Wow, I was so surprised I got the feedback that I did and I thank each and everyone who reviewed. You ppl really are the best and most supportive online. Anyways, because of all the suggestions for different couples and stuff, which really did start to change my mind a little, I may consider changing them so as you read the story don't stop because your favorite couple aren't leaning towards each other because I'll tell you straight forward THE COUPLES ARE GOING TO BE MIXING UP AND NOTHING IS GOING TO BE AS IT SEEMS! Ok, now that I got that out of the way, I'll shut up now. I don't own SM or GW or MTV, or any clubs, drinks, etc. that may appear in this. So, please don't sue!
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The girls all climbed out of Raye's mustang, which they had all decided to ride in together, and walked towards the large building in front of them. There were production people everywhere along with bodyguards, back up dancers and singers who would all be going on tour with them in just one month's time. Serena yawned hugely then glanced down at her watch and let out a groan. "I can't believe it's actually 7:45, in the morning, and I'm awake at my own will." She mumbled, one hand running through her blonde hair and the other clinched around the almost empty orange juice carton that she had picked up on the way to the studio.
"Well, this isn't exactly on your own will sense Sets said that we all had to be here but I assume that's the four hours of sleep talking." Mina said, fully awake after eating two sausage rolls and drinking a whole Carmel Cappuccino and two shots of straight espresso. All the girls had to stay up because their vocal coach, a wicked woman who went by the name Michiru Kaiou, came over after they got back from the tour meeting and they had stayed up until two in the morning trying to pick out which songs they were going to do and working on some new ones that they were planning to put on their next CD but were also having in the tour.
"I...need...sleep." Ami croaked out grumpily, her voice hoarse from the late night practice. She was leaning on Lita, her head resting on the taller girls' shoulder. She had had a grand total of and hour and a half of sleep the previous night because she had a report to work on. She, unlike the rest of the girls, was doing a college summer program via e-mail that was probably doing more harm then good considering she was going to be working none stop for the next four months.
"It's ok Ames, we'll see if Sets will let you sit out for a while." Lita said patting the shorter girl's shoulder which she got an elongated groan in response.
"Hey you guys, long time no see!" A New York accented voice said coming out of the practice studio. Serena's eyes immediately lit up at the sight of her 'favorite back up dancer in the whole wide world.'
"MOLLY!" Serena yelled running into the arms of the red head she had been best friends with in middle school, forgetting her recent grumbling spell. "How have you been?"
"Pretty good, you'll never guess what!" She said happily as she held up her left hand. All the girls crowded around her when Serena squealed.
"Look at the size of that rock!" Raye said pointing at the diamond on Molly's ring finger.
"Melvin finally proposed!" Molly said and all the girls hugged and congratulated her.
"How come you never called?" Serena asked and Molly laughed.
"You're not exactly listed in the phone book and besides, you guys are really hard to get a hold of. I told your mom but I guess you haven't been able to talk to her." Molly said to Serena and she shrugged.
"True, well, when is the wedding?" Serena asked, still studying the ring with a bit of held in jealousy. It had always been her dream to be married and start a family and now that it was happening to her friend it made her feel even farther from her dream. Molly and Melvin had been the 'it tour couple' on their previous tour. Melvin was the keyboard player for their live band and Molly a back up dancer but they had been together since they were 14 and now that they were 21 they were even more close.
"Well it's not gonna be for a while, but don't worry, you'll all get an invite!" Molly said and the girls giggled.
"Alright, alright, you'll have time for gossip later, now we've to work on choreography!" A voice, conjoined with clapping, said. All the girls looked up and Serena felt a knot form in her stomach. Darien Shields walked out of the studio looking as strict as ever. Ami let out another groan while Raye rolled her eyes and lead the stomping and muttering group into the building, which seemed to be lacking air conditioning but because they were in LA, the early morning coldness and fog that was looming over the city it felt a little cooler.
"I didn't know Darien was going to be the choreo." Serena muttered to Raye as she looked around the room. There were blue gymnast mats covering most of the floor and a floor to ceiling mirror stretched the length of a wall. There were dancers stretching and warming up all over the room in clusters, one of which Molly joined. A few of the dancers looked up when the group walked in the room and whispered to one another, excitement apparent even from being across the room.
