Part XVI
Christmas break was here and this was the last day of school. "Wow, for once you weren't late for school!" Minako commented as she walked in to find Usagi already in her seat.
"What are you talking about? I haven't been late for class in a long time!" She huffed as she had been proud of the fact that she had tried hard but Minako hadn't noticed.
"Yeah, I'm sure detention just isn't the same without you and Seiya there. Come to think of it, since the teacher moved him he hasn't gotten detention lately either." Minako looked over at Seiya's empty seat all the way across the room from Usagi. "Hey, you've seen his girlfriend right? What does she look like?"
Usagi was already boiling in her seat at the fact that Minako had brought up the point that her and Seiya didn't hang out like they used to and now she was just going to twist that dagger in even further. Before she could even respond to Minako's hurtful question Seiya walked in the class and took his seat. Usagi knew that Minako wouldn't expect her to answer her question while he could hear them so she was off the hook.
The period soon started and so did the snow. By the end of the period the ground was completely covered in a thick blanket of wintry-white. An announcement came over the PA system telling the students that they were dismissed early due to current weather conditions. They got a chance to start their winter break early.
"So Usagi what are you doing now that we don't have to be here?" Ami asked walking up behind her with Taiki.
"I don't know, I obviously didn't plan on having anything to do right now. What are you doing? I'm up for anything right about now!" She smiled at her friends.
Taiki leaned over in front of Ami to answer her question for her. "Since the weather is bad our rehearsal will certainly be cancelled tonight and we were going to see if everyone wanted to come over to out apartment."
Usagi didn't answer immediately so Ami added some words of encouragement. "Oh come on Usagi, it's going to be fun, besides you don't want to be stuck at your house all by yourself do you?"
"That's alright, I don't mind being by myself. Actually I think I'm just gonna head home. I'm going to get some sleep, I have to pick Mamoru up at the airport tomorrow with Haruka." Usagi said looking down at her fingers that were now naked without Mamoru's engagement ring on her hand.
"Are you sure?" Ami looked at her curiously.
"Whoohoo!" Minako came running up behind the group. "Yeah! So what's the plan for the day?" She was way too excited to be getting out of school early. Without realizing it they had stopped by Yaten's locker.
Yaten and Makoto soon joined the group, Yaten had already known about the plan to have everyone over since he was in the same class as Taiki and Ami. "Minako if you're going to come over today you have to calm down!" Yaten warned her.
"Shut up shrimp!" Kakyuu came up slapping him in the back of the head. She still hadn't give the tape back to him yet and she held it over his head every chance she could. "Now apologize!"
Yaten gave Kakyuu the devil look then turned to Minako. "I'm sorry Minako, I hope you'll come over today."
Minako was amazed at what power Kakyuu had over Yaten and was amused that she had been using it lately to make Yaten be nice to her. "Thank you Yaten, you're forgiven." She gave him a big hug, hey might as well get away with it while she could, ne?
Usagi saw Seiya approaching and quickly finished up her conversation. "Yeah, I'm sure Ami. You guys have fun! I'll see you later. Don't forget to call me to make plans for the winter light's festival!" She quickly turned and headed off in the opposite direction that she saw Seiya approaching from.
"That's weird." Minako said as they watched Usagi walk down the hallway away from them.
"What's weird?" Seiya asked as he tried to see what they were talking about.
"Oh nothing." Minako smiled and waved it off. "So are you going to bring your girlfriend over today? We're all going to your house."
"You're ALL going to come over today?" Seiya looked a little nervously around him. "I was actually planning on surprising her by going to see her since I got out of this hell hole early. So sorry, I won't be able to make it to your little shin-gig."
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"Seiya really treats his girlfriend right huh?" Rei asked Kakyuu while they were making hot chocolate in the kitchen.
"I don't know but it seems like he does. He spends every waking minute he can with her. But you know Seiya, he's a sweet heart and I could never see him doing anything to make a girl not like him." Kakyuu smiled at her thought.
"Do you think he told her about him being a senshi?" Rei was putting the mugs on a tray to bring out to the living room.
