Now, Happy Thanksgiving to my readers in the United States. I hope everyone enjoyed it, almost as much as they'll enjoy this chapter.
Now without further delay, here we go!
Athrun felt tired... thoroughly, exhaustedly, completely, totally, undisputedly... tired. After returning to the resort with Cagalli and then running to get dried off, he barely had enough time to grab his briefcase from his room, before his cell phone went off. Tearing out the door, he ran straight to the Resort's restaurant, where Mr. Saran had arranged to meet him.
After almost ramming into two perfectly clear glass doors, that he would have probably just broken through if he didn't notice the slight reflection of light at the last moment, he pushed through with his shoulder and scanned the tables.
"Whoa... easy there Athrun. You win, you win." A voice came from behind him. Athrun turned to find...
Cagalli. Clothes changed, hair dried, hands at her hips and eyebrows raised.
"What did I win?" He asked, still slightly breathless.
"I don't know. You tell me. You looked like you were racing or something." She shrugged, heading towards a table to sit down. Athrun followed her but didn't take a seat.
"I have a meeting in here..." He told her. Cagalli stared at him.
"In a restaurant?"
"Well we're supposed to meet here..." He responded, clearly a bit confused himself.
"Whatever man. I'm actually here to eat." Cagalli raised her right hand as if waving off the issue, then picked up a fork and pressed the prongs to her lower lip as she scanned the menu. Suddenly the door opened once more and in walked both Sarans.
"Mr.Zala! I hope I didn't keep you waiting long." the elder noted politely. Athrun shook his head and put on his most courteous smile.
"Not at all."
"Well then, let's get right down to it, shall we? I mean, it's a fairly easy transaction, if you don't mind me being too blunt." He laughed.
"I completely agree." Athrun smiled a bit more genuinely, slightly relieved by the casualty of the situation.
Jona shot a glance at Cagalli. "Will your guest be sitting in for the meeting as well?" Cagalli looked up from the menu, slightly startled at the acknowledgement of her presence. Athrun blinked.
"Oh no. Not at all. I just happened to run into her here while she came to get something to eat." Athrun explained. Jona stepped forward.
"Quite honestly, though I wouldn't call the food here bad, there is better. I don't suppose you'd allow me to treat you, Ms. Athha, to a meal?" He offered. Cagalli stared at him blankly, mentally questioning what the hell was going on and why she was involved.
"Well, we will be moving into a private room anyways, Mr. Zala. But Jona, that means that you're stepping out of this meeting?" Mr. Saran clarified. Jona nodded.
"As you said father, this is fairly basic. I'd like to excuse myself, to entertain Mr. Zala's guest, if you don't mind." Jona smiled, perfectly aware of how Athrun knuckles were turning white from gripping his briefcase too tightly. Surprisingly, the cobalt-haired young man had amazing control of his facial expression, and kept it stoic, with his eyes merely diverted. Meanwhile, Mr.Saran nodded in approval.
"That's fine. Well then Mr. Zala, shall we?"
Athrun's eyes snapped towards the elder Saran and he nodded numbly. He shot a glance at the bewildered Cagalli and bid her a brief farewell before following Mr. Saran into a private chamber, ever so slightly turning while closing the door. Cagalli sat there until...
"Well then, shall we be going?" Jona offered, extending her hand. She regarded it for a moment, then stood up on her own and nodded.
Minutes later, Cagalli found herself seated in a restaurant that was only a few minutes away... that had a menu remarkably similar to the one at the restaurant. Then again it was a free meal so who was she to complain?
"Need any suggestions?" Jona offered, opening up his menu.
"No thanks. I like to try new stuff." Cagalli shrugged. She looked up at the waiter.
"Vegetable soup and a salad please." She ordered, handing back the menu.
"That's it? Odd... you didn't strike me as the type to be dieting." Jona joked. Cagalli looked at him.
