and allowed Seiya to continue on. Usagi's scowled at the change of pace and sent a glare over her shoulder at the boy who sent her a gloating look back.
Usagi turned back around and continued writing. Her letters were a mix of Kanji and the lesser form, and though she had needed it to get in, she'd managed to manipulate it enough to get by, but there were still many letters she didn't remember how to do or what they stood for, so tried to expand on what she did know.
A crumpled up ball hit her on the back of her head and she reached down to pick it up. She perked up maybe a bit too much, this would surely get him into trouble. She spread it out onto her desk to make sure it wasn't anything too bad and
There was a picture of the teacher and his words were 'blah blah blah' markings. Usagi tried to stuff it into her binder, she knew this would get her into trouble but the teacher caught sight of it and grabbed it. "Tsukino-san, I am disappointed in you. It is only the first day of class and already you are showing signs of disrespect."
"With all due respect sir, I didn't draw that."
"No, you were just the recipient. Kou-san, you will report to detention with Tsukino-san this afternoon."
Usagi groaned and dropped her head onto the desk. This day was just looking better and better. First the jerk was at her school, then he was in a few of her classes, and in the first one he got her into trouble. Oh yes, it was just looking up for her.
Usagi wondered how the other girls were getting on in their first class... Minako was bound to have scarred everyone by now, either by her poor grades or tenacious attitude. Makoto either scared everyone or impressed them. Ami no doubt was being begged to do whatever she could to help some of the lesser academic standing students. Rei was at her all girls' school, where she'd been the last several years and didn't even need to take an entrance exam to get into high school.
"Gomen." Seiya apologized, catching up to her as she tried to lose him outside the doors. It was nearly impossible to do so with all the crowds gathering round them, but he managed to do so, the fink. Usagi looked away, looking for her escape and missed Seiya moving in front of her and running into him. He caught her. "Gomen." He apologized again. "It hadn't been my intention to get you into trouble. Let me see if I can smooth this out and get you out. I'll even take two on my own. Although, if I do manage to get us out, I do expect you to spend that time with me and show me around."
"Eh..." Usagi's face twisted, it would be nice not to have to sit through detention, but she didn't want to spend any time with him, especially because she probably wouldn't have gotten there today if it hadn't been for him. Then again, who knew for sure if that would have actually happened.
"Then again, I could use some time in the detention hall with you."
"I'd show you around." Usagi hastily put in, it'd be easier to lose him in the streets than sitting right next to her, probably getting her into more trouble. "But I couldn't today, I have plans."
"It's ok, you can make it up to me the day you don't have plans." Seiya cheekily replied.
"I wouldn't hold your breath, you wouldn't last that long." Usagi saw a gap in the crowd of menacing glares at her general persona and bolted for it. She slowed to a halt when she knew he was caught. She spotted Minako and joined her. "Can you believe it?" Usagi grumbled. "Just because they're celebrities."
Minako was sighing dreamily. "Yaten was in my class. Maybe tomorrow he'll sit with me."
Usagi gave up, it was no hope with her friend, maybe she'd have better luck with Makoto or Ami, they were more levelheaded. Rei too, but she wasn't here. "Yeah yeah, now come on, I think we have class together."
Just her luck, Seiya was in it as well, but he left her alone this time, it was too much of an open class and the girls were all just dangling off his every word and move and he couldn't get close enough to irritate her. Unfortunately Minako was one of those girls and so Usagi was actually paying attention to the male instructor. If it had been female or the other drama coach, even then she'd have no one to talk to. The class ended up being pretty fun. One of the best ones all day, the other classes the girls either couldn't stop talking about the new three males or were drooling over their actual presence.
At lunch time, Usagi was dragged outside with her friends. After her first two classes, she'd needed to go to the office and get another special print out of her schedule, having to admit she'd lost hers, but rather after asking Seiya for it back after that class period, he refused until she agreed to his demands. Now outside on the front yard, she watched the fellow student body crowd around him, showing off their fan cards and trying to talk to them. There was a car that had pulled up along side the road and Seiya turned to the crowd.
"What makes them so special that they can leave campus?" Usagi grouched. She was looking away from them when she heard Seiya's alto voice. His siblings were just a hair deeper and higher than him.
"Oi, Odango! Want me to bring anything back for you?" Usagi's head snapped around, surprised, (but shouldn't have been), to be addressed so loudly by someone other than her friends. She shook it negatively, glaring at him the whole time, he chuckled then joined his brothers in the car. Once they drove off all eyes were on her, and not just from her friends.
Minako's large blue ones were even larger and in her face. "Why do you know Seiya?"
