I don't own Kaleido Star :)

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Hey everyone! Kaleido Star's about to start! So make sure your room is brightly lit and that you're not sitting too close to the TV!"

Chapter 2 - The Amazingly Disappointing Practice

The next morning was a blur for Sora, she felt so embarrassed and just didn't know what to do. She showered silently and dressed in a daze, her cheeks growing red every so often when her eyes would flutter closed and she would see herself back in Leon's room pressed tightly against the door. She sighed.

"Scorpio is shining brightly once again," Fool mumbled to himself as he stared out of the balcony.

"Yeah…" Sora sighed to herself. "What! Huh?" she screamed coming to attention. "I wasn't thinking about Leon, if that's what you're getting at, not at all!" she sighed as she pulled her hair out of its bun. "That's not what you were saying at all, was it fool…what were you talking about?"

"Nothing," he said floating toward her, "You should probably get something to eat, you have quite a day ahead of you."

"Yeah, you're probably right," she whispered turning toward the door, 'I don't know if I can take it, seeing Leon today,' she blushed to herself at the thought.

She placed her hand on the door knob, only to be suddenly thrown back unto the floor, she rubbed her bruised head and looked up.

"Good, you're up Sora!" Rosetta exclaimed a smile on her face. Just then, Mia, Anna and May, came bursting into the room, trays of warm food in their arms.

"You've been having a really bad week," Anna began.

"And we thought, that if you had a good home cooked breakfast full of love, you'd feel better!" Mia continued.

"We all chipped in, Sora," Rosetta chimed in.

Anna rolled her eyes to Mia, "Yeah right, Rosetta, just sat there and watched us," she whispered.

"Hey, I helped!"

"Yeah, helped make a mess of the place!"

"I seasoned the flour for the chicken!"

"You seasoned it with a pound of sugar! Not to mention, you got flour all over the place!"

"Oh because you're Ms. Perfect Chef!"

"Look, Sora," May said, cutting them off. "We made this for you so you would stop goofing up. So eat this meal with us and get your part right!"

"What's all this commotion about?" Sarah said walking into the doorway. "Mmm…is that sausage I smell? Why, girls you really have out done yourselves. Do you mind if I help myself to some of this…?"

Sora smiled brightly to herself.

XOXOXOXO

She walked into the theatre, her heart pounding, nearly bursting from her chest. She was not prepared for practice with Leon, not after the night before. Even with the wonderful breakfast her friends had prepared and the happy time they had all day, she was still filled with dread…and a somewhat intense arousal.

"Sora!," Mia yelled, knocking on Sora's head to get her attention. "I've been trying to get your attention forever. Quit staring at Leon! We've only got so long to make this right!"

Sora shook her head out of the daze and her cheeks grew red in embarrassment, as everyone, even Leon stood there staring at her. He smirked. Ken could be seen in the background shaking his head, sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Oh was I in a daze?" Sora said playfully, bonking herself on the head. "Leave it to crazy old Sora to space out. Well everyone? We've got a show to perfect, lets go!" she said running towards the trampoline and jumping up, trying her best to pretend nothing was wrong. She knew she was failing miserably.

"Oh Sora!" Cathy shouted, waving for Sora to come back over to her. "You come here too, Leon!" When they got to her she shook her head. "I'm glad you both are here, we can't have what happened yesterday happen again. The boss and I," she pointed up at Kalos, who was sitting in an orchestra seat on the left hand side. "We still don't see that fire that was there at the beginning; put more feeling into this or we're going to have to end the show early to start the new production."

"I find no issue with that," Leon smirked. "You want more feeling, you'll get it."

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Cathy shouted as Leon walked toward the stage.

Sora gulped and followed him.

He jumped almost violently unto the trampoline, bouncing once, and then coming to a complete stop.

"Okay!" Mia shouted, "We're going to do the first ballroom scene, places everyone!"

Sora knew that ballroom scene all too well, it was when the Prince and Odette first met. He's dancing with Odile but when he looks into Odette's eyes, its love at first sight. Just like Romeo and Juliet. He leaves Odile to dance with Odette in a series of acrobatic flips twirls and ending in a simple touch of his hand against her cheek, then Odette flees. It was the touch she was dreading the most.

Sora watched as the scene played out in front of her. It was just a few minutes before she was to go on.

