Author's Note

THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING. I haven't gotten this much reviews since my last story 'Love from A Hundred Miles' So I'll do my usual 'thanks introduction' Thank you for reviewing chapter nine: rocketandroll, YingLang4eva, GhiminaRuho, Queen of Ze Tamad (Rayne)…haha! Go Rayneeee!!!, Hikari the Keyblade of Hope, Natsumesama, natsumeluvr, Catgurl101, winglessfairy25, Star Sapphirex, simplebutspecial, me (anon), black cat girl 2006, hend, justagirl, reviewer who's too lazy to log in, Rikku418 (anon) and 'orange-ideas'. Your reviews are super-duper triple wipple helpful to meee!!! Hope you like this chapter!! And if my mind doesn't stop churning, THERE WILL BE MANY MORE CHAPTERS TO COME!! D

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Chapter Ten

The Start of Popularity

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I woke up in the Celebrity Lounge. It was raining outside and I could hear the tiny pitter-patters of rain outside the window. The raindrops slithered down the window pain and disappeared from sight. The sky was gray and overcast and the trees were resisting the wind.

I rubbed my eyes and checked the wall clock… it was nine o' clock in the morning. I sat up and stretched. To my surprise, Natsume was lying down on the sofa as well – although I hadn't noticed. Was he the one who carried me up to the Celebrity Lounge and sat next to me? Turning scarlet, I stood up dizzily – still hung over from last night's wine.

I went to the bathroom and stared at the mirror. My eyes had all these dry things stuck to it so I rubbed it out. I washed my face and combed my knotty unconditioned hair and exited the bathroom. It was raining so I couldn't go back to the hotel to change and I had no umbrella.

I opened the television and surfed the channels. I didn't want to watch the Children's Channel since they were showing mascots dancing around a fire singing the Indian alphabet. The Home Shopping Network was featuring a lamp that could fly. Pretty useless I thought. There were some movies but they were also uninteresting so I changed the channel once more. There was the show called Tokyo Today about celebrities. I began to watch.

"And so today's main topic is ALL about the stars of Tokyo's hottest sitcom My Favorite Loser. The stars Ruka Nogi and Natsume Hyuuga were seen in Persona's birthday party last night. Who is the mystery girl who seemed to have captured the stars' hearts? Ruka had kissed her and Natsume carried her after she collapsed on the floor!!! Our paparazzi are searching all over Tokyo for this wannabe Cinderella! Back to you, Ken"

Then a video clip of ME holding a wine bottle, face red and hair frizzed dancing on the dance floor, and then after awhile collapsing. There were also photographs being flashed of pictures of Ruka and I kissing in different angles and pictures of Natsume carrying me as I slept. I WANTED TO DISSAPEAR FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH.

The Celebrity Lounge or Tokyo Media Industries will be the first place to look for me. I ran downstairs and to the street. I ignored the double-takes and the unusually loud whispers. I wanted to cry. This was the most embarrassing thing for me.

I reached the hotel room and slumped on the couch. Hotaru was watching the Home Shopping Network again.

"I saw you on TV" she told me calmly.

I grunted.

"This teaches you not to drink too much. You're ruining your reputation"

"Is it only a local show and not broadcasted around Japan?"

"Tokyo Today is very popular. I've watched it back at home. Some of our classmates probably saw you"

"If they saw the photograph of Natsume carrying me…they'll kick me out of the fan club…or worse…they'll kick me out of their friendship!!!" I shrieked.

"Well," Hotaru said, spooning some her room service into her mouth. "It's your problem and not mine"

"B-but you're my best friend…you have to help me!!" I cried.

Hotaru just walked to the bathroom.

BEST FRIENDS DO NOT WALK OUT ON EACH OTHER.

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR BEST FRIEND IS BEING HUNTED DOWN BY PAPARAZZI.

I noticed there was a small envelope on the table. It was addressed to me. "Hotaru, what's this?" I shouted. "Oh…some girl came over here and told me to give it to you!!!"

CELEBRITY JAPS MAGAZINE

Dear Mikan Sakura,

Yes. We know who you are. We have seen your photographs on television and some of our photographers have seen you walking with some of the stars of the sitcom 'My Favorite Loser'. We would like to offer you to be our cover girl for this month's issue with Ruka Nogi and Natsume Hyuuga. Please drop by Fashion Japs Studio for your first photo shoot before next week anytime.

Hana Kenshii

EDITOR IN CHIEF

My heart leapt. Celebrity Japs was one of the hottest girls magazines in Japan. I've always dreamt to be a cover girl and I have collected all the issues, followed the style tips and even wrote to the advice column last April. As I clutched the letter, my heart was pounding as fast as it could. This was a dream come true, I completely forgot about the whole gossip amongst the tabloids and Tokyo Today.

At that moment, I got a text message from Ruka:

Hey did you get the offer from Celebrity JapsMagazine? It's not really cool for a guy to pose for a girl's magazine but I'm going to go for it. Anyway, we're going to be paid one million yen. If you want, I'll pick you up with Natsume later at three.

I grinned. Being a cover girl was so exciting!! Especially went you're not even famous and you appear JUST LIKE THAT. At quarter to three, I took a shower. I used the delicious smelling hotel shampoo and sprayed myself with cologne. I put on a plain back t-shirt, jeans and blue clogs. I braided my hair into a pony tail and put on blueberry lip gloss. I grinned at my adequate appearance in the mirror.

