Late morning, the next day, Mimi sat herself at a seat at a cafe where Stan said he would meet here. He has yet to show up so she went ahead and ordered a cappuccino while she waited. She, despite Dave, felt good. The play had been a success, she picked up a copy of the newspaper the ship prints up for the crew and she felt as if she was on top of the world when all of the critics agreed that she is easily becoming one of the best and brightest upcoming actresses. They were equally kind to her co-star, Stan, saying that his performance as Jack was an added treat to the audience who took a beautiful one-two punch from the both of them.
"Here you are, miss," the waitress said.
"Thanks," Mimi said as she sat her paper aside to make room for the waitress to set her drink down.
"Hey," the waitress began, "aren't you Mimi Rodgers?"
"Yes, actually," Mimi answered as she looked into her starstruck fan's glowing face.
"I saw your performance last night, you were great," the waitress said, "could I get your autograph?"
This was different, it use to be that Mimi would perform and the next day at school everyone returns to their day-in-and-day-out business, but ever since last night she has this elevated sense of importance to her. She grew a fanbase off of one performance. People liked her. Girls wanted to grow up to be like her, or so a few said as she passed then on their way to the schoolhouse built in the belly of this ship.
"Um, sure, I guess," Mimi said, a little startled at her newfound fame. She thought it was cute when the schoolgirls had asked, but the waitress was one of Mimi's peers. She had to be around eighteen or nineteen years of age to Mimi's eighteen years.
The waitress took out her notepad and her pen and handed it to Mimi who signed it with her name and a short message, something like, "keep up the good work." She glanced up to see the girl's name tag on her blouse and filled it into the message. After she handed it over, Mimi became critical about her message, "keep up the good work," that sounded lousy. Like being a waitress is a glorifying job. But in any case the girl was happy and she went to go show off her friends in the back.
Mimi drifted off in her own little fantasy world until a shadow loomed over her.
"Good morning, sunshine," Stan said with his bright smiling gleaming on his face.
"Stan, please, sit," Mimi said with some excitement from behind her words.
He then sat down noted the newspaper by Mimi's side.
"So, superstar, what will you be doing now," Stan asked warmly, a slight chuckle added to his line.
"This is so crazy, I've never had any experience like this before, it's like the whole ship knows who I am," Mimi said, her head spinning from all of the fame.
"I know what you mean, when I did my first play back home I became a bit of a hometown celebrity," Stan said, fueling Mimi's flame.
"You never told me where you were from," Mimi brought up.
"I was born and raise in California but as the Global Civil War escalated and my home became a warzone, my family and I moved to France, I lived there ever since, and then I came to Macross Island," Stan said.
"France, how romantic," Mimi added.
"It was a very beautiful place to grow up in, when I was in my secondary school I enrolled in an acting academy. After graduation I played a part in Shakespear's MacBeth."
"MacBeth, I did that one in my senior year, I played the part of Lady MacBeth," Mimi added.
"Really, I played MacBeth," Stan said. His hand moved over the back of her hand on the table.
Mimi froze as she locked her gaze with his. His hand felt warm on top of hers and her other hand lost control of her stirring her drink and the cup tipped over.
Mimi shrieked for a moment as she stood up, the cappuccino spilled all over the table.
"I'll get it," Stan said as he took his napkins to clean up the spill.
Stan seemed like the perfect gentleman, everything Dave was not. Dave had always been a trouble maker since highschool, that is, the few times he felt like going to school. He was rude, boorish, and jealous. He makes dates, only to break them off later.
"Thanks," Mimi said as she took her seat.
Dave sat out on the patio of the Lynn Chinese Restaurant. He faced the cafe across the street with a copy of the newspaper in front of him to keep him incognito. He watched as Stan wooed Mimi at a distance.
"Here you are," Minmei said as she sat Dave's tea by his side.
"Hey, thanks," Dave said.
"There's something the matter, isn't there," Minmei asked.
"Huh?"
"I know I don't know you as well as Hikaru does, but he does tell me bits and pieces of You and Mimi," Minmei started. She pulled out a seat at Dave's table and sat down.
"He did, did he," Dave said aloud as he now sees why he shouldn't tell the boys about his love life.
"So what's wrong," Minmei pressed. Her almond shape eyes were filled with sincerity.
"Well," Dave started and then looked at Minmei. He notice how her eyes twinkled slightly. She looked very attractive, especially in her waitress costume, a replica of a very fine Chinese servant gown, he could see why Cadet Ichijo found her so special. "It's this other guy, Stan, the guy who acted with her last night at the play."
