Chapter Seven
It was seven in the morning on a brisk day late in August. With a smooth and fluid movement, Setsuna pulled out her cell phone and told it to dial:
"Usako."
The phone rang for a few seconds before going to voice mail.
"Usa, it's Setsuna - I don't know where you are, but you need to be in Virgo Records Recording Studio B by nine o'clock sharp. That's AM, not PM. And don't forget to eat before you come."
Setsuna ended the call and said:
"Minako."
The phone went straight to voice mail.
"Mina - Setsuna, when the painkiller wears off you'll need to call me so I can send the chauffer for you. We have rehearsal in Studio B today. Come when you can."
Setsuna ended the call with a long sigh. Kip had called her last night to inform her that her lead singer had a sprained ankle four days before they were scheduled to do a concert on the beach. She had called the choreographers (for what little choreography there was) to readjust the movements for Mina. But knowing her, Mina would insist on performing without any adjustments - professional pride was a real pain in the ass sometimes.
"Mako-chan."
Mako's phone rang three times before a very breathless Mako answered:
"Hello!?"
"Finally, one of you is alive. Where are you?" Setsuna asked.
"Uh..." Mako's voice sounded strangely sheepish.
"I'm...on a date." she said at last.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Yeah, well, see I got lost in the crowd and then Nolan picked me up -" Setsuna could hear a low voice in the background making commentary.
"And he - I mean we - decided to go to this all night karaoke bar, and then we went to the park - and then -"
"I get the idea, you went on a date all night long," Setsuna interrupted, "Which means you'll be of no use to me what-so-ever today."
"Oh," Mako sounded deflated, "I'm sorry."
"It's alright," Setsuna sighed, "I'm going to have to move our rehearsal anyway. Just get some sleep and be in Stuido B by eight tonight."
"Got it!" Mako answered.
Setsuna smiled as she heard muffled voices in the background. Apparently there was some disagreement.
"And tell Mr. Starre," Setsuna added, half playfully and half in earnest, "Next time he better have you back by midnight. Otherwise no more dates. Got it?"
She could hear the suppressed excitement in Mako's voice - it was catching.
"Yes ma'm."
They hung up.
Setsuna shook her head, wonderingly. Whatever results she'd expected from the disaster of last night's concert, her lead guitarist landing a boyfriend wasn't one of them. At least, she ammended, she hadn't expected it to happen so fast. Her mysterious smile returned.
"Good for Mako-chan," she murmured, affectionately. In her mind she had already planned the hideous death that awaited Nolan Starre should he fail to make Mako happy at any point in the near future.
"Alright, let's get this over with," she continued, "Rei-chan."
Rei didn't pick up. Mildly surprised, Setsuna left another message. It was usual for Mina, Mako and especially Usa to be away from their phones - but Rei almost always picked up after one ring. Before she could begin to worry, Setsuna proceeded to call the last member of her band.
"Hello, Setsuna," Ami's bright voice chirped.
"Hi, Ami, I just wanted to let you know that rehearsal has been moved to eight tonight."
"Alright," Ami replied, already entering this into her Blackberry.
"Oh, you wouldn't happen to know where Rei or Usa is?"
"Hm..." Ami paused a moment, "I believe that Usa left the theatre with M - I mean Mamoru Chiba - last night. At least, I think she did. But I don't know what happened to Rei."
"Oh, that's strange. Well if you hear anything from her, please let me know."
"I will. You shouldn't worry though."
"Oh, I'm not worried," Setsuna remarked, "I know you are all more than capable of taking care of yourselves."
You just have no idea how capable. She thought to herself with a smile.
There was a brief pause while Setsuna considered another problem.
"Yes...so you have the day to amuse yourself, Ami. What are you going to do with all your free time?"
Ami thought for a moment.
"I guess," she answered, slowly, "I'll probably practice."
"You're going to rehearse before rehearsal?" Setsuna frowned.
"Well, yes."
"Ami-chan," Setsuna began, leaning against the doorway of the terrace French windows of her hotel suite.
"Don't you think every now and then you should...unwind? Do something fun."
"Fun?" Ami asked, puzzled, "Like what?"
"Oh, I don't know. Go to a movie, take a walk in the park, visit the library, go to the beach - go on a date -"
Ami interrupted Setsuna's rambling list with an embarassed laugh.
"Oh, you're too funny, Setsuna," she said, "Me? On a date. How silly."
"Uh...Ami-chan -"
"But it might be nice to go to the library," Ami continued in a more serious tone, "If you think I could spare the practice."
"By all means," Setsuna replied hurriedly, "Please - go to the library. Spend all day in the library if you want."
"Thank you."
"No need to thank me," Setsuna muttered. She put a hand to her forehead.
"Well, have fun, Ami. Call me if you hear from the girls."
"I will. See you tonight."
Setsuna hung up.
