Author's Notes - Thanks to all the people who reviewed the last chapter, I thank you all so much. The song used in this chapter that Yamato writes is titled `I Remember You' and it's by The Ataris. It's also the title of the chapter.
Yamato Ishida woke from a dream of a brown-eyed girl, next to his girlfriend, Sora Takenouchi, and with the sounds of rain pelting on his window. He was in his apartment, safe in his bed, beside the woman he loved. So why the constant dreams of that brown-eyed girl who'd left him standing in an airport at twelve, right after his first kiss?
Matt turned over on his side and reached with one hand for the pen and tiny notebook that he kept by his bed, should inspiration for a song strike at night. He had to write down everything he was feeling:
I Remember You
Woke up to the sound of pouring rain
The wind would whisper and I'd think of you
And all the tears you cried, that called my name
And when you needed me I came through
I paint a picture of the days gone by
When love went blind and you would make me see
I'd stare a lifetime into your eyes
So that I knew you were there for me
Time after time you were there for me
Remember yesterday - walking hand in hand
Love letters in the sand - I remember you
Through the sleepless nights and every endless day
I'd wanna hear you say - I remember you
We spent the summer with the top rolled down
Wished ever after would be like this
You said I love you babe, without a sound
I said I'd give my life for just one kiss
I'd live for your smile and die for your kiss
Remember yesterday - walking hand in hand
Love letters in the sand - I remember you
Through the sleepless nights and every endless day
I'd wanna hear you say - I remember you
We've had our share of hard times
But that's the price we paid
And through it all we kept the promise that we made
I swear you'll never be lonely
Woke up to the sound of pouring rain
Washed away a dream of you
But nothing else could ever take you away
'Cause you'll always be my dream come true
Oh my darling, I love you
Remember yesterday - walking hand in hand
Love letters in the sand - I remember you
Through the sleepless nights and every endless day
I'd wanna hear you say - I remember you.
He read over his work, liking it. No, loving it. It was good. It was very good. He snapped the tiny book shut, and, just as he was doing this, Sora woke. She pushed herself up to sitting and wrapped her arms around him from behind, smiling.
"You wrote something?" she asked.
"Uh, yea."
"Can I see it?" she whispered, leaning to place a kiss on his jaw.
He wanted to show it to her, really. But he couldn't. He couldn't face knowing that he hadn't written that poem for Sora, but for a brown-eyed girl in his past. "Nah," he said, placing the book back on his night stand and turning around to look at Sora.
"So private," she mused, giving him a slight pout.
He kissed her.
"Mmm," she murmured. "Let me go make some coffee, kay?"
"Sure."
He watched her move across the room, her nightgown, which was purple and made of a satin-y fabric, barely clinging to her small body, as she moved toward the kitchen.
The sounds of her making coffee and the pelting of the rain drove Yamato slowly, but smoothly, back into sleep, which was (at least, this time) dreamless.
***
Matt woke several hours later, to sunshine coming in rays through his window. He pushed himself off the bed and made his way into the kitchen/livingroom. Sora had left breakfast out for him - but the coffee had long gone cold and he wasn't even about to touch that toast that had been sitting out for a few hours.
He sighed, running his hands through goldenrod hair, before moving to the refrigerator. Sora had left a note for him, stuck to the fridge with tiny, ladybug-shaped magnets. The note read:
You fell asleep before I could get the coffee to you, you were sleeping so peacefully and I didn't want to wake you. The song you wrote was beautiful, I couldn't resist reading it. I left breakfast out for you, don't forget to get the mail off the doorstep. I won't be coming home for lunch, but you can call at 1:30.
Luv,
Sora
So much for breakfast. And so much for hiding any thing he ever wrote from Sora. 'At least she didn't seem mad about it,' he thought, as he moved to get the mail. He opened the door and scooped up the stack of envelopes and magazines.
"Bill...bill...catalog...letter from Sora's mom...bi - "
His voice trailed off as he came to a magazine with a headline that read, 'MIMI TACHIKAWA, POP PRINCESS, ANNOUNCES ENGAGEMENT'. The brunette on the cover was nothing less than beautiful, her ruby brown eyes sparkling, her chin balanced on one perfect hand which held, on it's ring finger, one perfect diamond.
