'She was so beautiful..'
She sits up in bed, the full moon shining bright outside her window. That girl from the gallery has been on her mind all night. Picking up her mug of tea, she puts it to her lips and drinks, her eyes still locked on the moon.
'The way she looked at me..'
That girl was perfect. Her voice, her body, her burning eyes. Those eyes that made her blush. What went wrong tonight?
The bottom of the mug came as a slurp to her mouth. She stands up and walks into the kitchen, the moon shining down through every window, illuminating the entire room like a spotlight. She places it quietly in the sink and walks to a window, staring outside, her mind going wild, just like she was for that girl. How could she have done that? What was wrong with her, talking like that?
'That's what I get for putting myself out there for someone..'
The moon seemed to frown at her, like it had a face, a life of it's own, as if it knew her night had turned out an awful one, and sympathized with her. It sparkled brightly tonight, almost as if to say, "Cheer up, there are more beautiful things in life. Like me."
"She was beautiful."
It was like that one girl was the one girl that had been worth waiting for. In that instant of meeting her, something clicked, something inside them both knew, and could feel, something familiar. Something nice. But, at the same time, everything was awkward and game-like. Why had it been like that? Why couldn't they have done what they both wanted to do? It was obvious they were both into each other. But was it worth that? Was she worth wasting like all the other girls prior? If she had really been the one worth waiting for.. then maybe it was good things went sour. Maybe there was a chance to rekindle that initial spark, maybe things didn't have to turn out so bad.
That is, if they ever meet again. There was no way to find her.
She doesn't even know her name.
"If I do see you again.." Kana spoke to the moon, "Things are going to be different. I won't let you walk out on me."
She turns and walks back to her bedroom, and flops down onto her large, plush bed. Her white sheets surround her, and she takes her arms and pulls them over her. She closes her eyes and her imagination goes off, and she envisions the girl next to her. Her short, messy blonde hair, those gorgeous high cheekbones.. those beautiful, soul-piercing eyes, the deepest green to ever exist. Kana could get lost in them forever. She touches Kana's cheek, pushing back a strand of hair.
"Why did you leave me?" Kana whispers, and falls asleep.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"You're up early." Michelle says, pouring herself a cup of tea. She sits at the kitchen table, across from Amara, and smiles at her sweetly. Amara nods.
"Anything wrong?" asks Michelle. Amara hasn't spoken to her much in days. There was obviously so much on her mind, and usually Michelle's the first one she goes to.. but for whatever reason, for reasons Michelle couldn't even imagine, she barely even says hello.
"No, I'm fine. Why do you keep asking?"
This whole thing with Michelle was getting annoying. First she says Amara should be open, make friends, follow her dreams. But once Amara wants to, and tries, Michelle tells her she needs to focus more on their mission. It was getting to be a chore just having a normal conversation because they had completely different opinions on everything. This was what tore them apart in the first place, and if it weren't for their mission, Amara probably would have nothing to do with her. After what Michelle has put her through in the past, she honestly would love to part with her sometimes. Even though deep down, Michelle meant the world to her, and she would die for her, Michelle bothered her to no end. When you spend all your time with a person, they can get to be bothersome. That was more than definitely the case when it came to Michelle.
"You don't talk to me anymore, Amara.." she said quietly, almost afraid of the answer. Avoiding eye contact, she wonders if she really even wants to know why Amara had been avoiding her. There must be a ton of reasons.
Amara looks up at her, and stares at her eyes. Michelle is still avoiding hers, and looks down at her cup.
"Amara, the seas have been really rough lately.. something big is going to happen and I feel our lack of communication is going to catch up to us soon.."
Amara takes a quick sip of her coffee, and looks back at Michelle again. Still no eye contact. They sit in silence for a few minutes before Amara finally breaks.
"I met someone."
Michelle looks up, their eyes meeting for the first time.
The look in Michelle's eyes is almost satisfying. The shock was apparent, and so was the hurt. But, most of what shows through most was the jealousy. And that was what made Amara's heart smile. After all those times Michelle had turned her down, after all those talks about not believing in love, about only believing in their mission, how does it feel now? How does it feel not to be number one?
