Chapter 20: Blue Skies

[Monday. Zoi has arrived early so he is sitting at a bench outside the classroom. The sky is still blue and the sun is beating down on him. Normally he likes that, but today he just finds it unsettling. Mamoru comes and sits next to Zoi.]

Mamoru: Hey, Zoi.

Zoi: Hey, Mamoru.

[A breeze has blown a lock of Zoi's hair across his eyes. Mamoru catches it and tucks it back behind his ear]

Mamoru: I've never noticed how your hair glows. It's like copper wire.

Zoi: Only in the sun.

Mamoru: Great day isn't it?

Zoi: My kind of day.

Mamoru: What did you do yesterday?

Zoi: I mostly worked on my English essay.

Mamoru: Oh yeah–that's due Thursday, isn't it.

Zoi: Wednesday, I think.

Mamoru: Wednesday? That's not good….What are you writing yours on?

Zoi: Homophobia and sexism in pop culture, specifically how commonly female characters in non-romance genres serve only to prove that the male characters are not gay.

Mamoru: Huh… I guess I'd better get to work on that tonight. I was going to ask you if you wanted to go out.

Zoi: [frowns] Really, Mamoru?

Mamoru: Well, we could go to dinner or something… and I could work on it later.

Zoi: Mamoru…I don't think that would be a very good idea.

Mamoru: Why?

Zoi: I am not really in a dating mood right now. And besides, [looks around and lowers his voice] I think that would hurt Usagi's feelings.

Mamoru: [startled] Usagi?

Zoi: Really, Mamoru? Are you that blind?

Mamoru: Usagi hates me.

Zoi: She asked you to the dance, didn't she?

Mamoru: She said it was because Motoki couldn't make it, and she wouldn't be caught dead with me otherwise.

Zoi: Gee, I wonder why? You think it might have anything to do with how you act like a complete and utter jerk whenever she's nearby?

Mamoru: Yeah, well–

Zoi: Have you ever smiled at her? Or paid her a compliment? Or said anything kind to her at all? Or are you too worried she'll break your heart if you give her an opportunity to reject you for no reason at all?

Mamoru: …oh. [ponders this carefully]

Zoi: [gathers his books] It's time for class.

[Lunch. Zoi is walking with Umino to the cafeteria. Zoi has mixed emotions, not only about seeing Kunzite, but all the O'Sama's for that matter, in light of his recent Google research. The closer he get the cafeteria, the more his fear intensifies. Would they be able to smell his fear, he wonders. What if Kunzite wanted him to come sit with him again?]

[Zoi and Umino enter the cafeteria and Zoi feels a shiver of panic when he sees the O'Sama table is completely empty. He scans the cafeteria to see if they changed tables but there is no sign of them anywhere. Zoi feels desolate.]

Mamoru: [Slides in next to Usagi, who is slicing Motoki's food for him] Hello, Usagi, you're looking lovely this morning.

Usagi: [suspicious] What's that supposed to be mean?

Mamoru: It means you look pretty. Not that you don't always look pretty, but I thought it bore mentioning.

Usagi: You're being weird. What brought this on?

Mamoru: Oh, nothing. I realize I've been acting like a complete jerk and I've decided to grow up a little. I'm really looking forward to the dance next weekend.

Usagi: Really?

Mamoru: [nods] Don't you dare dance with anyone else. I'm sure all the other boys will die of jealousy when they see I'm with the prettiest girl there.

[Usagi smiles and gives Mamoru her complete attention, while Motoki is completely forgotten.]

[Zoi is feeling glum. He also has big plans for next Saturday, but the O'Sama family's unexplained absence is causing him to worry. He sits with his friends and eats, taking comfort in the fact that Mamoru is actually being sweet to Usagi for once, and Usagi seems rather euphoric about it. But his eyes keep searching for Kunzite, and Kunzite is nowhere to be found.]

Usagi: …so Zoi, are you in?

Zoi: Huh? [wasn't paying attention]

Usagi: You're going shopping with us tomorrow night, aren't you? Naru's mom is driving us and we're going for Italian food afterwards.

Zoi: [still not paying much attention] Sure.

Usagi: Cool.

[Zoi goes to biology class and of course Kunzite's seat remains empty. He wants to believe Kunzite's simply late, but of course the whole family was missing at lunch, and Neffy's seat remains empty as well. He's getting no sense of their presence. He's starting to think they've left town, and he worries they might not be back.]

[That night Zoi's dad is working and he's channel surfing during dinner to take his mind off his loneliness. He flips through a bunch of channels, but then hears the name Kunzite in passing so he surfs back a few channels.]

TV: –always an attractive option, if you're looking for something regal and exotic, nothing beats the rare and lustrous beauty of Kunzite.

Zoi: That's for sure.

TV: However, it is a notorious hard gem to work with. All though they are as hard as quartz, the crystals are extremely brittle, which makes Kunzite incredibly fragile. Not only that, the color will it fade in the sunlight. Gemcutters need to be very careful during the faceting process since they've been known to completely fall to pieces if the wrong type of pressure is applied.

[Zoi turns off the TV. He doesn't want to hear that sort of thing.]