Warning: long author's notes ahead! They have little to do with the story!
A/N about me: First of all, I just want to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry to anyone and everyone who's read any of my unfinished stories and has wondered what rock I've been hiding under the past year or so. Gomen nasai, I offer my life in shame. Please forgive me, it's been a long trek to where I'm at now.
Let me be brief in my reasons: I've gone through financial crisis, I've broken down about school and my grades and working to get into medical school (this includes impossibly hard classes and teachers making subjects I love pure torture), I've been forced out of my job (but I start a new one Monday), one bother finally came back from Iraq (where he almost died countless times), the other brother got a divorce, and a million other things, but also I'm planning a wedding. My wedding.
On the now part, things are on an upswing. I'm starting a different job Monday, my Mamo-chan-like-man is doing some web design for the University we go to for some extra money, I've got a nice long summer break to indulge in (after pulling all A's and one A-! yeah!), and I'm getting married in August. Things are positive for me again, and I've felt like writing for the first time in what seems a very, very long time. I'm so very sorry for making so many promises about updating, and I hope I never do it again. I hit a slump, but I'm back, and I hope I can still make everyone smile.
The Longest Trip Ever will continue, I actually have most of the next chapter written out, but I wanted to do this cute little story first. I don't think it will be incredibly long, but I hope everyone likes it anyways. LIKE IT! I mean, um, let me know what you think :)
Again, I'm sorry, but I hope you enjoy this story.
Acting Out: Prologue
"Can you believe it? A Sailor Moon movie being made right here in the Juuban district!" Many ear-splitting, glee-filled screams ensued. Motoki glanced over at the table of girls in the corner and chuckled. Usagi was waving some piece of paper around in the air and all the other girls seemed incredibly excited about what she had to say. He smiled and went back to filling orders – it was probably some scheme of theirs to land the guys of their dreams. Isn't that what teenaged girls usually were doing?
Usagi slammed the paper down on the table and flashed a "V" for victory to the girls seated at the booth.
"That's right, and we all know who's going to make the lead role!" She stood up on a chair and began making cheesy poses. "I will be the ultimate champion of justice! In the name of the moon, I will get that part!" Cue wobbly chair, toppling blonde, and screams of anguish and horror as a result of a skinned knee.
"Jeez Odango, think you could go one day without trying to kill yourself?" Usagi's tears vanished, turning instantly into rage as she jumped up to face Mamoru, who had managed to saunter over while she was on the floor. Darn him with his continual sauntering! Isn't there a limit on how much you can saunter in an area, or per day or something? There should be! She watched in horror as he reached over and picked up the flyer she had been waving.
"Give me that!" She lunged at him and he easily stepped aside while reading the flyer, causing her to go sailing into an (thankfully) empty booth.
"A Sailor Moon movie, eh?" He turned to where she was standing up form the booth and straightening her skirt with a huff. "Who are you going to audition for, the youma?" He grinned as her face turned a delightful shade of pink. She was awfully adorable when she was this mad. She reached out and snatched the flyer from his hand.
"As if, dorkwad. I'm going to audition and get the role of Sailor Moon, champion of justice, heroine for millions!" She turned up her nose at him, and he burst out laughing.
"You? A champion of justice? Sure I can see that happening, the day that eating sundaes is punishment for a crime!" He turned to walk away holding his sides while he was laughing and completely failing to see the hurt look on Usagi's face. Hurt quickly turned to defiance.
"I'll get that role Chiba, you just wait!" He stopped and turned to grin at her, a witty retort inches away form slipping off his tongue, then simply shrugged and walked off. Secretly he was hoping she would, praying that his angel would get what she wanted the most. An idea was already playing out in his mind, an idea he was patching together as he quickly strode away form the Crown Arcade. Meanwhile, Usagi was still fuming in the arcade.
"Jeez he is such a jerk! I wish I could just take him and put him in a jar and…um… pour lemon juice on him! That would sting a lot! And it wouldn't taste very good!" Mina and Mako were laughing, Ami was sighing and burying her nose deeper into her calculus textbook, and Rei was just rolling her eyes.
"You know Odango, he has a point." Usagi's glare of wrathful vengeance was turned toward Rei. "It's not like you're ever going to get that role. Besides, I think I would make a much more beautiful Sailor Moon than you would." She fluttered her eyelashes and Makoto choked on her milkshake.
"Don't call me that, Rei! Besides, everyone knows that Sailor Moon is much slimmer than you and has much prettier hair." She idly twirled a finger around one of her own locks. Mina stood up, placing herself between the two.
"Stop this nonsense! You're both acting like children fighting over the last cookie in the jar. If you really both feel you want to try out for the role you can, and that will be the deciding factor." The two senshi looked abashed, lowering their heads. Mina put her hands down and nodded sagely before lighting up with one of her big, pop-star smiles. "Besides, we all know that the role will go to the one with the most talent and experience, which is none other than Aino Minako, Goddess of love and beauty!" Not even crickets dared to intrude on that moment. Makoto turned to Ami.
"What about you, Ami-chan, don't you want to audition for the movie?" She smiled encouragingly. Ami looked up at Makoto, pushing her glasses delicately back into place.
"I really don't think we have the time right now – we have to start studying for exams!" Usagi made gagging noises.
"Ami-chan…it's still summer!" The girls laughed, Ami blushed and began intently studying her calculus book again, and the day stretched on. Usagi looked again at the flyer which was proclaiming that open auditions were beginning tomorrow at 8 am sharp and smiled. She had a really great feeling about this one.
A/N: Well, what do you think? I'll go ahead and post the first chapter tomorrow, I just wanted to put this up tonight. Please review for me, I want to know people are still out there and reading my junk hehe.