Chapter 5: All By Myself
Mamoru straightened up, surprised that Ami
wanted a goodnight kiss on their first date. He
coughed discreetly, hoping that Ami would stop
waiting; she looked sort of ridiculous with her eyes
closed and her lips puckered.
Ami opened her eyes quickly and a blush appeared on
her cheeks. "Um...I think I'll go inside now." she
said, keeping her eyes averted from his. She scraped
the key along the lock several times and looked at
Mamoru sheepishly, her face flaming red and it was on
her eighth attempt that she was finally able to open
the door.
After thanking Mamoru for the great night, she
hastily closed the door, her embarrassment obvious.
"I'll see you on Monday I guess..." Mamoru said to the
closed-door only inches from his face and then he
turned back to his car. He considered his actions as
he walked to his car, feeling terrible for the fact
that he caused her undue embarrassment. * I never
kiss on the first date! It's a policy of mine that
won't be changing even if I am in a foreign country. I
don't care what people do around here…*
"…and that's the story!" Mamoru said to Usagi, who
still sat beside him on the bench, her body turned
towards his and her eyes remained focused on his own.
"So?" Usagi inquired
"So…what?"
"So, did you ask her out again?"
"Uh…was I supposed to?"
"Well, if you want to date her again, I suggest you
do. This time, if you plan on kissing the poor girl,
KISS her! Geez...I would have been so embarrassed if
you pulled that stunt with me!" Usagi glared at him,
frustrated with his cluelessness.
"What? How was I supposed to know? I thought you were
supposed to wait several days before calling, so you
don't appear desperate!"
Usagi sighed before replying, "That's only what
stupid men do… not what smart men do. Are you a smart
man or a stupid one?"
"Smart?" Mamoru ventured.
"Now that will depend on how quickly you call Ami
back and get that second date!" Usagi said, giving
Mamoru her most intimidating look.
"Fine, fine! I'll call her tonight and set up another
date, all right?"
"Good boy!" Usagi praised, patting him lightly on the
head. She then stood up, picking up her schoolbag that
she had placed in the grass beside her, "but now we
need to go to study! Come on!" she said, tugging
lightly on Mamoru's hand, forcing him to get off the
bench. They headed quickly to the library to make up
for the lost time.
Monday Usagi heard Ami's version of what happened.
"Can you believe that I just stood there? I was so
embarrassed! I mean, I really must've looked so
stupid. My face was red for hours after that!" Ami
said dramatically, her hip leaning against the side of
Usagi's desk.
"The good thing is," she continued, "that he did call
and ask for another date. So…maybe it didn't end as
badly as I thought it did. This time…maybe we…" Ami's
speech faltered when she noticed Minako was staring at
her. Minako's chin was propped on her hand and her
eyes were widened with apt attention. Her dark blue
eyes mocked Ami's every word.
Ami, unaccustomed to the animosity that emanated from
Minako, turned back to Usagi, still feeling Minako's
eyes beating into her. "Well, Usagi, I'll…uh…talk to
you later, ok? Bye!" She waved at Usagi before
scurrying back to her own desk, far away from the evil
looks she was receiving from Minako.
As soon as Ami resumed her seat Usagi turned to look
at Minako. Minako currently had an innocent look
pasted on her face, her eyes wide and shining with
innocence. "Mina, you can't fool me. I know you did
something, so fess up, what did you do?" Usagi lightly
tapped her fingers on her desk as she awaited Minako's
answer.
Minako rolled her eyes and sighed a long, drawn out
sigh before explaining herself, "All I did was glare
at the aggravating yapper. I mean, c'mon! Why is she
dating Mamoru when its obvious that you two are far
better suited? I just don't want you to give up
something that you deserve. Plus, all she was doing
was bragging. She can brag to her annoying friends in
their annoying little cluster of annoying people."
Usagi's eyes widened and she began to involuntarily
giggle. All the years of being ignored and treated
like crap from the girls that were included in Ami's
"annoying group" made her have to laugh at Mina's apt
description of the girls engrossed in their beauty
magazines that mocked the idea of school and
concentrated on mainly guys and looks. A few curious
classmates turned to see what Usagi was giggling at,
but couldn't figure it out because she was the only
one giggling and Minako sat there peacefully, a look
of innocence on her face.
With the next day, a surprise came. The surprise was
a tall, athletic brunette who crashed into Usagi when
she turned the corner on her way to Rei's.
Usagi grunted with the impact and the brunette looked
at her, concern filling her bright green eyes.
"Are you ok?" the stranger asked her.
"Yeah…I'll be okay. Don't worry about it." Usagi
replied, gaining assistance from the brunette to
stand. After she dusted off her black shorts, Usagi
turned her attention back to the brunette only to find
that she had already left. "Odd…" she mumbled to
herself, unaware that someone was watching her from
the beyond the trees.
Continuing on to Rei's, she began to feel that
someone was watching her, but the streets were empty
save a few leaves that blew across the lonely road.
Shaking off the feeling, she walked a bit faster
before she turned into the street with Rei's shrine
and entered the building where a feeling of peace
descended upon her body. Smiling slightly, she slid
open the doors that separated Rei from the rest of the
world and Usagi found Rei kneeling in front of a large
fire, its flames reaching the ceiling, but leaving no
trace of being there. Mystified, she only stared
until Rei suddenly turned around, her eyes containing
only her pupil, her irises having disappeared. Rei
blinked a couple times until her eyes turned to normal
and she smiled at Usagi, the flames of the fire having
shrunk to the size of a normal fire.
