Chapter 2:
"Ummmm. Haruka?" She asked this hesitantly, but at the same time in a voice so calm it was scary. "Yeah?" Haruka gazed up at her, feeling strange. Until maybe 5 minutes ago, she'd been quite happily thinking two things. One, that Michiru was straight, and two, that she was going out with some moron named Mike, or Joe, or something. She shifted uncomfortably, but still fixed Haruka with a gaze so penetrating, it felt she could see right through her.
"I suppose you noticed the song? Well, I've been trying to speak to you for months, but you never really seemed to realise how I felt, or even that I really existed. So." And without really giving Haruka a chance to reply, Michiru knelt beside her. As Haruka looked at her with curiosity, she leant forwards and gently kissed her.
In that one movement, Haruka felt all the love nobody else had ever given her. And Michiru didn't really know her. I never really let her know me. As Haruka watched Michiru leave, she tried to call out, to tell her to wait. Something held her back, and all she could do was croak out "no." Haruka stood up to leave. I can't do it. From the corner of her eye, Haruka could see Michiru stiffen at her words. Shuddering with sobs now, Michiru slowly walked away. ------------------------ As she walked back to the girls, Michiru let the tears flow freely down her cheeks. That one word had undone many years of false hope. An icy hand had taken hold of her already damaged heart. "Michiru! What did you say? What did she say?" Setsuna looked anxious. Michiru shook her head, and Hotaru put one arm around her.
"Haruka looked kinda shocked. She didn't say anything. Michiru kissed her." Michiru sighed. "Can we go now?" They looked sadly at her. "Sure, come on, we'll give you a ride home." ------------------------ "MAMORU! GO AWAY! NOTHING HAPPENED!" Mamoru crossed his arms over his chest and pouted, trying to stop Haruka from walking out the front door of the school. "Mamoru.." "Yes?" "I still have my leprechaun." After those words, he ran backwards, sat in a wastepaper basket and tangled himself up in a hose before he leapt backwards into his old bomb of a car and sped off, screaming. "Damn lunatics and their frickin' dangerous pet leprechauns!"
Feeling confused and distressed, Haruka sort of drifted over to her car, almost stepping off the sidewalk twice, and running straight into people.. and poles.. and trees.. about twelve times.
Just as Haruka got to her car, miraculously without getting seriously injured, she saw Madison Avenue drive away in Setsuna's blue convertible. Still feeling angry with herself for having hurt Michiru's feelings, Haruka decided to follow them, to find out where Michiru lived. Driving very slowly, a safe distance behind them so they wouldn't notice her meant a longer travel time, but they got there (in the end). Haruka parked in next- door's driveway, and the girls pulled up outside the hugest mansion in the nicest part of Tokyo.
"It figures." Haruka thought. Michiru crawled out of the backseat and waved to Hotaru and Setsuna until they disappeared into the distance. She then turned to the house, took a deep breath and slowly walked inside. As she did so, Haruka caught a glimpse of her tearstained face. "I can't believe I made her cry." ------------------------ As Michiru entered the big house, Naoko, her mother, came furiously to the door. "Where have you been? Why are you crying? Did that sick little cross- dressing dyke you've got a crush on turn you down? I think you'd be better off with that boy you were going out with a month ago. Robert, was it? But, frankly, I have no idea what he, or any of those other boys see in you. And do you know why? Because you're a sick little dyke. Aren't you, bitch? ANSWER ME!" Finally losing her temper, she slapped her daughter hard on the side of the head. " I am your mother! You will respect me! When I ask a question, you will answer me straight away, and call me ma'am! Is that clear?" Not answering, Michiru rushed upstairs to her room, locking the door. She stomped up after her, and hammered on the door. "And practise your violin! If I hear one off-key note, I'll fucking well belt you with the crowbar again!" Getting no answer, she stormed away again, leaving Michiru to cry fresh tears.
Later that night, dinner was the same as every other night. Michiru's mother was complaining about Michiru's 'disobedient' behaviour, and her father believed every word. "Michiru! Your mother works hard for you and deserves respect. You should do everything she says. If she tells you to jump out a fifth story window onto sharp spikes, you'll do it, because her word is law. Understand?"