"I'm not. This is just a light lunch though, so I'm not very hungry." She explained. Jona placed his order, and a few minutes later they food had been brought out.
"So, tell me more about yourself. I feel like you know a lot about me, but I know very little about you. What do you do for a living?" Jona started.
"I'm currently taking a break off law school, and working at a waitress to earn money for my tuition." She replied, almost mechanically.
"Really? A lawyer... somehow I feel as though this profession suits you." Jona noted. Cagalli smiled faintly.
"Thank you."
"Now... why a waitress if you don't mind me asking?"
"I used to live abroad, then I moved here, and the first job I got was as a waitress. I guess now it's just easier to be one. There's always work and I have experience." She replied, once more in a mechanical tone.
"Interesting..." Jona nodded. "So then, just as someone who is in the service business, I'm a bit curious about what you think of the resort?" He started. Cagalli raised an eyebrow.
"Is this going to end up being one of those quizzes that you find in your room, rating the service?"
Jona laughed. "Sort of, but in person. What do you think?"
"It's nice. I like it a lot, but honestly all I've done is hang out on the beach and abuse room service."
"So I've heard." Jona acknowledged with a grin. "But it doesn't sound like you've done much. Any particular reason for that? Do we... not offer enough activities?"
"Not at all... to be honest I spent most of my time trying to get Athrun to do stuff." She laughed, unaware of how Jona's grin had widened ever so slightly.
"So how do you feel about Mr. Zala?" He started.
"Athrun?.. I don't know. He's a friend." She replied, taking another bite of her soup.
"I see..." Jona weighed the tone of his voice carefully. "Well you certainly are an interesting person. It's just that... Forget it. It's really not my place to say this." He shook his head, barely catching a glimpse of Cagalli looking up curiously.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"No really... what?"
"I'd hate to say this." Jona said casually.
"I'd hate to not hear it." She insisted.
"Well... you're just a waitress aren't you?" Jona asked, pacing his words carefully and regulating the tone of his voice. Cagalli stared in confusion.
"Just... a waitress?"
"I mean to say... you're a bit out of his social class. He has to start being more careful about who he associates with now. Perhaps you aren't exactly the best company..." He drifted off, as if holding his tongue.
Cagalli stopped for a moment, then wiped her mouth and placed in on the table. "Jona... If Athrun had a problem with associating me, I'm completely confident that he would have told me. And in addition... thank you for your concern but I assure you that you need not worry."
Jona blinked. His words had... no effect?
"I see. I apologize then."
"No need." Cagalli replied stoically.
And the two continued to eat: Jona not noticing the subtle difference in Cagalli's expression... And Cagalli finding the practice of conversation increasingly annoying.
Kira walked up to the restaurant door, pausing for a moment to hold it open for Lacus. Upon entering, they were led to a table for two by a young male waiter, who gave them their menus then left to wait on other table.
Kira looked around. "Pretty nice place. What do you want?"
"Not much... I'm not very hungry. Probably just a sandwich or something." Lacus shrugged.
"You seem distracted." He noted, tilting his head to the side a bit in concern.
"I do?" She looked up from the menu, tucking a strand of pink hair behind her ear. "I suppose it's just because of the play. I wonder if it's all right for me to be gone for such a long time. I'm responsible for so much of it."
"I'm sure everything's fine. After besides, once you get back you'll get started on it right away, with a fresh mind that was a ton of new ideas, right?" Kira quipped. Lacus smiled and laughed.
"That's true too." She nodded. Surveying the dining room quickly, she paused at the sight of a blonde head. "Hm? Cagalli's here?"
Kira looked up. "Where? I thought she was with Athrun... Not that I'm complaining. This way, he keeps her out of trouble and she can get him into more." He laughed.
Lacus smiled, squinting a bit to make out the figure sitting opposite of Cagalli. Her eyes suddenly widened a bit.
"Well... hate to break it to you but that's definitely not Athrun..."
