Okay, FINALLY a mimato from me! ^.~ It's been WAY too long since I've written one of these!
Dedication:
To Maggie. Here's your first mimato! Thanks for editing this, hope you like it! (Wait a minute…you already said that you liked it…*shrugs* oh well…still hope you like it. ^^)~*Angel's on Ice*~
~*Mimi's point of View*~
"Okay, I want to see that one again. More speed going into the lift, though, Matt" I heard Tysha called out, hands on her hips.
I stopped, repositioning my feet on the ice, one leg slightly forward. Matt stood slightly behind me, hands gently resting on my waist.
"One, and two, and now," our coach announced.
A few fancy footwork steps lead into a throw-triple-loop. I landed it perfectly. Like usual.
"Alright, better!"
Better? How about…perfect? But then again, what can I say? Our coach is way tough on us.
It seemed strange…when I was younger, I had always wanted to be a singer. A famous singer, that people would pay hundreds to see. Me, up on stage, dressed in a fantastic dress made of pink on darker pink, hair loosely tied back, with just a couple strands loose around me face. The people would chant my name, and all the guys would look at me with longing, all the girls with envy on their faces…
I guess a lot of people have that dream. Though not a lot of them actually get to do it. But then again, not a lot of people get to figure skate professionally, either.
"Now, I want to see your side by side double axles! C'mon, chop chop!"
I guess Tysha isn't all that bad…she's a great coach, don't get me wrong…it's just that sometimes she gets a little too into her job. I mean, come on…we'd been practicing nearly three hours already. But then again…there was a big competition coming up in a couple of weeks.
Besides, I guess it would be a lie to say that we had come this far without a lot of work.
More fancy footwork leading into the side-by-sides. By the time we had landed them…me with a slight wobble on the end…I was a bit out of breath.
Matt smiled at me, and reached for my hand, giving it a quick squeeze. "Don't worry," he whispered into my ear upon noticing my fatigue. "Even Tysha can't keep it up for much longer."
I smiled. "Says who?" I murmured back, keeping my voice low enough so as that it wouldn't drift over to Tysha. "You've seen how she gets. I swear, she never runs out of energy."
"Keep it going, you two! Big competition in two weeks. I want to see you two get a medal." She glanced at her watch. "Alright. Do the footwork sequence, and then we've got a three-hour break. I want to see you guys back here at six."
More footwork…crossover, twirl, a few more steps of footwork leading into the death spiral. After holding the spiral for as long as we were required…plus a couple of seconds, Matt helped me up.
"See? Break time."
"Yeah, but only for three hours." I looked up at him, knowing that the expression on my face was weary and depressed. I didn't have the energy to wipe it off.
For the past few days we had been practicing five hours a day…at the very least. Perfect way to spend Christmas break, huh? Plus the fact that I'd been totally worn out a couple of weeks earlier. As in, ready to collapse. The pressure of school, homework, practice, and trying to lead the semblance of a normal life…well, it was hard. Really hard.
"Come on," Matt said, his hand holding mine as we glided off the ice. "We're meeting Tai and Sora for lunch. That should make you feel better."
I smiled at him. He was really just too perfect. Too bad he wasn't mine. Yeah, it might seem as if we were an item…but it wasn't so. I guess I was afraid that if I spoke up about my feelings, that I might ruin the career that we had laid out ahead of us.
And we had quite a future, our coach told us. We'd won silver at the last junior world championships. We were going for a gold, this time. Maybe next year, we'd be skating in the senior championships. Wouldn't that be just awesome?
Yeah, we had a future ahead of us. A silver and two bronzes, and we were only half way through our grade eleven year of high school.
Without a word, I slung my skates…now with their blade guards on…over one shoulder, waiting for Matt to finish.
"Hey, you guys!" the familiar voice made me turn my head and smile a greeting at my two friends.
"Tai. Sora. What's up?"
"Not much," Sora replied, leaning against Tai's shoulder. I swear…they made the cutest couple.
"You feeling okay, Mimi? You're looking a bit pale. Still worn out from school?" Tai's voice held a note of genuine concern.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks."
"So, where too?" Tai asked as we headed out towards his car. He swept his arm in an arc, trying his best to act formal. "You have zee choice of Mczonalds, A and Zubelyew, and Zairy Queen. Where too, my famouz figure skaterz?"
