Chapter 2 
Chapter 2
 
 
Usagi watched the irate man walk far, far away from
her. Good riddance, she thought, as she stiffly
pushed herself away from the scene of the crime. 
There was no use getting worked up over that mishap,
but she couldn't help but think about the guy as she
roamed around campus, dodging students left and right.
 Her thoughts wandered back to the eyes… so blue. His
eyes, The Stranger's eyes, were so angry and hurt. 
Quickly shaking off the feeling that she should help
him, she entered the campus bookstore so she could
spend all of her summer earnings on one semester worth
of books. 
 
Usagi, along with the other students in the bookstore,
sighed as they looked at the prices of the books,
bemoaning the fact that they wouldn't be able to
afford attending other fun activities. The phrases of
the day were, "Oh my GOD!" and "Damn…" as the price
tags came into focus. Muttering as she picked up
books for her classes, she placed them on her lap and
continued down the aisle, looking up books for her
Politics and Society in the Middle East course. 
"Three books?! Who needs to read three books on the
subject? And why do they cost over 50.00 apiece? This
is such a rip off!" She exclaimed into the open air,
attracting looks and nods of agreement from other
students. 
 
One student was daring enough to talk to her. She
looked down at Usagi, her green eyes bright with humor
and declared, "I swear, I spend more money here than I
do shopping for shoes. How is that fair?" 
 
Usagi laughed as she replied, "It isn't! I'm Tsukino
Usagi, and you are…?"
 
"Kino Makoto at your service!" She turned back to the
books after introducing herself. Usagi stared at the
back of her head for a minute, debating whether or not
she should attempt a longer conversation when Makoto
spoke up again, "So, are you nervous about being here?
 
"Nervous? I'm totally scared! What dorm are you
staying in?"
 
"Jupiter Hall, room 224, you?"
 
"Same! Wow! I'm in room 102, though." Usagi's blue
eyes were bright with excitement; maybe college
wouldn't be as bad as she thought. She paused her
thoughts, biting her lower lip lightly as she thought
about how people usually react to her right away. The
looks of pity and their nervousness around her were
always an annoyance.
 
"Umm… do you want to stop by my dorm room later?" 
Usagi said with a rush, attempting to appear that she
was confident as she stared nervously at the cover of
her Pre-Calculus book. 
 
"Let's see… what am I doing today? I think I can fit
you in between my acupuncture appointment and my date
with the football team…or did you want to join us?"
 
"Hmm… that is soo tempting, since I have had a chance
to get a good look at the football team as I was
entering here. Okay, I'll join you!" Usagi giggled a
bit, knowing she'd met someone she could really talk
to, that actually overlooked her handicap.
 
"So, whatcha doin' sitting in that chair, anyway?
Stand tall!" Makoto looked over at Usagi and gave her
a double take. "Oh! I never even noticed you were in
a wheelchair! When did that happen?"
 
"When I was 8…a car accident. Old news, really." 
 
"Hmm…alright! So, are you almost done? Wanna head back
to the dorms?"
 
"Sure, if you want to pay for my books!" Usagi
scooted behind Makoto as she made room for her in
line. 
 
"Like hell! I can hardly afford my own!" Makoto
laughed, trying to patiently wait behind the long rows
of students paying for books they really didn't want. 
Her arms getting heavy, she shifted her books and
looked around at the other students. Most stood
silently, their expressions one of resignation as they
waited to spend their hard earned money. One person
stood out, her blond hair whipped around as she talked
animatedly to everyone around her.
 
Makoto kept up the idle chatter for the 20-minute wait
to get to the front of the line. Once they left the
bookstore, Usagi started to become nervous. What if
Makoto didn't like her once she got to know her
better? There never really seemed to be a situation
where Usagi didn't like someone, but there was a fear
that they wouldn't like her. Usagi sighed softly,
trying to conquer her fear before they entered the
dorms.
 
"Wait until you meet these girls I met the first
night!! They are the best, Usagi! They said they
should be in their dorm room later today, so we can
try to stop by there later."
 
"Uh…okay!" She tried to muster up enough enthusiasm
for the proper response. Meeting new people? How
many new people? Oh God…it's too late to turn back
now! She straightened her shoulders slightly. I can
handle it! Nothing bothers me! 
Soon, the dorms were in front of them, and passed
through the glass doors, quickly keying in their code
number, and they entered through the heavy metal
doors, one opening slowly to allow Usagi to enter.
 
"Geez…this place makes me feel really secure when we
have to go through that. What's next? Metal
detectors?" Makoto asked, frustrated with all the
security measures.
 
"Don't even joke about that. They'll hear you and
have them installed while we sleep." Usagi
threatened, wagging her finger at Makoto. 
 
Makoto shuddered, then laughed as they got on the
elevator to get to Makoto's floor. They exited a
couple minutes later and made their way down the
hallway with its the beige carpeting, the cream
colored walls covered with declarations of welcome and
small personal messages as well as caricatures of some
of the floormates. 
 
"Well, these floors are so boring! At least yours has
more decoration! Bah! I think my floor is full of the
boring people. Move to the first floor and join me!"
Usagi pleaded. 
 
Makoto laughed again, and lead her to her room. The
door was covered with a large message board. Many
notes littered it, some appearing more urgent than
others. One name stood out, though…Rei. It can't be…
 
"Welcome to my humble abode!" Makoto said with a
flourish and waved her arm to encompass the small
room. 
 
Usagi looked into the room cautiously, as if afraid
something might eat her once she made her way into the
whirlwind of what was supposed to be a small dorm
room. She looked up at Makoto with wonderment and
asked, "How do you live in this PIGSTYE?! Good lord,
my room has never looked this bad! I can't even wheel
my chair into here!" Usagi started to laugh as she
stared at the floor littered with shirts, pants, and
various other items. An odd stench was coming from
the garbage can to her right, as if begging to be
taken out from such a horrid place.
 
Makoto rolled her eyes and glided past her to make a
path out of all the…stuff on the floor. There was a
small stuffed doll that looked like a man with a top
hat on and a mask, what the heck could that be? 
"There," Makoto paused in the shifting of objects from
the middle of the floor to the other side of the room,
"is that enough space, your majesty?"
 
Usagi regally nodded, "Yes, my minion. Just enough
space for my throne." She waved her right hand in a
dismissal and pushed herself into the middle of the
floor. Then grinning, she looked around again,
recognizing some of the more familiar bands on the
wall. L'arc en Ciel was on one wall, with the
opposite wall a large poster from something called D N
Angel. 
 
"I like it!" Usagi said happily to her new friend. 
"Its perfectly suited to you, it seems."
 
"Thanks! Also, in a belated thank you about the room
when you first entered. I wasn't exactly expecting
guests, you know."
 
"Yeah, yeah. Nice excuse! Mine is always in perfect
order."
 
Makoto raised an eyebrow and stared at her in
disbelief. "Somehow, from what I know about you,
that's really doubtful."
 
They continued to talk about the past, and their
hopeful future. Laughing and telling stories of their
past, the time quickly slipped by. Soon, the sun was
beginning to set out Makoto's window and Usagi turned.
 "I should really go back to my room and get myself
better situated."
 
Makoto led the way to the door and held went to open
it when the doorknob turned on its own and in walked a
tall, dark-haired girl. Usagi looked up and their
eyes met. A rich violet and bright blue clashed, both
pairs of eyes wide with shock.
 
"YOU!" Usagi cried out.