THE OUTLAW
Chapter 5: "Repercussions"
By Bill K.
Jun-Jun wandered into the palace absently. Her feet were on auto-pilot because her thoughts were on other things. The other things were Quadrel Nakamura, his intoxicating presence, the wild ride they'd taken over the Sea of Japan in his air-car - - and the aftermath.
She still couldn't believe she'd been bold enough to kiss him. Once she had, though, she couldn't imagine why she'd waited so long. Maybe it was the leftover adrenaline rush from the dive, but kissing Quad was so exciting she thought her chest would explode. And when she pulled back, startled at her boldness and fearful of how he would react - - and then he smirked that naughty boy smirk of his, leaned in and kissed her, she just melted.
It was even better when he helped.
That's why it was agony to stop. Jun-Jun didn't know how she managed it, but some rational portion of her brain stepped up and told her to stop before they both went too far. She listened - - reluctantly, for there was a desire for Quadrel in her like she'd never felt for anyone or anything. If he'd pressed her or she'd gotten some hint that her refusal would cause him to walk away, Jun-Jun knew she would have given in.
But he shrugged and engaged the air-car again like it didn't matter - - like he could have any woman he wanted any time he wanted and Jun-Jun's reluctance was of no consequence.
"He probably can," Jun-Jun whispered, remembering Kaoru with a twinge in her heart.
The thought of her becoming as desperate and irrational as Kaoru if she was faced with the prospect of losing Quad forever scared her. But losing Quad suddenly scared her even more.
"Well that didn't take long," Jun-Jun heard from behind her. She turned around.
"S-Sensei Aino-sama," Jun-Jun stammered in surprise. Minako was leaning against a wall by the entrance, her poker-face showing no hint of what was going through her mind. All at once Jun-Jun realized that she'd skipped school to be with Quadrel today.
"Where have you been?" Minako asked innocently, nudging herself off of the wall and ambling over. Jun-Jun had the sudden sensation of sinking in quicksand.
"I, um," she began. "I had something I had to take care of. I'm sorry for missing school."
"I don't think missing one day is going to hurt you," Minako smiled. "Not with your grades. If it was something important - - but then it'd have to be. Skipping isn't usual behavior for a girl like you."
Yeah - - boring little good girl like her.
"Anything I can help out with?" Minako asked.
Jun-Jun thought a moment. "No. I've got it under control."
"You sure? You looked pretty deep in thought when you came in. If you don't feel comfortable coming to me, there's always the other senshi. Believe me, I won't be offended. I know I can't compete with Ami in the intelligence department. And Makoto's had a whole different set of life experiences from me."
Jun-Jun nodded.
"Just don't ask her about guys," Minako said and Jun-Jun felt her throat close up. "When she was your age, she fell in love with any guy who looked at her twice."
"Um, OK," Jun-Jun forced herself to say.
When Minako didn't continue talking, the teen took it as a cue that she could leave. Forcing herself not to run, Jun-Jun headed for her quarters. Unseen, Minako was watching her leave with a critical eye. Once again dropping subtle questions and playing to her air-head image had elicited more information than if she'd asked directly. Jun-Jun was a troubled girl.
Boy troubled.
Jun-Jun paused at her door for the computer control to recognize her. She was so relieved that Sensei Aino-sama hadn't probed further and accepted her explanations and evasions that she momentarily forgot the other trap that she knew was laying in wait for her. When she entered her quarters, though, the trap sprung and she remembered too late.
"Where the Hell have you been?" demanded Cere-Cere. She was standing in the middle of the room flanked by Ves-Ves and Palla-Palla. "You were with that boy, weren't you?"
Jun-Jun sighed. Why wasn't love easy?
Home from school, the Princess Usagi cut through the hall and headed for the door, computer station in one hand. She was headed for her room, since she was still grounded and couldn't go anywhere. She wanted to see Hotaru, but couldn't. As she crept, she silently prayed her parents wouldn't stop her and give her their daily dose of grief for her attire.
Particularly after the last forty-eight hours - - ever since her trip to the beach, things had been tense. The teen was desperate to avoid another confrontation.
"Usa," her father said and the teen mentally sighed in frustration. "A moment, please."
"Yes, Pop," she huffed, pausing at the door.
"Do you have anything in your closet that isn't form-fitting?" he asked, for Usa was wearing a baby blue long-sleeve midriff baring top and white slacks that were tailored to fit like a second skin.
"I'm sorry, Pop, I don't own any burkas! That's the price of a free society!" And she turned to leave.
"Usa," he said. It was an even tone, but one she recognized as his "don't tempt fate" tone. "We need to talk. Could you come into the other room, please?"
Expelling a sigh of frustration, the teen walked into a side chamber from the royal dining chamber, followed by her father. The door hissed behind them and the girl prepared herself for her father's temper. He didn't often show it, but Endymion did possess a temper and, unlike her mother, it didn't appear and disappear in short bursts.
