Chapter 3 - You Want Me to Sit Next to That?
Lady Aisheteru: YESSSS! I've *finally* gotten over my writer's block! Yea! I still have no idea what I'll write for chapter 4 - but I think I'll wrap up this fic in a few chapters. As always, email me with what you think.
Disclaimer: Gomen, I forgot to include this in chapter 2...oh well. I don't own Sailor Moon, just this story. Don't sue me, I have no money.
*****
~*~Usagi~*~
School seemed to take forever to get out. I was so excited about meeting Earth_protector that I was extra hyper. I was so hyper that I couldn't even daydream. Luckily, Ms. Haruna mistook my energy for academic enthusiasm and she didn't give me detention. For once, I got out of her class without so much as a boo from Ms. Haruna.
Which was good, because I had called Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako to a senshi meeting after school at the Cherry Hill Temple. Rei, who goes to a different school, gets out a bit later than the rest of us, which gave me a little leeway just in case Haruna-baka kept me after school. I walked slowly out of class, so Ms. Haruna wouldn't accuse me of rushing out of HER class, but once I cleared that door, I RAN out the door, leaving a stunned Naru and a giggling Umino.
'Oh no,' I thought. 'What if Umino's contacted his creepy Internet friends and told them about Earth_protector?' Then I remembered that Umino couldn't possibly have his picture, and I sighed in relief.
Makoto met me at the door, looking at magazine, blushing furiously and giggling like a moron. "What's that you have there, Mako-chan?" I asked, as we began the walk to the Cherry Hill Temple.
"Oh, nothing," Makoto said, still blushing.
"Yeah, right, and I'm a youma. What is it?"
Makoto put the magazine in her bookbag and looked at the ground, stifling a giggle. "So, Usagi, why did you call a meeting? You NEVER call meetings. You're always the first to complain about them and the last to show up."
"You'll see," I said happily.
Minako rushed towards us a few minutes later, holding the same magazine Makoto had. "Oh, THERE you are. You have GOT to see this!" she said breathlessly. Before Makoto could stop her, she flipped through the pages and turned the magazine around, revealing Mamoru in a...Speedo?(AN: I know magazine ads really take weeks to put together, but we'll just pretend that this ad was produced overnight, okay?)
I instantly lost all power of intelligent thought. All my suspicions about Mamoru's body were confirmed. The man was GORGEOUS! Wait, forget gorgeous. His body, which, thanks to the Speedo, was on display, looked like a work of art. The ad showed him reclining in a beach chair, ALL of him, from his firm chest, his well muscled arms, his eight-pack abs and his strong, sexy legs, and the seductive smile he wore on his face. "M....m....m...Mamo..ru?" I said, struggling to speak.
"Yes?" said a deep voice from behind us.
"OH MY GOD!" I said, snatching the magazine from Minako and putting it behind my back, my face as red as a tomato.
"Uh....h...hi,...er...Mamoru..."said Makoto, who then broke into a fit of giggles. Minako just stood there and stared, a Look on her face.
I was instantly jealous. 'Wait, why am I jealous?' I wondered. 'This is Mamoru-baka we're talking about. Even if he's damned sexy..'
"Oh...uh....hi, er...Mamo..ru..." I stammered.
"What have you got there? An ad for spaghetti sauce to go with those meatballs on your head?"
I wanted to come up with a witty retort, but I was still unable to process any intelligent thoughts. "N-nothing. Gotta go. Ja ne!" I said, and the three of us rushed off.
~*~Mamoru~*~
I watched Usagi and her two giggling friends run off. Strange, strange girls. I made my way to the Crown Arcade for my customary cappuccino, but I wanted more than java. I needed to talk to Motoki badly.
I walked in, surprised that Usagi wasn't pounding away at the Sailor V game. Neither her or her friends were anywhere in sight. Motoki was sipping his coffee, apparently on break.
Unazuki came up to us and said, "Hey, Mamoru. The usual?"
"Yeah,"
"Coming right up!" said Unazuki, busying herself at the cappuccino machine.
"Motoki, can I talk to you about something?"
"Sure. What's on your mind?"
"I think I've finally found her. The One."
Motoki's eyes became as wide as two moons as he promptly spat out his coffee. "You....WHAT?" He said, more than a little excited.