"You don't think that they're involved, do you," Minmei asked, she looked saddened by the news.
"I don't know, I'm trying to find out," Dave said in a lower tone.
"It sounds like someone's got a case of the green eyes," Minmei giggled. Her laugh was so sweet. Dave smiled as he heard her, he felt as if her laughter alone had elevated his mood.
"You know what I do when I'm upset," Minmei asked Dave, a little coyly, "I sing."
"Are you suggesting that I sing about me losing my girl, no way," Dave snorted.
"Well, I guess it doesn't work for everybody, what do you do?"
Dave blurted out his answer without even thinking, "I drink."
"Oh, that must be pretty hard then, being on the ship and all with the all the drinks down on Earth, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Dave laughed at himself and his drinkless situation. Alcohol was placed on the contraband list and it was all disposed of if any civilian tried to bring it on board during the evacuation. "So, you sing."
"Yeah, a lot of people tell me that I'm really quite good at it," she said. Suddenly Minmei was full of life as she felt that Dave was interested in her talent.
"The closest I ever got to that was back in school, I was in a garage band, I tried to play the guitar but all I could play were a few power chords and a few cheesy songs that everyone starts off at learning with."
"Were you guys any good," she asked.
"Not really but we had a lot of fun doing it, we played a friend's party and that was about it, I didn't even have my own guitar, I was borrowing it from this other guy until he got his arm out of a cast," Dave said. He laughed at this memory, it was a good one. the band had Luke on bass, this other kid on drums, Dave on guitar, and they had this one guy sing for them, if you could call it singing.
"At least you appreciate music, there are a lot of people who don't," Minmei said.
"I think everyone enjoys music, they just have to find what they like, you have to come from another planet not to like music," Dave laughed.
"I guess that's true," Minmei thought. "Hey," she started, "would you like to hear me sing a little bit for you, I bet that will help you."
"Um, sure," Dave stumbled.
Minmei shut her eyes to recall a song and then she cleared her voice with a very soft and feminine cough. After finding her pitch she began to sing something in Chinese. It was beautiful, even if Dave didn't know what she was saying. He just sat there and watched her sing her little song, mesmerized. She was better than she let on. A voice like that, on Earth, could get signed to a record deal. If Minmei really worked on it she can become a star.
Minmei finished and then blushed. She felt a little embarrassed, she had only sung that song in front of her family and for Hikaru, Dave was practically a stranger, she only knew him through reputation.
"That was beautiful," Dave said slowly as he still heard her words drift through his mind.
"Thank you, it's a little love song," she said, still blushing.
Dave sat his hand on top of hers, without even thinking, "That was awesome, with a voice like that, Minmei, you can be famous."
"You think so, Dave," she said, her eyes sparkling at the news.
"I'd bet the farm on it," he added.
"Thank you very much," she said as she allowed her hands to be cupped by Dave's.
Hikaru Ichijo rounded the corner to where his girlfriend's family restaurant was. He thought that he would surprise her, after all, he has been very busy these days, being a pilot now for the UN Spacy. He bought some flowers and was going to see if she would take the morning off and spend time with him in the park. But as he came a bit closer he saw David Monroe holding her hands and the two were laughing.
"Bastard," he cursed as he threw the flowers down to the floor. He felt a rage like he had never felt before. He crushed the flowers under the heel of his boot and walked away.
Meanwhile, back at the cafe, Stan and Mimi had been talking about a great many of things over their brunch. Most of the topics came back to Dave.
"Well, from what I know, relationships tend to die out from time to time, it happens to everyone, whether they'd like to admit it or not," Stan said.
"I know, I just keep telling myself that this will last, we've been together since highschool," Mimi said with a smallish voice.
"This is just another growing pain, this is probably your first long term and serious relationship, break ups can be hard," Stan added.
"I know, I just," she trailed off, "I just don't know what to do. Part of me wants to celebrate and enjoy myself, but the other part of me is dying inside."
"I think you should do whatever makes you happy, Mimi, if there's something that's making you sad, you should do something about it," Stan added, his hand gently stroking hers.
"You're probably right," she concluded. She then got up to leave.
"Mimi," Stan started.
She turned around, she bravely kept her composure, not wanting to break down at the peek of her success aboard the ship.
"I would like to see you again, tonight at the movie theater, if you're up to it."
