Don't have much to say except Hi! ^^ Hope you're all enjoying; I know I am. Feedback is much appreciated, but not necessarily deserved. ^^ slr_europa@yahoo.com http://www.geocities.com/slr_europa/ AIM:: SeeShelliRun **************************************** Teachers Pet 3/? By Sailor Europa 'Finally…' Mamoru thought as his Monday as Chiba-sensei came to a close with the final dismissal bell. Like a shot, all thirty students bolted from their seats and made a b-line for the classroom door. "Usagi-san…." Mamoru called, biting his tongue before he had a chance to reveal his pet name for her. She paused immediately, and turned around before getting a chance to gather her belongings. She gave him an even glare, and he sighed, bristling. She was not going to make it easy on him . "I'd like to see you a moment before you leave, please." Usagi cast a wary glance at the other departing students, and when she was sure that they were all out of ear shot, her gaze turned to ice. "Why?" She inquired, thrusting her hands on her hips, not taking a step closer to where he sat at his desk. He rolled his eyes and pulled his glasses from his nose. "Usagi, we need to discuss something. Please come here." "I can hear you just fine from here." She stated firmly, and crossed her arms defiantly over her chest, tipping her nose in the air. He clenched his fists in aggravation and shook his head, telling himself to just calm down. You're supposed to be the *adult*, Mamoru, he thought; act like it. "Fine." She conceded, grudgingly. "Usagi, I thought we should discuss your grades a bit…." "Excuse me?" "Your grades. I've noticed in the few assignments you've bothered to turn in, that you aren't doing that well." "EXCUSE me?!" "Usagi, you already said that." By this time, the short blonde was gaping openly at her elder counterpart, arms limply at her sides in shock. She shook her head and he watched her eyes flame angrily. "Look, as your teacher-." "You are NOT my teacher, Chiba Mamoru." She bit out. He caught her cold expression sit like marble on her face; he tilted his head, a bit confused. "You are an imposter whose only purpose in MY life is to make me feel as bad as possible about myself." "Usagi…" He added, before she cut him off again. "Why are you here, anyway, Mamoru? I don't get this." She walked a bit closer, weaving her way expertly through the throngs of desks in her way. "You're 21, and you certainly aren't studying to be any kind of teacher. Is this all some elaborate plot to work your way into every aspect of my life, just to ruin it? What, are you going to show up at my door step next and claim to be my long-lost brother?" Mamoru cringed a bit at that, but remained silent as she finished up her tirade. "Look, I was grading your work from this weekend, and it wasn't up to par." His voice rose an octave and he stood from his anxiety of the situation. After all his agonizing over this, she was going to give him grief? "I'm only trying to help." "I don't need YOUR help, Chiba Mamoru." She stated simply, icicles dripping from her tone. "If I wanted to be made fun of for hours more than normal, I'd hang out at the Temple." "Why are you making this so difficult?" He growled, slamming his briefcase shut, and thrusting his chair backwards as he stood up. She looked incredulous. "Me?" She squeaked. "You're the one who invaded my territory, and then proceeds to bat those baby blues at all my friends," She fluttered her eyelashes in mock flirtation. "and slop sugar all over this room." She stood up straight suddenly. "That isn't you, Mamoru!" "And what is "me", praytell?" Mamoru was yelling at this point, completely and utterly exhausted with the whole situation. To think he had actually believed he could help her! No wonder she was horrible in school! She wouldn't let anyone try to educate her! "You seem to know me pretty well. Tell me, Tsukino Usagi: Who am I?" That halted her argument pretty quick. He gave a short nod and then whipped his face with his hands. "Exactly. You presume to be an expert on who I am and what I'm about, but you don't know enough to even back up your argument." He clicked his attaché case shut with a flourish and pulled his fingers through his hair with a sigh. "Have your homework tomorrow Usagi. I won't tolerate any more nonsense from you, from now on." Without another word, she turned on her heel, thrust her books under her am and stalked out of the room before he could mutter another hurried phrase. He watched her pony-tails until they disappeared through the door-jam, and with the final slam of the wood and glass, he laid his face in his hands and exhaled loudly. This, he mused profoundly, had not gone well at all. He had expected her to be resistant, but to put up such a fight had taken him by surprise. He had been left with no tactful words or ideas to offer, and so he had resorted to yelling and bickering. He insulted her, and to top it off, he even added idle threats to the mix. He shook his head, and then heard his forehead land on the oak desk with a resounding "thud". Usagi had been right about one thing. He was certainly not cut out for teaching. ***** "I WILL MURDER HIM! I SWEAR, NO ONE WILL EVER FIND HIS BODY!" "Usagi, calm down!" "NO!" "YES!" The blonde blinked back at Makoto as she playfully slugged her shoulder and chuckled lightly to lift the despondent mood Usagi had brought with her. She sighed, not bothering to return the smile, but scowled absently instead. "Thank you." Mako-chan