Lunar Expedition

Chapter 1: Calm Before the Storm

“I have had it with these grades! No more excuses, no more broken promises. You are hereby grounded! I am withholding your allowance for the next month.” Usagi stared in open-mouthed horror at her father. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening.

“No allowance for a month?” she gasped.

“For two months,” he yelled. Usagi jumped back, eyes wide. That tone of voice was not one that would be good to argue with. With dawning horror and intense shame, she realized that he was serious.

“Sweetheart, maybe you’re being a little too harsh on-,” Ikuko tried.

“Not right now,” Kenji hissed at his wife, eyes narrowed. Usagi’s mother quieted and lowered her head. This wasn’t the moment for her to argue either. He needed to calm down before either one could approach him.

“Daddy, I didn’t mean to do so badly. I really tried to do better,” Usagi said, curving her shoulders and pressing her hands to her lap. It made her look like a small child, twisting her fingers around a piece of loose string on her uniform. Maybe she could somehow salvage this whole mess. Maybe there was a way she could make her father see reason and keep him from punishing her for something completely out of her control.

“Well, you didn’t try hard enough, now did you? A 32 in Algebra, Usagi? An overall failing grade in a class you are taking for a second time? Not to mention your other scores! I can’t believe you have the nerve to look me in the face, with grades that horrible.” Usagi winced under his scathing tone, bowing her head to his criticism. She’d never seen him this livid about her grades before. Her mother, certainly. But her father had always been so good-natured about it all, optimistically pointing out that she was young, and so social, and really, she’d get it right eventually. She was just a late academic bloomer, just like he’d been in school. That easy-going smile was nowhere in sight at the moment.

“I’m sorry, Daddy,” Usagi mumbled, too scared to look at anything but her shoes. “I really am. I swear I can do better.”

“I highly doubt that you could pull it off without some sort of intervention. Well, guess what? This is that intervention,” Kenji yelled, keeping his gaze leveled on her face. She could practically feel his laser-like gaze and wished a black hole would swallow her up. “Now go upstairs and study. We’re getting you a tutor tomorrow and you are going to get extra help from your teachers after school. I don’t want to hear any excuses!” Usagi closed her mouth, swallowing her protests. The Senshi were going to be furious when they found out about this. “I’m going to call your school tomorrow and arrange for all of this. No daughter of mine is going to drop out of school. Now go upstairs. Get out of my sight.”

He sat down heavily and pressed his forehead to his hands. Usagi could see the veins in his hands and at his temples, the redness of his face and neck. Sighing very softly, she started upstairs. She thought to apologize to her father, to say “I really wouldn’t have done so badly if I wasn’t out fighting evil and trying to protect everyone” but she knew it wouldn’t help. Even the truth wouldn’t have helped, that when she’d finally tried to get help for her grades, from Ami or from her school, a youma had always shown up and tried to kill everyone in sight.

At the top of the stairs, she heard her mother’s shuffling steps and then a grunt of annoyance from her father. “Honey,” Ikuko said softly, “that was a bit harsh.”

“Being nice hasn’t helped at all,” Kenji growled. Usagi could picture him, shoulders tense and clenched fists, as her mother stroked his hair. “I have had it, Ikuko. I am not going to let our daughter destroy her chances for a good future.”

“She’s not doing it on purpose,” Ikuko said. “Look, I think talking to her teachers may be a bit extreme. Why don’t I call her friend, Ami, and ask if she’ll tutor Usagi formally? I know they study together sometimes and I know she does better because of the help… maybe if they studied together more it would help?”