Disclaimer : I do not own Strawberry Panic. I also do not own Sailor Moon.

"talking"

Is it friendship or is it love? Or is it both?

Makoto rolled over to see that her clock to see that it was 3:19 in the morning. She wondered why she was awake at this hour. It did not take Makoto long to realize that it was probably Melanie that woke up her. The taller girl climbed out of her bed and walked over to her roommate. She wondered what could be bothering the other girl.

"Melanie?"

When Melanie heard her name she rolled over to see her roommate standing there, "Mako?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Melanie sniffled.

"It's not nothing," Makoto stated, "because if you're crying."

Melanie sighed, "I'm upset."

"I got that much," Makoto joked. She felt bad when Melanie did not smile.

Melanie just laid there and stared at her roommate. She was not sure if she could actually tell her what was upsetting her.

After a few moments of silence, Makoto lifted the covers to Melanie's bed, "Maybe if you tell me I can help."

Melanie moved over so that Makoto could climb in her bed, "I don't think that you can."

"Why not," Makoto asked as she lay down in her roommate's bed. "Just tell me and I will try by hardest to help."

Melanie laid her head on Makoto's shoulder, "My par…parents dropped me off here."

"Why does that upset you? Because everyone's family did that."

"Yeah, but mine," Melanie hugged Makoto, "abandoned me."

That statement had not been what Makoto expected to hear. She could not understand how a family would abandon their own daughter. "How could they do that?"

"I don't know," Melanie cried.

Makoto wrapped her arms around Melanie and let her cry. She could not believe that Melanie's parents would do something like that. "Melanie, why did your parents abandon you?" Makoto waited for an answer, but never got her answer because Melanie had fallen asleep.

When the alarm clock went off that morning, Melanie woke up to an arm wrapped around her waist. For a moment, she was terrified that someone had gotten into the room, but then she remembered that Makoto was in her bed. Melanie carefully rolled over to see Makoto open her eyes.

"Mako, why are you still in my bed?" Melanie asked as she tried her hardest not to blush at how close they were.

"Sorry," Makoto looked into Melanie's bright blue eyes, "I must have fallen asleep."

"That's all right."

"Well, I'm going to go get ready for class," Makoto said as she got out of Melanie's bed. She grabbed her uniform before heading to the bathroom.

Melanie sighed as she climbed out of bed. She quickly got dressed in her uniform and left to go to breakfast without her roommate. She just hoped she remembered where the dining hall was. As soon as Melanie reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw Michiru, "Hi Michiru."

"Hi Melanie," Michiru hugged Melanie. "Are you looking forward to your first day?"

Melanie shrugged, "I think so."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Melanie thought that she had done a good job of hiding what was bothering her.

"Well, your face seems to say otherwise." Michiru was worried that something bad might have happened between Melanie and Makoto. If that was the case, Michiru knew that she would have to try and fix the problem. "You can tell me anything and if it helps I promise not to tell anyone."

Melanie figured that she could trust Michiru. "Makoto was in my bed."

Michiru was speechless. She was honestly not expecting that to happen so fast. "Why was she in your bed?"

"It's not what you're thinking. I woke up this morning and Makoto was asleep in my bed."

"Then why was Makoto in your bed?"

"I was crying," Melanie quickly stated.

It was then that Michiru felt bad. Here she thought that something was happening when it reality Makoto was just trying to comfort her. "What wrong?"

Melanie was not sure if she wanted everyone to know, but she had to trust that Michiru would keep her promise. After a few moments, she said, "My parents abandoned me."

"What are you talking about?"

"That is why I was so upset and why Mako was in my bed with me. I guess we fell asleep." Melanie really wanted to tell someone the reason why her parents abandoned her, but did not know if she could trust anyone. She decided that she could trust Michiru with what had really happened. "Michiru, if I tell you something will you promise to not tell anyone."

That last sentence scared Michiru. She did not know what could have happened that she would have to keep it a secret. "Of course I promise. I already told you I wouldn't tell anyone."

"My family seems to be rich, but in reality, they aren't," Melanie paused. She was afraid to tell Michiru. "My parents didn't want me and they were not afraid to show that either. Usually my parents would leave me at any home with the people to take of me."

Michiru could not believe that parents would be capable of such a thing. "How could they do that?"

Melanie shrugged, "I don't know."

Michiru quickly have the other girl a hug, "You don't have to tell me anymore if you don't want to."

"I want to though," Melanie was glad to have told someone her secret. After a few moments, she said, "When I came home from school, all of my things were packed and my parents weren't there. There was just a note that said they were leaving and that they didn't want me to be their daughter anymore. All I wanted was for them to accept me and love me like parents should." Melanie started to cry again, "Should I tell Mako?"

Michiru nodded, "Personally I think that you should because Makoto has a right to know, but it is up to you."

"Should tell Makoto what?"

Melanie turned around to see that it was Haruka that had asked. She was paralyzed with fear at how much the tall blonde from Spica had heard.

"Hey Ruka!" Michiru happily said.

"So what are we talking about?" Haruka asked.

Melanie let out the breath that she did not know she was holding, "Nothing."

With that Melanie ran off toward the dining hall. The whole way there she kept thinking that it would have been better if she had kept her mouth shut, but at the same time she felt better since she had told someone. When she reached the dining hall, she sat in the same seat as yesterday. Melanie was too upset to even realize who was there.

"Hey."

Melanie looked to her right to see Nagisa, "Hey."

"What's wrong?"

"A lot," Melanie said as she looked at the plate in front of her. "Why isn't Mako sitting with us?"

"She wanted to sit by Tamao today. What's going on?"

Melanie wanted to tell Nagisa what happened last night. "But on second thought, maybe not," she thought. She shook her head and the girls continued their breakfast.

Sorry for the long wait. Thanks to xsojix for helping me with this chapter. Thanks to Silent Fate for reviewing. Let me know what you thought of the chapter! Bye!