grinned. "Usagi, what on earth happened this afternoon? Why did Mamoru request to see you?" Ami questioned, stepping beside her long faced friend. Usagi gave her a hardened glare and huffed. "He told me he's concerned about my grades." She sniffed out, through clenched teeth, her mind still seething about the conversation she was engaged in not 30 minutes prior. Ami tilted her head. "He said he wants to help me! He had the nerve to get all….all…self-righteous on me!" She stumbled for the right word. "Yeah, the balls of that guy…Trying to play teacher." Makoto noted, scornfully, rolling her eyes. Usagi just stared in anger at her taller friend, who simply chuckled in return. "That's not it! He acted like I should just trust him!" She replied, her arms flailing wildly as her voice rose. "After all the stuff he put me through, and he expects me to just accept his concern as real!" "Is that all you talked about?" Ami prodded and Usagi shook her head. "No. We got into it pretty bad and he accused me of being presumptuous about him." Usagi's voice got smaller, and Ami and Makoto exchanged identical looks over her head. "Were you?" "I might have accused him of trying to invade my space on purpose." She said, weakly. "Oh, nice." Makoto added sarcastically, earning another glare from her shorter counterpart. "Usagi…." Ami tore in, in an accusing tone. "What am I suppose to think? That he's just done a complete 180? That he's changed over night? Ami, I'm not about to sit by and let him hurl insults at me anymore than I have to. Why should I have to put up with it?" She said, firmly. Ami sighed. "I never said you should, Usagi." She paused, choosing her words very carefully before she proceeded. "But you aren't the best student. And Mamoru IS your teacher now…." "Ami!" She choked out, eyeing her suspiciously. "What are you trying to say?" "I'm saying that you shouldn't have been so rash! Did he ACTUALLY insult you during this whole conversation?" She asked. Usagi blushed and shook her head. "No, but he would have….I know it." "So you *were* being presumptuous." "No, I was going from his usual pattern." Usagi shrugged in reply. "You can't do that, Usagi. If he wasn't planning on a personal attack, then you were in the wrong, and you should be the one to apologize." "Ami!" "I agree." Makoto jumped in suddenly, and Usagi could feel tears well up in her eyes. She was having a hard time understanding why her friends, of all people, would take the side of a man who had gotten his kicks out of making her feel worse. Couldn't they see what a horrible person he was? "You guys….!" She wailed. "Usagi, I can't make you apologize." Ami sighed, giving in and putting an arm around her whimpering friend. "But I think you should at least hear Mamoru-san out on this. You've never been a studious person, and he might be able to help you." She shook her head with a slight giggle. "Heaven knows I've never been able to." "Ami…." "Onegai, Usagi? For your own sake?" She pleaded and Usagi groaned. "I'll think about it." And that, she thought, was about all she planned on doing. ***** Knock knock knock. Mamoru lifted his eyes from the page he had been reading and aimed his gaze at the wooden door 50 feet in front of him. Through the misted glass he could see a figure standing on the other side. He threw a quick glance at the clock above his head; 7:30. The students never arrived until the last possible moment. "Come in." He said, setting his reading material aside and stepping away from his chair. "Mamoru…." Came a small whisper as a blonde head poked its way into the classroom. Mamoru blinked. "Usagi?" He asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?" "Um, I guess I came to….um." She spoke in a hushed tone and shuffled her feet nervously below her. This, she thought, was definitely not worth missing a whole half hour of sleep. She couldn't believe she had let her friends talk her into apologizing to this rat! "Look, Usagi, if you're going to be able to get this sentence out in the next 25 minutes, I'd really appreciate it." He glanced at the clock impatiently again. "Otherwise, see if you can muster the vocal power later, because I really don't have the time." "Fine, I don't *have* to apologize then." With an indignant glare, she huffed and spun on her heel. Mamoru's head jerked to attention, and he rose within a matter of seconds. "Apologize?" "Yes, sensei." She replied sarcastically, and Mamoru gave an embarrassed smile, catching the slightly ruffled blonde off guard. "Gomen, Usagi. That was really hasty of me. I shouldn't have been so curt." The elder mans eyes stuck to the floor like glue, and Usagi was amazed to find his teacher- bravado vanished. He actually looked….ashamed? Was that even possible for such a colossal jerk as him, she mused. "Please forgive me." "OooooK." She shook her head and stepped back into the room, her hands clasped behind her back, black bag slapping her calves as she walked. "And I'd like to say I'm sorry as well." Mamoru sighed, then quickly added. "For the other day. I let my anger and the stress over this new responsibility get the better of my judgment. I should be able to handle my emotions, and apparently I can't." "I said some things I probably could have kept inside, too." She mumbled, regaining her nervousness after such a shock of genuine honesty from her nemesis. Sure, he *seemed* sincere, she told herself, but one little moment of vulnerability wasn't going to be enough to catch her off guard. She had to get