"I found her, Motoki. And I'm meeting her for the first time tonight."
Motoki's eyebrows arched sardonically, and he said, "What? I don't follow."
"I met her on the Internet. Her screen name is Moon_bunny. I've never met anyone else who understands me like she does."
"On the Internet, huh? She must be a dog or something."
"Come on, you can't judge people like that. Anyways, I'm meeting her at 7 pm. Any pointers?"
"Well, you obviously can't be yourself," Motoki said, and I rolled my eyes, used to his dry sense of humor.
"Ha ha, Motoki."
"Well, I would dress really nice. To kill. I mean, you never know, she could actually be gorgeous."
"Changing your tune, ne?"
"I guess. You want me to come with you? I could check her out for you...make sure she's 'worthy.'"
I snorted. "If she's half as beautiful as her words, I'm sure she'll be good to look at."
"Well, just in case. It's not like I'd hit on her or anything. I've got a girlfriend, remember?"
"Gee, I hadn't noticed. OK, you can come. Just don't make a complete jackass of yourself."
"I could say the same thing to you."
"Here's your cappuccino, Mamoru. Enjoy!" said Unazuki cheerfully. After giving her a generous tip(she IS my best friend's sister) I began to sip my cappuccino, thinking about what I'd wear tonight.
~*~Usagi~*~
"So," said Luna, "why did you call this senshi meeting?" asked Luna. From the looks on the girls faces, I could tell that each of them was just dying to find out.
"Well, this isn't exactly senshi business," I began.
"Then why did you call a senshi meeting at my house?" asked Rei, drumming her fingers against the wood floor.
"I thought it would be the best way to talk to all of you at the same time," I said. "Anyways, as Ami knows, I've been chatting with this guy on the Azabu site."
"You mean the one the Honor Society runs?" asked Minako.
I took a deep breath and blurted, "Yeah, that one. Anyways, his screen name is Earth_protector, and I feel I've really connected with him. I feel like maybe he's my soulmate. And he says he's been having dreams about the Princess."
"The Moon Princess?" asked Artemis.
"Yeah, the same. My mom said I could meet him as long as I take Makoto with me."
"Oooh! I want to meet him too," pouted Minako. 'Well,' I thought, 'she isn't the Senshi of Love for nothing.'
"Relax, Mina-chan. I'm going to take my communicator with me in case he turns out to be a youma or something."
"I just wanted to see if he's cute. And if he has a brother," said Minako.
"What time do we meet this dreamboat?" asked Makoto.
"7 pm at Tokyo Park. He'll be holding a red rose."
"How romantic," sighed Minako.
Rei rolled her eyes.
"Be careful, Usagi-chan. There are a lot of weird people out there on the Internet," said Ami.
"Like Umino?" asked Makoto.
We all laughed hysterically and helped ourselves to Makoto's muffins.
~*~Mamoru~*~
I stepped out of my bedroom after trying on the umpteenth outfit. This one was a brown Armani suit, complete with a black dress shirt, polished wing tipped shoes and a shiny tie. I spun around for inspection.
Motoki gave out a whistle and Unazuki, who had come along claiming I needed a "female opinion", elbowed him.
I laughed. "I take it this meets your approval?"
"Oh yeah," said Unazuki.
"She won't know what hit her," said Motoki. "Go get 'em, lady killer."
~*~Usagi~*~
"EEEEEEEEEEK!"
"What's the matter now, Usagi?" asked Makoto, who had to put up with my outbursts ever since 5:00.
"My haaaaair!"
Makoto sighed and came over to the mirror where I was standing.
"Your hair looks FINE, Usagi."
"B...but this one's out of place!" I stammered.
"Here's a hairpin. Are you happy now?" snapped Makoto.
"You don't have to be so mean!"
"Gomen. Now let's have a look at you." she said, stepping back.
I turned around and Makoto gasped.
"Aw, come on, I can't possibly look THAT ugly," I said. I was wearing a powder blue sundress and a pink angora cardigan that Daddy gave me for my birthday, white clogs and pearl earrings. Mom had even said I could wear makeup, and I wore a light blue eyeshadow on my eyelids and pale pink lipstick.
"No, it's not that. You look great." said Makoto.
"Really? You think?" I said, gaining a little confidence.
