Chapter 4: Party Time!

All of the Senshi except Makoto were at the shrine a few afternoons later. It was a warm, humid, lazy afternoon, almost too warm to do anything. They were lounging around the floor in various forms of scanty dress, mostly halter tops and short-shorts, with bare feet; Ami was the exception in that she sat in a chair; her white shorts were a bit longer and less tight than the others', and she wore a dark-blue tank-top instead of a halter. They were talking quietly; it was too hot to raise their voices.

"We could go shopping down at the new Japan Mart," Rei said. Rei's halter and ultra-tight shorts were both bright red. "It's all air-conditioned there, and there's a couple of restaurants close enough."

But Usagi, in white shorts and red halter, shook her head. "No, no way. I'm, ah, y'know, a bit short. But if you guys could lend me a few yen, then maybe…"

"No, no way to that!" Rei chuckled. "I don't like lending to those that never pay it back, and you, Usagi… You still owe me from back before we fought Queen Beryl."

"Yeah, Usagi, you owe me too, come to think of it," Minako said. The blonde's garish yellow halter and orange shorts were the tightest and skimpiest of all. "You know, you should have gotten a job this summer. Then maybe you'd have a few coins in your purse."

"I did get a job!" Usagi objected. "As a waitress. Only…"

"Only you got fired the first day for being late!" Rei said, her lips twisted in a smirk.

"Well…" Usagi could not come up with a comeback for that one, because it happened to be true. So she went on, "Well, I suppose we could go down to the pool in Kumano Park. It's a good day for swimming, so hot."

"I think it'll be awfully crowded down there," Ami objected. Ami did tend to be more modest than the other Senshi, and anyway her figure was not as shapely as the others', so she was not a big fan of hanging around the public pools in a swimsuit.

"Awfully crowded – with boys!" Minako said. "Maybe some hotties, on a hot day like this one."

"And it won't be too crowded," Rei said. "At least that oversized geek Makoto won't be filling up half of the pool."

"Yeah!" Minako came back. "And she won't be there to scare the boys off, either, like she always does."

"Like she does when she doesn't wear a bag over her head, anyway," Usagi chipped in. Usagi did not really like these now-mandatory daily rip-Makoto sessions, but she always wanted to be part of the gang, so she threw in her own silly insult.

"Good shot, Usagi!" Minako said. "Yeah, without that big oaf to scare them off, the boys will be lined up for a look at the Senshi of Love. I got this new bikini, and when I'm in that…"

Just then there was a knock on the door. "Hey, Ami, you're the only one sitting up. You go get it," Rei said. Ami did get up and headed for the door, and Rei continued, "You know, for that kind of stuff we should have Makoto around. She's no good for anything else…"

The door opened, and they heard Ami's voice: "Mako-chan!"

And seconds later the big girl strode in, a broad smile on her face, her auburn ponytail bouncing behind her. Yet quickly the smile faded; for only Usagi smiled in return. Rei's and Minako's faces were dark and sour; Ami's eyes were troubled and doubtful.

Makoto turned about. The girls rose now to meet her, but only Usagi extended her hands in greeting. Makoto took a step back. "Hey, is something wrong?" she asked.

There was no answer, only harsh silence. "Is someone hurt? Are we under attack? Enemies? What's going on? If there's trouble, why didn't someone tell me?" Makoto asked, stumbling over the words.

"How could we tell you, since you won't answer any of our calls?" Rei muttered in a low and bitter voice.

Makoto's eyes began shifting from one of the other girls to the next, betraying her unease, even panic. "I was busy, OK? My job…"

"Why did you hide it from us?" Minako demanded, advancing toward the big girl.

"I… I…" Makoto seemingly could not respond. Her gaze shifted to the door. "I guess I'm not wanted around here any more," she mumbled. She began to turn away.

But Usagi stepped up and got into her face, her clear blue eyes gazing into Makoto's green ones. "Sailor Jupiter!" she said, her voice strong – particularly for Usagi.

Makoto stopped turning and stood silently. Her breaths were rapid and shallow.

And Usagi spoke again: "Sailor Jupiter, your Princess asks you: why didn't you tell us?"

"Tell you… what?" Makoto gasped. She had always been faithful to the Moon Princess, but now she was frightened.

Then, in a calm voice, Ami spoke. "Mako-chan, we saw the trailer. Minako found it online. We know about the movie. We know that you've been with that Zakuro creature instead of us. We just want to know why you didn't tell us."

Makoto's head jerked away from Sailor Moon's gaze to Ami, but then jerked back again. "I… I was afraid, OK? So I kept it a secret."

"Afraid of what?" Usagi asked, utterly without understanding.

"Afraid that we'd find out that you had turned against us, and joined the Mew Mews?" Rei demanded, quite harshly.

For the first time, the fear in Makoto's eyes turned to anger. "I'm not the one who ever turned her back on our Princess… Sailor Mars!" She emphasized the name, and sneered a little as she said the words.

Anger exploded in Rei's eyes. "How dare you…"

"Rei! Please!" Ami begged. She did not want the Senshi to begin fighting again. Then she turned to Makoto. "But understand, Mako-chan, we were worried. That should be a great thing, that you got into a movie, but you didn't tell us. You never would talk to any of us, and when we saw that you were with that Mew Mew bitch…" Ami's extreme agitation was betrayed by the foul language, which she otherwise never used.

And Usagi said, "Sailor Jupiter, I ask you again: why wouldn't you tell us?"

One more time the tall girl looked around the room, seeing demanding eyes in each of the others. And they she lowered her eyes, and spoke so softly that the others hardly heard her. "I was… afraid. OK?"

