TITLE: Lessons
AUTHOR: Sakura the Cookie Monster
PART: 3 of 4
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own them, and if I did, I'd be making a whole lot of money off of the show.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lesson Three - A Strange Day
"Mom, I'm home!", I shout as I step inside my home, taking my shoes off in the process and run straight into the kitchen for some after school snacks. It's been a long day and my insides still feel numb and cold from what I've heard today. Then, a strange sight is before me. My dad is leaning on the kitchen counter, playing Cat's Cradle. He had a very strange and innocent look on his face as he was strictly focusing on playing his game.
His glasses were hanging askew and he looked like he'd been from hell and back. I never knew that my dad spent all of his free time playing Cat's Cradle. But, he's usually home around eight or nine o'clock in the evening. Why is he home early?
I walk towards the fridge, grabbing myself some chocolate-covered strawberries that mom left for me.
"Hello, Usagi. How was your day?", he asked, not even laying his eyes off the game for even a second.
"It was... strange," I said, finally deciding on the right word. Today felt like the world was lying on its side, like the planet Uranus.
"How so?", he asked, still focusing on the game.
"Well, it started off differently. I was on time for school today," I start, unsure on how to tell him about my day.
"I know. I had your mom set the alarm clock an hour ahead so that you would be on time for once," he said, with a smile on his face. I gave my dad an evil glare, annoyed that I could've slept a little longer, "...So, what else happened today?"
"I got a 95 on a math test."
He pauses with his game, looking at me oddly.
"Usagi! That's wonderful news. Congratulations! As soon as your mother and Shingo get home, I'm treating you to a nice restaurant. Chinese food sound all right to you?", he asks, looking fifteen years younger with that scary, adorable look on his face. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that he must've been on a sugar rush.
"Dad, are you okay?"
"Fine! I'm just fine," he says with a big, toothy smile that would've brightened the darkness if he had smiled at night.
"Well, there's more than just that. After school, I went to the cafe, as usual and sat with Ami and Rei. Rei was looking at Mamoru curiously and I turn around to see Mamoru and Motoki speaking to each other. It was like they were trying to hide this one giant conspiracy."
"Uh huh, so what happened next?"
"Some redheaded girl dragged them to the back room. I was curious on what she wanted to talk about in private. So, I followed them carefully. Rei, of course, was curious too, so she came along with me. Ami only followed because she didn't want to be left behind."
An uncomfortable silence started creeping in for just a few minutes. Then, my dad shouted in the most high-pitched, child-like voice I have ever heard from him.
"Bad Usagi!"
I was so scared of the sight of my dad going genki on me that I now worry about having nightmares of my dad as an adorable chibi shouting 'Bad Usagi' in a high-pitched chibi voice.
"...Are you going to continue or not?", he asks, his voice back to normal. He still has that eerie smile on his face. I wonder if he acted like this when he was my age?
"Like I said, before you went psycho on me, we were overhearing a conversation between Mamoru, Motoki, and that redhead. All of a sudden, I hear Mamoru say..."
* * *
FLASHBACK
"Unazuki, I know that you were downstairs last night."
"Na-nani!"
"Don't play dumb, Unazuki. I had a feeling that you wanted to talk to us about last night. Isn't that why you wanted to talk to Motoki in private?"
Ami, Rei, and I were leaning against the door, hearing the whole conversation. I was confused as to what they were talking about. Ami was using a glass to listen in while Rei-chan and I had our ears against the door.
"What are they talking about?", inquired Rei, confused about the particular subject that they were talking about.
"We shouldn't be doing this, Usagi. This is wrong!", exclaimed Ami.
"Shhh! Do you want us to get caught?", asked Usagi.
Then, we heard a loud thud. Darn it! We missed a part of their conversation because of Ami's morals about snooping around.
"I take that as a yes?", I hear the girl named Unazuki say, trying to suppress her giggling.
"Yes, yes, Unazuki. As long as you keep your mouth shut about seeing Mamoru and I making love to each other," I hear Motoki say, sounding worried and concerned for his privacy.
And as the world turned, all three of us were trying to suppress our urges to say "What the fuck?!", "I didn't hear what I thought I did, did I?", and "Yay! A fantasy come true."
Rei was purple in the face, full of anger and rage. Ami looked like me whenever I was daydreaming. I just looked like a car hit me. Or a train. Whatever, same difference. Then, I feel Ami tugging the back of my shirt and pulling us away from the door and back to our table.