"Should we… do something?" Kira offered… unsure of how to react. Athrun had never been happier, but Cagalli was his SISTER.
"No… I don't think that's necessary." Lacus turned in her seat to face the table once more, and Kira breathed a sigh of relief, tucking away this problem for a later time.
Because the last thing he needed as a parting gift was some odd romantic knot to untangle.
Jona stepped into his father's office. About an hour ago, he had just sent their four gests to the airport.
"Father, did the sale go well?"
Unato Saran nodded. "It was a simple one, so yes it went smoothly." Looking up from his desk, he looked at this son. "Jona, I'm curious. Why did you not sit in? I thought you were eager to."
Jona smiled a bit. "Well... you're going to be a bit mad at me for admitting this, but I was trying to distract Mr. Zala, by separating him from his guest."
His father's eyes narrowed.
"Not that it worked!" Jona added quickly. "It's strange... either they aren't a close as I thought, are much closer than I thought... Or Ms. Athha is a remarkable actress."
Bidding a quick farewell to his father, who he could expect a lecture from later, he closed the office door behind him.
"And if she is such a remarkable actress... Perhaps my interest in her wasn't completely false either."
"Mr. Zala... Cagalli is quite a girl. Take good care of her."
Athrun and Cagalli sat in the airport terminal, lounging around. Their return trip required a transfer... technically it didn't REQUIRE one, but since Kira had to go, it was most convenient to transfer here. Kira could hop on a plane to France, and the three of them left could just switch onto a plane back home.
Currently, there was another half hour before their flight, and Kira was boarding his plane. Cagalli had said a typical 'Cagalli goodbye', which included threatening to main him if he got himself into trouble, threats to strangle him if he didn't call, and finally, a circulation cutting hug. Athrun, who was stunned at the dramatic display of goodbye merely stepped forward to give a brief hug and well-wishing, then the both of them retreated to give Lacus her own personal goodbye time.
Now Cagalli was flipping through a magazine that she had bought, and Athrun was well... on his laptop. He'd started playing solitaire, but got bored after winning 10 times in a row, and switched to doing some work instead. Glancing over at Cagalli every now and then to make sure she didn't notice, something caught his eye.
She was holding the magazine upside down...
Raising an eyebrow and focusing his uneasy eye back to his computer screen then frowned... Either she was trying to challenge herself by reading upside down... Or she was so distracted that she didn't' realize what she was doing. Settling on the latter option, he made a mental note to ask her if anything was wrong, later. After all, if he asked now he's have a pissed off Cagalli to deal with the rest of the way back.
Lacus stood in front of Kira, smiling gracefully. Kira smiled back.
"Have fun."
"I will."
"Don't stress yourself."
"Same to you."
She gave him an innocent kiss goodbye, and a long hug.
"It'll be fine." He insisted. "I'll be back before the holidays, and definitely in time to see you on stage."
"I know." Lacus smiled. "Take care, and call me as soon as you get there. Cagalli's goodbye was a bit more... animated, but it's the same idea for all of us." She laughed.
Kira grinned. "Yes well, being able to feel my right arm is plus. Actually... she's usually not this... emotional. Watch out for her a little, okay?"
"Of course."
"All right then... I'll be going now." He nodded, gathering his things.
Lacus nodded, waving as he handed his ticket to the attendant, stepped through the gate, until he had disappeared from sight. Firmly blinking back the glossy tears watering at the tips of her eyes, she looked up to keep them from falling. Wiping the sides of her eyes briefly, she turned and headed over to Athrun and Cagalli.
Athrun leaned against the side of the entrance to the auditorium, where he and Cagalli had been told to meet Lacus. So far, neither or them had any idea what was going on, just that they had received a phone call from a frantic Lacus telling them to come immediately. About a day or so had passed from when Kira left, so it couldn't be that... Then again she start started working on the play today...
"Athrun! Has she come yet?"
He looked his shoulder and turned to face Cagalli, was just jogging over.
