Note from the Author:

Tonight, I updated with TWO CHAPTERS, so make sure you read Chapter Four BEFORE this one! Thanks!

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It All Started with a Rose

Written by Princess Kayla

Inspired by Naoko Takeuchi's "Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon"

Chapter Five

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APRIL – YEAR 7

"I don't like this," Usagi frowned deeply. We stood outside of Juuban Elementary, watching all the kids go to their assigned teachers. "This isn't fair," she complained.

"Now, Usagi, Mamoru will walk home with us right after school lets out," Mr. Tsukino explained, "So, don't be upset." He leaned down and kissed his daughter on her head, "I love you. I hope you have a wonderful day and make lots of friends."

"I don't want anymore friends," she mumbled under her breath, but her dad heard it and shook his head.

"Mamoru, are you sure you don't need me to walk with you the rest of the way?" Mr. Tsukino asked with concern.

"No, thank you," I replied, "I know where I am going."

"Okay, then," Mr. Tsukino waved at both of us and turned to leave, "Have a great day, you two."

"Thank you," I waved back. I glanced up at the clock tower of the school and realized that I really needed to be on my way. However, as I looked at Usagi with her head held low, I felt a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry, Usagi," I apologized, "I wish I could stay here with you."

"Me too," she whimpered and surprised me with a tight hug, "What will I do without you?"

"You have Luna with you, right?" She nodded and turned so I could see the stuffed animal's head sticking out of her backpack. I smiled, "You'll be just fine." As I said that, I couldn't deny the anxiety I was feeling when I thought about not being at the same school. I was so accustomed to seeing her at lunch and during breaks, but my new school was about a mile further, making those opportunities impossible.

I glanced at the clock again and thought about that mile; I really had to leave her now. Gently, I let her go and forced the best smile I could, "Go on now and know that I will see you right after school."

"You promise?" Her bright blue eyes locked on mine with an intense gaze.

I gave her a stern nod, "I promise." With another quick hug, she turned and walked towards the teachers. Even though I needed to hurry, I waited until she reached the teacher holding the card with her year on it. As soon as she was there, I rushed on down the street.

Quickly, I made my way to my new school, Juuban Municipal Junior High. The outside of the school revealed how different it was from the elementary school; it seemed more 'grown up' looking. There were no teachers waiting outside for the students because we had received our class assignments in the mail. I was in Year 7, Class 1.

Noticing that I still had ten minutes, I slowed my pace as I entered the school. Even though I was twelve years old, I still felt small compared to the other students walking through the hallways, but I was determined to be brave. So, letting out a deep breath, I found my classroom and went inside.

There were already some students seated while others were trying to find their 'safe place' - the desk they would feel most comfortable in. Seeing their indecisive expressions made me realize that I wasn't the only one feeling a bit nervous. I maneuvered around a couple of kids who were talking and found a seat in the middle of the room; that seemed like it would be my 'safe place.' After hanging my book bag on the back of my chair, I took my seat and did what all awkward first day students do - look around nonchalantly and eagerly wait for the teacher to get things started. And, I knew, the sooner the day started, the sooner I would see Usagi.

The school bell rang and those who hadn't found their seat hurried and randomly chose one. Short whispers were said as a woman entered and went to the board at the front of the room. Taking a marker, she wrote, 'Ms. Sakurada Haruna,' and then turned to us. "Hello, students. Welcome to Juuban Junior High. My name is Ms. Sakurade Haruna," she gestured to the board, "and this is Year 7, Class 1."

She lifted a paper from the front desk, "I'm going to read the roster and when I call your name, please say 'present.'" She began reading the names one by one in alphabetical order so she quickly arrived at my name. "Chiba Mamoru."

"Present," I stood like the students before me and answered. Yet, as I sat down, I noticed a redheaded girl near the front looking back at me with a curious expression.

"Furuhata Motoki."

The boy next to me hopped up with a silly, "Yep, I'm here!" Not the appropriate respectful response that was asked for, but the teacher didn't seem to mind, and soft chuckles were heard amongst the others.

I glanced from student to student as she read name after name, but there wasn't any students that I recognized from elementary school. Perhaps that was because I was focused too much on my friendship with Usagi and time with my family. Yet, that didn't seem like a bad thing to me.

"Jooubachi Beryl."

"Actually, Ms. Sakurada, I go by Jooubachi Bey," the redheaded girl stood up, "Beryl was my grandmothers name." There was a bit of disgust in tone.

"Very well, Miss Jooubachi; I will make note of that," the teacher picked up a pencil.

As she corrected the name, the redheaded girl sat down, her eyes on me with odd smile pulling at her red stained lips. Clearly, she already wore makeup, which made her look a lot older than a Year 7 student. I did my best to avoid her gaze, but I could still feel her eyes on me.

"Man, looks like Queen Bey has her sights set on you," the silly boy from earlier covered his mouth in secret as he leaned over to speak to me.

"Queen Bey?" I repeated, quietly, no longer listening to the roll call.

"Her," he pointed to the redhead, "That's Bey...well, we all used to call her Queen Bey when we were in elementary school. She kind of ruled our class." He rolled his eyes, "A whole bag of drama right there."

