- Usagi - Chapter four:

I leaned against my tree enjoying my lunch for the first time in what seemed like ages. Haruka didn't stop by that day but I didn't care. I wasn't being harassed and I hadn't been harassed for an entire week. After Minako confided in me about her pregnancy, things were running smoothly. I kept her secret and she left me alone, occasionally she would even stop and have a civil conversation or two with me. Mostly it was about her morning sickness and how she was worried about getting fat – even though she was probably only a few weeks pregnant. She looked fine to me.

"Hey Usagi!" A familiar voice greeted me. I looked up to see Rei on her way down to join me, "You look happy." She said.

"I am happy. I made a deal with Minako so now I'm free from her torment!" I declared joyously waving my hands in the air dramatically.

"What type of deal?" She asked as she peeked at my lunch snatching one of my baby carrots.

I shook my head, "I can't tell you. That would ruin it."

She shrugged and accepted it. I couldn't help but notice she too seemed happier than normal. I was about to ask her what was up but I was interrupted by an attractive kid with a shaggy head of red hair and pretty green eyes to go with it.

"Hey Rei…I was wondering…" He asked carefully, he appeared to be very nervous, "Would you like to go to a party tonight with me?" Rei blinked for a second, a little stunned by his request. He appeared to really like her, he was wringing his hands waiting for her answer but Rei just smiled sadly.

"Sorry, I already have someone." She said in her sweetest tone. The red headed kid dropped his hands to his side and looked away. Heartbroken and depressed he smiled out of courtesy and said goodbye. I looked over to Rei who was smiling uncontrollably, even blushing.

"Why didn't you go with him? You aren't with anyone." I tapped her on the arm scolding her. She looked over to me with a impish mask painted on her porcelain skin. She stood up and grabbed my hand and led me into the school.

"Where are we going?" I asked as she dragged me through the halls. I was beginning to see brightly colored paintings hanging on the walls indicating we were in the art wing. She stopped abruptly, causing me to bump into her back. She peeked through a closed door and gestured to me to look with her. There was a class of twenty or so kids all sitting at potting wheels or making long clay stings for coil pots. I tried to sort through them all trying to see who she was trying to show me.

"See him?" She whispered.

"See who?" I said moving my head around to get a better view.

"I can't believe you don't see him?! He's stunning." She then thrust her finger against the Plexiglas window leaving a finger print. It was the man I saw in the nurse's office when I brought Minako there.

"Who is that?" I asked. She looked at me as if insulted.

"He's only the hottest guy in the entire universe. His name is Taiki, he's the student teacher for the ceramics and sculpture classes."

"Oh, so that's who he is," I said moving away from the glass, "I saw him the other day talking to Ms. Meioh."

"Ms. Meioh?" She repeated.

"Yeah the new nurse. She's a really pretty lady," I said not thinking, "Oh! That must be where that lovely vase came from. Taiki must have made it for her, that's so sweet!"

The light I had seen in Rei's face earlier became very dim suddenly. She looked back in at Taiki, her eyes morphed into a pained gaze she shook her head. "You don't think that they're together do you? I mean she's not that pretty, in fact she's kind of ugly," her voice became a little louder and angrier, "and fat! And she's probably not even a real nurse. She's never made me feel better. What a bitch!"

"Rei, Rei, calm down! I didn't say they were dating, they probably aren't! They could just be friends. I mean I didn't see them kissing or anything!" I tried to reason with her, a little disturbed by her out burst. I had never seen her act this way.

"Maybe…" She started to calm down.

"Have you even been in a class with this guy to know anything about him?" I asked. She shook her head, "I plan to take a class with him second semester so we can get to know each other."

"You do know that a relationship with him would be dangerous to his job…Right?" I warned her. The way she said "get to know each other" it sounded as if she was actually planning on taking her crush to the next level. I suppose that's what she was thinking when she told that boy that she was already with someone.

"Yeah, I know." She was still casually gazing at him through the window, "I plan to have him fall in love with me in class and we'll keep our relationship on the down low until I graduate. Just so his job is safe and he can support me."