Leon was dancing with May, and with every flip Sora could imagine them in costume, it was beautiful. But why? Leon never took his eyes off of May, and they danced so gracefully. He looked so passionate, and they looked great together, his fair silver eyes and skin contrasted perfectly with her dark raven hair. She felt a heavy lump in the pit of her stomach, she wanted to scream and shout to tell him to stop touching her, but it was her turn to go on.

She jumped unto the lowest trampoline and was surrounded by a group of other performers. She performed, never taking her eyes off of Leon, she wasn't trying, but she just couldn't look away. The time was coming and she worked her way through the crowd and on to the large centered trampoline. She could hear Cathy shouting directions at the other performers in the background, but she drowned that out as best she could, stopping dead in the middle of the trampoline looking up at May and Leon on the trapeze above her. Leon landed onto the trapeze with his legs and swung down to Sora. She waited for him to look at her the entire time he was descending, but he didn't, not until the very end. When he finally looked at her it was like she could feel his heart beating through his eyes. In that instant she felt more emotion course through her than she had ever felt before.

All of the feelings from the night before came flooding back and she felt weak. He passed her and on his second swing back, reached his hand out for her. She put her hand out gracefully for him to grab it, the moment they touched, she felt an electric current flow through her veins. She swung up into his arms and held the trapeze by her ankles. She knew Leon could feel her shivering. As he looked into her eyes she blushed awkwardly as he embraced her tightly, his head pressed against her breast. He pulled away from her and he began their routine. Sora swung alone on the trapeze, frozen until she fell on her back to the trampoline below. The room was silent for just a moment, then suddenly began to fill with applause.

"That's not what's written Sora but the emotion in that was terrific!" Sora heard Cathy's voice yell.

Sora looked up surprised at the sound, to find Leon was no longer in the room.

"That imbecile…" she heard his words echo through the hallway.

xoxoxoxo

"I'm canceling the production…" Kalos stated, not looking up from his booklet.

"But you can't!" Sora exclaimed stomping her foot, the sleeve of her blue denim jumper falling over on her shoulder as she leaned against his desk "I know it hasn't been the best, but I've been trying my hardest and I know that if Leon and I could just learn to work together, everything would be fine!"

"Swan Lake has run its course," Cathy interjected. "Seventy performances is perfectly fine, for a production like this, I know that you guys normally pass the one-hundred mark, but I agree it is for the best to…move onto what's next."

"But boss!"

"No, Sora, we're spending valuable time, trying to get you and Leon on the right track," he placed his book down unto the desk and looked up at her, his sunglasses glinting in the light. "Time that should be spent rehearsing for the next show."

"Swan Lake, has done so much for people. I want to protect the integrity of it. I know we can get this right!"

"You're so naïve," Leon scoffed, standing up from his seat behind her. "You hold on to blanketed dreams like a child, I can't stand to hear this anymore." He turned and walked out of the room.

Sora held tightly unto the edge of the desk, willing herself not to run after him. Her knuckle's turned white and she turned her face back to Kalos.

"The tickets for the next week are sold out, we will do those shows, but when that is over it's time to move on."

XOXOXO

"The card is Death," Fool said, removing a card from the top of his deck, and holding it gracefully between his fingers. "Change is coming, a change you are too afraid to allow. It means there is something you are fighting against, because you are not within realization of its benefits."

Sora turned over in bed and looked at him, "How'd you get untied? Were you free this whole time? You were watching me weren't you, you lecherous spirit?"

He sighed, "Will you ever listen to my readings?"

"Well they're always so dark and gloomy, give me something happy for once."

The Fool stopped stiff and fell from her desk where he was standing unto the floor with a small thud. "You cant blame me."

She looked down at him. "I'm going to bed, so if you don't have something good to tell me, I suggest you do the same," she rolled over again and faced the wall.

Fool floated to his usual place at the balcony and looked up at the moon.

"Death is a card of transformation, she needs to let the changes flow, or suffer the consequences. She's going to need to make tremendous efforts. Ah, Sora, will it ever end with you?" He whispered turning his vision back on her sleeping form.

XOXOXO

A/N: Yay! Finally uploaded the second chapter! I know it's a lot shorter than the first one, but it just seemed to flow that way hope you still enjoyed C=. The next chapter is coming soon.