"Excuse me?"
"I met someone."
"Like.. a friend, who?"
"A girl."
Michelle didn't know what to say. A girl? What? When? Where? What about her? What about them? What about their mission, or their friendship, or anything they had ever had together? Was she overreacting to this..? What did that mean, she met someone..?
She pushed her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear.
"Is that was this is all about?"
There was no way Amara could know all the things being felt. It wasn't important in the long run. And, though Amara was important, feelings weren't, their mission was. Letting emotions, jealousy, happiness, love, any of that, get in the way was stupid.
Amara shrugs. "Not really. But yes."
"You're not making much sense, Amara."
"Since when does anything we do make sense?"
"Well, never, but that just doesn't make sense. Not really, but yes?"
Amara stands up, taking her cup. She towers over Michelle, looking down at her.
"I don't have to tell you everything."
She walks over to the sink and places her cup inside. Michelle stands up and follows her over, blocking her path out of the kitchen. Amara looks at her, puzzled, but unamused. "What are you doing, Michelle?"
Their eyes meet, and the war begins.
"Amara, this is going to tear us apart and you know it. Is that what your trying to do? You can't do that. You can't just stop speaking to me, and then tell me you just...met someone and expect I don't want an explanation. You met someone, that's it? No."
"Uh, yes." she tries walking around Michelle, but Michelle steps in her way, blocking her again.
"Amara this isn't some joke. Are you even thinking about how this would affect our mission at all?"
"Is that all you think about?!" Amara shouts, taking Michelle aback. She stops moving, and their eyes continue the battling, trying to out-anger each other like a competition.
Amara speaks again, engraged, finally letting her emotions go. "All you do is think about our mission, talk about our mission. It has consumed you Michelle, I don't even know you. You can't manage to go one minute without talking about it or making sure I'm thinking about it. I think about it all the time Michelle, just so you know, you don't have to remind me like I'm some child. It may not bother you that we have no lives, but it bothers me. You don't allow me to have a life. You remind me every day that there is nothing out there for me except for this mission and I can't stand it. I met someone a few days ago and it didn't work out, but for a few hours of one day, I felt free. And for those few hours I didn't even think of our mission, or you, for the first time since you and I have met. You don't know how amazing it was."
Michelle stood there, speechless. Her heart broke with every word that left Amara's mouth. That's really what she thinks, that the only important thing was the mission? Yes, it was important, and yes it was the first priority, and should be for them both, but they can have lives.. and it's not on her mind twenty-four seven, she thinks of other things.. she thinks of Amara. And.. she likes not thinking about her and the mission..?
She doesn't like thinking about her?
How could she feel any different about someone else, something she doesn't feel with Michelle?
"What.. am I to you?" she finally stammered out. Amara furrowed her eyebrows, looked to the floor, and sighed. "You are my partner, Michelle. You're Neptune and I am Uranus. And that's all we ever will be."
Without answering, Michelle turns around and walks out of the house, closing the door quietly behind her.
"Two scoop strawberry, please." Kana asks, and watches as the lady behind the counter digs the ice cream scoop into the large bin of pink. Plopping two heaps onto a cone, she hands it to Kana and pushes a few buttons on the cash register. Kana pays the difference and walks out the door.
Standing on the sidewalk, she begins walking toward the park. The weather was beautiful today and the park was the best place to sit peacefully.
Her ice cream cone was huge, and Kana was excited. She had ice cream once a week as a treat for herself. Strawberry was always her favorite, ever since she was little. She never had anything different.
The sun was beaming, and seemed to intentionally be directing it's rays onto her cone. She struggled to lick up the melting liquid while walking. Luckily, the park was only a few blocks away.
She felt the mess ooze onto her hand, and quickly switched the cone from her right to left hand, watching herself to make sure she didn't drop it. About to wipe her hand on her leg, she slams right into a pole. Her ice cream goes all over it, and she falls backwards onto the ground.
