April seventeenth. He was forty-seven minutes late. Rei was probably getting dirt on the white dress (one size too big; it was always so close to being just right) her father had bought her by sitting on the ledge that framed the stairs to her family's temple.

Typical.

She knocked the back of her white heels against the stone, probably giving the finely polished surfaces some nice scuffs. She didn't really care; she had four more pairs sitting in her closet.

"All dolled up and nowhere to go?"

Rei swiveled her head in the direction of the voice, only to find Minako standing nearby. How she had crept up so silently was beyond Rei.

"Something like that," she offered, tucking a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear. "What brings you here?"

"Well," Minako trilled, "it is your birthday, after all."

"We had a party for it last weekend."

"True." Minako hopped up on the ledge next to Rei. "I was just in the area. You know, shopping, crying over my lack of money, the usual ..."

"Sounds thrilling," Rei deadpanned.

"Definitely." The grin Minako had been wearing fell a little. "Waiting for your father, I take it?"

"He's late." Then she added, "Presuming he will be the one to show."

The blonde clicked her tongue at this. "Blond guy? What's his name?"

"Kaidou."

Minako cringed a little at the name, one far too close to another she had whispered lovingly in her youth. "Pretty boy, right?"

"... something like that," Rei conceeded.

"They're the ones to always break your heart."

Rei sighed. "He's married."

"Typical."

Rei couldn't have said it better herself.

The two lapsed into a friendly silence. Minako idly tinkered with the bow atop her head, trying to bring it back to its perky state, trying to ponder something else to say.

"You know," she began, fishing for words, for a reaction, for something to pull her companion out of her dreary state, "men are kind of useless. I say we hit the town."

Rei cast her gaze towards her friend. "What?"

"You heard me!" Minako pushed herself off the ledge and back onto her feet. "It's a ridiculously nice day out, I'm bored, and you're waiting for an engagement that's later than Usagi on a school day."

Rei snorted a little at the analogy. Minako tugged lightly at her arm.

"C'mon, it'll be a lot more fun than whatever it is you do with that man." A wicked grin spread across her face.

Rei contemplated staying. She contemplated racing up the stairs to change clothes. In the end, she didn't care how scuffed up and messy her white clothes got.

"Let's go."

She had just tugged Rei around the corner, toward the busstop, when a sleek black vehicle rolled up and came to a smooth halt next to the two girls.

The window rolled down. Rei had to fight the hitch in her breath. Minako stepped between Rei and the car.

"Howdy handsome," Minako winked. "Are you trying to solicit an innocent girl like me~?"

Kaidou almost sputtered at this, but to his credit, remained (mostly) composed. "Miss, if you could please step aside ..."

Minako felt a light tap on her shoulder, and gracefully shimmied to the left, confident that Rei could handle the situation.

"You're late." Rei was never one to bite her tongue. "An hour late."

Even Minako had to wince at that. She was bad at appointments, but an hour ...?

"My apologies." The door to the car swung open; Rei only took a step back to avoid its arc (not to gain distance; to keep him far, far away from her). He had trimmed his hair short and neat, wearing a dull, pressed suit. "Some business came up that required attending to."

The temperature around Rei practically dropped a few degrees. Minako shifted closer, bumping an arm against Rei's. She could sense the steadily rising frustration in her friend and hoped the gesture would be somewhat calming.

"Excuses," she spat, brow furrowing. "Always with the excuses."

"You know I would have come earlier if I could have," Kaidou said, looking almost sorry.

"Yeah, right." Rei could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and fought them back valiantly. "That's what he always says."

Kaidou straightened at this, not suspecting her to bite back so hard. The unspoken words lingered in the air: You're using the same excuses. You're just like him. You're learning how to do everything he does. You'll become him.

"Rei-"

"Don't pretend you're familiar with me." Even though he was the one who bought her the dresses, he was the one who bought her the shoes and the flowers that she had loved so much every year. "You don't have the right."

"Please, get in the car." He tried his best to reign in the situation.

"Will he even be there?" she snapped. His lack of response said everything.

"C'mon." Minako linked arms with Rei, entwining their fingers. "We should go."

"Wait."

Minako tugged. Rei continued to follow.

"You should go back to whatever it is your type does," Minako called out over her shoulder. "Heaven knows you might be late for some other appointment!"

Rei trembled a little as they walked. Minako gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Men," Minako sighed. "Great eyecandy, totally useless."

"What happened to 'kind of' useless?" Rei asked. Minako could tell she was forcing it, just a little.

"Please, against us two?" Minako flicked some hair over her shoulder, tilting her chin up. "Totally, completely, undeniably useless. Especially when they're even worse than Usagi at being on time."

Rei laughed.

I really wanted to get back into writing for this series and these are my two favorite gals. Enjoy the 3am freeflow.