Title:Blazing.Part 2
Author:Tapestry
Email:Shaddow_Cat@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Teahouse/5879
Standard Disclaimer Apply
*denotes thought
19/5/01

"Woman was created from the ribs of man
 Not from his head to top him
 Nor from his feet to be walked upon
 She was made from his side to be his equal
 From beneath his arms to be protected
 From very near his heart to be loved."
         --Anonymous--

And now, a crash course in Japanese:
shimatta - damn it!
ohayo(gozaimasu) - good morning
gomen(nasai) - sorry
baka - idiot
gaki - brat
hai - yes
konbanwa - good evening
arigatou - thank you
sayonara - good bye
irasshaimase - welcome(in shops, etc)
AN: Excuse me about prices. I don't know hom much they charge or even the
    exchange rate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Tenou Haruka narrowed her blue eyes and glanced at the other car racing
alongside her. She smirked at her competitor.
  *I'm going to win.*
  Kou Seiya gave the driver of the car beside him a swift glance and locked
his fingers harder around the steering wheel.
  *Not if I can help it.*

  Haruka and Seiya stepped harder on the accelerators, twisting and turning
at curves. If it had been anybody else, they would have been screaming in
panic at such dangerous curves. But to these two, it was the adrenaline 
rush. They reveled in it.

  Usagi stood at the finishing line, boredom etched on her face. Mamoru
frowned at her demeanor. She was alternately glancing at her watch and
the road.
  In fact, most of the Silver Stars were silent. Examining their nails,
smoothing their outfits and yawning.
  Mamoru rolled his eyes. He turned his eyes to his team mates as they
watched the road intently. Some of them watching the girls.
  *Bakas.*

  Minutes later, the purring of two cars could be heard as they raced
towards the finish line.
  At that moment, the two groups perked up. The Gold Speed group were
cheering for Seiya while the girls were shouting for Haruka.
  "Go Haruka!!"
  "Seiya!! Seiya!!"
  "Haruka!! Come on!! Faster!!"
  "You're almost there Seiya!! Faster!!"
  "Come on 'Ruka!! Beat that male!! Ram him off the road!!" shouted Makoto.
  "MAKOTO!!" exclaimed the girls as they turned to glare at her.
  "Control that bloodthirsty attitude of yours." reprimanded Usagi.

  The men were staring at them, their mouths agape at Makoto's words.

  Usagi turned and grinned sheepishly. "She's a little excited and doesn't
trust guys much."
  "I'm not-mmphhhm.."
  The other girls had quickly and tactfully smothered their team mate's
words with their hands as they smiled sheepishly at the men.
  "Mako-chan has it rough. Don't worry about her. She always says things
like that." said Minako.
  Makoto pried their hands off her mouth just as both cars went over the
line.
  "SHIMATTA!!!" exclaimed Makoto.
  "MAKOTO!!!" shouted the four girls.
  "They tied!!" explained Makoto.

  The four girls turned their heads to the cars.
  "WHAT???"
  "TIED??"
  "IMPOSSIBLE!!"
  "I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!"
  "SHIMATTA!!!" exclaimed the four girls in unison.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Begrudgingly, the two teams shook hands and admitted to a tie and went
their seperate ways.

  "I can't believe it. A tie. And it happened to Ruka-chan too!" exclaimed
Minako who was holding  bags from her shopping spree.
  "Leave it off, Mina-chan." sighed Michiru.
  "Right, no need to add salt to a wound." grumbled Haruka testily.
  "Hai, gomen, Ruka-chan. I just cannot believe it." said Minako.
  "I say we should have a rematch!!" snapped Makoto.
  "What do you think Usa-chan??" asked Rei as she turned to the blonde
odangoed-girl.
  Usagi shrugged. "I don't know. Why don't we just forget it for now. 
It's Saturday. We're supposaed to be shopping." sighed Usagi wearily 
as she listened to the group bicker.

  "How could you have lost Seiya???" asked Yaten as he walked slowly, his
hands in his pockets.
  "Oh be quiet." growled Seiya who was in a bad mood.
  Motoki laughed and slapped him on the back. "Awww, don't be like that,
Seiya-kun. Everybody has their off days now and again. Even Mamoru-kun."
  "Right!" agreed Taiki, trying to stop his grumpy cousin before he 
puched out his other cousin.
  "It's just not right!! I feel like a second class baka.!! I should have
won that race!!!" exclaimed Seiya in an angry outburst.
  Taiki sighed. "Alright. You're already a second rate baka. So don't go
adding second class gaki to the list, okay???" he asked.
  "Hai, okaa-chan." mumbled Seiya testily.
  Motoki chuckled.
  Mamoru  rolled his eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Usagi glanced at her watch, her eyes going wide at the time.