"She has got to losen up," she groaned to herself.
"Over fourty-hours of practice a week on top of rehearsals. All she ever does is practice - when she isn't studying. Have to do something about that..."
Setsuna looked up a quick number in her organizer and then punched it into her phone. She waited, an eye on her garnet-red nails, as the phone began to ring.
From his awkward position on the kingsized bed, Mamoru rolled over and picked up his cellphone.
"Hello?" he asked, groggily.
"Oh, Meioh-san," he exclaimed, sitting up quickly. As he did so an arm rolled off his chest and thunked into its owner who promptly rolled over onto her side and continued to slumber blissfully.
"What? Well...yes, she's here," he answered in Japanese. He stole a glance at the figure beside him, wrapped from head to foot in the comforter and sheets of his hotel suite bed.
"She's asleep."
There was a pause as he tried to jerk a little edge of the sheets back for himself. The sleeper wouldn't budge.
"It's a long story," he answered, giving up on the battle, "We got out through the window and climbed down the fire escape. I was going to send her back to your hotel as soon as we were clear of the press, but she fell asleep in the cab."
"She sleeps like a dead person," he added, unkindly. He nudged the other person with his foot and she murmured something incomprehensible before rolling toward him.
"Well, I didn't know that, did I?" he asked, a bit peeved, "She never said anything. She won't even talk to me like a human being. She shouted at me, as a matter of fact, and hit me with a drumstick."
He examined his offended hand. There was a bright purple bruise developing nicely.
"Well, there were cameras and reporters, so -"
"Have I seen the paper this morning?" he repeated, warily, "No...why -"
He froze.
"Oh, no," he muttered, "Could they see my face?"
There was the sound of a loud, explosive comment from the other end.
"Well, I'm sorry about your drummer's image," he retorted, smoothly, "But I was a little more worried about protecting my own."
There was a snarky comment from the other end of the line.
"It's not selfish," he answered, "It's common sense."
Beside him, Usa mumbled something about breakfast and slowly scooted closer to him. He edged farther away.
"Listen," he said to Setsuna, "I can't help what happened. I don't really think it will come to anything. But it's important for me to stay here without anyone knowing who I am...because..."
He paused and gave a side long glance at Usa, who slumbered on.
"Alright," he said in a low voice, as he edged off the bed and padded toward the living room.
Mamoru took a deep breath and in a low voice he said:
"I broke my contract."
He waited for Setsuna to finish being shocked.
"Because," he answered, when she was through, "I was tired of being used like a trick pony. You have no idea what kind of power they had over me, Sets. And there was nothing I could do. I had no real friends."
"In fact," he laughed a short, rather hard laugh, "Besides you, I've never really had any friends at all."
Setsuna was quite for a long moment.
"Anyway," he continued, "It doesn't matter now. I just wanted to get away from it all before I went crazy. This opportunity came along - and I get along fairly well with them - they don't ask questions and they let me do as I please."
"What do you mean, is that all I want?" He repeated, "What does it matter? I just need my freedom. I've always been fine on my own."
Setsuna didn't seem inclined to argue with him at this point, instead she said:
"Be that as it may, even if I'm your only friend, I worry about you. You know, whatever kind of trouble you're having -"
"Well, thanks," he interrupted, with real emotion for the first time, "I'll remember that. Same to you."
"Now, about Usa, there's something you ought to know about her -"
There was a small noise from the bedroom.
"Gotta go," he said, looking back, "But I'll send her on her way, don't worry. Bye."
Mamoru snapped his phone shut and shuffled back to the bedroom. Jerking a shirt over his head, he walked to Usa's side of the bed and grabbed the edge of the comforter and sheets. Flipping them open as though he was unrolling a carpet, he cried:
"Rise and shine, princess!"
Usa flopped clumsily out of the sheets and comforter and rolled all the way off the bed to land on the floor with a solid smack.
"Ow!" she called out in an annoyed tone. Mamoru started to straighten the bed, not paying her any attention.
"What an awful way to wake up," she exclaimed, standing on her wobbly legs. When she saw him her eyes did a double take, then she took in the bed, his night clothing - and her own, which consisted of a pair of men's pajamas.
"What did you do to me, you beast!?" she demanded, clutching her arms around her shoulders.
Mamoru simply stared down his nose at her as if at something vaguely offensive. Usa had the uncomfortable yet all too familiar sensation of Mamoru being a prince looking down on a peasant - her. It made her hand itch to throw something at him.
"I merely took you in for the night instead of leaving you on the street. Which I was greatly tempted to do, I'll have you know."
"Oh, relax, for goodness sake," he added hurriedly as he spotted the beginning of a storm in her eyes, "I didn't do anything to you. I asked the maid to change you into those."
Usa blinked at him.
"R-really?" she asked, her voice only had the slightest of quivers.
