Higher Learning

Chapter 5: Again for the First Time

Usagi felt the creepings of a headache as she stepped off the school bus for her second official school day. Dispelling so much energy healing yesterday repairing her broken body wasn't the only culprit. Along with that, Will had been spending equal time ignoring her and staring at her since they'd left Nurse Spec's office the previous afternoon. After a silent bus ride, Usagi tried asking Layla what was wrong but the other girl was just as confused. Usagi sighed deeply. Maybe Will was just upset about having to carry her to the nurse's office and getting blood all over his uniform. That wouldn't surprise her; after all he didn't know her very well. She wondered what was the appropriate lapse of time before sharing near-death experiences with friends.

"Hey!"

A voice yells in her ear and a car barrels towards where she's standing in the middle of the road. She takes a breath to scream before her life ends. She's weightless, surrounded by the smell of roses and vanilla. She's plopped on sidewalk, alive, before she even realizes she'd been tossed over someone's shoulder.

A girl with bright green eyes looms over her, "That was close. Be careful, okay?"

"Usa, are you okay?"

Usagi stumbled, looking around in confusion. She was in Sky High's courtyard, nowhere near the house-lined road she'd just seen. And there was no pretty brunette girl with rose earrings. Usagi knew who she was, she was sure of it. Her name was, it was...

"Usa," Maj grabbed her shoulder, sending any idea of the mystery brunette's identity spiraling away, "I know you hit your head pretty hard yesterday…"

Usagi grinned at her friend, "Maa, do not worry. I have a really hard head see…ouch."

Maj walked off laughing as Usagi rubbed her aching forehead. So much for proving her point. Maybe no one else noticed either her spacing out or her momentary lapse into self-harm. Shaking her head Usagi glanced up to find Layla frowning down at her from the top of the stairs. The redhead opened her mouth before her gaze drifted past Usagi and her green eyes lit up. Usagi froze mid step as her whole body went still.

"Hey Warren," Layla grinned at the approaching boy, "Why don't you walk Usagi to class? I'm sure she could use some help with her books after what happened yesterday."

"Sounds fine," came the deep voice from somewhere behind her.

Usagi heat crept from her toes to her face as the dark-haired god stopped on the step beside her. She dared a glance at him, hoping by some miracle that her face wasn't as red as she thought it was.

"So what's your first class, Rabbit?" he raised an eyebrow and Usagi knew she was melting.

"She has Mad Science with me," Will spoke up for the first time, startling both girls, "so I can walk…"

"Actually Will, why don't you walk me to class?" Layla grabbed her boyfriend's arm and dragged him into the school building, tossing Usagi a wink before she disappeared.

Usagi felt very alone. And very nervous. Sure she'd been around Warren before; they sat at the same lunch table even. But this time it was just her. And Warren. Just the two of them. Together. Alone. She felt someone touching her shoulders and jumped as Warren took hold of her backpack.

"Let's get going," he moved past her and held the door open, "wouldn't want you to be late would we?"

Usagi smiled shyly at the older boy and slipped into the building. She felt him fall into step beside her. She was so nervous she was sure he could hear her heart beating. She was acting so unnaturally, what if he guessed that she had a crush on him? What if he already knew and thought she was weird for not saying anything to him? What if he thought she hated him and wasn't talking to him because she couldn't stand to be in his presence? Okay, so she had to strike up a conversation so he wouldn't think she was weird or that she hated him, but where to start? The weather? Lame. His tattoos? Invasive. Their future children? Weird and scary…

"That was some trick you pulled off yesterday."

She glanced up at him in surprise and caught him smirking at her.

"I'm serious," he continued, "that was pretty amazing, you know aside from the nearly dying part."

She looked away as her shoulders hunched up, "Yes, that was not expected. I think Will is really angry with me about the whole thing. He has not spoken to me since we left the nurse's office yesterday."

"Yeah? Well he's being a jerk, but I can see why he's upset."

Usagi looked up a Warren sharply. Was he going to stop speaking to her now too? Warren sighed and guided her over near the lockers and away from the flow of hallway traffic.

"Whether you like it or not, you've been adopted into this ragtag family of misfits so I'll be honest. Stronghold overreacts sometimes but you can never accuse that guy of not caring about his friends. So when he saw you diving into danger and then he couldn't do anything to save you, how do you think he felt?"

Usagi inhaled sharply. She didn't mean to make anyone so frightened. If someone had told her yesterday's heroic rescue would do this to her new friend, well she'd still have done it.

Warren continued as if he read her mind, "And I know you're thinking about Mr. Boy, but he's an adult and he understands risks better than any of us. He used to fight crime with The Commander." Warren stepped away, moving towards her classroom again, "I'm sure if you asked him, he'll tell you he'd have preferred his student stay safe."

Usagi frowned, "It does sound stupid when you say it like that, but I will not apologize for saving Professor Boy. We are heroes and we are supposed to help others, no matter the risk. That is what this school is supposed to teach us, yes?

Warren chuckled, "Am I sensing a little fire in the Rabbit?" he handed her back her bag, "Knew there was a reason I liked you."

