Identity Crisis
Chapter Two: Final Argument - End of All Innocent Exchange?
By Minako-chan
-----------------------------------------------------------
A bell above the door chimed as Usagi entered the all-too-
familiar arcade. Her blue eyes scanned the crowd for
Motoki, one of her best friends, but widened when her eyes
focused on the back of the head of someone she had been
thinking about that day at school. Of course he is here,
she thought to herself, why feel so surprised? Gathering
her courage, and with as much dignity as possible, she
glided through a group of teenagers with as much grace
as she could and plopped into a stool in front of Motoki.
"Hello Motoki!" Usagi beamed with her cheeks pink from
the sun.
"Usagi-chan, the usual?" Motoki winked and smiled.
"Yup!" Usagi smiled and moved around in her seat, feeling
uncomfortable that her feet did not reach the ground. This
did not go unnoticed by Mamoru, who was sipping his coffee,
but watching the blonde with the corner of his eyes, a smile
on his lips.
"Okay, a double-fudge sundae coming right up! Cherry on top,
of course, just as you like it." Motoki winked again and
disappeared behind a machine so high that it blocked his
height completely.
"It's no wonder you can't walk properly, Odango-Atama, with
all that fudge weighing your feet down." Mamoru smirked.
Usagi's smile died on her lips instantly.
"It's no wonder you have bad breath, with all that black
coffee you drink." She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Hey, coffee lets me stay up late when I study, which is
something you should consider doing. You can't pass school
getting a 30% on every test, you know!" Mamoru's grin widened.
Usagi was furious, her face flushed red and tears were
already rolling down her cheeks.
"Everytime I see you, Mamoru-baka, I wonder why I wasn't
born with enough middle fingers." She hissed angrily.
As if on cue, Motoki reappeared with a giant bowl of ice cream
in his hands, saving the day! (or so it seems...)
"Hey, Usagi-chan, this is extra large and on the house to
celebrate your first 'A' in algebra, I thought you'd---"
Motoki paused, looking up from Usagi's red eyes to Mamoru's
smirk, then back to Usagi's eyes. "Oh brother. Not again."
"What? What did you just say? An 'A'? Odango-atama actually
got an 'A' on something?" Mamoru slapped his cheeks, pretending
to faint at any moment.
Usagi smiled weakly at Motoki, grateful for his kindness. As she
took the bowl of ice cream, she smeared it onto Mamoru's chest.
"And that," she said calmly through gritted teeth, "is something
I've wanted to do to that ugly, green blazer of yours for a
-very- long time." With that said, she held her head up high and
left the arcade, ignoring the stares and snickering she was
receiving from the crowd around her.
"Well, well, well." Motoki began and removed the empty, sticky bowl
which was clinging to Mamoru's jacket. "I've always told you to get
a new jacket."
"Shut up." Mamoru muttered as he peeled off his favorite blazer.
"Don't tell me you didn't deserve it. After all, the girl was
walking on air with that 'A'. She was so proud and you had to step
right in and ruin her moment."
"Thanks, are you sure you're my best friend?"
Motoki chuckled. "Why are you always so mean to that girl anyway?
I can't find anything wrong in her that I can possibly hate."
"I never said I hate her." Mamoru mumbled beneath his breath.
"Then..." realization dawned upon Motoki's face, "you like her, don't
you?" He leaned forward so that only Mamoru could hear. When only
panic showed in Mamoru's eyes, Motoki threw his head back with a
laugh.
"I knew it!" He smiled triumphantly, but frowned as Mamoru's face
paled.
"What is it?" He asked.
"She hates me." Mamoru dropped his head onto the counter with a
'clunk'.
"Hey Mamoru, listen to me." Motoki spoke only a little louder than
a whisper. Mamoru looked up, surprised at the secretive tone. "If
she is so greatly affected by your words, then she either hates you
with a vengeance, or cares about you deeply. And may I please give
you a hint, Mamoru-BAKA," Motoki smiled at the use of Usagi's nick
name for him, and secretly beginning to find it fitting, "Usagi is
incapable of hating -anyone-."
Swinging the towel over his shoulder, Motoki disappeared behind
another machine, leaving a confused Mamoru behind with blank eyes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
TO BE CONTINUED
Chapter Two: Final Argument - End of All Innocent Exchange?