"Definitely. Well, you never said Earth_protector would know how to spot you. Your screen name is Moon_bunny, right?" asked Makoto.
"Yeah."
"So why don't you bring that cute little purse with the bunny on front?"
"Great idea, Mako-chan! You're a life saver!" I said, hugging her.
I know, I know. Well, we should get going, it's 6:30."
"Yeah, there's no WAY I'm going to be late for THIS," I said.
We got to Tokyo park at 6:45. "Well, we're early. Let's down for awhile," I said, pointing to a bench next to the lake.
"Sure." said Makoto.
I grinned in anticipation. Only 15 minutes until I met my destiny.
~*~Mamoru~*~
After driving Unazuki home, Motoki and I began our search around Tokyo park. I drew a lot of stares from the women...I guess I looked pretty good in that suit. Next to me, poor Motoki looked seriously under-dressed.
Motoki gasped.
"What is it, Motoki? Do you see her?"
"Yeah," said Motoki, changing the direction of his gaze.
"Well, what does she look like? Is she pretty?"
"Oh yeah," he said. "She's got a great body, legs till next year and ..."
"And what?" I said, dying with excitement.
"And...she looks exactly like Usagi," Motoki finished.
"She WHAT?" I said. Then I found who Motoki was looking at. I did a double-take, the first one of my life. It was Usagi, all right, and she looked GOOD. She had her hair down, which looked like honey flowing from a pitcher. She was wearing a sundress that was just tantalizingly short enough to show off her long legs and just tight enough to fit the curves of her slender body. Even her face looked better than usual somehow. She was sitting next to a girl with brown hair that was tied up in a high ponytail and was holding a purse with a bunny on it, probably to indicate that she was indeed Moon_bunny.
"Hey, Mamoru, it's not healthy to stop breathing like that," said Motoki, grinning. "Well, now what do we do, Loverboy?"
I was still taking all of this in. My soulmate, my love, the One, was none other than Odango, my worst enemy?
"What can I do? I'll take you home," I said. And I did, feeling like a complete jerk the whole way.
As soon as I got to my apartment, my unavailing remorse got the better of me. I ran down to my sportscar and sped towards Tokyo park.
~*~Usagi~*~
"It's 7:30!" I yelled in my frustration after another trek around the park. "Where the hell is he?"
"I'm sorry, Usagi-chan. It looks like he stood you up."
I nodded, tears brimming the edges of my eyes.. "Can you please go? I need some time to think."
"Okay. If you ever need anything, just call."
"Arigatou," I said. I sat down on the bench by the lake and began to have myself a good cry.
"Need a tissue?" said a deep voice behind me. I shook my head and pulled out my hanky from my purse, the one with my name stitched on it. Once my tear-blurry vision cleared, I was looking at none other than Mamoru in an expensive brown suit, who was sitting next to me, his eyes clouded with worry, compassion and...guilt?
Still, I was MAD. Really, really mad. I put down my hanky angrily and showed Mamoru a choice finger.
"Go away, Mamoru-BAKA! I was supposed to meet this guy, but instead YOU show up! I'd rather be alone than to sit next to YOU!"
Mamoru winced as if I'd hit him. 'Good,' I thought. 'Let him have it.' I continued my rant. "You're a creep, Mamoru. You've got the charm of a donkey and the personality of a houseplant! I hate you! No, I take that back. I don't hate you. I LOATHE you!"
By now, Mamoru looked like he was going to cry, but I didn't stop. "Gee, I'll bet you didn't think I knew words like that. I'll bet you think I'm some baka who could get lost in a closet! Well, I'm not stupid, and I DON'T need any crap from YOU!" I said, grabbing my purse and storming off, tears still making their way down my cheeks, ruining my mascara.
I thought I heard someone say something, but I ignored it and ran all the way home.
~*~Mamoru~*~
I watched Usagi storm off. Wow, she really let me have it. But I deserved it.
I said softly, "I would never think that about you, Usako." I took out a beautiful red rose, threw it in the trash can and drove home to my solitary apartment, silent tears blurring my vision that came without warning. I had never felt so alone.
***
Lady Aisheteru: Gomen, I know that was a horrible chapter, but I'll make it up in the next one. *dodges a tomato thrown at her* GO-MEN! Please forgive me!