We all erupted into laughter at Tai's not-so-great attempt at a french accent.
"Oh, A&W, of course, my good chauffeur."
Tai grinned wickedly. "Zat will cost you zeventeen dollarz."
Matt playfully punched Tai on the shoulder. "Come on, we only have a three hour break."
Sora looked up. "Seriously? You guys have been working so hard lately!" I could see her cast a side long glance at me.
"Seriously," I spoke up. "So quite fooling around, please. If I don't eat soon, I swear I'm going to pass out!"
"A and Zubelyew, it iz, my good lady."
~*~
~*Matt's point of View*~
I flung myself onto my bed. I closed my eyes. I didn't sleep. I was just too tired. Figure skating may not seem too tiring…after all, it's just skating. But try going for six hours a day, with un-countable lifts, jumps, and spins. Eventually, it'll wear you out.
I felt more worried about Mimi than myself, though. Lately, she hadn't been feeling to well, and lately, she'd been wearing out more easily. I just hoped that she could make it to the next competition…without collapsing, or something.
I looked up at my wall, were there were several picture frames. One was of Mimi and I…TK had taken the picture during one of our competitions.
She really was beautiful…Mimi, of course. Not that it really mattered to me…I had my eye on someone else…still, I had to admit it. And I didn't mind admitting it, even if we were partners and friends. What was wrong with admitting that she was really good looking?
Yet, like I said before, it didn't really matter to me. I was planning on asking someone else out. Yolie Inoue. Inoue Yolie. Perfect. Perfect violet hair, perfect violet eyes. Perfect body, perfect voice, and perfect personality.
I could only hope that if we started going out, that she wouldn't mind that I spent so much time with Mimi. But why would she mind? They were best friends, after all.
~*~
"Tired…tired…very tired…tired…" with a disgusted look I stared down into my coffee cup at what was supposed to be coffee. "Dad, did you remember to put the filter in this time?"
"…Filter? What filter? I didn't know you were supposed to use a filter for coffee…"
I hid my face in my hands. "Great. I'm dead tired, exhausted out of my mind, and dad screws up on the coffee."
"I can make some more, if you'd like, son."
I looked up. "Please don't…you'll just end up killing me." I stood up. Needed coffee. Needed to stay awake…damn, I was tired…even more so than usual. Usually, the long hours of practice didn't really bother me. But let's face it. I had gotten no sleep the night before. As in, ZERO sleep.
"A singing career would have been so much easier…" don't get my wrong…I love what I do. (Yeah, who would EVER think that I would say that about figure skating?) "I just hope that Mimi is having a better morning than I am."
"Mimi? Is she your new girlfriend?"
I shot a poisonous look at my father. Seriously…didn't he know anything about my life? "No, dad. Mimi's my partner."
"Oh, right! For figure skating, right?"
"No, dad. My sex partner."
"That's nice," Dad said in an absentminded kind of way.
I stared at him. "Dad, did you even hear what I said?"
"Yeah, you said that she was your…wait a minute. Matt. We need to talk about this…"
I burst into laughter. "Of COURSE she's my skating partner…what else would she be?"
I glanced at the clock. 8 a.m. I didn't have practice until two. Perfect…
…It was the perfect time to drop by and say hi to Yolie…
~*~
When I finally got to the rink, Mimi and Tysha were already there…Mimi warming up, and Tysha looking annoyed.
"Matt. I'm so glad you could join us."
"Me too," I replied, pretending not to notice the sarcasm in her voice.
Mimi looked up at me. "Where were you?" she asked quietly, her face still looking tired.
"I was with Yolie." At her questioning glance, I continued. "We went to see a movie." When a hurt look crossed onto her face, I hurried to finish. "We would have called you…but it was…well, a date."
"Oh." Her voice was barely audible. She skated away, and I watched as she skated a lap around the rink, then launched into a double axle. Her landing was off, and she had to step out of it. Silently, determinedly, she tried again. This time, she fell. What was wrong with her?
"Well, now that Mr. Ishida has seen fit to grace us with his presence…"
"I'd rather he hadn't," came Mimi's sardonic reply. "He was obviously having such a good time with Yolie."
"…I want to see the whole program," Tysha finished as if she hadn't heard Mimi. But I had. She was mad at me. Maybe that was why the program went all wrong. Mimi only landed one jump…the side by side double axle…and then, it was a two-footed landing. And as for the throw jump…when I touched her, she tensed up. Wasn't relaxed enough. Fell.
