The Client
Summary: Makoto is Minako's new client and hopes to be with Mizuno Ami. Will Minako fall in love with her client? Probably.
Disclaimer: I own nothing that is mentioned in this fic.
Chapter Eight: Three Months Go By
"They're together now."
"Yeah."
"How long?"
"A week."
"What are you going to do?"
"I have no clue."
Rei stared at me, analyzing my defeated form. We were at the Crown Fruits Parlor, untouched drinks sitting in front of us. I glanced around the place, looking at other tables, Rei, people walking in and out, Rei, random pictures on the wall, Rei, and so on. As I sat silently, I wondered if I was using Rei's services too often. Maybe Usagi would get upset/suspicious if she were to find out. Oh, who am I kidding? Usagi wasn't the type of person to be jealous. Besides, Rei wouldn't do anything to hurt Usagi.
"Not much you can do," she sighed. I nodded to agree. "Try getting over her…" I glared at her, hating that suggestion. "…Or not. Just kidding."
"Dammit, Rei-chan, I can't do anything." I groaned. I watched Rei as she finally took a sip of her drink. Again, she analyzed me carefully. Perhaps she was searching for something to say, trying to make me feel better.
"I don't know what to say, Minako-chan," she concluded. "If Makoto-san and Ami-san really like each other, then you should save yourself some heartache – get over her somehow. Take as long as you need. If they don't last, you'll have a chance." Sighing heavily, I drank my soda with dejection clear on my face. I had the worst luck.
Later that day, I went to Usagi's house. We were to have our first sleepover in months (she couldn't have any visitors until her grades had gotten better), and what better to celebrate this occasion than with the news of Ami and Makoto? Yay, what joy.
"Minako-chan, aren't you happy for them?" she exclaimed as she sat on the floor, writhing with excitement. "You finally brought them together!" I scoffed, sitting on the bed with crossed arms and legs. I didn't like that at all. "Not really," I murmured as I stared out the window. I imagined Usagi's frown as a silence washed over us. After a few seconds, I turned to her, seeing the exact same frown I imagined on her face.
"They brought themselves together," I added slowly, carefully. "I didn't do anything." Usually, Usagi would smile and continue to rant about whatever she was happy about, but not this time. "Why aren't you happy for them?" she asked. Looking out the window again, I sighed, "Never said that."
"Yeah, you did!" she shouted. Falling back on the bed, I groaned. "Not what I meant, Usagi-chan," I lied. A few moments passed, and before I knew it, Usagi began hovering over me. Glaring at me with accusing eyes, she replied, "That's exactly what you meant! If you were happy for them, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
I rolled my eyes at her, crossing my arms and pouting. "Usagi-chan, drop it. This'll go nowhere," I told her. We glared at each other in silence, trying to get our way. I knew this was futile – Usagi was older and always made me give in. That's why she got her way with everything.
To avert my eyes from hers, I jumped up out of bed. Her eyes were still following me – I could feel the fire in them burning into my back – as I walked in little circles around the room. I stopped when I heard footsteps getting closer to the door. Usagi's parents and her little brother, Shingo, had to have heard her yelling. After some knocking, Usagi's mom's voice rang out, asking if everything was okay. Usagi quickly responded, saying everything was fine and that she was sorry about making all the noise. When the footsteps got further away, I turned back to Usagi. Her eyes told me she wasn't going to give up on this. Sighing, I surrendered.
"Fine! I'm not happy about this – not at all!" I fumed. "I don't like the thought of Mako-chan and Ami-san being together, but there's nothing I can do about it!" Usagi's eyes softened up, but her expression was still serious. She patted the spot next to her on the bed and asked, "Why did you help Mako-chan then? Was it for the money?"
I shook my head. No, that was far from it. "You have to understand, Usagi-chan," I sighed. "I didn't do anything. All of it was really Mako-chan." Nodding, Usagi hugged her knees to her chest and stared at me, as if she was waiting for me to continue. When I didn't say anything, she asked softly, "So, why aren't you happy for them?"
I frowned as soon as those words left her mouth. To admit that I had feelings for Makoto at this stage in the game was embarrassing. There I was trying to fight a battle I couldn't win, losing miserably. What would Usagi say if she realized that I wanted Makoto all for myself? How would she react if she found out that I needed Makoto more than anyone could imagine?
"Is it because you don't like Ami-chan?" Usagi guessed when I said nothing. I shook my head, thinking about how she and I were on good terms now. If Ami and Makoto stopped going out, and my name had been thrown around by one of them, our thin friendship would be destroyed in an instant. Why did I always end up falling for the most forbidden people I knew?