"Nope. I just got here..." He replied.
"Drop those words from the record, I'm right here." Lacus called out, running up to them from backstage. "Come, come, come, I need to try something first." She urged, pushing them forward without slowing her pace. Meer popped up from behind her to help push them forward.
"Wha- Lacus? What's going on? Why... are there two of you?" Cagalli did a double take, her trippy steps making her stumble a bit until she finally broke into a run, along with Athrun. Lacus and Meer followed suit.
"This is Meer... Long story, that's not the issue so I'll tell you later. I need you guys to do something..." Lacus explained hurriedly. Finally, pushing them into a room and locking the door. Cagalli and Athrun exchanged looks of bewilderment.
"You'll find two costumes in there. Please change into them!" Meer's voice called from the other side. Again, the confused pair looked at the outfits, then at each other, then back at the door.
"Change... with her?"
"Change... with him?"
Athrun and Cagalli simultaneously, gesturing to each other with their thumbs As if on cue, the door was flung open, and Lacus dragged Cagalli out of the room with the outfit in hand, then shut the door promptly again.
"Okay! Now change!"
Athrun stared, but seeing no other way out of the strange situation, quickly obliged.
"Do you have it on?" Lacus asked.
"Uh... sort of. I don't know how to put this thing on..." Athrun admitted, staring at the strange lump of cloth hanging in his left hand. The door opened again, and Lacus ran forward, grabbed the thing out his hand, then quickly tied it around his neck. Athrun just stood there, too stunned to react.
"What do you think Meer? Is it a fit?" Lacus asked, stepping back, hand on her hips.
"Most definitely." Meer replied, nodding with her hand on her chin.
"Fantastic!"
"What about me?" Cagalli cried from behind them. Lacus and Meer turned, and Athrun tried to look past them, then quickly covered his eyes and turned away.
"What the-? Cagalli, put some clothes on!" He insisted, relieved that his hands not only blocked his vision, but also his crimson face.
"I AM dressed!" She cried, her face equally red... either out of anger or embarrassment. "This is the costume! And it's about 10 sizes too big!" She finished, throwing her hands up. Lacus and Meer ran up to her, slamming Athrun's door shut in the process. Athrun took it as his cue to get changed again.
"It's not too bad... We can take it in a little." Lacus insisted, tugging at the costume's material and trying to pull up the straps of the top, which were so big on poor Cagalli that half of her bra was exposed... hence Athrun's reaction.
"Well... better big then small, right? This way we can just… cut out some of the extra material." Meer offered encouragingly. Angrily, Cagalli swatted their hands away and pushed them out the door to change.
"Why are we doing this anyways!"
"Well, you see…" Lacus started, her tone clearly anxious and hurried. "As soon as I got back, we found out there was a mistake in the booking of the theatre... We were scheduled to show the same days that this other company. Because they were first, we had to be moved... forward unfortunately."
"How far forward?" Athrun asked, buttoning the last button on his shirt and straightening the collar, once more opening the door. He stepped out to see that Cagalli had already finished re-changing back into her clothes and was standing in the hall, arms crossed.
"Well the play was originally going to show around the end of January...next year." Lacus fiddled with her hands nervously.
"And now?..."
"Now it's showing on December 21st up till Christmas Eve." Lacus sighed, dropping her hands to her sides weakly.
"WHAT!" Athrun and Cagalli both called out.
"That's not the worst of it." Meer started. "Because it has to be around the holidays, some of the cast can't be here for the show anymore. Some of them had understudies who are willing to stick around, which is okay. But three of the people that dropped out don't! I'm taking one of the roles..."
"So then there's two left..." Athrun muttered, his facial expression pensive.
"What roles?" Cagalli asked.
"Two of the main roles, unfortunately... a male... and a female..." Lacus answered.
A few moments passed, as the idea sunk in. Slowly, Athrun and Cagalli raised their heads, looked at each other then turned to the two pink-hair women before them, sporting similar expressions of disbelief on their faces.