"Damnit!" she says, at the same time as someone else. She looks up and her heart drops. It wasn't a pole she had walked into.
It was her.
The blonde haired girl. The girl from the gallery, the one she'd been dreaming of.
The one that insulted her. The one that got away.
She stood up as fast as she could, winded. The white button-up of the blonde was covered in chunky, pink mush. The cone itself was on the ground.
Amara looked down at her shirt, disgusted. This was her favorite white shirt. Pink ice cream? Seriously? Just her luck. Who was this clutz who doesn't watch where they walk down the middle of the sidewalk? She looks up from her chest to inspect.
Oh, shit.
"Hi." Kana said, trying not to seem too happy to see her.
"Hi." Amara said, thoroughly disgusted. She started to walk around the girl, leaving. "Bye."
Not even realizing what she's doing, Kana quickly grabs her wrist as she walks by, but gets pulled forward by Amara's surprising strength. Amara gets turned around just as Kana falls into her. Again.
"Get off me!" Amara pushed her off. "What are you doing!"
Kana crosses her arms. "I was going to apologize, but not if you're going to act like that."
"Good!" Amara turns and begins walking away again.
'What do I do, what do I do?' Kana starts to panic. She may never see this girl again. She walked away once, and Kana had vowed not to let her walk away again. After making a fool out of herself twice already, what could she do? Was there even a reason to bother? Was there anything she could do at this point to make herself not look like a total ass?
Then again, she has already made a fool out of herself twice. What else did she have to lose?
"Why did you walk away from me at the gallery?" she shouted, loud enough for Amara to hear her. She turned around, looking back at Kana. There was at least fifty feet separating them.
Did she really have to scream like that? To get the attention of everyone on the street? Now they both looked dumb. Any chance of Amara had of having any dignity left after the ice cream ordeal just flew out the window. Here was some little girl, screaming at an outrageously tall girl who had pink ice cream stained all over her white shirt, in the middle of town, like a maniac. As if they knew each other or something, which they didn't. But there was no way to tell everyone on the street that. Everyone probably thought they were both lunatics at this point.
Amara just turned around and continued walking away.
Kana didn't follow, and let her leave again.
Luckily for Amara, she always kept a change of clothes in the trunk of her car. She grabs her cream pull-over blouse and jumps into her car, top up. She ducks low and quickly unbottons her shirt, and throws the blouse on, looking around to make sure no one saw her. No one was even around. She sighs.
'That girl!' she said to herself, flustered. 'Out of all the people I didn't want to see. It's like I can't escape her.'
She opens the door and gets out, and starts walking downtown, to the arcade. Maybe those girls from the other day will be around to amuse her.
The people she passes fascinate her. Tall, short, fat, skinny. Beautiful. Extremely beautiful. And they all have lives. Lives that they live, goals, hopes and dreams for their futures.
But she didn't. She didn't have a life, she didn't have hopes or dreams. This mission was really getting to her. She was starting to feel the Earth's unsettled vibrations; they were getting worse every day that passed. Something bad was coming fast and she couldn't deny it anymore. She had been putting off finding the pure heart crystal holders so she could feel like an actual human being, but it was starting to backfire on her. She made Michelle upset, ultimately upsetting herself. She ran into that girl again, something she didn't want to happen. That girl was so amazing at first, and then they met, and it all went downhill. Why? Was this Amara's karma biting her in the ass for not doing what she is supposed to be doing? For not being focused?
She could hear the voices before the sliding doors even opened. Those girls were here.
As soon as she steps inside, the three girls stop talking to Andrew and look over, the two blondes leap up when they see who it is.
"Amara!" Serena says, excited, "Hey!"
Amara smiles, knowing she'd get the attention she was craving by coming here. She needed to feel important, to feel above someone, idolized. And these girls did just that. They drooled over her every move.
She loved it.
"Hey Serena. Hi Mina. How are you guys?"
Mina blushes when spoken to. "We're great thanks! How are you?"
