Five Seconds - Lita's Story
by Fiona Lim
Flim@hotmail.com

Author's Note:
This is the second story in the series: Ordinary People.  It starts straight after 'Catch the Stars'.
Please write me and tell me exactly what you think of it!!!

DISCLAIMER:  Sailor Moon and all original characters of the series belong to the writers and 
creators of the cartoon series - 'Sailor Moon'.  Everything else belongs to the author.

Copyright 1997: Fiona Lim and any other names she may use. 

				***

	"Lita, I've been in love with  your for so long."  He whispered, 
not daring to see her face, "I've been in love with you for longer than 
I can remember."
Lita stared at Ken in silence as his words echoed in her mind.
*In love with me?*  For an instance, anger ran through her, then fear, 
she felt like running from those words.  Hiding from those words.
Ken had been her constant.  No matter how many times her boyfriend would 
dump her, Ken had been there.  Through what felt like a thousand tries 
at true love - and a thousand hurtful tears and lost loves, Ken had been 
there.  A steady, ever lasting rock of surety.
*He would always be there.  Would always, ALWAYS be there, to hold me, 
to care for me - to make me feel safe and never leave me alone.*
But now he'd turned everything around, he'd changed everything.
*THEY pretended to love me as well.*  Lita drew away from him, ignoring 
the hiss of pain as Ken stared at her, she felt she was dying inside, 
*Oh Ken - why did you have to say those words?*  Because now, Ken would 
leave her as well.  
*You'll be like all the others, you'll dump me, and this time, you won't 
be there to shelter me from the cold.  .  .  You won't be there to hold 
the umbrella and let me cry in your shoulders.*
   "Lita?"  Ken whispered, holding out his hand, "Lita - please, talk to 
me."  his eyes were filled with hurt as he walked towards her.
Panic rose in Lita's throat and she jerked back, "No!"  she shouted, not 
sure whether she was saying no to talking to him or denying what he said 
- what would happen now that he'd SAID it.  
She felt the door behind her, with nerveless fingers, she pulled the 
door open and ran out of the house, head tucked down, tears running 
silently down her cheeks.