  "Aie nani??!!! 3.45pm?? I'm late!!" exclaimed Usagi.
  "Usa-chan??"
  "I have to go, gomen. My part-time job begins at 4pm! Ja ne!" called Usagi
as she began to run down the sidewalk dodging people.
  "Usagi-chan is always late."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

  "Usagi-chan, there you are. I thought you wouldn't show up." said a girl
hanging up her uniform.
  "Of course not Ami-chan, what *gasp* made you *wheeze* think of something 
like that??" asked Usagi panting as she stumbled into the locker room.
  "Well, it's your shift now. I have to go home and study. Ja ne, 
Tsukino-san." smiled the petite girl.
  "Hai, ja ne."

  Usagi watched as the petite girl walked out of the fast food restaurant
and hop into a dark blue Peugeot.
  She smiled to herself. It was so cute sometimes to watch other girls get
picked up after work by their boyfriends.

  The bell jangled announcing the arrival of customers. Usagi straightened
and smiled brightly.
  "Irrashaimase! May I take your order?" smiled Usagi.

  Her smile didn't diminish even when she saw who the customers were. The
members of Gold Speed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Mamoru and his friends pushed open the door to the fast food restaurant.
He hoped food would help shut his noisy friends up. As he entered, he heard
a silvery tinkle of a voice.
  "Irrashaimase! May I take your order?"

  He turned to see who it was and came face to face with Tsukino Usagi,
leader of the Silver Stars.

  "What a coincedence." smiled Mamoru.
  "Hai, Chiba-san. May I take your order?" asked Usagi still maintaining a
friendly smile.

  "Hai, 2 cokes and 3 milkshakes with 5 double deluxe burgers." cut in 
Yaten eagerly.
  "Hai. 2 cokes, 3 milkshakes and 5 double deluxe burgers." repeated Usagi
as she turned and collected the order and placed it on two trays.
"That will be 164¥." said Usagi. 

  "Mamoru-kun's paying!!" chimed all four of the men as they rushed off with
the trays.
  Mamoru gave a groan as he stared at his traitorous friends. Pulling his
wallet from his pocket, Mamoru gave a sigh and took out the money.

  As he stood there waiting for his change, Mamoru stared at his wallet.
He really needed to get a part-time job soon if he wanted to shut his 
friends up, pay for his car's gas AND mantain his expensive girlfriend.
Sure he had a trust fund set up with enough money to keep him living 
modestly for years to come, but his girlfriend wouldn't say so. He really
had to dump her soon.

  "Here's your change." smiled Usagi.
  "Huh? Oh." acknowledged Mamoru taking the bills.

  As he turned to walk away, a thought hit him.

  "Um, Tsukino-san?"
  "Hai?"
  "Is this place hiring??" asked Mamoru.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  "I can't believe this!! You, Chiba Mamoru just got a part-time job at 
that fast-food restaurant???" gaped Motoki.
  "A guy's got to have enough money, Motoki-kun."
  "Yeah, especially when you have a girlfriend like Yuri. I think you
should have gotten together with Saori." said Seiya with a burp.
  "Saori?? She's only a friend, Seiya-kun." protested Mamoru.
"Besides...I think I have to give up Yuri."
  Motoki's chuckle turned into a snort of stifled laughter.

  "Mamoru-kun, any blind idiot could see Saori-chan likes you." snorted
Motoki as he tried to contain his laughter. "And give up Yuri? She's not
going to let you, Mamoru-kun."
  "Leave poor Mamoru-kun alone. He's got enough trouble working at a 
part-time job but with one of the Silver Stars no less." said Taiki.
  "She?? I don't see anything wrong with her. In fact, I think she's very
pretty. In fact, I'm surprised I didn't recognize her from school." grinned 
Seiya.
  "Baka." sighed Yaten.

  Mamoru was silent. She wasn't just pretty. She was beautiful, and that
could be a problem....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next day...

  Tsukino Usagi was busily wiping the counter clean when a tap on her 
shoulder made her turn around.
  "Konbanwa, Tsukino-san." came a deep sexy voice.
  "Konbanwa, Chiba-san. Please, call me Usagi."
  "Err..hai, you may call me Mamoru."
  The door jingled and Mamoru took his post at the counter and pasted a 
smile on his face.
  "Irrashaimase, may I take your order?"

  For the next week, Mamoru's life went quite well. He was even beginning to
enjoy working at the fast food restaurant. He and Usagi were working really
well with only the occasional argument over who was the faster team.

