***********
Makoto's Lament
Part 2
By: Usa and Emiri
***********

All throughout the school day, the girls missed Makoto in class. When the dismissal bell rang, they hurridly gathered their books and rushed out of school.

"Usagi-chan, where should we stop for flowers?" Minako asked.

Usagi thought for a minute. "What about the one next to Crown's? They always have a good selection. I've received some from there..."

"Ahh...so that's where Tuxedo Kamen gets all his roses," Minako joked.

"Does he get a bulk discount?"

Everyone rolled their eyes. "Minako-chan," Rei said

"Well, think about how many roses he goes through. And, how does he get them to fly through the air like that?"

Sweatdrops formed about the girl's heads. "Minako-chan, be quite please," Usagi told her. "Your talking makes my eye hurt." 

"And I thought the Odango didn't have a sense of humor," Rei replied with a smirk.

"Rei-chan you are so mean!" Usagi cried, sticking her tongue out. Rei responded likewise.

"Minna, remember we're going to get flowers for Mako-chan," Ami spoke up. "And, she's probably not feeling well...so it's not a good idea to fight in front of her."

Usagi stopped. "Gomen, you're right as usual, Ami-chan."

"Now, what sort of flowers would she like?" Minako asked.

"Daisys?" Usagi suggested.

"Tulips," Rei said.

"Bluebells," Ami said.

"How about...forget-me nots?" Minako suggested.

"Haaii!" Everyone readily agreed.

The girls each chipped in some money, and bought Makoto a huge bouquet of forget-me nots.

Happy with their purchase, they then headed to Makoto's apartment.

**********

Makoto was lying on her living room couch, still in her pajamas. "Why did you leave me behind?" she whispered. Most of the time, she was alright with being alone, but near the anniversary of their death, she always turned into a complete wreck. She just wanted to get away from everything...Just then, there was a knock on the door.

**

Usagi held the flowers in one hand and loudly knocked on the door with the other. "Mako-chan!"

"Usagi, quit acting like a child," Rei said, shaking her head.

**

'It's my friends,' Makoto thought. She could hear Rei and Usagi arguing in the hall. It'd be nice to tell them everything, but something was holding her back. Right now, she just wanted to be alone in her sorrow.

**

"I hope Mako-chan's all right," Usagi said to herself, reaching for the door knob. It turned easily in her hand.

"Usagi-chan," Ami said. "We shouldn't just walk in unannounced."

"You worry too much, Ami-chan."

"Odango, that's how you got that black eye, remember?" Rei sneered.

Usagi ignored her and stepped inside.

**

Makoto heard her friends voices, but continued to sit on the couch, unmoving. 'Let them come to me.'

"Mako-chan," Usagi whispered. She noticed her friend on the couch. "There you are! We brought you something!" Usagi held the flowers out to Makoto.

Makoto turned and looked at her friends. She hoped that her face wasn't too red and puffy. "Arigatou, minna."

The girls gasped. She didn't look sick, she looked as though she had been crying. Ami sat next to her and put an arm around her friend. "Mako-chan, daijbou? What's wrong?"

"Ahh, it's a bad cold. I'm all stuffed up," she lied, excusing her appearance. "You could all catch it too..." 

Usagi didn't believe a word Makoto was saying. She always knew when her friends were lying: They wouldn't look her in the eye. She knelt next to her. "Mako-chan, we'll always be here for you."

"Usagi-chan, what happened to your eye?!" Makoto was shocked.

"Nani? You don't remember?"Makoto shook her head. Usagi laughed a bit. "You told me to meet you here so we could go to school together. I was trying to get you up cause you were still in bed and you swung your hand and hit me."

"Usagi-chan...gomen..." Makoto stuttered.

"It's all right," Usagi replied. "I'm up and moving about. Some things are slightly blurry but I'll be okay."

Makoto hung her head. "Gomen..." After a pause, she said, "Minna, I'm really tired. I think I'm going to get some rest now."

The girls nodded and went to the door. "Mako-chan, remember, if you need us, you know where to find us!" Usagi said.

"I know...arigatou." 'But this is my pain, not yours,' she thought to herself.

"And..." Ami walked over to where Makoto kept her communicator. "No fighting any youma!"

"I won't....you can even take it if you want, to make sure I don't."

Ami picked it up and followed the other three out. "Feel better, Mako-chan!" With that, the girls left.

"Arigatou for the flowers," she whispered after them. For the first time, she noticed what the flowers were. Forget-me nots. The flowers that had been at her parents' funeral. 

Her eyes welled up again, with the tears that seemed to never stop flowing. Makoto just wanted someone to hold her, and to let her cry. She wanted her prince to come on a shining white horse and take her away.

"It's not fair...why'd you leave me all alone?!" she shouted. Of course, the otherwise empty apartment didn't answer.

Makoto flopped down t the floor, not caring that it was cold. Her tears pooled under her cheek, but she didn't care if she drowned in them anymore. Forget-me nots...they had left her behind, forgotten her. But she had never forgotten them. Makoto was supposed to have gone on that airplane with them, too. If she hadn't gotten sick then, she would've died with them. 'Maybe it's time to join them,'she thought miserably.

*********

"I hope Mako-chan gets better soon," Minako said.

"Minna, she's not sick," Usagi spoke up.


"Nani, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi turned to Minako. "She was lying about being sick. Mako-chan's been crying."

"Why?" Minako asked.

"I'm not sure why. I just know she is. I can tell when she's lying even though she doesn't do that often," Usagi replied.

Ami and Rei looked at Usagi. Could she be right?

"Why would she lie to us?" Ami reasoned.

"Probably because she doesn't think we need to know what's going on," Rei replied.

"Yes, but about what?"

The girls thought and thought. Finally, Ami realized what the problem was. "Minna! Tomorrow is the anniversary of Mako-chan's parents' death!"

"Kami, we forgot!" Usagi cried.

"Do you think we should go back over to her place?" Minako said.

Rei nodded. "Just one of us, though."

"Who should go?" Ami asked.

"You or Rei-chan," Usagi replied. 

"Why don't you go, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi stared at Minako. "Me?!"

"Hai."

"But I'm not good enough for that. No one likes to talk to me about things like that."

"But you've known her the longest...I know you'll know just how to cheer her up, Usagi-chan," Ami said.

Usagi smiled. "Arigatou, Ami-chan. I'll do it!"

"Time's a wasting, Usagi-chan." She nodded and ran off towards Makoto's apartment.