Lady Aisheteru: YESSSS! I've *finally* gotten over my writer's block! Yea! I still have no idea what I'll write for chapter 4 - but I think I'll wrap up this fic in a few chapters. As always, email me with what you think.
Disclaimer: Gomen, I forgot to include this in chapter 2...oh well. I don't own Sailor Moon, just this story. Don't sue me, I have no money.
*****
~*~Usagi~*~
School seemed to take forever to get out. I was so excited about meeting Earth_protector that I was extra hyper. I was so hyper that I couldn't even daydream. Luckily, Ms. Haruna mistook my energy for academic enthusiasm and she didn't give me detention. For once, I got out of her class without so much as a boo from Ms. Haruna.
Which was good, because I had called Ami, Rei, Makoto and Minako to a senshi meeting after school at the Cherry Hill Temple. Rei, who goes to a different school, gets out a bit later than the rest of us, which gave me a little leeway just in case Haruna-baka kept me after school. I walked slowly out of class, so Ms. Haruna wouldn't accuse me of rushing out of HER class, but once I cleared that door, I RAN out the door, leaving a stunned Naru and a giggling Umino.
'Oh no,' I thought. 'What if Umino's contacted his creepy Internet friends and told them about Earth_protector?' Then I remembered that Umino couldn't possibly have his picture, and I sighed in relief.
Makoto met me at the door, looking at magazine, blushing furiously and giggling like a moron. "What's that you have there, Mako-chan?" I asked, as we began the walk to the Cherry Hill Temple.
"Oh, nothing," Makoto said, still blushing.
"Yeah, right, and I'm a youma. What is it?"
Makoto put the magazine in her bookbag and looked at the ground, stifling a giggle. "So, Usagi, why did you call a meeting? You NEVER call meetings. You're always the first to complain about them and the last to show up."
"You'll see," I said happily.
Minako rushed towards us a few minutes later, holding the same magazine Makoto had. "Oh, THERE you are. You have GOT to see this!" she said breathlessly. Before Makoto could stop her, she flipped through the pages and turned the magazine around, revealing Mamoru in a...Speedo?(AN: I know magazine ads really take weeks to put together, but we'll just pretend that this ad was produced overnight, okay?)
I instantly lost all power of intelligent thought. All my suspicions about Mamoru's body were confirmed. The man was GORGEOUS! Wait, forget gorgeous. His body, which, thanks to the Speedo, was on display, looked like a work of art. The ad showed him reclining in a beach chair, ALL of him, from his firm chest, his well muscled arms, his eight-pack abs and his strong, sexy legs, and the seductive smile he wore on his face. "M....m....m...Mamo..ru?" I said, struggling to speak.
"Yes?" said a deep voice from behind us.
"OH MY GOD!" I said, snatching the magazine from Minako and putting it behind my back, my face as red as a tomato.
"Uh....h...hi,...er...Mamoru..."said Makoto, who then broke into a fit of giggles. Minako just stood there and stared, a Look on her face.
I was instantly jealous. 'Wait, why am I jealous?' I wondered. 'This is Mamoru-baka we're talking about. Even if he's damned sexy..'
"Oh...uh....hi, er...Mamo..ru..." I stammered.
"What have you got there? An ad for spaghetti sauce to go with those meatballs on your head?"
I wanted to come up with a witty retort, but I was still unable to process any intelligent thoughts. "N-nothing. Gotta go. Ja ne!" I said, and the three of us rushed off.
~*~Mamoru~*~
I watched Usagi and her two giggling friends run off. Strange, strange girls. I made my way to the Crown Arcade for my customary cappuccino, but I wanted more than java. I needed to talk to Motoki badly.
I walked in, surprised that Usagi wasn't pounding away at the Sailor V game. Neither her or her friends were anywhere in sight. Motoki was sipping his coffee, apparently on break.
Unazuki came up to us and said, "Hey, Mamoru. The usual?"
"Yeah,"
"Coming right up!" said Unazuki, busying herself at the cappuccino machine.
"Motoki, can I talk to you about something?"
"Sure. What's on your mind?"
"I think I've finally found her. The One."
Motoki's eyes became as wide as two moons as he promptly spat out his coffee. "You....WHAT?" He said, more than a little excited.