Hotaru didn't go because she told me that there was nothing more useless aside from My Favorite Loser than being a cover girl for Celebrity Japs .

I waited in the lobby and then the limousine came for me.

"Where's Hotaru?" Ruka asked me as soon as I got in.

"She's lazy" I told him

Ruka's face fell. I raised my eyebrow. Was he starting to like her?

I didn't talk to Natsume. I didn't know what to say to him. He just stared out the window, and the only thing I could hear that was coming from him was his breathing. Why was he so quiet?

Before I could strike up a decent conversation with him, we stopped by the Celebrity Japs Studio. As we entered the red brick building, the smell of expensive imported shampoos and conditioner, the powdery scent of costly blush, lipstick, eyeliner, foundation and cover-up swam in the air and the angry sound of a hair dryer.

I loved the smell of pineapple shampoo. I passed by a rack of different facial products. There was a white corner with lights surrounding it. That must be the place where we're going to have our photo shoot.

"Mikan…Mikan Sakura?" a woman with pale blond hair shrieked. She ran up to us. She was wearing a red dress with three-inch black high heels. She had blue, pretty eyes that were masked by square shaped glasses and a horrible color of lipstick.

She examined my face closely. "Ah, yes you're Mikan. My name is Ms. Hana Kenshii – the editor in chief of Celebrity Japs. You must know the magazine…do you?" she said, eyeing me as if I was a guilty person.

I nodded. "Oh yes I do… in fact…"

Hana clapped her hands. "MAKE UP! HAIR!!"

A crowd of people surrounded me as they pushed me on a chair and started doing my hair and makeup. The clicking sound of the camera was stressing me out. I smelled the plastic smell of hairspray and I tasted the bitter taste of expensive lip stick. "Shut your eyes" someone told me. I did as I was told and I felt a small brush swipe across my eyelids. Eye shadow probably…

I haven't gotten this prettied up since my aunt's wedding. That was when I was four years old. My next was probably going to be when I was going to have my prom. But I'm only a sophomore. But I'm getting all pampered up right at this very moment.

I stared at myself on the mirror as they swung me towards it. My plain hazelnut colored hair now was curled. My face had pink blush-on. I had black eyeliner around my eyes and false eyelashes. My eye shadow was violet and my lipstick was pinkish red. I grinned to myself as my hair bounced as I moved.

"DO NOT TOUCH IT!!" A hairstylist snapped. A man walked up to me and threw some clothes on my arms.

"Put this on" he said coldly and ushered me to the dressing room. Yeah I put it on – but I was definitely PISSED with the way the people were treating me here. I stared at my appearance. I was so beautiful. It was a short red dress that ended in my knees with a black sash around my waist. I slipped on the shoes they thrust at me as well. They were black wedges with pearls sewed on to the straps. They were so beautiful… but not as beautiful as me…

I got out of the dressing room, Natsume and Ruka were already dressed up. Natsume was wearing this vintage-looking casual tee and gray jeans. He looked kinda…well… okay-looking. Ruka on the other hand was wearing a green polo and white pants. Secretly, they were both hot.

Ruka went up to me. "Is it your first time to have a photo shoot?"

I smiled. "Does elementary graduation picture count?"

He laughed. That meant 'no'

Ms. Kenshii clapped her hands, signaling us to go to her. We followed her to where the photo shoot was. She lead us to the corner surrounded with lights. They have placed a gigantic blue background in the back and the floor was covered with pillows.

We were told to sit on the pillows. They were very comfortable, as I made myself comfy – feathers flew out of the pillow cases. I can't believe I was going to have my first MAGAZINE PHOTO SHOOT!!!

"Okay, Ms. Mikan – I want you to lie down on Natsume's lap with your feet on Ruka's" the photographer told us.

I must've heard wrong.

"I'm sorry. Can you repeat that? I thought you said that I had to lie down on Natsume's lap…" I said, my voice quivering.

"That's exactly what I said" he replied dryly.

"But…but…"

"No buts!! If you want to model you have to deal with whatever position you are told do!!!" The photographer snapped.

My face fell.

"Do what you're told, stupid" Natsume whispered.

I stared at his lap hesitantly.

"JUST DO IT!!!" The photographer yelled.

I whimpered and did I was told. I lay down on Natsume's lap and faced the camera, I could feel him breathing and I could feel his body heat. I didn't care much about putting my feet on Ruka since it was just my feet. I would glance at Natsume often to see what he was doing. He was looking at the camera as if he was pissed. He looked kinda cute when he looked pissed.

After about fifty shoots – we were asked to go into this room where we would be interviewed. They asked me silly questions like "Are you in any intimate relationship with Natsume or Ruka?" - most of my answers would be 'no' since most of the questions would be involved in romance.

After the day was done, they gave me a check worth 45,000,000 yen. My heart leapt as I imagined how much money I would get just for that measly photo shoot.

I got back to the hotel after dinner in the Celebrity Lounge. The photographer had sent copies of the pictures he took. They were in different angles. Most of the photographs looked the same. (there was a photograph of me with closed eyes). But there was one photograph that the camera was angled in such a complicated way, that in the photograph…it was me and Natsume only seen – and I was glancing at Natsume.

I turned slight pink.

I kinda like that photograph…very much.

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Author's Note: Hope you like this chapter. In the following chapters, Mikan will be on her way to stardom. Hope to see more reviews!! If you'd like to give me any suggestions for the story – please include it in your review or send me a PM if you like.

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