"Apparently you feel I'm being inordinately critical of your dressing patterns," Endymion ventured.
"What's the big deal?" she demanded. "So I show a little skin? Everybody does. Have you seen a fashion stream lately?"
"It's not something I pay close attention to, but I am aware that fashion is cyclical and it has cycled into daring and risque recently."
"So what's the big deal? This goes back to that swimsuit I wore, doesn't it? Pop, the human body is nothing to be ashamed of! So what if somebody saw my breast! I'm not ashamed of it! Why should you be?"
"Believe it or not, everything you've said are views I've had and agreed with. I'm old enough to remember the nude bathing craze of 2671. Your mother doesn't believe in nudity, but I've always felt it was a matter of personal choice and personal comfort."
"Then why is this different?" Usa demanded.
"Because it's you," Endymion admitted. "Perhaps you'll understand when you have children. The moment it becomes you displaying her body and not some other woman, my high minded ideals dissolve."
"Pop, that's not fair!"
"Perhaps not. But it's the way it is. I don't think I can change. And anyway, why is it necessary to be so provocative? You're a pretty girl, Usa. Doesn't that draw enough attention? Why do you need more?"
Usa looked away, burning.
"You don't need this. You could wear old jeans and a baggy shirt and still turn heads. Don't you believe that?"
"I'm just trying to be me, Pop," the teen scowled, her pink bangs falling into her eyes and concealing them. "I'm just trying to express who I am. It's what I'm comfortable with."
Endymion dropped his head. "You know, someday you're going to be queen of this realm. I realize you don't think that far ahead at this point in your life, but what if some day when you're forty and you're queen and in a receiving line in front of some very important people - - and the next person you greet says, 'Hey, I remember when you were sixteen and flashed your breast at me! You were a sizzling babe!' You're going to regret these times at that point in your life."
"OK, I get it. You're trying to protect me as usual," Usa sighed. "If the worst that can happen to me is some guy comes up to me and tells me I was sizzling when I was sixteen, I can live with that. Heck, I might even kiss him. By forty I'll be ancient anyway." She walked over and took her father's hands in hers. "Pop, look at me without the father goggles. I'm sixteen years old. I'll be seventeen in three months. Can I PLEASE live my life my way? If I'm about to ignite a thermo-plasma explosive, please step in and stop me. But other than that, let me make my own decisions concerning my own life. Even if I mess up, it's my life to mess up."
"I only do it because I love you," Endymion mumbled.
Usa felt her eyes get misty. "And I'm really lucky that way," she said, hugging him. "I love you, too, Pop. Just give me some room to grow, huh? I'm not five anymore. I'm willing to take the rap if I mess up - - as long as you're willing to still love me even if I do mess up."
Endymion looked at her helplessly, because those pleading red eyes meant everything to him, then pecked her on her cheek. Usa slid away and headed for the door. Before exiting, she stopped and turned back to him.
"There is one thing you can do for me, Pop," Usa offered.
"What's that, Honey," he asked hopefully.
"Do something about Mom? I only flashed a breast. I didn't murder anyone"
"Why is everybody making such a big deal about this?" Jun-Jun demanded.
"Because you're not acting the way you usually do!" Cere-Cere argued. "Because this guy has got you tied into knots and acting crazy!"
"I just skipped a day of classes."
"And he couldn't have waited until after school?" Cere-Cere grasped her upper arms for emphasis. "Jun, I understand you want to see him. I don't remember half of what Sensei Kino-sama said in class today because I was too busy wishing I was with Gallan. But I went to class. And guess what - - Gallan was waiting for me after class - - because he loves me and he's willing to do that for me. And if this Quad is too stuck on himself to do that for you, then maybe he doesn't love you."
Jun-Jun averted her gaze. She burned with anger, but didn't trust herself to speak. Her sister thought she understood the situation, but she didn't and her judgments were irritating.
"Look, I'm only saying this because I care about you," Cere-Cere continued. "I'm not jealous or anything. I just don't want you changing yourself into something you shouldn't be just to please this guy. He's not worth it. Nobody's worth that. I like you this way, Jun. And if he had any brains, so would he."
Of course Cere-Cere meant it and of course it was a touching thing to say. Looking into her eyes confirmed that. Palla-Palla looked on from behind Cere-Cere, confused and anxious. She didn't say anything because Cere-Cere was communicating her feelings far more articulately than she possibly could. Jun-Jun's gaze shifted to Ves-Ves.
"Hate to say it, but I've got to go with the Priss here," Ves-Ves shrugged.
"Stop calling me a Priss!" Cere-Cere hissed.
"I'm not into telling people how to live their lives," Ves continued as if Cere-Cere hadn't spoken. "I mean I get enough of that myself. But I don't get changing yourself just to get someone to like you."
