Hola! I told you, I already have this nearly done. All I need are rewiews.

I only got 3. Makes me sad. But because I'm such a good person, I'm not going to make those 3 fantastic people who did bother to review suffer.

Well, here are my thank you's to those who DID rewiew (after about 30 hits…)

To Raycel03: Thank you:D

To populette: Nah, it's not too long. I like long reviews. They make me happy. Yeah, I like Mimato too, way better than Sorato. I actually despise Sorato, but sometimes she just works better. :P Anyways, thank you!

To Yen: Thank you… at least you took the time to press the button and review. :P

Alrighty, here we go! Hopefully this one's more interesting than the last chapter. I know it started off sort of slow…

Mrs. Ishida-to-you presents….

Chapter 2

"Mimi! Over here!" I hear Kari's voice as I make my way through the sea of people. Damn I'm late. Swarms of people are already here… my makeup's going to take at least half an hour…

"Hey Kari," I reply, as I push my way past the last person, and make my way backstage with her. "How is she?" I ask tentatively.

"Well, she's not happy, I'll tell you that," she replied, nervously, expertly guiding me through the maze of people and racks and stands. "But you're one of her most valuable assets, so she's not going to go ballistic on you. Expect a lecture though," I roll my eyes. I hate her lectures. They always start off with "Mimi, you are a very talented girl… you are one of the greatest supermodels this world has ever seen. Now, that's a very impressive title, and you have to work to maintain that…", then she dives into a guilt trip, then into a responsibility tangent, then finishes off with some example of her younger self to really make her point about how my choices can drastically affect my life. I could practically recite her lectures back to you. I've heard each one of them at least 50 times. I'm 22 years old… I want to live my life to my standards, not hers. Which, I might add, are about as fun as memorizing trig values and identities.

"Alright… I'm really sorry, Kari… you must have gotten the brunt of it…" I say, and as she slightly bites her lip and looks away, I know it's true. Sometimes, I really looked up to Sora. Most times, though, I really hated her. She had a tendency of acting like she was above everyone who worked for her. And especially in Kari's case, that was something I can't stand. Kari has to be one of the friendliest, nicest, most wonderful women you could ever meet. She's only 19 and trying to make her way through college. True, she was the younger sister of one of the most sought after agents in Japan, but she lacked the fieriness required to survive in this field. And for that, people tended to treat her like a doormat.

"It's fine… anyways, you better get into makeup before you anger the 'artists'," she says with a fake accent, and be both giggle, knowing how true that would be.

"Alright, I'll see you later," I reply, and turn into the 'studio' they had set up.

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I found a seat in good time, but now I'm bored. Looking at my watch, there's still 20 minutes to go. Instead of sitting here, watching all the rich 'elite' of Japan crowd into one building, while having the paparazzi randomly take blinding photos of me, I get up, and head backstage, to find Sora. Maybe I'll get lucky.

Ha, just kidding. She's probably way too wound up anyways. That woman works too much. I don't get to spend enough time with her, and when she's not working, she's on that phone talking to agents all over the world.

As I pass through the people quickly scrambling around, I pass all the girls getting their makeup and hair done. Some of them are real works… scary ass makeup, weird ass clothes… and damn. They need to eat. I have no idea why this is the ideal. Why do women want to look like walking sticks? Don't they know men like some meat on them? I'm so glad Sora doesn't buy into all this nonsense. She just designs their clothes. It's actually not her pressuring her models to be thin, thank god, or else she and I would have to have a serious talk. There's nothing I can't stand more (well, maybe not) than to have these models as role models to young girls. No wonder eating disorders are so prevalent.

Oh yay. One real-looking woman just passed by. Maybe the situation isn't as dismal as I thought.

Just as I was about to pass by them all and the crazy rush to get things done, a familiar face enters my line of vision, sitting about 20 feet away. Then very familiar chestnut hair… then the gorgeous, healthy body…. Mimi.

My heart skips a beat. I haven't really seen her in at least a year. I've seen her modeling for some of the 'biggest names in fashion' (or so Sora gloats to me), and in magazines and stuff, but not in person. The mere sight of her takes my breath away. She always was stunningly beautiful, at least in my eyes. I adored every little thing about her, from her amazing hazel eyes, with flecks of green and yellow here and there, to her killer body, to the cute way she wrinkles her nose when she's confused or irritated, to her crazy personality. She is certainly a wild card. If she cares about you, she's one of the most faithful people on the planet. But watch out if you get her angry; she'll have no problem telling you exactly what she thinks of you. She can be cruel, if she chooses.