"Is it because you like Mako-chan?" my friend continued. Before I knew it, I was nodding. Lying to Usagi was very hard, and keeping things from her was even harder. I've known Usagi for a long time, and I know she wouldn't judge me for things that I've done, but I always think that something as big as this would make her dislike me – even hate me. Because of the feelings I had, I could easily divide friends, and there would be bitterness and resentment between all of us. That was the last thing that I wanted.
"If you started liking her, why didn't you just stop the whole thing?" she asked. "I hadn't realized that I had feelings for her when they first developed," I sighed. "They grew to be so strong before I even knew they existed." Nodding in understanding, she grabbed my hand and held it tight, though not in the usual painful way.
"I understand that your feelings for Mako-chan are strong, but you have to promise me one thing. Don't interfere with her and Ami-chan. Please."
I nodded and squeezed her hand in response. Staring into space, I sighed. There was a heavy silence that filled the room for a few minutes while our hands were still holding on to each other. When another sigh escaped my mouth, I said, "I didn't mean to like her. It just happened." Wrapping her arms around me, Usagi stated, "That's how love is. It just happens."
Lunch these days is (dare I say it) actually a lot fun. Usagi and I were like comic relief, Ami brought some sanity, and Makoto was just Makoto. We all had fun, and I honestly couldn't complain. Sure, there were little displays of affection here and there, and my feelings hadn't faded, but I had no qualms about this. After all, we were just girls being girls.
One day, after two weeks of Makoto/Ami, Makoto grabbed my shoulder gently, pulling back for a quick second before releasing. Lunch just started, and I was on the way to the usual spot on the grounds to meet up with Usagi, Ami, and Makoto. However, it seemed that Makoto had decided to intercept me.
We stood to the side of the hall, leaning on the wall and letting other students walk by. "What's up?" I asked. Makoto fidgeted around a bit until she finally shrugged. "Nothing," she answered. "Just wanted to talk a bit…is that all right?" I grinned slyly, "Alone?" I waited for the typical, playful, Makoto response – a grin to match mine and a little anecdote to carry on the conversation. However, she remained fidgety. This was making me wonder what she was thinking.
"I miss being with you like before, you know?" she said. "You're a lot of fun." I smiled at the complement and said, "Thanks, but if Ami-chan found us like this, it would make her wonder. This does look a bit shady, doesn't it?" Makoto laughed and agreed, lifting the awkward tension that was between us. I told her that we could hang out sometime when we weren't busy, and she seemed satisfied with that. That smile she had on gave me butterflies, but I couldn't help but feel like it wasn't the friendly kind of smile.
That day Makoto and I had wanted had finally come. The two of us were spending the last half of the day together. It's been a month and some change since Makoto and Ami had become an item. They've always spent time together, always been happy like lovers should be, and I was okay with that. I've been fine although I still love Makoto. When I start her last trial, I'll know whether to give up on her or not.
That day at the Parlor was lots of fun, though only in the beginning. Before we left, I made sure to get down to business. "You remember we aren't done, right?" I asked causally. Makoto nodded at me as she leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. "When will we be done?" she asked. I shrugged, honestly not knowing myself. "As soon as you want it to be, I suppose." Makoto nodded again and sighed.
"Summer vacation is coming up. I won't be here for a while."
I tilted my head in curiosity. Where could she be going? "Why?" Makoto shrugged, gaining a face that expressed annoyance. Was it directed towards me? I hadn't done anything…had I?
"I have to get 'reviewed' – no one really trusts me, you know?"
"You mean the government?"
Makoto nodded. "Because I've been such a rascal, they keep close tabs on me."
"But you haven't done anything in so long!"
Makoto winked at me, an amused grin appearing on her face. "Yet," she emphasized. "They're just waiting for me to slip up." I frowned, wondering what the point of all this was. Why waste your time by keeping a close eye on someone to see if they fell? "But you won't," I pointed out, saying those words with conviction. She nodded, agreeing with me.
"As long as I have you, I'll manage to stay out of trouble."
A genuine smile lit up Makoto's face as if she had forgotten the reason why she felt annoyed in the first place. My heart began pounding in my chest because there was something off about the way she said that, the way her eyes looked at me, and the way one foot was suddenly touching mine under the table. I knew these signs; I'd seen them before. There was no doubt about it – Makoto was falling for me.
She had the worst timing.
July had rolled around.
Makoto had left the day vacation began. I hadn't heard from her in a month or so, but every now and then, Ami would give Usagi and I updates. Makoto called her everyday, so there was never much change on her current status.