"I told you, he's a jerk. I had first period with him." Usagi spun around and headed for a spot she wanted to claim for lunch from now on, just like they had in junior high, though now they were back on the bottom of the feed line. She ignored all of the questions and looks from all of the jealous girls, including her friends. They'd be back and she hadn't had the plan on joining them at the line again, she'd be inside, doing anything else.
Usagi started in on her letter for the next day for Mamoru, this way she could send him two in two days and not have to worry about coming up with something tomorrow if she couldn't, or keep everything a day behind in case that happened.
However after lunch, she got pulled along again to wait for the three lights. Usagi tried to hide behind Makoto but she kept moving. "Have I missed their entrance?" Rei panted, coming up from behind them.
"What are you doing here?" Usagi asked, eyes narrowing. What was so special about the lights anyways?
"I wanted to come see them too. The girls texted me during class and now that we know where they're going I wanted to be here." Rei sighed as the car pulled up. "I'm thinking of transferring myself."
Usagi rolled her eyes, Rei couldn't even transfer when it came to protecting her princess and being closer for the whole day, but she could come to the same school when the idols were here? Usagi wanted to laugh and cry, it felt so affirming to her. Though it could have been smart, if it had been the reasoning, that Rei went to a different school so if anyone attacked Usagi's she'd be able to help externally or get more help or find danger at a different time/location than the rest, but that wasn't the reasoning and it was just hurtful that Rei would come only for a boy. "Typical."
Rei glanced at her, about to say something, probably reassuring or sarcastic but meaningful, but the three lights stepped out. Rei was first in line. She showed her badge. She was in the 2000s though closer to three and Makoto stepped in with one a thousand or so less. Minako butted in. "293." The other girls sighed not only in defeat but also in amazement. Then Ami slid up and meekly presented her own card, surprising all of them with number 25. "Wow, she's first for everything."
Usagi couldn't believe even Ami got in on this and was so high up in the ladder. The boys gave them a polite brush-off, thanking them for their interest. Usagi slid back through the crowd, she wanted no part in this. She brushed at her eyes as she left, removing herself from the group and knowing that was exactly what she was doing, and needing to. They'd soon get over this, and see the lights for who they really were, and Usagi wasn't mad at them, she was just feeling a little lonely and it was her problem, not theirs, they should enjoy their little fantasies, she would be right there with them had it been any other time. Usagi laughed though as she walked, Ami surprised her more than the others, Ami usually ignored fads like this, maybe the three lights were actually pretty good at doing whatever it was they did. And who did the lights think they were? A smaller Beatles group? They weren't even wearing the same school uniform as the rest of them, and the color and style reminded her of a poor attempt to imitate them.
She was joined by her friends before she even got where she was going and they filed into a class. They weren't allowed to sit together. There was a seat behind Usagi open, one next to Minako and one in front of Makoto. Rei had to leave, her lunch break was ending soon as well. Ami wasn't in this class, she was taking upper levels. The teacher was talking about helping them out and showing them. "Psst, thought anything about showing me around?" Seiya asked, tugging on one of Usagi's pigtails, Minako was offering her services to Yaten and Makoto was just blushing up a storm behind Taiki.
"Of course she would!" Though they weren't allowed next to each other, Minako was still close enough to overhear them, even if the teacher wasn't.
"Minako!" Usagi hissed, not wanting to have her volunteer her for a job she didn't want to do. "No, I won't!"
"I want Odango to show me around."
"I'd show you around and Usagi will join us!" Minako was leaning out of her seat towards them and got yelled at by the teacher. She almost fell out of the chair in her surprise, and Usagi was vaguely impressed that she managed to catch herself, or at least chose to this time.
Minako went back to chatting with Yaten, pleased as a peacock with herself that Seiya and Yaten were both going to be with her one of these days around the city and the rest of the day at school, to and from classes. Seiya leaned forward and his breath skimmed Usagi's ear. "I got us off, I want a personal tour."
"You got us on in the first place." Usagi argued. "So really you can just show yourself around."
"Man you're cold." His words hit a note with Usagi and she sighed, normally she wasn't this resistant to new-comers, but something about Seiya put her on edge and it felt like nerves, not something she usually felt and it wasn't a completely bad feeling. Though it didn't sit right with Usagi.
"Fine." Usagi grouched out before all four of them got yelled at for talking.
Seiya managed to rope her into staying for a basketball game after school. The other senshi were there, as well as the rest of the female population of the school. The only males besides the lights were on the court. Seiya played, the other two sat out and Usagi sat at the edge bored. She didn't want to be there, she'd just got pulled into it again.