She didn't know where she was going, till she looked up and found 
herself in the park where Josh had dumped her.
*And where Ken held me afterwards.*  Lita bit her lip in pain, *He'll 
never hold me again.  He'll never be there for me again.*  she hugged 
herself, feeling alone and vulnerable to the world.
*Why did he have to say those words? Why did he have to change 
everything?*  Lita asked as she sank down on a bench, staring at the 
ground, *Why did he have to say those words? Now he'll leave like they 
all did.*
Her parents had said they'd loved her, and THEY had left her.
Her boyfriends had all pretended to love her, and THEY had dumped her.
Now Ken had said it, and he would leave her as well.
    Lita closed her eyes, rubbing at the wet tears streaking down her 
cheeks, *Get a grip, Lita!*  she told herself fiercely.  *The first rule 
- NEVER let them see how hurt you are.*  
She'd learnt that after being picked on over and over again at every new 
school she'd been sent to with each successive foster home after her 
parents had died in the plane crash.
It was beginning to rain now - heavy drops of rain that mingled on her 
face with the tears and drenched her clothes.  Lita frowned as she heard 
the sound of laughter - a child's laughter.
    A young mother with long, curly blonde hair was pushing a stroller 
quickly out of the park towards her car, a skipping pink clothed toddler 
following her.  Suddenly, the toddler tripped - or fell.  The laughter 
vanished as the air was filled with wails of pain.
The young mother paused and bent down to pick up her child.
   "It HUUUUUUUUUUUURTS mummy!"  the toddler wailed, "It 
HUUUUUUUUUUURTS!"
The mother hugged the toddler, whispering sweet comfort into her ear 
till the wailing grew into sniffles and finally stopped.  Silently, the 
mother stood up, smiling down at her toddler, "Come on, Jessie - time to 
go home."  She said, holding out her hand.
Little Jessie sniffed, "Don't wanna walk, mummy!"  she said, "Don't 
wanna walk - it'll hurt again!"  her lower lip trembled, "Carry me?"
The mother kneeled down again, and stared at Jessie, "But if you don't 
walk - then you can't run - then you can't come to the park any more 
because you have to be able to walk to play on the slides and swings."  
She said, wiping away a tear, "Be brave for mummy?"
Jessie stared at her mother for several seconds, then nodded, "Yes."  
She said, smiling waterly before taking her mother's hand and 
following.
    Lita watched the small family - remembering something *her* mother 
had told her once.  
    "In each person's life - there is a time when they have a chance.  
Five seconds between one way of life and another.  Let's say one night, 
somebody is so tired of studying for a test - and that person throws his 
text book at the door because he doesn't want to study any more.  Maybe, 
for you, that's your five seconds.  Perhaps if you picked up the book 
and study, you'd pass the test with flying colors, and because you 
understand all the work, maybe one day that person would become the 
person that discovered the cure for cancer or AIDS."
Eleven year old Lita had frowned - the night before, she had thrown her 
text book at the door because she didn't want to study any more - and 
SHE hadn't picked it up again to study, "What happens if the person 
didn't study anymore?"  she asked.
Her mother had shrugged, "Then he won't discover the cure for AIDS or 
cancer.  Their five seconds would be gone, and they'd have lost their 
chance - maybe forever."  She said, staring at Lita.
At eleven years, Lita had been sure that her five seconds had been up 
because she hadn't picked up her text book and continued studying.
At fifteen years, Lita wondered whether this was her 'five seconds'.  
*Am I willing to take the chance on Ken?*  she wondered, *No other guy 
ever said they loved me.  And Ken knows EVERYTHING about me.  He's been 
there for me for forever.  He held me when I cried over all of THEM.  
Maybe - maybe he wouldn't leave me.*  she sat there, ignoring the rain 
that was pelting down now.  
*But do I dare take the chance on him? Can I bear it if he leaves me as 
well?*
She could love Ken, the potential was waiting - had always been waiting, 
IF she allowed herself to.  That had never been the question.  *The 
question - or statement - was that if I let myself love him like I loved 
the other boys and went out with him, he'd leave me too.  And then I'd 
be alone.*  Lita looked at her fingers, she could smell the chicken and 
chips - the ones she'd dropped on Ken's room floor - on them.  
*Dare I take the chance with him?*  
Dare she take her five seconds now it was in front of her?

*** 
	"Ken?"  his mother's voice came faintly through the door.
Ken stared at the door, and contemplated throwing something at the door, 
or just not answering.  *Maybe she'll just go away if I ignore her.*  he 
thought, then sighed, *OR, seeing as this is MUM, she'll walk in.*
   "Yes?"
   "There's somebody in the kitchen for you."  she replied, "I've got to 
run out to the grocery shop for some milk, so don't leave the house.  
Your dad left his keys at home again, and he's going to be coming home 
soon."  she added. 
    Tiredly, Ken walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.  He stared 
at the ground, noticing that his socks were mismatched, one had straight 
white lines, while the other were wavy lines.
   "Ken?"  
His head jerked up as he stared at Lita.  Her brown hair was plastered 
to her face, the bouncy pony tail limp and dripping on the tiled floor.  
   "Lita."  He breathed, staring at her - not daring to hope.  *What 
does this mean?*  he wondered, *What does her coming back represent?*  
   "Oh god."  Lita murmured than ran towards him, hugging him tightly, 
"YOU're my five seconds."  She whispered, "And I took it."
Ken stared blindly at her, "What?"  he opened his mouth to say more, but 
found instead Lita's mouth, and decided that whatever he had to say 
could wait!
He felt the stars exploding behind his eyes, *So this is what it feels 
to catch those stars.*  he thought in wonder.  
   "Ken?"  Lita leaned back, staring at him, her smile watery, "I don't 
know - I mean.  .  .  I don't know whether we'll end up together forever 
or anything - but -"  she took a deep breath, "I want to take the chance 
with you."  her eyes were round and filled with vulnerability.
Ken put a finger on her lips, "I won't leave you, Lita.  Never."  He 
promised, "I love you.  I've been waiting for you all this while."  He 
smiled slightly, "I'm glad you've FINALLY decided to wait for me too."  
He said, and kissed her again.

			The End	

So what do you think? Too soppy? Or just right? Please send all comments 
to: flim@hotmail.com