Canceled again.
The priestess cursed.
It wasn't the studying that she was missing, the missed meetings were the palpabe proof of how dry they were all running now. Their well-oiled machine of a system was running dry, creaky, non-oiled and struggling. She had gotten a muttered voice-mail about volleyball practice from Mina, but wasn't her season over? Makoto hadn't bothered to call, but no one had seen her since the weekend. With half of the team AWOL, she had called Usagi to let her know not to waste her time. Maybe they were all catching up on their sleep, but she doubted it.
She whipped off her robes to replace them with a street-sensible pair of jeans and tee while casting her eyes at the clock. She hoped that the two were missing because of some romantic rendevouz, but she highly doubted it. The nymph trotted in, pulling the door open just as she pulled the sleeveless T over her head and pulled her mane of raven hair out of it to wash along her slight back.
"You don't have to come with me, you know."
She smiled foolishly, straightening her hair a bit as she bent to pick up a couple of choice textbooks.
"Nonsense. I like to walk with you. It's the only time I get out of the temple. I like getting out, not worrying about the debts and upkeep and shopkeeping for once."
The smaller girl's eyes furrowed.
"So you do wait for me during class."
She frowned, caught red-handed.
"Like I said, it's nice to be a teen instead of an over-worked woman with an entire temple resting on her shoulders."
She pulled an empty bookbag off the desk and dropped the books in them, handing it to Ami.
With a returned frown, the nymph took the bookbag, pawing through it quickly before turning apologetically away.
"My notes are in the other room..."
She trailed off down the hall as her voice lilted behind her. The raven haired girl let out a rushed sigh as she moved towards the foyer, pulling on a roughed and faded denim jacket.
"Well, hurry. We're running late and I need to grab some groceries while you're in class!"
There was a return call from the other end of the hall along the lines of 'is that what you call being a teenager' but her words were lost when her eyes fell on the folded newspaper headline.
"Juuban High Varsity Player Hosp-"
She didn't get to the rest, as she heard the gentle pad of feet behind her. She tucked it inside her inside pocket, turning just in time to see Ami pad up behind her.
"See, all the rush and you're still shoe-less..."
The smaller girl gave her a motherly pat on the forearm, and the priestess only had enough time to blush out a quick apology as she toed on shoes and chauffeured them both out the door.
The walk was quite pleasant. After the accidental discovery and acceptance by their best friends, Ami had seemed to cast the judgement of the rest of the world aside, becoming bolder in their outside displays. She surprised Rei quite soundly today by planting a soft kiss squarely on her lips as she pulled her bookbag from the woman's arms to head into the building. The class was beginning, but she could see eyes peeking out at them through the window.
"I—da- wha- They can see."
She blubbered, caught between holding her and pushing her at arm's length as she pointed over the blue-haired girl's shoulders.
"Yes, it's quite old news apparently. Mina says my tastes are too sophisticated for my school and I have set my sights on the 'sexy handsome priestess'. At least that's what the girls say."
She patted her fondly as she pulled a few emergency pens Rei kept constantly tucked in her breast pocket for that purpose.
She vaguely registered many things, but among them was that she didn't see the chat circles making their way to Ayune's place of work. She saw a pair of eyes she recognized herself prodding accusingly at her, but she also did not see those chat circles affecting her own grandfather, nor, now that she thought about it, had he ever had any cruel word or judgment effecting her own happiness.
"Ahh.. I...ok... I'll ...see you."
The water nymph smiled, patting a crimson cheek fondly.
"Yes, I'll see you, constance."
With a last peck, she turned and and trotted leisurely into the building, where the other's eyes tore away to what she was sure was the sensei beginning class.
Her thoughts were scattered until she tucked her hands into her pockets against the light chill and felt a rustle. She ripped the paper out of her pocket and opened it in one swift moment, her eyes scanning over the header and heart beating faster with each word read.
"Juuban High Varsity Player Hospitalized"
-Midnight Brawl Leaves Self and Teammates Comatose-
She cussed, and sprinted off at a full run. There was someone she needed to talk to.
The evening air was chilly and dense, perfect for a long run. After her third absence, she was sure the rest of the senshi would be looking for her, so she had been spending as much time away from her apartment as possible to avoid them.
The air was hard and sharp, making pulling in long breaths easy, her strides longer and her breaths deeper. The crowded, dense streets gave way to empty sidewalks, the headlights casting long shadows, the honking horns and long headlights blending into a background soundtrack, mixing with her hard breath as the music in her ears pounded to the tune of her feet on hard pavement.
