Every morning I wake up late, and every morning my teacher sighs with great displeasure. As a result of her displeasure, I stay after school every day. Not for extra help, or credit, but for detention. But that works out to my advantage, because then I get to go home late after stopping by the arcade. I actually made it to school early one morning because apparently Mamoru dared to be sick with a cold or something. This ruined my system, however, so I accidently threw the lab assignment out of the window and earned detention anyway. I grinned at her the whole time. She didn't suspect a thing. I guess she thought the 'accident' was because of my clumsiness. Oh well, my gain.
You ask who Mamoru is. I mentioned him earlier, didn't I? The most memorable part of my day I said, and I meant it, although I would never let him know it. Though sometimes, the glimmer in his eyes seems to tell me that he knows, and he reciprocates. He's like Rei in the teasing aspect, but it's not the same. He teases me mostly about my hair and then about my way of eating. Every now and then, though, I think that it's just his way of endearing himself to me. Mom always did say that boys teased you if they liked you. It's not a pleasant way to endear yourself to someone, I'll admit, but with him…I kind of like it. I think he's a handsome young man, with a bright future ahead of him, and the witt to know better then to tease me about my grades. I suppose he ignores the better, kinder side of himself around me, though. I believe that I've become attached to him, and I'd cry if he didn't show up every morning and evening at the arcade. Sometimes I like to annoy him by hogging his friend Motoki's attention. Motoki is Mamoru's best friend, who Minako happens to be in love with, and who treats us all like princesses. He is a sweetie, but I wish his gentlemanly ways would rub off onto Mamoru. I doubt there's a really bad side to him. Everyone has a bad side, but some have really bad stuff hidden away. Mamoru just teases. Silly child.
Like I said, Mamoru brightens my day, gladdens my heart, and makes me feel wonderful and terrible about myself all with one hyphenated word: Meatball-Head. Love can be such a struggle. I mean, I struggle with myself everyday, wrestling with the idea of telling him how I feel or keeping it a secret. Somewhere, deep inside, there's a little light that tells me that he knows. That light bursts into flame whenever I see him smile at me and lets me know that he loves me too.
As I'm walking down the sidewalk on a beautiful autumn day, I spy him and call out, "Hi." He looks up, waves, and says, "Hey, Meatball Head!" As all flirting goes, I provide the resistance and say, "Stop calling me that! They're not meatballs, they're pig tails!" Mr. Slick then replies, "Well, it certainly fits your eating habits to be called a pig. It looks like even your hair eats a lot of food."
I groan and think: That's not what you're supposed to say. You're supposed to say, 'Usagi, your hair looks so beautiful today, I just want to tangle my fingers in it.' Stupid….I then get a brilliant idea. Why don't we race to the arcade!
"Hey Mamoru, bet you can't beat me to the arcade."
"Two blocks? You're on."
"On your mark, get set- HEY! CHEATER!"
He calls back, "Last one there buys the ice cream!" Then, he falls over backwards as he trips on an unlevel piece of pavement.
I laugh and run on ahead of him. "Bye Mamoru!"
After five minutes of running we were neck and neck, two inches from the door, and I stick my foot in the door first. I also fall flat on my face as I trip on said foot. Mamoru laughs in between gasps for air, but gives me a hand.
"Thanks. Now what's this I hear about ice cream," I ask after I catch my breath. "You should have remembered that I always run to school. I'm always late because of you."
"What do I do?"
"You tease me and make me forget about the time. Then I'm late for first period and get detention."
"Well, maybe you should get up earlier to get to school on time," he retorted.
"I couldn't do that; you'd miss making fun of me. And then your day would be bad, and I can't let anyone have a bad day because of me."
"What a nice thought," he said and grinned. "And just for that, I think I'll buy the ice cream after all."
"Gee, thanks."
"Say, Meatball head, I want to ask you a question."
"Sure. What?"
"I said that I wanted to ask a question." He chuckled and asked, "Why do you remind me of someone I knew before I had a memory?"
"How the heck should I know! What's up with 'Mr. Deep' anyway? Why did you ask such a peculiar question?"
"I thought that now would be a good time to ask, considering you have no where to go and nothing to do."
"Well, now that you mention it….I've been thinking the same thing for quite some time now. It's rather weird, isn't it?"
"Yeah…Well, just thought I'd ask."
Motoki walked up to the bar and noticed the two sitting next to each other. "You two on a date?"
"What?"
"Are you kidding me" Usagi asked incredulously. "I can't date him; he's practically my worst enemy."
"Poor Mamoru. Look at him, Usagi, you've crushed his poor heart."
Mamoru made a pouty puppy face and turned away, pretending to cry.
"Stop that Mamoru, you're making me feel guilty."
He turned around; his face lit with an evil smirk and said, "Oh am I? And what are you going to do in order to make me feel better?"
"You don't need me to make you feel better, silly. Get Motoki here to give you a discount on the ice cream that you're going to buy me because I won the race."