"What did you pull us back for, Ami-chan?", I asked, too stunned at this recent turn of events to realize that I asked a rather stupid question.
"We don't want to get caught at the door, Usagi-chan," Ami says, trying her hardest to keep interest in a textbook that she was reading. And, she was as red as one of Tuxedo Kamen's roses.
"What are you studying, Ami-chan?", inquired Rei, trying her hardest to calm down. And, it wasn't working very well.
"Biology," Ami replied, a little too quickly for Rei's taste. Ami got up all of a sudden, closing the book. She then looked at us and announced, "I think that I'm going to go home. Need to study. Study, study, study! Ja ne!"
Ami left the arcade in a hurry, still blushing. She looked almost embarrassed, yet thrilled to have heard such a private conversation. Rei, on the other hand, was drinking her iced tea. She had a calm look in her eyes. Too calm, in my opinion. Honestly, she looked like she was ready to burn them at the stake. At least it was better than having a murderous look on her face.
"Rei-chan, are you okay?", I ask, a little concerned for her.
"I'm perfectly fine, Usagi. I just wish I could behead Mamoru and Motoki at this very moment. I'm going home. I'll see you later, Usagi," she said in an icy tone, not looking at me straight in the face as she made her way out of the arcade.
I then notice something on the floor. It was a beat-up, old manga. It looked like it was ready to fall apart from overuse.
'Today must be my lucky day', I thought sarcastically. Sarcasm isn't something that I'm great in, but today was shaping up to be something that would only happen in Wonderland.
I pick up the manga, open it, and then quickly close it after I saw what it was: A shounen-ai manga. Just as I was about to get ready to leave, Unazuki showed up with three chocolate milkshakes. Oh no! I don't have any money on me. How am I supposed to pay for all of this? Damn my rotten luck.
"Here you go. Three choco... where did your friends go?"
"They went home. Ami-chan had to study and Rei-chan had some chores to do at the temple," I replied, hating the fact that I had to lie to someone.
I sat back down again, drinking the first chocolate shake. I keep glancing at the manga. It was as though it was beckoning me to read it. Curiosity finally gets to me at last. I pick it up from the table and began to read it.
The art in it was beautiful and the plot... well, there was no plot in it. It was just mindless kissing and making love. Was it like this with Mamoru and Motoki? I doubt it. Even if it is Mamoru-baka, I don't think they would just sleep with each other on a whim.
I check my pockets, only to find out that I did have enough for all three milkshakes. Thank my lucky stars that I didn't waste all of it at the arcade. I pick up my schoolbag and the manga and head home.
* * *
"...And that's what happened," I disclosed, grateful that I ended this strange tale already.
"Is that why you're out of it today?", he asked, almost ready to laugh his butt off. You don't just laugh after you find out that your own kid found out that the guy she liked was dating the guy that she despised the most.
"...Yeah."
"Well, then, don't worry about it. What they do in the closet is nothing to be worried about, Usagi," he said as he winked at me, trying to help me not worry at all. I cringed when I realized what he said.
"But, here's one thing that's been bothering me: Why would they keep it a secret from the world?"
"Usagi, in the past, homosexuality was considered a mental illness. And there are plenty of people, like your friend Rei, that think that homosexuality is wrong and immoral," he explained, still keeping his focus on the game.
"But why? If they love each other with all their hearts, then why is it wrong?"
"It's because people fear what they don't understand. It's just a fact of life," he explained, sounding bitter the whole time.
"Dad, why are you here early?", I asked, wondering why he was home early today.
"Because I was fired from my job," he said, a sad expression looming on his face.
"What for?"
"I turned down an assignment to write an article that was against homosexuals. My boss fired me for my beliefs."
If finding out that Mamoru and Motoki were with each other was strange, then finding out that my dad got fired from his job because of what he believed in took the cake of absolute absurdity.
"...Oh," was all I could say, sounding stupid the whole while.
"Don't worry, Usagi, I was offered a job at another newspaper office after they heard of my predicament. Now go up stairs and change. Your mother will be home soon."
And so, I quickly run upstairs and head into my room. Luna was on my bed, looking at me with an evil glare. But, it wasn't fixated at me. It was aimed for the manga I was holding in my arms. Oh no! What if dad saw me with it?
"What's up with you, Luna?", I ask.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all," she muttered, taking a moment to glare at me before leaving. Strange cat, I tell you.
