Arriving at the usual hangout, Minako arrived fashionably late as always. She was a weary, tired, school girl as she slowly sauntered towards her friends. The last thing she wanted to do was go see her friends, but she had promised to meet up with them after school. "I just can't stand to hear another one of those letters," she thought bitterly, as she approached the table.

"Minako-chan!" Usagi chimed happily. Suddenly seeing Minako's lack of enthusiasm, a look of concern swept over her face. "Minako-chan? What's wrong?" Usagi always had a luck of indepth feelings of others. She would be the first one to know if something's bothering her friends; but the last to figure out a simple math equation.

The girls set their books aside, and looked at Minako intently. It was true, the girl who once had bouncy, blonde hair, suddenly seemed oddly limp. Her eyes were dull and empty, when they were usually filled with laughter and joy. Yes, they all knew that there was something wrong with Minako; something that really drained the life out of her.

Minako played a weak smile, as she slowly slipped an enveloppe to the middle of the table.

Ami's eyes widened, as she murmured, "Oh, it's from the modelling agency."

The girls filled with understanding, shifting in their seats uncomfortably; except for Usagi, the one who was always just a bit slow. "Ah, it's the response!" Usagi laughed, as she opened the enveloppe happily. The girls shot her glares of warning, trying to somehow develop some sort of telepathy with the odango haired girl. Simply entranced with the letter, Usagi skimmed over the formalities, and spotted the middle of it. "Ohh.." she mumbled, as she caught a glimpse of Minako's look of lost hope.

Minako's faced dropped, as she said barely above a whisper, "That makes it the seventh rejection.. What a record." She slowly slid her face into her hands, as she started sobbing.

Usagi snickered as she whispered, "Who ever said it was a rejection?"

Minako's body jolted up, as she tried to understand what her friend was telling her.. Usagi's face displayed a wide grin, as she nodded with excitement. "You made it, Minako-chan!" Minako simply gaped, with her jaw nearly hitting the table.

The girls squealed with delight, as Minako shrieked with all her might. Lucky for her, there were not many people near them. Makoto slapped Minako on the back and said, "Congratulations! I knew you would make it!"

Minako bounced in her seat, as she shimmered with pure and utter radiance. She looked over to Rei, who was laughing at Minako's reaction to the whole thing.

"That means I got in, minna!" Minako cried, as the girls chuckled and nodded, each eager to read the letter of acceptance themselves. "I never thought I'd see the day!"

Rei smiled and replied, "We all knew you could do it, Minako-chan. You just have to believe in yourself too."

Minako leapt from her seat and hugged each and every one of her friends. "Thank you," she sighed, as tears streamed down her face. "Thank you all." She looked outside through the window, seeing the world in a different perspective than she did just moments before. The tangerine moon was setting, as she knew that there was a whole new horizon awaiting for her.

(more to come..)