AUTHOR'S NOTES: C'mon you reviewers! Thanks to my loyal reviewers for the great comments on every chapter (you guys know who you are, thanks ^_^), but the rest of you have really got to get on it. The reason I'm writing this fic is for you; so if you don't appreciate it, I'll stop posting. But I'm warning you, it starts heating up at chapter seven, and whoo is it cool! I can't wait to get there, but I'm holding the next chapter hostage until I get twenty-five reviews. That's not too much to ask, being that this is the only chapter fic for MARS besides my other one (as of when I wrote this). You can sign in under different names, I don't mind if it's the same person (just don't tell me, because that would make me feel pitiful). Make me continue, it's your job as the reviewer.
CONTEST RULES: I mentioned the contest in my summery (I hope . . . if I remembered to change it I did), so here are the rules. They're just a few simple guidelines that you've got to follow if I'll accept your opinion (though I think I know which pairing will win).
You must state the first character's name then a slash then the next character's name of your pairing. You must tell why this is a good pairing and give an example from one of the MARS books (please stick to volumes one through five—that's what I've read). The results of this contest will be posted in the November 11 update (I think there will be one on this date) and although you can still give your opinion after this time, it will be null and void to this contest. If I decide not to use the winning pair in this fic, you may state your disapproval, but no flaming. I worked very hard on this, and I think that reviewers should be polite.Okay, those are the rules, so get cracking! The winning pair should be honored and thankful for all of your support! BTW: I'm going to review this chapter myself, just to add something to an unlikely pair. Now read my fic.
What Wasn't Meant To Be by Sushifishie
Chapter Five: Mirror Image
"No," Kira groaned at when Sei repositioned his hand for the thirteenth time. "Not like that, that's not how you had it yesterday! That was my favorite pose!" She walked over to where he was sitting in the chair. The two were alone in the art room after school hours and were of a very few left in the school. Grabbing his hand, she wrenched it into the right position, giving him a look of triumph once she was finished. "That's better."
Sei shrugged and stayed in the pose. He knew how hard it was to draw someone who was moving anything more than their mouth, because even with that slight of a movement it was very difficult. "I'm sure it is. You know what happened yesterday?"
Glancing at him briefly, she continued to make light markings on her sketch pad. Finally, she responded with a short, "What?" too immersed in concentration to say anything more. Her tongue was hanging out of her mouth and she was biting on it as she sketched.
Biting his lip to keep from laughing, he tried his best not too shift too much. "Yesterday, Rei pumped the volume on our speakers up really loud, and the guy next door to us turned his up, too. Then someone across the hall did, and eventually they were in a contest to see who had the best speaker system. Rei didn't win, obviously, and it ended up in a fistfight. Not with Rei involved though, it was some guys from down the hall."
"Oh," she replied shortly. After a moment, she sighed and looked up at last. "Sorry, I'm not good company, am I? This is just such a great pose that I'm really trying my best."
"It's all right," Sei smiled. "I know how that is. Once we make it into some fancy art school, we can take all the time we want to intricately sketch the scenery." Kira was giving him a funny look, and he wondered why. Returning her look, she finally spoke up.
"No college for me," she told him with a smile. After receiving a shocked look from Sei, she explained further. "I don't have a Dad anymore. We just can't afford anything that extravagant."
Sei looked at his feet. It wasn't that his family was particularly wealthy; they just weren't that badly off. Sure, their living situation wasn't that pleasant, but their dad's sure was. His dad would even be paying for a college that Rei didn't want to attend, which was a waste of money in his mind. But, then, things aren't ever fair. "So, if you can't go to college, what kind of career do you plan on getting into?" Sei ventured.
"Probably I'll end up being a nun," she said with a laugh. "Look at me now, all I have is my art and my brains, neither of which are useful without a college degree. I might as well be a hermit!"
Sei laughed and shook his head, "You know that isn't true, Kira!"
"Yeah, right," she giggled. "Maybe I'll become a monk and shave my head!"
Completely out of his pose now, Sei was almost rolling on the floor at the thought of a hairless male Kira. Not only was it unpleasant, but it didn't suit her at all! Finally picking himself up, he turned to her and said, "I don't think I can sit still anymore. When do you think I'll stop posing?"
