************
Believe In Yourself
Part 3
By: Usa and Hoho
Disclaimer in Part 1
************
Two hours later, school was over and a very depressed Usagi was heading home. She didn't even want to imagine what her parents would say to her when she arrived home. *I hope they believe me...* They had to! They were her parents!
Usagi felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned around to see Mamoru. "Hey, Usa-ko, what's wrong? You seem bothered by something..."
"Mamo-chan!" she cried jumping into his arms in tears.
Mamoru held Usagi for a moment, then repeated his question. "Did something go wrong at school today, Usa-ko?"
"My... test... I passed..."
Mamoru nearly dropped Usagi in shock. "You passed? Congratulations! Now you know the benefits of studying!" When he saw the distraught look on her face, even after his encouragement, he frowned. "Something else happened, didn't it?"
"Haruna-sensei..." Usagi began. She looked at the ground. She didn't want him to think any less of her. "She thinks I... I cheated." The last word came out choked.
Mamoru was shocked again, but not in a good way. "Cheated? Usa-ko..." He bent down and looked into Usagi's eyes. He could tell she wasn't lying. "Usa-ko, I trust you and I don't think you cheated..."
Usagi smiled sadly. "Arigatou, Mamo-chan..." She heard the bells chime four. "I'd better get home. Mama will be wondering where I'm at. She's probably already talked to Haruna-sensei."
Mamoru nodded. "I have to get home as well." He bent down and kissed Usagi's forehead. "Bai, Usa-ko. Good luck..." With that, he went in the direction of his apartment.
Usagi sighed and headed home. She stopped in her tracks. Coming towards her were Rei and Minako. She didn't want to face them but she knew this was the only way home.
Usagi kept looking at the ground as she neared her friends. Suddenly, she felt herself slam into someone then fell to the ground with a *thud*.
"Usagi no baka! There you are!" Rei said, annoyed, then helped Usagi up. "Ami-chan told us about the test!"
"She did?" Usagi asked.
"Hai, she did! And about how you passed!" Rei snapped, putting emphasis on 'how'.
"Rei-chan, Minako-chan... you don't think I-I cheated too... do you?"
Usagi's heart was tearing apart inside of her. True, Mamoru believed her, but her friends. People who she cared about so dearly...
"W-ell, you passing a test *is* kinda unbelievable, so it could very well be a possibility..." Rei said haughtily.
This was the straw that broke the camel's back. Usagi was hurting and she was angry that no one believed her. She swung her arm around and smacked Rei across the face. "Bitch!" she spit out and ran away in tears.
Rei was about to run after the smaller girl, her face red, when Minako tugged on her arm. "Don't, Rei-chan! She's stressed out enough without you intervening!"
Rei's face stayed flustered and red, but she made no move to resist Minako's request. "Fine then." The two girls continued their walk.
***********
Ikuko was waiting for Usagi in the living room when the flustered girl burst through the door. She was about to run to her room, but Ikuko stopped her. "Usagi, there's something I'd like to talk to you about..."
Usagi entered the living room and faced her mother. "H-hai?"
Ikuko pulled Usagi over to the couch where she had been sitting before and sat beside her. Usagi noticed tears in her mother's eyes. "Usagi, I got a phone call from your teacher. Haruna-san told me that you passed a test."
Usagi waited for Ikuko to continue.
Ikuko sighed and closed her eyes. "She also told me that you had all the same answers as a boy that sat near you." Ikuko grabbed her daughter's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Usagi, how could you do something like this? I wish I could believe that you really did pass, but you're not that kind of person!!" She gave Usagi a slight shake. "Listen to me when I say this: I'm very disappointed."
Believe In Yourself
Part 3
By: Usa and Hoho
Disclaimer in Part 1
************
Two hours later, school was over and a very depressed Usagi was heading home. She didn't even want to imagine what her parents would say to her when she arrived home. *I hope they believe me...* They had to! They were her parents!
Usagi felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned around to see Mamoru. "Hey, Usa-ko, what's wrong? You seem bothered by something..."
"Mamo-chan!" she cried jumping into his arms in tears.
Mamoru held Usagi for a moment, then repeated his question. "Did something go wrong at school today, Usa-ko?"
"My... test... I passed..."
Mamoru nearly dropped Usagi in shock. "You passed? Congratulations! Now you know the benefits of studying!" When he saw the distraught look on her face, even after his encouragement, he frowned. "Something else happened, didn't it?"
"Haruna-sensei..." Usagi began. She looked at the ground. She didn't want him to think any less of her. "She thinks I... I cheated." The last word came out choked.
Mamoru was shocked again, but not in a good way. "Cheated? Usa-ko..." He bent down and looked into Usagi's eyes. He could tell she wasn't lying. "Usa-ko, I trust you and I don't think you cheated..."
Usagi smiled sadly. "Arigatou, Mamo-chan..." She heard the bells chime four. "I'd better get home. Mama will be wondering where I'm at. She's probably already talked to Haruna-sensei."
Mamoru nodded. "I have to get home as well." He bent down and kissed Usagi's forehead. "Bai, Usa-ko. Good luck..." With that, he went in the direction of his apartment.
Usagi sighed and headed home. She stopped in her tracks. Coming towards her were Rei and Minako. She didn't want to face them but she knew this was the only way home.
Usagi kept looking at the ground as she neared her friends. Suddenly, she felt herself slam into someone then fell to the ground with a *thud*.
"Usagi no baka! There you are!" Rei said, annoyed, then helped Usagi up. "Ami-chan told us about the test!"
"She did?" Usagi asked.
"Hai, she did! And about how you passed!" Rei snapped, putting emphasis on 'how'.
"Rei-chan, Minako-chan... you don't think I-I cheated too... do you?"
Usagi's heart was tearing apart inside of her. True, Mamoru believed her, but her friends. People who she cared about so dearly...
"W-ell, you passing a test *is* kinda unbelievable, so it could very well be a possibility..." Rei said haughtily.
This was the straw that broke the camel's back. Usagi was hurting and she was angry that no one believed her. She swung her arm around and smacked Rei across the face. "Bitch!" she spit out and ran away in tears.
Rei was about to run after the smaller girl, her face red, when Minako tugged on her arm. "Don't, Rei-chan! She's stressed out enough without you intervening!"
Rei's face stayed flustered and red, but she made no move to resist Minako's request. "Fine then." The two girls continued their walk.
***********
Ikuko was waiting for Usagi in the living room when the flustered girl burst through the door. She was about to run to her room, but Ikuko stopped her. "Usagi, there's something I'd like to talk to you about..."
Usagi entered the living room and faced her mother. "H-hai?"
Ikuko pulled Usagi over to the couch where she had been sitting before and sat beside her. Usagi noticed tears in her mother's eyes. "Usagi, I got a phone call from your teacher. Haruna-san told me that you passed a test."
Usagi waited for Ikuko to continue.
Ikuko sighed and closed her eyes. "She also told me that you had all the same answers as a boy that sat near you." Ikuko grabbed her daughter's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Usagi, how could you do something like this? I wish I could believe that you really did pass, but you're not that kind of person!!" She gave Usagi a slight shake. "Listen to me when I say this: I'm very disappointed."