Mimi thought about this for a moment and then she remembered what Stan had told her to do, find a way to keep herself happy and remove the problem that's keeping her down. She figured that Dave was most likely on duty tonight anyways.
"I see you around eight," she asked with her confirmation.
"Eight it is, ciao," Stan said with his smile.
"Here you are, miss," the waitress said.
"Thanks," Mimi said as she sat her paper aside to make room for the waitress to set her drink down.
"Hey," the waitress began, "aren't you Mimi Rodgers?"
"Yes, actually," Mimi answered as she looked into her starstruck fan's glowing face.
"I saw your performance last night, you were great," the waitress said, "could I get your autograph?"
This was different, it use to be that Mimi would perform and the next day at school everyone returns to their day-in-and-day-out business, but ever since last night she has this elevated sense of importance to her. She grew a fanbase off of one performance. People liked her. Girls wanted to grow up to be like her, or so a few said as she passed then on their way to the schoolhouse built in the belly of this ship.
"Um, sure, I guess," Mimi said, a little startled at her newfound fame. She thought it was cute when the schoolgirls had asked, but the waitress was one of Mimi's peers. She had to be around eighteen or nineteen years of age to Mimi's eighteen years.
The waitress took out her notepad and her pen and handed it to Mimi who signed it with her name and a short message, something like, "keep up the good work." She glanced up to see the girl's name tag on her blouse and filled it into the message. After she handed it over, Mimi became critical about her message, "keep up the good work," that sounded lousy. Like being a waitress is a glorifying job. But in any case the girl was happy and she went to go show off her friends in the back.
Mimi drifted off in her own little fantasy world until a shadow loomed over her.
"Good morning, sunshine," Stan said with his bright smiling gleaming on his face.
"Stan, please, sit," Mimi said with some excitement from behind her words.
He then sat down noted the newspaper by Mimi's side.
"So, superstar, what will you be doing now," Stan asked warmly, a slight chuckle added to his line.
"This is so crazy, I've never had any experience like this before, it's like the whole ship knows who I am," Mimi said, her head spinning from all of the fame.
"I know what you mean, when I did my first play back home I became a bit of a hometown celebrity," Stan said, fueling Mimi's flame.
"You never told me where you were from," Mimi brought up.
"I was born and raise in California but as the Global Civil War escalated and my home became a warzone, my family and I moved to France, I lived there ever since, and then I came to Macross Island," Stan said.
"France, how romantic," Mimi added.
"It was a very beautiful place to grow up in, when I was in my secondary school I enrolled in an acting academy. After graduation I played a part in Shakespear's MacBeth."
"MacBeth, I did that one in my senior year, I played the part of Lady MacBeth," Mimi added.
"Really, I played MacBeth," Stan said. His hand moved over the back of her hand on the table.
Mimi froze as she locked her gaze with his. His hand felt warm on top of hers and her other hand lost control of her stirring her drink and the cup tipped over.
Mimi shrieked for a moment as she stood up, the cappuccino spilled all over the table.
"I'll get it," Stan said as he took his napkins to clean up the spill.
Stan seemed like the perfect gentleman, everything Dave was not. Dave had always been a trouble maker since highschool, that is, the few times he felt like going to school. He was rude, boorish, and jealous. He makes dates, only to break them off later.
"Thanks," Mimi said as she took her seat.
Dave sat out on the patio of the Lynn Chinese Restaurant. He faced the cafe across the street with a copy of the newspaper in front of him to keep him incognito. He watched as Stan wooed Mimi at a distance.
"Here you are," Minmei said as she sat Dave's tea by his side.
"Hey, thanks," Dave said.
"There's something the matter, isn't there," Minmei asked.
"Huh?"
"I know I don't know you as well as Hikaru does, but he does tell me bits and pieces of You and Mimi," Minmei started. She pulled out a seat at Dave's table and sat down.
"He did, did he," Dave said aloud as he now sees why he shouldn't tell the boys about his love life.
"So what's wrong," Minmei pressed. Her almond shape eyes were filled with sincerity.
"Well," Dave started and then looked at Minmei. He notice how her eyes twinkled slightly. She looked very attractive, especially in her waitress costume, a replica of a very fine Chinese servant gown, he could see why Cadet Ichijo found her so special. "It's this other guy, Stan, the guy who acted with her last night at the play."
"You don't think that they're involved, do you," Minmei asked, she looked saddened by the news.
"I don't know, I'm trying to find out," Dave said in a lower tone.
