Overcoming the Past Chapter 1, a sailor moon fanfic

Overcoming the Past: Chapter 1
Charlyne
[email protected]
06/14/03

Whispers raced down the hallway, preceding the blond who looked around with wary eyes. Girls and boys stopped to look at her as she walked past, staring rudely. Usagi tried her best to ignore them, keeping her face expressionless. She knew from experience that people tended to be extremely unfriendly to new students.

One more year, she told herself. In one year you'll be finished with high school and you won't need to worry about how petty kids can be.

It was Usagi's first day at Juuban High School. She'd moved three times since leaving her sister's house last year, she'd been to three different schools, but had made no friends. Any friends she'd had before leaving her sister's home had betrayed her. She shook her head over how silly people could be. Her so-called friends had claimed that it would ruin their reputation to be around her. And the high-society private school she'd attended had "suggested" she might be happier somewhere else.

Public school or private school, they're all the same. Immature.

Usagi stopped outside of her homeroom and took a deep breath. She wanted to make a good impression here, she'd been told by too many people that she was much too cynical and stand-offish. She had to give these people a chance. They don't know anything about you, so they can't judge you by your past.

She entered the room and bowed to the teacher. Haruna-sensei directed her to a seat beside a blond-haired blue-eyed girl who was chattering with the students around her.

"Hi!"

Usagi glanced over at the girl beside her and offered a small smile. "Hello."

"My name's Minako, you must be new," the blond said.

Usagi's first instinct was to snap at the girl, but she reminded herself that if she wanted to make friends she had to stop acting like everyone knew her secret and was ridiculing her. "I'm Usagi," she replied.

Minako's smile grew. Usagi knew the girl was probably curious about her, most people were when a new student transferred to their school. However, before Minako could ask any questions, Haruna-sensei began class. Usagi silently thanked whichever god was responsible. She didn't think she could handle people trying to pry into her life right now, even if it was under the guise of being friendly.

Class seemed to move at a snail's pace. Every time Usagi looked up from taking notes she found someone else's eyes resting on her. She bristled and held herself back from snapping at them. She told herself that the other students were just curious, they weren't being nosey. One pair of eyes made her skin crawl and the small hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Usagi glanced surreptitiously at the green-eyed girl. She could swear that hate was spitting from those eyes.

You're being silly. She doesn't know you, how can she hate you?

Usagi turned her gaze back to her notes. The girl's stare was unsettling but there was nothing she could do about it.

When class paused for lunch, Minako invited Usagi to join her. Hesitantly, Usagi sat outside with the bubbly blond. After taking a few bites of the food she'd brought from home, Usagi caught site of the green-eyed girl who'd given her the chills with her stare.

Deciding that she could at least trust Minako enough to get some information from her, Usagi asked, "Who is that girl?" She pointed at the person in question.

Minako followed Usagi's arm and frowned. The green-eyed redhead was one of the popular girls; and one of the most catty. She was not someone to mess with. "That's Beryl," Minako replied, pushing Usagi's hand down before Beryl saw Usagi pointing at her. Unfortunately, it was too late. Beryl had already spotted them and was heading their way. Minako grimaced. "You're in trouble now. She's a major bitch and she thinks she owns this school."

"I'm not afraid of her, she's just a silly girl. It's not like she can do anything to me."

"Except make your days hell. She's one of the biggest gossips, and it doesn't matter if what she says is true or not, most people follow her lead. If she shuns you, most everyone will."

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Then they're silly as well."

Minako nodded in agreement. It was silly for them to follow Beryl like a queen, but that didn't make it any less true. When Beryl stopped in front of them, the look in her eyes made Minako shiver.

"Do you have a problem with me, new girl?" Beryl spat the words 'new girl' like a curse.

"No," Usagi replied calmly.

Beryl's eyes narrowed. The girl was acting much too unconcerned for Beryl's peace of mind, she wanted Usagi to know that she would never get anywhere without her approval. "So, what did you get kicked out of your old school for?"