Amara shrugs, walking to the counter. "Hi, Andrew."
"Hi Amara. Haven't seen you or Michelle around lately."
"Yeah, we've got other stuff on our plates at the moment."
"Do you go to school?" pipes in the blue haired girl. Amara tilts her head. "And you are?"
The blue haired girl blushes, and the two blonde grab her by the shoulders.
"This is our friend Amy." says Mina.
"She loves school!" Serena points out. "Ignore her questions about smartypants stuff!"
Amara laughs. These girls were funny. Definitely taking her mind off that dumb girl from the gallery. What was her name again?
"Oh, Serena, I was just asking!" Amy says flustered. "Trying to make conversation. It's a pleasure to meet you Amara."
Amara nods. "You as well." She turns to Mina. "Care for a race?"
Mina couldn't say no to the challenge. After all, ever since the last time, she had been practicing almost every day. She was ready for Amara this time, and wasn't about to lose. She wouldn't be humiliated twice at her favorite game.
They take their seats at the machine, in the same spots as the first race they had. The girls and Andrew crowd around them to watch. Serena gulps, worried that if Mina loses again, she'll make her play that game every day for practice. Hopefully this time, Amara messes up and fails. No one else seems to notice Serena's anxiety, instead they're focused on the screens. Amara chooses the yellow car, Mina the red.
The practicing has got to pay off today, or she'll be in here every day until it does.
The numbers flash on the screen.
3. 2. 1. Go!
Amara doesn't give Mina a head start this time. Her car speeds ahead, leaving Mina behind. Mina steps on the pedal, increasing her KPM. 260, 270, 280. Her eyes focused on the screen, she can see Amara's car in the near distance. Her foot steadies on the pedal.
Amara smiles. She was going easy on Mina, she had no idea. It was adorable in a way, in a naive, innocent way. It made Amara happy. Their cars were neck and neck, but Amara steps down a little more on the pedal and goes flying away. No more playing nice.
Her KPM shoots up to 360kpm, and she laps Mina like last time. Mina's heart, drops to the floor, along with everyone else's jaws, aside from Serena. She slaps her head, moaning. "Not again!"
Amara wins the race, WINNER flashes on her screen. GAME OVER flashes on the heartbroken Mina's. She sits there frowning as Amara chuckles. "Maybe next time, just keep practicing."
"No! No more practicing!" Serena shouts. Mina stands. "I will! I'll keep practicing Amara, so someday soon I can beat you!"
"Noooo!" Serena wails, "No one can beat her!"
"I bet I can."
They all turn to see where the unfamiliar voice came from.
Amara's heart sank. Seriously? Was she being followed? This was getting ridiculous, she was having a great time with these girls (and Andrew), and it is just ruined within a second.
Kana walks towards them, eyes locked on Amara's. Amara's eyebrows furrow, her eyes glaring into the emeralds of the annoying doll headed her way. She stands. "Is this a joke?"
Kana stops in front of her, about a foot away. "Does it look like a joke?"
"If you're referring to yourself, yes."
Everyone looks on, puzzled, as the two bicker back and forth. This girl, that no one's seen, was gorgeous. Hair darker than the night, eyes more green than the grass in Spring. Did she and Amara know each other?
"Are you following me?"
"Why would I follow you? I don't even know you."
"Well, you've managed to be where I am twice in one day. You tell me."
Kana crosses her arms. "I haven't got any reason to FOLLOW you, you're a stranger, you're nothing special to me. I asked for a race. Do you accept, or are you too scared?"
This girl's attitude was annoying and exhilarating at the same time. Her tongue was quick, and everything she said was clever. Amara was starting to realize why she's been on her mind since that night. And, at this close distance, she could see the beauty that made her so caught up in her in the first place.
"Scared? Of you? Bring it on."
Mina got out of the way, Kana smiling at her as she sat down. Amara resumed position in her seat, and she put coins in her machine slot. Not knowing why, she went to put coins in Kana's machine, and their hands touched at the coin slot, making them both blush briefly before Kana removed her hand The electricity between them, good or bad, was undeniable. They looked at each other, and Kana smiled slighty. "What a lady."