"Rei…are you okay? Your eyes looked…they looked
weird! Are you all right?" Usagi asked, concerned.
She placed the back of her right hand against Rei's
forehead to check for any fever. "No. Not a fever!
What's the matter Rei?"
Rei pulled her long hair into a ponytail at the base
of her neck before answering, "Usagi, I have a gift
where I can see the future sometimes, and I am able to
see this future better when I look into the fire. It
helps me concentrate. I was just checking on the
future of a client when I heard you open the door.
Nothing is wrong with me." Rei explained slowly and
calmly, trying to allay any fears that Usagi might
have.
Usagi stared at Rei for a bit, her blue eye piercing
into Rei's dark purple eyes as if trying to find out
what Rei was thinking. Usagi blinked and then smiled,
apparently realizing that what Rei had explained made
sense. "Rei, I believe you! You will definitely have
to explain more of this to me later, ok? First, we
need to go to my house because I'm expected there!"
Rei nodded and left the room to change. While she
was gone, Usagi looked around the room. Her curious
eyes investigated where Rei had been sitting just
minutes ago and her gaze wandered to the ceiling,
searching for any signs that the gigantic fire she had
just seen has been there. * What was Rei looking for?
Was she looking into my future? Does she read minds
too? OH NO!! What if she is? OH! I know. I'll think
something silly and see if she laughs!! Fuzzy Wuzzy
was a bear, Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy
wasn't very fuzzy, was he? Nope! Not funny enough…
Rei! Rei! She's our girl!! She can do it, but her hair
won't curl!! * Silence met her odd thoughts. * Well,
I guess she isn't psychic…*
Usagi moved back to the doorway while waiting for Rei
to return. Rei returned several minutes later in a
dark red sleeveless dress with small gold flowers that
bordered on both the collar and the hem, ending just
above her knees. They both left the shrine and
hurried across town to Usagi's house, entering just
before supper was to be served.
After dinner, Usagi and Rei retired to the living room
so that they could have more privacy when they talked.
The room was very large and had hardwood floors and
simple, white walls decorated with family pictures.
On the right side of the room was a piano that looked
like it was taken care of, due to its shined surface.
Across the room from the piano was a large beige couch
accented by white pillows. After they settled down on
the beige couch, Rei turned to Usagi suddenly, her
gaze intense. "Usagi, I think that it's time that you
realized that Mamoru may have feelings besides
friendship towards you."
Usagi's eyes widened, the irises shrinking in shock
as she stared, stunned speechless, at Rei's
announcement.
Continuing as if she hadn't shocked Usagi
thunderstruck, Rei began to explain herself. "Listen
before you say anything, okay? He talked to you
first, he was fascinated with you from what it sounds
like from his perspective. He spends the majority of
his free time with you, whether it's studying, going
to club functions, cram school, or even hanging out.
You are the one to force him to hang out with more
people and the one that told him that he should date
Ami. Do you think that he would have if you hadn't
suggested it in the first place? I doubt it. So, he
was probably planning on doing something with you, but
instead you practically forced him onto Ami and told
him that they should date! Now, he is dating someone
that he may or may not have feelings for just because
you believed that it was the "right" thing to do. I
think that you should take your righteousness and kick
it in the butt. No more of this "but it's better this
way" attitude! You need to realize that you are a
person too and deserve to be respected as such. Get
out there and stand up for yourself when the other
students at your school decide to pick on you. You
are so much of a better person than they are and you
need to realize that."
Usagi began to stare at her as if she had finally
grown the other head that had been seeded there for
years. "Rei…" She began.
"Don't 'Rei' me in that tone of voice. I know exactly
what you are thinking and better stop that train of
thought before it reaches the station. I mean it. I
can't stand how you look at yourself! Can't you see
how beautiful and smart and all-around wonderful you
are? Damn, it just makes me mad when you look at
yourself negatively! Stand tall and hold your chin up.
From what it sounds like, the majority of the people
that you go to school with are just plain idiots and
would be taken aback if you finally showed your more
rebellious side. Be proud of yourself for once."
"Do I get a turn now, Rei?" Usagi asked stiffly.
After Rei nodded her assent, Usagi stood up, crossed
her arms across her chest and began pacing around the
large room, her limbs moving jerkily. "I am sorry
that I don't live up to your expectations, but I am
who I am. You have to let me be this way for now. I
don't know what Mamoru's feelings are toward me, but I
doubt that they are more than friendship. Yes, he did
talk to me first and yes, he does do a lot of things
with me. That doesn't automatically conclude that he
desperately needs to date me. It just means that I am
a good companion. We have helped each other out and
that's all. Just give us room. He doesn't want me in
that way. I know that, and you have to look at it too
and realize that I am right about this. There never
will be anything between us. I can feel it. He'll
end up with some smart, beautiful woman and have his
2.5 kids and the family pet and be happy. I'll live
in my apartment with my 40 cats and be single. And
happy."
She turned so that she was staring fully at Rei, a
pair of brilliant blue eyes met those of a startling
violet, and Usagi pleaded, "Please Rei, just for now,
don't worry about Mamoru and I in that context. I
want him to be happy, and if he is happy with Ami-so
happy that he decides that he doesn't need me anymore-
that's great. The main issue here is that I want him
to be happy. That's all."
Rei stared at Usagi's eyes for a couple breathless
seconds, and then nodded her agreement. "I'll stay
out of it on one condition." She stated.
"What condition is that?"
"That you will admit that you are in love with him."