Appearances are Deceiving
A/N: For the record, I do not own anything of Sensual Phrase. The only thing that is mine is the plot and the original characters.
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Chapter One: When the World Falls Apart
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Anie could not ignore the feeling any longer. She was scared. Her encounters with Sakuya's more avid fans were becoming an every day occurrence, instead of an unpleasant annoyance. She wasn't so naïve as to believe that security would be there every time. In fact the last couple times they had barely made it. She shook her head as her cab pulled up to the Jupiter studio.
'How is it that they seem to know exactly where I'm going to be and when,' she thought worrying her bottom lip. Anie winced slightly when her upper arm hit the cab door as she climbed out, a battle bruise from one of the more recent encounters.
Really Anie was not as bothered by it as most people would have been. Loving and being with Sakuya came with this price. Not that she wasn't afraid, she had just admitted to herself that she was. No, what really bothered her was the disturbance it was causing. When she could, she kept her run in's from Sakuya and the rest of the band. However, when she could not they would all inevitably be concerned for her and Sakuya would become frustrated and furious. She knew the rest of the band was understanding of the situation, since sometimes it was their, own fans that would attacked her. Mr. Sasaki was an entirely different story.
From the very beginning he had seen her as a liability, even though her lyrics had earned her a tentative level of respect from him. She could see however, that he was getting increasingly irritated with having to make sure the "incidences" did not happen.
As Anie flashed her pass to the receptionist and headed for the elevator, she hoped today would not include another run in. Getting off at her floor she gave a smile to the office staff that was working at their desks or running around. Some returned her smile and even waved as she headed down the hallway to meet up with the band. For some reason a feeling of apprehension filled her as she approached her destination. Anie pushed it aside; telling herself it was just her mind running wild from her previous thoughts. Little did she know that in a few minutes those feeling would be confirmed in the worst possible way.
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The first thing Anie noticed when she entered the room was the grim faces of everyone at the circular table. The second thing was a thick feeling of tension1. She let her eyes travel the room until they rested on Sakuya who was just standing up from his spot next to Mr. Sasaki. She quickly walked to her chair beside him and setting her lyrics down looked up at him.
"What's the matter? Is something wrong," Anie felt her feelings of foreboding return but pushed them to the side once again.
Sakuya didn't say anything for a few minutes, his eyes hard and showing no emotion. The door opened behind her and Anie glanced back to see the head secretary of the floor carrying in a try of bottled waters, with her fairly recent, young assistant following behind her with a tray of food.
"Anie," Anie turned back to Sakuya when he said her name his tone causing a shiver to run down her spine, but not in a pleasant way. Without saying another word he placed a sheet of paper into her hands. Anie looked down at it curiously and started to read it.
"I'm sorry Anie, but we all agree this is for the best," said Sakuya, though the emotionless tone of his voice said he was anything but sorry.
"You're firing me?" she asked in disbelief. The paper he had placed in her hands was a document signed by the members of Lucifer relieving Anie of her role as lyrists. She felt tears of confusing sting at her eyes as she turned to look at the band members that had become her family. For several moments none of them could look her in the eye.
"Anie it's getting to be too much," said Atsuro, finally meeting her gaze.
"We need to be able to perform without having to worry constantly about you," said Yuki in a diplomatic tone. Santa and Towa said nothing but nodded in agreement. Anie turned back to Sakuya completely confused; didn't he know out of all of them that she would do anything for the band? Why didn't he just ask her to step down or even continue to write but not come to the studio, photo shoots or appearances any more? Didn't he know that as long as she could be with him, she would do anything to make it work? He did not have to go so far as to have her fired.
"Really Anie we are not firing you, just letting you go," said Mr. Sasaki. Anie didn't see the difference.
"I am sure you will be able to find work with another band. Don't worry, you will be compensated for the lyrics you brought in today and for your work with Lucifer, but after today you are not to enter this building again."
Anie was at a complete loss for words. How could this be happening?
"Anie," she turned to Sakuya stunned by everything that was happening and looked to him for some kind of comfort. What she got instead caused her blood to run cold.