Amara sneered. "A lady? Please. I was just making sure you had your money at the end of this, since your pride will be gone."
Kana looks back at her screen, smiling. Whoever this girl was, she hadn't walked away yet, and that's all she needed. She put her coins back in her pocket as the game started up. She chose the black car, and Amara chose the yellow once more.
The numbers blink on the screen.
3. 2. 1. Go!
And they're off. Both their right feet slam onto the pedal, their cars shooting into the center off the screen. They stay right next to each other, through every curve and turn of the track. Lap one comes and goes, still neck and neck. Amara smirks, knowing she had yet to step down all the way on her pedal. She still wasn't at her best yet. This girl had no idea what was coming to her. Trying to make Amara look like a fool? As if that would ever happen. Racing was Amara's forte and everyone knew it. She lived it, she breathed it, when she was allowed. She glimpses over at Kana and sees those little pink lips curled up into the same smirk. It excites her, which disgusts her. This girl followed her here, like some stalker freak. Why? What was she trying to prove? She messed up, not Amara, she was the coniving one, she wasn't the one being used. She made Amara feel like a fool, look like a fool, and now Amara was going to show her exactly what humiliation felt like.
Everyone stares in awe. These two beautiful people were amazing at this game, made it seem so easy Mina felt uneasy watching them compete against each other like she couldn't. This raven-haired girl was as good as Amara and she wasn't even trying. She made it look effortless, she barely had to try to stay neck-to-neck with Amara. It was ridiculous. Mina was full of envy.
They begin the third and final lap, and Amara smiles fully. She pushes her pedal all the way down. "See ya."
Her car races ahead, turning a corner. The three standing girls and Andrew all raise their eyebrows, but Kana's smirk just gets larger.
Her foot slams down her pedal and her car whips around the turn. It flies up the track, passes Amara, and crosses the finish line.
Amara's jaw drops. She stars at the screen.
GAME OVER flashes in bright red. She blinks.
Kana stands up, not even bothering to look at Amara. WINNER.
Mina and Serena are shocked. Did that really just happen? This girl actually just beat Amara?
"Wow!" Mina says, stars in her eyes. "You're amazing!"
Kana shakes her head, smiling. "No, not nearly! I'm sure ther's better!"
Mina shakes her head back, "No! There's really not! You just beat her! Amara! Wow! You're awesome, who are you?"
Kana laughs, covering her mouth. So Amara was her name.
Even her laugh was flawless. Amara knew it was her without even looking. Her eyes remained on the blinking GAME OVER on her screen. Her first game over. She never lost. Ever. Especially when it came to racing.
Who was this girl, where did she come from? How did she seriously just beat her? How could she lose? She was supposed to be unbeatable.
"I'm Kana. What's your name? All your names?" she motions to everyone.
"I'm Serena!" says the blonde who's hair is in two buns. Her pigtails are long. "It's nice to meet you Kana!"
Kana bows, and looks to the dark blue-haired girl. The girl blushes slightly, almost as if she's embarrassed or something.
"I'm Amy, pleasure to meet you."
Mina smiles, extending a hand. Kana shakes it. "Hi, I'm Mina!"
Andrew steps forward, a goofy grin on his face. "I'm Andrew."
Kana smiles, looking up at him. "Hi Andrew. It's great meeting you all, but I really should be going. I'm sure I'll see you all again." she glances sideways at Amara, who's eyes are still glued to the screen. Those beautiful green eyes Kana had been dreaming about since that night.
She begins walking out of the arcade as everyone aside from Amara says their goodbyes.
'That's what she gets for walking out on me..twice!' Kana says to herself. 'A little something I call karma. Two can play this game, Amara.'
"Hey! You!" she hears behind her, and turns around. Who she saw walking quickly toward her took her by absolute surprise.
