Chapter 9

Beach Side View

The chinese had been here a dozen of times and it was the only locale she enjoyed going to. Also it was easy to spot and she expected her father to find it.

As she got out of the cab she spotted the family car in the parking lot and quickly rushed inside not wanting to leave him waiting.

Inside it wasn't hard to see him as the man dressed formally was sitting looking out to the seaside, already having ordered two cups of tea.

May's father had never been to strict to her or imposed his authority on her, but always she knew it was unwise to cross him and so almoast never raised a word against him, only if she was firmly convinced she was right.

And now one of those rare moments had begun as she would climb the last step.

The elderly man spotted his daughter as she got closer and was a bit surprised how bland she looked, where was his fisty stubborn daughter he loved so much?

'Good day father.' she simply said.

The man clearly saw that something was deeply concerning her and just how much she was eager to show her respects towards him. Only after he told her to join him and sit down did she take a seat. Not even the buisnesspartners he had met trough out the day were that nervous around him.

'Is there something wrong?' he asked, even a blind man could see how troubled she was, but beneath the bane that she expressed lied something, something he had never before seen in her daugher. May took a big breath and then started speaking not looking at her father.

'I'm sorry to have interfeered with your buisnessdeals, but I couldn't talk about this over thephone.'

She became silent, not wanting to continue only if he asked. The man was a bit surprise why all of a sudden she was quite, it was nothing like her, it just showed how much she was frightened.

'May, I'm your dad, you know you can talk to me about anything, I wouldn't be a proper father if I didn't listen to all your problems and help you in any way I can.'

This sentence made the chinese girl realize that there was nothing to fear, this was her caring father which altough having had some arguments in the past would always be there for her. However she wondered if that care would be lost by what she was about to tell him.

In the end was she about to trade Rosetta's love for the love of her family?

'I've tried to talk myself out of this, but no matter how much I try I can't avoid this any longer.'

May's father eyes widened it was clear what she was talking about and it made him quite happy.

'May do you love someone?'

The chinese girl blushed and noded emberassed, she would have preferred to talk with her mother about these sort of things, but her father would have eventually found out anyway so at least like this she could get past the biggest troubles first.

However his father did not yet know the full extent of her infatuation, but was happy hearing her daughter was starting to become interested in someone, he knew just how difficult she could be at times and how many never sparked any interest in her.

'You think it's alright?' she asked very shy seeing the happy expression on her fathers face. The man couldn't be happier.

'Alright? I'm proud of you to have found someone. You have to introduce me to that person today.'

May had a sad smile on her lips and lowered her voice as she always did when she was emberessed.

'You know ...' the last word was almoast unheareble. '... her.'

May's father at first felt a compulsion to get up and yell at his daugher.

"Just what is she thinking?" but then saw that this was the reason for her fear towards him.

But behind the fear and uncertainty he also saw the sparkle in her eyes, almoast unseizble, but still there. It was the first time he saw that in her and whoever that person was had truly captivated her heart.

His anger and disgust were in an instant washed away by just that simple look and replaced as before with that same parental joy.

If it is what she wanted and was what would make her happy then he as her father had to allow her the freedom of choice. But it took a while for him to realize who this person was, it was was obvious all along, of course he had heard about many of May newfound friends at the stage, but only one of them he had ever met.

'Rosetta?'

The chinese girl simply noded, but noted the change in her fathers face and it took a huge weight of her chest as he seemed to acknowledge her affections, but then added.

'I'm not yet sure whether she feels the same, but I intend to find out, I just wanted you to know.'

May's father realized just how much she respected him as she could have easily kept their relationship a secret for a long time, he was proud to have raised her to such honest way and altough many obstacles would lay ahead if she would follow this new path she new just what a strong girl he had brought up.

'I understand. I'm glad you told me the truth.' The man got up leaving May to do the same.

'Well then, I have an appointment to get to and I'm sure you also have an important meeting to get to.' he said with a smile on his face. The girl was relived.

'Are you sure you're alright with it?'

The man gave his daughter a warm hug.

'No matter how it ends your family will always be there for you. We are the threshold of the way your heart chooses and we will oblidge to any path that may be.'

The man left leaving May still a bit shaken after this meeting, but glad to have talked with her father firstly, family meant just as much to her. And now with his father's aprooval there was nothing left between her and Rosetta. But this last step was also the hardest, but after confessing to her family she was now more determined.

Outside the dorms

Rosetta had been wating for the last hour and a half for May to return from her meeting. She wondered what was taking her so long and she worried if May could be seeing somebody else.

In any case she was now set on confessing to the chinese girl when she would return.

