Disclaimer: Okay, I checked under the bed, and in the bookcase, and I *know* I'm not 
ready to attempt the closet, so I guess it's time to clean off the floor.  While cleaning, I 
found:
1) three  loads of laundry
2)LUNA!  Were you living here the whole time?  No wonder you didn't make it to the 
story!
3)LUNA!  Is that ARTEMIS with you!  You should be ashamed of yourselves, sneaking 
around like. . .cats.  Well, for that, neither of you are going to be in my story!  
Okay, if the rights were here, Luna or Artemis must have eaten them, but for some reason 
I doubt it.  Either Naoko-chan owns the rights, or its some where in my closet. . .

Wordlist:
-imoutou-chan means lil’ sister/ lil’ brother (I think)
Kiotsukete is be careful
Gambatte ne is to wish someone good luck
Daijabu? is ‘is everything fine?’
daijabu is I’m fine.
Doushite is why?
Nani? is what?
Sempai is older student (Makoto calls her old boyfriend “sempai”)


Title: Crossing Paths
Chapter 4:  Bye, bye ,bye . . .Usagi
Author: Yuubou-san
E-mail: yuubou_san@yahoo.com
Rating: G



	Sixteen year old Usagi looked at the line of her friends.  They had been so 
supportive ever since she could remember. She was so excited to go to her new school in 
Cambridge, Massachusetts.  She would miss her friends the most, she decided.  Her 
friends were probably the best thing in her life, and being a whole semester abroad 
without them was a very scary thought for her indeed.  

	She thought back to when Mamoru had first left to go to college.  Ever since he’d 
left, she’d missed him, and thought about him daily - and she hadn’t even realized that 
she thought of him as a friend before he left!   she reflected.

	After she had started studying with Ami, her academics had improved 
permanently and her English now rivaled Ami’s.  She did a lot of extracurriculars, like 
discus throwing, the ultimate frisbee team, and drama.  Mamoru’s idea of going away to 
school had opened doors to Usagi’s mind, and she mentioned the idea to her guidance 
counselor once.  Eventually, she was eligible to be a foreign exchange student at the 
Cambridge, Ridge and Latin High School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.   They are so kawaii!>

	Usagi looked up with tears in her eyes.  “Guys, I can’t believe that I’m not going 
to see you until next June!  I’m going to miss you so much!!”  The crowd all came around 
her and gave her a group hug.	 They were all there - Naru, Ami, Rei, Makoto, Minako, 
Motoki and his girlfriend Reika, and her family.  

It was time to face each one individually.  

First, Motoki and Reika came and gave her a joint hug.  Motoki leaned over and 
placed a chaste kiss on her cheek, in response to which Usagi blushed, Reika glared, and 
Kenji growled.  Motoki sweatdropped.  After he was sure that neither Kenji nor Reika 
was going to kill him, Motoki told her, “ I always thought of you as a little sister, Usagi-
imoutou-chan.  So, kiotsukete Usagi.  There is no one looking out for you in the U.S. like 
we do here. Gambatte ne, Usagi-chan, in all you do.”

Reika simply smiled and told her to have a good time.  Usagi gave them both a 
huge smile, and told them she’d see them next year. 

Naru was next.  She gave the red head a hug, and Naru whispered in her ear, “I’m 
sure you’ll find an American sempai, and he’ll fall head over heels for you.  He’ll come 
back to Japan with you, buy an engagement ring from the Osa-P, and ohh!  It’ll be so 
romantic!”  Usagi giggled at Naru’s romantic imagination.

	“Oh Naru-chan, I hope so.  We’ll live happily ever after, and I’ll have the perfect 
engagement ring ‘cause you’ll help him pick the ring out.”  Usagi giggled and pulled 
back.  “I’ll really miss our little chats!  We have to e-mail everyday!  Okay!”  Naru 
nodded her head fervently in response.

	Next was Ami.  Ami smiled shyly before Usagi had her enveloped in a big hug.  
“Gambatte ne” Ami whispered to Usagi.   Ami then handed Usagi a present.  After 
shaking the object, Usagi tore off the wrapping paper and uncovered. . .a book.  Usagi 
sweatdropped.

	“You got me a book?” Usagi asked confusedly, although not unkindly.

	“Well, you’re such a scholar now,” Ami joked.  “Besides, it’s really good, and 
you’re going to have a lot of hours of free time on the plane. . .”  Seeing Usagi’s face 
continue to be puzzled at the choice of present, Ami decided to change her strategy.  “It 
has a lot of colorful pictures.”  Usagi’s face brightened at this, and promptly thanked her 
close friend.

	Makoto came over to her friend.  “Usagi-chan!   This is so unreal!!”  Makoto gave 
Usagi a very  enthusiastic hug.  Usagi choked.  Makoto, not feeling her breathing, 
let go.  Usagi gasped for air.

	“Thanks. . . for the. . . hug,. . . Mako-. . .chan.”  Usagi told her while catching her 
breath.

	“No problem, Usa!” Makoto replied as she slapped Usagi on the back.  Usagi shot 
forward.  “Usagi, daijabu ka?”  Everyone else sweatdropped.

	“Ahh, daijabu.” Usagi replied, giving a tentative smile while rubbing her sore 
back and trying to keep back the tears.  She blinked away the tears, and shuffled a bit out 
of Makoto’s reach before the tall, strong girl did anything else.

