[:::seventh:::]

The bell rang and everyone found their seat. Any minute now Usagi would come crashing through the door in her usual style. But she didn't today, she didn't come at all. "Minako you were hanging out with her yesterday. Did she seem sick to you?" Ami asked as they walked down the hall.

"No, she seemed fine. She didn't say anything was wrong with her." Minako shrugged her shoulders.

"Well what did you guys do yesterday anyway?" Makoto asked out of curiosity.

"We went over to the Light's apartment and hung out with Kakyuu. We told them all about the moon and our pasts." Minako explained nonchalantly.

Yaten came running up behind the girls. "Hey Makoto. Can I talk to you for a minute?" Makoto looked at the other girls with a puzzled look on her face and then walked away with Yaten.

"Maybe she just came down with a bug. Let's ask Seiya if he knows what's going on." Ami suggested as Seiya's locker came into view.

"Makoto, I need to ask you a favor." Yaten started as they walked down the hall.

"Oh really? What is it?" Makoto was curious to say the least that Yaten would approach her for a favor. He probably wanted her to cook him something.

"I can't talk to you about it here, can I come over to your place after school?" He smiled to try to convince her.

Makoto was shocked and confused. But how could she say no to that smile and those eyes? "Sure, I'll meet you out front at the end of the day."

"Great!" Yaten waved and walked away to his next class.

"Hi Seiya, how are you today?" Minako asked in her usual chipper tone. She noticed Kakyuu walking up to them. "Hi Kakyuu."

"Have you guys heard from Usagi?" Ami asked bluntly.

"No." Seiya said not really looking at either one of them but instead staring into his locker at nothing.

"The bell is about to ring." Kakyuu said to change the subject. She didn't want to reveal what she knew. After Minako and Ami left she looked at Seiya. "Do you want to come with me after school to see her?"

"I don't think that I should. She doesn't need me around her, not now." He shut his locker and walked off down the hall.

Kakyuu ran up behind him. "Hey. Stop would ya." She grabbed his shoulder almost spinning him around. "Maybe that's just what she needs. Her whole life is falling apart in front of her. She needs some one to talk to, some one that understands her, some one like you." She looked deep into his eyes. "Please go and see her. Make sure she's alright." Both of her hands were on his shoulders holding him in place, preventing his escape.

He nodded that he understood and then turned to leave. "Mr Kou, your class is right here where are you going?" His teacher called from the doorway.

"I can't go to class when my Odango needs me!" Seiya yelled behind him as he left school.

"You're going to get detention for skipping you know!" The teacher continued to call after him although his words fell on deaf ears. Kakyuu laughed as she snuck into class behind the screaming teacher.

The doorbell rang at the Tsukino residence. Usagi's dad was at work, her mom out running her errands and Shingo at school. This left her home alone. She heard the doorbell sound again and ventured out of her room to answer it. "Who would be here now?" She wondered. "It's probably a sales man."

When she opened the door she was pleasantly surprised. "Seiya? What are you doing here?" She asked just staring like an idiot.

"You didn't come to school today. I was wondering if you were alright. Nice pajamas." He commented as he looked her up and down.

Usagi looked down at herself and realized that she hadn't gotten dressed yet. "Hold on a second, I'll go change. Come inside and wait." She moved aside to let him pass, then ran up the stairs to change.

"Well now I know she isn't sick." Seiya laughed at the awkward way that she ran up the stairs. Within minutes she returned fully dressed. "I didn't mind, you could have stayed in your pajamas."

"No, I can't go out in my pajamas." Usagi said as she headed for the kitchen. "I just have to write my mom a note and then we can go."

"What? Where are we going?" Seiya asked not seeing why they had to leave at all.

"My mother will be home any minute, you want to avoid her questioning don't you?" She ran by grabbing his arm in the process and dragging him out the door.

They got a ways down the road and headed towards the park. "I'm really glad that you came to see me today." Usagi said as she smiled at him.

"I'm happy to hear you say that. I wasn't sure whether I should or not." They stopped and sat by the lake under the shade of a large tree.

"Why wouldn't you be sure." Usagi looked at him.

Seiya took his attention away from the lake and looked over at Usagi. "I know that you're not sick. What's really wrong?" He asked remembering that he couldn't tell her what he already knew.

Usagi looked down at the ground. "I'm just worried about something."

"Why don't you tell me what it is, maybe I can help." Seiya offered as he continued to stare at her.

"No, you can't help. No one can help me." Her voice was a little shaky.

"Please tell me anyways, you're scaring me." He put his hand on her back.

Usagi sat up and smiled at him. "Well I wouldn't want to do that." She let out a forced chuckle. "I can trust you, right?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course you can trust me." Seiya reassured her.

Usagi smiled at him. "I know I can." She sighed and looked out over the lake. "Mamoru broke up with me."

"WHAT!" Seiya was shocked. He had not expected to hear this. He covered his mouth as he saw people staring at them. "Why?" Duh, he knew why. "How could he? What about Chibi-Usa?"

"That's what I'm worried about." Usagi looked straight at him and smiled at his concern. "I wasn't that upset that we broke up, actually I felt relieved of a heavy burden."

"I'm sorry." Seiya took her in his arms for a brief hug. "I don't understand, how can Chibi-Usa be alright?"

"I don't understand either. Pluto said not to worry about it, that everything will be alright. But how?" The tears started to well up in her eyes. "How?"