"I don't know, but if he did already I think it's a pretty good sign if they're still together." She laughed as they walked in to the other room.
"Usagi must be happy not to have him flirting with her all of the time!" Rei laughed with Kakyuu.
"Who's flirting with Usagi all the time?" Yaten asked picking up on the gossip.
"Seiya." Kakyuu answered.
"Oh." Is all that Yaten replied.
Minako looked at him and began speaking. "I don't think she minded it that much. I mean, she did still hang out with him and thought of new ways to knock him down every time!"
"That's another thing, I'm sure he's happy not to be rejected every day of his life now too." Kakyuu said just before she slapped Taiki's hand. He was trying to steal the marshmallows that Kakyuu had put in her hot chocolate. "I'd expect that from Yaten or Minako but not you Taiki!"
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"It seems that everyone is happy except for us!" Kakyuu muttered as she sat with Makoto and Rei in a corner booth at Crown.
"What are you talking about?" Rei asked not really paying attention.
"I mean everyone has found some one to be with except for us. Taiki and Ami hooked up, Seiya and his girlfriend and Usagi and Mamoru. and whether they want to admit it or not, you know Yaten and Minako are going to hook up any day now!" She sighed when she finished.
"Speak for yourself!" Rei said standing up to leave. "I have a boyfriend who's actually making me dinner right now!" Rei put her jacket on and left a wide-eyed Kakyuu sitting with Makoto.
Once Rei had left Makoto felt the need to explain. "Rei finally agreed to go out with Yuuichiro. I guess he wasn't as bad as she had thought he was. Thank god she made him get his hair cut though!"
"Have you found a date for the festival yet?" Kakyuu asked.
"No, I'm not going. I was actually planning on staying home and baking some Christmas cookies, it's just around the corner you know!" Makoto winked at her.
"WHAT!!" Kakyuu was once again shocked. "That damn festival is tonight and I was counting on you to be dateless too so that I wouldn't have to be the only one there without a date!" Her head fell heavy on the table and the noise it created caused everyone to turn their heads to stare at her. When she picked her head up she noticed the stares. "Yeah go ahead, chuck it up. Come on everybody stare at the dateless wonder!" She shouted at the people while standing on the table.
Makoto pulled her down to sit by her. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. I don't think that the people we know are going with dates. The girls are all going together and I don't even think they planned on meeting up with the Lights. The outers are having a party tonight also, so I think they're going to cut the festival short. That's why I was making cookies, for their party."
This was a load off of Kakyuu's mind but she still didn't want to go to the festival. "Do you need any help baking?" She offered up.
"No." Makoto answered. "But I could use the company!" She smiled as Kakyuu nodded.
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"Thank you for driving us here Mamoru." Ami spoke up from the crowded back seat. It was only her, Rei and Minako back there but in the small sports car it was a bit cramped.
Usagi sat up front in the cushy, comfy shotgun seat. "No problem. It's freezing out, I can't believe you girls were planning on walking." Mamoru looked in the rearview mirror while he spoke back to her.
They soon arrived at the Festival of Lights. (No it's not a Jewish thing, it's just a Christmas light show) There were light sculptures all around and the entire walk down the pathway was lit with arches of small white lights. The entire scene was set up through the park. There were vendors off to the side in their heated little booths.
The snow crunched beneath their feet as they walked down the path. "This is great!" Usagi exclaimed. The others hadn't seen here this happy in a while and assumed that it was just because Mamoru was back.
"Oh wow! Look at that over there Usagi!" Minako said while pulling on her jacket.
"I have to have one of those!!" Usagi went along with Minako's excitement. The pair ran off to the nearby vendor to look at the kawaii stuffed animals.
"Will those two ever change?" Mamoru says while shaking his head.
"No." Rei and Ami reply in unison.
They walked ahead a little further, they were sure that Usagi and Minako would be able to find them easily. "You know, I think it's really great the way that yours and Usagi's relationship held up even over such a great distance. You guys seem as happy as ever." Rei smiled at Mamoru.