"I can start it after you pose tomorrow," she said. "I'm starting the painting tomorrow, no matter what, so you better not pull anything!"
Holding his hands up in a defensive position, he said, "All right already, all right! I won't do anything!"
Looking satisfied, Kira slinked out of the room. "See you tomorrow," she called over her shoulder. Sei wondered when she had packed up and figured that it had been while he was laughing. She was a smart one.
"Bye, bye!" he hollered in a hyper and childish manner, still giddy about bald Kira. He stepped out of the school property a few minutes later, hurrying home for a change. It hadn't been a long day, but he was very tired. After making his way home, he fell asleep, exhausted on the couch.
* * *
The sun went down over the city and moon rose, but still Sei slept. The bullfrogs croaked and crickets chirped in a nearby marshy area, soon silenced by the chirping birds pondering the arrival of the dawn. At the first sunlight, they hurried out to find some food for their babies. In the apartment, Rei awoke to the alarm clock going off, surprised to find that Sei was still asleep.
Rei walked over to his sleeping brother and shook his shoulder violently. Sei rolled his head a bit, but didn't wake. After shaking again with the same results, Rei gave his brother a swift kick in the rear.
Groaning in pain and rubbing his behind, Sei got up. With a moan, he asked, "What'd you do that for?"
"It's time for school dork-butt," Rei rolled his eyes. "Why aren't you getting up?"
Sei rested his head on his pillow. It was throbbing and he felt nauseous. "I just feel bad."
Suddenly looking concerned, Rei put his forehead to Sei's. "Wow, you're burning up. Maybe you should stay home today, huh?"
"No, way," Sei said. "Kira promised that she'd start the painting today no matter what, but I've still got to pose for one more session. How am I supposed to keep that?"
Rei winked, "Big brother will take care of that for you, little Sei. Now get some sleep. I'm off!" he said, dashing out of the apartment. As he closed the door, he heard his brother's quiet voice thank him. He nodded his head and left the apartment complex.
Rei trudged to school unwillingly. It would be better to stay at home everyday, or at least go back to Los Angeles to race. Although this was the path he had chosen, it wasn't the path that he wanted. If only he hadn't promised to go to high school with Sei! Then, he could be racing around the circuit right at this moment with his uncle beaming at his favorite nephew. School was the last thing that he wanted to be doing right now.
He looked at a crack in the sidewalk. That sidewalk was a lot like his ideal life—people had walked all over it and weeds were beginning to poke through. There was even a crack, like his burst bubble—that symbolized his life right now. Not only was it routine, it wasn't doing any good to him. He slept at school, made money by playing basketball, and lived in a tiny apartment with his brother. This was definitely a crack in the ideal.
Rei drifted from his thoughts at the sound of his name. Turning to look at the unfamiliar voice's speaker, his eyes fell upon his brother's friend Kira Aso. He turned back around, uninterested, but slowed down enough that she could catch up to him. She soon did and gave him a frown.
"Good morning," she said with a slight haughtiness in her voice. Normally, she wouldn't be doing this (talking to a person that she didn't know and addressing them before she was spoken to), but it was for Sei. "Where's your brother? He's supposed to pose for me today."
Rei blinked, "He's sick," and sped up.
Apparently this didn't shake her because she was soon asking, "How's he sick?"
Rolling his eyes, Rei responded, "He had a fever when he woke up this morning."
"Okay," she said, continuing to walk beside him.
For a minute, Rei stared down at the shorter girl wondering how she was keeping an even pace with him. Soon, he noticed her heavy breathing and, without knowing it, slowed down a little. He grinned a little at her determination. "So, what are you going to do since Sei can't model today?"
Kira sighed, "I don't know," she replied honestly. "I really wanted to start painting today, but I still need him to pose for one more day!" As if inspiration struck, she turned at looked at the person next to her. The words mirror and image seemed to connect in her mind, because Rei heard next, "You know, you really look a lot like your brother. Do you think—if it's possible—that you could pose for me in his place?"
Rei held up his hands in a defensive position, "No, no. I never agreed to help him out today with anything."
"But he'd want you to!" Kira pleaded. "Please Rei, I wouldn't ask you unless this was really important!"