this over with quick, before she found more warm-fuzzies. "So can we just forget it ever happened? Onegai?" She silently added 'So I can get Ami and Mako off my back for good?' "Of course." He smiled and nodded, apparently extremely relieved at this change. His cheeks crinkled up under the strain and Usagi could feel something strangely close to butterflies blossoming in her stomach. She rarely saw the man so pleased, and perhaps he had been even more bothered by their tiff than she had realized. She cocked her head to the side, wondering why such a measly disagreement between two who professed to be enemies, would be so disheartening. Didn't they fight practically everyday? Over everything under the sun? But this had been different, Usagi realized suddenly. The level of this argument had been different. Before it was the small petty squabbles about her hair and his voice; this had been more tangible. Without knowing it, the two had ascended to a new height, and threatened to bring their whole odd relationship to a new place; friendship. Mamoru had been offering a helping hand, and although she was just barely admitting it to herself, it had been a sincere effort to assist in her education. Deep down Usagi knew that there must be some kind of a heart, but to be forced with that kind of information so suddenly was a hard thing to accept. In fact, she wasn't even sure if she was ready for it now. "Ne, Usagi…." Mamoru began, hedging his words carefully. She looked up at him and blinked. "I hope this doesn't seem like I'm harping on this, but I would like to try to help you with your school work." "Why?" 'Why?' She asked him? He shook his head, consciously checking his tone before even coming close to blowing up. He had just offered her a heart felt apology and she was still giving him grief? "Why?" He repeated his very thoughts. "Because you don't seem to spend the amount of time needed to succeed in school." "That still doesn't answer my question." She stated calmly. "It doesn't?" "Mamoru, we've never been friends." She said flatly. "So why are you trying to play the 'concerned teacher' routine all of a sudden?" His jaw flapped open. To be honest with himself, Mamoru really had no idea. She wasn't the only person in the class who wasn't doing well; why single her out for extra attention? "B…because I care about your well-being." There, that sounded good. Usagi snorted. "Since when?" "Since now!" His tone rose, and he could feel his face get flushed with anger. Did this girl not know how to accept a compliment? "Usagi," He said, calming himself with a deliberate sigh. "I'm just trying to do what I think is best for you, as my student. Why must there be a hidden agenda?" 'There. That got her.' He thought. He could hardly conceal a smug grin from appearing as he watched her mouth go dry. She was silent for moments on end, apparently contemplating exactly how to respond, before she finally heaved a huge shrug of her shoulders and let her head hang, defeated. "All right, all right!" She muttered, shaking her head. "I'll let you help me." Before he could even respond with an affirmative, she narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "But one harsh word, and I am SO going to the principle to report your sorry butt!" ***** "Usagi-chan, you're leaving early." Ami stated plainly two days later as the small clique had gathered at the Temple. "Yeah, I uh, have some place I need to be." She said calmly, putting her shoes back on her feet besides the door. Ami cocked her head thoughtfully as she watched her pigtailed friend work quickly gathering her books and not bothering to look any of them in the eye. Makoto and Ami exchanged glances. Usagi had been on edge all day in school; She had barely touched her lunch, and when Mamoru had walked into the room wearing that horrid green blazer, complete with matching tie, Usagi hadn't uttered a word. "Really?" Ami leaned in farther into the table. "Where?" "I have to go back to school." All four of the others craned their necks to hear *this*. Usagi – Going back to school when she'd already left for the day? "Are they having a pie eating contest or something?" Rei chortled. Ami rolled her eyes and mentally urged Usagi on. "No!" The blonde threw an icy glare at her so-called nemesis and for a second Ami was sure the two would start an all out tongue war, and they would never find out what miracle had occurred to get Usagi back into school willingly. Usagi heaved a huge sigh and threw her pack over her left shoulder and reached for the door. "I'm being tutored." She practically whispered. Crickets chirped. A pin dropped. A hush fell over the crowd. "….Usagi?" "I have to go, or I'm going to be late." Her voice was so despondent the others almost felt bad for her, which, in itself was obscene. Her education was important, and that was a fact they had all tried to stress on her. But the morbid expression and sagging shoulders just looked….depressing. As the door slammed behind her, no one moved. Minako finally spoke the words they were all thinking. "What in Kami-sama just happened?" ************************************************* WAAAAAAY too short guys, I know. Kinda sad, but I needed to end it in a place that kept this chapter both short and without any major WAFF. I also needed to get this out of the way so I could work on Need Me for Wv.T Day! ^^ So, hope you enjoy this REALLY short chapter! Ja! slr_europa@yahoo.com http://www.geocities.com/slr_europa AIM :: SeeShelliRun