Okay. Now i finally have some time for this chapter. Never thought I would though. I mean, seriously, with the amount of homework and studying I have to do it's near impossible, but hey I guess I got lucky this weekend.
So... this is a multi chapter story based on Avril's song Fall To Pieces. I'll try my best to make the song match the story, so comments and ideas are welcome : )
Also, thank you EtoileEyes for commenting. I hope this chapter will be as good as you hoped.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything... that has to do with Kaleido Star or the italicized words.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey, Ken. Nice to see you today." said May with her signature fake cheery smile.
"Oh. Hi, May," said a very gloomy looking Ken as he threw out the rest of his lunch in the trash.
"Such a nice day today, huh? It's a perfect day to walk around don't you think." said May still sounding eerily chipper.
"I guess." said Ken who was barely paying attention and began walking out of the lunchroom and back to work.
"So, I was wondering if you would take me on a tour of Kaleido Stage. You know I've only been here for a short time. So I don't know the place as well as you do." said May as she appeared right in front of Ken, still feigning friendliness, but, also, seeming to be blocking him from going anywhere.
Finally realizing that something fishy was going on Ken immediately snapped out of his depression and looked into to May's eyes hoping to find out what.
"I don't know May," said Ken cautiously,"I still have some work to do and haven't you already explored Kaleido Stage enough to know everything you need to know."
"Well, I've only been here for a little less than a year and you've been here...longer. Besides, you know that I don't pay to anywhere else except the training rooms and the stage I perform in. So since I don't have anything better to do today I've decided that I should get to know the other parts of Kaleido Stage." said May who was now starting to creep Ken out with her sudden affability.
"What are you really up to May? You must be up to something that has to do with the being the star or beating Sora." said Ken as he braced himself for certain death.
"Okay you got me. You know what they say, "Know your enemy or at least the environment better than your enemy so you can at least gain the upper hand"...something like that. Anyway, like it or not you are giving me a tour of this place. Got that?" said May who decided to drop the act because she was also creeping herself out too.
"Then will you promise me that you won't do something bad to Sora with this. Like booby trapping Kaleido Stage, so that she won't make it to her next show. Then, coincidently also know everything there was to her part. And then, lo and behold, get her part. Okay?" said Ken just as he was suddenly very aware that he has said too much and started praying mentally to God that whatever was going to happen next won't be too painful.
"What the hell do you think I am?!!! Do you think I'd stoop so low to get a lead role like that?! Never! I am a person of honor and principles! I plan to beat her with my superior gymnastic skills and nothing less! Why I ought to- " said May who was now totally outraged, and preparing to seriously hurt Ken for insulting her morality felt a diablo hit her head. Hard. She looked around but no one was there. Then she suddenly remembered why she was talking to Ken in the first place.
She looked back at the him and saw him crouching down with his arms over his head saying, "I'm sorry." over and over again, (so that meant that he didn't see anything). Remembering the sentence she didn't finish, what she had to do, and what she wanted to do she angrily said, "- get the best damned tour of this place!"
With that she pulled him up on his feet and venomously said, "Now move it Ken. I don't have forever you know. I want to know every aspect of this place."
Ken, who was now rather shaken by this near death experience, nodded and said, " Let's go outside and I'll tell you more about the dorms."
When the both of them were outside they saw Marion running towards them screaming, "Look out! Johnathan's driving a car and I think he's lost control!
Both Ken and May were shocked as they saw a small red car heading towards them at about three hundred feet away at a semi-fast pace.
They all started running. Everything was going according to plan, because the car was chasing them towards where they were supposed to go, but May couldn't help but wonder...
"Hey, Marion, I thought you were supposed to tell us that Jonathan's gone crazy and have him chase after us to where Rosetta is." whispered May not wanting Ken to hear, while she and Marion slowed their running pace a bit so that Ken could catch up.
"Yeah, I know, but wouldn't it be more convincing if he was driving something instead of just chasing us. I mean, come on, we all know that Johnathan wouldn't hurt anyone." Marion whispered back.