  "So, Usagi-chan...we'll settle this once and for all, same time up 
Cherry Hill Saturday night?" grinned Mamoru as he wiped his counter.
  Usagi shot him a look then a slow smile. "Hai. Same time. This time, I'm
sure the Silver Stars will beat Gold Speed." grinned Usagi.
  "Not if I have anything to say about it." chuckled Mamoru as he went to
the kitchen to get more mashed potatoes.

  The doorbell jingled and a girl with brown hair in a braid came in. Her
eyes scanning the restaurant before coming to rest on the counters.

  "Irrashaimase, may I take your order?" smiled Usagi brightly.
  The girl merely wrinkled her nose at Usagi and ignored her coming up to
rest her elbows on the counter, Mamoru handled.
  Usagi frowned.
  "Hey Usagi-chan, help me open the cover of the container-" came Mamoru's
voice before he stopped at the sight of the girl.
  "Mamoru-kun." purred the girl.
  "Yuri-chan." 
  "Um, Usagi-chan, can you handle this, onegai?" asked Mamoru turning to
look at her and holding out the pot of mashed potatoes.
  "Hai, of course, Mamoru-san."
  "Yes, go on with your work, USAGI-chan." hissed the girl maliciously.
  Usagi shot the girl a cold stare and rolled her eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  "Why haven't you answered by calls, Mamoru-kun?? And who's she??" hissed
Yuri.
  "I've been busy. Besides, I thought I made it clear the other day." said
Mamoru as he cleared the counter top and placed a new tray there.
  "You don't mean that, Mamoru-kun...it's because of her isn't it." accused
Yuri as her finger pointed at Usagi.
  Usagi snorted with laughter, nearly dropping the pot of gravy she had 
just brought out.
  "Usagi-chan is a colleague." snapped Mamoru. "It's over, Azimato-san."
  Yuri's lips turned into a pout. Turning on her heel, Yuri stormed away 
with a flounce. "I hate you, Chiba Mamoru baka!!" snapped the shrill voice.

  Usagi wore a smirk on her mouth.
  "Wow...you showed her, huh??" laughed Usagi. "You're better off without
gaki's like that."
  "You would know ne, Odango?" teased Mamoru as he tugged on one of her
pigtails.
  Usagi stuck her tongue out at him. "Baka."

  Aino Minako watched with interest as Furuhata Motoki squirmed with 
uncertainty trying to talk to her cousin. She grinned gleefully and rubbed
her hands together. She wasn't called 'Matchmaking Minako' for nothing. Of
course, she wasn't called 'Cupid Aino' for no good reason either.

  "Reika, are you doing anything this Friday?" grinned Minako devilishly.
  "No..not really. What's up?" asked Reika turning curious eyes to her
cousin.
  "Oh, well...you see, I've got such lousy luck. I have to meet the girls
this Friday and I already bought two tickets to see that newest flick,
'Sometimes' and I thought maybe you and Motoki-kun might be free to watch it
in my place. The movie's at 7.30pm." 
  "Oh...well, what do you say, Motoki-kun?" asked Reika turning to Motoki
who looked like he was having trouble breathing.
  "Um..sure, why not?" answered Motoki in a squeaky sort of croak.
  "Great, here's the tickets." Minako smiled brilliantly as she handed one
each to her cousin and Motoki.
  "What time will you pick me up, Motoki-kun?" asked Reika.
  "Time??" he squeaked again.
  Reika giggle. "Hai, you know...the time? The thing that is told by a clock
or a watch?" she teased.
  "Oh-um, 6.45pm?" asked Motoki tentatively.
  "Alright, I have to run. Arigatou for the ticket, Mina-chan. Sayonara!"
  "Sayonara." called Minako and Motoki.
  "Well, I have to run too. Have a good time at the movies, Motoki-kun."
  "Er-ah, hai..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Mamoru was treated to the sight of Motoki banging his head on the counter
when he entered the Crown Cafe Arcade. He'd just gotten off work and had
decided to come see his friend and tell him about tonight and also to get
a nice cup of coffee.
  Motoki who was oblivious to Mamoru's entrance continued to bang his head
on the counter. "Baka-baka-baka-baka-baka-baka-baka-baka-baka-baka-baka."
  "Ahem.."
  "Mamoru-kun!! Konbanwa!" exclaimed Motoki jumping to attention, a flush 
creeping across his face.
  "Konbanwa, Motoki-kun. Um, why are you banging your head on the counter?"
asked Mamoru with a chuckle.
  "I'm such a baka. Minako-chan gives me the perfect opening to converse
with Reika-chan and not to mention setting up a date for me with her, and
what do I do??? I choke!!" groaned Motoki, his head falling forward to hit 
the shiny counter.
  "I see....well, your date better not be Saturday night. We're having a
rematch with the Silver Stars. Usagi-chan and I have already agreed." said
Mamoru.
  "So....it's Usagi-chan now eh?? And no, my date's on Friday. Tomorrow." 
answered Motoki as he began pouring some coffee. "Here comes the Kou 
cousins." he pointed out.
  "Konbanwa! How's everything??" called Seiya with a grin.
  "Konbanwa." greeted Mamoru and Motoki.
  "So, what's up?" asked Taiki ambling into the cafe.
  "Saturday night. Rematch with the Silver Stars." said Mamoru as he took
a sip from his coffee.
  Seiya, Taiki and Yaten dropped their drinks and turned to look at Mamoru.
 