Mimi.
He felt dizzy. He felt slightly sick. His head buzzed. He reached for the phone and dialed the first number that came into his head.
***
Hikari Kamiya (soon to be Kari Takashi) reached out to pick up the phone, still lying in bed. "'Lo?" she asked, and then sat up abruptly when she heard the voice on the other end. "Matt?!"
Beside her, Takeru also awoke, sitting up and looking at her with eyes that matched his brother's, Yamato. "Something wrong with Matt?"
Kari shook her head, placing a finger to her lips as she pushed herself out of bed and went to the rocking chair where she'd hung her robe the night before. She slipped it around herself, knotting it once.
"Matt, you're crazy."
TK was following her around the room with his eyes, watching her run her hands through long, chocolate brown hair. He watched her push her feet into slippers and pad out of the room. He followed her down the hallway and watched her open the door of the apartment. "Matt, listen - let me look."
She bent to pick up the mail and shut the door behind her as she carried it inside, shuffling through the envelopes. Finally, she came to the magazine with the brunette on the cover. "Oh...God..." Her legs seemed to give out from under her, and she folded herself into the chair.
Takeru watched, alarmed, before moving toward her and pulling the phone away from his fiance.
"Matt?"
"Takeru... It's Mimi..."
"...what?!"
***
Mimi Tachikawa, age 22, famous singer and actress, sat alone on the balcony of the mansion-like home she shared with Jonathan Adler. As opposed to lounging under a beach umbrella or sitting on any of the offered patio chairs, Mimi was sitting on the very edge of the balcony. Her legs were dangling between the white bars - lazily swinging back and forth - as she licked at a cherry popsicle, unaware that the popsicle was melting and beginning to leave tiny red dots all over her white shorts.
She swung her legs, honey-brown hair caught and blown by the wind. The door that led out onto the balcony was opened, revealing a bit of her bedroom. It was cool inside, perfectly air-conditioned - but Mimi wasn't prepared to go inside quite yet.
Outside, three young women walked towards the mansion and Mimi Tachikawa, in a manner that could be described as nothing less then purposeful. They had business with Mimi, after all. They were her friends and were there to discuss wedding plans with her.
Mimi was planning to marry her manager, Jonathan Adler. Jonathan's uncle, a man by the name of Bradley, had discovered Mimi when she was only 14 years old and had, at once, ushered her into the Adler offices to sign a singing contract. From there, Mimi had been introduced to a (then 24 year old) Jonathan Adler, who had been delighted by her obvious singing and acting talent. With the Adler Agency's help, Mimi recorded her first album, 'Mimi, and quickly became one of America's favorite sweethearts - adored and idolized by girls all around the country. Jonathan and Mimi's relationship began when Mimi was only seventeen, and was announced with the release of her second album, 'Soda Pop'. Now, five years later, (after a short break from the scene), Mimi was gearing up for production to begin on her third album, a brand new movie, and, finally, her wedding.
The three women all arrived at different times. They exchanged no words, only smiles as they filed out onto the balcony, to surround their friend who was still rather preoccupied with the popsicle. One of the woman, who had golden blonde hair and was appropriately named Sunny, mimicked her friend by also pushing her legs through the bars of the balcony.
"Hey Mimi!" she said, brightly.
Mimi only gave her friend a slight glance, out of the corner of her eye.
"Mimi-dahlin," Courtney, redheaded and southern, drawled, "you're dripping."
Mimi said nothing.
The last of the three women to speak was Mia, a short, dark-haired woman, who proclaimed with slight fascination, "Hey! You have the new TV Guide."
Mimi turned only then to look at her friend, smiling, "...yea."
"Mimi, something wrong?"
Mimi studied her popsicle for a second. "No, just thinking..."
The three women exchanged glances over Mimi's head.
"'Bout what?" Sunny asked, raising a blonde eyebrow.
"Old times," Mimi half-whispered, reaching down to clutch at the only piece of jewelry she wore constantly - a ring that hung from a silver chain around her neck. "I...can't talk about it." With that she folded her legs back up onto the balcony and stood, walking into the house.