"Does he know how to drive?" whispered May who was now alarmed and could not believe that she was even asking, but was hoping he did.
"I'm not sure, but Johnathan's a talented seal and my best friend, so I believe in him one hundred percent." Marion whispered with a confident smile.
May looked at her as if she grew a third eye. "The thing doesn't even have fingers or a thumb. It has flippers..." thought May as she looked away from the insane little girl.
From behind the running trio a certain little seal found a way to reach the accelerator...
"Oh, yay, Jonathan found a way to go faster." said Marion who only said it loud enough so May could hear. Anyhow, even if she had said it louder Ken couldn't hear it anyway because he was concentrating on running for his life.
"..And it found a way to go faster." May thought. "Faster?! Our lives are now at the hands of a seal?!" said May aloud.
With that she grabbed Ken's and Marion's arm with her hands. "Run faster guys! I think he's gaining on us!"
She ended up hauling them both with her while she was running; making them look like they were two human kites flying behind her while she was holding them by the arm.
Jonathan chased them all the way to the backstage door in which May opened and rushed in with Ken and Marion.
"Thank god. We made it. What the hell were you thinking Marion!" said May who was relieved that nothing bad happened.
"Yay, we did our part." said a very dizzy Marion.
"Man, I think I got airsick." Ken moaned as he was slightly green in the face and was trying to hold back whatever was about to come up.
"Shape up, Ken You still have to give me that tour." said May as she slapped him on the back.
"Ouch. First Sora and now this," grumbled Ken, "Why must I be so miserable?"
May pretended not to hear that and said, "Now let's get going."
"But this is the backstage. You've been here plenty of times. Are you sure?" said Ken, who was clearly tired of this.
"Yeah. So. I want to know every aspect of this place. Why not learn something more about the place I'm in everyday?" said May matter of factly.
"We could go outside, you know." said Ken.
"And risk being run over by the seal. I think not. I'm so not taking any chances." said May.
"Okay, fine. Follow me then. Marion, I think you should stay in here too in case if Jonathan's still driving. " said Ken.
"Okay Ken,"said Marion who was now fully recovered from her dizziness, "Have fun guys."
As they strolled down the hallway, passing rooms with Ken explaining the significance of that room and what was in it and May pretending to listen, they met Rosetta.
She was in the middle of the hallway practicing with her diablos, surrounded by buckets of paint and water and an easel.
"Hey guys. I'm practicing my art skills and my diablo skills. See these furry paintbrushlike things attached to my diablo. They hold the paint in just like a paintbrush does. All I have to do is move the diablo to where I want to go on the easel paper. Look at what I just did. What do you think?" said Rosetta as she used her diablo to point to the painting she just made that was taped up on the wall.
"Wow, Rosetta. That's beautiful. You really have a talent for art, but why are you doing this in the middle of the hallway?" said Ken as he stared awestruck at Rosetta's painting of one of the scenes of Kaleido Stage's performances.
"Because this place has that special mood I need that encourages me to paint masterpieces like that."said Rosetta.
"Yeah, right. I bet you bought it off someplace." scoffed loud enough for just Rosetta to hear May.
While Ken was looking at the painting admiring how well done it was Rosetta muttered, "Well, at least I didn't almost kill Ken."
"Hmph. So what." said May.
"Just saying." retorted Rosetta. Turning her attention back to Ken she said, "Want to see how I paint?"
"Sure." said Ken eagerly.
"Okay." said Rosetta as she made her diablo dip itself in the bucket of red paint. Then she "slipped" on some water that she "accidentally" splashed on the floor. That resulted in to the diablo spinning out of control and painting Ken's clothes red.
"Whoops, sorry Ken. I think slipped on the water I used to wash the paint off my diablo." said Rosetta apologetically while wincing in pain from the fall.
"It's alright Rosetta." Ken said as he examined his clothes thinking about how to get the stuff off without leaving a stain.
