And we're back! I feel like half my reviewers are people referred here by Jade, but that's fine. We refer people all the time, because really, if people like one of us, they tend to like the other. We just rule like that. And now, to the story…
*****
Pain Inside
Part 3
*****
"Wake up, honey." The voice was soft as silk, and it took Haruka no time to recognize it. Smiling, she reached out and tried to blindly pull the source of the voice to her, but only received an armful of clothing. "Put those on, hurry, or you'll be late. Your mom's got breakfast ready downstairs." Haruka groaned and let her eyes open to the harsh light of day, filtered and softened only by the image of Michiru bending over her, a hand poised jus over her brow as she brushed back some of the half-sleeping girl's hair and kissed her brow. Haruka took advantage of the moment to drop the school uniform and pull Michiru down even as the other girl feigned annoyance, ruined by a peal of perfect laughter.
"Let's skip school and stay here." Haruka kissed the corner of Michiru's lips as the girl put up a play struggle. "We could spend the whole day in bed."
"Or, we could get up and brush our teeth because we have morning breath." Michiru suggested and the look of utter shock on Haruka's face told her that now was the time to escape, so she was soon on her feet again, tossing the clothes in Haruka's face. "I'm going down for breakfast. I'll see you in ten minutes."
"Yeah, yeah." Haruka clambered out of bed, which was enough progress to stop the aqua-haired girl from leaving. "I'm just mad that I got separated from you."
"You're only one class below me, Ruka," Michiru offered consolation. "We'll be right next door to each other."
"Can we skip class and go up to the roof, like we used to in middle school?" Haruka asked hopefully, and the other girl smiled warmly.
"Only if you brush your teeth first, honey." And then she blew Haruka a kiss and left her to get dressed on her own, in the boy's uniform she had had to order specially. Haruka did not wear skirts. Ever. Skirts were made for Michiru, not for Haruka, and that was the way things were.
"Stupid…exam." She grumbled. "I hate class B already."
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"I don't want to hear you complain about it. Class B isn't half as bad as being stuck in idiotic class D with Jadeite." Nephlyte was lecturing Kunzite as they stood at a corner with Zoicite, waiting for the predictably late fourth member of their group. "I can't believe I'm judged to be on his level of intelligence."
"Just think of it like this." Kunzite shrugged. "You didn't even finish half the test, and he did the entire thing, and he still didn't get any higher than you."
"Thanks, Mr. B Class. I hate you." Nephlyte kicked at the ground grumpily. "You too, Zoicite. Stupid…top class…asshole."
"Just because Jadeite got the better of you again, that is no reason to call us poorly thought out names." Zoicite chided lightly as he tried to maintain the peace, a seemingly difficult task this particular morning. Nephlyte was clearly on the verge of strangling anyone for any reason at all. Kunzite was depressed at being in the class below Zoicite, and therefore all by himself, and thought that Nephlyte, who had placed in Jadeite's class, had no room to complain. Zoicite just wanted them all to get to school in one piece, and did not see how he could be asking so very much of them.
"Shut up, smartie." Nephlyte grumbled for another moment and then huffed as he looked at his watch. "He's gonna make us late, too, you realize?"
"If he does, let's tie him to the fence with his shoelaces during lunch." Kunzite suggested, sounding vaguely cheered by this idea.
"Can we do that anyway?" Nephlyte asked, face screwed up hopefully as Zoicite waved exaggeratedly at the just-spotted blonde racing toward them.
"Wow! Running a little late, sorry guys!" Jadeite panted as he reached them. "Ready for school? Me neither!"
"I hate you." Nephlyte answered shortly, and Zoicite sighed heavily.
"What's wrong with him?" Jadeite wanted to know, and the shorter boy with the feminine features patted his oblivious friend on the back.
"Well, you could say that he's tired because he had to get up for school and then wait for you." Zoicite suggested. "Or you could say that he's not very excited to be starting high school off in the very bottom class. I don't think he's quite gotten over the coffee incident."
"Damn straight he hasn't!" Nephlyte growled in anger. "I'm gonna get you back so good one of these days, Jadeite. You just wait."
"Whatever, D-boy." Jadeite waved a hand carelessly. "Like that will ever happen."
"How can you tease him when you're in the bottom class too?" Zoicite wanted to know. Jadeite shrugged and winked easily. He was in a good mood today. First day of high school, with all those hot new high school girls. It would be great.
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"I'm serious, if you two can't stop complaining, I'll never walk with you to school again." Rei told Usagi and Minako, who were loudly bemoaning their fate at having to get up so incredibly early.
"I can't believe I'm in Class D…with them…ugh." Makoto whispered in a hushed voice to Ami, who was doing her very best to pretend she was fascinated with checking the contents of her bag one final time as they entered the school. "I mean, I know I'm not as smart as you, Ami, but Class D? I feel so stupid."
"No one will judge you, Makoto, we all passed the exam, at least." Ami assured her. "It makes no difference where you're placed."
"That's easy for you to say. You're in A." Makoto shook her head mournfully.
"You don't see Rei complaining." Ami pointed out, "And she's in Class B."