"It sounds like someone's got a case of the green eyes," Minmei giggled. Her laugh was so sweet. Dave smiled as he heard her, he felt as if her laughter alone had elevated his mood.
"You know what I do when I'm upset," Minmei asked Dave, a little coyly, "I sing."
"Are you suggesting that I sing about me losing my girl, no way," Dave snorted.
"Well, I guess it doesn't work for everybody, what do you do?"
Dave blurted out his answer without even thinking, "I drink."
"Oh, that must be pretty hard then, being on the ship and all with the all the drinks down on Earth, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Dave laughed at himself and his drinkless situation. Alcohol was placed on the contraband list and it was all disposed of if any civilian tried to bring it on board during the evacuation. "So, you sing."
"Yeah, a lot of people tell me that I'm really quite good at it," she said. Suddenly Minmei was full of life as she felt that Dave was interested in her talent.
"The closest I ever got to that was back in school, I was in a garage band, I tried to play the guitar but all I could play were a few power chords and a few cheesy songs that everyone starts off at learning with."
"Were you guys any good," she asked.
"Not really but we had a lot of fun doing it, we played a friend's party and that was about it, I didn't even have my own guitar, I was borrowing it from this other guy until he got his arm out of a cast," Dave said. He laughed at this memory, it was a good one. the band had Luke on bass, this other kid on drums, Dave on guitar, and they had this one guy sing for them, if you could call it singing.
"At least you appreciate music, there are a lot of people who don't," Minmei said.
"I think everyone enjoys music, they just have to find what they like, you have to come from another planet not to like music," Dave laughed.
"I guess that's true," Minmei thought. "Hey," she started, "would you like to hear me sing a little bit for you, I bet that will help you."
"Um, sure," Dave stumbled.
Minmei shut her eyes to recall a song and then she cleared her voice with a very soft and feminine cough. After finding her pitch she began to sing something in Chinese. It was beautiful, even if Dave didn't know what she was saying. He just sat there and watched her sing her little song, mesmerized. She was better than she let on. A voice like that, on Earth, could get signed to a record deal. If Minmei really worked on it she can become a star.
Minmei finished and then blushed. She felt a little embarrassed, she had only sung that song in front of her family and for Hikaru, Dave was practically a stranger, she only knew him through reputation.
"That was beautiful," Dave said slowly as he still heard her words drift through his mind.
"Thank you, it's a little love song," she said, still blushing.
Dave sat his hand on top of hers, without even thinking, "That was awesome, with a voice like that, Minmei, you can be famous."
"You think so, Dave," she said, her eyes sparkling at the news.
"I'd bet the farm on it," he added.
"Thank you very much," she said as she allowed her hands to be cupped by Dave's.
Hikaru Ichijo rounded the corner to where his girlfriend's family restaurant was. He thought that he would surprise her, after all, he has been very busy these days, being a pilot now for the UN Spacy. He bought some flowers and was going to see if she would take the morning off and spend time with him in the park. But as he came a bit closer he saw David Monroe holding her hands and the two were laughing.
"Bastard," he cursed as he threw the flowers down to the floor. He felt a rage like he had never felt before. He crushed the flowers under the heel of his boot and walked away.
Meanwhile, back at the cafe, Stan and Mimi had been talking about a great many of things over their brunch. Most of the topics came back to Dave.
"Well, from what I know, relationships tend to die out from time to time, it happens to everyone, whether they'd like to admit it or not," Stan said.
"I know, I just keep telling myself that this will last, we've been together since highschool," Mimi said with a smallish voice.
"This is just another growing pain, this is probably your first long term and serious relationship, break ups can be hard," Stan added.
"I know, I just," she trailed off, "I just don't know what to do. Part of me wants to celebrate and enjoy myself, but the other part of me is dying inside."
"I think you should do whatever makes you happy, Mimi, if there's something that's making you sad, you should do something about it," Stan added, his hand gently stroking hers.
"You're probably right," she concluded. She then got up to leave.
"Mimi," Stan started.
She turned around, she bravely kept her composure, not wanting to break down at the peek of her success aboard the ship.
"I would like to see you again, tonight at the movie theater, if you're up to it."
Mimi thought about this for a moment and then she remembered what Stan had told her to do, find a way to keep herself happy and remove the problem that's keeping her down. She figured that Dave was most likely on duty tonight anyways.
"I see you around eight," she asked with her confirmation.
"Eight it is, ciao," Stan said with his smile.