But as she waited every minuted seemed to have turned into hours as her friend didn't return. She desperatly wanted to see May and also dressed lavishly in an attempt to impress.

As the evening progressed the sun started setting and everybody left for the stage for the evening show. Many asked why she was so dressed up and she just answered she was waiting for someone.

Mia, Sora and Sarah knew exactly what it was she was waiting for but didn't adress the subject and just whished her good luck.

After everybody left however she became more and more nervous as any minute May could return and then she couldn't turn back. In that time she walked nervously around trying to come up with something that would express her feeling just as they were, but she also wondered if she should give up.

Having no clear plan her heart stopped briefly as she heard a female voice calling her.

'Rosetta.'

After the short moment of fully stopping her heart began to violently beat sending a wave of heat trough her. It was too late now to give up so she turned to face her feeling.

But what she saw made that anticipation turn into dread as the woman standing in front of her was not who she had been waiting for.

'Mama ...' she silently said in surprise, but also dissapointed.

The elderly woman hadn't seen her daughter in quite some time and noted that she had grown to almoast her height, but the phisical maturity seemed not to have been accompanied by spiritual maturity thought the woman as she saw just how welldressed Rosetta was and how nervous she had been just a minute again, piecing together possible events she came with one conclusion and it brought up a rage inside her that she had hoped to surpress.

'How could you do this? Haven't I raised you properly?'

The redhaired girl started fearing that her mother would somehow have caught wind of her first infatuation, but she wasn't yet sure.

'I don't know what you are talking about.'

The woman became more infuriated and walked feverously closer to her daughter.

'Don't play dumb with me. I know whats going on and to think that you where going to hide it from me. Kalos told me about you and May.'

So it was confirmed that Sarah had told Kalos who in turn called her and informed her.

'I wanted to tell you when the time was right. I'm not fully sure about this myself.'

The woman still with a harsh tone grabbed Rosetta by the arm and started pulling in a fast pace.

'Good.'

The girl couldn't grasp what her mother was intending to do.

'And to think I've sent you here in order to progress your career and be happy.'

Rosetta was surprise just how much strength the elder woman had.

'Wait what are you doing? Where are we going?'

The woman didn't even pause or turn to her.

'I'm ending your contract and taking you back to France. I never should have allowed to stay here in the first place.'

Deep inside Rosetta was dumbstruck how easily and quickly her mother had taken charge of her life as she had done in the past, but now on the verge of discovering something more important then her career ignited a fire that had been dormant for some time.

'No!' she yelled out pulling her arm out of her mothers tight grip. She had done to far to give up, let alone leaving not out of her own will.

Rossetta's mother was straining not to hit her daughter to get her to realize, what in her opinion it was a mistake.

'Don't you dare cross me, not after I have done so much for you. I won't let you waste your life on some girl.'

Rosetta now felt a similar hatred builing up inside her.

'What I do is my own choice now. I will pursue this on my own, I had hoped you would understand, but it doesn't matter.'

At wits end the elderly woman couldn't belive how willfull her daughter had become and how easily she was defied by her.

'Would you just listen to yourself? This won't lead to anything. Lesbians never become happy and wind up wasting their careers, you won't do the same.'

Rosetta was on the verge of crying tears, but still was not intimidated by her parent anymore.

'So this is what I am to you? Just another client? I don't care about my career if it costs me May. After all these years you haven't changed a bit. Your still reagaring me as a contract and are absorbed into your work.'

Raising her hand pointing threatingly she continued.

'Just because you and father never became happy together doesn't me that May and I will become the same.'

Holding her hand close to her chest she added

'Why do you stand between me and her? If this is about my career then you can fire me for all I care, as far as I see you are my agent and as such you oblidge to me not the either way around.'

A short moment of silence and both just stared at eachother. The tension was building up to new heights.

'Do you hate me just because I for once chose to do what I want? If there is no benifit for you do even you care?'

Now it was the elder womans turn to surpress her tears, she always despised not having spent so much time with her daughter when she was small and now it seemed those lost years where acting up against her. Rosetta didn't intend to hurt her mother and seeing two lonly tears flow from her eyes that so much looked like her own made her experience a feeling of selfloathing.

The woman now with a shaky voice saw that she had commited too many mistakes to expect the girl to follow.

'I do care, as you agent and as your mother. And as your mother I worry about my only babygirl. This will just leave you heartbroken and alone. How can I not interfeer?'

The redhaired girl now saw under the buisnesswoman exterior she had known for the past years did lie a genuine care that wanted her to be alright, but that didn't excuse her harsh actions, however she didn't want to deepen her sorrow either and said with a now calm voice.