And so, I've learned one thing: The truth is stranger than fiction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Is it just me or does my muse like to cooperate with me near the end of the month? *kicks Spoon*
Be on the lookout for the final chapter soon. ^_^
AUTHOR: Sakura the Cookie Monster
PART: 3 of 4
RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own them, and if I did, I'd be making a whole lot of money off of the show.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lesson Three - A Strange Day
"Mom, I'm home!", I shout as I step inside my home, taking my shoes off in the process and run straight into the kitchen for some after school snacks. It's been a long day and my insides still feel numb and cold from what I've heard today. Then, a strange sight is before me. My dad is leaning on the kitchen counter, playing Cat's Cradle. He had a very strange and innocent look on his face as he was strictly focusing on playing his game.
His glasses were hanging askew and he looked like he'd been from hell and back. I never knew that my dad spent all of his free time playing Cat's Cradle. But, he's usually home around eight or nine o'clock in the evening. Why is he home early?
I walk towards the fridge, grabbing myself some chocolate-covered strawberries that mom left for me.
"Hello, Usagi. How was your day?", he asked, not even laying his eyes off the game for even a second.
"It was... strange," I said, finally deciding on the right word. Today felt like the world was lying on its side, like the planet Uranus.
"How so?", he asked, still focusing on the game.
"Well, it started off differently. I was on time for school today," I start, unsure on how to tell him about my day.
"I know. I had your mom set the alarm clock an hour ahead so that you would be on time for once," he said, with a smile on his face. I gave my dad an evil glare, annoyed that I could've slept a little longer, "...So, what else happened today?"
"I got a 95 on a math test."
He pauses with his game, looking at me oddly.
"Usagi! That's wonderful news. Congratulations! As soon as your mother and Shingo get home, I'm treating you to a nice restaurant. Chinese food sound all right to you?", he asks, looking fifteen years younger with that scary, adorable look on his face. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that he must've been on a sugar rush.
"Dad, are you okay?"
"Fine! I'm just fine," he says with a big, toothy smile that would've brightened the darkness if he had smiled at night.
"Well, there's more than just that. After school, I went to the cafe, as usual and sat with Ami and Rei. Rei was looking at Mamoru curiously and I turn around to see Mamoru and Motoki speaking to each other. It was like they were trying to hide this one giant conspiracy."
"Uh huh, so what happened next?"
"Some redheaded girl dragged them to the back room. I was curious on what she wanted to talk about in private. So, I followed them carefully. Rei, of course, was curious too, so she came along with me. Ami only followed because she didn't want to be left behind."
An uncomfortable silence started creeping in for just a few minutes. Then, my dad shouted in the most high-pitched, child-like voice I have ever heard from him.
"Bad Usagi!"
I was so scared of the sight of my dad going genki on me that I now worry about having nightmares of my dad as an adorable chibi shouting 'Bad Usagi' in a high-pitched chibi voice.
"...Are you going to continue or not?", he asks, his voice back to normal. He still has that eerie smile on his face. I wonder if he acted like this when he was my age?
"Like I said, before you went psycho on me, we were overhearing a conversation between Mamoru, Motoki, and that redhead. All of a sudden, I hear Mamoru say..."
* * *
FLASHBACK
"Unazuki, I know that you were downstairs last night."
"Na-nani!"
"Don't play dumb, Unazuki. I had a feeling that you wanted to talk to us about last night. Isn't that why you wanted to talk to Motoki in private?"
Ami, Rei, and I were leaning against the door, hearing the whole conversation. I was confused as to what they were talking about. Ami was using a glass to listen in while Rei-chan and I had our ears against the door.
"What are they talking about?", inquired Rei, confused about the particular subject that they were talking about.
"We shouldn't be doing this, Usagi. This is wrong!", exclaimed Ami.
"Shhh! Do you want us to get caught?", asked Usagi.
Then, we heard a loud thud. Darn it! We missed a part of their conversation because of Ami's morals about snooping around.
"I take that as a yes?", I hear the girl named Unazuki say, trying to suppress her giggling.
"Yes, yes, Unazuki. As long as you keep your mouth shut about seeing Mamoru and I making love to each other," I hear Motoki say, sounding worried and concerned for his privacy.
And as the world turned, all three of us were trying to suppress our urges to say "What the fuck?!", "I didn't hear what I thought I did, did I?", and "Yay! A fantasy come true."
Rei was purple in the face, full of anger and rage. Ami looked like me whenever I was daydreaming. I just looked like a car hit me. Or a train. Whatever, same difference. Then, I feel Ami tugging the back of my shirt and pulling us away from the door and back to our table.
"What did you pull us back for, Ami-chan?", I asked, too stunned at this recent turn of events to realize that I asked a rather stupid question.