"I don't know why don't you ask her?" Seiya suggested as he wiped her tears away.

"The first time she came back here to the 20th century, Mamoru and I broke up and she didn't disappear, but then when Mamoru almost died in Nehelenia's hands she faded away and disappeared. I don't understand anything anymore." She put her hands to the side of her head. "Why can't things just be simple?"

"Simple isn't fun." He grinned at her. "You should let everyone know that you're alright. They were all worried about you at school today." He got up and motioned for her to follow him.

"Yeah, I just didn't feel like going to school today. What should I tell them?" Usagi looked at him for the answer. "I can't lie to them."

"Just tell them the truth. that you didn't feel like going to school today. You know it's not like it's totally out of your character." He knocked into her playfully.

Usagi pushed him back. "What are you trying to say that I'm lazy?" She was half-serious.

Seiya laughed at her. "Why? Are you denying it?" He eyed her.

She laughed and put her hand behind her head. "I guess you're right." Her hand dropped back down to her side. "I really am glad that you stopped by to see me today."

"Sure, anytime Odango." He gave her a smile. He just wanted to hug her and tell her that everything was going to be alright, that he had all of the answers that she was looking for, but he couldn't. This was probably the closest he'd ever get to her.

"They are all probably sitting at crown. Do you want to come with me?" She asked batting her eyes.

"Do you actually think that's going to work?" He laughed at her.

"What?" She played dumb and continued doing it.

"Well I'd better go with you, you look like you have something in your eye and I wouldn't want you to get hit by a car!" He smirked.

Usagi stopped her batting and smiled at her some-what victory. Once they got to crown they saw Minako, Kakyuu, and Rei sitting at their booth drinking and eating. "Hey Usagi, where were you today?" Minako asked when she spotted her.

"I just didn't feel like going today, I told my mom I was sick." She smiled at Seiya when she finished.

"Well let us know next time. You had me worried." Minako pointed her finger. "Speaking of worrying. Where is Makoto? We know Ami is studying, which really means she's probably making out with Taiki somewhere."

"When I called her apartment she was hanging out there with Yaten." Rei said as she finished her drink.

"WHAT!!!" Minako yelled as she put both of her hands on the table and stood up. Kakyuu pulled her back down so as not to make a scene. "They're at Makoto's apartment alone?!!!" She was squirming in her seat.

"What's wrong with that?" Seiya asked knowing that Minako didn't know he knew about 'The Plan'. Usagi and Kakyuu laughed at Minako's misfortune. Rei was just puzzled.

"N n nnothing, I guess." Minako calmed down. Really, what right did she have to be upset? She'd been parading around with Kakyuu this whole time. Now she knew how he must have felt.

"So what did you need to talk to me about?" Makoto closed the door behind her.

"I need your help with a little problem." Yaten followed her into the kitchen and helped her make some tea. "It has to do with . I can trust you not to tell anyone, right?"

"If you ask me not to tell anyone, I won't." Makoto was getting down the cups.

"Good, I thought I could trust you." Yaten accepted his cup and they went to sit in the living room. "It has to do with Minako." He started.

"What about her?" Makoto was getting curious.

"Well she's been spending a lot of time with Kakyuu lately. and I mean A LOT!" He sipped his tea. "I was wondering if you'd pretend that you were interested in me."

"What? Why?" Makoto nearly spit the hot liquid across the room.

"So that Minako gets jealous and realizes that she still likes me." Yaten blushed.

"So you do like her! Why didn't you tell her before?" Makoto calmed down and set her cup down.

"When we got here she didn't act like herself, or at least the way she was when I first met her."

"You mean she didn't hang all over you." Makoto grinned.

"Right. I hate to admit it but I kind of miss it." Yaten set his cup down.

"Well you want to know something funny? She said that she wasn't going to hang all over you this time so that you would see how mature she was or something like that. Ironic isn't?" She laughed at what she said.

Yaten smiled. "So she did still like me! So then why is she spending so much time with Kakyuu then?"

"Maybe she gave up on you. You weren't very nice to her." Makoto offered up the last part in a bit of a scolding way. "I guess it's your own fault." She shrugged.

"That's what I'm worried about." His mood took a serious turn for the worse. "Will you help me?"

Makoto thought about it for a minute. "I think you should just tell her how you feel, but then again it would be fun to tease her a bit." The devilish grin on her lips was enough of an answer for him. The phone rang. "Hello?"

"Makoto! This is Minako. What are you and Yaten doing?" Her voice was loud and demanding.

Makoto giggled as she put her hand over the phone's mouthpiece. "I think your plan is already working." Yaten made his way over to the phone and they both listened.

"Oh we were just hanging out and talking." She put a weird twist on the word talking to almost make it sound as if that wasn't what they were really doing. But she wasn't lying.

"Talking huh. Well why couldn't you talk with the rest of us around? Are you going after Yaten?" Minako's voice seemed to get really high up in her throat.

"Maybe, why? What's it to you?" Makoto and Yaten had to control themselves from hysterics.

"Nothing I guess. Well I've got to go, I'll see you tomorrow." Minako sounded depressed and sluggish.

"Bye." Makoto said and quickly hung up the phone so that she could let out her laughter.

"That was great. She does like me, I think? Did you get that from that?" Yaten second-guessed himself.

"It seemed like it to me." Makoto reassured him. "So if she still likes you, then what do you suppose is going on between her and Kakyuu?"