'I am sorry if this is not what you had in mind for me, but you have to let me go in order to be happy. I don't hate you for what you did in the past and I don't want to cross you, but I will if I must. Maybe you don't see it, but for me this is worth everything, if not more.'

It took a few minutes for both to fully calm down and wipe their tears of. The elderly woman recognized now just how many mistakes she had made in the past and even now she comitted one against Rosetta as denying her of the opportunity for happieness was indeed something cruel.

'Are you sure that this is what you want, do you love her? Does she love you?'

Rosetta now saw her old mother return, the one she had known the first years of her life, the one that cared and raised her and willingly taught her the diabolo when she asked her.

'I know how I feel about May, but I don't know if she feels the same.'

Before her mother could object that it wasn't worth it she added.

'But I intend to find out.'

In the seagreen eyes she had given the girl she saw just how deeply the infatuatuion went, it may been due to the fact it was the first, but it outshined most other couples so called love.

'And I would really like for you to accept this way I have chosen. I do not ask you to support me, just still see me as your daughter.'

The elderly woman was now certain that she was powerless to fight it and also overwhelmed to help her.

'Then it seems I have no choice. she said. You've grown up a lot since you first came here and it seems the stage has not just given you your smile back, but something else.'

Rosetta and her mother both felt relieved after their energetic argument and knew now that everything would be alright.

Before departing the older woman gave Rosetta a kiss on the cheek and left adding.

'If it does fail come crying to me.'

Even tough their bond had weakened over the years it was still there in the time of need and now besides Sora and her other friends she also had her mother to fall back on to and get back on her feet, something which she apreciated immensly.

Fool was amazed having seen both May's and Rosetta's encounter with one of their parents which at first was fates cruel hand against their union made both now realize just how deep their feelings went.The two cards, the Lovers and the Hanged Man joined by some invisble force now changed as the Hanged Man slowly started faiding and dissapreared alltogether.

"The road is now clear."

May from the locale after the dicussion held with her father didn't bother taking a cab and was running back towards the dormitory. It was quite a distance, but driven by the recent revelation she hardly got tired and as she neared her destination saw the reason for all this.

Rosetta she saw was slowly walking towards the edge of the building and then around it. The maintanance work had been finished some time ago so out of habit she must have taken that way, but the chinese realized where she was actually heading.

Also a bit mentally worn out Rosetta for the past moments reflected on the argument she had with her mother.

She couldn't remeber when she had fought with her like that and was happy that everything turned out well. Wanting to catch her thoughts she headed to the only refuge that was nearby, the lonly bench that had seen so much of her past and where almoast all intense moments with May had been shared.

Needless to say as she came around the corner was completly dumbfounded to see the chinese at the other corner of the building. As determined as both had been in thought about seeing eachother face to face altough quite some distance apart still envolped them with that same nervousness, but this time there was no dread, just anticipation.

Slowly walking towards the common point represented by the bench they took that brief moment during walking to study eachother.

It was rare to see either of them overdessed, but neihter complained at the beautiful sight. The same warmth seemed to start to well up inside of them as step by step they closed in on eachother and finally got to the bench where they took a seat. Just inches appart they felt a distinct and strong pulsation.

It was an overwhelming feeling and before both couldn't take anymore looked out to the sea from their vantage point.

The setting sun just as it was a couple of days ago, but this time still having some distance to go before it vanished under the horizon. The golden rays of light getting progressivly redder in color also dropped a shadow on the wall of the adjecent hall, the two siluettes of the girls clearly visble. The cool breeze coming from the city heading out into the sea was refreshing for both and in this silence both wondered what the other one was thinking.

Neither had any idea that in the last days they went trough the same troubles and symetrical as they had, came to the same conclusion. This was the final hurdle that opposed them but neither had brought up enough courage to say a thing and the silence coming was disturbing for both.

The silence broken when both said eachothers names in unison.

'May .. Rosetta'.

The synchronization was almoast impecable showed just how much their thoughts started to merge. The two blushed and looked away again after the small incident.

Why where they so shy around eachother? Surly this was not the way to succed thought both and strained to say anything, but Rosetta beat May to the first word and altough nervous knew that after the first initial word it would get easier.

'May since what happened a couple of days ago I've been meaning to tell you that ...' she stopped as she literally forgot her words.

The chinese was surprise to hear her stop mid-sentence and saw that flustered expression again. In all the other times she had seen it she found it adorably funny, but now it made her feel happy but also unsure and also made her blush as well.

"Am I doing this?" she pondered whether she could possibly be the reason.