"Hopefully he's not gonna be as big of an asshole as he was last year." Raye said as she waved to a few of the dancers she recognized from their last tour then sat down and began to stretch like Mina, Lita and a reluctant Ami were doing. Serena slid down in the splits next to her, briefly thanking her mother for putting her in ballet when she was younger, and began to stretch.
"I don't think that's a possibility. So are the guys going to be practicing with us?" She asked, hoping that they weren't. First day practice was bad enough without five critics standing right there. Besides, two ex's in one room was way too awkward...ever.
"Who's the guys?" Raye asked, though she knew perfectly well who. Serena groaned.
"Those 'incompetent, ignorant, pompous jackasses'" Serena said and Raye grinned.
"No, they're going to be over in studio 10 working on vocals this morning, at 3:00 we switch." Raye said and Serena groaned again. "7 hours of fun with Darien, oh joy..."
*In studio 10*
"Do you guys know where the girls are?" Duo asked as he and the guys walked towards the practice room in studio 10 where they were going to work on the vocal part of rehearsal.
"They should be in studio 9. Why?" Quatre asked taking the water bottle that one of the workers had set out for them on a table.
"Because today's the day I get revenge." Duo said and all the guys sighed. Duo, on a mission, where two things that should never be mixed together. Especially when that mission could possibly embarrass himself.
"Just let it go. Raye was getting you back for the comment you said." Trowa said and Duo shook his head.
"Do you know how long it takes to wash my hair then re-braid this thing?" Duo said playing with the tip of his characteristic braid.
"No, nor do we care." Wufei said finally coming to a stop in front of a large white, metal door. He pushed it open and they all filed into a large cold room. It had a high ceiling and looked like a small concert could be held there and had kind of an echoing appeal to it. There were people already set up behind multi-leveled keyboards, basses, guitars, drums, and an arrange of other instruments needed for a live show.
"There you guys are, I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up!" A high pitched voice said and a blonde woman stood up from behind a piano that was sitting to the left of the keyboards.
"What are you doing here Miss Relena?" Quatre asked, noticing how Heero visibly tensed when she stood up.
"Well, I'm going to be one of your corresponding singers as well as a back up dancer on the tour." She said excitingly. Her bright blue eyes wandered over to Heero for a second then snapped to the door as it opened again and a young woman with teal shoulder length hair walked in, followed by a tall blonde who could have passed for a guy had she not been wearing a tight tank top and jogging pants, suggesting otherwise. "Who are you?" Relena snapped and the teal haired woman looked at her oddly.
"I should be asking you the same thing. I'm Michiru Meiou and I was hired to work on vocals with the group Complete, no one else was mentioned." She said in a dignified tone. The blonde next to her looked at Relena then at the guys in a way that clearly said that she could whip the tar out of all of them if she wanted to and would have fun doing it.
"Oh, well I'm Relena Peacecraft. I'm a corresponding vocal." She said proudly and the woman smiled.
"Oh, well these practices are strictly for the performers who are headlining. All back up singers have practice next week while the performers are being fitted for their wardrobe." Michiru said and Relena looked a little shocked and insulted.
"I am not a back up singer, nor do I appreciate being called one." She said and Michiru raised a delicately arched eyebrow.
"Well, whatever you call yourself, you'll have to do so while leaving because as I said before, all rehearsals are closed to the public, now if you'll excuse me and these nice young men, we have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. So if you would make your hast in leaving the studio, it would be greatly appreciated." Relena stood there looking a little hurt before she nodded, picked up her purse and walked out of the studio mumbling.
Michiru put the small Prada bag she wore on the ground and the woman next to her walked over to the piano that Relena had been at and took a seat. All the guys focused on the teal haired woman. "Ok, now with that out of the way we can begin working. I hope you guys haven't been drinking any juices, eating any sweets, preferably chocolate, or anything else that can clog your vocal cords because you will be working them today. In a month you will be in a huge stadium that seats 15,000 and by the time we're done working here the person at the very top in the last seat on the last row will be able to hear you, well over the fans." All the guys looked at each other seemly worried.
5 hours later the guys walked out of the studio
"I'm glad that's over." Duo said as they walked out of the cold studio, all to them had a more blue tint to their skin then they had when they walked in. Apparently Michiru had a belief that if the temperature it kept colder then your voice stayed on pitch, despite the risk of getting pneumonia.
