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Bed of Roses - A Valentine's Day Story

Chapter Two
By Aimee

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Rays of sunlight seeped into Usagi's bedroom and
played across her slumbering face.  She smiled in
her sleep, for her dreams were sweet that morning.
Hugging a pillow tightly, she snuggled deeper under
her comforter and attempted to stay asleep for a
few more precious moments.  Ah, the joys of Saturday
morning, when there was no alarm clock or screaming
kitty to spoil a wonderful dream.  Still, Usagi's
eyes slowly began to open as the brilliant sunlight
of the day aroused her from her dreams.  She sat up
slowly and stretched with a loud yawn.  She inhaled
deeply and noted that something smelled wonderful. . .
like fresh flowers after the rain.  She looked
around for the source.

The bright sunlight of morning streamed into Usagi's
windows and lighted up the confused face that she
wore.  She looked to her left and to her right, rubbed
her eyes, and then looked some more.  Was she dreaming?
Or had she truly woken up in a bed of roses?

Rose petals, pink ones, were everywhere.  On her
pillow and all over her bed.  They were even in
her hair.  She gasped in surprise as she pulled
a few from her golden tresses.  They were beautiful,
but how had they gotten there?  Silently, Usagi
touched the silken petals gently, afraid that she
might spoil the dream somehow if she handled them
otherwise.

Glancing at her pillow once more, she saw that the
bouquet of yellow roses had been carefully removed
and set on her night table, and that a card now lay
in it's former place on the pillow.  Usagi picked
it up with trembling and excited hands and read.

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Lovely Usako,

Pink roses symbolize gratitude and appreciation.
Know that I every time I look upon you, I look
through the mist of grateful tears.  I've been
waiting for you a very long time.  Now the dream
that I've been waiting for is coming true.  The
dream is you.

An admirer.

PS. . . Happy Valentine's Day

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Surely. . . *surely* this was a dream.  Usagi
pinched herself and squealed a moment later in
pain.  Okay, so maybe it wasn't a dream.  Last
night, the card was signed "a friend" and today
it was "an admirer."  Usagi blinked back excited
tears as the hands that held the card began to
tremble.  She had a secret admirer!  How exciting!
And flattering. . .

But who was it?  Usagi was never one to like secrets
or guessing games, and this was no exception.
Turning the card over, she saw no card shop name
and no hint as to where the flowers had come from.
Determined, the odangoed-one stumbled out of bed
and hurried downstairs to find a phone directory.

"Morning, Mom," she said quickly as she passed the
older woman in the kitchen.

"Morning?  It's two o'clock in the afternoon,"
Usagi's mother quipped, a little peeved with her
daughter for forgetting to clean the kitchen the
night before.  "You've slept half the day away."

But Usagi didn't hear her, for she had already
claimed the coveted phone directory and darted
back upstairs, cordless phone in hand.  Plopping
down on her rose-laden bed, she then proceeded to
call every flower shop in town, but no one knew or
could tell her anything.  Frustrated, Usagi sighed,
not wanting to give up but seeing no other option.

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The girls chattered happily in the arcade booth
about the Valentine's Day dance that night.  It
was to be held in a warehouse on the university
campus downtown, and Usagi's friends noted with
glee that almost every male that would be there
would be a college student.  Their little junior
high hearts soared with excitement as they chattered.
But one heart in the group was soaring for another
reason.

Minako was the first to notice Usagi's high spirits.
It was a complete turn around from the day before
when the girl had been depressed and silent.  Now,
Usagi's head was in the clouds, and she hummed a
little song under her breath happily.  Her eyes
stared out the window dreamily, and every once in
a while she would smile for no apparent reason.
"Hmmm. . . " Minako murmured thoughtfully under
her breath.

"Usagi-chan, have you decided whether or not you're
going to go to the dance?" Ami asked, pulling the
blond out of her reverie.

"You should go!" Makoto exclaimed.  "It's going to
be so much fun!"

"It wouldn't be nearly as amusing if you weren't
there to make fun of," Rei chimed in.

Usagi smiled.  "Don't worry.  I'll be there."
After all, maybe her admirer would be there. . .

The girls cheered, and then quickly proceeded to
find out exactly what Usagi would be wearing.  "I'm
not sure," Usagi stammered.  "I haven't really
thought about it."

"Wear that pink shirt you bought last week," Makoto
suggested.

"We'll see.  I was thinking about. . . "  Here,
Usagi's voice trailed off as her eyes lifted and
focused on something, or rather someone, behind
the heads of the girls across from her.  Her
friends looked up, following her gaze, and gasped
nervously when they saw Mamoru standing there.

"Good afternoon, ladies," he said smoothly.  "I
was wondering if I might have a word with Odango
Atama."

"Well, then why don't you ask her?" Rei quipped.

"Very well," he answered.  "Odango?  A moment of
your time?"

Reluctantly, Usagi arose from the booth, trying
her best to glare at the man, but it was difficult.
She hated hiding these feelings inside of her but
was entirely to embarrassed to let them show.  "What
is it?" she asked as they sat in another booth.

Mamoru smiled.  "I just wanted to apologize for
yesterday, Odango.  I'm sorry for what happened."

"You say you're 'sorry' and call me 'Odango' in the
same sentence.  That's not what I would call a
convincing apology," Usagi said in an aggravated tone.

"Sorry, Odango.  Old habits die hard, and this one
is especially stubborn."

"Well then, I suppose that I'll accept your apology,
but don't think for a minute that this changes
anything between us," Usagi remarked as she crossed
her arms over her chest and glowered at the man.

"Oh, so you still hate me then?" Mamoru asked smoothly,
a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I. . . " Usagi faltered, blushing a little.  "I
didn't say that."

"Really?  So you don't hate me?" inquired Mamoru.
Usagi meekly shook her head, her cheeks blushing a
little deeper.  "Well, at least that's progress."

Progress?  What the heck was that supposed to mean?
Usagi didn't have a time to ask him, for he got up
from the booth and began to leave.  "Mamoru!" she
called as she jumped up and walked to where he was
standing.  "This is for you," she said as she pulled
out a small white envelope from her pocket and handed
it to the man.  Shyly, she leaned up and pecked him
on the cheek.  "Happy Valentine's Day, and I'm sorry
about yesterday, too."

He smiled.  "Thanks, Odango."

With that, the blushing girl went to rejoin her
friends, who were gaping at her with astonishment.
Meanwhile, Mamoru walked over to the counter where
Motoki stood, equally as shocked.  "She kissed me,"
Mamoru announced smugly.

"On the cheek," Motoki reminded his friend.

"A couple of inches to the southwest and it could
be love," said Mamoru with a smile.

"If I recall correctly, it was a couple of feet to
the southwest where she dumped that chocolate shake
yesterday. . . "

"Motoki?"

"What?"

"Shut up."

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Ja!

Aimee
sailor_moon89@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Teahouse/4986/

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