I looked out of the corner of my eye at her, and to my relief, the girl was facing forward. Something told me that I needed to stay clear of her.

"Hey," the boy nudged me, "I'm Furuhata Motoki, but you can just call me Motoki."

"I'm Chiba Mamoru," I replied.

"That's everyone," the teacher silenced all whispers as clapped her hands together. "I'm sure a new school is scary for some of you, but don't worry, you will find yourself familiar with everything soon. This is your home room, but I am also your English teacher, so I will see you more than just at this time." She picked up a stack of papers and began passing them out, "This is your class schedule, as well as a school map and the list of school rules. I'm sure you will learn all of this faster than you think."

'Faster' - that's how I hoped this day would go...'faster.'

. . . . .

To my disappointment, the day seemed to drag on. I went from class to class, finding my desks and meeting my new teachers. It already felt rather routine, but I kept wondering if Usagi was doing okay, especially when the lunch hour came.

It was a nice day, so I decided to take my meal to a table outside. Seeing some much older kids around, I realized that the high school was right next-door, and we all shared the same courtyard. I may have felt small before, but now I definitely did as boys who must have been Year 12's tossed a ball across the lawn.

I jumped as a lunch box was dropped next to mine on the table. "Hey, there!" the Furuhata boy planted himself in the seat next to me. "Mamoru, right?"

I nodded, "And you're Furuhata."

"Mo-to-ki," he said each syllable with forced pronunciation, "Call me, Motoki." He whipped his box open. "We are in the same class, so there's no reason to be so formal. That's not my style anyway." He seemed right about that. He did seem pretty carefree. As he bit into what looked to be an egg sandwich, he glanced into my lunch box. "Whatcha got?" he asked with food in his mouth.

"Meat buns and vegetables," I answered.

"Looks good. Did your mom make it?" He took another big bite.

"No, I made it," I stated as I pulled out one of the buns, "But, my mom taught me how."

"That's cool," he remarked, "I don't have a clue how to cook anything, but I do love to eat." He chuckled and ate some more.

Suddenly, a whistle sounded, and I noticed some kids running on a nearby track. "Cross country," Motoki pointed, "Already practicing." I simply nodded and began eating my lunch. He opened a bottle of water and took a long drink before asking, "Do you plan on trying out for any teams or clubs?"

Truthfully, I hadn't even thought about it. "I'm not sure," I said, "Are you?"

"Yep. I'm going out for basketball," he said proudly, "You should try out."

"I don't know," I shrugged, "I've never really played before."

"Any other sports you like?" he asked.

"I enjoy swimming," I shared.

"Come join the swim team," a shrill voice came from behind us. We both turned around to see the familiar redhead coming towards us, a couple of other girls trailing behind her.

"Hey, Bey," Motoki said with a hint of annoyance.

"Hello, again, Furuhata," she said with even more annoyance, "Looks like we are in the same class again this year."

"Guess so..." he turned back to his food.

"Anyway," she sat down across from me, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Hello, Chiba Mamoru," she greeted.

"Hello," I returned, feeling awkward as the girls stood behind her, staring at me with strange smiles.

"I want you to call me 'Bey,' okay?" she ordered, "And, I'm going to call you 'Mamoru.'" I felt like I needed to pull away from her and her intensity. Strangely, she seemed to sense it and leaned forward. "I don't think any formality will be needed between us, Mamoru, okay?" Her eyes bore into me.

Swallowing the imaginary piece of meat bun that felt stuck in my throat, I just gave a strained nod.

Satisfied, she stood up. "Seriously, if you enjoy swimming, you need to join our team," she explained, "I will get you some information on it and leave it on your desk." Again she flipped her hair, but this time did so with a full body turn, "See you later, Mamoru." With that, she and her followers headed back inside the school.

"I'm sorry, Mamoru," Motoki grimaced.

"Sorry for what?" I questioned with surprise.

He gestured to the direction the girls had gone, "She's picked you, and once Bey picks a boy, she is determined to have him."

"I don't even know what that means," I stated, trying to brush off the discussion.

He rolled his eyes, "She 'likes' you."

Mimicking, I rolled my eyes, "Whatever."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," he sighed and went back to eating. Beryl, 'Bey', whatever her name was, couldn't mean less to me, so I simply put the whole conversation aside and returned to my meal. There was only one girl that mattered to me, and I continued counted down the minutes to seeing her again.

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Like she had said she would, Bey had left a flyer for the swim team on my desk. As I walked home, I glanced over it half-heartedly. What I was really focused on was hurrying down the street to the elementary school, so I shoved the paper into my bag.

As I slipped my backpack back over my shoulder, I arrived at the school gate where Mrs. Tsukino and her son, Shingo, waited. "Hello!" I exclaimed as I hurried to them, "Usagi hasn't come out yet?"

"Oh, you know her," Mrs. Tsukino laughed, "Doesn't understand time too well."

"Hi!" Shingo, who was now four years old, waved at me spiritedly.

"Hi, Shingo!" I lifted my hand to give him a high five, receiving his hand in reply with great enthusiasm. Shingo had become sort of a little brother to me, and I did my best to be an encourager for him.