"Concentrate, Mimi!" Tysha called out…again. It didn't work. For the whole practice, nothing that either Tysha or I said made it work. Finally, Tysha just told us to go home and get some sleep.
"Mimi…" she looked up. "Look, if your worried that Yolie will get in the way of our training…you don't need to worry about that, Mimi. You know I wouldn't give this up. Is that what you're mad about?"
She just stared. "Y…yeah. I guess so." She looked away.
"What do you mean, 'I guess so'? Mimi, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," she said, a little too brightly. "Just tired."
"Mimi, I know you too well! Even when you're tired, you manage to land the triple throw. Tell me what's wrong."
She started to skate away, then turned back to face me. "I love you, that's what's wrong with me. And I was stupid enough to think that maybe you loved me, too. I guess I was wrong."
I just stared as she skated away.
~*~
I was confused. Shocked in a way that I'd never been before.. I didn't know what to think…to be angry at her for putting our friendship into this light, or to feel smug because someone like her loved me…or what. Maybe she was lying. But why would Sincerity lie to me? She wouldn't, that's what. So it had to be the truth.
I rubbed at my face. No wonder we'd had such a bad practice. My words must have had such an effect on her…maybe if she had told me earlier, I wouldn't have fallen for Yolie…but that can't be changed. I couldn't just forget about Yolie because Mimi had feelings for me…the world didn't work that way.
And yeah, I know that I sound like some uncaring jerk, but that's the way it is. I felt bad about thinking that way…but…I couldn't just give up my own happiness.
Yet how was this going to affect our figure skating career? Would the fact that Mimi cared about me…as more than a friend…cause her to always miss her jumps, always stumble on the spins? I couldn't allow that to happen…
The phone range. I reached for it, hoping with all my heart that it wasn't Mimi…but that it was someone else…someone like…
"Hi, Yolie," I said, a smile crossing over onto my face when I heard her voice. It was now or never…ever since the first day I'd seen her, I'd wanted to tell her exactly what I thought of her…now was the time… "Yolie, there's something I want to tell you…"
"Wait." Her voice sounded slightly hesitant. "I have something to tell you, too. Can I go first?"
My heart was hammering in my chest at that. Maybe she wanted to tell me the same thing that I wanted to tell her…
"Matt, I'm sorry, but I don't think that this is going to work…"
The words registered in my mind a couple of seconds after she said it. Silence, while I realized what she'd said.
I could hear her take a deep breath before continuing. "You have to spend so much time training, that we'd never be able to get together, and…"
"And what!?" I croaked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"…And I was kind of hoping to get together with Izzy sometime soon."
I didn't say anything. I guess that made her feel slightly guilty, to hear the silence that meant heartbreak.
"Matt, I'm so sorry! But I hope we can still be friends. Now, I've got to go…I've got Izzy on hold, and he's probably wondering where I am…"
~*Mimi's point of View*~
"What is it?" I demanded as I stepped into his apartment, my heart beating in my chest. Had something happened? Was he alright? He had sounded so miserable on the phone, what if something had happened?
He looked at me, and rubbed one hand over his face. "Mimi…I was wrong…I don't love Yolie, Mimi. I was wrong. I love you."
It would be impossible for me to explain how those words made me feel. Heart-jumping joy, suspicious fear, undeniable surprise, joy, happiness, more suspicions, and amazement.
I didn't know how to respond. I'd never felt such a complete, total shock before, one that penetrated my whole being this much, one that astounded me, one that was so hard for my brain to comprehend. I took an instinctive step back and forced myself to look into his eyes. Was he lying? Or was he telling the truth? Oh, God, please, let it be the truth…I had waited to hear those words for so many days, weeks, months, years…eternities. And now that I heard them, I seriously didn't know whether to believe him or not.
His eyes searched my face, and he stepped towards me, gently slipping his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I couldn't have resisted even if I had wanted to…
"Mimi," he murmured, gently trailing his lips along my cheekbone, his hands sifting through my hair. Slowly, he let his lips fall to my neck.
"Matt…" I lifted his face up, searched his eyes…and, for a second, I thought that I saw what I had always hoped to see, what I had always dreamed of seeing. But that one second was enough. "I love you…"
Without another word, I raised my lips to his. He gently stroked my cheek with one hand. "Yolie…"
I wrenched away from him, backing up until I was standing against the wall, a look of disbelief on my face. I was trembling…whether in rage, disappointment, or embarrassment, I didn't know. Probably all. "What? What did you call me?"
