Chapter 11

"Usagi, wait up!"

Usagi looked up from her cell phone and turned around. Makoto and Minako were running down the street towards her, pin wheeling their arms. Usagi grinned and waited for Makoto and Minako ran to catch up with her.

"Hi, guys!" she greeted them cheerfully. "What's up?" Minako doubled over, holding her knees as she tried to catch her breath, but Makoto grinned at Usagi and casually threw her school bag over her shoulder.

"Haruka told us that she invited you to her race this weekend," she said. "Are you going?"

"Yup, she gave me the ticket yesterday," Usagi said. "I can't wait."

"Well, we're all going, too and we're sleeping over at Rei's house the night before and we just wanted to let you know that you're invited, too." Minako stood back up and smiled brightly and grabbed Usagi's hands.

"Please say you'll come!" Usagi looked at them uncertainly.

"Are you sure Rei won't mind?" she asked them. "I get the feeling she isn't exactly my biggest fan, ya know?" Minako waved her hand in the air and shook her head.

"She likes you well enough. It's just that Rei takes a while to warm up to people. This way, you'll have the opportunity to get to know each other better."

"Yeah, Usagi, it'll be fun," Makoto chimed. "Please come." Usagi looked into their earnest eyes and felt her resolve crumble. She sighed in defeat and held her hands up.

"Alright. I'll be there," Usagi told them. "But only if Rei say's it's cool. And she's gotta tell me herself." Minako looked as if she were going to protest, but Makoto cut her off.

"Deal. She'll call you later on, to day."

"Ok. Well, I've got to go," Usagi said, waving her cell phone at her friends as the sound of a gun shot alerted her to an new text message. "Naru wants me to 'study' with her. I'll see you later." The girls echoed her farewell and continued on their way to the arcade to meet the other girls.

"Alright," Minako said, pulling out a small purple notebook. "I've got makeup and hair stuff, and you're in charge of food. Ami's got movies…"

"I think I'll go with her to make sure we don't wind up watching another foreign film," Makoto cut in. Minako nodded and scribbled in her notebook before continuing.

"How about games?" she asked, tapping her pen against the page. Makoto made a face and shook her head no.

"What are we, seven? No games."

"What? Come on! This is our first real, non-senshi meeting sleepover. We've got to have some games!" Minako insisted. Makoto folded her arms and shook her head firmly.

"No games." Minako sighed in disappointment and scratched games off of her list. She had been looking forward to playing Twister, Bop It, and Texas Hold 'em.

"Fine. Killjoy. That just leaves one last thing…who's going to tell Rei that the party's at her place?" Makoto looked confused. They hadn't told Rei that the slumber party was at her place, but it was a fair assumption that she knew anyway. Hers and Makoto's were the most logical places. Makoto lived alone, but Rei had the biggest room and since her grandfather generally went to bed early, they had minimal parental interference to worry about.

"Why would that be a big deal?"she asked Minako. "I mean, we always have slumber parties at either her place or mine. I don't think she'll mind having this one there since we went to my place last time."

"We never invited Usagi without telling her either."

"Oooh, right." Makoto bit her lip thoughtfully. "I nominate you.' Minako sputtered indignantly.

"Why me?" she demanded. "Why can't you or Ami do it?"Makoto shrugged.

"Well since I'm doing the food and helping with picking out the movies and this whole girls' night in thing was your idea, I think it's only fair that you tell Rei that we invited Usagi, don't you?"

"No." Minako folded her arms and glared at her friend. Makoto tapped her chin and tried to think of an excuse.

"Well how about I'm bigger and if it came down to a fight I'd probably win?" she suggested. Minako scoffed.

"You mean like how you beat me at every training session in the past week? Oh wait! That was me kicking your behind." Makoto frowned, but said nothing. Minako was right. There was no guarantee that she would beat Minako in a fight. Then a thought occurred to her.

"What if we're blowing this way out of proportion? I mean, it's not as if Rei hates Usagi, she just doesn't know her that well." Minako considered that point. Makoto could be right, but…

"But then why be so cold towards Usagi? " she asked Makoto. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed. She wasn't like that when she met us." Makoto shook her head.

"I don't know. Maybe she feels threatened now," Makoto said. "I mean when we met, we knew that we were…on the same team…" Makoto looked around to make sure that there was no one listening to them talk. "Maybe she's worried that Usagi will distract us or find out and expose us or something." Minako looked at her friend, impressed.

"Wow, that was really insightful," she said. Makoto grinned and winked at her.

"I've been watching daytime TV. So how about we tell Rei together? That way if she really does get mad, we can run in different directions. She can only catch one of us." Minako laughed and agreed as they reached the arcade doors.

"Deal. Oh, look, she's already here!" Rei was sitting in a booth by herself with a book in her hand and a milkshake on the table. Minako and Makoto went and slid into the seats across from her. Rei looked up and smiled at her friends.

"Hey ladies, what's up?" she asked them. Minako grabbed the shake and took a sip before giving it back to Rei.