Seizing the silence it was not the her turn to speak her mind.

'I don't know how to tell you, but what happened then ...' now she forgot how to end her sentence.

Never before had any of them been this nervous, nothing compared itself to this. Rosetta however now was the first one to awaked out of this awkward trance and continued, grasping her friends hand which made both even more flustered.

'It meant a great deal to me, nothing had ever come close to what I felt. I would give anything for that moment to repeat itself, but I don't know how you would feel about it.'

May now in the caught in the rush of the moment felt just what went on in her friend and remebered that frist time in exactly the same spot.

'I ... It also meant a great deal to me, but I was scared and ran away.'

Hearing that they felt the same away about the event made both realized something, something they had known since then.

In that moment altough both wound up frightened had been embracing eachothers affection. Now the question they had continusly posed themselves in the last days seemd pointless ,as whether their longing was mutual, they had known since then.

Rosetta saw just how useless their worry had been and trough and added.

'We both were scared, I was equally unprepared.'

Rosetta realeased May hand and placed it gently on the girls cheek. She felt the intense warmth coming from her.

'But how about now? Are we still scared?'

May found great comfort as she always did in the soft touch provided by Rosetta.

'I don't know.' she said.

It was again that moment as before when hesitation and anticipaion where struggling and they locked on the edge of both of them regained their right to choose. Having chosen to run the last time now there where no lingering doubts, no concern over their friends or families opinion and they opted for the other possibilty, for which both yearned.

Neither sensed who had initiated the move, but almoast instinctivly their faces started to close in eachother. On the wall of traininghall the sillutes also followed and inch by inch got closer.

Altough for Rosetta this was going to be her first kiss, May was equally unsure having never shared and affectionate one with anyone, but as they where only moments away both were to enticed to worry, but it wouldn't work both would be ireversibly crushed..

With the pulsation of their hearts getting faster and their breaths crossing as they did before both recognized the moment. And so with the craving now unbearable for the first time in eachother lives they shared a kiss.

The intensity of the moment had been like nothing either had exprienced before, as softly and slowly their lips glided, everything around them receded, for in this moment there was only the two of them.

Everytihng around had lost focus and sense as reality itself seemed to bend and wrap around them driving the two even closer. Not just on a spritual level, but also on a phisical did it happen as their bodies too yearned for eachother.

Bound together trough their lips as they were, this was the moment when their desires and feelings eclipsed fear and hesitation and in that instant they felt for the first time, their hearts beating for more then themselves.

Neither had even thought it to feel this exhilarting, not even the stage could give them this distinct feeling of desire and being desired. In their heads bloomed now a series of memories and revelations as they rembered the past events. How the two at first hated eachother, how they became the fiercest of rivals, how then they turned to the best of friends and how now they had reached the climaxe of it all.

The blood rushed now trough their veins with incredible speed and heat, unlike they ever felt before. They would have indulgded in the tenderness of the moment indefinatly, but both felt as they they were stariting to become unable to cope with the intensity of their first kiss.

Pulling away was not as aweing as they had anticipated, because now they knew that they would always willingly repeat it.

Everything they had done in the last months together had led to this and now that finally they recognized eachothers affections.

Every choice, every laugh, every tear all summed up to this one moment that neither would ever forget and cherish for the rest of their lives.

'It seems we are not scared anymore.'

Rosetta smiled and was still feeling the heat and amazement of their first kiss. Both at first suffred temporary vertigo as the world around them bloomed up again and they rembered where they were.

Now all that remained was to confess what had happened in the last days and both where amazed how similary they had approached the problem, how they where willing to cross their families for eachother, how much they worried.

For the remainder of the day, that had turned night, they openly expressed their opinion on the new situation and as it had become too late they returned to the dormitories where just before parting stopped for a moment.

As if wanting to check if it hadn't been just a unique case they shared another kiss and it was just as intense as the other one. It was too late for anyone to spot them so they felt completly at ease and then parted not saying another word.

Before they would just wave to eachother, it was their childish ritual.

Both now wondered if a kiss would become their new ritual and deep withing they dearly hoped so.

Rosetta's Room

The redhead could still feel the euphoria of the moment she had just shared with May and altough getting progressivly weaker that feeling would remain forever etched in her memory. The only other thing that came close to it was performing with Sora the legendary maneuver, but unlike the great act that kiss she knew could be repeated.

This sort of happiness got her into a very good mood even for her bright nature. Caught still on that tender moment and drunk with revelations she just couldn't get any sleep and was continuosly humming the same refrain.

Fool slowly flew trough the window looking seriously roughed up, mumbeling to himself.