"NO WAY!" They cried, Athrun's hands rose as a shield in front of him, as he slowly backed away, Cagalli's hand crossing in front of her.
"Please guys!" Lacus pleaded. "It's too late to hold auditions! You guys have seen a few rehearsals; You've even read my script! And I KNOW Athrun can act, he did all the main male roles in High School!"
Cagalli raised her eyebrows in shock, then looked at Athrun, who was stuttering sheepishly. "Tha-That was a LONG time ago, Lacus. I haven't even had a single role since. There's no way I can-"
"And Cagalli! Kira said that you were going to be a drama major, before switching to law!"
This time Athrun looked over in surprise. Cagalli took a step back. "No- ah, well Yes... But I was thinking more of directing than acting..."
"That's why you took acting lessons as a child?"
Dead silence ensued.
"It doesn't matter! You can't expect us to-" Cagalli started.
"But Ms. Athha! We don't have a choice. This is the last thing that Ms. Clyne wanted to do, but the show must go on and this IS our best option!" Meer persisted.
"But I have work..." Cagalli sighed. Athrun nodded.
"As do I."
"You guys don't even have to come daily like me! I trust you guys totally! Just learn the role on your own, and come to rehearsal once a week!" Lacus pleaded. "I swear I'll make this as easy as possible on you."
The two shifted uncomfortably...
"Just till Christmas?"
"Yes."
"Just once a week?
"Well... Maybe more often later on..." Lacus admitted.
Both potential actors frowned. With full time jobs...
"I doubt I can really... act anymore." Cagalli sighed. Lacus tensed ever so slightly, and Meer's face fell a bit.
"And I feel like I should think this through a bit more." Athrun said. Cagalli nodded in agreement. Cagalli nodded and a similar series of reactions occurred.
"But... I don't know, maybe I can make a deal with my boss or something."
Cagalli shrugged. Pausing for a moment, she extended her hand with a sigh. "Let me see the script again."
Lacus jumped up and clapped her hands together with glee. "And you, Athrun?"
"Well how can I not after you just did... that." He smiled, motioning with is hand to her with a chuckle. "I'll give it my best shot." He shrugged.
"I'm sure both of you will just be wonderful!" Meer smiled.
Athrun and Cagalli looked at each other with surrendering smiles.
"Here we go..."
Well then, in a strange chain of events, Athrun and Cagalli are in a play! But what are their roles, and how will this affect them?
Next chapter: As Athrun and Cagalli learn their parts and meet the rest of the cast, quite a surprise is waiting for them.
Also, for added clarification, WAS Cagalli affected by Jona's words? (Side note: This is the last chapter that Jona will be appearing in.) In a word, yes. That's why I added the final bit, about how she actually IS an actress, Athrun as well. Thus it was hard for Jona to read their thoughts. But the main point is HOW were they affected by his words?
Finally, this Thanksgiving I can for the first time say that I'm thankful for my readers! I've written fanfiction for a little more than a half a year now, so your support for this fic is really touching, and very much appreciated. I also encourage you to review and tell me what you think, since the more input I get, the better!
anna, The Angels' Princess, daisukechibi, KiraFreedom, rain angst, imuzuok, G-K.N.I.G.H.T-S, astrocosmos, kura52, XxbuffyxX, psycogirl234, gseedlover, clumsykelli, ANONYMOUS-gsd, animemistress419, koali alolao, thousandbirds, Athrun-n-Cagalli, asga , IYGU, KaguyaEvenstar, Eternally Asuka, FreedomElf, cherrystraw, stuntsheep, XCrossMyHeartX, purple1, Cagalli Yula Athha Fangirl, jackie-88-ac, Mahha55, ANONYMOUS, Craze Izumi, ichigo kagura, Maryam Khanoom, MXC - the show- rocks my socks
Thank you once more! See you all next week!
Periodic-Prose