As he realized what he'd said, a look of horror crossed into his eyes. "Mimi…I didn't mean…"
I was nearly crying by this point…yet I managed to hold back the tears. I would be damned if I let him see me cry…if I let him see one single tear fall. What I had I just done? I'd told him that I loved him…I'd never be able to look at him again.
I'd actually thought that I might have a chance. After Yolie had broken up with Matt…when he called me, I thought maybe he had realized that it was me that he cared about. Right Mimi. Idiot.
"Why?" I managed to choke out.
He ran his hands through his hair. "Mimi, I didn't mean…"
"Why!?"
He covered his eyes wearily. "Yolie broke up with me because she wanted to be with Izzy. Okay? I thought that maybe you…"
I was crying by now. I couldn't hold it in…he'd thought that maybe good old Mimi would comfort him, that I would be there for him. He thought that just because I had loved him…
He reached for my hand. I pulled it away. "Mimi…" he pleaded. "Please, forgive me…I love you, Mimi."
I glared at him. "Who says I still love you?"
"Mimi, don't do this. Don't throw away our career. And don't throw this away, either. Don't you understand what I'm saying?"
"Don't throw what away?"
"Us. Don't throw us away."
My tears stopped halfway down my face. I raised my head, and shot him the most withering glare I'd ever given someone. "There never was an 'us.' And what there was, is ancient history! As far as I'm concerned, all you are is an insensitive jerk!"
"Mimi, please…don't you understand?"
"I understand," I whispered angrily. "What I don't understand is why."
He looked at me, his expression exasperated. "Why do you think? Because I love you, Mimi. What Yolie did helped me to realize it…I was wrong, Mimi, okay? I admit it. I don't even have a problem with admitting it."
"That's nice," I said coolly.
He stared at me, anger flooding into his eyes. "Mimi, it seriously hurts me to say this to you, but you're acting like a spoiled bitch!"
I stopped and stared. Was that what he thought of me? Well, then I was glad that I hadn't fallen at his feet like I had wanted to.
"That's nice," I repeated, in the same, levelly cold voice, while inside, my heart had dissolved into nothingness.
He reached out, and with one hand, gripped my arm. "Mimi, don't act like this. You always said that you hated people who never let anyone else speak. So don't become like someone that you hate." He looked at me, eyes nearly pleading me to stay, to listen to him, hear him out. "We were friends long before this happened, before we even became skating partners. We swore never to let skating make us fight. And, this…well, this could end our skating career. It would be the same thing, in a way."
I didn't say anything, just stood, rooted to the spot, and crossed my arms. "Well, I'm not exactly going anywhere."
He took a deep breath, and I could tell by the look on his face that he was trying to sort out exactly what he wanted to say. Finally, all he said was, "People change their minds."
I stared pointedly at him, trying to keep the emotions that ran through me like blood concealed. I could still hear my heart shattering…except that there was nothing left of it, by now. "And your point is?" My voice didn't come out as I had wanted it to…I had wanted to sound angry, livid, unforgiving…but instead, it just came out as a whisper that contained none of those emotions.
"My point is," he said softly, his eyes searching my face. "If others can change their minds…can't I? I love you…won't you please let me prove it to you?"
He reached for me again, and for some reason, I didn't pull away…didn't even try. When he kissed me, the whole word just disappeared…there was nothing, nothing but me and him and the pounding of my renewed heart, and of my blood rushing through my body. And this time, it was my name that he murmured…
His lips moved lower, and I began to spin into oblivion…even more so then before. I no longer felt the doubt, the suspicions, the anger…nothing, just his lips on my skin.
I knew I shouldn't, I knew it, I knew it…he was my friend, my skating partner, someone who didn't love me…or if he did, had let it be known to late…I shouldn't, it wasn't right. Afterwards, he'd just leave, I'd be alone, he'd start avoiding me, I shouldn't…but…
~*~
~*Yolie's point of View*~
It was a rainy, drizzly day. I was standing just inside the entrance to the mall, waiting for Izzy to pick me up. It was then that I saw Mimi…she was sitting outside in the rain, looking just absolutely miserable. At that, I felt a little bit of pity…a good pity, not bad pity…stir within me. Poor Mimi…she looked just awful…
"You don't look to good," I said softly, sitting down beside her on the wet bench.
