Author's notes: I realized the HTML in the last chapter messed up my formatting, but I can't be bothered to fix it. Maybe at a later time. Also - this story will probably only be one or two more chapters and then be over.
Them Or Her
Chapter Three
For the next hour Mamoru searched his office for Melanie's number, soon discovering it pinned near a mirror in his office's bathroom. He dialed the number and waited for her to pick up.
"Hey, this is Melanie -" Her voice was still sexy as ever.
"Hi Melanie, its Mamoru, I -"
"...I'm not here at the moment, but if you leave a message I'll get back to you as soon as possible."
'It's a damned answering machine,' Mamoru thought. He heard the tone and then began.
"Yeah, hi Melanie. I really hate to do this over the phone, but it must have slipped my mind that I'm busy tonight...and tomorrow night for that matter," - tomorrow night, what was it he had to do? It was something late that night, he knew that. Ah, well, he knew he was busy that night and that's all that mattered. "- but I'll talk to you as soon as I can, alright? See you soon." He hung up.
Wait - why had he said "see you soon"? He was choosing Usako, he would never see Melanie again. So why had he said it?
And then he remembered what he was doing the evening of his birthday. He would have to make a decision between Usako and his parents. But he would, of course, choose Usako, right? Yeah...yeah...that's right...
Mamoru was once again snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a knock on his door. He was getting used to the sound and it no longer startled him. "Come in," he sighed.
"It's lunchtime, son." It was Mr. Chiba. He had a hand in his pocket and was leaning against the doorframe. "Are you sure you feel alright?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm fine."
"Alright then. Off to the Arcade we go. Maybe Motoki will be working there today - you can say hello."
This surprised Mamoru. He had forgotten that the only one missing was Usako, not Motoki. Maybe his parents being alive wasn't so bad? No. No he couldn't think like that. He loved Usako.
Mamoru and his father walked into the arcade and sat down at the barstool. Motoki walked by them and smiled, "And what will it be today, gentleman?"
"A burger for me. Hold the onions." Mr. Chiba replied. Motoki then turned his focus to Mamoru.
"Oh, um, I'll have a burger and a chocolate milkshake."
Motoki laughed. "You know we don't have milkshake's. I'm guessing you want a coffee, smartass?"
Mamoru looked bewildered. The Arcade had always had milkshakes. It was one of their specialties. "Yeah, coffee."
Just as Motoki arrived with their orders, he heard the sliding glass doors open. He turned his head and saw Usako's mother and father walk in.
Their presence shocked him. They were dressed expensively, lots of jewels and expensive fabrics. Neither wore a smile as they approached Motoki.
"Has Samuel been in this evening, Motoki?"
"Yes, Mrs. Tsukino, he's right over there." Andrew pointed towards the video games, where a young boy was viciously playing a game.
"Samuel!" His mother called.
"Coming!" The young boy ran up beside his parents with a huge smile on his face.
"Did you have fun, Samuel?"
"Yes mother."
And with that, the family left.
'They seem fine,' Mamoru thought. 'It's almost as if nobody care's that Usagi's not around... everyone's getting along fine.'
It took him a moment to realize you can't miss someone if they were never there. And that explained alot of this. But everyone seemed to be - better? without Usako. He was wealthy and had a very successful business. He had both his parents. Andrew seemed happy as ever. Both of Usako's parents were rich...
'STOP thinking like that!', he told himself. 'Everything's better with Usako, remember? The way she smiles and brightens up a room. The way she makes you feel whole..they way she -'
"Have you even touched your lunch, son?" Mr. Chiba looked at him.
"Oh, sorry. My mind was somewhere else," he replied.
After they finished lunch he returned to his office and sat for the next three hours, trying to figure out just WHAT work he did. But without any luck, the day ended and he returned home.
"Welcome back, you two!" His mother gave him a hug, and Mr. Chiba a peck on the lips. "How was work?"
"Fine," they said in unison.
"Good, good. It's movie night, and I've made popcorn. So why don't you two go change and then come out and watch the movie with me?"
The men nodded and headed off to their seperate rooms. Mamoru found a dresser in the closet that he must have overlooked earlier, and inside were casual clothes. He threw some on and stepped back out to the living room to find his parents both already sitting on the couch.
"Shh!" His mother whispered. "It's about to start!"
For the next hour and a half, Mamoru and his parents were howling with laughter. Mamoru felt as if he had never laughed so hard in his life. His parents had to be the most entertaining people he'd ever met. And for that hour and a half, Mamoru did not think about Usako at all. And not long after the movie ended, Mamoru went to sleep with a smile on his face, for the first time in 14 years...
