Welcome to the Club!

A/N: I'm supposed to be posting In the Stars tonight. But I overestimated my AP Psych homework. So this will have to do!

. . .

I can always count on some things on a typical school day. A failed quiz, a detention for sleeping, and most importantly: a trip to the Crown arcade. While the first two on the list aren't exactly the happiest things I've certainly gotten used to them. After all the surprise of failing a test after a night of reading manga loses its charm the fifth time in. Then it's just...normal.

For me, anyway.

Rei and Mamoru-baka always try to tell me it's not something to accept as normal. How there is always opportunity to improve or something like that (What can I say, I tend to block them out-their speeches are almost identical!). Sometimes I hear the same from Ami but I think she has accepted the fact I will never ace a test without there being some sort of miracle involved.

So when today I enter the arcade and notice my usual tormentor is missing I find my eyebrows shooting up. Baka is not one for tardiness. Ever. And when he is there is typically a great excuse behind it. "Motoki-onii-san, where's the baka you call a friend?"

"Huh?" Motoki turns from the couple he's taking the order from and looks at me. "Oh, hey, Usagi-chan. Mamoru-he's...well..." He looks uncomfortably at the sliding glass doors behind me before using his hand to motion. "You can just ask him yourself."

My eyes narrow and I turn to see Mamoru slinking into the arcade. Weird. Not only is Motoki not telling me anything but I can't help but notice the shadow that seems to be surrounding his friend. Mamoru's not a gloomy guy with the exception of his own personal brooding bubble. But this is different. "What's got you down, baka?"

His blue eyes meet mine and I flinch. Coldness. "Can we not talk about this, Odango? I'm not in the mood."

He slinks over past me to the counter and I just watch him. This is most definitely normal behavior. Which, honestly, just throws me off. How am I supposed to enjoy my normal afternoon when baka isn't being all baka-ish?

"Mammmooruuuu-bakkaaaa, what's wrong?"

I scurry over to the man and drape myself over his back. Motoki stand on the other side of the counter watching me with wide eyes. He knows what's wrong-he's just being annoying. Shaking my head, I motion my friend over and point to the menu hanging above us.

Mocha Milkshake.

'One Please,' I mouthe. He sits there with his mouth gaping open before rushing to the back. Lucky for me my orders take priority over everybody else. After all, I'm a favorite. My attention turns back to Mamoru and I poke at his head. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Go away, Odango."

"Not on your life, baka."

The words slip easily from my tongue. It's not fun seeing him like this. After all this is when he's supposed to pester me about my day. "You know, I failed my math test today," I say in hopes he snaps out of his funk. "A whole eighteen percent."

His body shifts under mine but he refuses to respond. "Tomorrow I have an English test-and if you don't tell me what's wrong I'm just going to blame my failure on you." My finger once again jabs at his head. "After all, you're such a distraction."

This time a strangled groan escapes his throat. It's a start. "I mean-how can I possibly study when my A plus tormentor is acting like a failur-Ahh!"

I fly backward and barely catch myself from falling to the ground. Mamoru rises from his seat just as Motoki comes scampering back with my bribe. In a perfect world, the baka would notice his friend holding not my usual chocolate concoction but instead a lighter imitator. But alas. Normality is dead today it seems.

Instead the guy pulls his bag from the ground and fishes around for a little bit before producing a paper. He shoves it in my face before turning back and slumping back to his chair.

Blinking, I catch the paper between my hands and my eyes meet the angry red marks of a fifty percent score on a chemistry test. Before I can stop it a laugh bubbles up from my throat. Just a fifty percent has him strung up so much? This isn't bad. Not compared to most of my scores.

Mamoru's head flies up at the sound of my giggle and his eyes narrow on my figure but I simply approach the counter. My smile broadens as I dip a finger in the milkshake Motoki brought me and cover it in whipped cream. The cold look of his eyes don't bother me anymore and instead only makes me laugh again.

I reach over and plop a dollop of the creamy topping on his nose before sticking my finger in my mouth to lick off the remainder. I wink at him. "Welcome to the club, Mamoru-kun. Didn't know you had it in you."

. . .

A/N: This ended up longer than I expected. But I'm pleased with this! Anybody else?

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