That beautiful blonde pixie. Her wispy blonde hair fell into her eyes and quickly blew right out Her eyes squinted slightly to avoid the wind, but the deep greens still shone bright.
What was she doing?
What was she doing? Amara didn't even know. She rushed out the door faster than she could even say goodbye to the girls and Andrew.
She was captivated again.
Kana stands firm in the middle of the sidewalk, letting Amara come to her. When she did, they stood there for a moment in an awkward silence, avoiding eye contact.
Amara hates silence.
"Why did you follow me here?" she says finally. Her voice, rather than insult, is full of curiosity.
"I didn't follow you here," Kana says, sounding annoyed. "Stop saying that."
"Well," Amara shrugs, "you have been in two place I have already today."
"Well if it bothers you to see me then why don't you walk away like you do best?"
"What?" Amara's eyebrows shoot up. An attitude already? Maybe she was wrong to come after her.
"Walking away. Here, I'll show you." Kana turns around and starts to leave. Amara panics. She just chased her out here to talk to her, or something.. why did she even run out here? Was she actually interested? Did she actually care what this girl did or say?
Yes. Yes yes yes yes.
This girl just beat her in a race. How did she do it!
Amara grabs her by her lower arm and pulls lightly, but the girl, lighter than dust, gets yanked back towards her harder than expected.
"Ow!" Kana shouts, pushing Amara away, "What are you doing!"
"Don't leave." Amara blurts.
How embarrassing. Way to make yourself look ridiculously desperate and eager for attention, Amara.
A small smile creeps across Kana's tiny lips. "What?"
She knew what Amara said. She heard her perfectly clear. She wanted her to say it again. To put herself in a position of vulnerability, for once, to hear again that Amara was interested in her sticking around.
Amara tried not to blush, and shook it off internally. "Let's go for a drive."
Kana laughs, covering her mouth. "Haven't you learned anything when it comes to me, you, and cars?"
Amara smirks, walking ahead without answering. Kana walks next to her, in silence.
The entire walk back to Amara's car was silent, and though she typically can't stand quiet between two people, Amara was somewhat strangely comforted by the lack of conversation. It wasn't in the least bit awkward. They didn't talk, didn't look at each other, instead silently played follow the leader to the blue convertible. Both their minds raced with similar thoughts, similar fantasies, but neither knew.
'She is so beyond beautiful' Kana says to herself. She didn't dare glance up at the pixie beside her. 'I'm so glad she stopped me.'
Arriving at the car, Kana chuckles. The top was still up and the paint was shining like it had just been done.
"Shouldve figured you'd drive a car like this."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Kana ignores the question. Amara walks her to the passenger side and opens the door for her. Kana's lips extend into the biggest smile Amara had seen on them so far.
Those perfect, succulent little lips. Pinker than the ice cream that was all over the shirt in the back seat.
Saying nothing, Kana got into the car, Amara closing the door behind her. As she walked around to the other side, Kana took the time to quickly inspect the inside, but ended up disappointed. Instead of finding some sort of quirk, she realized the car was void of personality.
The only thing that showed any sort of character was the stained shirt that had been thrown in the back.
It took a minute to register that it was the one Amara had been wearing earlier, and that stain was her strawberry ice cream mush. She didn't at the time, but now was starting to feel bad about ruining such a nice shirt.
A nice shirt that looked amazing on the girl who just got into the driver's seat.
She looks over at the doll to her right. Her grey top is strapless, revealing her shoulders, which had a plethora of tiny light brown freckles, even more than on her cheeks. The shorts she wore left her legs exposed, and for such short legs they looked so elegant there, touching slightly at the knee, one hand in her lap. Her right elbow was leaned against the door, her chin in her palm. She was staring out the window for a full minute before realizing she wasn't paying attention. She blinks herself out of her daydreams and looks at Amara, surprised to find her staring. Their eyes meet and they both involuntarily smile, feeling awkward. They look away and Amara puts the keys in the ignition, turning on the car. She rolls down the windows, puts the top down, and they're off, faster than the wind.