Chapter 3
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Uta no Prince sama. I do, however, own my OC(s) and plot.
Ry sat on her bed and listened to the Utapri CD while she waited for her friends to arrive. They had insisted on coming over before the party to help her pick out an outfit. She shot up and turned the music off when she heard the front door open and close. Mila, Emily, and Christy burst in with enthusiasm, going over to her closet as soon as they finished greeting her. They picked an icy blue skirt and an off the shoulder, white peasant shirt. They went back downstairs to check out the decorations while she applied her icy blue eye make up, making her eyes the centerpiece of her face.
"The backyard looks gorgeous! Everyone should be here any minute." Mila swept in and threw an arm around Ry. "Oh, and happy birthday!"
Ry smiled wrapped an arm around Mila's waist as they walked out of the room.
"Whaaaaa?!"
The cast of Utapri continued to stare out of the TV with slack jaws and wide eyes even after the two girls were gone.
"Her friends are pretty too." Otoya said kindly.
"Not cute. Not like Ry-chan." Natsuki pouted.
"I'm surprised she has friends; I was under the impression she has a very withdrawn character." Tokiya said cooly.
"It's her birthday?" Syo asked with a question mark floating around his head. The boys and Haruka turned to look at him. He went red with anger and repeatedly stomped his foot. "What, didn't you hear her say that?! Are you guys deaf?! Geez!"
"Oh right." Otoya said thoughtfully. "It feels rude not to wish her happy birthday but it isn't like we can do anything about it."
"Yes. Still. She looks so beautiful, it makes me jealous. The boys attending her party will be able to flirt and stare at her all they want tonight and, alas, we're stuck in this box." Ren dramatically placed the back of his hand to his forehead.
"Who said there would be boys there?" Syo mumbled, turning his head to the side and unconsciously making a pouty face.
"Those other girls were dressed to impress. I don't think it was to catch Ry-chan's eye." Tokiya stated simply. Shadows began hanging from Syo as he ducked his head.
"Natsuki-san why did you say her friends weren't cute?" Haruka asked with a confused face.
"Ry-chan is small and sweet." Natsuki looked as if he was going to burst with happiness just talking about her. "Her friends are pretty but they're big and look like adults already."
Everyone sweat dropped.
"So he doesn't like them..." Masato began.
"Because they're sexy instead of cute?" Ranmaru's eyebrow twitched.
"But I'm glad they made Ry-chan look so cute! It makes me happy that we got to see her!" Natsuki grabbed Syo and began giving him a backbreaking hug.
"Oi! Lemme go!" Syo tried to struggle but eventually gave up.
Downstairs, where the fictional characters couldn't see, nearly every guest had arrived. The party was being held in the back yard with music and tables littered with refreshments. Ry's friends stuck with her, going off in shifts to mingle.
"Happy birthday Miss RyLynn."
Ry jumped in surprise as a male voice whispered next to her ear. She turned her head to see Jared smiling at her. He was holding a small silver box topped with a bow.
"Um just Ry." She said with a blush. He nodded handed her the box. "Oh you didn't have to..."
"No, but I wanted to." He smiled warmly and Ry stole a glance to the side and saw her friends exchanging eyebrow wags. They tried to hold in their giggles, not succeeding at all. Ry rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Jared.
"Did you just get here?" She asked politely.
"Yea. I saw you right when I got in so I figured I should get to you before everyone else." He flashed her a winning smile and she tried to contain the blush that started in her cheeks as she began showing him around. People shouted various greeting at her during their walk, complimenting the party, wishing her happy birthday. Jared waved and made small talk as they moved at a snail pace through the crowd.
"Hey!" Ry turned to see the new girl walking over, dragging the girl she had come with over with her. "Thanks so much for inviting us! Happy birthday!"
Ry smiled warmly. "No problem! And thanks so much! Are you two enjoying yourself?"
"Oh yea! There are a lot of people here but it's fun meeting them. I'm new." The girl gave a bright smile and rocked back and forth on her heals, her friend smiling, not saying anything.
"I know, I saw you the other day. I hope everyone makes you feel welcome. Have good time." Ry smiled as the two girls walked away, both giggling and looking around.
"You're a good person." When Ry turned around Jared was smiling at her with a look of admiration. Her brows knit together as she gave him a confused look. "Well you're nice to everyone. Not just the cool people."
"Um...thanks?" Ry tried to get past the fact that he just called the nice girls she had been talking to 'not cool'. Soon they had circled back to her friends who had all managed to lure in an attractive boy from a sports club. Ry began noticing small comments Jared made, always implying that they were part of some sort of caste system. Her friends were starting to notice as well. They occasionally glared in his direction while trying to distract themselves by talking to the boys around them. Ry started to tune him out as she simply stared at his face.
He looks like Syo but Syo would never talk like that... Ry tensed in shock an tried to hold back a small 'eep' as her thoughts wandered. Gaaahhh! Why the hell do I keep doing that?!
"Ry! Come on!" Ry jumped slightly as she looked over to see her friends watching her expectedly. "We're going up to check our make up and stuff."
She quickly got up and they made their way to her room. Once they shut the door Mila practically breathed fire.
"What the hell is wrong with your new little boy toy Ry?! He's a total ass!" She practically shouted. Ry gave a small nod.
"He isn't too bad. I bet if we worked on it he would be nicer." Emily said innocently.
"Think not sweetheart. He's just the typical spoiled white boy. But he is pretty subtle. I don't think he even notices." Christy said, checking her make up in the mirror. Suddenly she whipped around. "By the way, what did he get you?"
"Not sure, I haven't opened..." Ry sweat dropped when her friends suddenly surrounded her, eyes gleaming.
