Title: Believe In Yourself
Authors: Usa (Usako0@aol.com) and Hoho (aeris_8@hotmail.com)
Rating: PG
Disclaimers: None of the characters in this fic belong to us... although it sure would be nice. ^_^
***********
Believe In Yourself
Part 1
***********
"USAGI!!"
The yell could be heard through the house as Ikuko stormed around, looking for her daughter. "I want to talk to you about this!" In one hand, Usagi's red-faces mother clenched a piece of paper, the only visible writing was a '25' in bold red letters in the top left corner.
Usagi slowly drug her feet over to her mother. "H-hai?"
She knew what she was getting in trouble for. Try as she might, she could never seem to pass any of her tests even when she studied. Usagi didn't know what to do.
"USAGI! What is the meaning of this?" Ikuko waved the paper in her pigtailed daughter's face. "Another failed test!" She seemed angry, but there were also tears in her eyes, tears of worry.
"Gomen ne, mama... I tried..." Usagi replied, looking at the floor.
"Every time you fail a test, you say you tried. Usagi, I don't think you're trying hard enough! You need to stop putting you food in your mouth and put in some facts instead!" Ikuko sighed in exasperation. "I don't want my daughter to end up failing school! You have to clean up your act!"
Tears formed in Usagi's eyes. The words were harsh, but they were true. She needed to start studying more. "Usagi... go. Just leave for a while, maybe with some friends or something. I need to take my mind off of this. I already have enough weight on my shoulders and I don't really want to have anyone, especially not you, causing me any more trouble than I need. It may sound a little self-centered, but I have a feeling it'll do us all some good."
"But, Mama..." Usagi reached out to hug Ikuko.
Ikuko put her hands on Usagi's shoulders and pushed the small girl away, gently, but firmly. Without another word, she turned around and walked upstairs, hoping she hadn't hurt her daughter, but had managed to give Usagi a piece of her mind. She went into her bedroom and shut the door behind her with a soft click.
Usagi gasped when her mother pushed her away. She had always gone to her for comfort. A hug, a kind word. But now, she was getting neither. Tears silently falling, Usagi put her shoes on and left the house.
*************
Usagi arrived at Hikawa Shrine and looked around for signs of her friends. She found them in Rei's room. She secretly hoped they couldn't tell she had been crying... and that Ami wouldn't mention the test...
Ami looked up from the book she was reading and looked at Usagi with a concerned look on her face. She got up and walked to the blonde girl, and whispered, "How did it go over with your mother, Usagi-chan?" She also noticed the expression Usagi had. "Not well?"
"Not well at all," Usagi replied, sitting down. She didn't dwell on it either like she usually did.
Minako looked at her silent friend worriedly. "Usagi-chan...?"
Usagi didn't say anything so Makoto offered her some cookies. "Chocolate Chip, Usagi-chan! Your favorite."
"Arigatou, Mako-chan, but I don't want any."
Makoto and Minako stared at her in shock. Usagi refusing to eat??
Rei got up from her place. "Now I know something's wrong. Refusing food, Usagi? Especially Mako-chan's cookies? You must be sick or-" Rei suddenly remembered the test Ami had told her about. "Oh... that... gomen ne, Usagi..."
Usagi still sat there quietly, remembering her mother's angry words, '"You need to stop putting you food in your mouth and put in some facts instead!"'
Suddenly, she stood up. "I-I got to go!" She ran out the door, but not before her friends noticed the tears streaming down her face.
"Kami... it must have been really bad this time," Minako said.
Ami's face seemed a little pale. "Ami-chan, is something wrong?" Rei asked her blue-haired friend. Ami looked at her with worried eyes.
"Rei-chan... I'm afraid it's worse than 'really bad'..."
Everyone looked at her in shock. "Ami-chan, what do you mean?" Rei questioned her, but knew, somehow, what she was going to say.
"Minna... if Usagi-chan fails one more test, she might not pass to the next grade!"
************
Usagi sat in a quiet corner of the library, books spread out in front of her. If she failed this science test she wouldn't pass to the next grade. *Wonderful, my second worst subject!* Sighing, she continued reading about photosynthesis.
As if out of nowhere, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Usa-ko?" It was Mamoru. He put his physics book on the table and looked at the cover of the book she was reading. "Plant life? You're studying, and about science, no less. Are you sure you're not sick?" He sat down beside her, curious about all the books.
Usagi looked up at him with sad and tired eyes. "Why do I have to be sick to be studying or not eating?" she asked angrily.
"It's just not your kind of hobby, I suppose. Although, I must admit, you look like you're working hard at it," was Mamoru's reply. He picked up a few books that had dropped onto the floor and put them back on the table.