Them Or Her
Chapter Three
For the next hour Mamoru searched his office for Melanie's number, soon discovering it pinned near a mirror in his office's bathroom. He dialed the number and waited for her to pick up.
"Hey, this is Melanie -" Her voice was still sexy as ever.
"Hi Melanie, its Mamoru, I -"
"...I'm not here at the moment, but if you leave a message I'll get back to you as soon as possible."
'It's a damned answering machine,' Mamoru thought. He heard the tone and then began.
"Yeah, hi Melanie. I really hate to do this over the phone, but it must have slipped my mind that I'm busy tonight...and tomorrow night for that matter," - tomorrow night, what was it he had to do? It was something late that night, he knew that. Ah, well, he knew he was busy that night and that's all that mattered. "- but I'll talk to you as soon as I can, alright? See you soon." He hung up.
Wait - why had he said "see you soon"? He was choosing Usako, he would never see Melanie again. So why had he said it?
And then he remembered what he was doing the evening of his birthday. He would have to make a decision between Usako and his parents. But he would, of course, choose Usako, right? Yeah...yeah...that's right...
Mamoru was once again snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a knock on his door. He was getting used to the sound and it no longer startled him. "Come in," he sighed.
"It's lunchtime, son." It was Mr. Chiba. He had a hand in his pocket and was leaning against the doorframe. "Are you sure you feel alright?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm fine."
"Alright then. Off to the Arcade we go. Maybe Motoki will be working there today - you can say hello."
This surprised Mamoru. He had forgotten that the only one missing was Usako, not Motoki. Maybe his parents being alive wasn't so bad? No. No he couldn't think like that. He loved Usako.
Mamoru and his father walked into the arcade and sat down at the barstool. Motoki walked by them and smiled, "And what will it be today, gentleman?"
"A burger for me. Hold the onions." Mr. Chiba replied. Motoki then turned his focus to Mamoru.
"Oh, um, I'll have a burger and a chocolate milkshake."
Motoki laughed. "You know we don't have milkshake's. I'm guessing you want a coffee, smartass?"
Mamoru looked bewildered. The Arcade had always had milkshakes. It was one of their specialties. "Yeah, coffee."
Just as Motoki arrived with their orders, he heard the sliding glass doors open. He turned his head and saw Usako's mother and father walk in.
Their presence shocked him. They were dressed expensively, lots of jewels and expensive fabrics. Neither wore a smile as they approached Motoki.
"Has Samuel been in this evening, Motoki?"
"Yes, Mrs. Tsukino, he's right over there." Andrew pointed towards the video games, where a young boy was viciously playing a game.
"Samuel!" His mother called.
"Coming!" The young boy ran up beside his parents with a huge smile on his face.
"Did you have fun, Samuel?"
"Yes mother."
And with that, the family left.
'They seem fine,' Mamoru thought. 'It's almost as if nobody care's that Usagi's not around... everyone's getting along fine.'
It took him a moment to realize you can't miss someone if they were never there. And that explained alot of this. But everyone seemed to be - better? without Usako. He was wealthy and had a very successful business. He had both his parents. Andrew seemed happy as ever. Both of Usako's parents were rich...
'STOP thinking like that!', he told himself. 'Everything's better with Usako, remember? The way she smiles and brightens up a room. The way she makes you feel whole..they way she -'
"Have you even touched your lunch, son?" Mr. Chiba looked at him.
"Oh, sorry. My mind was somewhere else," he replied.
After they finished lunch he returned to his office and sat for the next three hours, trying to figure out just WHAT work he did. But without any luck, the day ended and he returned home.
"Welcome back, you two!" His mother gave him a hug, and Mr. Chiba a peck on the lips. "How was work?"
"Fine," they said in unison.
"Good, good. It's movie night, and I've made popcorn. So why don't you two go change and then come out and watch the movie with me?"
The men nodded and headed off to their seperate rooms. Mamoru found a dresser in the closet that he must have overlooked earlier, and inside were casual clothes. He threw some on and stepped back out to the living room to find his parents both already sitting on the couch.
"Shh!" His mother whispered. "It's about to start!"
For the next hour and a half, Mamoru and his parents were howling with laughter. Mamoru felt as if he had never laughed so hard in his life. His parents had to be the most entertaining people he'd ever met. And for that hour and a half, Mamoru did not think about Usako at all. And not long after the movie ended, Mamoru went to sleep with a smile on his face, for the first time in 14 years...