"I promise," he said, in a minutely kinder tone, "Besides, I have absolutely no interest in your immature body anyway."
Usa had been helping him straighten the bed clothes but she stopped dead at this offhand comment.
"What!?" she sputtered, "What's wrong with me?"
Mamoru gave her a cool, measuring look.
"For one thing," he began, "Your hairstyle is ridiculous. Are you trying to look like a middle-schooler?"
Usa's mouth dropped open.
"You look like that anime character - what's-her-name?"
"Don't!" Usa spat, "Don't you dare say I look like Sailor Moon. I hate it when people tell me that! I thought of this hairstyle by myself."
"Bravo."
"You -"
"And," he went on, in his bored voice, "You are too thin. It wouldn't kill you to gain some weight."
"I can't help it," she snarled, "It's my metabolism."
'That's what they all say' is what his face plainly told her.
Usa threw a pillow into place with enough force to knock down a wall, making Mamoru flinch.
Then she put her hands on her hips and gave him a level look.
"Just because you are hot stuff in Japan doesn't mean that you are worth two cents here."
To emphasize this point she snapped her fingers.
"But I'm a member of a nationally acclaimed rock band," he reminded her with a sardonic smile.
Usa chewed on this for a moment, then threw another pillow into the headboard.
"Well, that may be," she admitted, "But you still have the most rotten attitude I've ever encountered."
"I think that's a little unfair," he answered, "Since you hardly know me at all."
"Well, you don't make it all that tempting."
"Well, neither do you."
"Fine!"
"Fine."
They both stood, glaring at each other like opposing generals across the bed/battlefield. Mamoru took a deep, calming breath.
"Listen, we may have to work together in the future. For that reason, let's just agree to disagree from this day forth. Truce?"
He held out a hand. Usa looked at it as though he'd offered her a dead fish. Gingerly she accepted it and shook it with extreme and over-exagerated reluctance.
"Truce."
There was brief, almost but not quite, companionable silence as they began working together to smooth the wrinkles from the coverlet.
"You know," she added thoughtfully, "I probably wouldn't dislike you so much if you didn't look exactly like my ex-fiance."
The mood immediately soured once more.
"What a surprise - perhaps you do have good taste after all," he quipped.
"Apparently not, since you don't just look like him - you act like an asshole too."
"Well, then that doesn't say much for your judgement, does it?" he retorted.
"Hah. It's not my fault guys like you are self-centered little boys."
"Like I said," he replied, his eyes glinting coldly, "You hardly know me. And if you think you can peg me so easily after one night, it only shows how truly shallow you are."
Usa didn't know how to answer this so she stomped out of the room instead. Mamoru didn't see the real hurt in her face - her former accusations were still ringing in his ears.
"That really is my biggest pet peeve," he went on, following her, but not raising his voice, "People like you who judge others on a ridiculously shallow basis. You look at me and see your ex-fiance, and you end up throwing wine on a person you don't even know. And when you finally do recognize me you moon all over me because I was an idol. You don't think before you act, you don't have consideration for other people - and you don't know the first thing about my life or what I'm like."
Mamoru stopped, taking a much needed breath. He was surprised at his own behavior - he could never remember being this angry before in his life. It startled him.
Where did all of that come from? he wondered. He was used to keeping a tight rein on his emotions - so tight that he often failed to recognize when something actually upset him.
"Are you finished?" Usa asked, quietly.
Mamoru was almost afraid to look at her, and when he did he felt an odd and sudden pang at the expression on her face - it was both incredibly weary and vulnerable at the same time. It came to him then that perhaps he had been too hasty in his judgements as well.
"You may be right," she said, slowly picking up her things and putting them in her bag.
"I do tend to follow my instincts when it comes to understanding other people. I tend to follow my heart rather than my head. But at least I'm honest about who I am."
Her pale blue eyes met his dark ones and he was surprised at the intensity of her expression. They gazed at one another for an awkward moment before she broke it by shouldering her bag.
"You really get under my skin," she said softly, "Maybe it's better if we don't meet too often in the future."
"Yeah," he nodded, not really sure of what he was saying. Something had happened in the past few minutes and he was still trying to work out what it was - he felt that it was something important.
"Thank you for taking care of me," she said, with an attempt at genuine gratitude.
"You're welcome," he mumbled.
Usa turned and went to change in the bathroom. A few minutes later she walked out the door of the hotel suite. Mamoru didn't watch her go - he was already in the shower. But her expression lingered afterwards in his mind for quite a long time.
"This is so much fun!" Mako laughed, spinning.
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Nolan smiled.
He was watching her spin in the seat of a swing in the public park's playground. Mako seemed to have forgotten she was supposed to act older - at the moment she looked like a happy ten-year old, albeit a very tall one.