'These kids ... if I wasn't a spirit already they'd get me killed ... Oh Rosetta ... What are you doing up so late?'

The redhead seeing him pieced together he must have been busy elsewhere to spy on her and couldn't wait to tell him the news, but reconsidered and decided to get him into normal chit-chat then stun him, the shock would be amplified in this way.

'Who do you mean 'these kids'?'

The spirit couldn't even float as tired as he was and landed on the table and started to slowly walk on it stretching his arms exahausted.

'The newest members, I'm telling you those kids have no head on their shoulders. I'm glad you or Sora weren't the same, but you did reckless things too back then, but now.' He really emphasized the word now.

'Now I really have to get involved and push things out of their way. I miss the day when I just told you to watch out and humour you ocassionally, but none can see me, but they act as if they are stars already. Kids these days.'

Having got his frustrations out the spirit now rembered.

'So how did things go, isn't today you should have met with May? With all the comotion today I had left after you talked to your mother. Did everything go as planned?' he asked with a stupid smirk hoping to get the redhead flustered again, but unlike he expected she just smiled content.

Still Rosetta did not want to hint just how happy she was and kept her grin mild.

Fool always liked hearing the stories of the people he looked after. The years after Arlon's death he had practicly been alone and after he had been alone for the first time since he became spirit of the stage and just a simple talk with friends became a something he deeply enjoyed.

'Well we met shortly after I had sorted thing out with mother and then walked to that lonly bench.'

Wanting to somehow spark embressment and have a laugh he tried to provoke her, altough knowing how unwise it was.

'So what did you two do there?'

Still Rosetta refused to give in to his game even with tough squatting the spirit started to sound just as fun as this game. Fool walked casually around the table too sore to lay down just yet.

'You know, this and that, we met, we talked, we confessed ...' she continued in a stale voice which started to bore the little man.

'We kissed.'

That line made Fool now trip and fall facefirst onto the hard wooden surface of the table.

'You did what?'

Jawdropping was the word that probably described Fool's state as he was shocked beyond belief. He knew it would have come eventually, his card fortold him that, but he had not expected it to happen so soon and without him seeing.

'And I wasn't there?'

He slapped himself over the forhead.

'I can't belive this!'

If he had been stressed out just a moment ago he now was insane as having missed a tender kiss between the two girls was something he had toyed with since he found out about the two.

Rosetta smile grew even bigger as she saw the spirit curisng himself.

'Yes it was unbeliveble, two times too.' Fool was now genuinly angry he had some pretty colorfull words at the tip of his tounge, but reminded himself of his manners trying not to go into a rampage.

The redhead having annoyed the spirit as much as she could have settle not to leave him depressed.

'Don't worry I'm sure it won't be the last.' she said starting to play with the thought herself. Fool's hope was restored and he laughed soflty seeing how Rosetta had gotten slightly mischieveous.

"Tomorrow is another day." though Fool and went to bed, but he didn't know that the same thought had also crossed the redheads mind.

Never had she before had such a anticipation for the next day, but she had suffered enough to this point so she decided for once to enjoy it. After that Rosetta got to sleep only then realizing just how much today's events had taken out of her. Her sights had been set on confessing her feeling and then moving on as she had expected to be rejected, but the opposite having happened she was overflowed with happiness, the only thing keeping her awake for another couple of hours.

May's Room

'I can't even tell you how happy I am.' said the chinese energeticly talking into the phone, feeling the need to express her joy to her family.

At this time May's mother was at first annoyed to be awakened at such a late hour, but hearing how May had finally met someone she honestly loved was something which made every mother happy.

Altough still premature having only expressed their feelings the older woman knew just how her daughter never would have chosen somebody she really couldn't have a bond with and altough trough the years it started to seem she might never find someone like that, now her worry was gone.

But in the end it had been true, no man could have ever pleased her, but Rosetta was no man at all and if it what would make her daughter happy she must have been crazy wanting to interfeer.

However at first the woman did not belive when her husband told her now she knew it was more then confirmed. For about an hour May talked exhilarated and spoke every little detail that crossed her mind important or otherwise. Her mother couldn't even answer as she didn't even get the slightest chance of answering, but finally the girl had run out of anything to say and stopped gasping catching her breath.

May's mother laughed, rarely having seen her like that and just added.

'I'm happy for you.' Then ended hung up. 'Good night.'

May said the same and also hung up. Her throat had started to get slightly sore after all the talking and she settled down and also decided to go to sleep just like Rosetta did, tired to oblivion, but too happy to sleep, but fatigue won, at least for this night and she too entered slumber.