"I love French vanilla strawberry!" she said. She stood up and waved to get Motoki's attention. She held up the milkshake and motioned for him to bring another, then sat back down when he signaled that he'd bring it over in a moment.

"Ok, now that Minako's sweet tooth is being satisfied, why don't we get down to business," Makoto said. "We're having a sleepover on Friday before Haruka's race." Rei smiled enthusiastically.

"That's great! We can all leave together, then." Minako grinned and drummed her fingers on the table as Motoki set her shake down in front of her.

"Thanks, 'Toki!" she said, waving at him. Then she turned back to Rei. "We're having it at your place." Rei sighed, but was resigned. It came with having the biggest room.

"Fine. I'll make sure that Grandpa will leave us alone," she promised. They all shuddered at the memory of Rei's elderly grandfather making passes at all of them at Senshi meetings.

"One more thing," Makoto said. She looked at Minako and the girls nodded, resolved to see this through to the end.

"We invited Usagi," Minako told her. Rei's eyebrows shot up and she blinked at them a few times.

"Excuse me?" she managed to say. Makoto and Minako prepared to flee if their friend lost her temper, but Rei took a few deep breaths and started again. "Ok, so now it's fine to invite strangers to spend the night at my house?"

'Usagi's not a stranger," Minako said, rolling her eyes. "We all know her. You've hung out with her a couple of times, too."

"Ok, a relative stranger. I don't know her well enough for you to invite her without talking to me about it," Rei retorted. "I don't know if I'm comfortable letting her stay at my house."

"Oh, come on, Rei," Minako pleaded. "It's not like she's a psycho axe murderer. We just got through telling Usagi that you don't hate her. She said she'd only come if it was ok with you. You don't hate her, do you?" Rei shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"I don't hate her, but…" Minako continued on.

"And she's going to the race, too. If Haruka thinks enough of her to give Usagi a ticket to her big race, why can't she stay the night and come with us?"

"Yeah, Rei," Makoto jumped in. "This could be the perfect opportunity for you to get over whatever it is you've got against Usagi. She's really a sweet girl."

"I haven't got anything against her," Rei insisted. Her friends looked unconvinced. "I don't!"

"So she can come to the sleepover?" Makoto asked hopefully. Rei threw her hands up and flopped back into the seat, defeated.

"Fine, she can come," she conceded grudgingly. Minako and Makoto slapped each other high five. Just then Ami came in and hurried towards their table.

"Sorry I'm late," she said "I'm was working on an assignment for my cram school class. Ami was slightly winded as she sat down next to Rei. She tucked her bag under her seat and looked around. "What did I miss?"

-:- -:- -;-p -:- -:-

Usagi walked through the park slowly. Spring had settled in decidedly and she was enjoying the warm breeze blowing across the pond. School was out for the day, and she was in no rush to get Naru's to study. She checked her watch. She was supposed to be there in ten minutes, which meant she had about twenty minutes before Naru got annoyed with her.

"Aww, she'll understand," Usagi told herself, leaning over the railing around the pond. She watched the ducks swimming in the water beneath her. "It's too nice a day to spend on homework, anyway."

"You know, I think there's a pill for people who talk themselves." Mamoru came up beside Usagi and rested his arms on the railing.

"Mamoru," Usagi said, a bit surprised. She grinned at him. "I'm surprised to see you here. Don't you have some physics homework to do or something?" Mamoru smiled back and shrugged.

"Well, I do have a project due, but it was such a nice day, I thought I'd come poison some pigeons." Usagi's smile fell and she blanched.

"You're joking, right?" she asked. Mamoru threw his head back and laughed out loud. Had any of his friends been there, they would have been shocked, Mamoru reflected.

"I'm sorry," he said, trying to collect himself. "I'm joking. There's an American song about poisoning pigeons with cyanide laced peanuts."

"That's horrible!" Usagi cried. Mamoru grinned at her.

"You haven't seen the pigeons in America. Big as eagles and multiplying like rabbits." Usagi's eyes widened and she gaped at Mamoru for a second. Then she half frowned at him.

"You're joking again," she decided more than asked. Mamoru nodded.

"Yeah, but they're still huge pests over there."

"You've been to America?" Usagi asked, her interest piqued.

"Yes, I went last year with my school," Mamoru told her. "We stayed in New York City for a week."

"Wow, that's so cool!" Usagi sighed wistfully. "I want to go to New York City. Naru and I have been planning a shopping trip on Fashion Avenue since 6th grade." Mamoru rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"What's with women and shopping?" he asked. Usagi shoved him a little a made a face.

"What's with men and poisoning helpless animals?" she countered.

"Hey, you haven't seen New York City pigeons!" Mamoru said, jokingly defending himself. "They congregate in the middle of the sidewalk and act put out when you walk by them. They don't even take off. They just move to the side. They don't have a healthy fear of humans. You'll see what I mean if you go." Usagi scoffed at him.

"Whatever. Hey, Haruka invited me to her race this weekend, are you going, too?" Usagi faced the water, but watched Mamoru from the corner of her eye.