"Uh. Rei. What are you talking about?" Mamoru stops and turns to her.
Rei looks at him puzzled. "I'm talking about your relationship with Usagi, stupid. What else would I be talking about?"
Mamoru was a bit put off by being called stupid but let it slide to clear up the matter at hand. "What relationship? Usagi and I broke up remember?"
Ami and Rei's mouths both drop open simultaneously. "WHAT!!" They yell and gain the attention of just about everyone around them.
"Shhh. I take it she didn't tell you?" Mamoru questions trying to figure it all out.
"Who didn't tell who what?" Usagi asks as her and Minako come skipping back from the vendor.
"Nothing!" Rei says quickly figuring that she must have a reason for not telling them. "What happened to your butt?" She spun Usagi around and pointed to the giant wet spot.
Minako started to die laughing hysterically. "She fell down and almost knocked herself and these really cute guy out!"
"Shut up Minako!" Usagi hissed as her mood took a bad turn.
"What the hell is so funny?" Yaten asked coming up behind the hyena Minako.
Seiya and Taiki soon joined his side as they greeted everyone. Minako tried to can the hysterics and explain what had happened. But she couldn't get it out before Usagi started talking. "Mamoru I'm going to go home and change, I'll meet you at the outers house. I'll get a ride there with Makoto and Kakyuu or something OK?" She asked but started to walk away before he could reply.
"Alright." He said. He knew he couldn't take her home because he was the only one with a car and the outers house was entirely too far away to walk to, especially in this weather.
"Usagi, wait, I'll walk you home." Taiki said coming up behind her. Usagi smiled and nodded at him. He couldn't have just let her walk home on a dark and cold night like this.
"Hey, do you guys want to come to the outers house with us?" Minako asked directing her comment more to Yaten than Seiya.
Yaten looked at Seiya who shrugged his shoulders. "Sure I guess."
"Well let's get going, it's too freaken cold out here!" Rei complained. "Shotgun!" She called out and raced Minako to the car while the others sweat dropped.
They all piled into Mamoru's car. Rei sat up front, Ami, Seiya and Yaten sat in the back who was forced to have a very smiley Minako sit on his lap. The ride began and there was no conversation.
"So Seiya, how's your girlfriend?" Mamoru asked into the back seat.
Seiya began to fidget in his seat. "Fine." He laughs to himself. "I guess you're pretty happy that you don't have to worry about me chasing after YOUR Odango any more."
Mamoru was once again confused and this showed on his face. He was just about to correct Seiya when he received a painful pinch in the leg from Rei in the front seat. "OWW!" He cried and looked over at Rei who was giving him the ictsney on the Usagi-sey look.
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"Thank you for walking me home tonight, you didn't have to you know." Usagi said looking at the snow falling on the ground.
"It was my pleasure." Taiki smiled at her. "How long is Mamoru staying in town for?"
"Just for break, he leaves in January." Usagi continued to stare at the snow.
"It must be hard for you to be so far away from him, you must miss him a lot." Taiki commented, he was actually thinking about how he would feel if Ami was studying abroad in America.
"Hey Taiki?" Usagi turned her gaze over to the taller man. "Can I trust you with a secret?"
Taiki nods his head but looks shocked. "Sure."
"Mamoru and I broke up when I went to go and visit him in America." She waited to see his reaction to this news.
Taiki face didn't turn more shocked but actually eased up a bit. "That's a relief!" He sighed.
"What? Why?" Usagi was confused to say the least.
"I thought you were going to tell me that you were pregnant!" Taiki laughed at his mistake.
Usagi laughed a little bit with him too and they were soon at her house. Usagi invited him in while she changed. When she finished changing she joined him downstairs in waiting for Makoto and Kakyuu to come and pick them up.
"I wish you had broken up with Mamoru sooner. We would have had the perfect person to set Seiya up on a date with!" He laughed at the irony of it.
"Me too." Before Taiki could register this a horn sounded from outside signaling that Makoto and Kakyuu were there. "Well there's our ride!" Usagi jumped up and grabbed their coats.
