Author's Note: Hi! This is my first attempt at actually writing down any kind of fanfiction, but I've wanted to give it a try for a while, so here goes nothing. Reviews of all kinds are welcome. Thanks for reading.
(PS, I know that Halloween isn't really celebrated in Japan, but I can just see Lory getting excited about it. (Plus it is sort of necessary to my story.))
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Skip Beat (I do own volumes 4-14, 21, and 23 though )
Chapter 1: Invitations
Friday
"HAPPY HALLOWEEN!" The banners and posters were hanging from the walls, the lockers, and even the ceiling, turning the hallway in Kyoko's school into a sea of black and orange. Frowning, she walked up to one to get a closer look.
EVERYONE is invited to a special Halloween Ball
Come join your classmates as we celebrate this American Holiday!
Monday, October 31st
9:00 PM in the gym
Costume Required
Kyoko signed and headed to class. She had to be Setsu that night, and 'Cain' was expecting her to join him at the hotel at 8. There was no way she could go. 'I don't have a costume anyway.' She told herself firmly. Images of dressing up as a princess stopped her in her tracks as her classmates swerved to avoid the girl staring off into space. 'I could be Cinderella! With a ball gown and glass slippers and…'
"Mogami-san, are you planning on joining us?" She jumped at the teacher's voice and realized that she was now alone in the hallway.
"Um…yes. Sorry!" She bowed quickly and hurried to her seat amidst the snickering of her classmates.
"Okay everyone, today..."
"Are you going to the Halloween Ball?" Kyoko heard Izumi Agata whisper. Her ears perked up as she glanced at the girls beside her.
"No. I have work all day and I start my new drama on Tuesday so I'm just going to Mizuki-chan's party. What about you?"
"Same. I'd rather go to hers than…." The girls grabbed their pens and pretended to be taking notes as the teacher turned back to them.
After class Kyoko approached her classmates. "Agata-san, when is Mizuki-san's party?" She caught a look of surprise quickly covered by fake cheer.
"What are you talking about, Kyoko-san? The school is holding the Halloween Ball. It's at 900PM this Monday."
"No. I meant…." She trailed off when she saw the irritation in the other girl's eyes, and the guilty way the girl's friend refused to meet her eyes. "Oh, you're right. Sorry to bother you." She said coldly, turning away to hide the hurt in her eyes. 'Even now I can't be a normal high school girl. It's just like middle school, but this time, it's not because of that jerk. I still can't make any friends. What's wrong with me?' She made her way to her next class, holding her head high and ignoring the group of girls that suddenly quieted down as she walked by. 'This feeling…it's so familiar. I thought the bullying was over when Sho…. when that jerk…. when Ilefthim!Stupid Shotaro! Always ruining my life! It's YOUR fault I can't make any friends! Friends? MOKO-sam!'
As soon as school let out, Kyoko pulled her phone out and, ignoring the 2 missed calls, dialed Kanae's number. "Hello. This is Kotonami Kanae."
"Moko-san! How are…"
"I am currently unavailable. Please leave your name and number and I'll get back to you." Beep.
"Moko-san! It's Kyoko. I was wondering if you wanted to do something together on Monday! I have to do some Love Me work after school but I'm free until about 7. Or we could do it another time. Actually I just really wanted to see you…" Her voice trailed off and her eyes dimmed as she thought of the scene at school that morning. It wasn't just this party. Eating lunch alone every day, being the only student without a partner when projects came up, the only person to actually study during free period while her classmates passed notes and whispered around her, all of this was starting to make school more of a chore and less of the wonderful 'regular high school girl' experience she had been craving. Of course she would never complain. She was very grateful to President Lory to have this chance.
Kyoko jumped as she realized that the time for the message had ended long ago and she was standing frozen beside her bike. Hastily, she turned her phone off and was about to call back and apologize when her phone rang. Checking the caller ID, she smiled and picked up. "Good afternoon Maria-chan."
"Big sister! Where are you?"
"I'm leaving school. Why? What's wrong Maria-chan?"
"Grandpa said I could spend the afternoon with you if you were coming in as long as I didn't get in your way. Is it okay?"
"Of course. It's fine Maria-chan." She smiled softly, making a bicyclist passing by crane his neck and crash into the curb, which went unnoticed by Kyoko who was too busy thinking about what she could do with Maria-chan. "I just have to do some paperwork and then maybe we can do something? Does that sound okay?"
"Yes! I'm in the Love Me office with Ren-san."
