************
The Way We Weren't
Part 9
Author: Usa
Disclaimers in Part 1
************
Rei looked at her watch. "Leave to Usagi to be late," she muttered.
"She had to work today, remember?" Makoto said. "Don't start in on
her already."
Minako looked up from the magazine she was reading. If one noticed the
cover, they would see her on it. "Usagi-chan is always fashionably
late," she said with a smile.
"Only you would think a half hour was fashionably late," Ami replied
with a giggle.
Mari looked on from afar as the girls chatted. *This is going to be
fun, * she thought to herself. She took a deep breath and created some
tears.
"Mari-chan?" Makoto said, "Daijobou?"
"I-I don't know what I said!" she cried.
Rei put her arms around the distraught girl. "What happened?"
"I ran into your friend, Usagi." The girls nodded. "She told me to
stay away from Mamoru-kun or she would hurt me. I asked her why she
hated me so much, and do you know what she said?"
"Nani?" Ami asked. This didn't sound like Usagi at all, but then
again, Mari wouldn't lie.
"She said I stole him and her friends away. I didn't steal anyone! I
would never be so cruel!"'
Minako took her hand. "I'm sure it was all a misunderstanding.
Usagi-chan should be here soon. We can ask her about it."
Mari looked at them sadly. "Oh, well, I don't think she's coming..."
"What do mean by that?" Rei wanted to know.
"She said something." Mari sat down on the bench. "It's probably not
my place to tell you, but she doesn't want to have anything to do with
any of you."
The four friends stared at Mari in shock. This was a joke, right?
Usagi was standing behind one of the trees around them.
"Gomen ne, minna. I wish it wasn't true, but it is..." Mari stood up
quickly. "I have to go."
Before they could respond, she was gone. "I knew it was too good to be
true!" Rei exclaimed.
"I'm not going to jump to any conclusion until I hear Usagi-chan's side
of the story," Ami said. "Who's with me?"
"I am!" Minako replied.
Makoto nodded. "Me too! Rei-chan?"
"Lets go."
***************
Mari finally let out a laugh when she was far enough away. This was
going to work out perfectly. Now she had to meet Mamoru and tell him
her sob story.
She arrived at Crown's five minutes later to see him chatting with his
friend, Motoki. Mari put on her "game face" and headed in.
Mamoru turned and immediately saw her demeanor. "Mari, daijobu?" he
asked, rushing to her side.
"Mamoru-kun, I had a horrible day!"
"Tell me about it," he replied sitting her in the nearest booth.
Motoki watched the two as they talked. He noticed that whenever Mamoru
looked away, she would be grinning. However, the grin would be replaced by the saddest looking face when he looked at her again.
He had always felt that Mamoru's relationship with Mari was wrong, but
since they all thought Usagi was dead, it stands to reason Mamoru would
fall for someone else.
Speaking of Usagi, he really needed to pay her a visit.
The Way We Weren't
Part 9
Author: Usa
Disclaimers in Part 1
************
Rei looked at her watch. "Leave to Usagi to be late," she muttered.
"She had to work today, remember?" Makoto said. "Don't start in on
her already."
Minako looked up from the magazine she was reading. If one noticed the
cover, they would see her on it. "Usagi-chan is always fashionably
late," she said with a smile.
"Only you would think a half hour was fashionably late," Ami replied
with a giggle.
Mari looked on from afar as the girls chatted. *This is going to be
fun, * she thought to herself. She took a deep breath and created some
tears.
"Mari-chan?" Makoto said, "Daijobou?"
"I-I don't know what I said!" she cried.
Rei put her arms around the distraught girl. "What happened?"
"I ran into your friend, Usagi." The girls nodded. "She told me to
stay away from Mamoru-kun or she would hurt me. I asked her why she
hated me so much, and do you know what she said?"
"Nani?" Ami asked. This didn't sound like Usagi at all, but then
again, Mari wouldn't lie.
"She said I stole him and her friends away. I didn't steal anyone! I
would never be so cruel!"'
Minako took her hand. "I'm sure it was all a misunderstanding.
Usagi-chan should be here soon. We can ask her about it."
Mari looked at them sadly. "Oh, well, I don't think she's coming..."
"What do mean by that?" Rei wanted to know.
"She said something." Mari sat down on the bench. "It's probably not
my place to tell you, but she doesn't want to have anything to do with
any of you."
The four friends stared at Mari in shock. This was a joke, right?
Usagi was standing behind one of the trees around them.
"Gomen ne, minna. I wish it wasn't true, but it is..." Mari stood up
quickly. "I have to go."
Before they could respond, she was gone. "I knew it was too good to be
true!" Rei exclaimed.
"I'm not going to jump to any conclusion until I hear Usagi-chan's side
of the story," Ami said. "Who's with me?"
"I am!" Minako replied.
Makoto nodded. "Me too! Rei-chan?"
"Lets go."
***************
Mari finally let out a laugh when she was far enough away. This was
going to work out perfectly. Now she had to meet Mamoru and tell him
her sob story.
She arrived at Crown's five minutes later to see him chatting with his
friend, Motoki. Mari put on her "game face" and headed in.
Mamoru turned and immediately saw her demeanor. "Mari, daijobu?" he
asked, rushing to her side.
"Mamoru-kun, I had a horrible day!"
"Tell me about it," he replied sitting her in the nearest booth.
Motoki watched the two as they talked. He noticed that whenever Mamoru
looked away, she would be grinning. However, the grin would be replaced by the saddest looking face when he looked at her again.
He had always felt that Mamoru's relationship with Mari was wrong, but
since they all thought Usagi was dead, it stands to reason Mamoru would
fall for someone else.
Speaking of Usagi, he really needed to pay her a visit.