Christmas break was here and this was the last day of school. "Wow, for once you weren't late for school!" Minako commented as she walked in to find Usagi already in her seat.
"What are you talking about? I haven't been late for class in a long time!" She huffed as she had been proud of the fact that she had tried hard but Minako hadn't noticed.
"Yeah, I'm sure detention just isn't the same without you and Seiya there. Come to think of it, since the teacher moved him he hasn't gotten detention lately either." Minako looked over at Seiya's empty seat all the way across the room from Usagi. "Hey, you've seen his girlfriend right? What does she look like?"
Usagi was already boiling in her seat at the fact that Minako had brought up the point that her and Seiya didn't hang out like they used to and now she was just going to twist that dagger in even further. Before she could even respond to Minako's hurtful question Seiya walked in the class and took his seat. Usagi knew that Minako wouldn't expect her to answer her question while he could hear them so she was off the hook.
The period soon started and so did the snow. By the end of the period the ground was completely covered in a thick blanket of wintry-white. An announcement came over the PA system telling the students that they were dismissed early due to current weather conditions. They got a chance to start their winter break early.
"So Usagi what are you doing now that we don't have to be here?" Ami asked walking up behind her with Taiki.
"I don't know, I obviously didn't plan on having anything to do right now. What are you doing? I'm up for anything right about now!" She smiled at her friends.
Taiki leaned over in front of Ami to answer her question for her. "Since the weather is bad our rehearsal will certainly be cancelled tonight and we were going to see if everyone wanted to come over to out apartment."
Usagi didn't answer immediately so Ami added some words of encouragement. "Oh come on Usagi, it's going to be fun, besides you don't want to be stuck at your house all by yourself do you?"
"That's alright, I don't mind being by myself. Actually I think I'm just gonna head home. I'm going to get some sleep, I have to pick Mamoru up at the airport tomorrow with Haruka." Usagi said looking down at her fingers that were now naked without Mamoru's engagement ring on her hand.
"Are you sure?" Ami looked at her curiously.
"Whoohoo!" Minako came running up behind the group. "Yeah! So what's the plan for the day?" She was way too excited to be getting out of school early. Without realizing it they had stopped by Yaten's locker.
Yaten and Makoto soon joined the group, Yaten had already known about the plan to have everyone over since he was in the same class as Taiki and Ami. "Minako if you're going to come over today you have to calm down!" Yaten warned her.
"Shut up shrimp!" Kakyuu came up slapping him in the back of the head. She still hadn't give the tape back to him yet and she held it over his head every chance she could. "Now apologize!"
Yaten gave Kakyuu the devil look then turned to Minako. "I'm sorry Minako, I hope you'll come over today."
Minako was amazed at what power Kakyuu had over Yaten and was amused that she had been using it lately to make Yaten be nice to her. "Thank you Yaten, you're forgiven." She gave him a big hug, hey might as well get away with it while she could, ne?
Usagi saw Seiya approaching and quickly finished up her conversation. "Yeah, I'm sure Ami. You guys have fun! I'll see you later. Don't forget to call me to make plans for the winter light's festival!" She quickly turned and headed off in the opposite direction that she saw Seiya approaching from.
"That's weird." Minako said as they watched Usagi walk down the hallway away from them.
"What's weird?" Seiya asked as he tried to see what they were talking about.
"Oh nothing." Minako smiled and waved it off. "So are you going to bring your girlfriend over today? We're all going to your house."
"You're ALL going to come over today?" Seiya looked a little nervously around him. "I was actually planning on surprising her by going to see her since I got out of this hell hole early. So sorry, I won't be able to make it to your little shin-gig."
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"Seiya really treats his girlfriend right huh?" Rei asked Kakyuu while they were making hot chocolate in the kitchen.
"I don't know but it seems like he does. He spends every waking minute he can with her. But you know Seiya, he's a sweet heart and I could never see him doing anything to make a girl not like him." Kakyuu smiled at her thought.
"Do you think he told her about him being a senshi?" Rei was putting the mugs on a tray to bring out to the living room.
