Black and White Lies

By: Sailorjj07

1. Chapter 1

A/n: Please stick with me till the end! I'll probably switch Points of View, though it shouldn't happen too often.

Disclaimer: I do not own!

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Actions

(Me!)

I never realized how easy it would be to lie. I was always the kind of person that was honest; the type that told the truth, no matter how awful it was. It was instilled in me from a young age because, as my Father always said, it's just the right thing to do. But Dad is wrong. Sometimes a lie is the only thing between you and complete failure. Sometimes a lie is the only thing you can say, because the truth is dangerous. Because the truth could leave you open and vulnerable and terribly, terribly alone.

...I never knew how easy it was to lie.

Or how hard it would be to stop.

"Estelle, that was a great piece you wrote about the elementary school! I'm sure a lot of parents will cut it out and stick it on their fridge!"

I shook myself out of my thoughts as a co-worker gave me a small pat on the back. The sounds of the newsroom filled my ears, as I spun in my chair to face the woman who had stopped to talk to me. Nearby reporters spoke loudly, in the middle of phone interviews and I could hear the steady whir of the printer across the room. This was normal at The Daily Arte, Zaphias' newspaper. I gave a small smile to the woman standing in front of me, wondering about her in the back of my mind. How had someone for the advertising department managed to wander to this side of the newsroom in the first place?

"Oh, thank you. It was wonderful to be around the kids."

"Haha, I don't know very many people who can say that! Always the perfect ISD reporter, aren't you?" My coworker teased, waving as she walked away from me. I sighed and sunk into my chair. I never quite understood why people thought that kids were so terrible in the first place. If they were so bad, why on Earth did they bother having them? I truly loved my job, anyways.

A small group of reporters waved at me as my Editor-in-Chief walked up to my desk. Mary Kaufman had beautiful maroon colored hair, perfectly shaped eyebrows and a stride that left men standing with their mouths open. She was also demanding, always professional, and the best reporter I had ever met in my life. She was everything I wish I could be, though I knew I couldn't. We just had two very different ways of doing things.

"Estelle." She stopped in front of my desk with her arms crossed and I immediately stood up, trying to school my features. Kaufman was a very pleasant woman and she certainly wasn't cruel. By why did the look on her face make me pause? Something was up.

"Hello Kaufman. Is there anything I can do for you?" Was that my voice? Was it shaking? Oh God, I hope not.

She wasted no time, sparing the formalities and pleasantries, "How would you like to work on the biggest story of your life?"

"I... What?"

Kaufman only lifted an arched eyebrow, waiting for my response.

"Well, yes! Of course I would! What is it?"

Kaufman's dark eyes looked around us before she turned on her heel and beckoned me to follow her, "Let's talk in my office."

I nodded slowly and followed the woman, ignoring the odd looks from my peers. Hopefull, no rumors surfaced from this little walk.

"Have a seat." I plopped down in the chair I was offered and waited for Kaufman to say more. She leaned against her desk in front of me, arms crossed, as her glasses fell to the bridge of her nose. "Estelle, you are the perfect person for this job. But in order for you to do it, you'll have to... be discreet."

I tilted my head curiously, a bit unsure of her words, "Discreet?"

"Yes," Kaufman hiked herself up on her desk, crossing her legs and pushing her glasses higher up on her face, "We have reason to believe that the infamous Yuri Lowell is recruiting for his... business. I want you to go in there, undercover, and get us a story. I want to write a piece about our city's very own Robin Hood. People should see the world through the eyes of the handsome, bold Yuri Lowell."

My heart jumped in my throat. THE Yuri Lowell? Leader of Mira Vesperia? Surely, she couldn't possibly want me to do something as dangerous as that!

"K-Kaufman, are you... you're serious about this?" I had to talk some sense into my boss. She wanted me to infiltrate a... gang?! This was a group of people who took valuables from the rich, killed for money, and partied until the sun came up. There was no way I could just walk up and ask for quotes!

"As serious as ever. And you are the perfect person for the job." Kaufman leaned forward and focused her clear gaze on me. I stared back, as my heart pounded in my ears, "I won't give this chance to anyone else. It has to be you."