Yaten got bored as well and complained about the stench and Seiya. Usagi instantly liked him the best of the three siblings. Taiki was talking about doing something else instead, like a culture club that the school put on after hours. Minako in a bid to get to know all three, slammed her own activity- sports- to drag Taiki to one of his culture club meetings. Yaten headed home and Taiki tried to tell Minako he could go on his own. Minako was scary when she was trying to get her own way and eventually the brunette light submitted to Minako's insistence and threats.
"Does that mean I can leave now?" Usagi tried to inch her way out of the gymnasium, Rei had showed up somewhere along the way, but that didn't surprise Usagi anymore after her stint at lunch. If she had known about it, Rei would have been there at the first bell. As Yaten had pointed out, Seiya was just toying with the basketball team.
"Of course not Odango!" Seiya yelled up to the bleachers when she disappeared from sight. "You have to show me to the American Football club."
"For one thing, I'm not ODANGO! I've told you! Another, FIND IT YOURSELF!" She really just wanted to go home, it was boring to sit and watch everything and not partake, especially when it was done with such ease by the man she was staring to detest.
The remaining three senshi were all over her as soon as she stopped speaking. "You can't talk to him like that!" "He's our Idol."
Usagi looked at them a little scared before brushing it off, Seiya deserved it. He proved he did when the ball landed by their feet and he picked it up, joining in without pads or invitation or training. "What are you doing?" Usagi asked dryly when he tucked it into his side.
"You wanted to see a cool guy like me do a touchdown, right?" He winked at her and then sprinted out onto the field. Although Usagi had to admit, he was pretty fast as he avoided all of the members, and gaining yards towards the field-goal. Tenth District had the best footballers around. However their star player's attention was caught, who ended up being faster than he was and sideswiped him, knocking him to the ground.
Usagi hesitated only a second before sliding in between the two, checking on the grounded player first. "He wasn't wearing armor! You could have seriously hurt him!" Usagi stood with her hands on her hips, facing up to the man much broader than any man she'd ever seen before and muscular, not to mention taller. He was taller than Seiya, who seemed taller than even Mamoru, who was always towered over Usagi. So this man was a skyscraper to Usagi's one story hut. Seiya would be fine, he was just a little winded, but that wasn't the point.
The other girls, Makoto in the lead ran to join their leader, but didn't get there in time as the captain removed his helmet and put out his hand. Usagi flinched, she'd been on the receiving end of that before but it just stayed there, low and Seiya turned over behind her and took it, the Captain helping him to stand. "Kayama." They shook hands.
"Seiya." Was the response back. "Wow you're a big guy, very strong too."
"You're not so bad yourself, my team could benefit with you on it."
"Oh that, it was simple evade and chasing, it was nothing." Seiya responded simply, like it really was nothing.
Usagi's eyes though were on the Captain, if she weren't, well, whatever she was, then maybe she would have been chasing around this man. "Would you like to join our team?"
"Sure." Seiya didn't even sound like he cared much now. Usagi's eyes grew, just what he needed, something for his head to grow in size more.
Usagi tried to object. "What would you want such an idiot on your team for? He doesn't have any training."
"You wouldn't understand Odango." Seiya's tone was teasing, though his words annoyed her, but then again, maybe she wouldn't. His next words ruined anything she might have been thinking, if it was anything positive at all. "Unless of course you would want this wild man all to yourself."
"Ooh!" Usagi grumbled at him and was even more annoyed with Kayama called her name that also. "It's not Odango, it's USAGI!"
Kayama laughed. "You've got a very cute girlfriend." He tossed at Seiya.
"I'm-"
Seiya wrapped an arm around Usagi's shoulders. "Of course. But I'd like to keep her to myself. She's just not a great listener." Seiya ignored her intense glare, really he went too far! She tried to disentangle herself and Kayama yelled a parting towards her and she waved back at the jock but ignored Seiya. They hadn't even known each other a day! Taking such liberties! On the plus side though, even if it was short lived, he didn't know who Seiya was either.
The only reason she was attracted even remotely to the jock was because he was the complete opposite of both Seiya and Mamoru. While Mamoru was strong, he didn't appear overly so, this man seemed more like someone coming from the Americas than Japan, thus also another opposite for him from Mamoru. Whereas Seiya might be strong, she hadn't noticed yet, but he was slim and sinewy, his trick didn't seem direct combat, Mamoru could handle that if he needed to fight, he might survive or even win, probably the latter. Seiya was more slippery, his attack would come after he avoided and evaded all the attacks first. Maybe that would work to his advantage. Even though this jock was the opposite of both Mamoru and Seiya, Usagi couldn't help but admitting that Mamoru was the best of both, he was strong but he was sly. He could go head to head but also slip through the defenses.