"I don't know, but if he did already I think it's a pretty good sign if they're still together." She laughed as they walked in to the other room.
"Usagi must be happy not to have him flirting with her all of the time!" Rei laughed with Kakyuu.
"Who's flirting with Usagi all the time?" Yaten asked picking up on the gossip.
"Seiya." Kakyuu answered.
"Oh." Is all that Yaten replied.
Minako looked at him and began speaking. "I don't think she minded it that much. I mean, she did still hang out with him and thought of new ways to knock him down every time!"
"That's another thing, I'm sure he's happy not to be rejected every day of his life now too." Kakyuu said just before she slapped Taiki's hand. He was trying to steal the marshmallows that Kakyuu had put in her hot chocolate. "I'd expect that from Yaten or Minako but not you Taiki!"
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"It seems that everyone is happy except for us!" Kakyuu muttered as she sat with Makoto and Rei in a corner booth at Crown.
"What are you talking about?" Rei asked not really paying attention.
"I mean everyone has found some one to be with except for us. Taiki and Ami hooked up, Seiya and his girlfriend and Usagi and Mamoru. and whether they want to admit it or not, you know Yaten and Minako are going to hook up any day now!" She sighed when she finished.
"Speak for yourself!" Rei said standing up to leave. "I have a boyfriend who's actually making me dinner right now!" Rei put her jacket on and left a wide-eyed Kakyuu sitting with Makoto.
Once Rei had left Makoto felt the need to explain. "Rei finally agreed to go out with Yuuichiro. I guess he wasn't as bad as she had thought he was. Thank god she made him get his hair cut though!"
"Have you found a date for the festival yet?" Kakyuu asked.
"No, I'm not going. I was actually planning on staying home and baking some Christmas cookies, it's just around the corner you know!" Makoto winked at her.
"WHAT!!" Kakyuu was once again shocked. "That damn festival is tonight and I was counting on you to be dateless too so that I wouldn't have to be the only one there without a date!" Her head fell heavy on the table and the noise it created caused everyone to turn their heads to stare at her. When she picked her head up she noticed the stares. "Yeah go ahead, chuck it up. Come on everybody stare at the dateless wonder!" She shouted at the people while standing on the table.
Makoto pulled her down to sit by her. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. I don't think that the people we know are going with dates. The girls are all going together and I don't even think they planned on meeting up with the Lights. The outers are having a party tonight also, so I think they're going to cut the festival short. That's why I was making cookies, for their party."
This was a load off of Kakyuu's mind but she still didn't want to go to the festival. "Do you need any help baking?" She offered up.
"No." Makoto answered. "But I could use the company!" She smiled as Kakyuu nodded.
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"Thank you for driving us here Mamoru." Ami spoke up from the crowded back seat. It was only her, Rei and Minako back there but in the small sports car it was a bit cramped.
Usagi sat up front in the cushy, comfy shotgun seat. "No problem. It's freezing out, I can't believe you girls were planning on walking." Mamoru looked in the rearview mirror while he spoke back to her.
They soon arrived at the Festival of Lights. (No it's not a Jewish thing, it's just a Christmas light show) There were light sculptures all around and the entire walk down the pathway was lit with arches of small white lights. The entire scene was set up through the park. There were vendors off to the side in their heated little booths.
The snow crunched beneath their feet as they walked down the path. "This is great!" Usagi exclaimed. The others hadn't seen here this happy in a while and assumed that it was just because Mamoru was back.
"Oh wow! Look at that over there Usagi!" Minako said while pulling on her jacket.
"I have to have one of those!!" Usagi went along with Minako's excitement. The pair ran off to the nearby vendor to look at the kawaii stuffed animals.
"Will those two ever change?" Mamoru says while shaking his head.
"No." Rei and Ami reply in unison.
They walked ahead a little further, they were sure that Usagi and Minako would be able to find them easily. "You know, I think it's really great the way that yours and Usagi's relationship held up even over such a great distance. You guys seem as happy as ever." Rei smiled at Mamoru.