"Gomen ne, Mamo-chan, I didn't mean to sound angry. It's just that... if I fail this test, I'm not going to be able to pass the grade..." She looked solemnly at the table, waiting for 'I told you so'.
Mamoru gave her a concerned look. He sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to get anywhere on her own. "Do you need any help, Usa-ko?"
"Onegai," Usagi responded.
Mamoru got a chair and sat down beside her, then picked up the science book she had been reading before.
***********
The paper was placed on her desk. She stared at it for a minute then took a deep breath. *I can do this! Just remember what Mamo-chan said!* Usagi picked up her pen and began to take the test.
A while later, Usagi got up and turned her paper in. She had no idea of the events that were to come from studying...
Miss Haruna glanced at the test Usagi had just handed in, preparing to leave a large red mark on the paper. When she looked at question number one, she realized it was correct. *Tsukino Usagi? A question answered right? Impossible...* she looked at her notes. The question was indeed answered right. After looking over the entire test and noticing most - if not all the questions were right, she suspected something. When the dismissal bell rang, Miss Haruna looked at her. "Tsukino-san, stay with me for a minute. I need to talk to you about your test."
Usagi's heart jumped in her throat as she nodded. She had no idea what this meant. Either Miss Haruna wanted to tell her she got all the answers correct or she didn't want Usagi to feel embarrassed that she wouldn't be continuing on with her friends to the next grade. Usagi was hopeful that she had done well.
"But..." Miss Haruna continued. "But I also noticed who you were sitting near. Tanaka-san also got a 100%, and all the same answers. Could that have something to do with it, Tsukino-san?"
"N-nani?" Usagi was barely able to speak. Did Miss Haruna think she cheated.
"I'll put this bluntly, Tsukino-san - Did you cheat on the test?" Miss Haruna gave her an angry look.
"Of course not, Haruna-sensei! I studied very hard for that test," she pleaded.
"As truthful as you seem, I have a very hard time believing that excuse, Tsukino-san. You're going to have to find a better way to convince me you didn't cheat." Miss Haruna looked at the test again. "I'm going to be calling your mother later on tonight. You can go."
Usagi tried to hold back her tears. "But..."
The teacher held up her hand to silence her student and opened the door, ushering Usagi out of the classroom.
Authors: Usa (Usako0@aol.com) and Hoho (aeris_8@hotmail.com)
Rating: PG
Disclaimers: None of the characters in this fic belong to us... although it sure would be nice. ^_^
***********
Believe In Yourself
Part 1
***********
"USAGI!!"
The yell could be heard through the house as Ikuko stormed around, looking for her daughter. "I want to talk to you about this!" In one hand, Usagi's red-faces mother clenched a piece of paper, the only visible writing was a '25' in bold red letters in the top left corner.
Usagi slowly drug her feet over to her mother. "H-hai?"
She knew what she was getting in trouble for. Try as she might, she could never seem to pass any of her tests even when she studied. Usagi didn't know what to do.
"USAGI! What is the meaning of this?" Ikuko waved the paper in her pigtailed daughter's face. "Another failed test!" She seemed angry, but there were also tears in her eyes, tears of worry.
"Gomen ne, mama... I tried..." Usagi replied, looking at the floor.
"Every time you fail a test, you say you tried. Usagi, I don't think you're trying hard enough! You need to stop putting you food in your mouth and put in some facts instead!" Ikuko sighed in exasperation. "I don't want my daughter to end up failing school! You have to clean up your act!"
Tears formed in Usagi's eyes. The words were harsh, but they were true. She needed to start studying more. "Usagi... go. Just leave for a while, maybe with some friends or something. I need to take my mind off of this. I already have enough weight on my shoulders and I don't really want to have anyone, especially not you, causing me any more trouble than I need. It may sound a little self-centered, but I have a feeling it'll do us all some good."
"But, Mama..." Usagi reached out to hug Ikuko.
Ikuko put her hands on Usagi's shoulders and pushed the small girl away, gently, but firmly. Without another word, she turned around and walked upstairs, hoping she hadn't hurt her daughter, but had managed to give Usagi a piece of her mind. She went into her bedroom and shut the door behind her with a soft click.
Usagi gasped when her mother pushed her away. She had always gone to her for comfort. A hug, a kind word. But now, she was getting neither. Tears silently falling, Usagi put her shoes on and left the house.
*************
Usagi arrived at Hikawa Shrine and looked around for signs of her friends. She found them in Rei's room. She secretly hoped they couldn't tell she had been crying... and that Ami wouldn't mention the test...