"Anie, I want you to move out of the apartment by the end of today as well."
Her heart drop, "What?"
"I have the limo waiting for you outside, he will take you to the apartment and then to wherever you need to go." With that he sat back at his place and handed her file over to Mr. Sasaki and opened a second folder that was in front of him. When she didn't say or do anything he turned to her, his eyes asking why she was still there.
"Sakuya?"
He gave her a cruel smile; "What? Did you think I actually meant what I told you? I thought you were smarter than that. I only kept you around because of your lyrics. Since you won't be writing for us there is no reason for me to coax those desires and fantasies out of you any longer."
That was the last draw; he had said the cruelest thing he could have said. He knew exactly what her deepest fear had been and had twisted the knife in her already painful wound. Anie let her tears spill over onto her cheeks. Mixed in with her spinning emotions was the need to protect herself from the harsh and cruel words being thrown at her. 'Used,' she thought as she backed away from him, ' I was being used. I was just a tool. He never loved me.' She let her anger and sadness penetrate her next words.
" I will never forgive you for this. Everything you told me was a lie! I was just a good fuck for you! Why did I ever let myself believe that what you said to me was true," Anie laugh but it was an empty action, as she continued to speak, "Your Sakuya. Lead singer of Lucifer, what would you want with me, aside what I could do for you? You are a star, too far away for me to reach," she said the last part in a whisper as her need to lash out dissolved into devastation.
Anie turned to the rest of the group, she couldn't bring herself to be mad at them, they had not abused her as Sakuya had. Just from their expressions she knew they were uncomfortable with the situation, thought they quickly hid their feelings, trying to put on vacant, uninterested facades. They had to follow along with what the star wanted. Even when Atsuro and Yuki and spoken they had not been able to hide their regret from their eyes.
"I will apologize to the rest of you," she said bowing low to the four band members, " I never told any of you this but, when I decided to be with Sakuya, my parents disowned me. You have become my family and I am so sorry for all the trouble I have caused you. I only ever wanted to see you succeed. I'm sorry," her words came out chocked, as the enormity of what had just happened really hit her. "I'm sorry," with that she turned and started to walk out of the room, but broke into a run as a sob escaped her throat.
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Anie ran to the elevator, thankful that it opened the moment she pushed the button. The whispers of the office staff were lost on her, as she tired to ignore the painful twisting of her heart. Throwing a quick glace back down the hall, she half expected to see Sakuya running after her, to tell her it was all a big misunderstanding. The hallway remained empty however, and Anie hurriedly stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for the ground floor. She tried to pull herself together but, when the bell dinged, signifying her arrival, she gave up, not caring who saw or heard her. She ran to the entrance, tossing her pass on the receptionist desk she passed. Sure enough a limo was waiting to take her home. Without a word she quickly slipped into the back seat and when the drive closed the door she dissolved into tears.
"Is there anything I can do for you miss?" asked the elderly driver glancing at her from his review mirror. "Call someone for you?"
Anie shook her head unable to speak or really think clearly through her tears and sobs.
"I'll take you home then," he said raising the divider of the limo part way. 'Poor child,' he thought 'sounds like her heart was shattered. Better keep one eye on her. Don't want her doing anything foolish.'
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After about fifteen minutes of solid sobbing, Anie calmed a bit. She stared vacantly at the limo floor as her mind automatically started to think of what needed to be done.
'What am I going to do? I have nowhere to go.' Fresh tears were filling her eyes as she thought of her dismal future, when a beeping sound caught her attention. Pulling out her phone she saw that she had programmed a reminder into the phone's calendar. Snapping it open she gave a tired laugh of relief as the reminder blinked at her. It was simple, 'Call Zero'. Those two words brought more hope to Anie then she had thought possible. Pushing herself into a sitting position she quickly selected the number labeled "Zero" and pushed send.
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A/N: Well, what do you guys think? LOL One thing you will have to remember for this story is as the title suggests: Things are not what they always appear to be.