"B-But why? I'm sure there are others that know how to go about this, right? What about our crime reporter?"

Kaufman shook her head, a slight smile curling on her lips, "It has to be you, Estelle. You don't judge people by appearance. You observe them, take them in and THEN you form an opinion. That's so rare. No one on this team comes close to you. Trust me on this. You will grow so much as a writer! This might even get you off of the school district beat."

"But I love writing about the school district!" The exclamation sounded weak even to my ears.

"Estelle, listen to me. I can promise you that this will put your name out there across the country. Imagine the amazing awards you'd receive for shedding light on the life of a criminal! Imagine how many people could actually begin to like him once they realize that Mira Vesperia is still a group of humans. You, yourself, know the power of a human interest piece."

"Of course I do. But Kaufman, this is dangerous. This is an area of life that I've never explored before."

"And that's why I want you to do it. Because you'll be the eyes and ears of the uninitiated world. And it shouldn't be too dangerous. Aren't you friends with that cop? What was his name again...? Sci-something..."

"Detective Scifo? Flynn is not going to help me out if I do this. He'd likely arrest me!"

Kaufman shrugged, "I doubt that very much. He's totally into you."

I felt a rush of red flood my cheeks, but I ignored it for more... life-preserving protests, "Kaufman, I can't."

"You can and you will. Estelle, this is a chance to be a new person. To see parts of yourself that perhaps even you didn't know about. All I'm saying is that this is the chance of a lifetime. I can't do it. No one else on the team can either. It HAS to be you."

I heaved a loud sigh. I hadn't intended to, but there was no way I could keep a straight face about this. I can't possible do something this crazy. I just can't! My eyes scanned Kaufman's office, looking for some sort of escape. They fell on a glass case full of awards and I found myself counting the number of gleaming golden trinkets. Kaufman had won so many awards for her journalism, something I had never accomplished. Kaufman followed my gaze and grinned with a knowing smile, "Estelle, if you write this piece, I promise you that one of these will be yours. You don't even have to mention your own name."

"My parents would be... really proud if I got an award like this."

"And just think of the people that you would be helping! Wouldn't it be wonderful if the members of Mira Vesperia were treated well by society after this piece comes out?"

I nodded wordlessly, working everything over in my mind. I could win an award for this and it'd look great on my résumé.

And really, when was the last time I partied till dawn?

I looked down at my hands with unseeing eyes. The answer to that question was clear. Never. I had never partied hard. I had never done anything "bad". Ever. I had never even told a little white lie before.

After a few more moments of weighing my options, I smiled at Kaufman, "All right. I'll do it."

Kaufman smiled, clapping her hands together, "Awesome! I'll give you all the information and then you can go get ready for tonight."

"T-tonight?"

"Mira Vesperia is throwing a party at a club downtown. It'll be your first chance to get in with the group."

I fought the urge to sigh again. There was no way that this was going to be easy.

At 3 p.m.

The school bell chimed loudly just as I pulled in the driveway in front of Zaphias Middle School. I tapped my fingers to the beat of the music pouring from my car's stereo, while waiting for Patty Fleur to find me. To some, our relationship was as a mother and daughter, but I knew better. Patty was like the little sister I never had. As an only child, I had never known what it was like to have siblings. As a result, I volunteered for a mentoring program that was geared towards helping out the children of single mothers. Patty's mom had agreed to let me pick up her daughter from school everyday and it was such a joy for me to do so.

"Estelle~!" I smiled as I caught sight of Patty's beautiful blonde hair. She waved in greeting to me and I returned it with a small wave as she ran towards my car.

"Hey Patty! Get in," I unlocked the door and Patty hopped in, while waving goodbye to some friends that were still waiting for their parents. We drove off as Patty shifted around in her seat, digging into her backpack and pulling out a bunch of teen fashion magazines.

"Operation Transformation starts right now! Are we going to the mall?" Patty asked, a wide grin spreading from ear to ear.

"Of course. I really have no idea what I need to buy for this... event."

"Haha! Estelle, is it really an event? People go to parties all the time!" Patty looked at me closely, lifting a delicate eyebrow, "Then again, it's you. Never mind."