She stopped spinning and nearly fell over, only looking up at Nolan to giggle at him. He was sitting in the swing beside her and while she looked at him with that funny expression he suddenly felt the urge to lean over and kiss her. Which he acted on.
The kiss was relatively light, but it surprised Mako so much that she fell out of her swing. She sat on the sand, blinking up at him.
"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, teasingly.
Mako laughed nervously and let him help her to her feet. She didn't want to tell him that it was her first kiss - and that she was extremely nervous at the moment.
"N-no way," she said, "You just surprised me, is all."
"Oh, well I'll warn you next time," he said.
"N-next time," she stuttered, "Yeah."
He gave her a half-concerned, half-amused look.
"You know," she said, looking at her watch, "I think I should be heading back. Sets was pretty serious about my sleeping before rehearsal tonight. And - I'm pretty tired."
"I can see that," he answered, reluctantly standing and taking her arm in his.
"Then let's get you home and to bed."
Mako couldn't keep herself from smiling, but she tried to hide it. They had just spent a ridiculous night doing the first things that came into their heads - the karaoke bar, the park, and before that they had watched the sun come up over the ocean. All in all it was the stuff of legends, Mako reflected. A wonderful first date for anyone. She couldn't remember ever feeling so happy or content. Or nervous.
Nolan hailed a cab and handed her in. She closed the door but he tapped on the glass and she rolled the window down. He leaned in over the door and kissed her forehead.
"Sleep well," he said, and gave her a smile that made her feel like a marshmallow. The sudden pricking of doubt and insecurity began to creep up her spine.
"Uh, so, I guess I'll see you when I see you, huh?" she asked, with a jaunty smile.
He made a small frown.
"Yes. I hope so." he said, "Sooner rather than later."
Mako nodded vigorously and the last vestige of clouds left his face at the eagerness of her expression. He smiled again and waved her off.
As he turned to find his own cab his cell phone rang. He opened it.
"Hello, mother," he said, cheerfully.
"Ha, ha, very funny," the voice replied, "Where the hell have you been? And why haven't you answered your phone? Do you know how worried I am?"
"Tut-tut," Nolan murmured, sliding into the cab and pausing to give the driver directions.
"That's all very well for you to say," Jude went on, "But you haven't been holed up with a wolverine all night long. I can't say one word wrong or she goes all ice princess on my ass."
"Who?"
"Who do you think?"
Nolan's eyes widened.
"Wow. I knew you liked her but I didn't think you'd move this fast." He commented.
"Please, spare me your sarcasm - it's too early for sarcasm."
"It's never too early for sarcasm," Nolan opined, sagely.
"You sound like you haven't slept at all - have you been drinking?" Jude hissed.
"No, mother, I have not been drinking. As a matter of fact I have been steering clear of alcohol establishments since midnight."
"Why?" Jude asked, perplexed. Suddenly his tone became very suspicious.
"Have you been out with a girl all night long?" he demanded.
"Mmm." Nolan made a non-committal humming noise.
"You have!" Jude cried, "Who is it?"
"You remember the guitar player?"
"HER!?"
"I'm tired, not deaf," Nolan complained.
"I can't believe you! Didn't I tell you no more guitar players?" Jude scolded, "Look what happened to you last time. Total disaster."
"This one's different," Nolan smiled.
"That's what you always say."
"I really mean it though," Nolan insisted, taking out his rabbit's foot. He turned it over in his hand and gazed at it.
"I can tell," he said, a dreamy quality in his voice, "She's different."
Jude made a rude snorting noise.
"Here we go again."
"Well," Nolan answered,"Then I'll leave you to the devices of Miss Hino. Two's company, three's a-"
"No!" Jude choked, "No, don't hang up! Please. You don't know what I've been through."
"I can imagine," Nolan informed him.
"No, you can't," Jude answered, in a flat tone.
"Just come over as soon as possible."
"I'll be there in ten minutes," Nolan promised.
"And, Jude," he added, "You probably ought to be nice to Miss Hino."
"Why's that?"
"Because she thinks you're gay. When she finds out you aren't, after spending an unchaperoned night at your place...well...let's just say that, according to Mako, the traditional Miss Hino holds her reputation higher than her life..."
"I'm a dead man," Jude whispered, his voice suddenly lifeless.
"In so many words."
"Wait a minute," he demanded, "Why the hell -"
"Because you will persist in not getting a girlfriend," Nolan explained, impatiently, "Mako told me all about it. All the girls think you're a -."
"But I'm not gay!"
"I never said you were, but you don't take the proper precautions and you see what happens."
"That's the most asinine thing I've ever heard! Who would think like that!?"
"Get a girlfriend, and make sure that Miss Hino doesn't find out."
There was a brief yet pregnant pause.
"Nolan..."
"Yeah?"
"I think it's too late."
Nolan heard the sound of something expensive smashing in the background.
"I'll be there in two minutes." He promised.