Rei took in a deep breath and let out a sigh, "Fine." Kira cheered a little and Rei added as they stepped onto school property, "I'm really going to regret this later, aren't I? Well, now that I've agreed, I'll meet you in the art room after school, all right? I've got to get to class now—maybe I'll be on time for once!"
"Yeah, right!" Kira said having heard stories from Sei about his brother's inevitable tardiness.
Rei ran down the hallways and up some stairs, past the bathrooms and to his homeroom. He looked triumphantly around the room seeing only about twelve other people there. In a minute, many more had joined them, all staring at the early Rei.
"Daa!" Tatsuya said while kicking Rei's back as he took his place behind him. "I saw you walking to school today with some girl. You're only a first year and you're already getting some."
Rei grinned, "Yep. She was at my apartment last night and I didn't get a wink of sleep." Knowing well that Tatsuya was beginning to believe him, he added, "It's my brother's girl, man! You think that I'd really go after her?"
"I dunno, dude, you've done some pretty dumb stuff since I've met you," he grinned, "like when you pulled down that guy's pants when we played the Eastside."
"Those were the days," he replied, looking into the air with dreamy eyes. "Oh, to be young again!"
The teacher walked in the room and started the class and before Rei knew it, he was sleeping, dreaming of pulling down the pants of the Shibuya boys. They were the ones that deserved it.
* * *
Rei pulled open the creaking door to the art room. He'd just gotten out of class fifteen minutes late because Mr. Tachikawa had taken time after his math class to lecture about the times to sleep and the times to be alert and attentive. Not being the most interesting thing he'd ever heard, he'd yawned in the middle of his speech and had to clap erasers for awhile. Now, he was late to his appointment with Kira so the whole art class would stare at him when he walked in.
He felt their eyes on him as he strode into the bright room and took one of the desks next to his painter. She grinned when he sat down so he gave her a half-hearted smirk. Then, he glared at all of the other painters who had been staring as he walked in. They turned away quickly and busied themselves with other work.
"So," Rei started, "what do I do?"
"Let's move into a different room," she said, picking up her supplies and moving to the room next door. "Everyone was staring at us and I can't stand that. They creep me out."
"You're telling me!" Rei exclaimed. "Did you see the looks I got when I walked in there?"
"Yeah," she smiled, "they all thought that you were going to pose . . ." she trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging.
"Naked?" Rei supplied. "Yeah, don't they wish! I'm not, am I?" he asked, giving her a funny look.
"No!" she defended. Just come over here and sit in this chair," she gestured to a nondescript chair in the middle of the room.
Rei walked over and plopped down, "Like this?"
Kira marched over to the chair and grabbed it out from under him. He toppled to the floor and she grimaced, but said nothing. Turning the chair around, she had Rei sit back in it. Then, she took his right hand and had him grasp the bottom of the backrest. His other hand ended up laying flat across the top of the back with his fingers dangling off the edge.
"Perfect!" Kira dubbed as she examined her work. "Now just stay like that so I can sketch you well."
"All right," he agreed.
"So," Kira said after a few moments of silence. "What's he sick with?"
"Just a fever," he said. "He'll be better by the time I get home today, I'll bet."
"What was he like when he was younger?" she question, obviously interested in the answer because she paused briefly with her sketching to look up at him.
Rei thought for a moment then decided, "Pretty much like he is now—a burden and annoying."
"Sei's not
annoying!" she defended.
"Yeah, he is," Rei told
her. "He likes things like walking in
gardens—it's like he's gay or something.
Also, all he ever does is sketch, so you never know when he's listening
and when he's thinking of what he's drawing."
Kira looked up with a red, guilty face, but Rei didn't notice. Instead he continued, "Sometimes, I feel like
I'm his mother. He may get good grades
but that guy lacks common sense."
Kira stared at her sketch unwilling to look at a person who was slandering her friend. It looked different from all the other ones. In talking to Rei that morning and now, she'd found out more about his character, which was completely different from Sei's. His soul was alive in her sketch, so it looked different from the others.
Seeing that Kira still didn't believe him, he ventured further, "Did Sei ever tell you about the last day of school last year?"
"No," she said, still focusing entirely on her drawing.