By Minako-chan
-----------------------------------------------------------
A bell above the door chimed as Usagi entered the all-too-
familiar arcade. Her blue eyes scanned the crowd for
Motoki, one of her best friends, but widened when her eyes
focused on the back of the head of someone she had been
thinking about that day at school. Of course he is here,
she thought to herself, why feel so surprised? Gathering
her courage, and with as much dignity as possible, she
glided through a group of teenagers with as much grace
as she could and plopped into a stool in front of Motoki.
"Hello Motoki!" Usagi beamed with her cheeks pink from
the sun.
"Usagi-chan, the usual?" Motoki winked and smiled.
"Yup!" Usagi smiled and moved around in her seat, feeling
uncomfortable that her feet did not reach the ground. This
did not go unnoticed by Mamoru, who was sipping his coffee,
but watching the blonde with the corner of his eyes, a smile
on his lips.
"Okay, a double-fudge sundae coming right up! Cherry on top,
of course, just as you like it." Motoki winked again and
disappeared behind a machine so high that it blocked his
height completely.
"It's no wonder you can't walk properly, Odango-Atama, with
all that fudge weighing your feet down." Mamoru smirked.
Usagi's smile died on her lips instantly.
"It's no wonder you have bad breath, with all that black
coffee you drink." She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Hey, coffee lets me stay up late when I study, which is
something you should consider doing. You can't pass school
getting a 30% on every test, you know!" Mamoru's grin widened.
Usagi was furious, her face flushed red and tears were
already rolling down her cheeks.
"Everytime I see you, Mamoru-baka, I wonder why I wasn't
born with enough middle fingers." She hissed angrily.
As if on cue, Motoki reappeared with a giant bowl of ice cream
in his hands, saving the day! (or so it seems...)
"Hey, Usagi-chan, this is extra large and on the house to
celebrate your first 'A' in algebra, I thought you'd---"
Motoki paused, looking up from Usagi's red eyes to Mamoru's
smirk, then back to Usagi's eyes. "Oh brother. Not again."
"What? What did you just say? An 'A'? Odango-atama actually
got an 'A' on something?" Mamoru slapped his cheeks, pretending
to faint at any moment.
Usagi smiled weakly at Motoki, grateful for his kindness. As she
took the bowl of ice cream, she smeared it onto Mamoru's chest.
"And that," she said calmly through gritted teeth, "is something
I've wanted to do to that ugly, green blazer of yours for a
-very- long time." With that said, she held her head up high and
left the arcade, ignoring the stares and snickering she was
receiving from the crowd around her.
"Well, well, well." Motoki began and removed the empty, sticky bowl
which was clinging to Mamoru's jacket. "I've always told you to get
a new jacket."
"Shut up." Mamoru muttered as he peeled off his favorite blazer.
"Don't tell me you didn't deserve it. After all, the girl was
walking on air with that 'A'. She was so proud and you had to step
right in and ruin her moment."
"Thanks, are you sure you're my best friend?"
Motoki chuckled. "Why are you always so mean to that girl anyway?
I can't find anything wrong in her that I can possibly hate."
"I never said I hate her." Mamoru mumbled beneath his breath.
"Then..." realization dawned upon Motoki's face, "you like her, don't
you?" He leaned forward so that only Mamoru could hear. When only
panic showed in Mamoru's eyes, Motoki threw his head back with a
laugh.
"I knew it!" He smiled triumphantly, but frowned as Mamoru's face
paled.
"What is it?" He asked.
"She hates me." Mamoru dropped his head onto the counter with a
'clunk'.
"Hey Mamoru, listen to me." Motoki spoke only a little louder than
a whisper. Mamoru looked up, surprised at the secretive tone. "If
she is so greatly affected by your words, then she either hates you
with a vengeance, or cares about you deeply. And may I please give
you a hint, Mamoru-BAKA," Motoki smiled at the use of Usagi's nick
name for him, and secretly beginning to find it fitting, "Usagi is
incapable of hating -anyone-."
Swinging the towel over his shoulder, Motoki disappeared behind
another machine, leaving a confused Mamoru behind with blank eyes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
TO BE CONTINUED