Will You Let Me Be Your Princess, My Darling Prince?
by Artemis
Part Seven
I opened my eyes to find myself in a bed. I must've fainted
at the assembly. The nurse pulled the curtains from the window.
"How are you feeling Miss Tsukino?" she asked. "You've been asleep
for quite a long time."
"What time is it?" I asked.
I rubbed my eyes because the sunlight was in my eyes.
"It's almost lunch time," the nurse told me, then left the room.
I yawned. This wasn't exactly how I had planned my first
impression at the school assembly, but it wasn't entirely
my fault. I closed my eyes and lay in the warm sunlight.
I heard two people talking outside.
"Yes, she's woken up now. You may go and see her, but not too
long. She needs her rest."
"Thank you, Sister Anthea."
It was Mamoru. I closed my eyes. I didn't really want to talk
or see anyone. Not even Mamoru. My thoughts and feelings were
muddled and I needed time to myself before I could face anyone,
especially Janice. I heard the door open and Mamoru came in.
He pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed.
"You awake?" I heard Mamoru.
I pretended to be asleep.
"Well, the nurse said you were awake, but I suppose you're
tired. I didn't think you would faint. Don't you skate in
front of a huge crowd in Paris?"
Did Mamoru know I was awake? Was he trying to make me open my
eyes? Because if he was, he was doing it well. Sure, I was used
to crowds, but that wasn't why I fainted. I knew that he knew it
too. He just wanted me to wake up. I kept my eyes closed. Maybe
he'd talk. And I could just listen.
"Can you teach me to skate one day?" Mamoru asked.
I wanted to wake up and tell him that I'd love to, but I felt
that I couldn't. I felt that I shouldn't. What was I afraid of?
Those two girls spreading rumours? Was I ever that easily beaten?
No, I was sure I was stronger. But right now, I couldn't. I didn't
have the strength to face Mamoru. I heard Mamoru sigh. I felt so
stupid. Why couldn't I just wake up and tell him? Tell him? Tell
him what? What was my mind saying to me? I needed rest. I wasn't
thinking properly. There was nothing that I needed to tell Mamoru.
Or did I? I felt Mamoru's warm hand stroking my forehead. My heart
skipped a beat. It was beating faster and faster. I was hoping that
Mamoru would leave soon because my heart was going to burst if he
stayed longer. He stood up. I felt my heart relax. Mamoru was going
to leave. But he didn't. He just stood there. Then he took my hand
in his hand. My heart was racing again. What was this feeling? I was
sure it was one of the better feelings I had since I came here. Did
I love Mamoru? But I had only just met him. And he was a teacher.
I was a student. I was sure he didn't love me. Then why was he here?
Did he want to tell me something? I didn't have the answers for any
of these questions. But he did. I felt his hand on my cheek. Then his
lips brushed past mine. For that brief moment, I remembered something.
Something that had been in my heart since I was born. And maybe in my
past life. A love that remained in my heart for the whole of eternity.
Then, that moment was over. His hand left my cheek.
"Sweet dreams." I heard Mamoru whisper.
I opened my eyes. Mamoru looked at me, surprised.
"I'm sorry I didn't wake up before," I whispered. "I wasn't ready to
face anyone yet."
"That's all right," Mamoru smiled. "I was half hoping you wouldn't wake up."
I smiled. Then I giggled.
"What?" Mamoru asked, puzzled at why I had started laughing.
I kept giggling. Then Mamoru realised.
"Were you awake all this time?" he asked.
I nodded and continued to giggle. Mamoru turned a bit red.
"Just spring on me why don't you," he said, sulking a bit.
I had never seen him like this before. He was usually cool and calm.
Now he was embarrassed. I had broken his poker face.
"Sorry," I giggled. "I didn't mean to spring on you or anything."
"Well, I suppose the good thing is you're looking happier," Mamoru said,
smiling at me softly.
"You didn't mind did you?" he added after a while.
"The kiss?" I asked.
Mamoru nodded.
I shook my head. "I didn't mind it."
"So can you teach me how to skate?" Mamoru asked.
"Can't you skate?" I asked.
Mamoru shook his head. He looked a bit guilty that he couldn't.
"I never got the hang of it," he shrugged. "But you seem to."
"After about three years of hard training," I laughed. It's always
hard in the beginning."
We fell silent for a while. "Have you ever tried roller blading?" I asked.
Mamoru shook his head. "Why?"
"Because it's easier to skate after you've done blading," I explained. "You
get used to balancing."
"Do you want to take me blading some time?" Mamoru asked. "Actually,
I have blades, I've just never tried. I gave it up after I tried skating."
I smiled. "Sure, when do you want to go?"
"Sunday? I'll meet you outside the girl's boarding house."
I nodded. Mamoru looked at his watch. "Great, I'm late for class.
I'll see you on Sunday then."
I waved goodbye. Mamoru rushed to the door, then he turned around.
"If you need someone to talk to, come visit me in room eighteen in the main building."
I nodded. Mamoru left the room. I felt a bit empty.