She wondered how Minako was. She wondered if the others had found out yet, if they knew that she had done it and Venus had watched her. She didn't know what to tell them, and no matter how many times she played it over in her head, she couldn't understand or remember how she had lost control. She still remembered the crack of her own fist against hard chin; the throbbing in her hands as she watched the woman fall to the ground before her. Now that hand was wrapped in gauze and dressings, even worse for wear now. But all the cool breeze and soft wind could not make her ignore what her legs had been begging. She was almost home now; she dearly hoped that no one would be waiting for her outside her door when she at last dragged herself up the last step.
To avoid any further surprises, she had also (though guiltily) removed the emergency key she kept under the mat.
Her calves screaming, she reached the landing with a grunt and the relieving sight of an empty doorstep and dark windows. She let herself in noisily, dragging her feet against the muscle failure that threatened them. Skipping the light, she closed the door behind her and threw her keys on the counter, all thoughts on a hot shower.
"No time for a phone call, but enough for a three-mile run?"
She jumped. Out of reflex, she swung, even though in her head she recognized the voice.
She was ready though, and the figure ducked easily underneath the swing. Expertly, she tucked herself under the swing and went straight for the opening, expecting it. The amazon's legs struggled against the weight of her own body, and the hard hit into the chest sent her off them completely. She landed quite unceremoniously with a 'fwump' into her couch, scattering dishes from the coffee table in the process.
"That one, I'll let pass, seeing as I surprised you."
The light flicked on with an electrical buzz, and she blinked against the light as Rei slapped something against her. She instinctively grabbed it, her eyes still fuzzy.
"You do it again though, I'll be pissed."
As her eyes roved over the page, her face went blank but her heart was beating so fast by the end of it she wondered if Rei could hear it as she stood over her.
"Juuban High Varsity Player Hospitalized"
-Midnight Brawl Leaves Self and Teammates Comatose-
Varsity football player, Royo Doya, of Juuban High School was admitted to the East Memorial Hospital in stable condition with numerous injuries on Monday night. He was accompanied by teammates Yuri Nako, Tomo Harokin, and Rin Minou.
They were all found unconscious when an anonymous phone call came in from a pay phone for emergency services. The caller was a female, whom was able to recite their injuries but was unable to give any type of identity. When the EMT's arrived, all four men were found unconscious, some badly bleeding, their pockets rifled in Koran High Park. Authorities suspect a mugging but have yet to make any official statements on the matter.
Tomo woke up shortly on Monday morning. When questioned on the event, he reported the 'Sailor b- Jupiter'. This newspaper can only speculate that he is reporting on Sailor Jupiter herself, one of the five Sailor senshi that have been making more headlines than usual. Reported eyewitnesses and victims alike have reported that their sightings have been 'more rash and frequent than usual', but with the crime rate steadily dropping as a result. Tomo shortly dropped into a coma after that, and the others are reported to be in the same condition. Doctors have reported them in stable condition.
Tox screens have reported all four males to have dangerously high blood alcohol levels at the time of admittance. It seems much to early to tell what really happened early Monday morning, and pointing fingers at any of the senshi at this point seems rash. Was it the senshi themselves that left them in this condition? Or was it simply them that stumbled upon them and made the call? The only thing for certain, if the anonymous call had not been made, all four men may not be alive today. Doctors admit some were suffering some blood loss and other trauma, that which was minimized with their doctor's quick response time.
For varsity player Royo, this is another turn of bad luck that has been plaguing him all year. Though he helped lead the school to regionals, he was taken out of the game prematurely when he suffered an unrelated injury outside of the field. The team was not able to take the championship without him. Many recruiters from colleges have been spotted in the last few months, as this will be his last year at Juuban. Hopefully, this will not destroy all the opportunities he had in front of him. The other players were reportedly on their own way to scholarships as well.
Any information regarding the happenings of Monday night can be reported at (555)429-3017. Police chief Haru is taking all tips regarding what happened that night.
She blinked up at Rei, who had been silent as she read through the article. There was a light 'clunk' as she set a full glass of water on the coffee table. She glanced up at her through heavily-lidded eyes as she towered over her, arms crossed.
"I have fifteen minutes before I have to leave to pick up my girlfriend, and I'm never late. And because of your lengthy run, I have to have to come up with some kind of excuse as to why I'm missing groceries. So excuse me if I'm a bit miffed."
She sipped the water for a ploy for more time as much as thirst. The questions were streaming through her head faster than she could keep up with, but one in particular floated to the top.
"How did you get in? I hid the spare."
A sideways smile slid into her features and she snatched the empty glass away from her hand.