Patty giggled to herself as I pouted, though it was all in good nature, "I am not that boring!"

"Hahaha. Estelle, you read books for fun! Not that there's anything wrong with that, but let's just be honest."

"Oh, whatever." I retorted, glaring at Patty out of the corner of my eye.

"Oh, don't pout! It'll be really fun! I get to dress you up!"

I fought the urge to sigh, and simply followed the flow of traffic. Today was going to be a very long day after all.

We arrived to the mall in about 30 minutes, with Patty flipping through her magazine collection and telling me everything she thought would be helpful during this shopping trip. I helped her out of the car, taking the magazines from her hand and placing a few in my tote bag. After all, I had no idea what I was doing.

"Estelle, I'm sure we can find someone to help us get you ready."

"Probably, but it's… Ah, I don't know how to explain it."

"Embarrassing?"

"Exactly." I felt heat rush to my cheeks for the second time that day, but for an entirely different reason. I really had no idea what outfit I would need to draw the attention of the great Yuri Lowell. I didn't even know what kind of person he was!

"Well don't worry! Patty the Great will help you!" I laughed as Patty drug me into the first women's clothing store she found.

At 9 p.m.

Many hours later, I was parking my car along the street, in a somewhat shady part of town. I applied a fresh coat of lipstick (yuck) and pulled on the tiny hemline of my dress. I wish I had worn a coat or something to cover up the tiny thing that Patty called "the ultimate party dress". It was white, off the shoulder, and super short, stopping at an area near my upper thigh.

I stepped out of the car, making sure I had my keys and a tiny clutch under my arm. I glanced in the mirror one last time, before crossing the street and getting in line.

"Here goes…."

"Geez, Estelle, don't look so terrified. You'd think someone was sending you to court or something."

I blinked, shocked to hear my name in this area, and also very, very worried. If someone knew my name already, how was I supposed to avoid talking about the real reason I came here? I immediately spun around and grinned at the sight of blue hair and tan skin, "K-Khroma! What on Earth are you doing here?"

Khroma was much taller than I, with a beautiful complexion and bright green eyes. She wore a tight purple dress that had a deep V-neck cut in the front. Sparkly black and purple heels completed her outfit.

"Shhhhhh, keep it down, would you?" Khroma looked around us as if on edge, before she stepped closer to me. She jumped up and draped her arms around me my neck, squealing as if she had chanced upon her best friend, "OH MY GOSH! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE HERE! How are you?!"

When she was sure no one was watching us any longer, she remained leaning on me and whispered in my ear, "I'm here to help you out. Kaufman told Flynn what she was planning and he immediately ran to me for help. He's very shocked that you even agreed to this little adventure."

"But won't someone recognize you?"

"Well no. The joys of being a mere secretary, I suppose. And if they do, my cousin has promised to help me… distract them." Khroma winked and I giggled loudly, before her words hit me like a ton of bricks.

"C-Cousin?"

"Yes, my cousin. You'll meet her once we get inside." And just as Khroma mentioned getting inside of the club, we reached the front of the line. She took my hand and led me in, as I gave a brief smile to the bouncer at the door. In no time we stepped inside of the dark club, with only the neon lights of the bar and strobe lights to pave our way. I looked around us at all the bodies pressed together, as the base pounded in my ears. Everywhere I looked there were people dancing and drinking, some smoking cigarettes while lounging in black leather chairs.

"Do you see him?" Khroma asked loudly, standing next to me. I shook my head softly and she nodded her head towards the front of the room. I followed her gaze and it was like… everything stood still. Time stopped as my heart slammed to a screeching halt in my chest.

There he was. Yuri Lowell.

He sat on a black leather couch in the VIP section, right next to the DJ booth. Confidence and masculinity rolled off of him, practically in tangible waves. I wasn't sure how I had missed him at all. It was certainly hard to ignore his presence now.

