Chapter 8: A Mother's Word.
Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or anything of its characters. All belongs to their rightful owners from Disney Animated Studios©. Except Annabelle, she's mine©.
It was a matter of time when Annabelle finally made it home after 3 hours' worth of a tour around Honey's college campus. Then being asked to go to the Expo to sees Hiro's showcase hit her. While they were in the car, Honey asked about it and wonders if Anna would like to join.
"So Annabelle," Honey said, "I really want to know if you wanted to go to the showcase on Friday. It's about Hiro's showcase, technically where he needs to show the professors of the school whether or not he's allegeable to enroll to SFIT or not."
Annabelle was quite fascinated by this showcase, but this is where she gets the benefit of the doubt, it's on a Friday! The same day the San Fransokyo's Matsuri Festival is beginning their event, where her showcase is performed. This is bad. Now she wants to do two things at once, how's this is going to work? She asked herself. Hiro is a good friend, especially since he's brothers with the guy she sketch his naked body for a BIG event that could probably change her life forever if she gets discovered.
This is not what she wanted, but she can't get too worked up over this dilemma. There's another way to think this over. So she sighed and gave Honey Lemon a smile and said, "I'll think about it."
And that's all she said before getting out of the car, before waving goodbye to Honey and heading inside her home. She really want to go to the showcase, she really do, but it was the dilemma of destroying the fact that she wants is her beautiful artwork to be shown and displayed for everyone to admired and actually become famous. That's her ambitious dream. That's what her parents needed, some money to get better jobs, fix up their home, or even buy a whole home and make them happy. Even for Tadashi, he even said that it would look better if was on display, people will love her.
She just needs to think about it that's all.
Its two days before the big two events she have choose before it's too late. She managed to turn the artwork before Yamiko did and rubbed it in her face. Aw, it was great.
"Whatever!" Yamiko yelled from behind while a giant smirk crossed all over Annabelle's face when she turned in the artwork first to Professor Satomonto. Even though professor was quite confused with Yamiko's reaction, Annabelle felt so confident now that her arch-rival is not going to be in the spotlight this time. It was one of the BEST moments in her life, to finally stopped Yamiko in her tracks. It was wonderful, that exact moment. But then quickly subsided and was frighten from Yamiko's last few words before storming out of the classroom, outraged.
"Wait for it, Matsuoka! You'll be regretting the day you even enrolled to this bullsh*t of a school and YOU. WILL. SUFFER."
Annabelle and Professor Satomonto looked at each other in confusion, then soon shrugged it off and moved on as Annabelle gotten her ticket pass to the Matsuri festival. Annabelle squealed in delight when she grabbed her ticket. She did it! She's going to be a star! Famous! A someone!
Will she though? She really did want to show her artwork to the world and become a discovery, but...she haves friends that really want to her to see Hiro and his showcase into his school. They're both trying to get discovered, for a better cause. But why both events have to be on the same day? Why does it have to be on Friday? Why don't they have it on Saturday? Why did she even get herself into this type of dilemma in the first place?
She sat in her room, lying down on her bed to think, what is she going to do? She needs advice, she needs it now! She really can't even concentrate on her homework she even gets the chance to complete. Her head is spinning with confusion and anxiety.
Even her mother was very concerned about her daughter and how she was reacting. She didn't notice this type of matter until lunch time when Annabelle was walking downstairs to the kitchen. Her face was dull and pale, her expression was aloof and tense, even by the way she ate, she wasn't even eating as much as she would any other time. She barely even got to her favorite part of the meal, the homemade fruit parfaits her mother makes with every meal. It was her favorite because Annabelle loves sweets, but instead, her entire existence at the table was dull and bitter. She didn't even give any refreshments after eating 1/3 of her lunch.
Then with a blink of an eye, she rushed back upstairs, in the same spot in her room to think once again. Anastasia and Aiko looked at one another with worry in their eyes. Their daughter seems to be pulling away from them more than she should and it's worrying the hell out of the parents.
Ana looked over at her Asian husband, she know this was going to happen eventually. "Aiko, this is our daughter. This is showing a lot of emotions here. We need to talk to her." Aiko scoffed as tough and dominant he was.
"Well, I don't know what to tell her. She rarely talks to us now since she has "friends" and her schoolwork she has to get done. She's pretty much becoming independent." He stated.
Ana didn't know what Aiko was saying. She didn't really think this through; she just wanted to be around her daughter before she becomes too independent and leaves them. It seems to show that that moment will be coming sooner than later. So she has to do something, anything! Aiko seems to be a little cocky about those feelings, since he's involved in industrial work, he doesn't have time to pay attention to this type of stuff, so it's up to Anastasia and her motherly skills to get close to Annabelle for once. Before it's too late.
