Here is the next chapter. Please let me know what you think. I always look forward to feedback.
Note: I do not own Skip Beat!
Catherine greeted her bleary eyed charge with a smile the next morning. She had taken time to sort through her thoughts properly and had slept well after her guests have left. Kyoko, on the other hand, had spent the night tossing from the strange dreams she had. The first dream that had disturbed her sleep was followed by several others involving compromising positions involving either the adult version of Corn or her respected senpai. She had decided to give up trying to sleep after the last dream left her gasping for breath at 6 am. She was glad that she did not have film time with Ren today. She was sure that she would just die if she ran into him today. Catherine could see that her charge was not in her best form this morning.
"You have filming for Box 'R' this afternoon, so how would you like to skip school and join me in something more relaxing this morning?" Catherine offer was too much for Kyoko to pass up. She knew she should go to school, but she just could not get over the night she had gotten up from. She agreed and Catherine sent her back to get changed out of her school outfit.
Now in more comfortable clothing, Kyoko settled into the car as Catherine waved through Tokyo's traffic. She was surprised when they arrived at the usual parking garage outside LME. Kyoko got out of the car and started towards the familiar building.
"We're not going there yet." Catherine called to her charge as she turned in the other direction. "I just wanted to leave my car here, so that I did not have to worry about parking."
"Where are we going?" Kyoko finally asked the question tickling her mind.
"Well, we are going to go down here and take the train over to the Tokyo Gallery." Catherine outlined her plans. "There is a traveling exhibit of Yoshizawa Akira's origami that will be leaving this weekend." Kyoko was starting to get excited about the morning out. She had not been out anywhere normal since the whole evil-Sho-fan thing started and was starting to feel the lack of regular exercise. Her mind then flipped to the obvious problem with the plan.
"Umm... Isn't it a bad idea for us to be walking out in public?" Worry stole over Kyoko's mind. "I mean, there could still be mad fans after me." Catherine considered her fears for a moment as they waited for the light to change.
"Don't worry about it." Catherine reassured her as they crossed the street to the train station. "Fuwa's fans aren't going to look for you walking on the street to an art gallery." Catherine made it seem impossible. "Anyway, that is what I am here for. Just enjoy the outing and let me worry about your safety."
To Kyoko's surprise, Catherine was right; they didn't run into any paparazzi or annoying fans as they made their way to the gallery. They spent a very relaxing morning walking around the art exhibit seeing all the amazing ways paper could be folded, it server to relieve Kyoko of most of her anxieties from the long night of weird dreams. After the Tokyo Gallery, the girls heading to a small coffee shop for a light lunch, before they needed to return for Kyoko's filming of Box 'R'. When the lunchtime streets of Tokyo started to get crowded, Catherine allowed Kyoko to lead them back to the train station.
Kyoko screamed in surprise when a passing hooded figure slammed into her, knocking her off balance and out into the street. It only took a second for Catherine to follow the off-balanced actress into the road and thrust her back onto the sidewalk, out of the way of the oncoming car. Unfortunately, Catherine's inertia was too great and she was unable to join her companion in the safety of the sidewalk. As the driver attempted to stop, Catherine hit the hood of the car and was propelled over the roof before coming to rest on the ground behind the now stopped car. The driver tore himself from the vehicle to check on the person he just hit. Another scream issued from Kyoko as she regained her balance and ran to the mass that was her manager.
Catherine relaxed on the pavement for a few seconds as she took stock of her injuries. Her wrist hurt from her initial impact with the hood, and she was sure there was going to be a nice bruise on her hip and shoulder from her trip over the roof to the ground, but otherwise, she was fine. Her training as a stunt woman in Hollywood had saved her life today. Knowing she was going to be hit, she jumped and took the impact as she had been taught. It had surprised her when the stunt worked somewhat in real life, but the bruise from her fall was far better than being crushed by the car. As the driver and Kyoko reached her, Catherine slowly sat up. The driver broke down in tears of relief when he saw the victim was alive. He stammered his apologies and offered to pay for her medical expenses. Kyoko fell to her injured friend to see if there was anything she could do. Catherine waved both of them off as she pulled herself to her feet. Kyoko retrieved a shoe that she had lost during her flight, but otherwise, Catherine didn't appear to need any help. After a few more polite words, Catherine convinced the driver that she was fine and sent him on his way. Several people had stopped to witness the accident, but no one could identify the culprit that had pushed the young woman. He was long gone. After assuring several people she was alright, Catherine got the crowd moving again.
"I'm so sorry." Kyoko cried again as Catherine stretched her sore shoulder and twisted her injured wrist. Feeling the tendons pull, Catherine considered the possibly of her having sprained it.
"Enough." Catherine tried to calm her hysterical charge. "It's not your fault, and I will be fine." Kyoko looked as if she did not believe that Catherine was ok. "I'll go have it checked out later." Catherine promised so that the actress would not fuss about it.
