My Cousin's Alias

Ch. 2

I do not own Sailor Moon. L

Three months of school had passed. Halloween hadn't been what it used to be. Usagi was tricked by Nephrite and Jadeite happened to scare the living daylights out of her. Thanksgiving had just ended and Usagi felt more alone than she ever had during that season. Usually her mother and father and little brother would sit down and eat a big, family meal together. It had been the same as always, but there was less talk at the table, Usagi's father was called out to a meeting only ten minutes into the meal, and her mother had to leave before they even had desert, or else she might have lost her waitress job at Papa's Late Night Breakfast. Their family needed all the money they could get, so dinner had been cut short.

Sammy had gone to his room early, depressed. He probably needed to get out a good cry. Usagi was left wrapping the few leftovers and cleaning all the dirty dishes. She had to admit that more than a few tears of her own leaked from her eyes that night. She didn't have to hide it then though, because no one was there to see her cry.

Now two weeks had passed, and their parents were still trying to make up for leaving Thanksgiving night. Usagi and Sammy both forgave their parents and told them repeatedly that they didn't have to make up for it though. Their parents still felt guilty however, which seemed to create an even larger rift in the family. Usagi was getting sick of her life. She used to be able to come home after her horrible days at school. Now, she had no where to go. She never felt truly safe or accepted at either place. She hardly spoke to her parents any more, and her brother wouldn't even look at her. It made Usagi's heart ache when she realized the change this had caused in her little brother. He used to always tease her and pick on her. Now he seemed despondent to the world.

Sometimes Usagi would wonder what Sammy's life was like at school. She couldn't watch over him—they went to different schools. He always seemed so heat-broken though. He never laughed or smiled anymore. His grades kept getting lower and lower, and he didn't seem to care. She wondered if her had to go through hell at school just like she did. Usagi wondered if there were bullies like Kunzite, Nephrite, and Jadeite at his school.

She prayed that he didn't. She wouldn't be able to handle that horrifying knowledge if it were true. She didn't want him hurting in both places as well.

Usagi trudged home at an extremely slow pace, scuffing her already torn and stained shoes against the sidewalk. She wouldn't be able to cause them very much more damage, that was for sure, unless she cut along the sides of each shoe. Them she'd only be wearing her holey socks.

She winced. She'd have to start borrowing her mother's or Sammy's. Hers were getting pretty bad.

She stared at her feet while she walk, her head lowered and her shoulders slumped as her head lolled from side to side. She didn't even care about watching where she was going. If she died… it would only help her family's money problems. They wouldn't have to spend their greens on clothing or food for her, and they could sell her bed and dresser for more money.

Usagi bit her lip and pressed her eyes closely together, utterly disgusted in herself. She didn't want to die—and she knew what her family would go through if she did die. She didn't want to put them trough any more agony than they were already in. She simply needed to find what would make her want to continue her dreary life. She needed to find a reason worth living.

When Usagi entered her house she was surprised to find her mother already home. What was more surprising was that she was sitting on the couch in the living room, looking completely relaxed, and Sammy was sitting next to her, his backpack on the floor by his feet. He must have just gotten home. Usagi set her bag by the door and walked over to them to see what they were doing.

They were looking at something. It was a paper in her mother's hands, and both of them seemed to be staring at it with keen attention. Usagi's curiosity got the best of her as she stood awkwardly in front of them, not knowing if she should interrupt this little bonding session or not.

For that's what it was. That was what their bonding sessions consisted of now-a-days. They were sitting in one another's presence and neither one of them was angry. It was progress. Obviously this wasn't about Sammy's dwindling grades.

"What are you looking at?" Usagi asked at last.

Her mother looked up at her and smiled! Usagi could only remember her mother looking worried and stressed. A smile was a nice thing to see on her face. It made her look her actual age—and not older.

"It's a letter from my sister, your aunt. She said that she and Minako had such a nice time over the summer that she wished us to go and visit them again over Christmas! Isn't that wonderful? We'll be able to have a nice Christmas season and it may even snow! We hardly ever get snow down here in the south! Wouldn't it be nice to take a break from work and just relax over the holidays? What do you think, do you want to go Usagi? Sammy?"

There was a sheen in her mother's eyes. A sheen Usagi couldn't ignore. "Yes!" It would be nice to get away again. To leave all of her problems behind. She also wanted to see Minako. She could be herself and never have to worry. She was free when she was with her cousin. She was happy.

"Yeah!" Sammy hollered, and actually sounded excited for once in his life. He hadn't been able to meet his cousin over the summer. He had been at camp. Usagi's father had work, so he hadn't gone either. Only Usagi and her mother went, and they still rarely saw each other. Her mother had spent most of her time with her sister, Usagi's aunt. Usagi spent all of her time with Minako. Still, it had been the best occasion that had ever happened to her. She couldn't wait for Winter Break—to be politically correct.

Her mother seemed pensive for a moment as a dreamy, far-off look crossed her face. "Maybe we'll even leave a few days early…"

Usagi could hardly wait!

"Mom, have you heard from auntie yet? Are Usagi and her family coming up for the holidays?" Minako flicked her golden strands over her shoulder. She hadn't talked to her mother this much in a year, and now that she was… it was only about Usagi.

Her mother answered from deep inside her room. She was distracted, and probably putting on make-up. She was about to leave for another photo shoot. Minako was used to these types of things though. Her mother had to be gone all hours of the night and day, constantly at the ready. She said it was pay-back for her taking time out from her job and having Minako. That's why Minako was an only child. Her mother didn't want to take the time out of her busy schedule to raise another kid.

Not that her mother really went out of her way to raise her.

That didn't mean Minako loved her mother any less though.

"Yes. Sis called this morning and said that they'd all arrive two days early. She seemed really eager to come and visit again. She won't be at the beach house this time though. No horse riding or swimming I'm afraid. It's too cold!"

Minako made a face, but it went unnoticed. "There'll be plenty of things to do! I'm sure Usagi won't be bored for a minute!"

Her mother didn't say anything for a minute. She was plucking her eyebrows… which took deep concentration on her part. She didn't want to be a model with uneven brows! Heaven forbid!  

"You could always take her to meet your friends."

It was a simple suggestion.

A suggestion that would have ruined everything!

"Maybe. I want to be able to spend time with her on my own though."

It was a smooth cover up.

Very smooth.

Minako left her mother to her last minute touch-ups and made her way to her room. She closed her door behind her and hopped onto her large King-sized water mattress. It was heated—just the way she liked it.

Or had liked it. Before she realized what a prudish snob she had been all her life before she met Usagi.

Minako smirked, which was usually only something she did when setting her friends up together. 'Usagi' could never meet her friends. Not if everything was to go according to plan. Her friends—although snobbish they may be—were very observant. If they thought they knew Usagi… and Minako… there was no way they would be able to pull this off.

Minako's smirk widened. Usagi may not know the plan yet, but she had a feeling her cousin would agree whole-heartedly.

She wouldn't know what hit her!

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