"Alright then," Ana spoke before getting up from her dining room chair, "I'll go talk to her then. You, just clean up and settle down here for a moment. Got it?" She already know Aiko is too broad to do the "housewife" work but when it comes to preventing a very useless argument on who should clean up the dining room first, Ana always win. Aiko nodded and cleaned the dishes from lunch as Anastasia went upstairs to talk to Annabelle.
Anna's room seems to be still for the moment, nothing changed, and nothing was replaced or moved. Even Annabelle herself didn't seem to move. She was so out of it, she even forgot what day it was or when is ACTUALLY the day of the showcases. She was thinking too hard and is holding all of her feelings in. She needs someone to talk to, someone to give her advice, she's lonesome to do it on her own.
That's when her mother walked into the doorway of her bedroom, the pink frame of the door, Anastasia stood there as her daughter could see from a distance without her near-sighted glasses. Annabelle looked over at her mother as she slowly got up from her laying position and sat up, looking up at her mother. Anna looks a lot better without her glasses, she looks, more feline.
"Hey." Annabelle said softly, slowly taking away eye contact.
"Hello," Ana said, doing the opposite as she was giving her full eye contact.
This is rare to talk to Annabelle since she started college. It was difficult to talk to her during high school as well since she experienced a few things that Ana had no idea how to contribute to it and give her any advice. Now that her daughter is older, it's getting more less and less of opportunities to talk to her since she's either around other people or doing work for her classes and she doesn't have time to spend it with her family.
She really wants to give her a motherly conversation and bond with her at most so that she could at least have a good vibe with her child. Well, she's not a child anymore, but sometimes...Anastasia wished she really was.
Ana walked into her room as she looked down at her daughter, sitting on her bedside. Annabelle let out a small sigh and looked down at her knees. She knew what was going to happen; her mother was going to give her a "talk" likes always about whatever is going on with her life. If it's about boys to about high school drama, or challenges with her father to family finance issues, there's always a talk involved whenever Annabelle is showing some type of depression, loneliness or devastation. This time, it's anxiety.
Annabelle rarely even talk to her mother now since she started college, she's not that type of person to even get with her parents about anything that is personal, that needed to be talked about. Especially since she's now going to be performing her showcase on Friday. This is where she managed to go on ahead and get work done, but doesn't even have time to have a talk with her mom or dad. She's used to it, really. She is that type of person now to be to herself and keep her feelings in.
Anastasia just want to be there for her daughter before she graduate and move on to starting her life, she needs more advice and help with her mother once in a while so she could understand the strategies she'll give her in the future. Annabelle gave her a small smile as she scooted over so that her mother could be able to sit down. Ana did so and glanced over at her daughter, then at the window. Ironically, the window is somehow covered with the velvet red curtains, covering the sunshine. Instead, reddish, pinkish reflect around the room, making pink. Even she and Anna was overlaid pink on their skin and clothing. It made Ana chuckle softly.
Annabelle looked over at her mother when she heard her laugh; usually her mother would be more serious in these types of situations or lectures. This is new to her a little, compared to her when she's getting lecture, she make either an annoyed face or a snickered face because of the humor they give her; both her parents when she's in trouble or have something to talk about.
"Mom, what do you want? There's something wrong?" Anna asked firmly, as her smile slowly faded away.
Ana stared at her as if she was born yesterday. "What? I am not the person who has something wrong." Her accent was still hinted with French and it sounds quite fluent when she says some words.
Annabelle rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, there's nothing wrong wit—"
"So how are your friends doing? You all getting alon—"
"Mom, they're doing fine!" Anna was showing a bit of disturbance and annoyance as she knew exactly what was happening in her point-of-view. "Mom, if this is about my friends, you're wrong. They have nothing to do with it." She lied, of course they have something to do with it, and it's a decision that involves friendship and popularity.
"Well then, when's the showcase?" Her mother asked.
"Friday."
"Oh, who's all going?"
"Are you going?"
"Yeah, your father is coming as well."
"Oh, I guess that's whose all going."
Then, there was silence. What about Anna's new friends? Aren't they going? Ana looked and thought about those questions as she examined her daughter's emotion, expression and movement. She's lying, there's something missing to this situation that Annabelle is not telling her.
"What about your friends? Aren't they all coming too?"
"No."
"Huh, what are they doing that's so important than your showcase?"
"There's another showcase going on mom. Why are you asking all these questions?"