"But you need to go now." Kyoko tried to convince her manager to take care of her injury right away.
"No, right now we need to get you back to LME for the filming of Box 'R'." Catherine insisted as she took the young woman's arm and led her to the train station. It took all of her might not to limp on the sore hip. If she had, Kyoko was sure to call the ambulance that she had already refused several times already. Kyoko had to relent in her struggle to get Catherine to the doctor when the older woman showed no more signs of injury. But she did continue to apologize all the way back to LME and the comforts of Catherine's car. Catherine was glad when they settled in for the ride to Kyoko's location shoot and she was able to distract the girl with her work.
"Don't worry about it Kyoko-chan." Catherine tried to calm her for what felt like the millionth time. "It was just an accident and everything is ok. Have you made a decision on the PV?" Kyoko's mood darkened as she thought about the brainless singer and his dumb PV.
"Yes. I have." Kyoko brooded for a moment. She had been surprised when Ren had not shot the idea out of the water, but if he was ok with it, then maybe she should. "I will do it." She committed to it with all the joy of one being asked to clean the mold from the bathroom with a toothbrush. Concern filled Catherine at hearing the usually cheerful girl so discussed over taking a job.
"If you don't want to do it, then don't. No one is going to force you." Catherine reassured the girl. Kyoko spent the next ten minutes reiterating the conversation she had with Ren the previous night. By the end, Catherine understood why the girl took the job that she so obviously did not want to do. "Well, if you are sure, I will let them know so we can get it scheduled." Kyoko nodded again, reminding herself that this was for Haruki Asami not Sho. "Have you learned your script for today?" Catherine tried to turn the brooding actresses mind to something else.
"Oh yes!" Kyoko popped out of her funk. To be sure that everything that had happened had not rattled her memory, she pulled out her script and read it. They rode in silence all the way to the location where Kyoko would be filming
Catherine saw Kyoko to her dressing room before excusing herself to the bathroom. She needed to see how bad the injuries really were before she called Lory to inform him of the incident. She stepped in and locked the door before stripping off her jacket. The heavy material had saved her skin from road rash, but it hadn't provided much cushioning for her fall. A dark bruise had bloomed on her upper arm and shoulder blade. The joint hurt when she raised her arm above her head, but it felt like it was stove-up and not a break or fracture. Next she pulled up her tank top and dropped her pants to look at the blacking area on her side and hip. The walk back to the car had proven she had not broken the bone, but it was not happy. She redressed herself before turning her attention to the last injury, her wrist. She had used it to push off the hood during the initial impact and she was sure that it was sprained. She could see where the joint was swollen, but she could still move it around. She decided to go find a first aid box; there were always ace bandages around in case of an emergency. She also decided that some ice and aspirin would be a good idea too. Once her medical needs were met, she found a quit place to call her boss on his personal cell phone.
"Hello." Lory answered after reading the caller idea. It was unusual for Catherine to call him on this line unless she really needed him.
"Good afternoon." Catherine decided to start out with the good news first. "I am calling to let you know that Kyoko has made a decision about the PV. She has agreed to do it."
"Fantastic." Lory was happy to hear that. "I will let them know. Is there anything else?" This was good information, but not something that Catherine would call his personal phone for.
"Well, there was an incident that happened today. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the rumors about her, but someone knocked Kyoko over in front of a moving car this morning." Lory could tell by the lack of urgency in Catherine's voice that the young actress was fine, but he had to ask.
"Is she ok?"
"Yes, she was shaken up, but I was able to get her to safety before she got hit." Catherine answered.
"Are you alright?" Lory could tell that the woman was leaving something out.
"I think I sprained my wrist, and I have a nasty bruise forming, but I'm ok." Catherine tried to smooth her injuries over so he would not worry.
"And how did you get a bruise." Lory closed his eyes and prayed that she would not give the answer he expected.
"Umm… I tagged my hip when the car hit me?" Catherine made her words almost sound like a question. Lory sighed as she gave him the answer he had hoped not to hear.
"Where are you now?" Lory hoped that she was at a doctor, but expected she was not.
"We are at the filming of Box 'R' right now." Catherine answered sheepishly. Lory's patience has worn out and he growled at her.
"As soon as she is done with filming, get back here. I will arrange someone to take Kyoko-chan home tonight." He hissed into his phone. Catherine let out a sigh and agreed. She knew she would be imposing on a very generous man again tonight.
As soon as he disconnected the phone, Lory put this head down on his desk. He was glad that she was a strong woman, but Catherine was going to be the death of him. How can she let herself get hit by a car, and then play it off like it was nothing? He steadied his nerves to call the person who would be the most pisses off to not hear about this.
"Hello Ren."