"Like that's half as bad as D." Makoto grumbled. "But…at least I'm with two of my friends. You guys have to be all alone." Makoto grinned suddenly. "Wow, I'm glad we talked about this, Ami! I feel a lot better!"
"Glad I could help." Ami sighed and pursed her lips as she looked at the class signs above their heads. "Girls, this is your class." She told Usagi and Minako who were trying to complain at a level Rei could not hear as well. "Have a nice day!"
"Yeah, seeya around, Ami!" Usagi perked up slightly to hug Ami and Rei goodbye. "We'll all eat lunch together, right?"
"Sure." Rei patted the girl's head like she was a child. "Let's go, Ami."
"Are you worried, being in B without any of us?" Ami asked her friend. "I would have preferred a class with at least one of you…"
"You'll be fine, Ami." Rei patted her back as they reached class B and stopped for a moment. "Everyone likes you because you're nice and never complain like some people. Just be your sweet self and everything will be fine! And, if they give you crap, just tell me and I'll get Makoto to beat them down for you."
"Thanks, Rei." Ami laughed slightly at that and left her friend to go a bit further down the hall, passing another pair of parting friends on her way to class A.
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"I should have studied harder. I feel so stupid, and now we're going to be separated all year." Mamoru moped as he stood with Hotaru outside of class B. "Think you can forgive me for leaving you to the wolves?"
"Oh, don't worry about it, Mamoru. I'm sure that there will be lots of nice people in both of our classes. If they scored so high on the exam, they must understand the importance of studies, and must be intelligent, kind people, don't you think?" Hotaru opined hopefully.
"I think I'll miss you more than you'll miss me." He told her. "I'm always such a drag these days, but you can always see the bright side of any situation. I know everyone in your class will love you, Hotaru. You're a great person."
"Don't get all mushy on me, we're only one classroom away from each other. We'll still be able to eat lunch together, you know. We'll see each other all the time." Hotaru assured him, but when he leaned forward to hug her, she held onto him tightly as well.
"I know, but you've been my best friend for so long. My only friend, really. Do you think it'll be okay?" he asked her, genuinely needing reassurance.
"It'll be fine. Don't worry." She smiled softly, that kind smile that he had known so well for so long, and then she waved and left to make her way to class A.
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"Don't sit next to me if you're going to be fucking ogling every girl that walks in, dork." Yaten kicked Seiya, tilting his desk so that it fell over much to the amusement of most of the people already gathered in the room. Taiki only sighed deeply, wondering how these two had both placed into the top class with him.
"I'm not ogling all of them." Seiya hissed as he righted his desk and glared at Yaten for kicking him and Taiki for not doing anything about it. "Just that one over there. See her? The redhead?"
"She looks pretty shy." Yaten opined finally as he observed the quiet girl already sitting in the front row, biting at her lip while she read a book. "Look, she's reading. Looks like Taiki with boobs and nicer hair."
"My hair is fine." Taiki defended. "And she looks like a nice enough girl to me."
"Of course, she's reading, so you have to like her. Why don't you go introduce Seiya to her? You can be his translator. Only you know both Idiot and Bookdork speak." Yaten was busy sketching on the front page of his notebook, a doodle of some cattails that had turned into a pond surrounded in fireflies he was making "shine" with a yellow highlighter.
"Why are you drawing that? You'll have no space for notes." Taiki noted Yaten's picture. "Though I do like that effect with the highlighter."
"Yeah, I know, it looks pretty cool how it's reflecting in the water, huh?" Yaten smiled proudly at his sketch. "Notes are for losers, anyway. Except you, Taiki. You take excellent notes."
"He's only saying that so you'll let him copy yours at the end of the year." Seiya interpreted, and Taiki rolled his eyes.
"What are you going to do when you go to college, Yaten?" Taiki asked his friend. "And I am in a completely different school, with completely different classes, and you are forced to take notes for yourself?"
"Get you to teach me how." Yaten shrugged, adding a crane to his picture as well. "Or find a girl who wants my body and make her do it."
"Yaten, your self-assured nature is enough to frighten me, did you know that?" Taiki asked the other boy, and he smiled winningly. "Don't give me that I-Want-Something look, Yaten. It scares me even more, and you know it. Just draw your picture."
"Psst, Seiya," Yaten poked his friend just as the teacher came in and was taking roll. "Look at this frog."
"Yeah, it's nice." Seiya was trying to get a better view of the redhead, so he could learn her name when the teacher called it out. "So what?"
"Look, it's you." Yaten indicated with his pencil. "And I'm the crane. I'm totally gonna take you down."
"What about the fireflies, dumbass?" Seiya wanted to know. "What are those?"
"Fireflies, duh." Yaten rolled his eyes. "Oh, you missed it, teacher just called out your girlfriend's name."
"You two, be quiet before you get sent out." Taiki hushed them.
"Dammit…what was her name, did you hear it, Taiki?" Seiya hissed.
"Hanagata." The brunette answered in a hushed tone. "Kakyuu Hanagata."
"Kakyuu…" Seiya considered this for a while before realizing the teacher was calling out his name, and he raised his hand while Yaten snickered beside him. He could laugh if he wanted, but by the end of the week, Kakyuu Hanagata and him would be an item. He was sure of it.
*****
The End (Of Part 3, That Is)