"We don't want to get caught at the door, Usagi-chan," Ami says, trying her hardest to keep interest in a textbook that she was reading. And, she was as red as one of Tuxedo Kamen's roses.
"What are you studying, Ami-chan?", inquired Rei, trying her hardest to calm down. And, it wasn't working very well.
"Biology," Ami replied, a little too quickly for Rei's taste. Ami got up all of a sudden, closing the book. She then looked at us and announced, "I think that I'm going to go home. Need to study. Study, study, study! Ja ne!"
Ami left the arcade in a hurry, still blushing. She looked almost embarrassed, yet thrilled to have heard such a private conversation. Rei, on the other hand, was drinking her iced tea. She had a calm look in her eyes. Too calm, in my opinion. Honestly, she looked like she was ready to burn them at the stake. At least it was better than having a murderous look on her face.
"Rei-chan, are you okay?", I ask, a little concerned for her.
"I'm perfectly fine, Usagi. I just wish I could behead Mamoru and Motoki at this very moment. I'm going home. I'll see you later, Usagi," she said in an icy tone, not looking at me straight in the face as she made her way out of the arcade.
I then notice something on the floor. It was a beat-up, old manga. It looked like it was ready to fall apart from overuse.
'Today must be my lucky day', I thought sarcastically. Sarcasm isn't something that I'm great in, but today was shaping up to be something that would only happen in Wonderland.
I pick up the manga, open it, and then quickly close it after I saw what it was: A shounen-ai manga. Just as I was about to get ready to leave, Unazuki showed up with three chocolate milkshakes. Oh no! I don't have any money on me. How am I supposed to pay for all of this? Damn my rotten luck.
"Here you go. Three choco... where did your friends go?"
"They went home. Ami-chan had to study and Rei-chan had some chores to do at the temple," I replied, hating the fact that I had to lie to someone.
I sat back down again, drinking the first chocolate shake. I keep glancing at the manga. It was as though it was beckoning me to read it. Curiosity finally gets to me at last. I pick it up from the table and began to read it.
The art in it was beautiful and the plot... well, there was no plot in it. It was just mindless kissing and making love. Was it like this with Mamoru and Motoki? I doubt it. Even if it is Mamoru-baka, I don't think they would just sleep with each other on a whim.
I check my pockets, only to find out that I did have enough for all three milkshakes. Thank my lucky stars that I didn't waste all of it at the arcade. I pick up my schoolbag and the manga and head home.
* * *
"...And that's what happened," I disclosed, grateful that I ended this strange tale already.
"Is that why you're out of it today?", he asked, almost ready to laugh his butt off. You don't just laugh after you find out that your own kid found out that the guy she liked was dating the guy that she despised the most.
"...Yeah."
"Well, then, don't worry about it. What they do in the closet is nothing to be worried about, Usagi," he said as he winked at me, trying to help me not worry at all. I cringed when I realized what he said.
"But, here's one thing that's been bothering me: Why would they keep it a secret from the world?"
"Usagi, in the past, homosexuality was considered a mental illness. And there are plenty of people, like your friend Rei, that think that homosexuality is wrong and immoral," he explained, still keeping his focus on the game.
"But why? If they love each other with all their hearts, then why is it wrong?"
"It's because people fear what they don't understand. It's just a fact of life," he explained, sounding bitter the whole time.
"Dad, why are you here early?", I asked, wondering why he was home early today.
"Because I was fired from my job," he said, a sad expression looming on his face.
"What for?"
"I turned down an assignment to write an article that was against homosexuals. My boss fired me for my beliefs."
If finding out that Mamoru and Motoki were with each other was strange, then finding out that my dad got fired from his job because of what he believed in took the cake of absolute absurdity.
"...Oh," was all I could say, sounding stupid the whole while.
"Don't worry, Usagi, I was offered a job at another newspaper office after they heard of my predicament. Now go up stairs and change. Your mother will be home soon."
And so, I quickly run upstairs and head into my room. Luna was on my bed, looking at me with an evil glare. But, it wasn't fixated at me. It was aimed for the manga I was holding in my arms. Oh no! What if dad saw me with it?
"What's up with you, Luna?", I ask.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all," she muttered, taking a moment to glare at me before leaving. Strange cat, I tell you.
And so, I've learned one thing: The truth is stranger than fiction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Is it just me or does my muse like to cooperate with me near the end of the month? *kicks Spoon*
Be on the lookout for the final chapter soon. ^_^