To say Rei's thinking was unhealthy was an understatement. She was fantasizing of falling in love with a man who was probably almost ten years older than her, stealing him from his current girlfriend and living happily ever after with him. And on top of all this he was a teacher. This was dangerous territory Rei was waking on.

"Oh damn it. I'm going to be late for economics!" Rei looked at her watch, "I'll see you later, Usagi."

"Rei, I think you need to think things out about Taiki…" I said trying to call her back so maybe she could see things clearly, but I don't think "thinking things out" was on her agenda that day. Or ever.

"Oh don't worry, things will work themselves out!" She said with a smile as she continued on to her class. I watched the kids in the ceramics room begin to pack their bags up and move too the door. Realizing that the period had ended, I quickly sprinted back outside to pick up my book bag. I picked it up by the strap but it unhooked itself and fell to the ground spilling my books and papers on the grass. As I bent down to pick them up I heard two people talking.

"Hey are you going to Harumi Chitose's party?" Someone's voice asked from behind me.

"Hell yeah! Minako and I have a beer pong rematch!" A girl responded with a laugh. I quickly stood up and looked the girl in the face.

"Minako's going to that party?" I asked.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" The girl said in a snotty tone, her hand placed on her hip. I just looked at her thinking of Minako and went on my way.This was crazy, Minako promised she'd shape up for her baby and now here she was just a week later going out to play drinking games. She must have been out of her mind or completely stupid. Had she know idea that she could ruin her kid's life by drinking? It didn't surprise me since I realized that when she was smoking in the back of the school she knew she was pregnant. I had to stop her.

During the last few minutes of school, I skipped out on my last class and went to the main office to look at the student directory. It was required for everyone who attended school to write their phone numbers and addresses for public use so students could get a hold of each other for projects. I quickly found my finger tracing over Harumi Chitose's name and address. Minako wasn't in her right mind, she couldn't have been, and I was going to bring her back before she did any more harm to herself.

-

I was feeling apprehensive about my plan to take Minako home. First of all I'd have to go to the house of a girl that hated me almost as much as Minako did. Secondly, half to almost ALL of the people there would probably be drunk and I had never seen a drunk person before. I grew up in a pretty conservative family. No boyfriends, no parties, no drinking or smoking, no swearing, even movies that were rated R were prohibited. These were probably the reasons why I was an outcast at school. I never had the opportunity to do what everyone else was doing because of my parents' fear of having me exposed to real life situations.

The red numbers on my digital clock read eight o'clock. I slipped on my outing clothes which were composed of a black form fitting long sleeve shirt and a red skirt that went down to my knees. I had once bought a pair of black high heels without my mother noticing and decided I could only look the part of a party girl by wearing them. I looked in the mirror at myself; I looked nice, but not hot. More like I was going to church. I shrugged, it was the best I could do. I grabbed my purse, which did not match my shoes, and went down stairs.

My mother stuck her head out from the kitchen, her wavy lavender hair was pulled back in a tight bun for cleaning, "Usagi, where are you going dressed like that?!"

I slowly looked over my shoulder trying to muster up some excuse, "Uh… I am. Going to…Go. To a musical with Haruka?" I said slowly, knowing she probably wouldn't buy it.

"What musical? It better not be anything inappropriate…" She warned me. I always wondered what her definition of "inappropriate" was. I mean how terrible could a musical be?

"It's…it's…uh…Cats?" I said coming up with a random name. I had never seen a real musical before and the only one I had heard of being advertised in the area was Cats. Honestly the concept of dramatic singing cats sounded kind of silly to me.

I waited through a pause from my mother who was probably trying to give Cats a rating. "Ok. Have a fun time…" She called as she went back into the kitchen. With a sigh of relief I ran out the door and sprinted down the sidewalk in my heels. After nearly spraining my ankle three times, I slowed to a walk. By now my mother would think that I got in Haruka's car and drove off to the show. While I walked I pulled out a piece of paper that I jotted down the directions to Harumi's house.