He had a curvy blue haired woman sprawled across his lap and his violet eyes were scanning the room as if he didn't even notice her. His beautiful, long raven hair cascaded over his shoulders as he leaned forward, soft and sleek in its appearance. He whispered something into the woman's ear and she sat up, a sensual giggle erupting from her perfect mouth. He stood up and I took in his long, lean legs, sporting a pair of tailored black slacks and an unbuttoned gray dress shirt. He walked over to speak briefly with a man who sat on the arm of the leather couch, before going back to his seat. With the girl gone from his lap, he crossed his legs, scanning the room once again. All of a sudden, his eyes fell right on me.

My breath caught in my throat and panic gathered in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't lie to someone like that! How on Earth was I supposed to pull this off?

A smirk spread across his lips, as if he had heard my thoughts and he motioned for me to come over to him. I wasn't sure if it was my nerves or the come hither look on his face, but I couldn't stop the butterflies that grew with each step towards that man. Khroma walked with me, tugging my arm in an effort to slow me down.

"Calmly. Slowly. Make him wait for it." She grinned at me, and I couldn't even return the gesture; I was just too nervous. I gave her a small, nerve-wracked smile as we walked forward. The blue haired woman who had been draped all over Yuri stood at the top of the staircase, peering down at us. Her eyes softened with recognition and she took Khroma's arm as soon as we got to the top step, "Cousin! I'm glad you could get some time off today."

"Haha, Judith, I haven't seen you in a such a long time; I had to come hang out."

The woman named Judith smiled, before regarding me with an uplifted eyebrow, "And who might you be?"

"I-I'm…" I paused. If I gave them my real name, would they know that I was a reporter? Would Khroma tell her cousin that I was lying? After a nudge from Khroma, I realized I was still staring at Yuri, who's smirk was growing by the second. I turned and faced Judith as a rush of heat flooded my cheeks and looked down at my feet in embarrassment, "I'm Celeste."

"Celeste, huh? Why'd it take you so long to answer? Do you not know your own name?"

I shook my head, laughing, though it sounded hollow even to me, "Oh no. I was just… so surprised that you guys would let us come up here."

"Yeah, well, that wasn't really my choice." I watched as Judith rolled her eyes, just as Yuri walked up and placed his hand on her shoulder. That delicious smirk was still on his face as he regarded both Khroma and I with an uplifted eyebrow.

"You two sure took your time getting up here." He grinned wolfislyh in my direction, before turning his gaze to Judith, "Judy, do you know these two ladies?"

"Yes. This is my cousin, Khroma, and her friend here is Celeste."

"Celeste, huh?" He looked me over from head to toe and for the second time that day, I cursed the short dress that Patty had made me wear today. Why, oh why, did I agree to wearing this tiny thing? "And do you ladies know who I am?"

"Of course we do. Everyone in this club knows who you are." Khroma responded, as her cousin took hold of her arm.

"Yuri, stop bothering them. Khroma, Celeste, let's go get a drink." Judy set off down the stairs with Khroma in tow, but Yuri grabbed hold of my arm. I bit on my bottom lip and turned around to face his beautiful eyes.

"Not you. I have some questions for you."

I gulped loudly, and let him lead me to the leather couch he had occupied earlier. The man on the edge of the couch gave me a small wave and went back to watching the crowd.

"Ummmmm… what is it that you want to ask me?" I fidgeted nervously under his scrutiny, wringing my hands together.

"Have I seen you before? You seem really familiar to me."

Ooh no! I coughed loudly, and fought the look of panic that was spreading across my face. Instead, I plastered on my best smile and hoped it looked genuine, "Today is the first time I've ever met you, Yuri Lowell."

He looked contemplative, regarding me as if his clear eyes could see through my lie, "Are you sure about that? I really feel like I've seen you before."

I shook my head firmly, and hoped that my eyes didn't betray me, "Nope, never."

Yuri sighed, leaning back on the couch and putting his hands behind his head, "You're probably right. I think I would remember such pretty pink hair." He looked over and winked at me, as a blush stained my cheeks again.

"Ah, t-thank you."

He nodded as if to say "you're welcome" and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. I sat, waiting for more, hoping he wouldn't have a sudden revelation about where he'd possibly seen me before, but he didn't. Instead, he poured two shots of vodka and held one out for me.

"So Celeste… Do you drink?"

End Chapter 1