"Thanks, that really makes me feel better." The note of sarcasm in her voice was impossible not to detect.
"What happened?" And I seriously wanted to know. Even though we'd fought, I still considered Mimi my best friend.
"Like you care," she shot back at me. She was silent for several moments before continuing. "Oh, what the hell. It's not like you can make it worse."
Thanks for the vote of confidence…
"I finally got what I wanted…to hear that he loved me…me. Matt called me, asking me to come over. He said he loved me. He kissed me. And you know what he did then? Do you know what he said?" I watched, confused, as a single, glistening tear slid down her face. "He called me by your name! He said, 'Yolie…'" She was crying outright, by now. But when she continued to speak, I knew that she wasn't finished yet. "And then he made me stay, and listen to him…and I found myself forgetting everything…and when I woke up, he reached for me, and said it again. 'Yolie.' That's what he said!"
"Mimi, I'm really, really sorry. Do you want me to talk to him?"
"No," she hissed. "After you broke up with him? I doubt that he wants to talk to you right now."
"Well…I could ask Izzy to talk to him…"
"…Or Izzy. Seeing as how he's the reason why you broke up with him."
"Mimi, I swear…if there's anything I can do…please, tell me."
She looked at me and shrugged.
"Friends?" I asked softly, holding out my hand, hoping with all my heart that she'd accept the offer of peace between us.
She stared at my offered hand for several seconds, as if carefully contemplating it. "Okay," she sniffed. "Friends."
~*Mimi's point of View*~
He found me at the skating rink. I was practicing…usually, when I was upset or angry, I just practiced with all my heart. It took so much energy that soon I lacked the strength to be upset/angry any longer. Not this time.
"Mimi, we need to talk. Right now," he said, adding the last two words on when I turned away from him. I didn't want to see him, or hear him…I just wanted to get away from him.
He made me so angry…he'd gotten me to admit that I loved him…and then he'd thrown it back into my face when he'd said her name. He said that he loved me. But you didn't do something like that to someone that you loved.
"I don't want to talk to you. And don't expect me to ever want to talk to you again. I hate you!"
At that, I guess his anger just flared up, and he most likely forgot that he had come to try to work things out. "Yeah, well, then in that case, I hate you too!" I guess maybe he didn't want me to walk away without him getting in a last word.
But did he have to say those words? They cut through my heart like a knife…and I swear, you don't know how that feels until you've felt it yourself.
I ran. I ran and ran, just trying to get away from it all, get away from him…anywhere, so long as I didn't have to see his face, or hear his voice…
So, with the sound of my heart shattering in my ears, and tears that fell to the earth like glass raining down my face, I ran.
~*3 Months Later*~
~*Mimi's point of View*~
Well. I had escaped my terrible life in Odaiba. I'd kind of…well, run away. I'd taken the train to where my grandmother lived, about 400 km away. I hadn't even let my parents know…I was afraid that they would stop me.
They were hysterical when I called them, of course, but had finally agreed to me staying out here. I just couldn't…or didn't…want to go back, and face what I had thrown away…my whole career, my whole future…and Matt.
So you can probably understand why I was standing there, arguing with my grandmother. Don't get my wrong…my grandmother is the most wonderful person on earth, and I don't usually argue with her. But I didn't want to go back.
"Mimi, dear, I'm not asking you to go back for good. Just for the musical that your old school is putting on. I heard about it from a friend of mine."
"Why should I want to see it?" I didn't want to go back…I didn't want to go back…
"Because you'll get to see all your friends again," my grandmother replied. "Wouldn't it be nice to see them, just see how they're doing? Besides…I want to see the play."
"They'd recognize me. They'd never stop asking me questions."
Grandmother considered that for a moment, then walked into the jacket closet, pulling a box off the lower shelf. Reaching in, she drew out a long, blond, realistic looking wig. "Then wear this."
~*~
~*Matt's point of View*~
Ever heard the saying, 'You don't know what you have until it's gone'? Well, take it from me…it's damn true. Because I didn't know how much Mimi meant to me…until she was gone. When I'd first told her that I loved her, maybe it was a bit of a lie…in truth, I just wanted someone to comfort me. But as the days kept slipping by, I guess I realized, more and more, just how true it was.