"Afraid of what?" Minako demanded.

Makoto was silent for several seconds, apparently trying to formulate an answer that was true but did not say too much. "I never was an actress, never tried to be. I didn't know if I could do it. I was afraid…of failing, and all of you laughing at me. So I kept it quiet. And I really have been tied up, time-wise. I missed most of the last school term – they gave me a tutor – while we were filming. I just wasn't around, OK?" Her voice was becoming quite desperate.

"If you were so afraid of it all, why did you try out for a movie part?" Minako asked, quite loudly. "And how did someone like you get an audition? You have to pay your dues to get one of those!"

Makoto's eyes blazed momentarily and she shot a deadly look at the blonde before she lowered her eyes again. When her voice came, though, it was very subdued. "I… didn't apply. I suppose we'd all like to be stars, idols. But no, that was always you dream, Minako. And Rei's maybe." She glanced toward the raven-haired girl before she dropped her eyes again. "No, I didn't try out for the movie. What happened was… Zakuro-san came to my house, and she offered me a try-out."

"Why? Why you?" Minako demanded.

"She said… they needed someone taller than she is, and they couldn't find one, at least not one they could hire at a reasonable price. And she said that I was athletic enough, and pretty enough for the part." At the last line, Minako snorted quietly. She had not wanted it to be audible, but it was. Makoto looked at her and then again dropped her eyes. "Zakuro-san met me during the Mew War, in the hospital that first night, and…" Her voice trailed away. She did not want to talk about the other reason Zakuro had given her.

"You've never acted in anything," Rei said. Her voice was not as harsh as Minako's had been. "How did you manage to pass the audition?"

Makoto paused before she spoke again. Now she looked up and answered Rei directly. "Zakuro-san. She coached me, taught me how to say my lines, how to act the part. She took care that I got a decent and fair contract. She was really behind the whole thing."

"Well, it's Zakuro-this and Zakuro-that!" Rei all but hissed. "I suppose you're too good for the rest of us now! What's so great about this Zakuro anyway?"

"She's my friend," Makoto said quietly. "My precious friend."

"The likes of Fujiwara Zakuro don't normally hang around with the likes of us – unless they can get something out of it. Just what did she get in return?" Minako demanded. Her voice was still harsh.

Makoto shook her head. "Nothing. I gave her nothing. It was just a carry-over from… the war."

"Makes you wonder whose side you were on," Minako said, with more than a little bitterness.

That insult was too much for Makoto, and her voice rose. "I stood by Sailor Moon right to the end," she said. "Not like some people…"

Minako's eyes blazed. She was still quite ashamed of her behavior during the war and did not like being reminded of it. But before she came back at Makoto, Ami's voice rose: "Please, you two. Please!"

Makoto apparently had taken all she could take of the cold reception she had received, and turned toward the door. "Well, I guess I just don't belong here any more. Sorry, girls." She walked toward the door. "I guess… you won't be wanting these, then." She held up a small purse she carried in her hand.

"And what's in there?" Usagi asked. The childish Usagi always loved to get presents, any kind, from anyone.

Makoto turned to Usagi, though her back was still toward the others. "Oh. I was going to give you each one of these." She opened the purse, and took out four small envelopes. Each one was addressed to one of the girls. "It's just a party invitation, but I suppose you don't want to go there now."

"Party?" Usagi bubbled, her eyes glowing. "Will there be food there?"

A small smile twisted Makoto's lips. The guileless Usagi would never grow up! "Here, Usagi, there's one for you, even if the others don't want one. And yes – there will be lots of food."

Usagi tore her envelope open, tearing the invitation inside as she did so. "Ooh, at the Tokyo Hilton! And two weeks from Saturday! Can I go? Can I go?" She was making a fool out of herself, and Makoto smiled again. But then Usagi's smile disappeared, and a puzzled look came over her face. "But what is a… p-r-e-m-i-e-r-e party?" She spelled the word out, for it was written in English characters, and Usagi could not read English. In fact, she hardly knew the letters.

"Premiere party?" Rei gasped. "For the movie?"

Makoto nodded, and said, "Yes. The invitation is for you to be my guests at the official premiere showing of the movie – well, I suppose I should call it the 'film,' but Zakuro-san always just calls it a movie. Then after the movie, you could go to the premiere party."

Minako gasped even louder than Rei had. "The official premiere party for the movie? Will the actors all be there? The director, the producer…"

"Of course," Makoto said, smiling broadly now. "We're all really too young for that sort of thing, but I don't have any family, and you are my best friends – or I thought you were." She looked gloatingly at Minako.

Then Usagi blurted out, "Will… will Ota Hideki-sama be there?"

"Of course," Makoto said. She turned now to the other girls. "You know, Hideki's a really good kisser." She winked, and smiled as the other girls' mouths dropped open – even Ami's.

Then she turned back to Usagi. "Here, give these to the other girls," she said; and she pressed the envelopes into Usagi's hand.. "I hope you all can come. Formal dress, girls. Not too fuddy-duddy, Ami-chan! And Rei, try not to look too much like a cheap hooker!" She knew that the girls were desperate to go to this party, and she could take all the shots at them that she wanted.

"Thank you!" Usagi and Ami all but shouted together; and even Rei and Minako mumbled the words. Then she slipped through the door and was gone.

And Minako said in a thoroughly catty tone, "Well! Our Makoto thinks she's really hot stuff, doesn't she?"

But Ami said, "She got… to kiss Ota Hideki!" And she smiled, and a dreamy look filled her eyes.