"You mean, almost over. We still have another two and half more hours with that psychotic onna." Wufei said and a voice chuckled behind them.
"The next time you try to talk about your instructor make sure they're not walking behind you!" Michiru said laughing as she walked outside into the warm LA smog filled air, Haruka walking after her.
"When do we switch?" Duo asked happy to be on lunch but feeling very tired of practicing already. He rubbed his empty stomach feeling bad that he had woken up last and didn't have time to eat before they had to leave for the studio.
"After our next vocal session." Heero said pushing open the door that Michiru and Haruka just walked out of. The two were walking towards a silver truck. He noticed how close to the two women were and raised an eyebrow but Quatre's voice interrupted his wonderings.
"Let's go see what the girls are doing." He suggested. All the guys shrugged and headed for studio 9. They pushed their way through the group of workers who were gathered at the door, looking into the studio. They all got in and stood along the wall and watched the girls practice. The room was a lot more warm and sticky feeling then studio 10. There were dancers flocked around the five girls dancing in the middle of the room to one of their fast songs.
"They're pretty good, but we've got them." Duo said leaning over to Trowa who ignored his very talkative friend.
Serena almost rolled her eyes when she noticed the five guys file in and stand right in front of them like some kind of judges. She glanced to the left to see Raye looking extremely annoyed and muttering to herself. Serena smiled then as the bridge of the song approached and she jumped into a hitch kick like they practiced and landed down in a crouched position. She didn't have to look up to see the other girls were all in the same position, she was in the back right end of the pyramid that all the girls formed and their dancers were scattered around beside them all. Ami's solo in the song came and the blue haired girl, who was now in the middle of the pyramid, stood up and began lip-singing her part. Serena could almost feel her friend blush. She wasn't very good at performing alone, especially when one of the guy back up dancers and trotting around her as if he were courting her like was happening now. She was supposed to be acting as if she were uninterested but wasn't giving the full affect sense she kept blushing.
"Alright stop! Ames, what's wrong?" Serena pulled herself up to see Darien walking towards her stammering friend who was looking very irritated with herself and the number of times they had done this song, well more specifically, this scene.
"Dare, why can't we just change that part it's obviously making Ami uncomfortable." Lita said running a hand through her thick brown hair, which had long since lost it's multi-million dollar super star appearance.
"Because it's going to look really good once it gets worked out. This is only the first practice." Darien said and Ami sighed.
"Alright, then let's break. Look the guys are here and it's time for lunch." Mina said pointing across the room at the five gathered along the wall.
"Alright fine." Darien walked away from the group and they all walked towards the wall the guys were sitting along. The people who had gathered to watch scattered back outside and a few dancers went after them, obviously going on their regular smoke breaks or trying to catch the food trolley that normally went around.
"What are you guys doing here?" Mina asked plopping down on the ground tiredly.
"Getting away from the evil witch who's working us to death in vocals." Duo said and all the girls laughed.
"Michiru's not that bad. You just have to get to know her." Lita said.
"You know her?" Heero asked and Raye nodded, smirking to herself.
"Yea, she's been our vocal coach since we first got started. But if you can't take it I'm sure they could find someone else." Wufei was about to comment when Serena jumped in.
"But enough about that, we have an hour and I feel like getting something to eat, you guys wanna come with?" Serena asked snatching the water that her brother was holding. Quatre looked at her and she simply winked at him and he smiled back at her.
"Finally!" Duo all but cheered.
"Great, there's a Micky D's about two blocks from here." Mina said holding up her hands. Duo grabbed them and pulled her to her feet.
"Someone who speaks my language. Foodese!" He said and Mina laughed.
"Well no one's more fluent in that then Sere." Mina said putting her arm over the other blonde's shoulder.
"Let's go before Darien grows a brain and realizes that he's actually the planets biggest idiot." Raye said then looked at the guys. "After you all that is." She added. Yet again Wufei was about to comment when Ami cleared her voice.
"Do you guys have a larger car. All we've got is Raye's mustang." She said in a small voice which sounded like the complete opposite of her singing one.
"Yea. We brought my Excursion. It should be able to fit everyone." Trowa said and Mina smiled.