Don't ask me where she was. She didn't come to school. She didn't show up at the rink. She was never at the mall. She was never home…and her parents refused to say where she was, or how she was doing. The others couldn't get a hold of her…not even Sora or Yolie. Not even Tysha could get a hold of her, despite all the threats of us never winning another competition.
And as for me…well, I had even less of an idea than anyone else.
It hurt so much not to know where she was…every night, I fell asleep to a crescendo of thoughts, as my concern about her grew and grew and grew…and every morning I awoke after dreaming of her. Every time the phone rang, I hoped and prayed that it was her…but it never was.
It never was.
But right now, I didn't have the time to think about Mimi. Even though it seemed like the best time to think about her.
I had the lead role in the school musical. Now that I wasn't figure skating, I had tons of free time. Actually, I would have preferred to just stay at home, wishing, dreaming, willing for Mimi to come back. But my parents had insisted. And besides. It was a time filler. I'd nearly killed them. Didn't they understand what I was going through? I had finally learned that I loved Mimi…and no one else…and she was taken from me. First, she hated me, then she disappeared…wasn't I allowed to wallow in self pity?
Mimi had always participated in the school musicals. I'd always get the lead male role…she'd always get the leading female role. So it was damn heartbreaking to be up there on the stage with someone else.
There was one good part about it, however. The music teacher had agreed to a special ending by me…I was told that I could sing a song…any song.
I knew what it would be. One of Mimi's favorites.
After the finale to the presentation, I hesitantly stepped up to the microphone. "And now, to wrap up tonight's presentation, I'd like a sing this song. Mimi, this is for you. I don't know where you are, if you can hear me, or if you even want to hear me. But it's still for you."
"I've seen the seven wonders of the world
I've seen the beauty of diamonds and pearls"
His voice started out soft and low, and soon picked up in strength. And as I listened to him, I knew that he was singing his heart out.
That he was completely sincere.
But they ain't nothing baby,
Your love amazes me.
My favorite song. Figures he would sing this one, just in case I was watching, just in case I happened to hear, just so that he could make me feel guilty…
Well, Matt, it's working. Guilt is what I'm starting to feel now…I threw it all away…everything…
Wait a minute. I do NOT feel guilty. No, I can't feel guilty…it's not my fault…
I've seen a sunset that would make you cry
And colors of the rainbow reachin' across the sky
Stop singing, Matt…please, stop singing, or I will start to cry…don't do this, please don't make me feel guilty, please don't make me fall back in love with you…
No, that wasn't right…I'd never really fallen out of love with him in the first place…
The moon in all its phases, but
Your love amazes me.
…And yet I'd thrown it all away…figure skating, and Matt. If I'd just listened to him, maybe we could have had something special, something unending, that would last forever…
And what did I have now? Feelings of guilt, loneliness, and regret. Not the regret that I had so often felt…the regret of staying the night with him…but regret for walking away afterwards.
Don't you ever doubt this love of mine
You're the only one for me
But I did doubt it, Matt…worse yet, I didn't think it even existed…
And despite myself, I couldn't help but think of that first time that he had kissed me…
You give me hope, you give me reason
You give me something to believe in
How can you still believe in me? I let you down. I quit, I threw it away, not only ruining it for me…but ruining it for you, as well…
How could he still think that? How could he, when I'd been such a bitch to him?
Forever faithfully,
Your love amazes me.
Faithfully. Nice choice of words. I was anything but…stop it, Mimi. The damn song is getting to you! Damn you, Matt…why'd you have to pick this one? Better yet…why did I even come?
I've prayed for miracles that never came
I've got down on my knees in the pouring rain
Oh, God…his voice was getting to me so much…I wasn't going to be able to stand this much longer…I'd either run from the room…and then he'd see me…or I'd break down and cry.
So it didn't surprise me when one tear coursed its way down my face, followed by another, and another, and another…
But only you could save me
Your love amazes me.
Yeah, more like 'but only you could hate me…'
I raised my hands up to my ears, to try to block the sound…like that would work…it was a futile gesture. I knew both the song and Matt's voice too well. So even though I couldn't physically hear him singing…it still continued on in my mind.
Don't you ever doubt this love of mine
You're the only one for me
"Stop it…stop singing, stop, damn you…" I hadn't even realized that I had spoken aloud until the person sitting next to me sent me a strange glance. I quickly turned away and pretended to be very interested in the polish on my fingernails. I quickly brushed at the tears that stood out on my face.