"Look, I get it, OK," Jun-Jun replied tersely. "I did something stupid. I wasn't thinking. Quad has me so loopy that I don't even know myself sometimes. But I'm not giving him up, OK?"
"Jun!" Cere-Cere fumed.
"Don't ask me that! I won't miss any more school, I promise. But don't ask me to give him up! I can't. I won't!"
"Jun, he's bad news!" Cere-Cere argued.
"You can't help who you love," Jun-Jun said. Cere-Cere was about to counter-argue, but her sister turned her back on the conversation and retired to her room. Undaunted, Cere-Cere followed her and began pounding on the door.
"This Mister Quadrel-Sir doesn't sound like a nice person," Palla-Palla observed.
"Maybe I need to have a talk with him," Ves-Ves rumbled, glaring straight ahead at nothing in the real world.
Jun-Jun sat alone in her room with her portable work station. The screen was flashing, with all of the wrong answers on her reinforcement self-quiz highlighted. The girl ignored it. She was too busy thinking about Quadrel. The memory of his kisses make the skin on her lips burn again. She tried to recreate his scent in her mind and doing so caused her pulse to quicken. And just like that she wanted to see him.
"No," the girl told herself. "You have to get this done. You don't want to fall behind."
And a voice inside her asked why. Why did it matter if she fell behind? As long as Quad looked at her with favor, what did anything else matter?
Jun-Jun closed her work station and just sat there. She didn't want to love Quadrel. The sensible side of her brain told her that he would never love her, never change for her. He would never settle down and become someone stable and long-term. And from the conspiratorial side of her brain came one word: "good". A stable, sturdy Quadrel might not appeal to her in the same way. The very fact that he was dangerous appealed to her. Suddenly living on the edge with him was a high, a high she'd never experienced before, and deep down she liked it. Even the adrenal rush of battle as a senshi didn't compare to this, because there was no designated reward for her risk. As a senshi she fought for a cause. In this, she could risk everything for him and still lose simply from his capricious nature.
It was like he said - - no risk, no gain. And the risk scared her, because he scared her. But oh the gain if she won.
"I'm not even sure I know me anymore," Jun-Jun whispered.
The environmental control computer buzzed, alerting Jun-Jun that she had an in-coming communication.
"Yes?" she answered.
"Miss Jun-Jun," a voice was relayed into the room. "This is Tanaka at the front gate. You've got a visitor here."
Jun-Jun's pulse spiked. Would Quad have the naked audacity to visit her in the palace?
"I'll be right down," Jun-Jun responded and flew out of her room. Of course he would. And if he was - - maybe - - maybe he did have feelings for her. Maybe he needed her as much as she needed him.
Seconds later, it seemed, she was at the front gate of the palace. Tanaka, the security doorman at the gate, met her there.
"Where is he?" Jun-Jun asked desperately, for no one was waiting. Not waiting for Tanaka to respond, Jun-Jun pushed the door release and bolted out of the palace, looking around. Tanaka followed her out into the night.
"That's strange," Tanaka commented, puzzled. "She was here a minute ago. I wonder where she went."
It took a few moments of frantic searching before the words registered with Jun-Jun.
"Did you say 'she'?" Jun-Jun asked.
"Yes. It was a girl about your age. I figured she was one of your friends."
"It wasn't a guy?" Jun-Jun asked, feeling on the verge of tears.
"I just turned around to call you and when I turned back, she was gone," he continued, then heard what Jun-Jun had said. "No, it wasn't a boy. Were you expecting someone?"
Jun-Jun felt herself crumble under the weight of her disappointment.
"No," she said softly, looking down. "I guess not. I guess - - it was a silly thing to expect."
She started to return to the palace, but stopped and turned. Jun-Jun cast one last, longing look out into the dusk of Crystal Tokyo, wondering where Quadrel Nakamura might be at that moment and if per chance he was thinking about her.
Without warning a form jumped out from behind the decorative bushes near the door - - the ones Endymion insisted were a potential security threat, but which Serenity insisted on planting. In a second the form was up against Jun-Jun. She spotted the form out of the corner of her eye and tried to pivot away, but was caught by surprise with a forearm across her collarbone. Only her self-defense training allowed her to get her hands up in time to catch her assailant's other hand.
That hand was brandishing a razor-sharp tanto knife with a teakwood hilt and sheath. The blade looked familiar.
"Look out!" Tanaka warned too late. He lunged forward, but stopped when he saw the knife blade hovering at Jun-Jun's throat, held at bay only by Jun-Jun's two hands.
"You think you're going to take Quad away from me, Bitch," Kaoru hissed, her hot breath so close that it scorched Jun-Jun's ear. "You think I'm going to let you take him away from me? Well think hard about how wrong you are! Think about it hard as you DIE!"
Continued in Chapter 6