"Then let's go! Shot gun!" She yelled running outside. The rest of the group filed out of the room and headed towards the large black suburban the was just outside, Mina leaning against the passenger side door. Trowa jumped in the drivers side and unlocked the doors and everyone climbed in. The trip to the restaurant was mainly quiet besides Mina and Duo singing along loudly to the songs on the radio and Raye and Serena trying to cheer up Ami, who seemed to be a little gloomy from Darien's 'constructive criticism.'
"Seriously, don't even listen to him. I mean, why do you think I broke up with him?" Serena said then slapped her hand over her mouth. She didn't have to look back to see Wufei raising an eyebrow at her.
"You went out with him?" Duo asked leaning up from the chair behind she, Raye and Ami.
"For a while but a heck of a lot longer time then when we went out." Raye said and Duo looked at her.
"You went out with him too?" He said then laughed. "Lucky bastard!"
"I didn't know you two went out." Quatre said, his eyebrows fusing together. Serena frowned, the last thing she wanted was her brother worrying about her.
"It was only for like a year. It's nothing really." She said.
"Besides, it doesn't matter because I personally think Serena's still stuck on her last boyfriend. Whoever the hell that is. She won't tell anyone." Mina said looking from the front seat. Wufei almost chocked on the water he was drinking when he heard that and Serena buried her head in her hands, blushing furiously. Ami and Quatre merely smiled knowing smiles.
"Hey, you ok Wu-man?" Duo asked patting his friend on the back.
"I'm fine and it's Wufei. Hey Mina, why do you say that anyways?" He asked and Mina was opening her mouth when Serena yelled that they were there. They all got out and walked inside. Luckily there were only a few people inside. They ordered, noticing how jittery all the people who worked there had become as soon as they walked in the door. They paid, even though the manager had said they didn't have to, got their numbers and sat down waiting for their food to get done.
"Excuse us, but can we get your autographs." Two little nine year old girls said walking over to their table. Their mother was sitting a few tables away smiling at them. Them and an elderly couple sitting at the back of the room were the only people other then employees there.
"Sure!" Duo said looking around for a pen. Mina pulled one from her purse and signed the T-shirts that the girls were asking to get signed. She passed the pen around and everyone signed then gave out hugs and the two girls ran back to their mother, giggling.
"Sometimes I love being famous." Mina said smiling as she put her pen back in her bag. Their order was called and Lita and Trowa offered to go get them.
"Yea, but sometimes it's annoying." Quatre said.
"Like when you're being stalked." Raye said.
"I know how that feels..." Heero muttered right as Trowa put a huge brown tray of greasy, fattening food in front of him.
"Aww, nourishment!" Duo said grabbing a few fries and stuffing them in his mouth.
"Hey, those were mine!" Serena said and Duo just smiled and grabbed a few more then stuffed them in his mouth again.
After about 30 minutes of scarfing down everything in sight and even going back for more in Duo's case, they finished, all feeling completely full. "Do you know how many crunches we're going to have to do when Haruka hears about this?" Lita said patting her almost non-existent stomach.
"Well then I guess she won't hear about it then." Raye said sipping on her lemonade. There was a light buzzing sound and Ami let out a yelp and jumped causing everyone to look at her as she pulled out a small cell phone, pushed a button and held it up to her ear.
"Hello?" She asked then a broad smile broke out across her face. "Greg where are you?" All the girls laughed and turned back to their own conversations. Lita was trying to get Heero and Trowa to talk while Mina flirted with Wufei who was trying to ignore her and talk to Raye and Quatre about something on the tour.
"Who's Greg?" Duo asked pointing a thumb at Ami's phone as she continued to talk and laugh.
"That would be Ami's boyfriend of two and a half years." Serena said putting her feet up in the chair across from hers while sinking lower in her own.
"I didn't know she had a boyfriend." Quatre said turning from Raye and Wufei who had turned their conversation to something about martial arts and Serena shrugged.
"They really keep it on the hush. He's not in the business and Ames doesn't want him to be thrust into the harsh brutality that is Hollywood." She said over dramatically. She looked over at Ami who was now frowning slightly, her brows creased together.
"So you're not going to make it...again?" Serena watched as the light that had come into her friend's eyes when she answered the phone died down even more. "Oh, yea I understand. I just miss you that's all."