Ana looked at her into deep contact, her eyes lingered into hers. Anna felt uncomfortable at the moment but then realize her mother was getting serious. She sighed deeply and inhaled before taking another sentence out.
"Okay, my friend has a showcase the same day as mine, okay?" She began to explain, "He's enrolling for SFIT; San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. He really wanted me to go, everyone wanted me to go. I really do, but I can't because I have a showcase to perform as well at the San Fransokyo's Matsuri Art and Music Festival and this was my dream of getting discovered since I was in diapers! Mum, you have to understand that I want to see my friend's showcase, but I can't let any of my professors down at the festival when I show everyone my portrait. You have to understand that I'm in a complicated twist here and I can't unravel it. I need help; I need to find an idea to get a chance to do two things that I really want to do at once."
Her mother stared at her with a look of disbelief. This all was happening without her even blinking her eyes. This was all she was thinking about? Struggling to figure out? She couldn't believe what she heard right now. This is was she was talking about this type of dilemma?
"But, sweetie...Why do you want to go to the Matsuri showcase? Your pictures are fine where they a—"
"MOM! This could get me famous if I present my portrait to the world! So many people will ask for me, so many contracts, so many deals, commissions, art trades, MONEY! You could quit your job mom and dad's job too! We could be living in one of those big mansion houses in Beverly Hills! I would win many awards, Noble Peace Prize, Emmy's, Grammy's, Global, EVERYTHING! This is what we always wanted, mom!"
Annabelle's voice was changing into a voice of imagination and imagery. Her voice turned out as a way of dreams and believers would be but, no. This is a sound of corruption to fame and fortune. All this imagination was all getting into her head and her daughter was a victim to fame and money-hungry.
Anastasia would be thrilled to have a lot of money, but that's not what she would've wanted. She just wanted to help and provide to her family. She want to save her money slowly, she doesn't need to become famous to earn money (it is but in a way that is not fair to people who live in poverty). She just wants to be there for her family, for Anna.
She sighed at her daughter's voice. "I know, that's what YOU always wanted Annabelle. I know this could be marvelous to see that you become famous...but..." Her hard to please smile slowly faded into a frown of disappointment, "...Annabelle. I don't want you to do the showcase."
Annabelle eyes widen and jaw dropped. "WHAT? B-but mom, you encouraged me to do this project! You wanted me to do this, this was my opportunity!"
"I know, but...you wanted to do this for the fame and fortune. I wanted to see you have fun and not worry about what people thinks. If they pick you, they'll pick, if they don't, they don't. This shouldn't be this time where you Anna, go leave this city to make your own money and forget about your own mother, father, friends, even your professor. We're not the ones who were there to paint it. You were, they'll be talking about you."
Annabelle shook her head, in denial. "No, I'll be there when I get the contract. When I get more money, I'll give you half of it, I SWEAR! I love you mom! I'll make sure you'll be there whenever I have that BIG CHECK OF CASH WHILE I HAVE A LOT OF COMMISSIONS AND—"
"LISTEN TO YOURSELF ANNABELLE!"
Anna filched when she heard the loud voice of her mother she had never heard before.
"You're not listening to anything that I am saying. This sounds very selfish of you! You want to get the money all for yourself! You want to become that someone! You! YOU! YYOOUUU!"
Annabelle frowned. She realized what she is saying; her mother was right. What was she thinking? She really thought that she was going to take those chances and begun famous. This is not what her mother would've wanted. Nor her dad, or Honey, or Hiro, Fred, GoGo...Tadashi? This is why she wanted to do this in the first place. She just wanted to do what's for HER, to beat Yamiko and become...just...like...her...
A snobby, self-absorbed, cocky, aloof, preppy, emo, BITCH!
"Mum," her voice was a quiet as the wind, hitting the window outside. Anastasia looked at her daughter calmly, "I'm sorry, mum. I—I—I was being very selfish, needy, and greedy. I just wanted to beat that Yamiko Yoshida, in her tracks. She always competed with me with almost everything ever since I started this school! I am not saying I was being bullied, she just kinda, thought she was better than me. I just wanted to beat her and thought differently about the famous life."
"I mean, well...you can still go to the showcase...you just need to tell your friends that you can't come to the showcase your friends are attending." Anastasia stated.
"That's the decision I'm having a hard time figuring out whether or not I should go to Hiro's showcase or attend my own showcase." Annabelle explained. "I don't want to disappoint my professor, being laughed at by Yamiko, then letting all my friends down when they know that I won't be able to attend it."