"Well, then you don't know anything about him. On the last day of junior high, my brother tried to kill himself."
Kira's eyes shot to the speaker and gave a small gasp.
"Yes," Rei continued. "It's hard to believe, but just hear the story. Sei was feeling pretty lousy about not having any friends or something, and then he messed up a painting he'd been working on for a long time. Apparently, he ran up to the roof. I went to the art room because he was late walking home with me. I figured out that he went up to the roof because that's one of his favorite spots (long story about that—I'll tell you some other time). So, then, I run up there after him and see him jump. He won't accept my offer to help, but just does it. So then, he was in the hospital for a long time, and my dad didn't even come to visit him. Both of us got enrolled in counseling, so we've still got to go there a couple times a week. But they say he's better, so I'm sure you have nothing to worry about."
Rei took a breath then admitted, "That's the first time I've ever told anyone that story. Even with my uncle, my dad told him, though it was probably wrong."
Kira just looked at him in shock. Finally, she said, "I'm done with the sketching. Tell Sei that I hope he feels better soon. I've got to go now."
"All right," Rei agreed. "I should probably go check on him anyway. See you some other time, okay?"
"Sure," she said, trying to smile. "Bye," she called, leaving the room.
Crap, Rei thought. I cannot believe that I just told her that. What in the world possessed me to do THAT? In an afterthought, he added, Sei's gonna kill me!
* * *
"How are you feeling?" Rei asked his brother that evening, showing a rare display of sympathy. "Is your fever down yet?"
Sei looked up from where he was laying on his futon. With a pleading look he said, "Don't be mad at me, Rei, but I took some grocery money from the envelope and bought myself one of those fever reducing 'Tylenol' things. But, I feel better now and my temperature's almost back to normal. The cost was worth it."
"How much was it?" he asked, not really caring, but just checking (they'd have to deduct that amount from their weekly spending).
"Just $4.50—I got the economy sized one because it was on sale." Looking at his twin, he added, "Normally priced at $6.00!"
"Good job!" Rei said, giving his brother a high-five. "It was a lucky that you got sick now, huh?"
"I was just thinking that!" Sei exclaimed. "But then, I remembered that I couldn't model for Kira today. Was she really mad?"
"Nah," Rei said, shaking his head. "I was a stand-in. She's a pretty interesting person. I can see why you like her."
Sei gave his brother a fake glare, "Don't be stealing my girl now, you hear?"
"Never!" Rei grinned.
"So, what did I miss at school today?" Sei asked.
Rei thought for a moment, "At the assembly they said something about a trip to the amusement park for the first years. I think it's in a couple of weeks. Cost is $20 per person, but I'm pretty sure that Dad'll be paying for us. I think he's handling—"
"—School costs, I know," Sei put in. "He's gonna pay it. I sure don't have enough cash."
"Neither do I," Rei agreed. "Since I didn't play basketball today, Tatsuya and some of the guys want to hang out at the mall. Do you want—?"
"No thanks," Sei interrupted. "I'm still sick, and that's not really my crowd, you know?"
"Yeah," he said backing out of the apartment. "Kira says that she hopes you feel better soon. I'll be back in an hour or so, okay?"
"Okay, bye!" Sei called after the closing door.
* * *
"Check out the ass on that one!" Takiyama pointed out. "Hey beautiful, wanna come have some fun? I'll make it worth your while!"
The girl scoffed and walked quickly in the opposite direction. Rei, Tatsuya, Hatomi, and Waya laughed at his failure.
"Hey, Taki," Hatomi said. "If you get rejected anymore, we're gonna have to ditch you. Rei's already gotten four phone numbers! I've gotten two, and you know that girls don't take well to faces like these," he said, gesturing to his previously broken nose.
Another girl came up to Rei and started flirting with him. It ended up that she gave him her number, too, adding to Takiyama's discouragement, who really had been rejected more often than necessary.
"I'm tired of this," Tatsuya said glancing at his single slip of paper. Trying to keep peace, he added, "I need some new shades. I heard there's a new shop at the west side of the mall. Why don't we head over there?"
"That's cool," Rei agreed, looking triumphant.
They crossed the mall, passing the through the food court where another girl asked Rei out. He declined yet again and they continued forward. They eventually reached the sunglasses hut which was a small corner shop with ten racks of sunglasses for every kind of person.