"Uh. Rei. What are you talking about?" Mamoru stops and turns to her.
Rei looks at him puzzled. "I'm talking about your relationship with Usagi, stupid. What else would I be talking about?"
Mamoru was a bit put off by being called stupid but let it slide to clear up the matter at hand. "What relationship? Usagi and I broke up remember?"
Ami and Rei's mouths both drop open simultaneously. "WHAT!!" They yell and gain the attention of just about everyone around them.
"Shhh. I take it she didn't tell you?" Mamoru questions trying to figure it all out.
"Who didn't tell who what?" Usagi asks as her and Minako come skipping back from the vendor.
"Nothing!" Rei says quickly figuring that she must have a reason for not telling them. "What happened to your butt?" She spun Usagi around and pointed to the giant wet spot.
Minako started to die laughing hysterically. "She fell down and almost knocked herself and these really cute guy out!"
"Shut up Minako!" Usagi hissed as her mood took a bad turn.
"What the hell is so funny?" Yaten asked coming up behind the hyena Minako.
Seiya and Taiki soon joined his side as they greeted everyone. Minako tried to can the hysterics and explain what had happened. But she couldn't get it out before Usagi started talking. "Mamoru I'm going to go home and change, I'll meet you at the outers house. I'll get a ride there with Makoto and Kakyuu or something OK?" She asked but started to walk away before he could reply.
"Alright." He said. He knew he couldn't take her home because he was the only one with a car and the outers house was entirely too far away to walk to, especially in this weather.
"Usagi, wait, I'll walk you home." Taiki said coming up behind her. Usagi smiled and nodded at him. He couldn't have just let her walk home on a dark and cold night like this.
"Hey, do you guys want to come to the outers house with us?" Minako asked directing her comment more to Yaten than Seiya.
Yaten looked at Seiya who shrugged his shoulders. "Sure I guess."
"Well let's get going, it's too freaken cold out here!" Rei complained. "Shotgun!" She called out and raced Minako to the car while the others sweat dropped.
They all piled into Mamoru's car. Rei sat up front, Ami, Seiya and Yaten sat in the back who was forced to have a very smiley Minako sit on his lap. The ride began and there was no conversation.
"So Seiya, how's your girlfriend?" Mamoru asked into the back seat.
Seiya began to fidget in his seat. "Fine." He laughs to himself. "I guess you're pretty happy that you don't have to worry about me chasing after YOUR Odango any more."
Mamoru was once again confused and this showed on his face. He was just about to correct Seiya when he received a painful pinch in the leg from Rei in the front seat. "OWW!" He cried and looked over at Rei who was giving him the ictsney on the Usagi-sey look.
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"Thank you for walking me home tonight, you didn't have to you know." Usagi said looking at the snow falling on the ground.
"It was my pleasure." Taiki smiled at her. "How long is Mamoru staying in town for?"
"Just for break, he leaves in January." Usagi continued to stare at the snow.
"It must be hard for you to be so far away from him, you must miss him a lot." Taiki commented, he was actually thinking about how he would feel if Ami was studying abroad in America.
"Hey Taiki?" Usagi turned her gaze over to the taller man. "Can I trust you with a secret?"
Taiki nods his head but looks shocked. "Sure."
"Mamoru and I broke up when I went to go and visit him in America." She waited to see his reaction to this news.
Taiki face didn't turn more shocked but actually eased up a bit. "That's a relief!" He sighed.
"What? Why?" Usagi was confused to say the least.
"I thought you were going to tell me that you were pregnant!" Taiki laughed at his mistake.
Usagi laughed a little bit with him too and they were soon at her house. Usagi invited him in while she changed. When she finished changing she joined him downstairs in waiting for Makoto and Kakyuu to come and pick them up.
"I wish you had broken up with Mamoru sooner. We would have had the perfect person to set Seiya up on a date with!" He laughed at the irony of it.
"Me too." Before Taiki could register this a horn sounded from outside signaling that Makoto and Kakyuu were there. "Well there's our ride!" Usagi jumped up and grabbed their coats.