It reminds me of the last time we met in public. That went about as well as trying to extinguish a fire with gasoline. We were at some premiere or something, and we happened to bump into each other. Immediately, she began insulting me. So, going along with the act I always have to put on, I followed suit. It ended with her yelling something about how I take it up the ass or something like that and giving me the finger, and me yelling about how she's such a whore that she makes strippers look virginal. Or something dumb like that. I don't know. I like to put those instances out of my mind, and replace them with the dreams I've had of her and I reconciling and expressing our deep love for each other before we elope and honeymoon in the Caribbean in complete marital bliss.

But I shouldn't do that. For one thing, I'm engaged to Sora. I love Sora. I think. No, I do love her. Second of all, Mimi hates my guts, and if given the chance, probably wouldn't hesitate to blow my brains out while I slept. Or in broad daylight, for that matter. It's always been that way. And I, being my usual stupid self, can't possibly be so in love with someone who hates me so. It'd be so pathetic. So to save my reputation, for the past 13 years that I've known her, I have pretended to hate her with as much passion as she does me. Which is a lie. It couldn't be farther from the truth. The funny thing is, we know each other inside and out. She knows me better than Sora does, and I her, so it's not some blind crush… I love Mimi for everything that she is… her personality, her actions, her incredible looks… everything. I'd do practically anything, if it meant that she'd only love me back. But it can't be that way. She hates me, that's the way it's always been, and it's the way it always will be.

Most people would feel sorry for me. Don't. I got used to this a long time ago, and aside from the occasional desperate longing that hits me like a 16 wheeler, I'm fine. I've accepted my fate that the love of my life simply isn't interested. I do love Sora. I really do, and I know she loves me too. We both know what we want in life, and I'm excited at the prospect of living my life with her. I can never tell her this… and the only crappy part is I know it will never completely fade; it'll be one of those things that you always want, but is constantly out of reach, and no matter how much you try to ignore your longing for it, it only grows stronger. Such is my love for Tachikawa Mimi. Sometimes, it's bearable, and I can live my life, and no one is the wiser. Sometimes, I end up breaking down like a child, loving her so much and yet being so unable to do anything about it.

The only other person who knows is my brother Takeru. He thinks me a fool for going along with it, and not ever telling her.

"You'll end up killing yourself slowly, one way or another," he always tells me. Bullshit. I can handle it. I've handled it for years.

I'm so wrapped up in my thoughts that I fail to notice the big rack being wheeled over to makeup. The pusher of this rack also fails to notice, and the next thing I know, I'm on my ass on the floor, with a bunch of people crowding around me.

"Ishida Yamato!"

"Oh my god, are you alright?!"

"Yamato, look over here!"

Cameras go off, women swarm around me, gawking, and one single tiny, lily-white hand reaches out to help me up. I take the hand and pull myself up. Looking up (or down, in this case) into the face takes my breath away for the second time.

"Smooth, Ishida," Mimi says, a smirk upon her lovely face. I can see the hatred and the triumph in her eyes, and I try to match it. It's times like this, when I suddenly want to take her up into my arms and kiss her senseless, that really irritate me. "But I guess with all that hair, it's impossible to see where you're going," she rolls her eyes. People go quiet. More cameras.

"I wouldn't be talking… you should probably take off that dead animal you call a wig so you can see. But then again, no one else can see where you're going… when was the last time you ate, a week ago? And gum doesn't count as food," I retort, smirking to myself. I had to admit, as much as I hated to insult her goddess like figure, these sparring matches were a lot of fun. I always loved to see her wit in action. It's one of her more endearing qualities.

She was about to answer with something especially cheeky, but just then, Sora pops out of nowhere, pushing people aside.

"Alright, break it up… Yama-chan, Tachikawa, I won't have a blood bath at my show…you, go change, Yama, go sit down please," she said irritably. The crown began to disperse. Mimi shrugged and left, and Sora pulled me aside.

"Yama, what the hell was that?" she asks, giving me her patent annoyed look.

"What? We didn't do anything. I fell, she came over, insulted me, I insulted her back, etc. All in good fun," I respond with a small smile. She sighs and rubs her temples.

"I don't need this right now, Yama… this is a huge deal for me, and I don't need you two to start fighting again. I know you despise each other, but really… can't you act civilized? I mean, can't you see each other without feeling the need to rip each other's throats out? I…"

Uh oh… a Takenouchi lecture. Dammit. I really hate it when she lectures me. It makes me feel like a little kid who's done something wrong. Sometimes she acts like my mother. It's a bit unsettling.

"Yama! Are you even listening to me?! You're not! See, this is what I'm talking about! If we're going to be married, it's going to have to be a fifty-fifty effort!..."

And there she goes again, ladies and gentlemen.

I sigh.

"Sora, I'm sorry, alright?" I give her my most charming smile, which, while completely effective for the rest of the female population, doesn't seem to work in times like these when I need it most. "Really, I am. I didn't mean to upset you, and I'll try to be civilized around her, okay?" I pout a little. She smiles a bit.

"Alright… I'm so glad you listen to me, Yama," she said, kisses me on the cheek. Just then, her cell rings.

