Hi.  

My pet-hate would have to be dodgy grammar and 
spelling.  Of course, despite this, I'm not perfect 
(although I am pretty damn close).  So, C&C would be
highly appreciated at:
			shull_mercury@yahoo.com

That'll also let me know if anyone's reading this.  

I'm also not sure about the title.  Thoughts, anyone? 





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Haruka stared at Michiru, her hand held to her 
reddened cheek, shock written plainly on her face.
	'I can't take it any more Haruka, I know you're
 cheating on me!'
	Haruka gasped painfully, this accusation hurt 
more than the slap had.  Michiru could not have injured
Haruka more, even if she had crushed all the bones in 
Haruka's body.
	Michiru grabbed the taller woman's shoulders, 
shaking her slightly.
	'I'm going away, I'm going on a holiday.  Maybe 
it'll help me deal with what you've done to me.'
	She let go of Haruka, who slumped to the floor, 
her eyes wide, her jaw slack, in mute appeal.
	Michiru looked down on her, eyes cold as the 
deepest depths, 'You ... whore.  I love you, but, the 
hate that I feel for you will soon grow to such that I 
will feel nothing but that hate for you.'
	She shook her head slowly, 'I can't believe it, 
but I must.  I *know* the truth.'
	Michiru stalked towards the door, away from 
Haruka.  She paused in the doorway, and spoke over her 
shoulder, 'You also know the truth.  And at  least you 
haven't wasted breath on false denials.  Sayonara Ten'ou
Haruka.  Goodbye.'
	She left.
	Haruka sat on the floor, her face wrinkling in 
confusion and pain.  Tears began to form in her eyes and 
her lower lip trembled.
	'I...I...never.......

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	    ****STARLIT WISHES****
  			By Sarah Hull
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Haruka leaned back in the coffee shop booth.  She
sighed moodily.  Michiru hadn't come back.  It had only
 been two days since she'd walked out, but Haruka was 
desperate to defend herself.  She sighed again, picking 
up her pen and looking back to the notebook in front of 
her.  Its pages wee blank, apart from a couple of 
sentences.
	The first read:  Why Michiru thinks I'm cheating
on her.
	A heading.  Haruka had thought it would help 
settle her flying thoughts.
	Underneath it, her second sentence read:  Some 
one put something in her drink and she's hallucinating.
	Nope, it was definitely not helping.
	Haruka sighed again.