  "Hey!! Watch it! I have to clean that up, you know!!" shouted Motoki.

  "Rematch??" echoed Seiya.
  "With the Silver Stars?" added Taiki.
  "Saturday night?" finished Yaten.

  "Hai. Problem?"

  The cousins turned to look at each other then back to Mamoru's calm face.

  "Iie!! Of course not!! But...who's responsible for the race this time?"
asked Taiki as he scratched his head.
  "Mamoru-kun." answered Motoki.
  "And just who is racing? Not me I hope??" questioned Seiya.
  "Iie. Usagi-chan and I will be the ones racing." said Mamoru calmly.
  "Oh...Let's BEAT THE SILVER STARS!!!" crowed Seiya.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  "A rematch with Gold Speed??? Really?" asked Makoto, rubbing her hands
gleefully.
  "Mako-chan.."
  "Does this mean I get to pound them into the ground and make them eat my
dust??" questioned Makoto, an evil glint appearing in her eyes.
  "Makoto.."
  "Revenge for Ruka-chan will be so sweet when I-"
  "MAKOTO!!" shouted Usagi.
  "Huh?"
  "I will be the one racing this time." announced Usagi. "Just as 
Mamoru-san will."
  "Chiba-san? Really?" breathed Minako.
  "Chiba Mamoru?? The leader of the Gold Speed racers?" asked Rei.
  "He IS??" exclaimed Haruka.
  "Mamoru-san?? Oh, this will be one match to remember." stated Michiru.
  "Drat." muttered Makoto.

  Usagi sighed and shook her head at Makoto.

  The group launched into a discussion on how good Chiba Mamoru was with
racing and turns. While Makoto merely sat on a pile of cushions munching
cookies, a frown on her face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  "Did you hear??" asked a guy with electric blue hair and matching electric
eyes. "Chiba Mamoru of Gold Speed is going to be racing this Saturday." he 
sighed.
  "So what?? Everybody's heard. It's a race with Tsukino Usagi of the 
Silver Stars up on Cherry Hill. Practically everybody knows." snorted a 
man with reddish-blonde hair and brown eyes.
  "It's practically all over the racing world. Chiba Mamoru has never been
defeated. Yet." added another guy who's hair was dyed pink and in a punk
style with matching reddish-brown eyes.
  "You think this Tsukino Usagi, a girl is going to beat Chiba Mamoru?"
asked the electric haired boy.
  "Iie. But I bet 'he' will." grinned the pink haired guy.
  "Let's go tell him." suggested the reddish-blonde.
  "This is Mugen Gakuen High. Two of the Silver Stars study here. Nah, he
would already know. Besides, he's probably with that girl, what's her name?
The one who has green eyes and dyed her hair green."
  "Midori Esmeraude." answered the boy with blue hair.
  "Hai, that's the one." nodded the pink haired boy, snapping his fingers.
  "Sigh...why is it practically everyone has a girlfriend??" asked the
reddish-blonde.
  The pink haired punk's mouth seemed to wobble. Then he straightened.
"Toraneko!! We're racers!! We don't NEED girlfriends!!" he exclaimed.
  "I know..I know...but I'm still very lonely." sighed the boy called
Toraneko.
  The blue haired boy snorted. "I don't even know why you guys bother. It's
not the end of the world if you don't have girlfriends." he muttered as he
checked his face in a compact mirror.
  "That's because you're GAY!!" shouted the other two.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To be continued...

Email me, email me, EMAIL MEEEEEEEE!!!!! I'm guessing you people should
already know who those three are at the end of this chapter?? Well, if you
don't, then you have to wait for the next chapter to find out. Until then,
ciao minna!! :)) 
11/9/01