I stopped at a street sign and noticed it was significantly darker than I predicted and it had gotten scarier almost eerie. I've never gotten along well with the dark, night time always was the worst part of the day for me. I always felt skittish and overly sensitive to sounds. Often I'd be so paranoid that my eyes would play tricks on me. I screamed suddenly a hand grabbed me on the shoulder tightly. I jerked away and ran forward a few feet covering my eyes with my hands.

I peeked through my fingers to see dark eyes peering at me through the night. I was seconds away from chucking my purse at the entity until I heard a voice say, "Oh…Odango…What are you doing out so late? Are you looking for someone to give you your next paycheck? Or perhaps you were looking for me?"

It was Seiya, what he was doing on the same exact street as me, I didn't know. I felt a little angry that I was happy to see him. "What did you call me?"

"Just a little pet name for you," He laughed, "It's a reference to that awful hair style."

"You're a jack ass." I screamed as I swiftly walked away.

"You can't get away with calling me that!" He said playfully as he ran after me.

"Well I just did."

"You know, girls all over the world worship me! It baffles me why you're the only girl that doesn't."

I stopped suddenly and turned around. I couldn't help but want to laugh at him, "I'm the only girl that doesn't?" I said with fake horror, "Oh wow…that would make sense why I had a locker stuffed with condoms the other day and maybe that's the reason why I've been the focus of every living being's hate for all these years!" I clutched my purse up to my chest, "Oh Seiya you've opened my eyes. Take me now!"

"I've had people tell me that seriously." He commented amused by my little act, "And believe me I wouldn't touch anything on that nasty, gangly body of yours."

I brushed his comment off. He was trying to get to me but I just didn't feel like caring. I lifted my hands up and shrugged, "Then you sir, have too much pride." And with that I turned on my heel and walked away ignoring whatever comments he was following after me with.

-

I arrived a little later than expected thanks to Seiya who, it turns out, was headed to the same party. I can't even begin to explain how uncomfortable it was to have him walking in the same direction only a few feet behind me. I clutched my purse close to me as I walked into Harumi's house. I could feel him close behind me as I was hit with a wall of noise upon entering. Seiya pushed ahead of me and screamed something to guy who answered the door, I couldn't hear what either of them were saying I only saw Seiya gesture to me. The kid made a face at me but waved me through anyways. Everyone else was screaming at each other in casual conversations that I saw as I walked through Harumi's elaborate foyer. Again, I couldn't hear what anyone actually said - though I'm sure they didn't have anything to say anyways. They were all too drunk to form sentences.

I watched Seiya disappear into the crowd as I pushed through various scantily clad girls rubbing up against men with beer spilled on their shirts. They all had expressions on their faces that looked like they smelled something bad as they fell all over their dance partners, if you could call it dancing. I couldn't help but gag as I watched their fat giggle out of their hot pants and mini skirts when they did their little dance against their "man". I looked around the corner to see a few people smoking something foreign to me; they passed it around pushing the smoke further into the air. After one whiff I suddenly started coughing as I inhaled something that smelled very similar to a dead skunk.

I pulled a girl aside and asked her if she'd seen Minako anywhere. She just looked at me like I was the most revolting person on the planet. I found the humor in it because she smelled like vomit. The vomit smelling girl pointed me in the direction of a room at the end of the house – which was fairly large. Harumi must have had very wealthy parents from the looks of everything. I walked into a room that was so low lit I almost crashed into some guy with a tin foil ball in his hand. In front of him was a triangle of red plastic cups laid out on the table. He passed it to a dark figure in the corner which then threw the ball at the cups missing them all by about a foot. I then heard Minako's voice scream, "Fuck! I never win!" with a whine. She laughed and then picked up one of the cups inches away from injuring her unborn child.

Before she was able to put it to her lips I threw my hand out and screamed, "Minako! Don't do it!" She quickly stood up from her chair, the look of horror plastered on her not so sober face. She was dressed in her night life clothes, a very sexy outfit of what looked like a white see-through tank top and a black mini skirt with sparkles on it. Everyone stopped what they were doing, turned to me and proceeded to call me a dyke and flip me the bird, protesting my presence.