Ami looked up from the book she was reading and looked at Usagi with a concerned look on her face. She got up and walked to the blonde girl, and whispered, "How did it go over with your mother, Usagi-chan?" She also noticed the expression Usagi had. "Not well?"
"Not well at all," Usagi replied, sitting down. She didn't dwell on it either like she usually did.
Minako looked at her silent friend worriedly. "Usagi-chan...?"
Usagi didn't say anything so Makoto offered her some cookies. "Chocolate Chip, Usagi-chan! Your favorite."
"Arigatou, Mako-chan, but I don't want any."
Makoto and Minako stared at her in shock. Usagi refusing to eat??
Rei got up from her place. "Now I know something's wrong. Refusing food, Usagi? Especially Mako-chan's cookies? You must be sick or-" Rei suddenly remembered the test Ami had told her about. "Oh... that... gomen ne, Usagi..."
Usagi still sat there quietly, remembering her mother's angry words, '"You need to stop putting you food in your mouth and put in some facts instead!"'
Suddenly, she stood up. "I-I got to go!" She ran out the door, but not before her friends noticed the tears streaming down her face.
"Kami... it must have been really bad this time," Minako said.
Ami's face seemed a little pale. "Ami-chan, is something wrong?" Rei asked her blue-haired friend. Ami looked at her with worried eyes.
"Rei-chan... I'm afraid it's worse than 'really bad'..."
Everyone looked at her in shock. "Ami-chan, what do you mean?" Rei questioned her, but knew, somehow, what she was going to say.
"Minna... if Usagi-chan fails one more test, she might not pass to the next grade!"
************
Usagi sat in a quiet corner of the library, books spread out in front of her. If she failed this science test she wouldn't pass to the next grade. *Wonderful, my second worst subject!* Sighing, she continued reading about photosynthesis.
As if out of nowhere, she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Usa-ko?" It was Mamoru. He put his physics book on the table and looked at the cover of the book she was reading. "Plant life? You're studying, and about science, no less. Are you sure you're not sick?" He sat down beside her, curious about all the books.
Usagi looked up at him with sad and tired eyes. "Why do I have to be sick to be studying or not eating?" she asked angrily.
"It's just not your kind of hobby, I suppose. Although, I must admit, you look like you're working hard at it," was Mamoru's reply. He picked up a few books that had dropped onto the floor and put them back on the table.
"Gomen ne, Mamo-chan, I didn't mean to sound angry. It's just that... if I fail this test, I'm not going to be able to pass the grade..." She looked solemnly at the table, waiting for 'I told you so'.
Mamoru gave her a concerned look. He sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to get anywhere on her own. "Do you need any help, Usa-ko?"
"Onegai," Usagi responded.
Mamoru got a chair and sat down beside her, then picked up the science book she had been reading before.
***********
The paper was placed on her desk. She stared at it for a minute then took a deep breath. *I can do this! Just remember what Mamo-chan said!* Usagi picked up her pen and began to take the test.
A while later, Usagi got up and turned her paper in. She had no idea of the events that were to come from studying...
Miss Haruna glanced at the test Usagi had just handed in, preparing to leave a large red mark on the paper. When she looked at question number one, she realized it was correct. *Tsukino Usagi? A question answered right? Impossible...* she looked at her notes. The question was indeed answered right. After looking over the entire test and noticing most - if not all the questions were right, she suspected something. When the dismissal bell rang, Miss Haruna looked at her. "Tsukino-san, stay with me for a minute. I need to talk to you about your test."
Usagi's heart jumped in her throat as she nodded. She had no idea what this meant. Either Miss Haruna wanted to tell her she got all the answers correct or she didn't want Usagi to feel embarrassed that she wouldn't be continuing on with her friends to the next grade. Usagi was hopeful that she had done well.
"But..." Miss Haruna continued. "But I also noticed who you were sitting near. Tanaka-san also got a 100%, and all the same answers. Could that have something to do with it, Tsukino-san?"
"N-nani?" Usagi was barely able to speak. Did Miss Haruna think she cheated.
"I'll put this bluntly, Tsukino-san - Did you cheat on the test?" Miss Haruna gave her an angry look.
"Of course not, Haruna-sensei! I studied very hard for that test," she pleaded.
"As truthful as you seem, I have a very hard time believing that excuse, Tsukino-san. You're going to have to find a better way to convince me you didn't cheat." Miss Haruna looked at the test again. "I'm going to be calling your mother later on tonight. You can go."
Usagi tried to hold back her tears. "But..."
The teacher held up her hand to silence her student and opened the door, ushering Usagi out of the classroom.