Your daughter's mother; The simplest solution is often the best one; Parental Guilt
*scratches head* For some reason, I thought we had until the 7th to do all this. Not the 3rd.
Title: Your daughter's mother
Theme: First Period: Homeroom_Bell (1g), usako_mamoru, 2010 anniversary challenge
Genre: General
Rating: G
Serenity shuffled down the halls as quickly as she could in her heels. She smiled and nodded silently to the people filling the corridor, flowing in and out of the bright rooms. She passed by all the colors and papers and artwork hurriedly.
Approaching her destination, she began smoothing back her hair, blonde slowly glinting to silver. She paused momentarily at the familiar door, flashing back to years before. Giving herself a mental and physical shake, she pulled down on her shirt to straighten it out, turned the knob, pushed in the door, and stumbled inside in her haste.
Chibi-Usa slouched in a desk, finger brushing coral strands over her shoulder. Endymion looked un-surprised but sympathetic, though it took a moment to figure out why.
“You’re late.”
Serenity cringed instinctively, not so much at the words but at the voice. Looking fully at Chibi-Usa’s teacher for the upcoming year, Serenity flashed between the present and the past.
The auburn hair was graying all over, pulled into a loose ponytail at the nape of the neck instead of flowing free over her small shoulders. The piercing of her blue-green eyes was now impeded by a set of black-framed glasses. She was slighter, shorter than Serenity remembered, more so in the black ballet flats that had replaced the black kitten heels. But she still wore a suit of pink, and her look of disapproval was definitely the same.
“Haruna-sensei,” Serenity croaked out in disbelief.
The older woman gestured to a seat, which Serenity took immediately out of habit. Haruna peered at her from over her glasses with displeasure, before continuing the conversation she’d been holding with Endymion.
By the time the parent-teacher conference was over, mother and daughter were both idly playing with their hair, eyes focused on a particular item of non-interest, not paying the slightest bit of attention to what the teacher was saying.
“Tsukino!”
Serenity’s head snapped up despite the fact that she’d not been called that for years. “Yes, Haruna-sensei?”
The woman smiled wryly. “I look forward to our next meeting.”
Serenity stood up disconsolately.
“Yes, Haruna-sensei,” she intoned.
“And you don’t forget about your assignment for tomorrow,” Haruna indicated to Chibi-Usa.
The girl’s shoulders slumped in much the same manner as her mother’s as she rose slowly from the desk.
“Yes, Haruna-sensei,” she echoed.
Endymion smiled once more at the teacher before following the women in his life out the door. One trailed after the other, slouching gloomily, hands limp at their sides, mouths screwed tightly shut with some sort of indignation.
As soon as the trio exited the building, both burst out into disbelieving comments toward the teacher, neither caring to listen to the other.
Endymion guided both of them serenely. It was going to be an interesting year.
---
Title: The simplest solution is often the best one
Theme: Third Period: Math_Solution (3b), usako_mamoru, 2010 anniversary challenge
Genre: Humor
Rating: PG13
Serenity scratched out the numbers on the graph paper one more time. The paper was now full of scribbles and large X’s. She turned the paper over with a sigh and glanced at Chibi-Usa who blew away at her bangs in frustration. They fluttered slightly before settling once more. Serenity stretched her arms over her head and settled them on her head.
“Where’s that example again?” Serenity asked.
Chibi-Usa groaned.
“C’mon,” Serenity urged. “One more time.”
The two worked studiously in the room, both jotting down digits in the halo of the desk lamp.
Serenity used a pencil to scratch her head when they were done, looking at the answer they’d come up with and the answer they were supposed to have.
She jumped up suddenly. “I know!” She sped out of the room without telling Chibi-Usa about her abrupt revelation.
When Chibi-Usa heard the door creak open, she didn’t bother looking up. “Mom, I already have a calculator. It’s not helping.”
She started in surprise when Endymion settled down beside her instead. He looked her inquiringly. “Your mom said you needed help?”
~
Serenity gaped in surprise when Endymion entered the room less than 10 minutes later.
“You already figured it out? I was working on that problem for 30 minutes!”
“You’re kidding, right?” Endymion scoffed.
Serenity snapped her mouth shut, glaring at him as he climbed into bed. She turned away from him when he tried to embrace her.
Endymion placed his arms around her and drew her close anyway. When she remained stiff, he nuzzled her neck. “I’m just kidding,” he trailed softly, kissing her neck until she finally rolled towards him grudgingly.
She pouted while he chuckled but soon both were otherwise occupied.
~
When the Chibi-Usa came into the kitchen breathlessly, she slung her backpack onto her shoulder with one hand while grabbing a slice of toast with the other.
Serenity leaned against the counter, sipping on her hot chocolate. “So, you got all your homework done?”
“Yup,” Chibi-Usa mumbled through a bite. “Mercury was able to help in two seconds.”
Serenity’s eyes narrowed over the rim of her mug at the entering Endymion.
“Mercury?” she said skeptically.
He grinned guiltily and unapologetically, catching the dishtowel thrown at his chest.
“I had other things to do last night!”
---
Title: Parental Guilt
Theme: First Period: Homeroom_Homework (1d), usako_mamoru, 2010 anniversary challenge
Genre: General
Rating: PG13
Endymion closed the newspaper suddenly, lowering it to his lap and gazing at Serenity curiously.
“Did you help Chibi-Usa with her chemistry homework?”
His wife snorted. “How long have you known me?”
“Then who-?”
“Zoisite came over for a couple hours. It worked out ‘cause she needed some help with calculus, so Mercury came over too.”
“Hmmm.” There was a bit of a silence. “Serenity?”
“Hmmm?”
“Who helps her with history?”
“Saturn.”
“English?”
“Nephrite.”
“Literature?”
Serenity paused. “I don’t know. She’s certainly never asked me. Maybe she doesn’t need any help.”
“Is there anyone else?”
“Let’s see. Mars helps her with calligraphy. Neptune, music. Jupiter, home ec, although I do think a couple of the guys pitch in to teach her the more boy home stuff.”
“Is she taking physics?”
“Mm-hmm; Pluto tutors her.”
“But why doesn’t she ask me?” he cried indignantly. “I could help with physics.”
Serenity shrugged, finally eyeing the distressed lavender-clothed man. “What are you so concerned about?”
“We have so many friends that we’re not parenting our own child,” he declared. “We should be contributing more. She should be able to come to us with questions on her homework.”
Serenity looked at him somewhat pityingly and mostly haughtily. “One: they’re tutoring her, not parenting her. Two: if I start helping with homework, she may start failing classes. Three,” she continued emphatically. “You can help her as much as you want. I pushed her pink, fat little head out of my teeny tiny vaginal canal. If that doesn’t get me a free pass on homework, I don’t know what will.”