Over his shoulder, 'Mummy dearest' smirked at her daughter, her eyes cold. Michiru couldn't take it anymore. She jumped out of her chair and ran out into the street, away from there. But she knew she'd be back. She had nowhere to go. ------------------------ The next day at Mugen high, there were rumours everywhere as to why Michiru hadn't turned up. Haruka felt extremely guilty, but nobody got the actual reason. She couldn't concentrate. Finally, halfway through science class, someone spoke to her. "Haruka? Hey, Haruka?!" She looked up, blinking. "Wah?" Mamoru smiled. "Do you know what's wrong with Michiru?" "GRRRR. I'll kill you! Stop talking to me! I don't like you! Go away!" "Meeps." He squeaked, backing away and falling out a window in the process. (A/N: Do you notice how in most cartoons, when this kind of thing happens, nobody looks up. Why wouldn't you notice someone falling out of a window? ^_^) ------------------------ After school, Haruka drove all over town, looking for Michiru. When she finally found her, Michiru was outside a clothing store. Her mother, who was shrieking and pulling her hair, as well as slapping her face every now and then, was dragging her along. Michiru's usually cheerful face and expressive eyes were blank. ------------------------ They got back to the house after a day of Naoko dragging Michiru all over the city so she could see psychologists, who each gave a different opinion on what was wrong with her. "Go upstairs and stay there, bitch." Naoko hissed, storming past Michiru into the kitchen, punching her in the base of the spine as she went.
Somewhere amongst the pain, she snapped, and managed to limp upstairs into the bathroom, and picked up her razor. Michiru just looked at it for a moment, before bringing it down and slashing her wrists repeatedly. She calmly watched the blood flowing for a while before everything went black. ------------------------ "Hey did you hear about that Kaioh girl?" Someone behind Haruka in English whispered. She snapped to attention. "Yeah, she tried to kill herself!" Another girl whispered back. "Slit her wrists! She's in that hospital down the road now. I wonder if she'll die?" Hearing that, Haruka banged her head repeatedly on the desk, scaring the teacher. "Baka, Haruka, Baka!" Haruka muttered, rubbing her head. "Oh shit! Gotta go ma'am! I love your teaching style!" With that, Haruka sped out of the school, leaving lots of very stunned people behind her. She had to apologise, so she ran.
Haruka arrived at the hospital just as visiting hours began. As she got closer to Michiru's doorway, she heard a voice screaming. "Look, if you want to kill yourself, why don't you do it properly, and borrow your father's damn gun?" Haruka was just outside the doorway when she was knocked aside by a woman who she imagined to be Michiru's mother. "Get out of my way, dyke." "Hmmmm. I wonder who she's been talking to?
She was a petite woman, with dark hair and brown eyes. She didn't look a thing like the beautiful violinist Haruka knew Michiru was. So, shaking her head, she walked into the room, finding that very violinist preparing to jump out of her fifth floor window. Haruka's eyes widened, and she rushed over to the window, just as Michiru jumped.
"Ummmm. Haruka?" She asked this hesitantly, but at the same time in a voice so calm it was scary. "Yeah?" Haruka gazed up at her, feeling strange. Until maybe 5 minutes ago, she'd been quite happily thinking two things. One, that Michiru was straight, and two, that she was going out with some moron named Mike, or Joe, or something. She shifted uncomfortably, but still fixed Haruka with a gaze so penetrating, it felt she could see right through her.
"I suppose you noticed the song? Well, I've been trying to speak to you for months, but you never really seemed to realise how I felt, or even that I really existed. So." And without really giving Haruka a chance to reply, Michiru knelt beside her. As Haruka looked at her with curiosity, she leant forwards and gently kissed her.
In that one movement, Haruka felt all the love nobody else had ever given her. And Michiru didn't really know her. I never really let her know me. As Haruka watched Michiru leave, she tried to call out, to tell her to wait. Something held her back, and all she could do was croak out "no." Haruka stood up to leave. I can't do it. From the corner of her eye, Haruka could see Michiru stiffen at her words. Shuddering with sobs now, Michiru slowly walked away. ------------------------ As she walked back to the girls, Michiru let the tears flow freely down her cheeks. That one word had undone many years of false hope. An icy hand had taken hold of her already damaged heart. "Michiru! What did you say? What did she say?" Setsuna looked anxious. Michiru shook her head, and Hotaru put one arm around her.
"Haruka looked kinda shocked. She didn't say anything. Michiru kissed her." Michiru sighed. "Can we go now?" They looked sadly at her. "Sure, come on, we'll give you a ride home." ------------------------ "MAMORU! GO AWAY! NOTHING HAPPENED!" Mamoru crossed his arms over his chest and pouted, trying to stop Haruka from walking out the front door of the school. "Mamoru.." "Yes?" "I still have my leprechaun." After those words, he ran backwards, sat in a wastepaper basket and tangled himself up in a hose before he leapt backwards into his old bomb of a car and sped off, screaming. "Damn lunatics and their frickin' dangerous pet leprechauns!"
Feeling confused and distressed, Haruka sort of drifted over to her car, almost stepping off the sidewalk twice, and running straight into people.. and poles.. and trees.. about twelve times.