Immediately, Court followed. "Mimi, you know you can always talk to us. Always. About anything." Court took a deep breath, "Are you having problems with Jonathan again?"
Mimi looked away from Court's probing green eyes. "Maybe," she said, biting her lip. "But it's okay. It's okay, because he loves me."
Sunny, Mia, and Courtney (once again) all exchanged glances. They'd all met Mimi on the set of her first music video, in which they had been dancers. They had been employed for work in videos by the Adler Agency, and sometimes called Jonathan 'the slave driver' because he worked his performers so hard. They all three knew that Jonathan was also known to raise his voice when he wasn't satisfied, and sometimes even used his fists on their friend - leaving sweet, kind, gentle Mimi with bruises, in a business where bruises were not allowed.
Sunny also removed herself from the balcony and went to stand beside Mimi, her light blue eyes blaring into Mimi's ruby brown ones. "Did he hit you this time, Mimi? Tell the truth."
"No," Mimi said firmly, looking Sunny straight in the eye, as she did it. Desperate for a subject change, she turned to look at Mia, the only one who regularly wore a watch. "What time is it?"
Mia checked the watch, "3:23."
"C'mon, we've gotta be to the bridal shoppe at 4:00," Mimi said, leading them out of her room and through the mansion, not even bothering to change out of the popsicle juice spotted shorts.
The four of the girls piled into Sunny's car, a cute and classic little red number. Sunny drove, Mimi took shotgun. Behind Sunny, Court settled herself with her feet curled underneath her and Mia kicked her legs up into the back of Mimi's seat.
"Flaps down?" Sunny said, pulling a pair of sunglasses, seemingly, out of nowhere.
"Flaps down," the three other women replied, putting on their own sunglasses.
"Runway clear?"
"Clear as crystal," Mimi said, tipping Sunny a wink.
After a mile, things relaxed and there was no more mention of Jonathan and Mimi's relationship problems. Up to that point, Mimi had been tense and had been sitting bolt upright next to Sunny, but as the friends talked and giggled, Mimi's problems seemed to melt away.
She wasn't aware at all that she had been found out.
Author's Note - Hope you guys all enjoyed that! Please read and review this!
Yamato Ishida woke from a dream of a brown-eyed girl, next to his girlfriend, Sora Takenouchi, and with the sounds of rain pelting on his window. He was in his apartment, safe in his bed, beside the woman he loved. So why the constant dreams of that brown-eyed girl who'd left him standing in an airport at twelve, right after his first kiss?
Matt turned over on his side and reached with one hand for the pen and tiny notebook that he kept by his bed, should inspiration for a song strike at night. He had to write down everything he was feeling:
I Remember You
Woke up to the sound of pouring rain
The wind would whisper and I'd think of you
And all the tears you cried, that called my name
And when you needed me I came through
I paint a picture of the days gone by
When love went blind and you would make me see
I'd stare a lifetime into your eyes
So that I knew you were there for me
Time after time you were there for me
Remember yesterday - walking hand in hand
Love letters in the sand - I remember you
Through the sleepless nights and every endless day
I'd wanna hear you say - I remember you
We spent the summer with the top rolled down
Wished ever after would be like this
You said I love you babe, without a sound
I said I'd give my life for just one kiss
I'd live for your smile and die for your kiss
Remember yesterday - walking hand in hand
Love letters in the sand - I remember you
Through the sleepless nights and every endless day
I'd wanna hear you say - I remember you
We've had our share of hard times
But that's the price we paid
And through it all we kept the promise that we made
I swear you'll never be lonely
Woke up to the sound of pouring rain
Washed away a dream of you
But nothing else could ever take you away
'Cause you'll always be my dream come true
Oh my darling, I love you
Remember yesterday - walking hand in hand
Love letters in the sand - I remember you
Through the sleepless nights and every endless day
I'd wanna hear you say - I remember you.
He read over his work, liking it. No, loving it. It was good. It was very good. He snapped the tiny book shut, and, just as he was doing this, Sora woke. She pushed herself up to sitting and wrapped her arms around him from behind, smiling.
"You wrote something?" she asked.
"Uh, yea."