	'Seiya, what's wrong?'  Yaten asked a little 
crankily.
	Seiya frowned at him, 'What's got you in a 
snit?'
	Yaten glared at his dark haired companion, 
'Perhaps the fact that someone hasn't been paying 
attention to the person, namely me, who's been talking
to them fro the past five minutes!'
	Seiya leant across the table and gestured Yaten 
to come closer.
	'Do you know who's in the booth behind me?'  he
said quietly.
	Yaten sat back exasperatedly, 'Do you listen to
a word I say?'
	They heard Taiki, 'Hi Haruka, How've you been?'
	They heard Haruka respond, in her low, dusty 
voice, 'I've been better ...'
	Seiya twisted around in his seat and looked over
the partition.
	'Butch...'  he said fondly in greeting.
	'Watch who you're calling 'butch', girly-boy, 
some one might take it as an invitation to rearrange 
your features.'  Haruka said, automatically.
	The Starlights joined Haruka's table, Seiya 
beside her, Taiki and Yaten opposite.
	She flipped her book shut and put the lid on her
pen.
	'Oh, don't let us interrupt you,' said Taiki, 
'You can keep working, it won't bother us at all.'
	'No, I'll stop.  There's no way I'll get 
anything done with you three gossips here.'
	'What are you working on?' asked Yaten.
	'Nothing, I mean, none of your bus... Maths.'
	Haruka looked hopefully into three incredulous
faces.  Her bumbling had her trapped.  They'd want to 
look at it now.
	'Yeah right!'  laughed Seiya.
	Haruka slapped her hands down on the book, to 
prevent any of them from simply nicking it.  At least,
that's what she was trying to do.  Seiya already had it 
in his hands.
	He read what she'd written and all the 
playfulness and laughter went out of his face for an 
instant.  But only an instant.  Haruka was the only one 
who caught it.
	He snapped the book shut and slid it behind 
Haruka.
	'I can't believe it, it really is Maths,' he 
said in play-disgust, 'You really had us going then.'
	Taiki looked at him blankly.
	Yaten stared.
	'Yeah, sure had me fooled.' said Taiki, albeit a
trifle slowly.
	Yaten raised an eyebrow, 'Wha-
	'What do we want to order?'  interjected Taiki.
	'Ooh, oh, um, I dunno...' said Yaten, diverted.
	'Short white.'
	'I'm going to have a strawberry cappuccino.' said
Haruka.
	'I don't know what I want either, so Yaten and I 
will go decide while we make the order.'
	'We will?'
	'Yep.'  said Taiki, collaring Yaten and leaving.
	Seiya sat side-on, so he was facing Haruka.  He
put his elbow ion the table and rested his head on his 
hand.
	'So,' he said, 'Wanna talk about it?'
	Haruka stared straight ahead blankly.  Her only 
movements were in her hands, as she spun her pen from 
finger to finger.
	'No.  Thank you.' she said calmly.
	'I assume she's left you.'
	'Your assumption is correct.  I don't want to 
talk about it.'
	'I assume you weren't cheating.'
	'Once again correct.  You're brilliant wo-man.  
Please change the subject.'
	'Might I also assume you haven't cried yet?'
	The pen snapped.  Haruka dropped the two pieces 
onto the table.  He was right again, of course, she hadn't
cried.  Even when Michiru had just left, and the tears 
were there, she couldn't, wouldn't let them fall.
	Seiya sat up straight and put a hand on Haruka's 
shoulder.  Finally she looked at him.  His other hand 
cupped the side of her face and his thumb caressed her 
cheek gently.
	'It isn't a bad thing to cry.  Sometimes it's good.
It can help how you feel.  Even you are allowed to cry, 
Butch.'
	He stared into her eyes, trying to communicate 
what sounded trite when voiced.
	She spoke.
	'Why...'
	'Why'd she leave you?'
	She nodded.
	'I don't know Haruka, maybe she truly believes 
you were cheating...I don't know how she could leave you.
You are perfect in your uniqueness.  I've never known 
anyone like you.  Your humour, your talents, your desire
to protect, your belief in the love you share with the 
others, your fierce loyalty...
	'If I'm all these things, why'd she leave?  Why 
doesn't she believe in our love?  Why doesn't she understand
my loyalty?'
	Haruka's breathing was short and irregular, she 
was close to hysterics, with her voice growing higher 
and louder with every word.
	Seiya crossed his arms across his chest, 'How do 
you feel Haruka?'
	She bit her lip, still breathing hard.
	'Tell me...' he said kindly, 'I'm listening.'
	Haruka took a deep breath, and said jerkily, 'I...
feel...betrayed...'
	Seiya smiled at her sadly, 'Does it hurt?'
	'I want to die!' Haruka burst out violently, 
shuddering as the tears finally came.
	Seiya pulled her gently against him, rocking her
as she sobbed in pain.
	'Sometimes, don't we all?'  he said absently, 'I
think we do.'

	Taiki glanced at the booth where Haruka and Seiya
were sitting.  How long did he need to stall?
	'Man, decide already!' said Yaten impatiently, 
'The coffees'll go cold if you don't decide soon!'
	Taiki turned to his brother, ready to have a go 
at him, when he jumped, as Haruka said in his ear, 'Have 
you ever tried a strawberry capuchin?'
	He shook his head.
	'Have mine, I'm going home.'
	'Ok, thanks Haruka.'
	She smiled sadly, shaking her head slightly.  'Thank
you.  Bye Yaten.'
	'See ya...'
	Yaten frowned as Haruka left, 'Someone is not her
usual bloke-ified self today.'

	Taiki and Yaten rejoined their brother.
	Taiki placed a coffee in front of Seiya,  'There 
you go, a short white.  Though, judging by your countenance,
you'd much prefer a tall blonde.'

 
To be continued .....


Oh, BTW, I have a fetish for 'cutting and pasting' accepted couples.
Just thought I'd warn you.

Love Shull.

__________________________________________________________________
Get your free Australian email account at http://www.start.com.au/