You give me hope, you give me reason
You give me something to believe in
Thank God…the song was almost over…I wouldn't be able to stand much more…without breaking down again, that was…oh, forget it…the tears were already falling again…how did he manage to do this to me? How?
Forever faithfully,
Your love amazes me.
By the time that he finished singing, I was completely in tears again. My grandmother gave me an understanding look.
And as we slowly walked out to her car, I came to a decision that had taken me months to make. I slowly walked up to the trunk, and motioned for grandmother to open it. Without a word, I reached for the pair of skates that lay there. I took them everywhere with me…well, everywhere that I could.
With a look of determination on my face, I wiped away my tears. I reached into my purse, and pulled out a piece of paper, and scribbled something down onto it. Then I looked up at my grandmother. "Grandma? Would you do this one thing for me?" when she nodded, I continued. "Please, call him…tell him to meet me at the rink. Please grandma." I started off, but then turned back. "Grandma? Could you call her, too?"
She smiled. I smiled back, and then took off.
~*~
I reached the rink within just a few minutes. There, I passed the next half hour…which just happened to be the longest half hour of my life…by skating laps, and trying to get back into the rhythm. I tried a spin. It came out a little wobbly…but it was a spin. I didn't even dare try a jump…it wouldn't do to kill myself before Matt got here.
Tysha was the first to arrive…I looked up to see her watching me attempt my spin. I saw a small smile slowly form on her face as she realized what I was doing.
"Remember, Mimi…concentration."
When I heard his surprised gasp of amazement a few moments later, I slowly steadied myself, and turned around to face him. Tysha had discreetly moved away as to let us reunite without any interruption.
"Well," I said, managing a small smile. "I figured that maybe it was time to get practicing. Otherwise we'll never be ready for the upcoming season, will we?"
~*3 Years Later*~
~*Mimi's point of View*~
"And now, our next competitors, Mimi Tachikawa, and Matt Ishida!"
I plastered a smile onto my face, and glided out onto the ice, clutching tightly at Matt's hand.
Don't think. No time to be nervous, girl. C'mon, you know you can do it.
Beginning stances. I could feel Matt standing behind me, relaxed, yet ready to go. The music started, and I counted the beats out. One, two, three, and four. One, two, three and four. One, two, three, and go!
Even after all those years of practice, even after all the times we'd gone through this program…after all that, I still felt the same sensation. The same feeling of wanting to shout to the world, "I'm flying!"
The whole program passed by as if in a dream…it was so great to be competing again…I had missed it so much…
At the end of the program, all of our friends threw flowers and little stuffed animals that they had purchased. Tysha rewarded us with a smile of approval.
"And now the marks for Tachikawa and Ishida. Technical Merit. 5.9, 5.8, 5.9, 5.9, 5.7, 5.9, 5.8, 5.9. And now, the marks for presentation. 5.9, 5.9, 5.9, 5.9, 6.0, 5.9, 6.0, 5.9."
As soon as I heard the perfect sixes, I leapt to my feet, flinging my arms around Matt's neck.
~*Author's Note:: Okay, this is just for all you non-figure skating watchers…just in case your confused. I get this from my brother every single time I watch figure skating. "6? 6? That's terrible!" (Of course, the natural idea is that everything's out of 10…) Yes, it would be terrible…except that figure skating is marked out of 6…hence the 'perfect sixes.' ^.~ ::*~
"Did you hear that? Did you hear that?"
"I think I'd have to be deaf not to hear it! Two perfect sixes!" he hugged me back.
Tysha smiled at us. "You two were like angels on ice." Coming from Tysha, that was about the biggest praise you could get.
At that, Matt leaned forward and whispered into my ear, "I don't know about me, but you certainly were an angel out there."
I smiled at him. "Don't count yourself out just yet. You have plenty of time to become as good as I am." I grinned.
I guess maybe I hadn't thrown it away, after all, like I'd thought those several years ago. Maybe instead I had just strengthened what I already had…
THE END.
*sweatdrop* eh…so maybe Mimi and Matt don't become figure skaters…but I had to try something at least semi-original…*falls over* I hope that turned out okay…I guess it kind of lacked on emotional description…*shrugs* please review!
Gatomon_1