"I'm as stubborn as you when I want to be", called from the kitchen over the sound of running water.
The full-again glass sat next to her with a clunk.
"Your spare key was gone but your window wasn't locked. And what did you do to your hand?"
She flinched, wishing she had covered it.
"Oh, n—nothing. I just slipped... You got in through my window?"
"Yeah, so I broke the lock but the window's still functional. Quit changing the subject."
With that, the priestess crossed the small table and sat down next to her, plopping a first-aid kit that had been sitting conveniently on the counter down onto the coffee table with her.
"If you've been running as long as I've been here, you need to change that, pronto. You need some help?"
"N—no. I got it."
She wished there was a way that she could hide the ugly red lines from her, but she knew Rei wasn't leaving any time soon. There was a short silence while Rei waited but Mako pretended to focus on unwrapping her hand. With a pointed sigh, she pointed a finger at the open paper now laying on Mako's stomach, while at the same time wordlessly watching the injury as it revealed itself.
"Tell me about –that."
The amazon let out a hot breath as she peeled away the last layer, sticky with sweat and blood, that fought to stay.
"What about it. Just some drunkies."
Rei pulled in a sharp breath herself, and disappeared to return again with a fresh bottle of peroxide.
"C'mon, don't kid me."
Her hand shook with pain, and the peroxide bottle was pulled out of her grasp as Rei unscrewed it and handed it back.
"You think I don't know better? You disappear completely for three days and suddenly Minako has out-of-season volleyball practice?"
She pointed to the accusatory paper.
"Suddenly one of them wakes up long enough to mention your name and then falls into a coma?!"
"Is she ok?"
The raven-haired girl snorted.
"Minako? Yeah, haven't seen her, says she's fine. Talked to her yesterday. Apparently we should all be more worried about you."
She gestured pointedly at the bright red slices along her palm, currently bubbling with peroxide as Makoto held it gingerly at the wrist, shaking. The priestess wordlessly snatched the paper off the girl's lap and pulled the bubbling hand into her own lap, fanning it.
"I remember you telling me about a certain asshole jock that was giving Ames a hard time. Suddenly he's in the hospital along with all his friends. So if you caught the assholes, why're you hiding? I mean, we should be celebrating, right?"
There was a silence, save for the flapping of paper as she gently fanned her burning hand.
"Is Minako really okay?" The amazon's voice was weak, frail.
Rei's movements stopped.
"Did they …get her... before you got there?"
Makoto gulped, pulling her hand away, more out emotional retreat than relief.
"No... I was there first."
She pulled the gauze from Rei before the girl could start helping. With a gulp, she continued.
"They never had a chance... Not even Venus."
She tried to wrap it herself, but she couldn't get it tight enough with only one hand. When Rei pulled her hand back again, she let it stay. Instead of continuing the wrap, she pulled some ointment out of the box and began spreading it on. Hopefully it wouldn't stick so bad next time. She had a feeling Mako was purposely avoiding using it. Her senshi prowess would ensure it would heal; she was just making sure it hurt along the way.
"So... Venus was there last."
"Yeah. By the time she got there, I was already in a blind rage, I had dropped three of them, was so angry I didn't know where I was anymore. It was just me and that ass that I caught leering at Ames."
The priestess let out a low whistle, impressed.
"They were drunk."
She snorted.
"That makes it even more impressive. So you dropped them all on your own before Mina got there.. so why are you worried about her?"
She pulled in a painful breath, pulling a ruddy, dirty strand behind her ear. The dirty hair reminded her that she needed a shower, and she pulled her hand back into her own lap before Rei could start wrapping it.
"Because she tried to stop me."
Unoffended, she threw an arm over the back of the couch. She now sat facing the amazon, one leg hanging loosely off the side while the other knee sat tucked underneath her. Her eyes rolled to the ceiling as the gears ticked.
"You...oh. Usagi said she had a pretty good shiner."
The amazon cringed.
"I don't remember what happened. I just... she kept pulling me off of him, and I had to... I had to kill him."
"But you didn't."
Her voice was hollow, devoid of anger and disappointment. She was burning to know if she hated the bastard as much as she did.
"No... I... I dropped her. When I realized what I'd done... I... I..."
"You left."
The amazon nodded, confusion clear on her features.
The priestess let out a deep breath, surveying the paper in front of her.
"Well, it looks like Mina stayed behind and called some ambulances. They didn't spot her but I bet she stayed behind and watched at a distance. They were unharmed when you found them?"
She nodded.
Rei nodded again, idly scanning the paper and the woman in front of her.
"Yeah, I guess she must have emptied their pockets to make it look like a mugging. Smart of her."