Mamoru sighed. This girl could trap him sometimes, although, he did notice a slight blush on her face whenever he was around her. Things often got rather heated between them, but somewhere he knew that it was all just a facade, and that if they weren't so scared to show each other how they felt, they would be perfect for each other. He was determined however, not to be the first to open up. Opening up meant telling her about how little he knew of his past. He could tell her about his future, that was well planned, but his past held nothing for anyone. No one needed to know about it, and he figured no one cared. Things were okay on the outside, so no one need suspect that he was broken on the inside. He was afraid to be seen as weak, although when he was with Usagi, things felt right and good. There was only the weakness that he imagined he would feel in her arms. Everything was just right, and nothing could bother him, except Motoki pointing out that they weren't in fact dating. Such a downer.
"I've got to go soon, Motoki. I'm meeting my bike for our date on the road."
Usagi pictured Mamoru on a two-wheeler with pink handles, and giggled. "You've got a motorcycle?"
"Yes, Usagi. I'm not so uncool as to not have a good car and bike."
"Snob."
"Hey, that's unfair! What do you have that I don't so I can make fun of you about it?"
"Long gold hair in pig tails."
"That's not fair either," he frowned.
"Well, I'm meeting the gang here for a day of fun and games."
"You'll rot your brain away with all of that stuff."
"Just because you don't understand fun," she shrugged. "You sound like Ami."
"You both sound like an old married couple," Motoki broke in with a smile. "Why aren't you two going out?"
"I already told you Motoki. A-And besides, I'm sure Mamoru doesn't want to date a clumsy, bad-grades ninth-grader who has meatballs on her head."
"Hmm," Mamoru said solemnly. But I would like to date you, he thought. "I'm sure someone would. It takes all kinds of people to make up this world."
"Let's not get too sentimentally mushy, now. You're starting to scare me. First you help me up, and then you make nice comments? What is this world coming to? I'm really scared," she said. "Besides, I like who I am, and until everyone else gets used to that, I'm going to stay that way...maybe I said that improperly. Oh well."
Motoki laughed and said, "Usagi, you've got one of the sweetest personalities I've ever encountered. Please do stay the way you are. Forever."
"Why can't you always say nice things to me, Mamoru? It's not like we really hate each other, and it's not like you just have to be grumpy."
He poked her in the arm and said "Your friends are here."
"Hey, no poking."
"Hay is for horses."
"Oh, shut up."
The noise inevitably arrived with the group of girls, and so Usagi got off of her stool and ran to the door to greet them. They were all arguing over what to do first, but Minako had the best idea.
"Why don't we have a sleep over and then go to the graveyard at midnight and explore?"
"That sounds really cool," Makoto joined in.
"I'm in," said Rei, who never passed up an opportunity to explore death.
Ami was a little hesitant but then said that it might be fun to find the oldest date in the graveyard and research it later.
Usagi was not so sure. "I don't know guys; maybe this isn't a good idea."
The girls huddled and whispered to her saying, "Come on Usagi. This could help you get over your fears of...creepy things, and make you a better scout."
"Well...alright. But only if we have the sleepover at Mako's house. She's got the most food."
Mamoru heard them mention food and rolled his eyes. Honestly. He bet that all of the girls in the world would eat less food then those five combined. They did keep their figures, however, which led him to wonder how they could work off all that stuff.
Later that night, the girls were gossiping and chowing down on food. Next came truth or dare…
"So, Usagi…truth or dare?"
"Truth," she said after a slight pause.
"Should we do it, girls," Makoto asked slyly.
"Yes," was the resounding answer.
"Are you in love with Mamoru?"
"Hey, that's not fair," she cried indignantly.
"Why? Because it's true? Come on, Usagi. You chose truth, and this is your truth," Minako charged her.
"Well…I think he is handsome…Sometimes he's funny…He certainly does have a great smile…I-I think I am in love with him."
"Awww…That's so sweet," the girls said, giggling.
"Hey, it's about midnight. Let's get going to the graveyard," Minako said, jumping up and packing a few things into a book bag.
"Better take a flashlight," Ami said, looking out of the window, "It looks rather foggy out."
As Usagi ran between the tombstones, Tuxedo Mask was ahead of her, clearing a path from the rain of bullet-like fire that came down in front of her.
I've got to transform, she thought, but, then he'll know who I am. She ducked behind a tree when he wasn't looking, transformed, and leaped ahead of him. When she got to where she had heard the scream, she saw a young girl lying on the ground. There was a yoma standing above her absorbing the energy from her body. It was covered in scales and horns, and it appeared to have red eyes from having collected its energy. Its fangs were covered in blood. Usagi noticed another unfortunate victim on the ground nearby.
Tuxedo Mask looked behind him and realized that Usagi was no longer there, running close behind him. He had seen Sailor Moon leap out in front of him and run ahead, but there was no frightened, yet determined Usagi. Her friends weren't far behind, however, and so he told them to wait there, and that he would go ahead and look for Usagi and the victim. The girls knew that Usagi had transformed, however, and so, when Tuxedo Mask was out of sight, they, too, transformed and found their way to the battle.
Just before Tuxedo Mask reached the battle site; Sailor Moon, and the wounded girl, he was suddenly stopped by a force field. The yoma had sensed him coming, looked in his direction, glared, and the force field had suddenly flown into the air, surrounding him on all sides.
