Sincerity's Path

Authors Note: Lights, Camera - Drama! Nothing really to point out in this chapter. I'm really not too happy with this chapter. So I took a little longer tweaking it here and there. Still don't like it, but its much better, so I suppose I should be happy. I'm hoping to go back through the first few chapters and revise them again as well. I'm sorry for such a long delay in posting this chapter. So to make it up to everyone, I put up two chapters. I hope you enjoy. Please Comment! I love feedback!

Chapter five: Argument

"I'm sure he was only kidding Mimi." Yamato grunted, crossing the stage floor with the strawberry blonde bent over his shoulder. "Quit trying to save his butt. Its already mine." Mimi sighed rather calmly with downcast eyes, remaining still over his shoulder. Moving only to place her elbow against his shoulder blade to hold her head within her hand. Lightly tapping her fingers against his lower back to help ease her frustration. As Yamato passed behind the red velvet curtain, she caught Rick's gaze before she disappeared behind the stage with him. Her tongue slipped from her mouth and mocked him with anger. Rick paced farther back behind Ren in protection. Kyo, following behind the two with her books, shook his head with a small smile of amusing laughter.

Yamato turned down the dark hall behind the stage, and into the only area lit. A small dressing area, whose open light flooded from the room's open door and into the barren and dark hall. With the exception of the blue embroidered sofa and the small oversized chair Kyo seated himself within, the room was as barren as the hall. In hailing, Yamato gently set her onto the sofa's large cushions with ease. Mimi drew her legs up under her and turned to watch him, childlike, and expressionless. Bending before her he stopped, studying her for a moment before speaking. Lifting his index finger, he sat up straight once again and stepped back, "I'll be right back. Stay here." Kyo moved to follow behind, as Yamato motioned in disagreement. "Watch her." Walking from the room, he disappeared down the hall, the sound his leather boots against the floor giving the only indication of his lingering presence. Inhaling deeply, Mimi closed her eyes. Well, she groaned inwardly, things seemed to be going well. So far she'd succeeded in delaying their practice for an hour, if not all together, and gravely injuring one of the guitarists. Well, okay. Maybe not gravely, but still.. She smiled, recalling with satisfaction the startled look as the book hit its target. With a soft exhale she slowly opened her eyes once again, and left her position from the couch, standing up abruptly, "Tell Yamato I went home would you?" She smiled to Kyo, picking up her bag "I think I've probably caused enough trouble tonight, tell him I left so he could practice please." Kyo opened his mouth in protest "I don't-" but the strawberry blonde had already left the room, taking the opposite direction Yamato had left in, towards the back exit.

Mimi hurried down the street, quick to avoid Yamato's sudden speed if he were to catch up. The city streetlights passed under began to flicker to life as the sunset past the outlying horizon. She turned to the watch upon her wrist. Already nine. The library would have closed an hour ago, she groaned. She wouldn't find sanctuary their for her book work. She'd have to return home.

Mimi turned down the apartment complexes street, pulling her bag before her to search through its pockets. Running her hands against the cold metal keys retrieved, she slung the bag back behind her. Climbing the stairs in a sprint of two or three at a time to the third floor down to the apartments door.

No light seeped out from behind the windows curtained glass. Daisuke and Taichi must have decided to go out, she thought. The door creaked open and closed behind her as her bag hit the carpeted flooring. Locking the door back, she proceeded to light the darkened residence within the living room. Much better, she smiled weakly, bringing the last remaining light to life, as her stomach rumbled with hunger. Frowning she headed for the kitchen pantry to quail her hungers growing appetite. Scanning over the miscellaneous food groups, unsuitable even for any starving animal, she pulled from the cupboard's shelf the last remaining package of instant noodles.

She frowned; they would have grabbed something on the way home if she had stayed. Good ol' beefy flavor, she groaned.

When the Microwave chimed, she headed back to her room full of the books waiting to be opened. All that was left was to finish the paper. Slurping the noodles from its Styrofoam container, her eyes scanned the ending paragraph with sigh of frustration. All it really needed was another good paragraph and its closing and it would be done. However it didn't look like she'd be getting anything done tonight. Setting down the empty cup, she closed the paper within the book, setting it off to finish before her morning class.

Having changed into her pajamas, she leaned back in her chair, steadying it upon its back two legs as the sound of the front door slammed. She cringed at the thundering slam that echoed throughout the hall and reached for the desk to steady the unbalanced chair. Her fingers slipped a second two late from the desks front, throwing her backwards. "Ouch.."

"Mimi!" His feet sounded heavily down upon the halls wooden floor. She could hear his heavy breathing. Did he run the whole way?

He appeared within the doors archway, his hands hanging upon the frame and leaning in. "Why did you leave?!" his eyebrows arched, his hands trembling against the doorframe he held in support. She wasn't able to respond. She tilted her head around her leg, looking up at him from the floor. "Its dangerous to walk alone at night! You should have waited for me!" He was afraid. He was afraid. for her. He was worried, he wasn't angry. He was worried, and afraid.

"I'm alright. I-"

"You had me worried sick! I thought something had happened to you when I couldn't find you! You don't do that to people who care about you! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" His breathing still continued on heavily, "Mimi I care about you! I don't want anything to happen to you!"

His words hit her hard, as she lifted herself from the awkward position in which she'd fallen. Pulling her legs up under her, her eyes lowered to her lap. She hadn't intended to make him worry. That's the last thing she'd ever want to do to him. She left, so he wouldn't be angry. She was afraid he'd be angry with her. "I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to make you worry. I just didn't want you to be-"

The door closed again down the hall. Two voices full of laughter began to approach from the halls opening. "Hey Yamato-"The smile spread across Daisuke's face faded as he reached the angry boy. His voice lowered and his body backed a step away, "We wanted to see if you wanted to go out to the practice field." Yamato turned away from Mimi, shoving his hands within his pockets, "Sorry, I've got homework I've got to finish." He turned from the two on his heal, closing his bedroom door behind him. With a look of apologized confusion, they turned to Mimi for explanation. She kept her gaze to her lap, her head lowered to hide any coming tears.