It is, the first day back.
Like any first day back after Events, it's always a bit of a rush and a bother and there's a certain level of tired that runs through the school. No one was racing and rushing and delighted to be there all bright eyed and bushy tailed, but so be it.
Naru waits in the hallway for Usagi, fully expecting her bestie to be late to first period, because of /course/ she's going to be late to first class. She looks up and down the hallway, trying not to fidget anxiously on fussing about just how late Usagi might be and how late that's likely to make her.
Usagi isn't late. In fact, she's sort of early!
If she had her way, she'd still be sleeping. However, sleeping over at various friends' places and what not tends to have her waking up when they did. And this usually involved a lot of forcibly vacating her from whatever comfortable surface she's sleeping on.
(This morning was a more gentle eviction. After all, the past few days have been an Ordeal.)
So, she's at school, but she's in a more Zombie State than usual. Her eyes are half closed, she's bumping into walls and people.
She is still very much hungover from the use of the crystal. If her soul were a battery, she'd be very close to powering off. (Fortunately, she doesn't need to be plugged in!)
And it's a mixture of exhaustion and emotional turbulance that when she sees Naru, her face crumbles. She doesn't pounce Naru, instead she sort of staggers over and hugs and cries.
"I don't know why I'm crying!"
Naru Osaka hugs her bestie as she props up the exhausted Usagi and there's a tiny bit of relief that they have a wee bit of time to have a moment rather than already being late for class.
"Because you're exhausted, and it was probably really emotional, and hopefully its happy tears?" Naru hazards as she wraps an arm around Usagi and nudges her off to a quieter spot where they wont be in the path of all the other students. Because /that/ would be a helluva gossip coup for someone.
"They are happy tears, right? Everyone's alright?" Naru's voice is quiet, not to carry to everyone else, but asking the important question off the top.
She shuffles over with Naru and nods as she just curls against her oldest friend. "I think so? I mean, I watched them--" A shuddery breath! "But a unicorn cried and I was able to bring them back."
She's making very little sense!
"But I'm so glad you're okay--" Sniff sniff sniff! "--and you were my pit crew!"
"A .. unicorn.. right." Naru files /that/ away for later and gives Usagi a hug. "Of course you were able to bring them back.. I'm so glad. I'm /fine/. My big challenge was being worried about all of you." She smiles at the last. "Pit crew without even being there. I have something for you, for school pit crew." She digs into her bag and emerges out with a neatly word processed stapled set of papers. "Here's your book report due today."
Usagi blinks at takes the stapled papers. "My...book report? But I only had notes, and they weren't very good, and--"
She looks through it and she's crying again, much happier. "Naru-chan, it even reads like I wrote it!"
Another tearful hug!
"You didn't have to!"
"Of course I didn't /have/ to, but I wanted to!" Naru hugs Usagi close. "I didn't think you'd think of it, you were kinda busy this weekend and I was just going to sit and worry /anyhow/. I wanted something to do. I.. er.. do you have Zoi's number? I have something for him too. Not a book report." She admits that last a little bit shyly.
More sniffling, and a wipe of her face. "Thank you, Naru-chan! I'll try to keep up better!"
She knows that's not the point, but she doesn't want Naru-chan thinking she'll start expecting her homework to be done for her!
Another sniffle, and her eyebrows rise a bit. "Zoi-kun?" A glint. "Oh hooooooooh? What do you have? Is it a secret?" She scoots a bit closer. This time not for Comfort Hugs, but for Secrets.
"I don't have it right now, but I can text Mamo-chan and see if he has it? Or if Zoi-kun has a phone yet?" Scoot scoot!
"When you have quieter weekends, you get to do your own book reports." Naru tsks softly on the notion of 'keeping up'. "Cause I think this was kinda bigger than usual, right?" She points out with another little tsk.
The glint and the 'hoooooh!' make Naru blush and she ducks her head. "Not like that! Not really like that. He's /so/ not interested.. and that's okay!" She even sounds as if it's really okay, not just 'I'm supposed to say its okay' sort of okay.
"I.. er.. painted him a picture. I dont know if he'll like it, but it's sort of a thank you for getting stuck babysitting me." Naru chews her bottom lip, suddenly anxious about how it might be received. "Or you or Endymion could deliver it too. That's fine."
Usagi's cheeks flush a bit at the reminder. "Well, yeah...a lot bigger." She scuffs her toes on the ground. "But everyone helped so much. I couldn't have done it without their support." She nods, remembering the way they helped, even when they couldn't be there physically. She almost starts crying again!
Still! There's huehuehueing to be had! She gives Naru a sly look and a 'mm-hmm' but says nothing else about interest.
Then she gasps! "Zoi-kun gets a Naru-Painting?! Lucky!" Not that she doesn't have Naru-Paintings! "I'm sure he'll love it, he likes beautiful things!" And she's very much sure it is, even without seeing it! And then she waves her hand and scoffs. "You're giving it to him! But I'll be there if you want me to be!"
"That's the point in having support. You don't have to do it all alone, because no one can." Naru gives her another hug and then gets all shy on the topic of Zoi and her paintings. "The book report didn't take as long as I thought, I still had time to fret, so I painted instead." She nods her head. "If you can.. I mean if you're not busy with everything."
Usagi shakes Naru as hard as she can with glee. Of course, it's about a fraction of what it would normally be. Recovery yay!
"I won't be! I'll be there! Unless I really can't, but I don't think that will happen!"
"Hopefully you get a break for a little while. And you and Endy.. Mamoru.. can be sickeningly adorable for a while." Naru teases with a bright grin as she listens to the early bell go off, warning them that first class is not so very far away. "We should get to class, and /really/ surprise them by being on time for once. Even if you look like you might doze off in your chair."
Usagi gives a very happy hum at that thought. "I'll give him all the cuddles ever!"
She doesn't deny the sickeningly adorable part!
She giggles. "Maybe if we cause the teacher to faint by showing up early, she won't get mad if I do doze off!"
She links her arm through Naru's elbow and giggles again.
Naru Osaka links her arm through Usagi's and giggles softly. "Only the first time. I'll try and poke you in the back when I notice before the teacher does." She offers, oh so /kind/ and giggles again. "See? I told you it would all be alright."