"I found her, Motoki. And I'm meeting her for the first time tonight."
Motoki's eyebrows arched sardonically, and he said, "What? I don't follow."
"I met her on the Internet. Her screen name is Moon_bunny. I've never met anyone else who understands me like she does."
"On the Internet, huh? She must be a dog or something."
"Come on, you can't judge people like that. Anyways, I'm meeting her at 7 pm. Any pointers?"
"Well, you obviously can't be yourself," Motoki said, and I rolled my eyes, used to his dry sense of humor.
"Ha ha, Motoki."
"Well, I would dress really nice. To kill. I mean, you never know, she could actually be gorgeous."
"Changing your tune, ne?"
"I guess. You want me to come with you? I could check her out for you...make sure she's 'worthy.'"
I snorted. "If she's half as beautiful as her words, I'm sure she'll be good to look at."
"Well, just in case. It's not like I'd hit on her or anything. I've got a girlfriend, remember?"
"Gee, I hadn't noticed. OK, you can come. Just don't make a complete jackass of yourself."
"I could say the same thing to you."
"Here's your cappuccino, Mamoru. Enjoy!" said Unazuki cheerfully. After giving her a generous tip(she IS my best friend's sister) I began to sip my cappuccino, thinking about what I'd wear tonight.
~*~Usagi~*~
"So," said Luna, "why did you call this senshi meeting?" asked Luna. From the looks on the girls faces, I could tell that each of them was just dying to find out.
"Well, this isn't exactly senshi business," I began.
"Then why did you call a senshi meeting at my house?" asked Rei, drumming her fingers against the wood floor.
"I thought it would be the best way to talk to all of you at the same time," I said. "Anyways, as Ami knows, I've been chatting with this guy on the Azabu site."
"You mean the one the Honor Society runs?" asked Minako.
I took a deep breath and blurted, "Yeah, that one. Anyways, his screen name is Earth_protector, and I feel I've really connected with him. I feel like maybe he's my soulmate. And he says he's been having dreams about the Princess."
"The Moon Princess?" asked Artemis.
"Yeah, the same. My mom said I could meet him as long as I take Makoto with me."
"Oooh! I want to meet him too," pouted Minako. 'Well,' I thought, 'she isn't the Senshi of Love for nothing.'
"Relax, Mina-chan. I'm going to take my communicator with me in case he turns out to be a youma or something."
"I just wanted to see if he's cute. And if he has a brother," said Minako.
"What time do we meet this dreamboat?" asked Makoto.
"7 pm at Tokyo Park. He'll be holding a red rose."
"How romantic," sighed Minako.
Rei rolled her eyes.
"Be careful, Usagi-chan. There are a lot of weird people out there on the Internet," said Ami.
"Like Umino?" asked Makoto.
We all laughed hysterically and helped ourselves to Makoto's muffins.
~*~Mamoru~*~
I stepped out of my bedroom after trying on the umpteenth outfit. This one was a brown Armani suit, complete with a black dress shirt, polished wing tipped shoes and a shiny tie. I spun around for inspection.
Motoki gave out a whistle and Unazuki, who had come along claiming I needed a "female opinion", elbowed him.
I laughed. "I take it this meets your approval?"
"Oh yeah," said Unazuki.
"She won't know what hit her," said Motoki. "Go get 'em, lady killer."
~*~Usagi~*~
"EEEEEEEEEEK!"
"What's the matter now, Usagi?" asked Makoto, who had to put up with my outbursts ever since 5:00.
"My haaaaair!"
Makoto sighed and came over to the mirror where I was standing.
"Your hair looks FINE, Usagi."
"B...but this one's out of place!" I stammered.
"Here's a hairpin. Are you happy now?" snapped Makoto.
"You don't have to be so mean!"
"Gomen. Now let's have a look at you." she said, stepping back.
I turned around and Makoto gasped.
"Aw, come on, I can't possibly look THAT ugly," I said. I was wearing a powder blue sundress and a pink angora cardigan that Daddy gave me for my birthday, white clogs and pearl earrings. Mom had even said I could wear makeup, and I wore a light blue eyeshadow on my eyelids and pale pink lipstick.
"No, it's not that. You look great." said Makoto.
"Really? You think?" I said, gaining a little confidence.