"Why should she do what a dyke wad like you tells her?" One skanky girl asked as she pushed me against a wall. I felt the corner of a picture frame jab into my back. I paused looking Minako in the eyes. Her face silently pleading for me not to tell them about her secret, she knew why I was there but she didn't want to back me up. She didn't want to protect me from her friends that I was protecting her from. I should have told them right then. But I couldn't do it.

"Whatever, I don't care what you have to say. Why the hell are you here anyways? I know I didn't invite you." The girl that pushed me up against the wall must have been Harumi. I was in trouble.

"I...I…" I stuttered trying to think of a reason why, something they expected to hear, something they wanted to hear, an easy, pathetic, reason to hate me. "I thought if I came to this party you guys would like me." There. Now I sounded like the self-conscious little nerd they wanted me to be.

Harumi and her friends all burst out into a roar of laughter and started to push me out of the room, "Oh God, Usagi. No one will ever like you, don't even try!" She signaled to a couple of large guys in her living room over to me, "Usagi asked to be our entertainment for the night! Let's see her swan dive!"

Suddenly I felt hands grabbing me, bruising me all over and escorting me by force to the patio behind her house where a large blue light radiated from the ground. A crowd of laughing drunken teenagers had formed around me patting me on the butt and spitting at me. I tried to twist out of their grasps but they grabbed at my clothes and hair instead, ripping one of my sleeves and tearing a portion of my skirt. Suddenly the blue light got bigger and brighter, I suddenly realized it was an in ground pool. Before I could fight it, I felt a cold wave come over me. And as if in slow motion, I was sinking to the bottom. I opened my eyes under the water to see a cold blurry world of blue illuminated water, a place I preferred to be rather than with them. Down there I couldn't hear them hooting at me, I couldn't see them cheering each other on. And for a minute, my life was simple. Painless.

When my lungs began to ache I came to the surface, struggling to swim to the side in my wet skirt. I held onto the concrete patio and wiped away the chlorine that stung my eyes. I pushed myself up and over the side, it was then with a cold burst of air I found that my entire thigh was exposed and my bra was showing from the rips in my shirt. I didn't want to cry but I certainly felt like it. A hot hard knot was stuck in my throat making me wheeze. I won't cry, I won't cry! I chanted to myself but before I could repress them, the tears trickled down my face. Luckily I was too soaked for anyone to tell, not that it mattered how I felt anyways. The crowd, for the most part, had gone back inside except for a few that had turned me into a conversation piece and decided to stick around to chat.

On cold shaking legs I walked over to the side of the pool where my purse was riding the ripples in the pool, bumping up against the tiled edges. I picked it up and emptied almost a liter of water from it. The purse and everything inside it was ruined; my make up, my cell phone, everything. I felt a breeze behind me that wasn't from the wind but from someone's movement. I sighed, I knew who it was.

"Rough night on the street corner?" Seiya's sarcastic voice erupted from behind me in its velvety smooth tone. He laughed as he waved a hand over my bare leg as if to touch it but I quickly smacked it away. I dropped my purse to the ground with a sigh, it was useless now, there was no use in keeping any of it. He laughed again and I turned to him, my face raw with my pain and humiliation staring at his ever smiling face.

"So, did you turn to this when I turned you down? I know all you ugly girls will give it up to anyone when you realize that you're desperate." He said with a cocky laugh, "You think it'll make people like you more." He continued talking but my hearing was fading in and out from all of the rage and hate I felt. I was so sick of everything he said, I was sick of his voice and his attitude. I was sick of him. When did God decide my life could be molded by these people? When did I gain or lose a "status" that was never officially assigned to me? Why did I let this happen to myself? As much as I wanted to blame this on everyone else, I was the one who had faith that Minako would get better. I was the one who thought I could fix things, change people. I was a fool.