Sailor Moon whirled around to see where the yoma was looking and saw what looked to be another victim trapped in a force field, but it was so dark and foggy that she couldn't see clearly to tell who or what it really was.
"Sailor Moon, attack it now," Mercury screamed.
Before she could move, however, the monster was holding Sailor Moon up by her neck with one hand, over three feet in the air. Sailor Moon's small hands were grasping and tearing at the yoma's claws in order to breathe. All of a sudden, a spear materialized with several sharp, metal tips protruding from it every few inches. The yoma grasped it in its large, scaly, gloved claw and rammed it clear through Sailor Moon's stomach. Immediately blood shot out, and her face was filled with a look of agony. She tried to scream, but her voice was caught in her throat.
"Usagi," Mars cried, and tried to rush forward, but instantly a force field flew up and knocked her backward.
The monster pulled the spear out and dropped it and Sailor Moon on the ground.
"Jupiter Thunder-----CRASH!" The noise of the attack threw the yoma off its guard and the attack missed by barely an inch as the monster stepped to the side. It was enough to shake the creature's concentration, however, and all force fields came crashing down. From somewhere in the shadows came a blast of fire and light which gave the yoma shocking seizures and turned it to ash.
The girls rushed to the now human form of Usagi. She was very pale, there was a gash on her forehead, and her breathing was so faint that only Ami could detect it with her computer glasses. The other victim was slowly regaining her energy, and so Rei helped her up and instructed her to go home and get some rest. Minako had run to where the saving attack had come from, and came back with only a rose petal.
"It must have been Tuxedo Mask…Should we move her and take her home?"
"No, let's take her to the hospital. Keep putting pressure on the wounds. My mom can take a look at her, and we can go back to Mako's place," Ami recommended.
A shadow fell across Usagi's wilting form. Everyone looked up into the distraught face of Mamoru.
"I can take you all in my car," he said in a quiet, monotone voice.
Once at the hospital, Usagi was immediately checked in to intensive care and everyone sat down to wait for instructions from Ami's mom.
"Thank you for the ride, Mamoru-kun," Rei said in a broken voice. "It probably saved her life."
He sat with his head in his hands, and murmured something.
Ami's mother appeared a few moments later and said that Usagi would be in the hospital over night and most of the next day. She also remarked that it was a miracle that she survived with so many severe wounds. "Most people haven't survived a yoma attack, and this is the worst case I've seen yet. The puncture wound is very deep, but it appears that she's a remarkably quick healer. It's amazing; simply miraculous."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Makoto tried to invite Mamoru back to her house for a little comfort food, but Mamoru got up and quickly strode out. "What's wrong with him," she wondered aloud.
"He's in love with her Mako, sweetie. That's a pretty rough blow, watching the life pour out of the love of your life. It's like the pit of your stomach drops out and your dream future goes dark." Minako gently placed her hand on Mako's shoulder.
"Well now that you've thoroughly depressed us all…Let's go get some food to cheer Usagi when she wakes us up."
"How did he get there in the first place," Ami wondered aloud.
Mamoru punched the inside of the door to his apartment. Everything was dark; the only light was the pale moon through the shades of his living room. "Damn!…Damn!" He punched the door again and slid to the ground with his back to the door. "I am such an idiot! Why didn't I realize that it was her? How could I have been so stupid? There's no one else in this whole world that looks like her...or makes me feel like such a fool. I can't believe I didn't know!" Regret overwhelmed him and he wept. "…Damn…."
A few days went by with no one making an appearance at the arcade. Usagi went to school on time, came home on time afterwards, and even managed to get her homework done. Things went on in this unusual way until Usagi realized that something was wrong. Mamoru hadn't shown up anywhere near her lately, hadn't teased her, or asked about her grades, so one day she made up her mind to talk to him about it.
The perfect time came when Christmas break interrupted them from their steady studying and she had some free time on her hands. She waited in the arcade and chatted with Motoki until Mamoru showed up in the early evening. He spotted her and looked like he was going to turn around and leave when she called him over.
"Mamoru, wait." She hopped off the stool and said quietly, "I wanted to talk to you for a minute." He sighed thickly and slid his hand through his thick hair, but stopped and waited for her to say something.
"I've noticed that you haven't been your usual self lately, and I was wondering what was wrong. I mean, would you mind explaining it to me? Can I do anything to help?" Her smile was striking him through the heart.
Mamoru felt like falling apart. He sighed again and said, "I-I'm just really glad you're okay, Usagi. I was really scared for you."
Usagi blushed and looked at her feet. "Um, thanks. If it wasn't for you, though, I probably would have died. The girls told me what you did."
Mamoru felt like dying then and there. He wanted to tell her everything…everything. No…That loss would be worse then this one.
She looked up into his face and started to cry. "Thank you, Mamoru!" She leapt into his arms and gave him a bear hug. "Thank you…"
He started to cry and gently pushed her away. Then he walked quickly out the door and down the street.
How could he tell her? The only way he could be sure she would forgive him would be…what? How could she ever forgive him?