If Beryl was trying to get a rise out of Usagi, it wasn't working. Usagi knew the girl couldn't possibly know that she had a nearly inexhaustible amount of patience. Patience that she had worked very hard to attain.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I wasn't kicked out of my school."

Minako looked back and forth between the two girls. She'd never seen anyone act that way toward Beryl--so calm and unworried. Most people cowered before the stuck-up snob. Minako found herself looking at Usagi in a new light.

Beryl smirked. So the new girl wanted to pretend she didn't care what the other students thought of her? She would see how long that lasted when Beryl found out everything she could about Usagi and started telling everyone in school. "We'll see," Beryl said, then turned on her heel and walked away.

"Wow, what did you do to piss her off?"

Usagi looked away from Beryl's retreating form and saw that a tall brunette had walked over and sat beside Minako.

Usagi shrugged. "Nothing."

The brunette nodded, as if that explanation made all the sense in the world. "She probably wanted you to bow and kiss her feet like all her groupies do. By the way, I'm Makoto."

A grin curled Usagi's lips. Makoto was right, Usagi could tell that the redhead was used to being in control of everyone around her and she probably saw Usagi's actions as a challenge. Turning her attention to the addition to her and Minako's group, she introduced herself. "My name's Usagi."

The lunch break passed swiftly and, to Usagi's great relief, the incident with Beryl was the topic of conversation. It kept the other two girls from asking any personal questions that Usagi wasn't ready to answer yet. Throughout the rest of the day, Usagi felt Beryl's eyes boring into the back of her head but she steadfastly ignored it. She did not want to have to move to yet another town and go to yet another school because of even more problems. Sometimes she wondered if school was even worth all this aggravation.

Walking out of the doors as school was dismissed for the day made Usagi's spirits lift. Finally, she was going home where there was no Beryl and no petty high school cliques.

"Usagi!" Minako called, jogging to catch up with her. Usagi paused and turned around, waiting for the girl. "Hey, Mako-chan and I always go to the Crown Arcade after school and we wanted to know if you'd like to come along. There's this really hot guy who works there..." Minako sighed dreamily and her eyes took on the far-away look of a girl in the throes of a major crush.

Usagi chuckled at Minako's expression and shook her head. "I'd love to, Minako, but I have somewhere I need to be. I'll see you tomorrow." Waving, Usagi hurried down the sidewalk and away from the temptation of just being a teenager again, a carefree girl without responsibilities.

Usagi had to walk for about a mile before she came to the small white building surrounded by a white picket fence with a sign proclaiming it "Miya's Daycare Center." Before she could even climb the steps and knock on the door, a tiny body was hurling itself against her legs and clinging like a tenacious vine.

Bright blue eyes, so similar to her own, looked up at her from under a cap of unruly blond curls. A huge smile lit up the child's face. "Miss you, mommy."

Standing hidden behind a large flowering bush, eyes of emerald green took in the scene. A malicious smile flitted across Beryl's face. She couldn't wait to start spreading the rumors, and such juicy ones they were. Beryl barely restrained herself from jumping up and down gleefully. Oh, the priceless look on the new girl's face when she found out everyone at school knew her dirty little secret.

Author's Note:
Please don't hurt me! I swear, I didn't mean to start a new story, but...things just happened. The idea popped into my head and as soon as I could scrounge up a pad of paper and a pencil it started to pour out of me. The title is something that I'm battling with right now, but I think I've finally chosen one I like. I came up with "Overcoming the Past" while thinking about a song called "Don't Laugh At Me" by Mark Wills.

Chapter 2: Rumors abound. Is Usagi a teen mother?

Tell me what you think. Is it worth continuing? Is the storyline too cliché? I don't think I've seen too many SailorMoon 'fics with my exact story but this is about you all, not me. Review or email me please. As a side note, I'm looking for an editor/sounding board. A person who can proofread my writing and also help me come up with ideas. Please email me if you're interested.