Before I knew what I was doing, I felt the back of my hand slam into something soft and warm. I looked up to see Seiya wincing in pain as I took my hand away from that gorgeous face. That stupid gorgeous face. "Shut up!" I screamed, "Don't you dare judge me for anything I do when you don't know who I am, you don't know what I stand for! And don't you dare think for one minute you can tell me who I am!" The tears were now dripping from my face. Seiya stumbled back a few steps, his eyes wide. That cocky jerk looked absolutely astounded that someone could actually hate him as much as I did.

"You're a sick person, Seiya - someone who is poisoned by himself! And I want you to ask yourself something. You have all this pride, but what do you actually have to be proud of? Because I know it can't be your quality of character." I watched his expression stay motionless, his eyes still wide and his hand placed delicately on his cheek, "Have you ever once in your life felt love or compassion for anyone other than yourself?" His face was now bright red where I had backhanded him, his eyes confused and afraid of me: the crazy girl that hit him. After staring at him like that for few minutes I realized I was waiting my time. People couldn't be changed.

"I shouldn't even waste my time here…" I shivered as I peeled my wet hair off of my chest and threw it behind me. On my high heels, I wobbled through Harumi's rock garden along the side of her house, every so often falling down on the sharp stones. I was more comfortable dealing with that than having to walk through the house again. Suddenly in front of me I saw Minako clopping in her stilettos on the sidewalk.

"Usagi!" She said sorrowfully as she came to lend me her hand so I might have better success with the rocks but I waved it away. I didn't want to have anything to do with her anymore, my charity had been abused and honestly she didn't deserve it anymore. I folded my arms over my chest and wearily walked the way I had come, my body trembling with the cold. I was worried as I walked that the police might see me and bring me home. Having my parents see me the way I was was probably the worse thing that could happen.

"Usagi, wait." Minako called to me again, this time her voice held an element of life in it. It was her real voice, not the one she used to tease me or flirt with guys. This was her silver lining. I stopped with my arms still draped around my waist, I was too cold to turn around. I knew the breeze going up my skirt would probably make it worse.

"I'm sorry…" She called again, she remained behind me probably out of her own shame, "I know why you came to the party. And you were right to drag me away. To be honest though, I didn't think you'd do it."

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked turning around, I was right about my skirt theory and began shivering worse than I was. Lucky for me she was carrying a towel she had snuck from the house. She smiled and handed it to me.

"I guess I thought you were just trying to weasel away from the way I used to treat you. Which you had every right to! I… I just didn't think you were going to honestly care about me. So I didn't think I should have cared about myself," her face became a little more thoughtful as she placed a hand over her stomach, "Though it's really not about me anymore, is it..."

I smiled a little as I toweled off my hair, "I would never let anyone do that to themselves, regardless of how terrible they've treated me." I thought for a moment about how Seiya had struck my last nerve and I was almost certain he'd be the exception. As far as I was concerned, he could get hit by a truck, or be burned alive and I wouldn't shed a tear. It would be a waste of good sadness.

"Let me walk you home." She said with an honest smile.

"What about the party?" I asked.

She frowned and shook her head, "I don't think I need those people anymore."

-

The next morning the doorbell rang unexpectedly by what appeared to be a purse without an owner, sitting alone on my doorstep. I picked it up and examined it; it was pink with a little white rabbit made out of white suede stitched onto the side. I flipped it over to see a piece of paper taped on to it reading:

For Usagi

I unzipped the top; the inside appeared to be made of some expensive material that I was too modest to name. My hand surfed around on the silky lining until it suddenly hit something. I pulled out the object. It was a new phone – and a fancy one at that! It had all the bells and whistles, a camera, an mp3 player, it even had video on it too.

Feeling rather guilty for receiving such an expensive gift I ran out to the street and looked around for whoever had left it. Perhaps it was some compassionate rich kid who saw me get thrown into the pool and felt he needed to make it right? I looked to the left and the right only to see vacant streets and sidewalks. I glanced back down at the bag, it made me smile, the bunny – while not the trendiest thing to own, was cute and very much something I would have bought for myself. This person must have had a skill to read people they didn't even know, because I was sure I had never met such a sweet person in my life. I gave an appreciative smile and silently thanked the compassionate saint who left it and returned back into the house.