The priestess stood with a stretch, checking the clock as she did so.
"So, was it him?"
The question startled her.
"What?"
"Is it him?"
The amazon shook her head. It was the one question that had been keeping her up at night since it happened.
"I..."
She swallowed a heavy, hard breath. Her emeralds, shining moved up to catch Rei's own.
"Rei... I... I don't know."
She sniffed, standing and willing the tears not to fall.
"I... I... keep thinking I might have made a mistake. I mean.. he was an asshole, yeah. I ran into them and I could just see him all over again... leering at her. Like she was a thing. I wish I had broken his entire hand when I had the chance. But.. I mean, that just proves he's an ass..."
"Did he know anything about her? At school?"
"About Ames? No, just what the rest of the school did. That she was a genius and ah..."
Her eyes flashed to Rei's apologetically.
"...a lesbian. They thought she was with me. I just... when it first happened, I, I just.. I got really protective..."
The priestess let out an amused puff of air through her nose, shrugging her jacket on and leaning against the door.
"Yeah. I'm glad. Someone's gotta keep an eye on her, or I gotta drop out."
They both shared an amused look, Makoto seemed to be getting some of her former stature back.
"Ok, so they didn't know anything about her on Monday, either?"
"No. I was.. screaming at him to tell me... I..ah. I wanted him to admit to it. But he didn't know what I was talking about."
Rei nodded, letting the words sink in.
"Ami's... been hiding this for a while."
The amazon's eyes snapped up, wide.
"What?"
"I don't..."
She pulled in a deep breath.
"I don't think it was a one-time thing."
"Someone she knew?"
"Someone who knows her, at least."
"Her step-dad? Didn't you say he was a bit of an ass?"
She shook her head.
"I thought so too, at first. But we sat at the dinner table with him, he drove us home. I didn't pick any panic up from her. I think..."
"She wouldn't be able to hide it."
"Yeah. I mean, she never mentions him. Like, she's not particularly fond of him, but he's not really important to her either. I mean, if it was prolonged abuse we're talking about..."
"He would make some kind of impression."
"Yeah."
The raven head shrugged, as Mako sunk down into the couch, in shock from this new information. How long had this been going on?
The priestess stood, let out a steadying breath as she laid a hand on doorknob.
"So."
Makoto stood, brandishing her injured hand so as not to accidentally brush something.
"Yeah?"
"You need to talk to her."
The amazon's eyes immediately fell, her stature shrank again.
"I don't know how."
Rei smilled, pulling slightly to open the door an inch.
"I think you should try. As much as she's angry at you... She's more hurt."
Emeralds glanced at her through hooded, hopeful eyes.
"You think?"
"You haven't even given her a chance, Mako. Before you go tossing your friendship down the drain, give her that much. You owe that to her."
She nodded, tucking her hand into her own pockets and moving to let her out.
"And don't think about it. You don't have a choice in the matter. Talk to her before the others get wind of this."
The priestess let out a deep sigh, her shoulders sinking at the weight that sat on them.
"And take it easy on the night watches. All of you. There's some heat now that we gotta let blow over."
The taller woman's eyes widened but the priestess only shook her head firmly before she could speak.
"No buts. We're stretched too thin. Worst-case scenario there's one less ass out there. And Ami's safe with me."
The priestess sighed, casting a wayward glance at the clock.
"I gotta jog as it is. And I'm missing groceries."
Chest tight, she rounded the corner in time to see the last of the students filing out of class, Ami standing waywardly as she scanned the street for her. With a last push and gulp of air she closed the gap, wishing futilely that Mako lived closer.
"Sorry Ame's."
She panted heavily, leaning on knees to catch a breath as the laden bag on her shoulder stretched at its seams.
"Lines were long."
The bookworm smiled, taking the bag from her and placing a few of the items in her own bookbag. She could already feel the eyes of other students on the back of head. In a sudden stroke of genius, Makoto had pulled some used grocery bags out of her own closet and laden them with a few of her own packaged items. Apparently in her recent depression, she had continued to follow her daily routine of chores and cleaning, but had refused to eat much; leaving the option of untouched groceries still sitting fresh in her fridge. The woman had not allowed her to leave until she had piled the bag high, and Rei had not even tried to refuse, thankful words on her lips.
The smaller woman smiled, fishing a bottle of water out of her bag for her as disapproving or deadly interesting looks were cast from the crowd around them.
She took a deep gulp of water, pulling an arm around her as Ami leaned into the touch contentedly.
They could go fuck themselves; if Ami didn't care, neither did she.
A/N 8.27.12 New Chapter.