By Haruka

Haruka stole another sideways glance at Amara. Even the other girl's profile was identical to her own. How could they look so much alike?
Amara glanced her way and then averted her gaze. "Weird, huh?"
"Very," Haruka agreed, stuffing her hands in her pockets. Michiru slipped her arm through Haruka's and smiled reassuringly at her. The blonde tomboy felt better with the contact.
Amara noticed the gesture and felt a stab of envy. They looked so comfortable together.
"Amara?"
She turned to Seiya, startled out of her thoughts. "Sorry, did you say something?"
He grinned. "I was just trying to get your attention. But I understand if you're preoccupied."
"Have you known her a long time?" she asked, shifting her gaze briefly to Haruka.
"Yeah, we've lived in the same neighborhood and gone to the same schools forever." He looked a little embarrassed. "Although I can't say we've always been friends."
"But you are now?"
"We came to terms, and I guess I proved to her I can be trusted."
"What was that, Seiya?" Michiru piped up innocently. "Did you say something about _trust_?"
Seiya cleared his throat while Haruka chuckled. Amara wasn't sure what was going on, and she wasn't good at being left out of things. "What's all the innuendo about? Something I should know?"
"Seiya has a boyfriend," Michiru answered.
Damn, Amara thought, hoping her face didn't reveal her disappointment. In the next moment, though, she decided Seiya had been a little too eager to respond to her kiss for someone who was happy in his relationship. That thought made her smile, and she said breezily, "Whoever they are, I guess I'm a better kisser."
Haruka laughed and Michiru shushed her. Seiya blushed and wisely kept his mouth shut.
"Hey," Haruka said suddenly, "what's that?"
Everyone saw the Quartet turn a corner up ahead, balancing something on their shoulders. Something trailing a long brown braid.
"Duo!" Amara exclaimed.
"You know him?" Seiya asked.
"He lives with us at the group home," Amara explained. "He's okay, I guess, although his perpetual cheerfulness can grate on the nerves sometimes." She ran a hand through her hair. "So what are those girls doing with him, anyway?"
Michiru had started at the sight of Amara raking her fingers through her blonde tresses in the exact way Haruka did - it was almost creepy. She shook off the feeling and focused back on the scene up ahead. "It looks like they're taking him to Haruka's house," she said. "There they go up the driveway."
"We'd better hurry before they freak out your parents, Haruka," Seiya began to speed up, but Haruka stopped him.
"Nah, let them get freaked," she said with an impish grin. "We'll get there soon enough and then they'll be freaked beyond belief anyway."

"I'm coming!" Zoisite called at the sound of the doorbell.
"It's all right, Zoi, I'm already here." Kunzite opened the door and blinked in surprise. "Uh, Zoi? Maybe you should come here after all."
Zoisite came into the foyer and gasped. "Girls! What are you doing with that poor boy?"
"Presenting evidence that Haruka's not a liar!" Jun Jun declared. She and her sisters simultaneously heaved Duo onto the carpet at the adults' feet.
"Oof!" Duo grunted. "Not so rough, girls! I'm delicate!"
"Exactly _what_ is going on?!" Kunzite asked while Zoisite untied Duo from Ves Ves' whip.
"That's the guy Haruka met in the arcade yesterday!" Jun Jun said.
"While she was supposedly driving the car that nearly hit her mother!" Cere Cere added.
"See the braid?" Palla Palla yanked on it. "He has pretty hair! Palla Palla wants to take it down and put ribbons in it."
"Ouch! Over my decomposing body, sweetheart," Duo told her. "Now could someone tell _me_ what's going on?!"
"You played video games with a tall girl yesterday, right?" Ves Ves asked. "One with short blonde hair?"
Duo's eyes lit up. "Yeah! The one who looks just like Amara! I meant to tell her about that, but she was all upset about something and - "
"WHO is Amara?" Zoisite demanded.
"I am," came a voice from the doorway.

End of chapter 22

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