"Did you have a good day, Mamoru?" Mrs. Tsukino asked.

I nodded, "It was fine."

"Did you make any..." Before she could finish her question, Usagi came running towards us, pigtails flying behind her, and a huge smile on her face. "There she is!" Mrs. Tsukino exclaimed.

Usagi greeted her with a hug. "Hi, Momma! Hi, Shingo!" she patted her brother's head and then spun around towards me. "Mamo!" she shouted my name as if I was a mile away from her. With obvious excitement, she hugged me tightly. "I missed you so much!"

After a day apart, I was overjoyed to see her and the light she brought to the world. "I missed you, too."

"Let's get going," Mrs. Tsukino said as she took Shingo by the hand. Gladly, Usagi took my hand as we followed behind. "Did you have a good day, Usagi?" her mom looked over her shoulder at us.

"Yes," Usagi happily replied, "My teachers are really nice."

"What took you so long?" she questioned.

"I was saying goodbye to Naru," Usagi replied, and instantly, I wondered whom she was talking about.

"Naru?" Mrs. Tsukino repeated the name.

"Osaka Naru. She's in my class, and she's really nice," Usagi explained, "We sit next to each other and have lunch together."

Suddenly, a strange emotion came over me. It was an immature emotion that left me ashamed. I was jealous. Thinking about Usagi having another friend to spend the day with should have brought me happiness, but instead, I wished that I was still the one she was eating lunch with.

"That's great, Usagi," Mrs. Tsukino commented, "You'll have to invite her to the house sometime."

"Okay!" she skipped a bit, pulling me forward. There was an obvious joy in her from making a new friend, so I knew what I had to do. I had to be thankful for this new girl who had made Usagi so happy. I had been worried about leaving her at the Elementary School, but she was no longer alone. I didn't need to be as worried anymore.

"What about you, Mamoru?" Mrs. Tsukino asked, "Did you make any new friends?"

Thinking back on the day, I couldn't say that I had the same sort of experience as Usagi, but I didn't want them to know that. "Maybe," I shared, "There's a boy in my class named Furuhata Motoki. We sit next to each other."

"Furuhata Motoki," Usagi echoed his name with an odd tone.

"Usagi?" I whispered, "Is something wrong?" Before she could answer, we had reached the front gate to my house.

Mrs. Tsukino paused with Shingo holding her hand. "Tell your parents we said 'hello,' okay?"

"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow." As she and Shingo headed on their way, I tried to let go of Usagi's hand, but she resisted. "What's wrong?"

A bit of red came to her cheeks. "I don't know why, but it makes me sad that we are both making new friends," she spoke softly.

I gave her a weak smile. "Me too," I admitted. Her eyes met mine and I squeezed her hand, "But, it's a good thing, right? And, I can't wait to meet Naru." I determined at that moment I was being truthful when I said that.

She grinned, "I want you to meet her!" Happy that she was reassured, I smiled in return.

"Usagi, come along!" her mom shouted.

Usagi let go of my hand. "I'll see you tomorrow," she promised.

"Tomorrow," I agreed as she left. I watched them go for a little while before heading inside. My first day of Junior High had ended, but it was the start of a new chapter; one with new people and, perhaps, new experiences.

Usagi had already made a new friend and transitioned into Year 5 well, but I needed to be more open to Junior High. I looked again at the swim team flyer, and this time genuinely considered it. Maybe, my swim lessons would be put to better use on a team. I knew it wouldn't hurt to consider it.

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That night, my parents asked me question after question about my day. I wasn't annoyed because I knew they were excited for this big change and what it would mean for me.

"So, Furuhata Motoki? You think you could be friends?" my dad asked.

I shrugged, "I'm not sure. We had lunch together; he seems nice."

"That's good, Mamoru," my mom commented, "We absolutely love Usagi, but it will be good for you to have some friends at your own school. You will be able to branch out more."

I knew she was right, but her statement made me sound like a loner, and that, perhaps, Usagi played a part in it. Even though I hadn't been bothered by my lack of friendships, it seemed like that fact had bothered her. I frowned silently.

My dad cleared his voice, seemingly clearing the conversation. "What about sports?" he asked, "Do you think you'll try out for anything?"

Thinking about my mom's previous statement, I admitted, "I did get a flyer for the swim team."

"That's wonderful!" my mom said joyfully, "You are a great swimmer! I bet you would fit right in."

"Honey," my dad tried to lower my mom's intensity. He then turned back to me, "Are you considering it?"

'Considering it - yes. Deciding to - no.' I thought. But, seeing the hope in my mom's eyes, I couldn't fight the urge to want to please her. "I'm going to try out," I stated.

My mom cupped her hands, as if she was stifling an excited outburst. Instead, she spoke evenly, "I think that's a great idea."

"I do as well," my dad added, "I know you're good swimmer. Now, everyone else will."

I shrugged, "I don't even know if I'll make the team."

"Oh, you will," my dad said with a certainty that made me wonder if he would be right.

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Final Note from the Author:

More to come; as soon as possible. Pardon any grammatical errors and please send me encouraging reviews. - With love, Kayla -