Stars in a New Sky

Chapter 3: Reunion

"Are you here for tutoring?"

Usagi started in surprise at the sudden question. She smiled at the teacher who greeted she and Naru at the library door. He had a gentle smile and kind eyes behind horn-rimmed glasses. The nerves she'd picked up when she and Naru entered the building faded in his presence. 

"Yes, we are!" Naru replied, ushering Usagi forward. 

"What subjects do you need tutoring in?" He asked, kindly.

"I'm looking for a geometry tutor and Usagi here needs someone to help her in English." Naru replied. Usagi gave a tight smile. It wasn't just English she needed help with. She thought back to her tests last week. She could barely see the test paper underneath all the red. She cringed at the memory.

The teacher smiled. "Having some trouble?"

Usagi smiled sheepishly. "Yeah...it's not really my favorite subject."

He laughed. It was a comforting sound. "You're in luck. We have a new English tutor. He just started today." Looking over his shoulder, the teacher called to a boy sitting alone at a nearby table. "Mr. Chiba!"

Usagi gasped inwardly as the boy rose and walked toward them. He was...regal. Just like a prince. There was no other way to describe him. There was a confidence in his stride that was more suited to an adult than a teenager. Her stomach did a long, slow flip-flop. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. There was something about him that struck her as familiar. There was a sharp and sudden pain in her chest. It took her breath away. It was there and gone in an instant. Get a grip, Usagi! Now is not the time to start day-dreaming. She chided herself. 

"Mr. Chiba, meet your new pupil. What was your name?"

Mamoru looked up, his thousand yard stare at the ready. It was no use. The moment he laid eyes on the girl, Mamoru froze. His chest tightened as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. Mamoru was certain of one thing. He knew her. As irrational as it sounded, he knew her. The feeling left him bewildered. He didn't realize he was staring awkwardly until Mr. Hayashi coughed discreetly.

"Uh...hi. I'm Usagi Tsukino." She looked as flustered as he felt. Her cheeks had turned rosy...which wasn't an altogether bad look. She held out her hand. He took it gingerly, praying his palms weren't sweating. The last thing he needed was to add sweaty palms to his awkward staring. "Mamoru Chiba."

Mr. Hayashi regarded Mamoru curiously, before continuing. "I'll leave you kids to it. You said you were looking for a geometry tutor?" Mr. Hayashi herded the other girl to the group of geometry students at one of the back tables. For better or worse, he was alone with Usagi. 

"So...I guess...we should get started." Mamoru broke the heavy silence that weighed between them. Without waiting for her to reply, he led the way back to his empty table. This was not like him. He never got nervous about meeting new people. Conversation had always come easy to him. Speech and debate was one of his favorite classes...at least it was before. Now, he'd turned into a tongue-tied idiot.

As they settled in, Mamoru looked at her expectantly.  She looked anxious. She kept fidgeting with a wrinkled piece of paper in her hands. Frustrated with the silence, he stretched out his hand. "Alright, let's see it."

Usagi jumped, her face flushing. "See what?"

He arched his brow. "What I suspect is a very bad test grade." 

She laughed nervously. "Oh...yeah...you probably need to see it."

When she still didn't hand it over, Mamoru leaned over and plucked it out of her hands. "It can't be that bad..." He trailed off as he stared at all the red. A large glaring red 30 dominated the upper right corner. "I take it back...that's really bad."