"She invited me, but I'm not sure if I'm going yet. I have a paper due for my literature class next week."

"Oh, right." Usagi turned her face completely away for a moment, crossly scolding herself for feeling so disappointed. She reached down and grabbed her school bag. With a cheery smile she turned back to Mamoru.

"I've got to go," she said. She threw her bag across her shoulder. "I'm supposed to meet my friend, Naru. See you, Mamoru." Mamoru watched her start off down the path, and before his mind could react to the rest of him, he ran after her.

"Wait, Usagi!" Usagi stopped and turned back to him. At that moment, a breeze blew past, sending a swirl of white cherry blossom petals around her. Mamoru's mouth went dry as he tried to think of what to say. Usagi watched him expectantly and shifted on her feet self consciously.

"What's up, Chiba?" she asked when he didn't continue. "Just felt like saying my name?" Mamoru's mouth quirked up nervously as he tried to laugh her comment off.

"Eh-he…No, I was just wondering… no big deal or anything… if you'd like to go get some coffee. You know, with me." Usagi furrowed her brow in confusion.

"What you mean right now?" Mamoru flushed a little and stammered.

"I was thinking this weekend? Maybe Friday or Saturday after the race or something." Understanding lit up Usagi's face, followed closely by a deep red blush.

"Oh, you mean like a date?" Mamoru nodded. Usagi bit her lip and looked away from Mamoru. "I'm not really a huge fan of coffee." Mamoru's face fell and his shoulders drooped.

"Right. I'll um…I'll see you later then." Mamoru turned to leave.

"Hold on," Usagi said, catching his arm. "I said I don't like coffee. I didn't say I wouldn't go out with you. So, what else ya got?" Mamoru stood there for a second, with his mouth gaping.

"Uh…movie?" Usagi, blushing furiously, grinned and nodded.

"I'd like that. I can meet you Saturday around seven?" Mamoru nodded. Usagi pulled a pen from her bag, grabbed his hand and scribbled something on his arm. "Great. Here's my number. Later, Chiba." Usagi waved at Mamoru as she ran down the path. Mamoru stared after her then looked down at the phone number written on his arm in purple ink with a smile playing on his lips.

-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-

Usagi felt a little giddy as she jogged up the stairs to Naru's apartment. She knew her friend would tease her mercilessly when she told her that Mamoru had not only asked her out, but she said yes. Usagi could feel the blush rising in her cheeks and willed it away. There was no denying now that she was attracted to Mamoru- he was funny, handsome, and wittier than any guy she had ever met before (not to mention a great dancer)- but that didn't make the prospect of the inevitable 'I told you so's and 'I called it's any less embarrassing. Still, Usagi couldn't help the excited squee that bubbled in her throat. She had a date!

-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-

"Everything is going as planned, my queen," Jadeite said, speaking into the crystal ball on the table. Queen Beryl's face floated in a haze of green. She glared at the general and her top lip twitched in a way that let Jadeite know she was getting upset.

"You've been there a week, Jadeite," she said, her voice hard with barely contained impatience. "What is taking so long?" Jadeite had to force himself not to roll his eyes. In the week he had been there he had been able to collect energy from his clients- almost more than the last few youma. At the same time he had been scanning the positive energy from unsuspecting young women, all without attracting the attention of the Senshi, yet Beryl wanted more.

"I apologize, my queen." Jadeite inclined his head, as much to hide his annoyance as to show Beryl respect. "There is a competition of some kind this weekend. I will be able to gather a huge amount of energy and if I don't find the princess there, I'll begin phase two of my plan." Queen Beryl's eyebrow quirked skeptically.

"And what would that be?" she asked.

"We have an estimate of the princess' age," Jadeite explained. "If she is here, she will be in school. There are about ten junior high, and high schools in the vicinity. If I can infiltrate those buildings, I will be able to scan all the girls in the area." Queen Beryl sneered at Jadeite.

"And waste all of my resources, no doubt," she spat, annoyed. "Do you know how long that will take?" Jadeite winced at her criticism.

"It may take some help from the other generals," he admitted. "Our crystals can only scan one girl at a time. If we each take a school…"

"Fine!" the queen snapped. "Very well. Whatever it takes. If you do not find the princess at this event you speak of, I'll have the rest of the generals assist you on your search. With all of you working together, you might actually have an iota of intelligence among you." Jadeite said nothing, but glared angrily into his lap as the queen gave him one last warning. "Jadeite, if you don't succeed, you will be punished. Am I clear?"

"Yes, my queen," Jadeite said, keeping his voice flat and bland. With a final scowl, Queen Beryl's face disappeared. Jadeite finally raised his head and glared into the now empty crystal ball.

"Evil cow," he muttered. He picked up the flyer the park had handed out to all the vendors.

Motocross event Saturday!

All vendors wanting a pavilion must submit

applications and fee by Wednesday!

Jadeite smirked. If nothing else, the crowds will provide enough energy to keep Beryl happy for a few days.