Just as Haruka got to her car, miraculously without getting seriously injured, she saw Madison Avenue drive away in Setsuna's blue convertible. Still feeling angry with herself for having hurt Michiru's feelings, Haruka decided to follow them, to find out where Michiru lived. Driving very slowly, a safe distance behind them so they wouldn't notice her meant a longer travel time, but they got there (in the end). Haruka parked in next- door's driveway, and the girls pulled up outside the hugest mansion in the nicest part of Tokyo.
"It figures." Haruka thought. Michiru crawled out of the backseat and waved to Hotaru and Setsuna until they disappeared into the distance. She then turned to the house, took a deep breath and slowly walked inside. As she did so, Haruka caught a glimpse of her tearstained face. "I can't believe I made her cry." ------------------------ As Michiru entered the big house, Naoko, her mother, came furiously to the door. "Where have you been? Why are you crying? Did that sick little cross- dressing dyke you've got a crush on turn you down? I think you'd be better off with that boy you were going out with a month ago. Robert, was it? But, frankly, I have no idea what he, or any of those other boys see in you. And do you know why? Because you're a sick little dyke. Aren't you, bitch? ANSWER ME!" Finally losing her temper, she slapped her daughter hard on the side of the head. " I am your mother! You will respect me! When I ask a question, you will answer me straight away, and call me ma'am! Is that clear?" Not answering, Michiru rushed upstairs to her room, locking the door. She stomped up after her, and hammered on the door. "And practise your violin! If I hear one off-key note, I'll fucking well belt you with the crowbar again!" Getting no answer, she stormed away again, leaving Michiru to cry fresh tears.
Later that night, dinner was the same as every other night. Michiru's mother was complaining about Michiru's 'disobedient' behaviour, and her father believed every word. "Michiru! Your mother works hard for you and deserves respect. You should do everything she says. If she tells you to jump out a fifth story window onto sharp spikes, you'll do it, because her word is law. Understand?"
Over his shoulder, 'Mummy dearest' smirked at her daughter, her eyes cold. Michiru couldn't take it anymore. She jumped out of her chair and ran out into the street, away from there. But she knew she'd be back. She had nowhere to go. ------------------------ The next day at Mugen high, there were rumours everywhere as to why Michiru hadn't turned up. Haruka felt extremely guilty, but nobody got the actual reason. She couldn't concentrate. Finally, halfway through science class, someone spoke to her. "Haruka? Hey, Haruka?!" She looked up, blinking. "Wah?" Mamoru smiled. "Do you know what's wrong with Michiru?" "GRRRR. I'll kill you! Stop talking to me! I don't like you! Go away!" "Meeps." He squeaked, backing away and falling out a window in the process. (A/N: Do you notice how in most cartoons, when this kind of thing happens, nobody looks up. Why wouldn't you notice someone falling out of a window? ^_^) ------------------------ After school, Haruka drove all over town, looking for Michiru. When she finally found her, Michiru was outside a clothing store. Her mother, who was shrieking and pulling her hair, as well as slapping her face every now and then, was dragging her along. Michiru's usually cheerful face and expressive eyes were blank. ------------------------ They got back to the house after a day of Naoko dragging Michiru all over the city so she could see psychologists, who each gave a different opinion on what was wrong with her. "Go upstairs and stay there, bitch." Naoko hissed, storming past Michiru into the kitchen, punching her in the base of the spine as she went.
Somewhere amongst the pain, she snapped, and managed to limp upstairs into the bathroom, and picked up her razor. Michiru just looked at it for a moment, before bringing it down and slashing her wrists repeatedly. She calmly watched the blood flowing for a while before everything went black. ------------------------ "Hey did you hear about that Kaioh girl?" Someone behind Haruka in English whispered. She snapped to attention. "Yeah, she tried to kill herself!" Another girl whispered back. "Slit her wrists! She's in that hospital down the road now. I wonder if she'll die?" Hearing that, Haruka banged her head repeatedly on the desk, scaring the teacher. "Baka, Haruka, Baka!" Haruka muttered, rubbing her head. "Oh shit! Gotta go ma'am! I love your teaching style!" With that, Haruka sped out of the school, leaving lots of very stunned people behind her. She had to apologise, so she ran.
Haruka arrived at the hospital just as visiting hours began. As she got closer to Michiru's doorway, she heard a voice screaming. "Look, if you want to kill yourself, why don't you do it properly, and borrow your father's damn gun?" Haruka was just outside the doorway when she was knocked aside by a woman who she imagined to be Michiru's mother. "Get out of my way, dyke." "Hmmmm. I wonder who she's been talking to?
She was a petite woman, with dark hair and brown eyes. She didn't look a thing like the beautiful violinist Haruka knew Michiru was. So, shaking her head, she walked into the room, finding that very violinist preparing to jump out of her fifth floor window. Haruka's eyes widened, and she rushed over to the window, just as Michiru jumped.