------ TO BE CONTINUED -----------
by Artemis
Part Seven
I opened my eyes to find myself in a bed. I must've fainted
at the assembly. The nurse pulled the curtains from the window.
"How are you feeling Miss Tsukino?" she asked. "You've been asleep
for quite a long time."
"What time is it?" I asked.
I rubbed my eyes because the sunlight was in my eyes.
"It's almost lunch time," the nurse told me, then left the room.
I yawned. This wasn't exactly how I had planned my first
impression at the school assembly, but it wasn't entirely
my fault. I closed my eyes and lay in the warm sunlight.
I heard two people talking outside.
"Yes, she's woken up now. You may go and see her, but not too
long. She needs her rest."
"Thank you, Sister Anthea."
It was Mamoru. I closed my eyes. I didn't really want to talk
or see anyone. Not even Mamoru. My thoughts and feelings were
muddled and I needed time to myself before I could face anyone,
especially Janice. I heard the door open and Mamoru came in.
He pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed.
"You awake?" I heard Mamoru.
I pretended to be asleep.
"Well, the nurse said you were awake, but I suppose you're
tired. I didn't think you would faint. Don't you skate in
front of a huge crowd in Paris?"
Did Mamoru know I was awake? Was he trying to make me open my
eyes? Because if he was, he was doing it well. Sure, I was used
to crowds, but that wasn't why I fainted. I knew that he knew it
too. He just wanted me to wake up. I kept my eyes closed. Maybe
he'd talk. And I could just listen.
"Can you teach me to skate one day?" Mamoru asked.
I wanted to wake up and tell him that I'd love to, but I felt
that I couldn't. I felt that I shouldn't. What was I afraid of?
Those two girls spreading rumours? Was I ever that easily beaten?
No, I was sure I was stronger. But right now, I couldn't. I didn't
have the strength to face Mamoru. I heard Mamoru sigh. I felt so
stupid. Why couldn't I just wake up and tell him? Tell him? Tell
him what? What was my mind saying to me? I needed rest. I wasn't
thinking properly. There was nothing that I needed to tell Mamoru.
Or did I? I felt Mamoru's warm hand stroking my forehead. My heart
skipped a beat. It was beating faster and faster. I was hoping that
Mamoru would leave soon because my heart was going to burst if he
stayed longer. He stood up. I felt my heart relax. Mamoru was going
to leave. But he didn't. He just stood there. Then he took my hand
in his hand. My heart was racing again. What was this feeling? I was
sure it was one of the better feelings I had since I came here. Did
I love Mamoru? But I had only just met him. And he was a teacher.
I was a student. I was sure he didn't love me. Then why was he here?
Did he want to tell me something? I didn't have the answers for any
of these questions. But he did. I felt his hand on my cheek. Then his
lips brushed past mine. For that brief moment, I remembered something.
Something that had been in my heart since I was born. And maybe in my
past life. A love that remained in my heart for the whole of eternity.
Then, that moment was over. His hand left my cheek.
"Sweet dreams." I heard Mamoru whisper.
I opened my eyes. Mamoru looked at me, surprised.
"I'm sorry I didn't wake up before," I whispered. "I wasn't ready to
face anyone yet."
"That's all right," Mamoru smiled. "I was half hoping you wouldn't wake up."
I smiled. Then I giggled.
"What?" Mamoru asked, puzzled at why I had started laughing.
I kept giggling. Then Mamoru realised.
"Were you awake all this time?" he asked.
I nodded and continued to giggle. Mamoru turned a bit red.
"Just spring on me why don't you," he said, sulking a bit.
I had never seen him like this before. He was usually cool and calm.
Now he was embarrassed. I had broken his poker face.
"Sorry," I giggled. "I didn't mean to spring on you or anything."
"Well, I suppose the good thing is you're looking happier," Mamoru said,
smiling at me softly.
"You didn't mind did you?" he added after a while.
"The kiss?" I asked.
Mamoru nodded.
I shook my head. "I didn't mind it."
"So can you teach me how to skate?" Mamoru asked.
"Can't you skate?" I asked.
Mamoru shook his head. He looked a bit guilty that he couldn't.
"I never got the hang of it," he shrugged. "But you seem to."
"After about three years of hard training," I laughed. It's always
hard in the beginning."
We fell silent for a while. "Have you ever tried roller blading?" I asked.
Mamoru shook his head. "Why?"
"Because it's easier to skate after you've done blading," I explained. "You
get used to balancing."
"Do you want to take me blading some time?" Mamoru asked. "Actually,
I have blades, I've just never tried. I gave it up after I tried skating."
I smiled. "Sure, when do you want to go?"
"Sunday? I'll meet you outside the girl's boarding house."
I nodded. Mamoru looked at his watch. "Great, I'm late for class.
I'll see you on Sunday then."
I waved goodbye. Mamoru rushed to the door, then he turned around.
"If you need someone to talk to, come visit me in room eighteen in the main building."
I nodded. Mamoru left the room. I felt a bit empty.
------ TO BE CONTINUED -----------