He was also very muscular without his shirt on, which was part of the problem, as Kamen he had four layers, at least over his skin. A smile tilted at her lips as she recalled the most recent occasion that she'd had with him without his shirt on. Then just before the negatives could infiltrate, which she tried not to do, she heard a loud groan that sounded like it came from a man through the girl's locker room window.
The sailor senshi stealing star seeds was checking out the footballer from behind as she spoke to him. "Yes, I like you standing right there."
Kayama groaned and Usagi watched as the crystal came out of the middle of his forehead and turn dark. Usagi transformed behind the building where she was alone and then popped out, trying to stop the girl. The girl waved and disappeared in a telephone booth again. Her heart began to quicken as the man turned into a sailor senshi.
Moon had to blink a few times, her eyes widening in disbelief. Luna had found her just in time to watch it as well and couldn't believe it either as the six foot seven man turned into a giant pink bench-pressing senshi with the smallest tightest shorts and cropped top, splitting as he stretched his muscles. If it wasn't so horrifying, both would have broken out laughing. "Looks nasty." Luna finally managed to say.
"You think so?" Moon asked dryly. "He even has wings! Not to mention the skirt thing..."
"Sailor Guts!" The man was saying. "Sweat, blood and guts are part of male's attractiveness. You get youth's perspiration!" He started sending liquid bombs at Moon, which she narrowly avoided and tried to plug her nose so she wouldn't pass out from the stench.
"It's worse because they don't use deodorant like they should." Luna mumbled as she avoided them with her charge. One landed next to them onto the concrete and melted a hole through it. "Must have acid in it or something."
"I think the smell did it." Moon did a back-flip, though not well over one, barely avoiding another, and then a blast from another direction fried a third she might have evaded. She was not good with that tactic. Hers was just to take this hits if she couldn't get away from them, or try to block them...
While only temporary effective, it did give Moon a moment to breathe. Then it was attacking the other senshi as well. This time they were saved by the newest arrivals on the side of 'good', but with all these sailors out there now, Moon couldn't say that for sure like she normally would, though they had saved her now twice.
The youma/Kayama was down on the ground, hurt and the three Star Senshi were mocking them. Asking if they couldn't do any better and questioning the validity of being senshi. Moon cut them off though when Maker looked like she would attack again. "Matte! I'll do this! Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"
Kayama turned back to normal and Fighter looked at her a moment. "Seems only you deserve the title, though only for your healing abilities." Then the three left.
Moon watched after them confused, her senshi were good at what they did. It wasn't there fault as soon as they became powerful enough and strong enough for one enemy without dying or saving her from dying another one came along that was even stronger. They had lived in a region of peace, their training might not have been as deep as the others' and Moon had none on the Moon.
"So any thought Usa-chan on what you want to join after school so you'd be too busy to show Seiya around?" Makoto teased her friend as they walked to the Crown.
Usagi's nose scrunched up. "Don't laugh, but I'm thinking the Anime club."
"That sounds interesting." Ami added to the conversation. Makoto and Rei were dragging Minako along with them, who would probably have stayed at the school to see if she could have found the lights again after the brief time she was pulled away. Usagi doubted they'd be there, not with Seiya's oversized ego, Yaten's dislike for anything having to actually do with people and Taiki seeming to have interests outside of Minako's realm of understanding. She was better off finding them somewhere else.
"It gets out earlier than the Football games. Different days too. Smart, so when he has to do something, you have off and vice-versa." Makoto nodded her approval. If it kept Usagi away from her lights, that meant that it would be a better possibility for them liking another girl, and Usagi didn't need the stress of batting off boys when she was practically engaged.
"For this season." Minako piped in. "The Football season ends early December. Then he will have every day off, he might just join you." She sing-sanged and leaned over Usagi's shoulder to see what she was doodling. "A pig?"
"A Racoon?"
"A porcupine."
"A Tasmanian Tiger."
"That's a Devil. That's not Kanji."
"It's LUNA!" Usagi shoved it away, the club was supposed to help her, so she wasn't taking any of this from any of them. And she really didn't know what she was going to do about Seiya, it wasn't that she had to worry about him, it was just that he annoyed her and he seemed to enjoy doing so, even wanting to stick with her and make her suffer him just so he'd be entertained. But he had a softer side too, she just hadn't caught a glimpse of it yet.
There was a certain part of her that didn't want to find his softer side, and it was that part that she adhered to. Her plan was just to avoid him as much as she could.
EAN: So? What are we thinking?