Usagi clutched her bag to her chest, "Uh, tha…thank you..."

"And don't worry about Stronghold. I think Layla's talked him out of his tantrum," he nodded at someone inside the science classroom, "I'll see you guys at lunch. Try to stay out of trouble until then, okay?"

Warren gave a half salute and strolled off down the hall to get to his own class. Usagi stood, staring after him. Her brain had shorted out when he'd said he liked her and it needed time to reboot. Someone jostling past her pulled her out of her stupor, reminding her that the bell was immenent. She stumbled into her classroom and caught sight of Will. He perked up when their eyes met and gave her a sheepish half smile. Usagi made her way over to their shared lab table and sat down. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and turned to him.

"I'm sorry," Will blurted.

Usagi blinked, "What?"

"I know it seems like I've been overreacting," he grimaced, "I don't know why, but I've never been so scared in my life. I…sorry for being such a jerk."

"Oh, Will," Usagi threw her arms around him, squeezing as tightly as she could, "I am sorry too. You are the best, sweetest friend ever!"

"This is Mad Science, not Biology. Please refrain from exploring human mating rituals in this classroom."

Both students jerked away from each other as Professor Medula glared and strode to his desk. They sat in silence for a moment before bursting into quiet laughter.

Not even the cranium-busting Mad Science lecture could dull Usagi's smile for the rest of class.

"Countdown. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. Heroes WIN!" Coach Boomer's voice echoed throughout the gym, "Good work Summers, Phillips."

Wynter grinned at her black-haired friend, Aran Phillips while the "villains" were hauled off, one encased in ice and the other trapped in a giant spider web.

Layla snorted, "I don't understand why they kept this glorified gladiator tournament in the curriculum. It's like being in ancient Rome."

"Of course you'd think that, Hippie. I on the other hand am always entertained," Warren drawled, ignoring the look she shot him.

Usagi just sighed. She agreed with Layla, it was a little excessive, but it was also a good way to practice with your powers in a safe environment. She eyed her frozen classmate. Well relatively safe, anyway.

"I would not mind giving it a try," she mentioned to Will. They were conveniently out of earshot of Layla, who was busy lecturing Warren on the evils of condoning senseless violence.

"That might not be a bad idea," Will replied thoughtfully, "You could definitely use the practice, I mean..."

Usagi flushed but interrupted Will before he could apologize, "That was pretty bad, huh?"

He let out a breath and they both laughed. He was right, she could use the practice.

"Ladies, who do you want to challenge next?"

Coach Boomer swept a hand over the bleachers. It only took a second for Wynter to lock eyes with Usagi.

"How about the new girl?" Wynter pointed to Usagi with smile devoid of warmth.

Usagi's body locked up as each eye in the gym turned to her.

"Fair enough," Coach nodded, "and who else?"

"Let's go with Layla Williams," Aran chirped, "We haven't seen her in action since Homecoming."

"Done," Coach shouted over the whispers of the gathered students, "Williams, Tsukino get down here."

Layla sighed, "I had hoped to avoid this, but it seems it's inevitable. Come on, Usagi."

Usagi jumped as Layla grabbed her hand, leading her down the stairs to what felt like her doom. Usagi's mouth dried up as her throat constricted. This was no good, no good at all. The only power she had any real confidence in was her ice power, which would probably be canceled out by a fellow ice-user. Her numb fingers fumbled with the padding and she barely managed to get it all buckled before she stepped into the ring.

"Alright Katie Kaboom, Green Peace, you're the villains" Coach Boomer called down from atop his referee's chair, "You've got three minutes to immobilize your opponents and dispose of the citizen."

Usagi glanced up at where all four lasts names flanked the timer. Layla sighed from somewhere beside her while Wynter and Aran exchanged a smile. The citizen dummy was suspended above the grinder center field; her repetitive cries of "Save me!" no help to Usagi's already frayed nerves.

"Ready."

Usagi looked up in the stands and spotted Warren and Will both giving her a thumbs up.

"Set."

She looked back just in time to lock eyes with Wynter.

"BATTLE!"

Ice blasted Usagi, covering her up to her neck before she could attack.

"Too easy," Wynter sneered, "I expected at least a little more from you."

Usagi frantically dispersed the ice as the other girl strode towards her.

"I shouldn't be surprised, really. You really believed friendship and love trumps raw power." Wynter hit her with another blast, reinforcing the ice, "Why should rebirth make you any different?"

Usagi froze as she locked eyes with Wynter. The girl's eyes were gold. A gold the color of despair and heartbreak and a sea of burning stars. Usagi couldn't breathe. Wynter leaned in, one hand pressed close to let the ice creep up over Usagi's face.

"Although with your precious friends dead I wonder what you'll fight for now, Sailor Moon."

Usagi couldn't scream, couldn't breathe as the ice engulfed her completely.

Finally chapter 5. Thank you to everyone who's favorited and reviewed, we'll make it to the end (I'm working towards sooner rather than later). Let me know what you think and I'll get back to work on chapter 6+.

-YH