"Definitely. Well, you never said Earth_protector would know how to spot you. Your screen name is Moon_bunny, right?" asked Makoto.
"Yeah."
"So why don't you bring that cute little purse with the bunny on front?"
"Great idea, Mako-chan! You're a life saver!" I said, hugging her.
I know, I know. Well, we should get going, it's 6:30."
"Yeah, there's no WAY I'm going to be late for THIS," I said.
We got to Tokyo park at 6:45. "Well, we're early. Let's down for awhile," I said, pointing to a bench next to the lake.
"Sure." said Makoto.
I grinned in anticipation. Only 15 minutes until I met my destiny.
~*~Mamoru~*~
After driving Unazuki home, Motoki and I began our search around Tokyo park. I drew a lot of stares from the women...I guess I looked pretty good in that suit. Next to me, poor Motoki looked seriously under-dressed.
Motoki gasped.
"What is it, Motoki? Do you see her?"
"Yeah," said Motoki, changing the direction of his gaze.
"Well, what does she look like? Is she pretty?"
"Oh yeah," he said. "She's got a great body, legs till next year and ..."
"And what?" I said, dying with excitement.
"And...she looks exactly like Usagi," Motoki finished.
"She WHAT?" I said. Then I found who Motoki was looking at. I did a double-take, the first one of my life. It was Usagi, all right, and she looked GOOD. She had her hair down, which looked like honey flowing from a pitcher. She was wearing a sundress that was just tantalizingly short enough to show off her long legs and just tight enough to fit the curves of her slender body. Even her face looked better than usual somehow. She was sitting next to a girl with brown hair that was tied up in a high ponytail and was holding a purse with a bunny on it, probably to indicate that she was indeed Moon_bunny.
"Hey, Mamoru, it's not healthy to stop breathing like that," said Motoki, grinning. "Well, now what do we do, Loverboy?"
I was still taking all of this in. My soulmate, my love, the One, was none other than Odango, my worst enemy?
"What can I do? I'll take you home," I said. And I did, feeling like a complete jerk the whole way.
As soon as I got to my apartment, my unavailing remorse got the better of me. I ran down to my sportscar and sped towards Tokyo park.
~*~Usagi~*~
"It's 7:30!" I yelled in my frustration after another trek around the park. "Where the hell is he?"
"I'm sorry, Usagi-chan. It looks like he stood you up."
I nodded, tears brimming the edges of my eyes.. "Can you please go? I need some time to think."
"Okay. If you ever need anything, just call."
"Arigatou," I said. I sat down on the bench by the lake and began to have myself a good cry.
"Need a tissue?" said a deep voice behind me. I shook my head and pulled out my hanky from my purse, the one with my name stitched on it. Once my tear-blurry vision cleared, I was looking at none other than Mamoru in an expensive brown suit, who was sitting next to me, his eyes clouded with worry, compassion and...guilt?
Still, I was MAD. Really, really mad. I put down my hanky angrily and showed Mamoru a choice finger.
"Go away, Mamoru-BAKA! I was supposed to meet this guy, but instead YOU show up! I'd rather be alone than to sit next to YOU!"
Mamoru winced as if I'd hit him. 'Good,' I thought. 'Let him have it.' I continued my rant. "You're a creep, Mamoru. You've got the charm of a donkey and the personality of a houseplant! I hate you! No, I take that back. I don't hate you. I LOATHE you!"
By now, Mamoru looked like he was going to cry, but I didn't stop. "Gee, I'll bet you didn't think I knew words like that. I'll bet you think I'm some baka who could get lost in a closet! Well, I'm not stupid, and I DON'T need any crap from YOU!" I said, grabbing my purse and storming off, tears still making their way down my cheeks, ruining my mascara.
I thought I heard someone say something, but I ignored it and ran all the way home.
~*~Mamoru~*~
I watched Usagi storm off. Wow, she really let me have it. But I deserved it.
I said softly, "I would never think that about you, Usako." I took out a beautiful red rose, threw it in the trash can and drove home to my solitary apartment, silent tears blurring my vision that came without warning. I had never felt so alone.
***
Lady Aisheteru: Gomen, I know that was a horrible chapter, but I'll make it up in the next one. *dodges a tomato thrown at her* GO-MEN! Please forgive me!