	Makoto, oblivious to her own strength and all she had done to Usagi, smiled 
brightly and held up a large paper bag.  “I baked you some treats in case the airplane food 
is disgusting.  Matte, what am I saying ‘in case’?  Of course it’ll be gross.”  Makoto 
giggled.

	Usagi brightened, forgetting all past bruises.  “Mako-chan, you are the best!”  
With that, she threw herself into a big bear hug with the brunette.  After pulling away, and 
catching her breath again, she began to drool with anticipation.
	
	Minako stepped in.  “Girl, get that drool off your face.  What if a cute guy SEES 
you!”  Minako smiled, and took Usagi in a quick embrace.  “By the way, I brought you a 
present too!!”  

	“Ohhh!  Thank you Mina-chan!!” Usagi replied as she removed the object from 
the gift bag.  “A web-camera?  Nani?”  Usagi looked up puzzled.

	Minako launched in her explanation.  “Well, see, I heard that there are a lot of 
really kawaii guys in the US, and this way you can take their picture and e-mail me them!  
It’ll be like we’re there with you!”  Usagi laughed with her friends.  

	Makoto perked up.  “Ooh, Usagi-chan, e-mail me the pictures too!  I wonder if 
any guys in the U.S. look like my old sempai, Freddie!”  Everyone sweatdropped as 
Makoto got stars in her eyes.

	Usagi giggled again.  “Anyone else want copies?” she asked the group.  

Five hands went up.  

Motoki arched an eyebrow at Reika’s raised hand.  She sweatdropped.

	Usagi had expected Rei and Naru’s hands to go up, and she wasn’t surprised.

	“Ami?” they all exclaimed in surprise at her shyly raised hand.

	Ami shrank back.  “I. . .err. . .I’m doing collages in my computer art class?”  They 
all giggled.  

Usagi pondered in her head for a second, her forehead wrinkled in concentration, 
and her little pink tongue stuck out the corner of her mouth.  

Her eyes shot up.  “DAD!!  Why do you want pictures of the cute American 
boys?”

Kenji sweatdropped.  He rubbed the back of his head as he stumbled for an 
explanation.  “Uhh. . .You see, it’s pretty hard to get files on these guys if I don’t even 
have pictures of them.  Plus, a private investigator was too much money, I checked. . .”  
Everyone except Minako sweatdropped.

Minako, who was very relieved, was thinking,   She grinned.

Kenji tried to change the subject.  “Usagi, uhh, well, I’m going to miss you!  So, 
have a good time in Massachusetts, stay away from boys, do well in school, stay away 
from boys, make your mother and me proud by staying away from boys, and good luck in 
the US.  Did I forget anything?  Oh, yeah, I have a present for you too!!”  He spoke all 
this faster than Usagi can eat .

 Motoki thought to 
himself with a smile.

Kenji shoved a pile of papers in front of Usagi.  She looked at him, curious.  “I 
made up a top ten list for you to give to the boys you meet, so that they know in advance 
what I’ll do to them if they go near you!!”  Everyone sweatdropped.

Ikuko stepped in front of her husband, afraid of what he would do next.  “Usagi, I 
just want you to know that I trust you, and I hope you have a wonderful time at school.  I 
love you. . .I. . .I. . .”  This was as far as she got before she began to cry, well, wail, at the 
thought of losing her baby.  Tears spurted from her eyes in fountains.

 a jubilant Motoki 
thought to himself. 

Usagi gave her mother a hug, and then left her to her father, who continued to 
comfort the crying woman.  

She went up to Shingo and pulled him into a hug.

“What do you think you’re doing, Odango Atama?”  Shingo shouted, pulling 
away from her touch, after an almost imperceptible moment of staying in the embrace.  
  

Usagi simply smiled and replied, knowingly, “I’ll miss you too, Shingo.”  Shingo 
turned away from her, afraid he’d cry.

Rei walked up to Usagi.  “Rei. . .”

Rei began her tirade on Usagi.  “Usagi!” she exclaimed as she began to wag her 
finger back and forth in front of Usagi’s face.  “You better not embarrass yourself in the 
US, or else you’ll give us Japanese a bad name!  Ohh, what am I saying?  Of course 
you’ll clutz out or something and we won’t be there to help you up.”  Rei took a deep 
breath, and continued at a less fiery tone, “What I guess I’m trying to say, Usagi-chan, is, 
be careful, because we’re not going to be behind you.  So take care of yourself, okay?”

Usagi smiled at the concern in her voice.  “I will Rei-chan.  Don’t worry!”  They 
hugged.  Usagi giggled when an idea popped into her head.  “Ohh, and Rei-chan you 
should be careful too!”

“Nani? Doushite?”

“Because without me here to distract you, you’ll probably spend too much time in 
front of the fire, and will end up burning your hair off, Pyro!!”  Rei yelped in anger, and 
one of their famous tongue wars began between the two.

Finally, the final boarding call came for Usagi’s plane.  Usagi quickly hugged her 
parents.  Ikuko, who had stopped crying sometime during Rei's tirade, opened the flood 
gates once more.  

Usagi smiled fondly to her friends once more, and bid them farewell as she 
walked down the boarding tunnel toward her plane.  

     @     @
  / /   ^_^   \ \

    Source: geocities.com/im_a_good_girl_uk_2000