"Open it! Open it!" They cried, chasing Ry over to the bed where they fell in a fit of giggles. Ry pulled out the silver box and opened it. Inside was a silver bracelet with five charms dangling from it. One was a big blue eye, another were the words 'blue eyed girl', the next was kissing lips, the other was the word 'sweet', and the last was her yearbook picture. They all admired it for a moment.
"Wow. This is gorgeous." Christy said, lightly running a finger over the eye.
"There is no way I can accept this. It looks-" Ry frantically looked around at her friend's faces. She was holding the bracelet away from her and turning a cute shade of red.
"It looks like something a birthday girl deserves to get." Mila said firmly while taking the jewelry from Ry's hand and fastening it to her wrist. "Let people spoil you for a change. People like doing nice things for you; since you help them."
Ry looked around and saw that all of her friends were looking at her gentle loving smiles. She blushed and fingered a charm on the bracelet.
"Besides his mom is the one that makes these thing so he probably got this for nothing." Christy said. Ry giggled when Mila rolled her eyes and shoved her; soon all of them were laughing, a pile of giggling girls on Ry's bed.
"You happy?" Emily asked, a sweet smile on her face as she looked at her friend. Ry thought for a moment.
"Yea...really happy." She said as she tried to fight the surprise.
"Good. Maybe you're getting better." Christy stated, holding her friend close. Emily rested her head on Ry's lap. Ry looked at them with a mixture of confusion horror.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
Mila gently took her friend's hand in her own. "Ry we're your best friends. We know how sad you've been. You think we didn't notice the therapist appointments and fake smiles?"
Ry's head drooped until her wild, spiked hair covered most of her face. "I'm sorry I lied...it's just..."
Christy and Emily sat up and gave her their full attention. Mila gently lifted her face and their hearts broke simultaneously when they saw the tears that gushed from the familiar icy blue eyes. They eyes that always warmed them when they were sad. The eyes that smiled and picked them up as they blundered along. The eyes that gave them the strength to go on after Marissa's death.
"I just miss her so much!" Ry sniffled and brought her knees to her chest. Three pairs of arms reached out to hold her. "It isn't fair! We promised! We said we were going to make sure we spent our last official years as kids together so that we could make as many mistakes as possible! Now I can barely leave my room! She would be so disappointed!"
"No she wouldn't!"
The cast of Utapri stared at Syo in shock as he stood up so fast his chair fell and began yelling at the screen.
"What your friend would be disappointed about was if you thought that! If she's as great as you think she is then she wouldn't be happy seeing you so sad! So smile!"
Syo's head drooped and he lowered himself to his knees. Natsuki started moving towards him but Camus grabbed his arm and gave him a small head shake. Suddenly Haruka gasped.
"She...did she...?"
They all looked towards the screen to see Ry staring in confusion. Her friends were speaking but it was like she was tuning them out. Slowly she got up and stood in front of her TV.
"What are you doing?" The girl with the amber eyes finally asked.
"Sorry...I could have sworn I heard something." Ry said absent mindedly. She looked at the sides of the television and ran her hands around the back. "I thought maybe the TV was going weird."
"I didn't hear anything." The amber eyed one said and the rest began shaking their heads. Ry looked at the TV once more before turning to the bed and their conversation.
"She heard you?" Otoya asked Syo, shocked. Syo himself was looking at through the screen at the girl with wide eyes. His mouth opened and closed, too stunned to actually form words.
"Aho ho ho!"
Everyone except Syo (who was still in shock) sweat dropped and watched as Shining made his dramatic entrance. He strode over to stand in front of Syo, finally getting his attention.
"I told you! You broke the rule! No falling in love with real people!"
Syo's face went red with anger and he shot up, steam pouring out of his ears as he shook his fists. "What does that have to do with anything! I ain't in love with her! And that isn't even the point! Why can she suddenly hear us!?"
"Aho ho ho!" Shining laughed, enraging Syo even more. "She can't hear all of you! Just you! It's what I call a 'love link'! You both broke the rules! Real people and us are not supposed to fall in love!"
"But we aren't-" Syo began to protest but Shining began wagging a finger close to his face.
"Ah ah ahhhh! You have to make a choice now! Don't drag anyone else into it!" Suddenly, before anyone could ask any questions, he was gone.
"I wonder if this is because of that old legend." Ringo-sensei crossed her arms and cocked her head. Everyone's attention shifted to her.
"Well?" Ren asked after a few minutes.
"It isn't really my place to say..." Ringo began then blanched when she was met with various death glares. "There was this story I heard. Don't remember where from but that doesn't matter. Apparently a fictional character and a real person had fallen in love before. The girl was in an action anime and the boy was a real kid. The boy, lets call him Real, fell in love with the girl's character and began exploring it deeper, allowing the love to connect to the actual fictional character. The girl couldn't feel it but just watching the boy live his life made her love him as well. After awhile they could talk even if the TV was off. That's how deep their connection was. Then they discovered that Real could either go in or the girl could go out. Obviously he chose to go in but there were side effects. He was never able to see his family again and he had no way of getting out. He began to resent the girl and eventually they couldn't stand to look at each other. The end."
The Utapri cast ignored Ringo's cutesy smile at the end of her story and looked at Syo.
"So...I have to choose..what exactly?" Syo asked in a daze. His brain was trying to process that being with a real person was possible. The rest of STARISH looked at each other.
"Probably whether or not you'll keep talking to her. Or letting you hear her talk." Otoya said gently.
"Then whether or not you ruin her life or yours." Ren said blandly, giving everyone a shrug. They all shot him hostile glares and began dragging him out of the room as they allowed Syo a moment of privacy. He glanced out of the screen in time to see Ry walking out of the door, staring at the TV out of the corner of her eye. Syo felt warmth blossom in his chest.
You can hear me. That means...you love me too.
Thanks for reading! Please review!