There was one night – well, technically morning, since it was after midnight – when Makoto decided to call my phone. The summer heat had kept me conscious as I waited for inevitable slumber, so I was sprawled out on my bed, constantly trying to find a cool spot on the bed to lie on (of course, those areas soon disappeared because my body heat). My phone vibrated against the hard wood of my desk. The vibration was powerful, so the noise was pretty loud. Reluctantly getting out of bed, I hurried over to my phone and answered it without seeing who called.
"Hello?"
"Oh, you're up. That's surprising." Oh, how I longed to hear that voice again!
"Mako-chan? It's late. What are you doing up?"
"Trying to shoo me away so you can get your rest?" I missed that playful voice…
"No."
There was silence between us as I went back to bed, hoping a breeze would blow through my open window. Unfortunately, the breeze happened only once in a blue moon.
"Well, I couldn't sleep, that's all."
"I see." But why call now?
"And you?"
"Same." At least it was me and not her…
Another silence. Man, this was awkward, and I had no idea why. I was fearful that any silence that came would result in one of us falling asleep. Knowing me, I could fall asleep at any moment, even if I weren't tired before. For all I knew, Makoto could have been tired but wanted to talk to me rather than sleep.
"So, how's your vacation?"
Heh, I knew that Makoto didn't like using that word for her trip. It only reminded her of the fun she could be having if she were still here with her friends and girlfriend by her side.
"Boring. Not much to do. Yours?" I can imagine the usual grimace on your beautiful face…
"Same.
"I miss you guys, you know. I think about all of you all the time." Do you really?
"One more so than others."
A laugh of conformation followed. She didn't need words to confirm or deny anything I said at this point. I knew her rather well, though not as much as Ami did I'm sure. There were little things about Makoto that were too hard to miss. There was no way I couldn't forget any of her quirks – that girl was unforgettable.
"If you're so bored, you should do the homework we got for vacation." Why did I suggest something like that? The question was so off topic, so random.
"Way ahead of you. Finished everything…well, everything but the English. It's still kind of confusing."
"I can help if you'd like." Now I can seize this moment to keep listening her voice!
"That would be great."
From that point on, I helped Makoto with her English homework, doing mine at the same time. Hearing her voice, despite all the hesitance and stuttering caused by the English, was the highlight of my day – and yet it hadn't even started.
After that one night of bliss, Makoto didn't call again. From then on, I spent the rest of the summer without her voice. The summer was kind of dull as a result, but I made it as enjoyable as I could. School drew nearer and nearer before I even realized it, and I was ecstatic. That meant I could see Makoto again, and that was all I really wanted.
Finally, the first day of school arrived.
Knowing who I would see sent my heart aflutter. By the time I got to school, it was almost time for homeroom, so I had to wait until lunch. Imagine the agony I felt waiting to see her. Usagi could see I was growing restless, amusing her a bit. She smiled at me as if to say, "In due time."
I tapped my feet until the lunch bell rang, springing up to action instantly. My legs were prepared to move, but I suddenly stopped all thought when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"She's not going anywhere," Usagi's voice whispered in my ear as I wondered how she caught me so fast. Looking back at her, she giggled and let me go. Ignoring the strange stares we got, she said, "She's probably on her way to see us now, so relax."
I sighed as I grabbed my bag and walked out with Usagi. On our way to the grounds we found Ami and Makoto walking out of homeroom. Even before I could show my excitement, Usagi gave me a look, telling me not to do anything rash (especially with Ami right there). They spotted us right away, and that was when Makoto rushed towards us with happiness gleaming in her eyes. She scooped Usagi up in her strong arms – man, that made me so jealous! They laughed and screamed, "I missed you!" among other things. Watching them was a funny sight, but I wanted my turn with Makoto, and Usagi was getting all of her attention.
Soon, I got my chance. Makoto's wild enthusiasm died down, but that same level of happiness (if not more) shone brightly in her eyes. "Hey," she said calmly, quietly. I returned the greeting and was then enveloped in a tight embrace. She shook me around a little bit before letting me go.
"Come on, we should go eat before lunch ends," she stated. We all nodded and walked to our usual spot. Usagi and I straggled behind a bit, exchanging somewhat shocked glances. Apparently I wasn't the only who noticed how different that hug was. It was far from normal, and Makoto did it on purpose.
She and I needed to have that overdue appointment as soon as possible.
To be continued…
Sorry if this chapter kind of sucked or felt rushed. A lot of things happened while I was writing this chapter ): Hopefully you still found it satisfactory. Til next time
Serenity101