"Serves you right for hitting me with your diablo." said May in a low voice as she helped her friend up.
"Yeah, I guess we're even. Now try not screw up the rest of the plan." said Rosetta in a way so that Ken couldn't hear.
"Hmph, you are talking to the girl who can do anything she puts her mind to." said May. Turning her attention to Ken who was completely absorbed in trying to find a solution to his shirt problem she said, "Oh god, Ken you look horrible. You look like you escaped from some massacre with that red paint on your clothes. Come on, I think I saw some clothes lying around in the dressing room. You know, the place where everyone gets ready for performances."
Before he can say anything May dragged him towards the dressing room saying, "I don't want to be seen walking around with an idiot."
The moment they arrived in the dressing room Anna was there practicing making funny poses in front of the mirror.
When Anna saw them both she said, "Not funny. In fact that's scary. May, you should take him to the hospital. What did you do to poor Ken?"
"Hahaha very funny Anna. It's just paint. Stop looking at me like I'm some murderer." said May.
"Sorry for the scare Anna. I just gota little clumsy with paint today." said Ken.
"Oh that's okay. Say, you'll be needing new clothes right? I have just the thing for you, but in return I need you to fill in for someone in my comedy show rehearsal. Please? It'll really help us out." begged Anna. Then she thrusted a tan tuxedo into his arms.
"Um, Anna this is too formal. It's not like I have to go to a party or something." said Ken.
"Are you saying that I am not worth dressing up for? That I'm no one important." said May as she glared at him.
Not wanting to die Ken said, "No, of course not. I'm just worried about getting it dirty. You never know how unexpected these things are."
"No, it's okay Ken I'll just get it to the dry cleaners or something." said Anna.
"Yeah, Ken. Change already, will ya." said May.
When he was in the changing room to change into the tuxedo Anna and May gave each other a high five and they both stepped out of the room to give Rosetta, Marion, and Jonathan who were all waiting outside a thumbs up. That meant that they were ready for the last phase of the plan...
By the time Ken was done changing into his suit May was waiting for him with her arms folded, tapping her foot on the floor impatiently, and Anna was making funny faces in one of the the mirrors.
"I'm done." said Ken looking kind of nervous because he just had this feeling...
"You look awesome Ken. This is going to be so great." said Anna excitedly.
"Yep. Let's get this show on the road." said May looking genuinely pleased for the first time that day.
Both of them took him by the arm. Thus, preventing any way of escape and together they walked out of the room where they met up with Rosetta, Marion, and Jonathan who walked with them on the way toward a place...
"Hey, where did you guys come from? What's going on? Let go!" whined Ken as started to get an idea of where they were headed.
Before he knew it he was a step away from entering the training room Sora was currently practicing her routine in.
"It's about time you guys got here Sora's almost done." said a rather impatient Mia.
"Hey, at least we made it here in one piece." said May as she eyed Marion who gave her an apologetic look along with Jonathan.
Focusing her attention on a now very nervous Ken now Mia said, "Okay, Ken it's all up to you now. You still have a chance. Sora didn't accept Leon yet. You know, she might have been waiting for that special someone to confess." She emphasized those two words while looking directly at Ken to make sure he got the message. "Here." she said as she shoved a bouquet of roses into his arms.
Today's the day I pray that we make it through.
"Go out there and make us proud." said Mia.
"We'll all be rooting for you out here." said Marion
"Row!" barked Jonathan.
"You will confess this time Ken because we'll be here to make sure you don't chicken out." said Rosetta.
"Hey, look I wasted a whole day trying to get this to happen so you'd better do it." said May.
Anna saluted Ken and said, "The rest of Operation Confession is up to you. Good luck soldier."
With that they all pushed Ken into the room before he can say anything else and hid themselves away from view. From the force of their push and his not being prepared for it he fell.
Make it through the fall.
Luckily, he got up and recovered from it fast enough before Sora could notice.
Make it through it all.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So readers what do you think? I know I put too little of the song in this chapter, but I'll try to make up for it next time.