"First off," her mother was ready for the lecture, "that Yamiko could put a sock in it and kick her to the curve. She's not worth it." She got up from the side of the bed and stood, behold of Annabelle. Her hands were on her hips and her face angling where Anna's face was. She had a serious, intense look on her face.
"I know that mom, but I'm mostly concerned about my friends, what will they say."
"Well, just tell them! It's worth a shot, the least that could happen if they are mad at you. They are your friends for a REASON Annabelle, I know there are cruel in the world, but one of them I saw for the first time and he looked like he was one of the nicest, handsome, generous man I have ever seen."
Annabelle blushed as soon as she was ironically talking about Tadashi. Great, she also has to face him too. Imagine him upset or angry, it would've been really cute, Anna thought to herself.
"Tadashi? Well, he's only a friend, mom..." She said, trying to cool herself down as well as being serious about it.
"I know that too, but come on, he's very attractive...He seems like the least person to get upset about this or anything else, in general. If you tell him first, he would probably understand and be generous about it."
Annabelle softly smiled, she knew that. Surely, after what Tadashi said to her pictures the other day, she felt like she was on top of the world. And when she made her picture, she felt even more special when she took Tadashi's advice and also more artistic. She would never forget that day of being with him longer than she would've been. Either that or seeing is beautiful, naked torso for the first time.
"I mean, yeah, he's nice, sweet, kind, cute, has beautiful brown, chocolate eyes, soft and smooth skin, his hair is soft and easily to put your hand right through and stroke it back, over and over and over and—"
"Anna..." Anastasia had a smirk on her face as she knew Anna was saying. Annabelle paused her rambling and flustered even more red and covered her red face.
"I know...I DO..."
"You do...what...?" Her mother asked, teasingly.
Anna mumbled softly, "I like Tadashi..."
"What...?" Anastasia repeated, "I couldn't hear that. Could you talk a little bit louder...?"
"I LIKE Tadashi. I have a crush on Tadashi." She replied, saying it as loud for her mother, with a sound of annoyance and embarrassment. "But NOT as much, I mean, I only know him for about a week. I don't want to come out at him to strong or too fast."
"So you wanna stick with the "friend zone", huh?" Her mother asked.
"Yes."
"Wow, Annabelle...YOU HAVE YOUR FIRST CRUSH!" Her mother, Anastasia was thrilled, now this was the precious fame she was looking for. Spending time with her daughter in general is just the moment she loved to have and she's really glad she saw her daughter smiling for the first time, in front of her eyes again.
"Mom..." Annabelle whined as she felt blood, rushing onto her face and intense reddish all over her cheeks and blushed in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, sorry. Wait until your father hears about this!" She beamed as she gave Anna a hug, very tightly. Annabelle felt worried, either that she was going to suffocate by her strong mother's arms or the outraged Aiko when she hears about her daughter falling in love with someone. Either or, she's pretty timid.
After the long and very uncomfortable hug, the two went downstairs and told Aiko everything. Aiko was as well as very concerned about how Annabelle was so distant between the two and really wanted to see her daughter happy. Also, he wasn't even that mad about Anna having a crush on someone, but it was very common to see how in shock he was.
"Wow, Anna. I really thought you were a lesbian all this time..." Aiko admitted, making a face. Annabelle's face was pale, and then turned pinkish-reddish, and then her jaw-dropped and her eyes were really wide. I can't believe he just said that! Annabelle said to herself in shock. That was probably a wake-up call to her social status; she needs to be around people her type. Well, that's already covered. Also, her mother and father have begun to trust her and her friends that she hang outs with and became very fine with it than against it.
An hour later, after finishing her homework, she went downstairs to head on over out to see where Honey Lemon is and see if they're going to the cafe. That's what she told her parents before saying goodbye, giving them both a kiss on the cheek and heading out the door.
After today, it seems like her parents has gotten more close to Anna, their daughter. They should be having these types of conversations and discussions more often. If they do, they would show Annabelle, that they do care.
That should parents always do. That's also a mother's word to becoming more close to their daughter like ever before.
SORRY! SORRY! SORRY! School has been very stressful and one of my close loved one has died recently so I have been busy and school work is getting harder, and my biology Keystones exam is under a month now and we are getting more and more work done before that happens and Thanksgiving and Christmas and Halloween and all these goddam holidays and SO MUCH WORK! So, yeah, I have been busy and hopefully by next week or so I will be making more Chapters of Meet Annabelle.
Also, will Tadashi ask Anna out in the next chapter? Who knows? Stay tuned...
Thank you for those who have favored my story and hopefully have followed as well. I'll be making more fanfics as well AFTER the first two I am in production with... Please keep me posted. Thank you! :)
