Part 2

"Em?"

A voice seemed to call out to her, but it seemed distant. Her eyes watched the dark gray clouds through tinted glass. She sighed heavily as she spoke softly to herself. "This weather isn't right. Spring should have been here a long time ago."

"EM!"

Something touched her arm, and she gasped as a light tingle shot through it. She broke from her gaze and stared across the table from her. She blinked. "I'm sorry, what did you say, Mamoru?"

His blue eyes narrowed slightly. He opened his mouth to say something, when a small group of girls from their Japanese class strolled by their table in the cafeteria and gave brief hellos. To him. Not Em. He smiled briefly, and turned his attention back to Em. The girls snickered, walking off, words escaping like "cute," "going out" and "too good for her" floating to their ears. "I said that I believe we should get going. The weather looks to be getting worse."

She looked at him. He was handsome, more than so, and yet, why did she hate looking at him that way? Many people had commented on their relationship, because they had become very close friends ever since they met. Like those girls, most were jealous. Her friends wondered why she didn't press the relationship further. She told them it was because he had a girlfriend. But, how could she really let them know the truth -- she didn't like him that way. They would think her a fool not to. He was the perfect guy to many. Not her, at least, not that way. How could she tell them he filled the empty void in her since her mother had died and she had felt alone in the world?

She sighed softly and nodded. "Yes, we better go."

They gathered their things and walked out of the cafeteria, pulling their coats close to them. It was only a week until Spring Break, and yet winter showed no signs of letting Spring enter. She looked up at the sky, walking slowly, laughing lightly, without mirth, thinking that the dark clouds seemed to reflect her mood, or was it the other way around? Something wet hit her face. She flinched. It was like a tiny pebble. A hand grabbed her arm.

"Em, run!"

She blinked, looked at Mamoru and realized small hail was falling all around them, softly, but threatening to increase. They took off running, ducking under a nearby gazebo. After having shaken the ice off, they sat on a small bench, watching as the hail turned to rain that poured down. An icy wind crept around them. Em stared at the falling rain, when she felt Mamoru's hand softly touch a shoulder.

"Em, what's wrong? You seem to be out of sorts. Actually, for awhile now. It seems to be increasing, and, as your friend, I am worried."

Without looking at him she sighed. She couldn't keep it from him anymore. Not and call him a friend. "My mother died a few months ago, during Winter break." She could almost feel his eyes fill with pity, but she didn't look up, and she didn't stop. She rushed on, as if trying to beat the rain. "My father died years ago. I don't have any relatives living, that I know of. No aunts, uncles, cousins. I'm alone. I've never been alone. When my father died, I had my mother. But now ...." She trailed off, and then continued, "and the worst part of it is, I found out that I was adopted. No one knows where I came from, who I really belong to, where I really come from." She turned to look at him, and encountered understanding eyes. "I don't know why I didn't tell you before, I guess because I felt no one could understand. But, we've become good friends, though I haven't really been one because I couldn't tell you about the most important thing that has happened in my life." It wasn't until he handed her a handkerchief to wipe away her tears that she realized she had been crying. She then let out a wail and fell against his chest sobbing.

He stroked her hair tentatively, whispering comforting words. "We all keep secrets, though they aren't necessarily bad. You are still my good friend. Although, I know how you feel, about feeling alone. I felt that for a good part of my life." He stopped for a moment, knowing what he was about to tell her was something private, and yet, it felt right. He then took a deep breath and continued. "When I was eight, my parents and I were in a car accident. They died and I was left with no memories of who I was. I was placed in an orphanage. No one ever adopted me. When I was old enough, I got a job and moved out on my own. For a few years after that, I felt lonelier than ever. Worse was the fact that I felt that something from my past was resurfacing, and yet I couldn't figure it out. That's when I met Usagi. Though it took awhile, she helped me find it."

Em had stopped crying as she listened to him, feeling comfort in his embrace. "Find what?"

He smiled softly. "Find out who I am. Not the past of the little boy with no parents or relatives, but the man who sits here, right now, with you."

She sighed softly. "That's it. I want to know that. I want to know who I am and how I fit. Somewhere. Anywhere. And my only clue," she said, wrapping her fingers around a silver necklace and pulling on it, "is this." From underneath her clothing, suspended on a necklace, a silver locket glimmered. She pulled it over her head and held it gently in her hands for him to see. "I was found with this. Somehow, it might be a clue, but I haven't been able to open it."

He looked at it, then at her and reached for it. As his palm touched the silver and his fingers touched hers, they both gasped as a warmth swept through them. Their wide blue eyes reflected each other's exactly. Em almost dropped the locket, but he caught it. He broke away from her gaze and examined the locket, letting his fingers unconsciously run over the engraved rose. What was that? I know she felt it too, but .... He let the thought trail off as he tried to open the locket. It wouldn't budge. He tried harder, and then released it. He handed it back. "I don't want to break it." He avoided looking in her eyes. "Have you tried a jeweler?"

She nodded softly, slipping the necklace back over her head. "Yes, but he said he would have to break it. I can't. Not yet. I just have this feeling." She looked at him, and caught his gaze. What was that feeling? She smiled lightly, and sighed in relief when he smiled back, though hesitantly.

"Well," he said, trying to break the tension, "someone somewhere should have some clue as to your past. No one could forget someone with that lavender hair of yours."

She gasped and stood up, her backpack dropping to the floor, eyes wide as she looked at him.