"How's this one?" Waya asked, putting on the kind of sunglasses that go over normal glasses.
"Dork," Rei said, hitting him upside the head. "These are the ones that really suit you."
Turning to look in the mirror, Waya found that Rei had put pink Barbie glasses on his face. They even had little blue and yellow flowers printed all over.
"I think that these are better for Taki," he decided, passing the pair to his disheartened friend. "They bring out his true sexuality."
Takiyama, having had enough teasing, threw the glasses back on the rack and walked to a different corner of the store.
"I think we made him mad, you guys," Hatomi pointed out.
Rei looked at the dejected member of the group and saw something tempting out of the corner of his eye. "Listen you guys, I'm gonna catch up with you later, okay? I'll meet you at the main entrance in an hour, all right? I've gotta do something right now." He dashed across the hall to a shop.
"What can I do for you today?" the beautician asked upon his entry to the beauty parlor.
"I want my hair done," he said. "Do you do piercing here?" he asked.
"Certainly," she smiled. "I can help you at this station," she said, directing him to a barber's chair. Fluffing his hair, she asked, "Now, what do you want done with this?"
"Streaks," Rei said definitely. "Light brown streaks."
"Are you sure?" she asked with the annoyingly bright teeth showing through her too big smile. "Do you want it to be permanent?"
"Absolutely," Rei decided.
"All right," she said, beginning to wet his hair for the treatment.
By the time Rei left the salon, his beautiful golden hair had been streaked to perfection. The streaks weren't that noticeable unless you knew his natural hair color. They were basically highlights that looked completely natural. The beautician had done an even better job with his ear. He had a single piercing done at the lobe of his left ear. He'd picked out the most "manly" stud, a small gold globe. He picked up a pair of sunglasses from the hut, just to disguise himself more, before going to the entrance to meet his friends.
There they were there, trying to pick up girls again. Takiyama was looking very proud of himself, finally holding a slip of paper that was obviously a phone number. Chuckling to himself, Rei thought that it was probably a fake. He walked up to the group, and at first they didn't notice him. Then, with a gasp, Hatomi uttered, "Rei?"
Everyone turned to look at this stranger who was said to be their friend Rei.
"Wow, man," Waya said. "It doesn't even look like you anymore. Those streaks are awesome!"
Rei pushed his hair completely behind his ear, showing off his new earring.
"Holy crud, Rei!" Tatsuya exclaimed. "You really don't look like yourself anymore. Those girls are going to wonder if you're the same person they gave their numbers to."
"Yeah," Rei agreed. "But if I didn't do this, they would have all thought that they'd given their numbers to Sei. Now, they won't get confused in the future."
"I'd hate to break it to him," said Takiyama. "His mirror image just got shattered!"
"Heh," Rei laughed. "Good one, Taki. Finally got yourself a girl, huh?"
"You betcha!" he said happily. "She's got a GREAT rack. You should have seen her—dude, she's hot!"
They chattered loudly as they left the mall. On the way home, Rei wondered what kind of a reaction he would get out of his brother. Sei had never liked that there was someone who looked exactly like him, but he would never have done something like this without Rei's consent. Oh, well, what's done was done. Sei was just going to have to deal with it.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I think that the new Rei looks hot, don't you? I'm drooling over here. Even though I do like Tatsuya better, I think that Rei is really hot. Now, oh man! I want a piece of that! Just a quick disclaimer here: I don't own Barbie—that's Mattel (which I don't own either). Please no suing. That chapter was kind of fast paced, I believe. Did you understand the ending? I didn't put as much effort into it as I think that I should have, but I hope it didn't turn out as badly as I think it did. Did you guys like Hatomi, Waya, and Takiyama (my lovely creations)? I thought that they were pretty cute and maybe provided some humor for this fic. It's been pretty boring so far, right? I meant no offense to girls when I wrote what those guys were saying, but most of the time guys are offensive anyway, right? Ha, just kidding you guys! Don't forget to review (we need twenty-five remember). Also, look back at the top for the contest rules. I really want to see if anyone will say anything other than Rei/Kira (besides me, I mean). See you in the next chapter!