"Hello? Oh, Kaio-san, hey, about that contract…" and she walks off

Wait, did she just say… ugh. I hate it when she says stuff like that. In case you haven't noticed, she's a bit of a control freak. Control freak perfectionist, basically your Type-A kind of person. She has no idea how irritating it is that she always thinks you're wrong and she's right. Like just now. She gives me no room for mistakes. It's times like these when I really wonder what I'm getting myself into.

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As I walk back to finish getting ready for the show, my mind is thinking about anything and everything related to Yamato as possible. It's a wonder I don't trip over something, because I am so lost in it all that I'm not concentrating at all. My heart was still going about a million miles an hour.

I swear, that boy isn't good for me.

That boy?

Let me rephrase that… that incredible hunk of work known as Ishida Yamato isn't good for me. I can't look at him without palpitations and a gasp, and not just for the obvious reasons. Yes, he is attractive. Ridiculously attractive. Let me start off with those eyes… the oddest shade of blue I've seen; they're pure cobalt. And quite mesmerizing. And I have no idea whether he actually spends time on his hair or whether he just wakes up like that in the morning, but his hair is something to be admired… not too long, not too short, and messy in all the right places. Bed-headish, which just makes him even sexier.

And that body. You'd think for a musician, he'd be scrawny. But he's not… he's just perfectly toned and everything. It really doesn't help. Some nights, I can't sleep because all I can think of is how much I'd love to have those hands all over me and those strong arms wrapped around me… and how much I'd love to just be able to rest my head on that expansive chest, and fall asleep to the beat of his heart.

But even if he were the ugliest man on the planet, I'd still have all these reactions when I look at him. Not only do I see him a lot less than I would like, but I can never have him.

You see, I am living in one of the world's screwiest romance novel plots. Only in this one, the girl doesn't get the guy in the end, or vise versa. He hates me with a passion unrivaled. He's hated me since we met 13 years ago, when I was only 9 years old. I have no idea what it was, but he just didn't like me. And when I got my first modeling contract, he really hated me, and often told me how I thought I owned the world, etc. etc.

It seems insane that I can honestly say I'm in love with someone who hates me so, but it's true. And it's exactly the reason why I have to keep up the façade of hating him. I can't have that stigma of being known as that 'one girl' who's so hopelessly in love with Yamato that it drives her crazy. It would make me seem so pathetic, or paint a picture of me as one of his fangirls. At least pretending keeps some of my sanity. And also, if my feelings were to be known, not only would I be mocked, pitied, and all the things I hate, but he would be villainized. I wouldn't be able to stand that, because, for as much as he taunts me in hatred, he's not a bad guy. He's actually a real sweetheart. He's kind, gentle, charming, and so incredibly sweet. He knows exactly how to sweep a lady off of her feet, and he's very honest. I know that if somehow, he were to love me, he'd let me know everyday, subtly. He's the kind of man to randomly leave flowers on your doorstep, or to surprise you one night after work with a romantic dinner. He's also very loyal… if he loves you, he loves you dearly, and nothing can change that.

It's things like this that really make my heart want him all the more. I already know I can't have him; it's just an accepted fact. Not only does he not love me and never will, he's engaged to my boss. Even if somehow he did love me, that would be wrong, on so many levels, not to mention it would mean career suicide. Sometimes, it gets more than I can bear… the man I love the most with one of the most selfish, perfectionist… bitches on the planet! Can't he see what kind of life he's going to lead if he marries her? Of course, I can't tell him this without both of them thinking I'm trying to sabotage their relationship or something, but honestly: I'd rather see him marry Kari than Sora. Then at least he'd have a chance at being happy for the rest of his life. It makes me want to scream, more than I already do. Usually, I can ignore it, but some nights, the pain of being not only alone but without my love gets to be so painful that I wonder if I can make it to 30. If I even want to make it to 30. And then I start thinking about my life ahead of me, always pretending to hate Yama, and having him hate me. My life without him, pretending, with someone else. I've attempted suicide a few times before, and it would be safe to say that one day, I'll probably succeed.

Right now, I'm fine. But then again, I haven't seen him in years, and thankfully, Sora doesn't gush about their relationship. But the last time I saw him, it was enough to push me over the edge and into a full blown breakdown.

Magical. Just what I need on one of the biggest days of the year! Why the hell is he here, anyways?

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And here we end chapter 2. I hope that wasn't too emo for y'all. I find it kind of easy to go in depth when a character is particularly thoughtful or sad. Not that I'm emo or anything. : P

Don't worry… things will get better and funnier (hopefully) in the coming chapters as things heat up a bit.

Don't get your undies in a bunch, it's all typed up and ready to go, so all I need are a few reviews.

Por favor?

Gracias mucho!

Have a lovely day, all.

Mrs. Ishida