"Okay. I'll see you…Ren…I mean Tsuruga-san is there?"
"Yes. He was in the Love Me room when I came to look for you…what's so funny Yashiro-san?"
Kyoko jumped on her bike and headed for LME, cradling the phone against her shoulder. "Did Tsuruga-san need me to do something?"
"Hmm? No. I think he just wanted to see you…are you okay Yashiro-san?" Kyoko heard the muffled laughter this time and sighed.
"Maria-chan, you shouldn't say those kinds of things." She felt her cheeks go red.
"Why not?"
Unable to explain herself with Tsuruga-san obviously within hearing distance, she just told the girl to forget it and that she would see her soon.
When Kyoko reached the Love Me room, she found Maria on Tsuruga-san's lap, in the middle of telling him some story about school. She smiled softly at the gentle, indulgent look on Tsuruga-san's face. 'I'm sure that he would be an excellent father.' Shocked at the thought, she shook her head violently. 'He would be irritated if he realized that I was thinking such things about him!' Shoving her strange feelings away, she approached the two. Maria finished her story and turned to Kyoko.
"Big sister!" She leaped into Kyoko's arms, who was too busy smiling down at her adopted little sister to notice the gentle look on her sempai's face.
"Hello Maria-chan. Good afternoon Tsuruga-san. Where is Yashiro-san?"
"Good afternoon Mogami-san. Yashiro had to go clean up. He spilled his drink all over his new jacket." She ignored the fact that Tsuruga-san seemed rather happy about this.
"Oh. Did you need something from the Love Me section?"
"Hmm? No, I don't need you to do anything. I just had free time and thought that I would stop by. I was about to leave when I saw that you weren't here, but Maria-chan came by and I started talking to her. I have to leave now though if I want to make it to my next appointment. It was good to see you Maria-chan. Mogami-san." He smiled and turned to go.
"Tsuruga-san." He turned and flinched at the very large, very fake smile on his beloved's face.
"Yes?" He answered with a half-hearted smile, sure that he knew what was coming.
"Have you eaten breakfast and lunch today?"
He signed. "Mogami-san, I…."
"And before you answer, please remember coffee and supermarket snacks do not qualify as either breakfast or lunch." Her smile was so bright it was creepy and he winced as he realized that he probably should have realized that one day someone would his 'gentleman' smile against him.
"In that case, no, Mogami-san. I have not. And I don't have time to eat now."
"Tsuruga-san! As an actor you must…"
"Take care of my body! I get it!" He snapped, feeling his patience with this girl run thin. How could she show this much concern for him but never notice his feelings for her? Was she just toying with him?
He realized his mistake as her eyes filled with hurt and she quickly avoided his gaze. Sighing, he put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I appreciate that you are concerned about me." He said softly.
"It's fine." He watched as she closed down, forcing a wall between them. Maria looked from one to the other, confused and scared. Quietly, the little girl backed away and sat down on the other side of the room where she could go unnoticed.
"No. It's not." His voice was gentle, but firm. "That was rude. I'm sorry." Struck with an idea, he smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "Hey, what are you doing tonight?"
"Huh? Nothing. My Love Me work will only take about an hour, and then I'm going to spend the afternoon with Maria-chan. Why?" She asked warily.
"I get done at 6. How about I pick you up around 6:30 and we can go to dinner? That way you can make sure I eat and I can apologize properly."
"Tsuruga-san, you don't have to…."
"I'd better go, Mogami-san. I'll see you tonight at 6:30. I can pick you up at home." He waved as he went out the door, leaving Kyoko frozen to the spot.
"Are you okay Big sis?" Kyoko snapped out of her daze and turned to Maria.
"Um, yea. I'm fine. I'd better get started on that paperwork so we can go somewhere."
About an hour later, she sat across from Maria in a nearby ice cream parlor as the little girl chatted away about school and her friends and Ren. She was having so much fun that it wasn't until a group of girls came in together that she remembered her earlier sorrow. Noticing the change on her Big sister's face, Maria stopped in the middle of a story about Ren and put her spoon down. "What's wrong, big sis?"
"Huh? Oh nothing." Kyoko pasted the fake smile on her face and managed to get Maria to tell her the rest of her story. The little girl, however, wasn't fooled and was determined to get more information from her Big sister.
A/N: So that was the first chapter. I hope you didn't think it was too boring, but I wanted to cut it off there before it got too long…well it seems long typing it up like this. Please review and let me know what you thought.