"Can I see it?" she whispered, leaning to place a kiss on his jaw.
He wanted to show it to her, really. But he couldn't. He couldn't face knowing that he hadn't written that poem for Sora, but for a brown-eyed girl in his past. "Nah," he said, placing the book back on his night stand and turning around to look at Sora.
"So private," she mused, giving him a slight pout.
He kissed her.
"Mmm," she murmured. "Let me go make some coffee, kay?"
"Sure."
He watched her move across the room, her nightgown, which was purple and made of a satin-y fabric, barely clinging to her small body, as she moved toward the kitchen.
The sounds of her making coffee and the pelting of the rain drove Yamato slowly, but smoothly, back into sleep, which was (at least, this time) dreamless.
***
Matt woke several hours later, to sunshine coming in rays through his window. He pushed himself off the bed and made his way into the kitchen/livingroom. Sora had left breakfast out for him - but the coffee had long gone cold and he wasn't even about to touch that toast that had been sitting out for a few hours.
He sighed, running his hands through goldenrod hair, before moving to the refrigerator. Sora had left a note for him, stuck to the fridge with tiny, ladybug-shaped magnets. The note read:
You fell asleep before I could get the coffee to you, you were sleeping so peacefully and I didn't want to wake you. The song you wrote was beautiful, I couldn't resist reading it. I left breakfast out for you, don't forget to get the mail off the doorstep. I won't be coming home for lunch, but you can call at 1:30.
Luv,
Sora
So much for breakfast. And so much for hiding any thing he ever wrote from Sora. 'At least she didn't seem mad about it,' he thought, as he moved to get the mail. He opened the door and scooped up the stack of envelopes and magazines.
"Bill...bill...catalog...letter from Sora's mom...bi - "
His voice trailed off as he came to a magazine with a headline that read, 'MIMI TACHIKAWA, POP PRINCESS, ANNOUNCES ENGAGEMENT'. The brunette on the cover was nothing less than beautiful, her ruby brown eyes sparkling, her chin balanced on one perfect hand which held, on it's ring finger, one perfect diamond.
Mimi.
He felt dizzy. He felt slightly sick. His head buzzed. He reached for the phone and dialed the first number that came into his head.
***
Hikari Kamiya (soon to be Kari Takashi) reached out to pick up the phone, still lying in bed. "'Lo?" she asked, and then sat up abruptly when she heard the voice on the other end. "Matt?!"
Beside her, Takeru also awoke, sitting up and looking at her with eyes that matched his brother's, Yamato. "Something wrong with Matt?"
Kari shook her head, placing a finger to her lips as she pushed herself out of bed and went to the rocking chair where she'd hung her robe the night before. She slipped it around herself, knotting it once.
"Matt, you're crazy."
TK was following her around the room with his eyes, watching her run her hands through long, chocolate brown hair. He watched her push her feet into slippers and pad out of the room. He followed her down the hallway and watched her open the door of the apartment. "Matt, listen - let me look."
She bent to pick up the mail and shut the door behind her as she carried it inside, shuffling through the envelopes. Finally, she came to the magazine with the brunette on the cover. "Oh...God..." Her legs seemed to give out from under her, and she folded herself into the chair.
Takeru watched, alarmed, before moving toward her and pulling the phone away from his fiance.
"Matt?"
"Takeru... It's Mimi..."
"...what?!"
***
Mimi Tachikawa, age 22, famous singer and actress, sat alone on the balcony of the mansion-like home she shared with Jonathan Adler. As opposed to lounging under a beach umbrella or sitting on any of the offered patio chairs, Mimi was sitting on the very edge of the balcony. Her legs were dangling between the white bars - lazily swinging back and forth - as she licked at a cherry popsicle, unaware that the popsicle was melting and beginning to leave tiny red dots all over her white shorts.
She swung her legs, honey-brown hair caught and blown by the wind. The door that led out onto the balcony was opened, revealing a bit of her bedroom. It was cool inside, perfectly air-conditioned - but Mimi wasn't prepared to go inside quite yet.
Outside, three young women walked towards the mansion and Mimi Tachikawa, in a manner that could be described as nothing less then purposeful. They had business with Mimi, after all. They were her friends and were there to discuss wedding plans with her.