"Aww, how sweet." Duo said blinking rapidly. Serena picked up her empty fry box and threw it at him then continued listening in on her friend's conversation. She knew it was probably private but all the girls were basically like sisters and she was going to find out sooner or later what was said. Might as well be sooner...
"Well am I going to see you before we go on tour?" Ami asked and her eyes brightened up again. "You promise?" Finally a smile broke across her face. "Ok, well I'll let you go so you can get back to work...alright I'll tell her...see you then and have fun...I'll miss you too...you too...bye!" Ami hung up and put her phone back in her pocket.
"What'd he say?" Serena asked leaning towards her friend.
"Well, he's in Japan right now so he won't be able to visit until he's done there but he'll be down here for our 4th of July tour launching party. Oh yea, he wishes you a happy 19th in case he can't call until he comes back." Ami said and Serena smiled.
"That sucks so you won't get to see him for another month." Raye asked and Ami nodded looking a little sad.
"But hey, I couldn't see him that much even if he was here. We practice all day." Ami said and the girls nodded.
"Speaking of which we should be heading back by now." Lita said looking at her watch.
"Do we have to?" Mina asked groaning and Lita laughed and stood up.
"The sooner we get done the sooner we can go home and actually sleep more then 4 hours!" She said grabbing Mina's hands and pulling her to her feet.
"I think we've been leaked to the paparazzi." Trowa said pointing outside where a group of 10 or so men were photographing them from across the street. Raye rolled her eyes.
"I'm so tired of them. I wish they'd get lives of their own and leave ours alone." She grumbled as she stood up.
"Might as well go now, they'll try to follow us if they don't get any pictures." Serena said.
"Hold up, got to get my lucky middle finger ready, they really like that." Mina said smiling cheekily and all the girls laughed. Everyone stood up and walked towards the door. Immediately a shower of flashing lights was coming from every angle, including from some guy who was hidden in the bushes next to the door. A plethora of 'Look this way' and 'Look up!' and a lot of other, extremely trivial questions were shouted at them. They all tried to ignore the crazy people with cameras as they headed towards the car.
"So did you all learn to get along and come on this 5 way date?" One of them asked and Mina turned around.
"No way, we just came here to get our energy up, we're really about to head back to Heero's house and have a huge orgy!" Then she climbed in the car and slammed the door.
The guy yelled, "Hey can I quote you on that?!", before Trowa tore out of the parking lot.
"An orgy?" Serena asked raising an eyebrow at her fellow blonde and Mina just shrugged while Duo tried to suppress his laughter in the back.
*Later in the day*
The girls were in the middle of their vocal practice with Michiru and Haruka when Setsuna walked in. "Good after noon ladies." She said to Michiru and Haruka. The band stopped playing and everyone looked over at the girls' manager.
"Hey Sets, what's up?" Lita asked the green haired woman in front of them. Setsuna was dawned in a maroon business suit with a cream silk shirt under it. It was a suit just like the one she was wearing when the girls signed to the Planetary Records label only this one was with pants instead of a knee length skirt.
"Andrew needs to talk to you about your ideas for your first entrance so that our designing company can beginning to get ideas and the set and lighting configuration can get worked out." Setsuna said and the girls looked at each other. They hadn't even thought about an opening. They normally left it to Andrew, who was their tour production manager, but they had said that they wanted to be included on more of the decisions on this tour compared to the last, which they only had say on some of their wardrobe pieces.
"Uh sure." Raye said uncertainly. She unfolded her legs and stood up, the rest of the girls behind her and they followed Setsuna outside. The sun was a starting to set a little, showing that it was around 7 or so. They passed studio 10. Inside were the guys who were practicing and looking about as sweaty as the girls were when they had practice. Suddenly Lita laughed.
"I've got a great idea for our opening!" She said to the other girls. They all grouped around her and she told them the idea. They all smiled and nodded then continued to follow Setsuna to studio 5 where Andrew was directing people around. Laughing about how fun it would be.
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What will the mysterious opening be.....? Who are the couples.....? Will Raye ever stop dishing on the guy.....? The answers will come if you send me more reviews. Just tell me what you think even if it's in flame form! Thankies and I love every single person who reviewed the 1st chapter and even those who didn't! See you in the next chapter!