Mimi was planning to marry her manager, Jonathan Adler. Jonathan's uncle, a man by the name of Bradley, had discovered Mimi when she was only 14 years old and had, at once, ushered her into the Adler offices to sign a singing contract. From there, Mimi had been introduced to a (then 24 year old) Jonathan Adler, who had been delighted by her obvious singing and acting talent. With the Adler Agency's help, Mimi recorded her first album, 'Mimi, and quickly became one of America's favorite sweethearts - adored and idolized by girls all around the country. Jonathan and Mimi's relationship began when Mimi was only seventeen, and was announced with the release of her second album, 'Soda Pop'. Now, five years later, (after a short break from the scene), Mimi was gearing up for production to begin on her third album, a brand new movie, and, finally, her wedding.
The three women all arrived at different times. They exchanged no words, only smiles as they filed out onto the balcony, to surround their friend who was still rather preoccupied with the popsicle. One of the woman, who had golden blonde hair and was appropriately named Sunny, mimicked her friend by also pushing her legs through the bars of the balcony.
"Hey Mimi!" she said, brightly.
Mimi only gave her friend a slight glance, out of the corner of her eye.
"Mimi-dahlin," Courtney, redheaded and southern, drawled, "you're dripping."
Mimi said nothing.
The last of the three women to speak was Mia, a short, dark-haired woman, who proclaimed with slight fascination, "Hey! You have the new TV Guide."
Mimi turned only then to look at her friend, smiling, "...yea."
"Mimi, something wrong?"
Mimi studied her popsicle for a second. "No, just thinking..."
The three women exchanged glances over Mimi's head.
"'Bout what?" Sunny asked, raising a blonde eyebrow.
"Old times," Mimi half-whispered, reaching down to clutch at the only piece of jewelry she wore constantly - a ring that hung from a silver chain around her neck. "I...can't talk about it." With that she folded her legs back up onto the balcony and stood, walking into the house.
Immediately, Court followed. "Mimi, you know you can always talk to us. Always. About anything." Court took a deep breath, "Are you having problems with Jonathan again?"
Mimi looked away from Court's probing green eyes. "Maybe," she said, biting her lip. "But it's okay. It's okay, because he loves me."
Sunny, Mia, and Courtney (once again) all exchanged glances. They'd all met Mimi on the set of her first music video, in which they had been dancers. They had been employed for work in videos by the Adler Agency, and sometimes called Jonathan 'the slave driver' because he worked his performers so hard. They all three knew that Jonathan was also known to raise his voice when he wasn't satisfied, and sometimes even used his fists on their friend - leaving sweet, kind, gentle Mimi with bruises, in a business where bruises were not allowed.
Sunny also removed herself from the balcony and went to stand beside Mimi, her light blue eyes blaring into Mimi's ruby brown ones. "Did he hit you this time, Mimi? Tell the truth."
"No," Mimi said firmly, looking Sunny straight in the eye, as she did it. Desperate for a subject change, she turned to look at Mia, the only one who regularly wore a watch. "What time is it?"
Mia checked the watch, "3:23."
"C'mon, we've gotta be to the bridal shoppe at 4:00," Mimi said, leading them out of her room and through the mansion, not even bothering to change out of the popsicle juice spotted shorts.
The four of the girls piled into Sunny's car, a cute and classic little red number. Sunny drove, Mimi took shotgun. Behind Sunny, Court settled herself with her feet curled underneath her and Mia kicked her legs up into the back of Mimi's seat.
"Flaps down?" Sunny said, pulling a pair of sunglasses, seemingly, out of nowhere.
"Flaps down," the three other women replied, putting on their own sunglasses.
"Runway clear?"
"Clear as crystal," Mimi said, tipping Sunny a wink.
After a mile, things relaxed and there was no more mention of Jonathan and Mimi's relationship problems. Up to that point, Mimi had been tense and had been sitting bolt upright next to Sunny, but as the friends talked and giggled, Mimi's problems seemed to melt away.
She wasn't aware at all that she had been found out.
Author's Note - Hope you guys all enjoyed that! Please read and review this!
